Chapter 585 - 604: This Applause Is for You, the Thorny Little Morning Rose

A series of attacks rained down on her.

Jiang Qiuqiu hadn’t even gotten back to her feet before she was pinned again. She was so tired she felt she could no longer control her hands with any precision.

Huo Jia’s attacks slammed into her Mecha. The cold clash of metal. The pain intensified until it turned into numbness. Within that numbness, Jiang Qiuqiu fiercely raised a hand to shove him away and rolled twice across the ground. But she didn’t get far before Huo Jia was on her again.

In the middle of the fight, Jiang Qiuqiu drew the longsword holstered on the back of her light Mecha and began to clash with Huo Jia.

She gained a moment’s respite and tried to stand. Huo Jia had intended to attack again, but before he could make a move, Jiang Qiuqiu’s half-risen body shuddered. She fell to one knee, swaying unsteadily.

Unable to keep her balance, she plunged her sword into the ground, trying to use it for support to get up.

Huo Jia knew she was at the end of her rope. Jiang Qiuqiu struggled to rise. He thought about going over to help her up, but she was already trying to stand again on her own, swaying. The sword slipped, and she fell back to one knee.

Her consciousness was starting to fade. Only her dauntless courage and persistence were keeping Jiang Qiuqiu going.

Suddenly, cheers echoed in her ears. The familiar nickname, "Juju," reached her. The repeated syllable seemed to grant Jiang Qiuqiu endless strength. She gripped her longsword and stood up again—

The moment she was upright, her body gave out and collapsed to the ground.

She had fainted. A scanner above them flashed red, and the instructor raised a red flag.

"The winner of this match is Huo Jia!"

Afterward, the waiting medics and Mecha Makers rushed onto the field. The unconscious Jiang Qiuqiu was quickly carried out and placed into a nearby healing pod.

Ten minutes later, the semi-finals began. Jiang Qiuqiu was still lying in the healing pod. Fortunately, spiritual power exhaustion wasn’t a major issue; with enough replenishment, she would recover quickly.

The Spirit Nourishing Liquid had little effect on Jiang Qiuqiu, but the healing pod was a wonderful thing.

A current like a hot spring flowed through her withered Spirit Sea, bringing waves of pleasure and warmth.

Jiang Qiuqiu sank into it, basking for a while. When she felt some of her exhaustion recede, she slowly opened her eyes.

As soon as she woke up, a medic opened the healing pod. After she climbed out, the chief instructor wanted to see her. She walked over to the main platform. The camera bots would occasionally pan over the judges on the platform, and at that moment, Jiang Qiuqiu happened to enter the frame.

The young woman was as delicate and vibrant as a flower petal. At first glance, everyone would think she was a morning rose.

But for those who had watched her fight—

They knew she possessed the endurance and courage of a true warrior.

She was a warrior.

The chief instructor was asking about Jiang Qiuqiu’s condition.

"Ah, I feel great," Jiang Qiuqiu said, meditating for a moment. "My head just hurts a little."

The chief instructor was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties. Seeing Jiang Qiuqiu frown, he patted her on the shoulder. "It’s a side effect of overexertion. Don’t worry about it. Don’t use your spiritual power again until tomorrow."

"Oh, okay."

"How were you able to hold on for so long?"

"Huh?" She hadn’t expected to be pulled aside and asked this question. ’Well...’

"I just wanted to keep going."

"I felt like I could still fight," she said with a smile on her face. "Besides, it would have been way too embarrassing to go down right at the start."

Honest, at least.

"You already did an amazing job. Keep it up, train hard. You’re one of the most promising students I’ve ever seen."

"Alright, you look tired. Go back and get some rest."

Liu Tingting was waiting for her. She planned to head back with Tingting and a few other girls.

As she walked up into the stands, not far from Liu Tingting, Jiang Qiuqiu waved. "I’m here!"

She jogged forward, but before she even reached the group of girls, they all burst into applause, leaving Jiang Qiuqiu a little stunned.

"?"

"Our heroine returns!!"

"..."

That title was really making her blush. It was too embarrassing.

She immediately rejected it. "That’s a heavy word, you can’t just throw it around. Just call me by my name."

"Hee hee, Juju is too awesome!"

Jiang Qiuqiu’s eyes curved into a smile.

Just as Jiang Qiuqiu was talking with the girls, another round of applause sounded from behind her.

The timing of the applause was too perfect. Jiang Qiuqiu glanced back curiously and saw a group of big, burly men in military uniforms all staring at her, their eyes fixed on her.

...

’Staring at me?’

While she was still confused, Liu Tingting leaned in and whispered, "Juju, while you were competing down there, they were all cheering for you!"

"And they were all shouting, ’Go, Juju!’ I suspect they’re all Ju people!"

Ju people was the affectionate name Jiang Qiuqiu’s fans had given themselves.

A very cute name.

Jiang Qiuqiu turned to look. ’A very cute name = a group of brawny, bronze-skinned men, all over 1.8 meters tall?’

"..."

Jiang Qiuqiu tentatively greeted the small group of men.

The men’s expressions changed in an instant, breaking into friendly smiles as they all started waving.

They really were fans, and they recognized her. Since she’d run into them, it was only polite to say hello. Jiang Qiuqiu said a few words to Liu Tingting, and after Tingting relayed the message to the other curious girls, the friends turned their attention back to the matches.

Over here, her small figure was quite conspicuous sitting next to the large group of men.

"Juju! I can’t believe we’re seeing you in the garrison!"

This "uncle" was incredibly forward, but it was precisely this familiarity that made the conversation between strangers feel exceptionally smooth and natural.

"I didn’t expect it either. I’m surprised anyone in the garrison has eaten my cooking."

"What’s so surprising about that!" another man chimed in. "There are lots of us."

"We’re everywhere. All of us here are your fans, and this isn’t even everyone. Some are training, some are out on missions. Otherwise, there’d be even more of us."

"Thank you for coming to support me. I heard you cheering for me down there. It was very encouraging."

The older guys laughed bashfully. "We weren’t originally planning to shout, but when we heard that little girl over there cheering, we just joined in."

Interacting with their "daughter" was always a happy occasion.

"By the way, Juju, how come you joined the Mecha Single Soldier System? Why not the Spirit Healing Department?" one of them asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

"The reason... is a bit complicated. I just wanted to give it a try. I want to pilot a Mecha."

"Ohh."

’The dream of being a hero. Who didn’t have it? Who, upon stepping through these doors and into a Mecha, didn’t fantasize about the day they would become a hero?’

They didn’t press her for more details. They just told Jiang Qiuqiu she was very talented and hoped her future path would be a smooth one.

As the conversation wound down, someone remarked that it was fate to meet Juju here, then casually asked, "Will you start streaming again after the military training is over?"

"We all miss you."

"Mhm, I will," Jiang Qiuqiu nodded. "I’ll start again once the break begins. I know everyone’s waiting."

Sometimes happiness was just that simple. The crowd was filled with an air of Joy.

After chatting for a long time, Jiang Qiuqiu started to get tired. The seniors noticed she was running out of steam and urged her to go back and rest.

"Well then, seniors, I’ll be heading back."

"Okay, go on, hurry back and rest."

She walked over to Liu Tingting’s side. The two girls stuck close together, their steps light as they descended the small stairs and left the stadium.

Liu Tingting said, "Even though I was eliminated so quickly, watching Juju compete up there made me feel like I was sharing in her glory! It was amazing!"

Jiang Qiuqiu poked her on the forehead. "What’s this about sharing my glory? Hurry up and work hard, so we can compete on the same stage together someday."

"Maybe there will be a chance in the future!"

"By the way... Juju, did you offend Huo Jia or something? He was so aggressive when he fought you."

"I don’t think so. I think this was the first time we’ve met."

"Weirdo. He held back against everyone else, but he didn’t pull any punches with you."

She clicked her tongue in disapproval.

Jiang Qiuqiu shook her head. "Don’t say that. I learned a lot from fighting him."

’Since it was a competition, Huo Jia using his full strength was his way of showing respect.’

’Besides... Huo Jia did hold back a little. Otherwise, there were many times I wouldn’t have been able to get back up at all.’

’So I still have to work harder.’

’Otherwise, during these three months of experiencing the joy of piloting a Gundam, I’ll just keep getting the floor wiped with me.’

’At least the first phase of training is over.’

’I’m an outstanding Mecha Soldier, too. And I got a result I can be proud of.’

’As for the rest—’

’I’ll worry about that later!’

-

Everything was fine, except that Huo Jia, who was still in the middle of a fight, suddenly sneezed.