“Exercise is a stepping stone.”
Wang Jinling suddenly said this.
This profound answer left Chen Tinghan silent for a moment. Fortunately, Wang Jinling didn't intend to keep him guessing. She explained considerately, "I was very competitive when I was little. I grew up fast and tall. I hung out with the boys in the compound, playing basketball with them on the court in the courtyard. I beat them so hard that they complained bitterly. No one could defend me one-on-one."
Then she sank into her memories and said, "Even though we were just playing around back then, I still dominated the entire compound for a long time. I set the rules. Whoever beat me had the final say. Otherwise, I was the boss."
Wang Jinling said, "As we grew older, the physical advantage brought by girls' early development diminished until they were overtaken and gradually lost their dominance. They were all complacent about this, but eventually, our parents changed our career paths. We no longer judged our success by our performance, but by our grades."
Chen Tinghan couldn't help laughing and said, "No wonder Lao Xu and the others hate you so much. It's not fair!"
Wang Jinling also laughed: "Who said it wasn't true? I didn't accept it either. I felt it was an unfair victory. But later my family didn't agree with me continuing to hang out with them. I was young at the time and didn't understand the situation. I thought my parents didn't let me continue because they thought I was embarrassed because I lost the game."
"So that's why you say exercise is a stepping stone?"
"Later, I realized this stepping stone was useless," Wang Jinling said calmly. "It barely made up for the physical gap, but there were still many hurdles to overcome. No matter what kind of boy stood on the court, no one would be surprised or suspicious, but what if it was a girl?"
"Rumors." Chen Tinghan replied immediately.
"Objective physical differences, gender differences, prejudiced views, and even social backgrounds all became obstacles," Wang Jinling said. "So I stopped playing."
"You haven't given up exercise either."
"Because sports were something my parents disapproved of, but didn't strictly forbid."
Chen Tinghan raised his brows slightly, looked at Wang Jinling, and asked hesitantly, "Will it cause any problems if you bring a male classmate here?"
This is also the reason why Chen Tinghan felt strange today.
Wang Jinling had been acting much more freely recently, her mood had noticeably improved, and her tight mask was beginning to loosen slightly. Chen Tinghan wasn't sure what was causing this change, but he was still secretly wary, as this was something he hadn't experienced at this point in his previous life.
Not only that, but also because when she unloaded the burden in front of him in her previous life, the situation was already irreversible.
Wang Jinling didn't give a direct answer, but said, "Don't just stand there and watch, move with me."
Chen Tinghan shrugged his shoulders and followed suit, fully stretching his muscles.
Afterwards, they both got on the treadmill and adjusted it to a brisk walking pace. Her explanation finally came out amidst their slight breathing.
Wang Jinling said slowly, "Later, I ran on the school playground, hoping to use the eyes of my classmates and teachers to tell my parents that I would do things they opposed."
"Rebellious." Chen Tinghan said, "I didn't expect that senior sister would also have a childish side."
"After that, I didn't want them to watch."
Chen Tinghan was a little puzzled and asked, "Why?"
Wang Jinling continued running, her steps light, her breathing even, her eyes fixed, her voice clear yet filled with an indescribable emotion: "Because of you."
Chen Tinghan stumbled and almost tripped, but he stepped on the edge of the treadmill in time to avoid falling flat on his face.
The girl smiled, but ignored him and said to herself, "Running after school is already time for you and me. I don't want to cause you any trouble."
"Senior, be careful with your words." Chen Tinghan said seriously, "Nine out of ten boys will misunderstand what you said."
In the reflection of the TV in front of them, Wang Jinling caught his awkwardness and panic. She wanted to laugh, but suppressed it slightly and said seriously, "This is the truth. People get along with each other for what they need. I want to get a part of myself from you that doesn't need to disguise myself. If they see me like that, it wouldn't be good."
Chen Tinghan rubbed his brows to cover up his mistake and said, "Senior sister, you are so perfect, are you afraid that people will say bad things about you?"
"I'm not perfect, and whether or not people say bad things about me is not something you or I can decide. You must have heard people gossiping about me."
Chen Tinghan recovered, stepped back onto the treadmill, and started jogging: "It's true."
"What are you talking about?"
Chen Tinghan pondered for a moment and said, "Some people really think you're being pretentious and arrogant. Others think you don't speak the truth."
Wang Jinling said calmly, "Do you think so too?"
It's a bit strange that there's no truth in your mouth... Chen Tinghan wouldn't say that. He denied it, "They just don't have the courage to communicate with you."
Wang Jinling seemed to have heard his inner thoughts and suddenly said, "The only thing I have never lied to is you."
The meaning of her words was so transcendent that it made Chen Tinghan a little dazed for a moment, as if he had escaped from the current time and space and returned to his previous life full of suffering.
He was immersed in the lies woven by the girl and found it difficult to escape. However, in this life, she told herself that she had never lied to Chen Tinghan.
Chen Tinghan knew that the girl in front of him was most likely not the same person he was familiar with, but he still felt uncontrollable anger, which made him a little less calm.
“There are no perfect lies, but there are no perfect truths either.”
Talking while running still disrupted her rhythm, making Wang Jinling, who was originally in good physical condition, a little breathless. She said, "Junior, has anyone ever told you that you are awkward?"
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