Chapter 78 (Seventy-Eighth Update)

78:

School ends promptly at noon.

The children from each class then left the playground and ran towards the school gate.

Ye Qingxi spotted Mu Shaowu, who was disguised, at the school gate at a glance.

He rushed to his side, but before he could even stand properly, Mu Shaowu picked him up.

Mu Shaowu didn't ask him how the competition went, afraid that he hadn't done well and would upset him.

He only asked him, "Are you happy?"

Ye Qingxi nodded.

So this is what a sports meet is like.

It was basically a small gathering with friends. Except when they were competing, they were always together, talking to each other.

It's quite fun.

"Dad, we came in first in the relay race!" he said happily.

"Really?!" Mu Shaowu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense all morning, finally settled down. "That's great! Baby is amazing! I knew our baby would definitely be number one!"

“I’m actually pretty fast,” Ye Qingxi couldn’t help but share with him. “I thought I would be slower.”

He talked on and on, "Because every time I run with Pei Liang and the others, I'm always the slowest. I didn't expect that I was only slower than them, but actually quite fast compared to the others."

This is probably the result of his training with Kuang Jie every Saturday; it's quite effective.

Looking into his bright eyes and listening to his words, Mu Shaowu's eyes were full of affection and happiness.

When Ye Qingxi first came to their house, she was very well-behaved but didn't talk much.

He habitually shakes his head, nods, or says simple sentences.

He won't talk to you endlessly about things related to him.

He is sensible enough, but not affectionate enough.

At that time, Mu Shaowu was actually very afraid that their relationship as father and son after marriage would make him keep his distance from him, not dare to reveal himself, hide himself, and keep his unhappiness to himself.

So he deliberately hugged him tightly, deliberately talked to him about different topics, played games with him, and let him sleep in the same bed with him, so that he would know that he liked him, that he would not hurt him, and that he could trust him.

So that Ye Qingxi would be willing to gradually get closer to him.

Now, Ye Qingxi wrapped her arms around his neck, nestled in his arms, and said with a smile, "The teacher also took pictures of us and said that he would give us the photos and the negatives after the sports meet. Then I can buy a photo frame and put the photos on my desk."

Mu Shaowu felt both joy and relief.

His child is changing little by little, becoming closer to him, becoming more like his child from birth.

He curled up, his branches and leaves slowly unfurling, no longer shrinking into a ball to protect himself, but gradually revealing his true nature and essence.

very nice.

Mu Shaowu thought it was wonderful that he could have changed like this.

"Buy it." Mu Shaowu said without hesitation, "Dad will buy it for you. We'll go to the mall tonight, and whichever one you like, Dad will buy it for you."

Ye Qingxi shook her head, "You'll be recognized."

"I'll disguise myself even more thoroughly this afternoon, and I'm sure no one will recognize me." Mu Shaowu touched his forehead. "I'll buy you a photo album later, perfect for putting your photos in. I haven't developed the photos we took when we went out before."

Ye Qingxi thought about it and felt that it might be a good idea.

"Okay," he replied.

As the two were talking, Qin Cheng walked out of the school gate and came to their side.

He greeted Mu Shaowu politely.

The five of them went to eat at a nearby restaurant together.

After finishing their meal and returning to their dorm, Ye Qingxi remembered the question he had wanted to ask earlier and asked him, "Brother, why didn't you give Zhong Yan any water?"

Qin Cheng: ...

Qin Cheng hadn't expected that he would actually be thinking about this issue.

Ye Qingxi asked in confusion, "When I asked you for your water back then, you gave me Pei Liang's water instead. Why is that?"

Qin Cheng: ...

Qin Cheng was a little embarrassed to say it.

Ye Qingxi sat down next to him, blinking at him, "Don't you like Zhong Yan?"

Qin Cheng shook his head.

"Then why?"

"I..." Qin Cheng said awkwardly, "I don't like other people touching my things, nor do I like other people drinking my water or using my things."

"Huh?" Ye Qingxi asked in surprise.

But he often drank Qin Cheng's water and sometimes used his things.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi apologized, "I understand, I will be more careful in the future."

Qin Cheng: ? ? ?

Qin Cheng quickly replied, "Except for you."

Ye Qingxi: Huh?

Qin Cheng felt even more awkward, his ears turning slightly red. "You can drink it."

He said, "You can use whatever you want."

Ye Qingxi: ? ? ?

Ye Qingxi was puzzled.

What does this mean?

Is it because he is Qin Cheng's younger brother?

Although there is no blood relation, he is still the younger brother, so the older brother inevitably has to make an exception for him.

Ye Qingxi wasn't quite sure.

He had no siblings or close friends like brothers in his previous life. He had never encountered such a situation or such a person, so he was completely clueless when it came to this matter.

However, Ye Qingxi felt that it was probably just as she had guessed.

Family members are always different from other people, even those who are not related by blood.

"Okay." Ye Qingxi smiled. "Thank you, brother."

"You're welcome," Qin Cheng said with a smile.

After asking all the questions he wanted to ask, Ye Qingxi prepared to go to sleep.

Upon seeing this, Qin Cheng stood up and made the bed for him before going to make his own.

After resting for a noon, the two went to the afternoon sports meet full of energy.

There were many events at the afternoon sports meet, but only Kang Cong's 100-meter race and Qin Cheng's 100-meter race were related to Ye Qingxi.

Ye Qingxi first went to participate in Kang Cong's 100-meter race, cheered him on, and celebrated his victory with him.

Then, just before Qin Cheng's 100-meter race was about to begin, he ran to their class.

Qin Cheng was delighted to see him coming and walked up to him.

"Go for it, brother," Ye Qingxi said. "Where's your thermos? I'll hold it for you."

"I left it in my dorm," Qin Cheng said.

Ye Qingxi didn't have a match in the afternoon and didn't need hot water, so Qin Cheng didn't bother to get it for her.

Ye Qingxi thought back and realized that Qin Cheng and he did not have anything in their hands when they left the dormitory.

"What would you like to drink?"

"There's water in the classroom," Qin Cheng said, turning to the sports committee member and asking him for a bottle of water.

The sports committee member handed him the water, looked at Ye Qingxi, and asked curiously, "Qin Cheng, who is this? Is he your younger brother? He's so cute."

At that moment, Qin Cheng felt a very complex emotion.

He tried to glare at the sports committee member to block Ye Qingxi from seeing.

And he was very proud. Yes, it's his younger brother. His younger brother is very cute.

These two emotions clashed, leaving him momentarily at a loss, so he simply hummed in response, his tone indifferent.

"Little brother, what's your name?" The sports committee member looked at him. "You're from our school too. What grade are you in? First grade?"

Qin Cheng: ...

Qin Cheng found him annoying.

As for why he calls Ye Qingxi "brother," he's not even her brother!

Aren't you going to worry about the other students?

The sports committee member turned to look at him and said cheerfully, "At this time, only your 100-meter dash has started, so I only need to keep an eye on you."

Qin Cheng: ...If I had known, he wouldn't have announced the 100-meter distance.

Ye Qingxi looked at the bottled water in his hand and asked the sports committee member, "Is there any hot water?"

"I brought a thermos."

Ye Qingxi was about to ask if she could pour some hot water for herself, but then she remembered that Qin Cheng didn't allow others to drink his water, so he probably wouldn't want to drink other people's water either.

"Why didn't you bring your thermos?" Ye Qingxi asked, puzzled. "Did you forget you had a competition this afternoon?"

"And you like to drink hot water."

Qin Cheng: ?

Qin Cheng felt that Ye Qingxi had misunderstood.

He doesn't like drinking hot water.

He brought the thermos so that Ye Qingxi could drink hot water.

Because Ye Qingxi likes to drink it.

When they first took a class with Kuang Jie, after Ye Qingxi finished running, he and Pei Liang handed out water, but Ye Qingxi didn't drink a drop. He turned to Mu Feng and asked, "Grandpa, is there any hot water?"

After that, he held Mu Feng's thermos and drank it sip by sip.

That's why Qin Cheng specifically brought a thermos when Ye Qingxi exercised, thinking that Ye Qingxi would prefer hot water after exercising.

As for himself, Qin Cheng preferred cold water, since he was still quite hot after exercising.

However, Qin Cheng was too embarrassed to say this.

So he said in a nonchalant tone, "Too lazy to take it."

“Then you can let me help you carry it,” Ye Qingxi said.

"No need," Qin Cheng thought. "Carrying a thermos can be quite troublesome sometimes, taking up one hand."

With the match time drawing near, the referee finally appeared.

Ye Qingxi quickly took the bottled water from Qin Cheng's hand, "I'll hold it for you, you can drink it after you finish running."

As he spoke, he even helped Qin Cheng unscrew the bottle cap.

However, the bottle cap design is somewhat anti-human, at least not for children. Ye Qingxi twisted it for a long time, her hands were red, but the cap still didn't budge.

Ye Qingxi: ?

Qin Cheng looked at his hand; thankfully, it was only a little red, not broken.

He took the bottled water from Ye Qingxi's hand, unscrewed it, and handed it to him.

"Drink it," Qin Cheng said. "Next time, just open the lid for me; don't try to open it yourself."

"You're so cute and cuddly, what kind of energy could you possibly have?" Qin Cheng thought to himself, but didn't dare say it aloud.

Ye Qingxi: ...

Ye Qingxi couldn't understand why Qin Cheng could open the door while she couldn't, even though they were only two years apart.

Is this bottle cap only for five-year-olds?!

"Go for it, brother," Ye Qingxi said to him.

Qin Cheng nodded, but fearing that he might follow him like he had before, he said, "Go to the finish line and wait for me."

"Then I can't cheer you on halfway."

"You've already given me gas."

"But……"

"Besides, I can see you standing at the finish line, which will motivate me to run even harder." Qin Cheng didn't let him continue with "but".

Upon hearing this, Ye Qingxi felt that it made some sense. When he ran the relay, he only focused on Zhong Yan.

"Then I'll wait for you at the finish line."

Qin Cheng nodded, then heard the coach call out, "Third-grade boys' 100-meter runners, please take your positions, third-grade boys' 100-meter runners..."

"Qin Cheng, hurry up!" the sports committee member urged as he walked over.

Ye Qingxi quickly waved to him, telling him to go stand at the starting line.

"Go for it, brother!" he said to him again.

"Okay." Qin Cheng turned around and walked towards the starting point.

He stood at the starting line and watched Ye Qingxi's back as she ran towards the finish line.

The coach was still urging the contestants who hadn't arrived yet to take their places, but Qin Cheng seemed not to hear him, and just quietly looked at Ye Qingxi standing at the finish line.

He participated in the sports meet for three years, and for the first time, someone was waiting for him at the finish line.

Qin Cheng stood on his track and heard the coach's "Ready—" followed by the sound of a whistle.

He was launched like a cannonball.

When Qin Cheng participated in the sports meet in first grade, he followed the rules step by step. When the sports committee member asked him to sign up, everyone else signed up, so he signed up without a care in the world.

In second grade, Qin Cheng hadn't originally planned to sign up, but he got first place in first grade, and the sports committee member approached him again. Qin Cheng thought it was okay, so he signed up again without a care in the world.

Now, for the first time, Qin Cheng felt that the sports meet was actually quite interesting.

Ye Qingxi loves sports meets. He runs around happily during them, cheering for this person and that person, cheering for his friends and for him too.

He would also compete, and after winning, he would show a happy smile, and while they were eating, he would say that he ran particularly fast this time.

Normally, he is in the third grade and Ye Qingxi is in the first grade. They don't see each other often except at noon and after school.

But now, he can walk through the crowd to find Ye Qingxi, and Ye Qingxi can cross classes to find him.

Sports meets are actually quite good.

Qin Cheng rode like the wind and was the first to reach the finish line.

Ye Qingxi ran happily to his side, but before she could ask him if he wanted some water, he hugged her tightly and pulled her into his arms.

Qin Cheng had already decided this morning, after seeing Kang Cong's hug, that he wanted to hug him too!

After he finished running, he wanted to hug Ye Qingxi.

"Xiao Xi, I won. I'm number one." Qin Cheng hugged him and whispered in his ear.

Ye Qingxi assumed he was excited after winning, so she hugged him and said happily, "Brother, you run so fast! You're much faster than them!"

"That's amazing," Ye Qingxi couldn't help but exclaim.

Hearing his praise and hearing the joy in his tone, Qin Cheng's heart soared like a balloon.

He regretted it.

He should have applied for more projects.

This way, I can spend more time with Ye Qingxi, hug him after each win, hear his happy voice, and hear his praise.

Sigh, Qin Cheng thought, if only he had signed up for all the running-related events.

There are several.