Chapter 202 If-Two Little Guess 3
On the playground, where the heat still lingered, cheers erupted from time to time, mixed with the sound of basketballs hitting the backboard, which emanated from the basketball court.
Qin Yizhang had no more strength left. She ignored the principle of not stopping immediately after running and collapsed on a bench at the edge of the playground, her chest heaving.
Zhang Li walked over and patted her leg weakly.
"Come over here and let me sit down."
Qin Yizhang moved with difficulty and made room.
"It's so hot and you're asking us to run laps. It's only been a short time since the military training ended, and you're still doing it! I thought we could have an easy time," she muttered dissatisfiedly, leaning on her legs.
Qin Yizhang didn't answer, she didn't have the energy to answer.
"By the way, you're running way too fast!" Zhang Li continued. "The results don't count, so why are you running so fast? Are you good at sports?"
"It's okay." Qin Yizhang sat up. The sweat had almost stopped and she gradually calmed down.
Another cheer rang out. On the playground, the senior boys were high jumping and had just broken a difficult record.
A breeze blew by. Although it wasn't exactly cool, it was no longer the sweltering summer breeze. Qin Yizhang folded his legs, hugged his knees, and let the breeze blow, enjoying the quiet moment after the intense exercise.
A group of boys were running laps on the track. This was already the third lap. The originally tight team was spreading out, and most people's speed was decreasing. Only the two boys at the head did not slow down, maintaining their own rhythm, and were five meters apart, from far to near.
Zhang Li's dull eyes regained some of their shine, and she sat up straighter. She patted Qin Yizhang, a mysterious look of excitement.
"Look up ahead, the guy running second. He's from Class 7, the same grade as us."
"Yeah, I see."
"This year's top scorer is truly remarkable, with a 5-point lead over the second-place finisher! Crucially, he's also quite good at sports. Aren't all excellent people like this? Extremely well-rounded!"
"Hmm... well-rounded?" Qin Yizhang's gaze followed him from the front to his silhouette. "Those are nothing special. I think his only advantage is that he's handsome."
Zhang Li's eyes lit up instantly. She'd thought so too, but she'd just been too embarrassed to say it out loud. She hadn't expected Qin Yizhang to be so frank; he was indeed the man she'd set her eyes on.
"Ahhh! I think so too! The nose, eyes, and lip shape are all my favorites! And the figure, broad shoulders and long legs, are completely in line with my aesthetic!" Zhang Li let go and didn't need to hide in front of people of the same taste.
Qin Yizhang propped up his chin and said, "Yes, it's good, but the most beautiful thing is his hands."
"Hands? You even observed his hands? How did you see that? I didn't notice them. I only looked at his face."
Of course, they had been holding hands since they were little. How could she not have noticed? But now it was different. Since the second year of junior high school, his hands had grown bigger, and they no longer held hands.
Tong Zhongyuan had approached her and asked her to take the Huacai entrance exam, saying they'd see each other in September. But when she finally showed up, she hadn't even had a chance to say a word to him. Even if they weren't in the same class, a quick hello would have been fine. But every time, his gaze would simply sweep across her face, never lingering, like a stranger passing by.
Before she could even say the cheerful "Tong Zhongyuan", he ignored her. She silently withdrew her half-raised hand and looked back at his back in confusion.
He's not as cute as he was when he was little! She thought angrily. The older he gets, the harder it is to guess his thoughts. So, just ignore him! She didn't care.
"Look!" Zhang Li was patting him again, "He's almost in first place!"
On the playground, Tong Zhongyuan didn't exert any effort, he simply maintained his pace. The boy in first place gradually slowed down until he was overtaken by him.
Qin Tian yawned. She had known this would happen. He'd boasted to her before about his achievements at the school sports meet, and that he was going to England next year. I heard foreigners valued athletic ability more than academic performance. Tong Zhongyuan was an extremely strong-willed person, unwilling to be outdone.
Seeing his figure getting smaller again, Zhang Li came back to his senses and thought about the question just now.
"By the way, you haven't told me yet, when did you look at his hand?"
"I held his hand," Qin Tian answered honestly, "Tong Zhongyuan, he's my childhood friend."
Zhang Li looked at her in shock and didn't speak for a long time.
It turned out that she had simply been silent at the time. Within three days, the entire class knew that Tong Zhongyuan was Qin Yizhang's childhood friend. She even thought that other classes knew about it, too.
It must not be her sensitivity, because in the cafeteria or on the sports field, she saw the girls in Class 7 looking at her and whispering.
She suddenly realized that she seemed to have done something wrong. If the girls in Class 7 knew about this, Tong Zhongyuan must have heard about it too. He would definitely think that she was the one who boasted about being the childhood friend of the newly crowned top student. What would he think? He had not paid any attention to her in the past month. He probably didn't want all kinds of rumors to arise as soon as he entered the new school, and he didn't want his classmates to know about their relationship. She was too stupid, talking about childhood friends and holding hands. In the past two years, they had only met a few times. What happened before the age of 9 was a long time ago, but she was the only one who still took it seriously. In fact, they were no longer children.
She pulled the blanket over her head in shame, wrapping herself up like a silkworm cocoon.
Tong Zhongyuan flung the blanket away from his head and took a deep breath of fresh air. He rolled over, fumbled for a mirrored tissue box, and took a quick look. He tossed it aside after a single glance. He'd clearly been holding his breath several times, yet why was he still wearing that silly, raised expression? He didn't want to face his mother's scrutinizing gaze during dinner. She was incredibly sensitive, and it was incredibly annoying.
He sat down at his desk, picked up a book, and began to read. His chin rested on his hand, his fingers stroking the pages as he turned the pages. His gaze shifted from the book to his fingers.
She said his hands were the most beautiful because she had held his hand. How could she tell such a thing to her classmates? His face was a little hot, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.
This guy is really brave, he dares to say anything. But it's all true.
Over the past month, she'd been as silly as ever. Every time he tried to talk to her, she'd be accompanied by one or two female classmates. Sometimes he'd wink at her, telling her to ditch that girl and talk somewhere private. After a few steps, he'd look back and see she wasn't following him at all.
He grew increasingly impatient as he waited. He had been planning to visit her at her house someday, but she'd already gone public with their relationship. Actually... he hadn't intended to hide it; he simply thought she, a freshman in high school, wouldn't want to be criticized. If he'd known she wanted to be public, he wouldn't have had to dwell on it for a month.
He lay on the table, resting his head on his arms, flipping through the pages of a book with a casual smile on his face. What should he say to her when he sees her tomorrow?
Qin Yizhang, thank goodness you listened to me and came to Huacai. I heard the accommodations at Nanyi are terrible, with six people sharing a room. How could you possibly handle that? Don't act on your own anymore. Consult with me if you have anything to say.
"Tong Zhongyuan! Eat!" He Wu's voice came through the door.
He patted his face, relaxed his muscles, opened the door and walked out.
The bell rang. Qin Yizhang pulled up his pencil case and put his books into his backpack. Zhang Li knocked on her desk.
"Wait a minute, I'll be back soon after using the restroom. Let's go through the east gate today. The tenderloin there is especially delicious."
"Go by yourself. I have something to do and I won't go home with you."
Qin Yizhang put on his schoolbag, waved to her, and left the classroom.
She'd thought about it yesterday and decided she had to go find Tong Zhongyuan. First, to apologize; she hadn't meant to upset him by saying that. Second, she didn't want such rumors to affect their friendship. She knew they weren't children anymore, but the happy times she'd had with Tong Zhongyuan were precious memories she'd never forget. And with Aunt He around, their two families would always have to interact.
She knew Tong Zhongyuan's way home. After leaving the school gate and crossing the first crossroads, there was a convenience store on the right. It was still not very safe here, as some students also took this route home, buying oden and a drink when passing by the convenience store. She walked a little further and came to a small side alley. She was satisfied. This place was good. Most of the students had been divided at the previous intersection. Even if there were still a few people heading this way, when Tong Zhongyuan came, she could pull him into the side alley to talk, and no one would notice.
She waited for a while and saw several students in the same uniform passing by, but none of them were Tong Zhongyuan. This guy was so slow. Could it be that something happened at school and he didn't finish class on time?
Her feet were sore from standing, so she found an electric bike parked in the corner and borrowed it to ride on.
A girl in a blue and white school uniform also walked into the alley, exchanged glances with her, and then stood at the other end. This was the uniform of Xiyu High School, also nearby.
The problem was that the alley was quite narrow, and the girl's position blocked most of her view. She couldn't see anyone passing by, no matter how hard she tried. She was in a dilemma. She had to squeeze in front of the girl to catch Tong Zhongyuan. As she was struggling, the girl straightened her back and, like a cat spotting its prey, darted out.
Her vision suddenly broadened.
"Tong Zhongyuan!" the girl called out quietly.
A tall young man stopped at the entrance of the alley, and Qin Yizhang in the alley widened his eyes.
Tong Zhongyuan looked at the girl in front of him. This was his junior high school classmate Li Yiyao, who had been his deskmate for a semester.
"What a coincidence, meeting you here." Li Yiyao spoke with a subtle nervousness, "How have you been lately?"
"Very good." Tong Zhongyuan replied absentmindedly.
He waited at the school gate for a while just now, until most people had left school, but Qin Yizhang still didn't show up, so he had to go home by himself.
When Li Yiyao heard the words "very good," she thought it was just an opening, the main story about to begin. Unexpectedly, Tong Zhongyuan lifted his foot and walked away, and then she realized there was no sequel. She said anxiously, "Wait a minute, it's a rare meeting. Let's go home together."
"Your home is not in this direction." Tong Zhongyuan said calmly.
Li Yiyao was stunned: "Do you know where I live?"
"You did."
Li Yiyao had come this trip with a nervous heart. When she graduated, she heard that Tong Zhongyuan was going abroad after high school and that his family was immigrating. She cried for several days and had no choice but to accept this fact. But she didn't expect that Tong Zhongyuan didn't leave, but went to Huacai High School to study. If she had known this, she would have gritted her teeth and enrolled in Huacai. Over the past few months, she thought about it and decided to be brave. During the semester when she was sitting at the same table with Tong Zhongyuan, he was gentle and modest, and answered every question. Although he didn't break the ice, she fully felt his gentleness and tolerance. And now, his answer has further confirmed what she had always suspected. He also cares about her.
"Tong Zhongyuan, I..." She lowered her head and looked at her toes, "Although our homes are not in the same direction, there is a section of our roads that overlap... I can wait for you here after school every day."
Tong Zhongyuan finally set his sights on her. He had thought that his encounter with Li Yiyao was an accident, but it turned out not to be.
“No, I’m going to go cycling later,” he replied. “I’m going home now. Bye.”
He walked around Li Yiyao as if he was walking around an obstacle.
"Tong Zhongyuan!" Li Yiyao called his name again, "Is it because we are in different schools? Or something else..."
The street was bustling with people, many of them students wearing the uniforms of Huacai and Xiyu. Tong Zhongyuan glanced around, lowered his head, and walked into the alley. When he turned around, Li Yiyao had already followed him in.
"Li Yiyao, I remember where your home is because I have a good memory. I also remember Liu Tengfei's home, Wang Jie's home, and their birthdays and heights. I remember it once, and I don't mean anything else. I'm sorry if I misunderstood you."
This was not the first time he rejected a girl, but he still felt very embarrassed and just wanted to leave quickly after saying it.
With a thud, he took a half step back, his schoolbag falling to the ground. Li Yiyao covered her face, knocked the bag off his shoulder, and ran out of the alley.
On the diagonal line of the alley, Qin Yizhang covered his mouth the whole time, praying that Tong Zhongyuan would not look over.
Tong Zhongyuan picked up his schoolbag, dusted it off, and slung it back onto his shoulder as he walked out of the alley. Qin Yizhang breathed a sigh of relief and jumped off his moped. Instantly, the moped let out a deafening alarm, a piercing sound that drowned out all the noise, echoing through the alley.
She panicked and covered its mouth, pressing down on its horn with both hands. Now, in addition to the alarm, the horn also sounded.
"Qin Yizhang, what are you doing here?"
Tong Zhongyuan's unfamiliar voice after his voice change period sounded behind her.
Qin Yizhang turned his back to him, and in a moment of urgency, he said in a buzzing voice, "You've got the wrong person."
Tong Zhongyuan looked at her half-bent back in disbelief. He had always thought she was silly, but he didn't expect she was even more foolish than he thought.
"Qin Yizhang, turn around."
No, that was too embarrassing. She knew some people started dating in junior high, but she had never imagined that the man she witnessed this kind of scene for the first time would be Tong Zhongyuan. But just now, she saw Tong Zhongyuan, and Tong Zhongyuan didn't see her. She hadn't seen him for a long time, and he was just a silhouette from behind, wearing the same school uniform. How could he be sure it was her? Tong Zhongyuan was very cunning and must be tricking her.
"Classmate, you've got the wrong person." She said in a hoarse voice.
Tong Zhongyuan laughed. He reached out, grabbed the collar at the back of her neck, lifted it up, and turned her around.
"Why aren't you wearing glasses? Is that why you can't recognize me?"
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