Chapter 14

Fang Zhuo’s 1500-meter event was scheduled for the third day, and the first two days were free time.

In response to the class teacher’s call, she would perfunctorily stroll around the sports field each day, sit in a corner to memorize vocabulary words, squeeze out time to write a couple of radio scripts to meet her obligations, and spend most of her time either in the dormitory or the classroom.

That afternoon, Fang Zhuo was working on a set of practice problems the class teacher had given her. After finishing a particularly tricky question, she looked up at the event schedule written on the blackboard.  

The broadcast sound drifted faintly into the classroom, mixed with indistinct shouts and stirring music—an atmosphere completely out of sync with Fang Zhuo.

She glanced at the clock on the wall.  

In ten minutes, it would be Zhao Jiayou’s 400-meter race, followed immediately by Yan Lei’s high jump.  

Thanks to their constant announcements in class, even Fang Zhuo had memorized the schedule.

She put down her pen and decided she might as well go out to take a look.

The school building was still relatively quiet, but once she stepped outside and rounded the flower bed, the noise hit her at once.

The sky was a hazy gray, and a warm breeze brushed against Fang Zhuo’s face, carrying with it the familiar scent of osmanthus, thick with the feeling of autumn.

She made her way to the bleachers by the track and looked down from above.

Zhao Jiayou’s 400-meter race had just ended, and the broadcasting station was announcing the rankings.  

As he had said, he won first place in his preliminary group.  

Another group was currently scattered messily across the track, warming up while chatting.

Fang Zhuo’s gaze shifted, drifting toward the high jump area at the side of the field.  

It was crowded with people inside and out, making it impossible to see from her position.  

So she changed direction and went to the campus convenience store, climbing onto a small stone block to peer over the heads of the crowd from more than ten meters away, her eyes focused toward the center.

Yan Lei wore a black athletic outfit that stood out sharply against his fair skin.  

He seemed to naturally carry a different kind of filter from others, with a fresh, clean aura like a breeze in summer.  

Even if one couldn’t see his face clearly, it was obvious who he was.

It wasn’t long before it was Yan Lei’s turn.  

Even the surrounding onlookers became more excited.  

A lot of girls stood outside the white boundary line; when they saw him step onto the field, they started cheering excitedly, angering some boys from other classes who cursed them for being traitors, their indignant shouts carrying all the way to where Fang Zhuo was.

Yan Lei didn’t react much.  

He merely glanced calmly at the bar, then turned around and made a hand gesture to the person behind him—he must have said something arrogant, because the man behind him gave him a shove.

As he began his run-up, Fang Zhuo instinctively wanted to close her eyes—

—but she hadn’t expected his jump to be so professional, vastly different from the awkwardness of the boys before him.  

He was light and agile, his body smoothly clearing the bar, and after landing, he rolled once on the mat and immediately stood up.

Other than his loose clothing riding up slightly during the jump, exposing a glimpse of taut waist muscles to the crowd, there didn’t seem to be any flaws.  

Perhaps that wasn’t even a flaw—because around her, unprecedented shrill screams erupted.  

Even the people standing in front of Fang Zhuo gasped and let out a few ambiguous giggles.

Yan Lei glanced down at his shoes, preparing to return to the waiting area.  

Unexpectedly, he seemed to sense something and turned his head, looking straight in Fang Zhuo’s direction with pinpoint accuracy.

Fang Zhuo still had a shallow smile on her face.  

She instinctively wanted to suppress it but realized that from this distance, he probably couldn’t see her clearly anyway, and there was no need to feel embarrassed.  

So she calmly met his gaze.

Yan Lei seemed to smile.  

He lifted his chin high and waved at her.  

He looked like he wanted to come over, but Zhao Jiayou grabbed him and yanked him back.

The sunlight was warm, the breeze was soft.  

Out of nowhere, Fang Zhuo suddenly remembered a line from a love letter someone had once given her:

“I think you must be a flower. Passing by you, my journey is filled only with your scent. Even after leaving, it feels like you are everywhere.”

At the time, Fang Zhuo had taken one glance at it and tossed it aside.  

What she thought then was: You’re already leaving, what’s the point of writing love words? And if you see me everywhere after leaving, I must just be an ordinary wildflower. How unpleasantly phrased.

Yet somehow, she had remembered the line.  

And now, it floated up from the dusty bottom of her memory, making her vaguely aware she might have misunderstood it.

Still, Fang Zhuo stubbornly felt that something was off.

Compared to a flower that blooms and withers, something you only think of when you see it, a presence that is truly constant and everywhere— Besides air, it should be sunlight.

Which only proved how shallow young people’s so-called love could be.

It should have been written like this instead:

“I think you must be a ray of light.  

Every morning at sunrise, it feels like you are everywhere.  

And the day the sun and moon no longer take turns…  

alternating…  

the Earth would be destroyed.”

Fang Zhuo clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction. 

Just for that weird last line, she could deduct 55 points out of a 60-point essay.

Lost in her messy thoughts, Fang Zhuo noticed that the next student had already begun their attempt.

Following Yan Lei was a student from the school team, who also cleared the bar easily—but somehow Fang Zhuo felt his form wasn’t as natural as Yan Lei’s.  

His entire body was tense, making his movements look stiff and inelegant.  

Even though it was the same action, he wasn’t as tall as Yan Lei and landed heavily like a hammer hitting the mat.

Bias, Fang Zhuo thought.  

She reflected guiltily, realizing her attitude was wrong.

She shouldn’t be so unreasonable.

The competition ended quickly.  

While Fang Zhuo had been distracted, the referee had already stood up to announce the end.

Among the competitors, there was apparently a professional high jumper recruited through athletic admissions.  

Yan Lei and he had a few one-on-one jumps afterward, but Yan Lei lost and ended up taking second place.

He dusted off the gray dirt from his black clothes, but before he could straighten up, Zhao Jiayou hooked his neck from behind and pressed down on him.  

While they were playing around, Yan Lei kept sneaking glances toward Fang Zhuo but didn’t get a chance to slip away, as he was intercepted by a group of girls in front of him.

Fang Zhuo quietly turned around and went into the convenience store to buy a piece of bread for lunch.  

When she came out again, Yan Lei had already been dragged by his friends toward the review stand to receive his award.

.

During evening self-study, the students who had been sweating all day gathered back in the classroom, noisily talking about the day’s events, boasting a little while they were at it, rarely displaying the youthful energy they should have at this age.

The class teacher came to supervise and signaled for them to quiet down, but it didn’t have much effect. Having no better option, she simply asked the class monitor to go get a movie and play it on the big screen, with the condition that they were not allowed to continue making noise.  

The class monitor cheered and rushed out, the boys shouting behind him, “Make it a horror movie,” and the girls immediately screaming, “No way,” making a chaotic scene.  

The class teacher’s face turned stern and cold, and only then did everyone finally settle down.

Yan Lie arrived relatively late, having showered and changed into a white outfit.  

After he sat down, Shen Musi placed a silver medal on his desk and said, “Lie Lie, your medal! I’ve already registered it for you, no need to thank me.”

Fang Zhuo saw this and asked, “You didn’t go up to accept it yourself? Why not?”  

“Standing up there for photos felt really silly, and besides, I didn’t win first place,” Yan Lie casually put the medal at the corner of the desk and smiled, “How was it, did high jump look good?”  

Fang Zhuo recalled for a moment. Setting aside a few professional athletes, the moves of the ones just tagging along weren’t so terrible that they looked like zombie jumps — at most, just a little funny. She objectively said, “It was okay,” and added, “Looked better than long jump.”  

“Why are you even comparing?” Yan Lie lowered his voice and said to her, “Make sure Zhao Jiayou doesn’t hear that. He only signed up for the long jump.”  

Fang Zhuo, feeling guilty, glanced toward the window and found that Zhao Jiayou wasn’t even in the classroom.

Yan Lie put his hands into his pockets and fumbled around, then mysteriously pulled out a gold medal and placed it on the desk, saying, “Although I didn’t get champion in high jump, luckily I also signed up for the 100-meter race.”

This year’s medals at A High were made very well, detailed and exquisite, looking quite valuable and desirable.  

Yan Lie noticed the fondness flashing in her eyes and chuckled lowly, “Want it?”  

But Fang Zhuo lightly averted her gaze and said without much attachment, “I’ll have one tomorrow.”

Yan Lie remembered that she had signed up for the 1500 meters and thought her words were both arrogant and a little cute. He was about to say something when the familiar opening sequence of the movie started playing.  

The lights dimmed, and everyone gradually quieted down.  

Fang Zhuo’s face was shrouded in shadows, covered again by a faint glow from the screen. She focused all her attention on it, holding her breath and concentrating on the movie. Yan Lie also held back the words he had wanted to say.

·

The next afternoon, first was the boys’ 3000-meter event, then the girls’ 1500 meters.  

Fang Zhuo didn’t dare eat too much at lunch, drank two more bottles of water, and arrived early at the field to prepare.

She pinned her number tag inside her school jacket and walked back and forth along the roadside to warm up.  

Her classmates hadn’t expected her to participate in this event and were surrounding the other runners, pouring them loads of discouraging words.

The one who signed up for the boys’ 3000 meters was Shen Musi.  

He originally intended just to muddle through, but seeing that this year the class’s overall results were unexpectedly good and there was a chance to escape the bottom three, he thought he’d at least run a bit so the class wouldn’t lose points.

However, after just running one kilometer, he was overtaken by a school team member by a whole lap. Hearing the cheers ahead, meant for his competitors behind him, Shen Musi felt a bit embarrassed and quietly slipped off the track.

Who would have thought that as soon as he stepped off, he ran into Fang Zhuo head-on.

The two silently stared at each other.

Maybe it was because Fang Zhuo’s gaze was a bit cold, but Shen Musi felt threatened. His brain short-circuited, and he turned back onto the track, trying to finish his remaining distance.

The nearby PE teacher spotted him and hurriedly shouted, “Hey, hey, hey! Once you leave the track, you can’t go back! What are you doing!”  

Shen Musi ran along the track with the group, feeling completely stuck between going and staying.

Fang Zhuo quickly went up to catch him and dragged the dizzy “cake” comrade off to find Yan Lie.

Yan Lie had long noticed the commotion and was running over from the other side. When he arrived, he said half-laughing and half-crying, “What are you doing? If you want to run, run; if you don’t, then don’t. Why are you hopping back and forth?”  

Shen Musi looked extremely aggrieved but didn’t dare say anything in front of Fang Zhuo. His lips moved as he muttered, “You don’t understand, this is the struggle within a man’s heart.”  

He panted heavily, feeling regretful that he hadn’t received any sympathy, and sighed, “Running is so tiring.”

Yan Lie pushed him toward the class’s rest area, “Go sit down over there.”

Seeing him walk away, Yan Lie turned to Fang Zhuo and asked, “You’re really going to run?”  

Fang Zhuo pulled down her zipper and showed her very auspicious number tag, saying, “Why not? I’ve already checked in.”

Yan Lie’s face showed both shock and helplessness, not knowing how to express his feelings. 

In the end, it all turned into one sentence, “Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Fang Zhuo shot him a sideways glance, making Yan Lie feel like she was looking at an idiot.

After the 3000-meter results were recorded, the track was cleared, and soon it was time for the 1500 meters.  

The broadcast announced it twice, and students gathered at the starting point for roll call.

When the class teacher, standing by the roadside to watch the fun, noticed Fang Zhuo appearing on the 1500-meter track, her face changed. She pointed at her and shouted, “Student, what are you doing here?”  

Fang Zhuo: “??”

Nearby students also noticed her. They’d initially thought she was just crowding the track dangerously, but upon seeing the bright red number tag pinned to her chest, they collectively shuddered.

Fang Zhuo raised her hand at the referee’s call, proving with her actions that she was also a dream chaser.  

The class teacher almost shouted “No way” but was beaten to it by the shouting Zhao Jiayou.

“How can you run 1500 meters?! Are you just going up there to warm up?”  

Fang Zhuo turned her face away unhappily, not wanting to answer him.

Yan Lie squeezed to the front of the crowd, grabbed the restless class teacher, and comforted her, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ve already contacted the infirmary. When they heard the one running was the malnourished student who fainted last time, they even saved a bed for her and said she’s welcome to come visit.”

Lao Ban^[1]Short for old[lao] class teacher[ban]let out a sigh of relief. “That’s good.”

Listening to their back-and-forth slander, Fang Zhuo protested, “That’s too much.”

The referee was originally keeping a stern face while organizing the team, but after overhearing for a bit, he couldn’t help but chime in, “Did you buy insurance?”

Fang Zhuo: “……?” Are there still bamboo shoots growing on the mountain^[2]Fig: A person has a sharp nose and a sharp tongue, without any real talent or knowledge.?

Fang Zhuo felt that these people were seriously prejudiced.

The number of steps they had run combined probably wasn’t even as much as the distance she had hiked up mountains. When Fang Zhuo was in elementary school, she could carry a bamboo basket weighing dozens of jin and walk for half a day along rugged mountain paths, not to mention picking oranges on the mountain, cutting rabbit grass, and digging up potatoes.

If it was about explosive power, she might not be able to match, but if it was about endurance, she had the advantage of her childhood experiences.

There was no way to explain this to this bunch.

Fang Zhuo simply stood in her own spot, blocking out the boos around her, waiting for the referee’s whistle to blow so she could start shining.

After the crisp sound of the starting gun, the crowd charged forward.

At the start, Fang Zhuo followed in the middle of the group.

Students from other classes were desperately shouting cheers, but only the teacher and students from Class 1 were on the sidelines, earnestly persuading, “Fang Zhuo, if you get tired, just step off, it’s okay, don’t force yourself. It’s fine if we don’t get first, participation is what matters.”

Fang Zhuo had to spare a bit of attention to glare at them — or more accurately, to give them a proud sideways glance. She hoped they would show a little more ambition instead of causing such a commotion.

By the second lap, the group had already broken into several segments, and Fang Zhuo was still sticking with the first batch of runners.

Yan Lie stood by the track holding a cup of water. When Fang Zhuo passed by, she shook her head.

The class teacher raised her wrist to check the time and said, “Fang Zhuo’s pace is pretty even, and her condition seems good. Her 800-meter results were decent, right?”

No one had much of an impression, only knowing she wasn’t among the top few. During physical fitness tests, everyone was too busy worrying about their own survival to notice others.

By the third lap, everyone’s expressions became serious. One by one, they wore grim faces, as if suffering great hardship.

Fang Zhuo’s two legs were like mechanical wheels being operated, steadily maintaining the same stride, standing out among the runners, now already in fifth place.

The class teacher began to waver internally, staring as she ran closer from the distance, and continued staring as she ran farther away.

Maybe Fang Zhuo wasn’t the fastest runner, but her expression was undoubtedly the calmest, and her figure was the slimmest among them. This contradiction on her made it hard to believe.

Zhao Jiayou saw hope for victory, his face flushed red, even more excited than if he were running himself, chasing along the track and cheering, “Third lap, Fang Zhuo! That’s 800 meters! Just one more lap and it’ll be 1200 meters! You still have…”

Before he could finish shouting, Yan Lie covered his mouth.

What kind of new motivational method was this? This was a lethal knife to the heart!

Zhao Jiayou broke free, his reason having fled, and stubbornly yelled, “Fang Zhuo! Charge! If you get first, you’re my dad!”

Fang Zhuo really charged.

On the fourth lap, she began accelerating, jumping from fifth straight to second, biting right behind the leader.

The leader was a girl wearing the school team’s uniform. Fang Zhuo’s approach put pressure on her, and she no longer dared to slack off, quickening her pace as well.

However, Fang Zhuo stuck to her like a piece of sticky candy, impossible to shake off. She could hear Fang Zhuo’s footsteps but couldn’t hear any chaotic breathing, making her inwardly cry out in alarm.

“Fang Zhuo, I love you!”

“Go, Zhuo Zhuo!”

“You’re second! Amazing, you’re second! You’re the best! Ah—!”

Class 1 students completely fell into madness, shouting all sorts of incoherent things. The name “Fang Zhuo” was even shouted so distortedly it sounded like ghosts wailing and wolves howling, echoing in midair.

People nearby suffered damage to their eardrums and moved farther away, afraid their IQ would be infected.

The finish line grew closer and closer. Fang Zhuo accelerated again.

The leading girl was startled, her breathing disrupted. Realizing Fang Zhuo was overtaking her, she widened her eyes in disbelief.

With only the final straight track left, the class teacher was holding her breath to the point she could barely breathe, staring dead at the track.

Fang Zhuo’s lips were pale, her mouth pressed into a straight line, her cheeks a little flushed. After rounding the bend, she sprinted down a different lane, keeping her eyes fixed forward without looking sideways.

Her vision blurred, probably from anemia; she couldn’t see where her opponent was anymore, only seeing vague figures up ahead. She figured she must be near the finish line but didn’t dare slow down.

Only when the referee shouted “First place!”, did Fang Zhuo stop. The moment she stood still, her legs gave out and she staggered, almost falling.

A pair of hands pressed firmly on her shoulders in time, supporting her strongly. Soon after, a bunch of people surrounded her, blocking out the surrounding light.

Amid the jumbled voices, Fang Zhuo couldn’t make out what they were saying and urgently asked, “How was it?”

Yan Lie’s voice rang out above her head, barely able to contain his excitement, “First! The gold medal is yours! You’re the goddess, the champion, and Zhao Jiayou’s dad!”

Fang Zhuo finally relaxed.

Yan Lie pushed her to walk two laps, then brought her to sit on a chair.

Someone in front of her was fanning her, someone beside her was helping relax her muscles.

Wei Xi was holding a cup, attentively pouring her water nearby, just short of feeding it directly to her mouth.

For the first time, Fang Zhuo experienced what it felt like to be the center of adoration. She somewhat enjoyed it and modestly said, “Not bad. Just so-so.”