Chapter 12
Su Rui hid those pricey sneakers in the deepest corner under his bed, tightly covered with an old cardboard box. He didn't dare wear them, or even look at them. They were too new and too bright, completely out of place in his shabby life. They were like a dream that didn't belong to him, and he was afraid that touching them would wake him up.
But the sweetness in his heart was real, seeping out bit by bit, making him unconsciously raise the corners of his mouth when he was busy in the cafeteria or when he was reviewing his lessons late at night.
The secret text messages between him and Ling Yao continued intermittently. Ling Yao was still very frugal with words, but Su Rui's frequency of sending messages had increased slightly, and the content was no longer limited to reports. Occasionally, there would be a subtle, tentative expression of concern:
"It looks like it's going to get colder tomorrow, so remember to wear more clothes when you play." (After a long pause): "Yeah."
"Azhe and the others seem to have changed to a new game. You guys seem to be having a lot of fun." (The next day): "It's so noisy."
This one-way, almost monologue-like communication gave Su Rui a strange sense of satisfaction. He felt that he was cautiously approaching the luminous object little by little, even if it was just to absorb a tiny bit of its residual warmth.
However, there are always undercurrents beneath the calm surface.
That day's physical education class was a physical fitness test. The boys needed to change into sneakers for strenuous activities. Su Rui's worn-out shoes, washed to a pale white and with some cracked edges, stood out among the crowd of designer sneakers.
He lowered his head and tried to hide behind the crowd, wanting to finish the test quickly.
When it was his turn to join a few other boys in the long-distance running test, something unexpected happened. As he accelerated around a curve, the already fragile sole of his right shoe suddenly tore completely apart. He stumbled, lost his balance, and fell heavily onto the track!
There was a burning pain in my knees and elbows, and a few suppressed exclamations and giggles were heard around me.
"Pfft... these shoes are too worn out, aren't they?" "You fell on flat ground?" "Are you okay, Su Rui?" The physical education teacher hurried over.
Su Rui's vision went black with pain, and even more so, he was overwhelmed by embarrassment and shame. He struggled to get up, but a sharp pain in his ankle sent him crashing back down.
"Twisted your ankle? Don't move!" The teacher held him down and called to the students, "Two people, help him to the infirmary!"
Several students looked at each other, hesitant. Just then, a figure pushed through the crowd and walked over.
It was Ling Yao. He had just finished taking the other tests, and a light sweat was on his forehead. His expression was as calm as ever. He didn't even look at Su Rui, but simply said to the PE teacher, "Teacher, let me help him go."
The PE teacher was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting Ling Yao to offer to help. Then he nodded: "Okay, Ling Yao, you're strong, be careful."
Ling Yao didn't say anything, but just squatted down in front of Su Rui, checked his ankle, then without saying anything, lifted his arm and helped him up.
Su Rui leaned almost entirely on Ling Yao, the familiar scent of cedar instantly enveloping him. He could feel the solid strength of Ling Yao's arms, as well as the surprised, inquiring, and even playful glances from his classmates.
His cheeks were burning, his heart was beating like a drum, and he hardly dared to look up.
Ling Yao, however, seemed completely oblivious to the surrounding gazes. He half-supported, half-carried him, and walked towards the infirmary with an expressionless face. He remained silent all the way.
It was not until they entered the infirmary and the school doctor came to treat the injury that Ling Yao let go of his hand. He leaned against the wall next to him, put his hands in his pockets, and watched the school doctor clean Su Rui's scraped knees and elbows and check her sprained ankle.
Su Rui gasped in pain, but bit her lips tightly to prevent any sound from coming out.
"How did you fall?" the school doctor asked casually.
"The sole of my shoe suddenly broke." Su Rui's voice was as thin as a mosquito, and her head drooped even lower.
The school doctor sighed and said, "These shoes really need to be changed, otherwise it's easy to get injured."
Hearing this, Ling Yao's gaze fell on Su Rui's worn-out sneakers that had been taken off and were completely broken. His brows knitted together slightly, and a hint of extreme displeasure and...something else flashed across his eyes.
After treating the injury, the school doctor fixed Su Rui's ankle and prescribed some topical medication.
"Rest for a few days and don't put too much pressure on this foot."
Ling Yao didn't say a word from beginning to end. After the school doctor finished treating him, he walked forward again, still silently lifted Su Rui up and helped him walk out.
After leaving the infirmary, Su Rui mustered up her courage and said in a choked voice, "Thank... Thank you..."
Ling Yao didn't stop, staring straight ahead. After several seconds, he stiffly said:
"The pair I bought for you, were they just for display?"
Ling Yao didn't say anything else, just supported him and walked forward step by step. The sunlight shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled light and shadows on his well-defined profile.
Su Rui's heart was in a mess, filled with shock, confusion, shame, and a sense of helplessness at having all her secrets seen through... In the end, she strangely melted away at the other party's harsh, even somewhat blaming question.
He lowered his head and muttered in a voice that only he could hear: "...I'm afraid it will get dirty."
Ling Yao seemed to hum very lightly and said nothing more.
But at that moment, Su Rui clearly felt that the hand holding his arm seemed to have loosened its strength a little.
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