Chapter 39: Pei Jinyang’s Breakthrough

There was only one shampoo bed in the little shop, so Meng Yuanyuan asked Guan Jingxu to go first for both the shampoo and the haircut.

It wasn’t out of modesty; she just thought that if Guan Jingxu’s haircut turned out badly, she could still escape.

While Guan Jingxu was getting his hair done, Meng Yuanyuan happened to be drying her hair. Every now and then, she glanced at Guan Jingxu through the mirror.

“Done! Little handsome guy, how do you like it?”

The shop owner used a sponge to wipe off the stray hairs on Guan Jingxu’s neck, admiring the fresh look of the young man in the mirror.

Clearly, she was pleased with her work.

Jiang Mingzhi stood behind Guan Jingxu, and seeing the large head right in front of her, she couldn’t resist lightly tapping it.

Her fingers gently touched the stiff tips of his hair, the slight prickly sensation almost like petting the fur of a large dog.

“Looks pretty good. What do you think?”

This was the first time Guan Jingxu had been petted on the head by a girl with no blood relation to him, and he instinctively shrank his neck.

Like a stray cat being forcibly touched by a human on the street, Jiang Mingzhi couldn’t help but find his subconscious actions and expressions cute.

When Meng Yuanyuan saw that Guan Jingxu was successfully done with his haircut, she finally relaxed and let the shop owner do hers.

Jiang Mingzhi didn’t need a haircut, but following the principle of “since we’re here,” she decided to get a shampoo.

Lying on the shampoo bed, the shop owner’s technique was surprisingly comfortable, and Jiang Mingzhi closed her eyes, almost falling asleep.

Suddenly, Meng Yuanyuan called out to her: “Zhi Zhi, I think your phone is ringing.”

She opened her eyes and waved her hand toward Guan Jingxu. “Can you get my phone for me? It’s in the fifth pocket of my bag.”

Since Meng Yuanyuan was busy getting her haircut, only Guan Jingxu was free.

He took the phone out of Jiang Mingzhi’s bag. “It’s an unfamiliar number, 183…”

Jiang Mingzhi had never been in the habit of answering unknown calls, so she placed her hand on her stomach. “Just hang up.”

The moment the call ended, another one came in.

Jiang Mingzhi opened her eyes. “Give it to me.”

“Hello, who is this?”

She put it on speakerphone, and Pei Jinyang’s slightly irritated voice came from the phone. “Jiang Mingzhi, where are you?”

He had been waiting for her at the school gate for ten minutes, sent several messages, and even made a voice call. None of them had received a reply.

He had even gotten her phone number from the driver, Uncle Zhou. The first call had been hung up by her.

“I’m out, I forgot to tell Uncle Zhou.”

Jiang Mingzhi had just remembered at that moment.

She was surprised that Pei Jinyang was calling her. Given his current temper, he probably would have had Uncle Zhou leave after waiting for three minutes.

“Then why didn’t you reply to my messages?”

Pei Jinyang was furious, having waited for nothing, and she didn’t even reply to his messages or offer a simple apology.

He even heard Guan Jingxu’s voice on the phone, so had she sneaked out to meet Guan Jingxu, forgetting to go home?

Jiang Mingzhi replied calmly, “My phone was in my bag, I didn’t see it… Anyway, I’ll take the subway home later. Don’t worry about it.”

With that, she quickly hung up the phone. After chatting for a bit, her arms were getting sore from holding it up.

Pei Jinyang ground his teeth in frustration. Was he worried about her not being able to get home?

It was better if she just disappeared forever.

At 6:19 PM, the three of them left the salon, with Meng Yuanyuan smiling.

Jiang Mingzhi wasn’t lying—this salon actually did a great job. Her heavy bangs were now a light and airy side-swept style.

It not only made her face look smaller but also didn’t weigh down her forehead. The stylist even showed her how to style her bangs so that they looked natural and voluminous.

That 30 yuan was the best 30 yuan she had ever spent.

---

The 7th day of the sports meet was the day of Guan Jingxu’s high jump competition and Meng Yuanyuan’s 3000-meter race.

Meng Yuanyuan was so nervous that she didn’t have the energy to watch others.

“I’ve been nervous since last night. It’s my first time running 3000 meters. I’m afraid I’ll collapse right after hearing the starting gun.”

Actually, her legs were already weak.

Jiang Mingzhi was worried that she might faint from anxiety, so she pressed her to stay at the high jump area, doing everything she could to distract her.

“Look at that girl over there, she’s so cool. If she weren’t wearing a tank top, I’d think she was a guy.”

“Her muscles are beautiful, looks like she’s a gymnast. Her arms are so long.”

“First year…”

At that point, Meng Yuanyuan was only thinking about the 3000 meters—3000 meters, 3000 meters—she wasn’t really listening to what Jiang Mingzhi was saying.

Her cold hand was held gently, and her best friend comforted her warmly. “Don’t be scared. We’ll be with you when the time comes. If you can’t finish, just quit early. Not many people finish all 3000 meters.”

“Let’s watch the men’s group first. After Guan Jingxu, I’ll help you warm up.”

“Mm.”

In the midst of Meng Yuanyuan’s unease and Jiang Mingzhi’s anticipation, Guan Jingxu took to the stage. He ran, leaped high, and soared through the air, perfectly clearing the bar in a flying posture.

His body formed a beautiful arc, his long legs and arms stretching out. As soon as he touched the soft mat, he bounced right back up, and even without looking at his face, his handsomeness was undeniable.

Jiang Mingzhi recorded the entire process with her phone.

Before she could even ask Guan Jingxu about his result, Meng Yuanyuan tugged her toward the track.

“Hurry, it’s starting. Let’s warm up.”

At the starting point, athletes were already warming up.

The students in Class 9 knew that there was a tough girl competing in the 3000 meters. After hearing the announcement, many of them gathered near the starting line.

When they saw Meng Yuanyuan approaching with a pale face, they all cheered her on.

Regardless of whether she could win, just the courage to sign up had earned their admiration.

The encouragement from her classmates eased some of Meng Yuanyuan’s nerves.

Yang Hui: “Good luck! Hey, you even changed your hairstyle overnight for the 3000 meters? You really care about it, Meng Yuanyuan.”

Meng Yuanyuan subconsciously touched her bangs, thinking no one had noticed her new hairstyle.

Jiang Mingzhi smiled. “Right? Doesn’t the new hairstyle look good?”

Yang Hui: “It looks great! Meng Yuanyuan, you’ve got to show the style of our Class 9!”

Their class didn’t have any sports enthusiasts, and they hadn’t expected Meng Yuanyuan to be the one competing in the 3000 meters.

Although no one expected her to place, at least she was participating.

Hearing everyone complimenting her on her hairstyle, Meng Yuanyuan momentarily forgot her nervousness.

The referee raised the starting gun, and the whistle was in his mouth. “Get ready… take your positions…”

Meng Yuanyuan stood among the other athletes, clenching her fists.

Jiang Mingzhi stood outside the track, loudly cheering her on. “Just run your best. We’re all here for you.”

Suddenly, her shoulder was bumped.

She turned and saw Pei Jinyang standing next to her.