Chapter 47

"No, don't! How many times has he watched us make fools of ourselves without saying a word? Last time you got drunk, you hugged a trash can and shouted He Qinghuan's name. He still has the video. He said he'd put it on the big screen at your wedding so everyone could see you were once young and wild too."

Gu Wang froze. "I hugged a trash can and shouted He Qinghuan's name?"

These were all tiny things. The book only mentioned events related to the main plot. Details this trivial had never appeared in it, so Gu Wang knew nothing about them.

Yue Feng burst out laughing. "Now that He Qinghuan himself is here, Gu Wang, you can hug the real thing and shout."

Gu Wang's face burned. He was so embarrassed he wanted to pass out, when he heard He Qinghuan say mildly beside him,

"You can."

Author's note: He Qinghuan: Come on.

Gu Wang: ??????

Chapter 50

Just as things were getting awkward, the person who should have been even more embarrassed arrived. Shen Zhao sprinted over and threw himself at Gu Wang, hugging him and tilting his face up. "What are you talking about?"

Gu Wang hesitated over whether to tell Shen Zhao his pants were already wet, but then he remembered that Shen Zhao had a video of him hugging a trash can and shouting He Qinghuan's name...

When no one answered him right away, Shen Zhao turned to He Qinghuan. "Wangwang's class monitor, didn't you take leave?"

Perhaps spending a few days together had made Shen Zhao feel that He Qinghuan wasn't actually that scary. He was just like them. Shen Zhao was much less stiff around him than before.

Really, it was purely his imagination. He had made it all up himself anyway.

Yue Feng glanced at He Qinghuan. "I asked him this morning. He's not taking leave. Without him, this sports meet would probably lose one of its sights."

Of course, those weren't He Qinghuan's actual words. His actual words had been: "Wangwang's running the three thousand meters today. I can't miss it."

But Shen Zhao merely studied He Qinghuan for a moment, then nodded and said very seriously, "Exactly. I think so too."

Yue Feng: "..."

Gu Wang wasn't wearing his uniform today. He had given it to He Qinghuan last night. It had been a little cold this morning, so he had simply pulled on a white hoodie before coming out.

Shen Zhao tugged at his clothes. "When did you buy this new top?"

The hoodie was plain white, without even a logo. Besides, the original owner had had so many clothes. How could Shen Zhao tell this was new?

"My mom bought it." Du Liping went shopping every so often and bought things for everyone in the family, young and old, mostly to satisfy her own urge to shop. When Gu Wang saw several more items in his wardrobe that morning with their tags still attached, he guessed it had been Du Liping.

"Maybe this is what best buddies are. I even know what clothes you have..." Shen Zhao plopped down on a stool, and his words cut off abruptly. He sprang up as if he had been pricked with a needle.

Shen Zhao turned his head in disbelief. He finally understood why Song Zhiyan had smiled so brightly at him on his way over, and why Wangwang had looked as though he had something to say.

He looked at Yue Feng. "Why didn't you tell me my pants were wet? We're done."

Yue Feng: "..." What a load of blame to dump on him!

When Zhou Hu announced over the loudspeakers that today's events were officially beginning, He Qinghuan looked at Gu Wang. "I'm heading up."

A canopy had been set up over the podium. Since there were teachers there, two electric fans had also been placed at the back. The conditions were better than where they were.

Gu Wang nodded.

As he drew his gaze away from He Qinghuan, it happened to sweep over a nearby flower bed. Several people were gathered around Jiang Chi, who was saying something.

Then Gu Wang saw them take out their phones. After scanning each one in turn, Jiang Chi patted one of them on the shoulder, smiling rather smugly.

Gu Wang lowered his eyes slightly.

He already had a guess.

The three thousand meters was in the afternoon. There were no assigned lanes, and runners were grouped by grade. Gu Wang was in the Second-Year Group. After checking in, he went straight onto the track. Those people who had been talking to Jiang Chi earlier were indeed in the Second-Year Group too.

Gu Wang thought Jiang Chi had a pretty low IQ, using the same trick a second time...

Shen Zhao had spent half an hour in the sun that morning drying his pants. Now he ran up behind Gu Wang and tightened his headband for him, looking a little nervous. "Will Jiang Chi trip you again?"

At the spring sports meet in their first year, Jiang Chi had tripped Gu Wang straight into the infirmary. Not only had he scraped his knee, he had sprained his ankle too. Shen Zhao silently cursed. Why the hell would Jiang Chi never leave them alone?

"Does he actually like He Qinghuan or not? Why does it feel like he's just finding an excuse to target you?"

Shen Zhao muttered. He thought Jiang Chi was a twisted freak. He claimed to like He Qinghuan, yet he had never done anything for him. Though if making trouble for Gu Wang every day counted, then he had done quite a lot.

Unfortunately, He Qinghuan no longer needed Jiang Chi's help making trouble for Gu Wang.

At that thought, Shen Zhao flashed a provocative smile at Jiang Chi, who stood on the same starting line.

Jiang Chi looked over. There were only so many things Shen Zhao's smile could mean. After a moment's thought, his face darkened.

"It's fine," Gu Wang said. "I know what I'm doing."

If they were coming to him asking for a beating, Gu Wang didn't mind teaching them a lesson.

Song Zhiyan was already running toward the podium with his cheering script held up. His high jump event had ended that morning. With no one to read his cheering script, he had made Shen Zhao read it, drawing plenty of attention.

Now it was Gu Wang's turn...

Fragrant sweat, a radiant boy-Gu Wang felt a little suffocated. He shoved Shen Zhao. "Don't let Song Zhiyan read it."

Shen Zhao said, "Okay, then I'll read it."

"..."

Song Zhiyan took the last two steps in one stride. Bracing both hands on the table, he looked at He Qinghuan. "He, are you reading it or am I?"

Before He Qinghuan could speak, Shen Zhao came running up. "Me, me! Wangwang told me to read it."

He Qinghuan stood and handed Shen Zhao the microphone. "I'm going down to take a look."

Song Zhiyan stuffed the cheering script into Shen Zhao's hands. "I'm leaving too."

Shen Zhao had actually wanted more to run a couple of laps with Gu Wang, then give him a loving hug at the finish line. How had he ended up alone on the podium?

There were fifteen runners in the Second-Year Group. There would only be one round, with the top five receiving awards. Apart from the top three, the other two would receive encouragement awards.

The referee raised the flag and put the whistle in his mouth.

Gu Wang stood on the outside, which wasn't a very advantageous position. With so many people, it would be easy to trip while cutting into the inside lane.

The sun was dazzlingly bright, exactly as it had been at the spring sports meet in their first year. Wearing a baseball cap, the boy had leaned over the table on the podium. "He Qinghuan, watch me win first place for you."

With that, he had quickly run down from the podium. He Qinghuan's "Don't fall" had dissolved into the breeze stirred by the hem of the boy's clothes as he ran away.

The whistle blew, and the flag dropped at the same time.

Gu Wang didn't immediately try to take the inside lane, but someone tried to block him right from the start.

He didn't know him.

The boy was taller than Gu Wang and charged straight at him, completely ignoring the rules. Perhaps Jiang Chi had told them beforehand that Gu Wang had little explosive speed and there was nothing to worry about. He was leisurely and arrogant.

He hadn't expected Gu Wang to speed up. He missed him and went headfirst onto the ground.

His face was scraped red against the rubber track, and he couldn't even stand. A teacher nearby immediately arranged for people to help him up.

He Qinghuan stood at the finish line, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Jiang Chi was in first place. His endurance was poor, so he could only try to put distance between himself and the others at the beginning, reducing the chances of being caught and overtaken.

Gu Wang was third. He wasn't in a hurry. He liked seeing the look of disbelief and rejection on his enemies' faces when he dragged them down just as they thought victory was assured.

Jiang Chi had recruited four or five people. Almost every lap, someone tried to stop Gu Wang. On the fourth lap, when Gu Wang expressionlessly stepped on one of their ankles, the boy fell to the ground howling in pain, looking as though he had suffered more than just a foot being stepped on. Those who hadn't yet had a chance to act immediately grew uneasy.

Jiang Chi hadn't told them Gu Wang was this difficult to deal with. He was nothing like the brainless idiot Jiang Chi had described.

With a lap and a half left, Gu Wang began to speed up. Jiang Chi was half a lap ahead of him, but judging by his appearance, he had almost reached his limit. His face was flushed, even his neck was red, and he panted heavily, every stride labored.

The loudspeakers began broadcasting the cheering script.

Shen Zhao's voice was high and clear. Gu Wang recognized it from the very first word.

He hadn't escaped it after all.

"Ah, the boy runs with the wind! Ah, even the sunlight must make way for him! Ah, even your flying sweat carries an enchanting fragrance! Ah, we will all be intoxicated and captivated by you! You, Gu Wang, are the South Sea Pearl! A rare diamond! You, Gu Wang, are the unreachable moon, the blazing sun! Keep going, young man! Victory will be yours!"

Wen Ting had added those last two lines because she really couldn't stand watching anymore. Song Zhiyan had originally written that thousands upon thousands of girls would eventually fall for him. If that had been read aloud, there was a very good chance Zhou Hu would chase Song Zhiyan down with a kitchen knife.

They were classmates, after all. Wen Ting couldn't bear to watch Song Zhiyan die young.

Gu Wang no longer heard any of those sounds. He only wanted to win.

The boy's fair skin now looked pink. Sweat ran down his cheeks and along his chin into his neck. He had pushed up his sleeves halfway through, and as he swept past the people lining both sides of the track, he still brought a breeze with him.

On the final lap, Jiang Chi heard the footsteps behind him and began to panic.

How could he lose to Gu Wang?

Song Zhiyan stood at the finish line, hands on his hips, and moved into the middle. "Come on, Wang! Daddy's arms are always open for you!"

Everyone: "..."

He Qinghuan walked over and patted Song Zhiyan's shoulder. "I'll catch him. Go get two vials of glucose from the class area, and bring a bottle of water."

Song Zhiyan thought nothing of it and smacked his forehead. "Right, right, right. I'll get the glucose and water. He, catch Wangwang. You can't be in the sun. I'll go, I'll go."

Song Zhiyan had even thought up a reason He Qinghuan couldn't go get the things himself: he couldn't be in the sun right now.

He eagerly ran toward his class's canopy, and He Qinghuan naturally took his place.

He Qinghuan's expression was cold. When he stood there, even the chattering around him quieted a little. Although "rumors" about He Qinghuan pursuing Gu Wang appeared on the forum every day now, they had never seen it with their own eyes. Their own eyes!

They had to get a good look.

The last hundred meters was a straightaway. When Gu Wang and Jiang Chi emerged from the bend, they were together.

At least, there was no substantial gap visible to the naked eye.

Holding the microphone on the podium, Shen Zhao shouted, "Wangwang, pass that fucker Jiang Chi!"

Sitting in his air-conditioned office, Zhou Hu's brow twitched.

The teacher beside him chuckled. "This year's students are so energetic. Ha ha ha ha."

"..."

In the last fifty meters, Jiang Chi seemed to lose his intelligence. In full view of everyone, he tried to cut into Gu Wang's lane and get ahead of him. The two were extremely close.

Gu Wang's breathing was slightly uneven. Lowering his voice, he said coldly, "You owe me."

The moment the words left his mouth, Jiang Chi fell onto the rubber track. He had tripped himself. His classmates' cheers cut off abruptly, and they scrambled over to help him off the track.

Beads of sweat rolled down Jiang Chi's face. His face rapidly went from flushed to pale. He pulled up his pant leg and saw a large swelling at his ankle, as though a broken bone were pushing up the flesh.

With that final burst of speed, Gu Wang already felt a little spent. He had expended most of his energy on Jiang Chi and those people. Now that it was finally over, exhaustion surged up along with his relief.

Sweat dripped from the tips of his hair onto his eyelashes. Gu Wang blinked and raised a hand to wipe it away.

He looked toward the finish line and saw only He Qinghuan. He stood there with a mild expression, his gaze softening a little when it fell on Gu Wang.

The last ten meters.

Five meters.

The moment he crossed the finish line, Gu Wang's legs gave out, and he nearly dropped to his knees. The long-distance run had drained him, and Jiang Chi and the others had kept him on high alert. Only once he completely relaxed did he realize how tired he was.

He Qinghuan caught him in time, wrapping an arm around the boy's waist and letting him lean against his shoulder.

Gu Wang's lips rested against the shell of He Qinghuan's ear as he panted softly.

He Qinghuan lowered his eyes, raised a hand to rub Gu Wang's hair, and said softly, "Wangwang, you did great."

Author's note: He the dog: Come here, I'll hold you.

Chapter 51

Beside them, Song Zhiyan inserted a straw into the glucose vial. He had intended to hand it straight to Gu Wang, but gave it to He Qinghuan instead, worried that Gu Wang couldn't hold it steady right now.

Indeed, even Gu Wang's hands