After Zhai Yao went to report for the race, Shen Heng didn’t immediately head back to the stands. Instead, he took a detour out of the stadium’s side gate and made his way across the street to an elegantly decorated bakery, purchasing a freshly warmed sandwich, along with a cup of milk, for Zhai Yao.
By the time Shen Heng returned to the stands, the atmosphere among the class had shifted into one of simmering uproar.
“Is that Chen Yuan? How did he become so slim all of a sudden?”
“You dummy, of course that can’t be him!”
“Where’s Chen Yuan then?”
“There, look over there. He’s heading this way! Oh crap, why’s he limping on his foot?”
“If Chen Yuan’s here… who’s competing on the track??”
In a swift motion, a pair of hands cleaved through the crowd. Someone rushed to the forefront of the stands, gripping the railing and leaning out with almost half of their body, as if ready to vault over the railing.
Yang Ning: “Holy cow! Is that really my second husband?!”
Her scream cut through the air, as she yanked Song Kai, who was just as stupefied, closer to herself, shaking him vigorously. “Why’s my boy, Zhai Yao, out there! He’s got another event to compete in later on; he shouldn’t burn himself out like that!!”
Clasped around the neck, Song Kai felt his brain about to rattle loose as he strained to soothe the tempest. “Jie jie jie, calm down for a moment! Look, isn’t Chen Yuan back now—Yuan’er! What’s up with this situation?!”
Chen Yuan, supported by Tao Fang, returned from the medical tent with his foot covered in a herbal plaster. His fury was palpable, his face livid and bursting at the seams with anger.
He burst out swearing, “Don’t even f*cking bring it up. Those bastards from 2nd High School pulled a fast one, trapping me in the restroom! I thought to climb out, but ended up taking a nasty fall. So, Zhai Yao had to sub for me!”
Tao Fang’s eyes were red with heartache. Previously, she had waited for Chen Yuan to report for his race, but he didn’t show up even after a long time had passed. Because of that, her performance was affected, leading to a delayed start, which ultimately resulted in her finishing second in the women’s division.
Fortunately, the first place wasn’t 2nd High School.
She had been eagerly waiting to reunite with Chen Yuan, never expecting that he would return with a limp, despite having been in good health when he departed.
“It’s all thanks to Zhai Yao; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to get the word out in time, and we would’ve been marked as no-shows.” Following the ordeal, Chen Yuan felt more or less grateful to Zhai Yao. Earlier, he had secretly harboured doubts about how Zhai Yao, with that physique of his, had even managed to become the top dog at 8th High School, but not anymore now.
“2nd High School has fricking sunk to a new low!”
“Report them! We must report them!”
“Yeah! Strip them of their right to compete in this racing event!”
“Nah, scratch that—more like, ban them from the entire sports competition!”
Chen Yuan’s passionate declaration rallied the crowd, even successfully catching the attention of Hou-ge and Director Liu, who had come to find Song Kai to verify the situation.
“They’ve truly crossed the line!” Hou-ge repeatedly shook his head. “What’s the point of excelling academically if they’re full of deceit. Such behaviour is unheard of even in our class.”
Director Liu took off his jacket, tied it around his waist, waved his arm in a grand arc, and cried out, “9th High School, let’s cheer together!”
“Let’s go!!!”
“Go for it, Zhai Yao!!”
“Husband!!!”
“Yao-ge’s f*cking awesome!!!”
Director Liu: “Cheer with manners, say ‘awesome’ not ‘f*cking awesome’!”
“Yao-ge’s blooming awesome!!!”
On the field, Zhai Yao faintly heard his own name and furrowed his brows slightly.
He had just told the registration teacher that his name was Chen Yuan. Now, he could only hope the ruse would hold.
The referee took his position and raised the starting pistol, its barrel pointing skyward.
“On your marks—”
“Get set—”
“Bang!”
As the starting gun fired, Zhai Yao burst from his stance, whooshing out like a swift arrow released from a bow.
“Yao-ge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Go 9th High School! 9th High School’s the f*cking best!!”
“F*ck the hell out of 2nd High School!!!”
“Go, Yao-ge!!!”
Under the blazing sun, set against a backdrop of azure skies and fluffy clouds, a shadowy whistling gust captured the spotlight on the track.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Right from his first lap, Zhai Yao showed no intention of conserving energy, focusing intently only on the cut-in line at the end of the first bend.
The moment his foot hit the line—it wasn’t just a signal to change lanes, but also the prime opportunity to get ahead of the rest of the competitors.
In his mind’s eye, Zhai Yao calculated the distance flawlessly. The exact moment he passed the cut-in line, he darted into another lane with the swiftness of lightning, instantly outpacing two runners and rapidly extending his lead.
The stands erupted in a frenzy of excitement, teetering on the edge of chaos as if the sheer force of the crowd’s enthusiasm could overturn the stadium at any moment.
“Zhai Yao! Zhai Yao! Zhai Yao!”
“Go, go, go, gooo—!”
With his hands cupped around his mouth, Hou-ge shouted, “Zhai Yao!!! Conserve your energy; there’s still one more lap to go!!!”
Director Liu bumped Hou-ge aside with his butt, yelling towards the track, “Don’t listen to him, maintain this momentum and push through to the finish line with all you’ve got!!!”
Rounding the next bend, Zhai Yao once again accelerated, overtaking another runner.
“Second place, we’ve moved up to second!!!”
“Who’s leading the race?”
“2nd High School!”
“Damn it! Yao-ge, go f*ck the hell out of 2nd High School!!!”
“That guy from 2nd High School must be on cheat mode; I can’t even catch a glimpse of his shadow.”
“A sports student perhaps?”
“So is our Chen Yuan! But him, ptui, just trash!”
In that critical moment, Xie Ziming rushed over to Shen Heng with his phone clutched in his hand, his expression grave. “I knew something was up with that dude from 2nd High School; he looked too familiar. So, I asked someone to dig around, and as it turns out, he’s damn right from the sports college’s track and field team. Seems like my brother’s in a real pickle right now.”
—Xie Ziming’s phone screen revealed a photo of the “Tanned Giant” in the midst of a training session in the sports college.
“What the hell, isn’t this just outright cheating! As expected of 2nd High School!” Someone overheard Xie Ziming’s exposé and couldn’t hold back cursing.
“Director! Hou-ge! We must report this to the organizing committee! They’ve got zero shame whatsoever, I tell ya!”
“Exactly! Director Liu, you gotta see this—here!”
Fuming, Director Liu’s face and neck flushed a deep red as he repeated, “They’ve truly crossed the line! Absolutely outrageous!” With a penguin waddle-turn, he marched off towards the leaders’ seating area, calling over his shoulder, “I’m off to reason with them—!”
“Hey hey, take my phone with you for proof if you’re gonna go reason with them!” Xie Ziming shouted after the departing figure of Director Liu.
Luo Le looked towards the track from his vantage point, his expression equally grim. “Although Zhai Yao’s now in second, he’s still far behind that sports college runner. Despite his high burst speed, I worry about his endurance. I don’t know if he can hold out for the final critical 50 metres…”
He commented while turning to Shen Heng, only to realize the latter was already gone.
At the same time, a collective gasp echoed from the forefront of the stands.
Shen Heng had leapt directly from the spectator seats down to the track.
His actions were swift and resolute, marked by not a moment of hesitation.
Luo Le was momentarily stunned. “Holy, that’s f*cking badass of him.”
The race swiftly moved into its final lap—victory or defeat hinged on this lap.
Zhai Yao pressed on, regulating his breath.
The fierce sun caused the synthetic track to emit a noxious odour that invaded his nostrils and scorched his throat.
He smelled the metallic tang of rust, evoking of a forgotten sensation of “drowning.”
On one of the bends, the lead runner, Tanned Giant, once again veered into Zhai Yao’s lane.
Zhai Yao lifted his gaze, locking onto the back of the man’s head.
He bit down hard on his teeth and pushed himself to accelerate once more.
Yet, he was acutely aware of his limitations; with every stride, his stamina waned.
“Surpass him, Yao-ge!!!”
“Zhai Yao, you’ve got this!!!”
“It’s all on you now!!”
“Husband!!!”
“Zhai Yao, bring one home for 9th High Schooool!!!”
Noises in his ears started morphing into unrecognizable echoes.
Droplets of sweat blurred his vision as they trickled over his eyebrows.
Muscle soreness, a feeling of tightness, and a pricking sensation.
The world before his eyes started to dissolve into a watercolour smear…
…
“Zhai Yao.”
Suddenly, he heard a voice.
It wasn’t loud or soft, yet for some reason, it reached him with astonishing clarity.
Zhai Yao instinctively turned towards the direction of the voice—
Only to see Shen Heng standing at the finish line, silhouetted against the light, his arms wide open in welcome towards him.
“Run to me, Zhai Yao.”
Buzz—
For a fleeting moment, the world seemed to halt—the cacophony of cheers, the clamour of the crowd, the thumping heartbeats, and the rhythm of breaths, all silenced as if by an unseen mute button.
Before him, there existed only Shen Heng and the beckoning finish line.
Zhai Yao’s gaze became laser-focused anew, his mouth brimming with the acrid taste of adrenaline and bloodshed.
Clenching his teeth, only a single voice echoed in his mind.
“Run to me.”
He hit the gas again, arms carving through the air.
Weaving through lane after lane.
50 wfagfr.
20 wfagfr.
10 wfagfr.
A resonant whistle pierced the firmament, heralding victory.
“First place, 9th High School!”
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh—!”
“F*cking awesome ahhhhhhhh—!”
“Yao-ge! Yao-ge! Yao-ge! Yao-ge!”
“9th High School for the win!!!!”
Tanned Giant stared blankly at the finish line, his senses yet to recover from the monumental astonishment.
He murmured under his breath in disbelief, “No way… How in the world…”
He wanted to shout: This lad must be doping, inspect him! But this was a school sports competition; such foul play was unthinkable at a school event.
Gradually, the blur of vision and sound began to clear…
The roars from the stands vibrated painfully in Zhai Yao’s eardrums.
…Did we win?
He huffed for air, making his way to Shen Heng step by step.
Sweat cascaded down, leaving water trails on the synthetic track.
As he reached Shen Heng, Zhai Yao’s knees suddenly buckled beneath him.
Shen Heng moved to help, but Zhai Yao brushed him off with a wave of his hand.
Shen Heng, looking into his eyes, spoke in a hushed tone, “F*cking impressive.”
“Obviously.” Zhai Yao shook off the sweat and asked, “Got the cola? And the steamed buns.”
“No.”
Zhai Yao clicked his tongue. “Tsk, what’s the use of you then.”
“I bought sandwiches and milk.”
Zhai Yao’s reaction was a moment of stunned silence. He knew the other party had chosen something different because he had previously complained about the overpowering smell of chives in the steamed buns. A gentle warmth fluttered in his chest at the thought.
Still, he forced himself to keep up his stoic facade. “Not a fan of those non-local stuff.”
Shen Heng, without a hint of irritation, serenely replied, “Just have a bit to hold yourself over for now. We’ll get something else for lunch.”
Zhai Yao pursed his lips, casting another glance at Shen Heng.
“That gesture you were making just now… You weren’t hecking planning on hugging me, were you?”
He said this deliberately to tease Shen Heng, expecting that, given his knowledge of Shen Heng, a sharp retort would follow in a heartbeat.
However, this time, Shen Heng’s response only came after a brief pause.
“Would that be okay?”
“Wha—?”
“I’m hugging you then.”
Immediately following his words, Shen Heng reached out and pulled Zhai Yao into his embrace, tightening his hold.
“Well done.”
He said.
…
*
In front of the seating area designated for the leaders, where the organizing committee was stationed, Director Liu and Director Sun were engaged in a fervent debate.
A cauldron of old unresolved grievances and fresh disputes bubbled between them, rendering them akin to two fighting roosters in full battle fervour.
With a dramatic gesture, Director Sun hurled his coat onto the table, exclaiming, “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! There’s no way our students could engage in such behaviour!”
Unyielding, Director Liu countered, “Then tell me! Tell me, what’s the name of that student who was in the race just now? Which class does he belong to?!”
“With hundreds of people in our school, how could I possibly recognize every single one!”
“And that’s simply a blatant act of covering up, nothing less!” Director Liu, pressing his palms firmly against the table, raised his voice to the leaders. “Leaders, our student who was supposed to participate in the 800-metre race was confined in the restroom by students from their school, and he even suffered a twisted foot in the process! Should you harbour any doubts, I can take you to see for yourself this instant!”
“You, you, you… you’re slandering! On what grounds do you assert our students are to blame? Do you have any evidence?!”
“Evidence? That’s simple. I’ll just contact the police this very moment and ask them to retrieve the surveillance footage!”
“You’re just causing unnecessary trouble for the police! Wasting manpower that could be better used elsewhere!”
Drenched in sweat, Director Liu puffed heavily, tugging at his collar. “Fine, let’s not discuss who was responsible for now. How do you explain sending people from another school to participate in the competition on your behalf? With such deceit and trickery at play, what semblance of fairness remains in this competition?”
“Hah! Old Liu-ah, Old Liu! My stance remains the same: don’t make baseless accusations without evidence!”
Noticing that the two directors were on the verge of a physical altercation, the organizing-committee leader quickly stepped in to mediate. “Sigh, let’s all take a moment to calm down. Director Liu-ah, we’ve taken note of the issue you reported. Rest assured, a thorough investigation will be conducted!”
Turning to Director Sun, the leader continued, “And Director Sun, you as well, please don’t get angry. If it turns out that the students from 2nd High School aren’t involved, we have no intention of wrongfully accusing anyone too, yeah? …In any case, both of you should return for now. And as Director Sun aptly stated, everything must be based on evidence.”
“We have evidence!”
Director Liu spun around, only to be met by the sight of Chen Yuan, Tao Fang, Xie Ziming, and a group of students from 9th High School amassed before the seating area designated for the leaders.
Director Liu grumbled under his breath, “Stop causing trouble! Return at once!” He then tried to send them away.
Undeterred, Chen Yuan held up Xie Ziming’s phone, flashing the photo in front of Director Sun. “See for yourself!”
…
The author has something to say:
Vtfc Lfcu: Uifjrfv.pqu
Thanks for the update 🤣❤️
THEY HAD A MOMENT SKSFDHDKFJDGDHDF MY HEART 💗 also love that everyone cheered for Zhao Yao
Lmao 2nd High School you’re screwed now
*Zhai Yao
WAHHHHH the writing is so Cinematic my heart was pounding throughout the race!!! The way everything cut out as Zhai Yao focused only on Shen Heng was straight out of a sports anime 🥺🥺 beautiful
These two are lovey dovey more than a real couple 🤭