He and I, a group
"Fuck, Brother Lu, did you see that? Gaoling Hua's ears are red!" Fat Jiang from the opposite aisle let out an excited growl. He slid his chair over and lowered his voice like a paparazzi who had discovered a shocking secret. "He's... he's shy! Of course he is! I told you, what man can resist your damn charm!"
Lu Yu remained silent, yet it felt as if a small stone had been dropped into his heart, sending out ripples he couldn't even explain. He felt that Sun Rui's theory of value attraction seemed to be developing at an unexpected speed.
He thought he was mending the relationship, but it seemed like... he accidentally went a little too far.
The sound of water splashing in the bathroom filled Lu Yu's seat. He absentmindedly closed the wall of confessions on his phone. The photo that had become the most popular was as intense and agonizing as his current mood.
Shi Guang was in there for a long time. After about half an hour, the sound of water stopped. Shi Guang emerged from the bathroom, already dressed in clean pajamas, his hair damp and dripping with moisture. He kept his head down the entire time, his gaze fixed straight ahead. He hurried back to his seat, climbed nimbly onto the bed, and with a swish, he closed the curtains.
The whole set of movements was done in one go, as if the people around him were just air.
A thin curtain once again isolated his world from the outside world.
"Okay, I'm autistic again." Fat Jiang curled his lips.
Lu Yu, however, wasn't as irritated as before. He leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his gaze fixed on the tightly closed curtains of the bed next door. He could even imagine the person behind the curtains, buried in the quilt, the heat on their face still lingering.
This realization made Lu Yu's mood inexplicably improve.
The days of military training passed by in sweat and slogans.
After the shooting range, Lu Yu and Shi Guang entered a more subtle cold war. It was cold because they still hadn't actively exchanged words; it wasn't cold because the awkward confrontation in the air seemed to be melting.
Lu Yu's Plan B continued. He would accidentally buy an extra breakfast and leave it on the table, and it would always disappear after he left. He would happen to stop by the water dispenser to fill a pot of water when Shi Guang's kettle was almost empty.
Once, there was a minor problem with the propeller of Lu Yu's drone. He was looking up maintenance videos online. Shi Guang next door silently took out a small screwdriver set from the drawer and pushed it over.
He said nothing and Lu Yu asked nothing.
This silent understanding, like a code that only the two of them could understand, was quietly passed on in dormitory 602.
Two days later, in order to boost morale, the camp decided to hold a unique military fun sports meeting.
As soon as the news came out, the entire training ground was in an uproar.
There are a variety of events, including tug-of-war, obstacle relay, and the most eye-catching one is the finale of the three-legged race.
"The rules are simple!" Instructor Zhou Hai shouted through a loud speaker. "Each class sends three teams, both male and female, free to form your own! The team with the fastest time will win a mysterious prize!"
As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the class instantly became lively. Zhao Teng was the first to jump out, holding up his Vlog phone and shouting: "Class monitor! Class monitor! You must participate! You are the physical fitness representative of our class!"
"Yes! Squad leader, come on!"
"Brother Lu, come on!"
Lu Yu didn't care and agreed with a smile: "Okay, then I'll be one of them. Who wants to team up with me?"
He had barely finished speaking when a voice he least expected rang out.
"Me, me, me! I recommend!" Fat Jiang raised his chubby hands high in the air, shouting at the top of his lungs, as if to create chaos. "I recommend our class's other star player—Shi Guang! Together, the two of them are an absolutely formidable combination, unstoppable!"
This shout successfully focused the attention of the entire company on Shi Guang who was sitting in the corner of the team.
Shi Guang's body froze instantly.
The smile on Lu Yu's face froze. He wanted to immediately refuse, saying that this was a joke, but Zhao Teng had already led a group of classmates who were eager to watch the fun and started to make a fuss.
"I agree! I agree a hundred percent!"
"Mr. Shi Guang, for the honor of our class, just agree to this!"
Lin Xiyue looked at Shi Guang worriedly, wanting to help him, but her voice was completely drowned out by the huge noise.
Shi Guang's face grew paler by the minute. He stood there like a deer cornered on the edge of a cliff, caught between a rock and a hard place.
In the end, everyone's eyes fell on Lu Yu, waiting for him, the squad leader, to make a decision.
Lu Yu sighed inwardly as he watched the time he spent isolated and helpless in the crowd.
He knew that he couldn't push him to the forefront again.
"Alright, alright, stop messing around." Lu Yu stepped forward, raised his hand to suppress the noise, and said in a relaxed tone, "A three-legged race is all about coordination and weight. I'm such a big guy, and if I partner with Shi Guang, wouldn't that be bullying him? Listen to me on this matter, I'll..."
Before he could finish his words, a cold voice suddenly rang out from the crowd.
“…I’ll join.”
It's time.
He raised his head, met everyone's gaze, and repeated it.
"He and I are in a group."
“Oooooohh ...
The booing, led by Zhao Teng and Jiang Xiaopang, instantly overturned the entire corner. It was so heated that it even attracted curious glances from the neighboring company.
I knew it! I knew it! "Fat Jiang was so excited that his face was trembling. He patted Lu Yu's back vigorously, "Brother Lu is awesome! Sister-in-law... No, classmate Shi Guang is awesome!"
Lu Yu staggered after being hit by him, and his mind went blank.
He was completely confused.
He had imagined a hundred possible endings, and was even prepared to team up with a random boy to forcefully end the topic. But he never expected that the one who would block the way in the end would be time itself.
Why did he agree?
[Is he being forced into a corner and just throwing in the towel? Or...?]
Lu Yu didn't dare to think any further. He pushed aside the crowd around him and walked straight to Shi Guang, locking his eyes with him. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he asked hurriedly, "Are you crazy? Do you know what it means to agree to this?"
Shi Guang didn't avoid his gaze, which was very rare in the past. His eyes didn't contain the humiliation or anger that Lu Yu had imagined, but instead a strange calmness and stubbornness.
"I know," he replied, "I just don't want others to think that the honor of our class is damaged because of my lack of sociability."
But Lu Yu read another meaning: He was using his own way to respond to Lu Yu's kindness in helping him out. In this clumsy way, he was proving to Lu Yu that he was not a coward who would only hide behind others.
Lu Yu's heart felt like it had been hit hard by something, aching and swollen. He wanted to say something, but Instructor Zhou Hai had already walked over with the bandage for his ankles.
"Alright, stop wasting time!" Zhou Hai couldn't help but smile as he looked at this ever-popular pair. "Now that we're a team, let's show some momentum! Come on, stand together and tie your legs!"
Under the burning gazes of the whole class, Lu had no choice but to stand shoulder to shoulder with Shi Guang.
The two of them were so close that their shoulders almost touched. Lu Yu could clearly smell the scent of grass and sweat on Shi Guang's body. He saw that Shi Guang's eyelashes were very long, casting a small shadow in the sunlight, and trembling nervously.
The instructor wrapped the cloth strips tightly around Lu Yu's right ankle and Shi Guang's left ankle and tied a knot.
An unbreakable physical connection was forcibly established.
"You two should try walking a few steps first to get a feel for it." After Zhou Hai said that, he went to tie the legs of other groups.
"Listen to my command," Lu Yu took a deep breath, suppressed all distracting thoughts in his mind, and entered the competitive state. "When I say one, we will move our left leg together, which is the leg that is not tied. When I say two, we will move our right leg together, which is the two legs that are tied together. Do you understand?"
"...Yeah." Shi Guang replied in a low voice.
"Okay, ready... one!"
Lu Yu took the lead with his left leg, but time was a little slow. He was pulled by him, and his body suddenly tilted, and he subconsciously fell towards Lu Yu. Lu Yu was quick to catch his arm and prevent him from falling.
Shi Guang's face suddenly turned red, like a ripe tomato.
"Don't panic, try again!" Lu Yu didn't let go of his hand immediately. Through the thin camouflage uniform, he could feel the slenderness and tension of Shi Guang's arm. "Listen to my rhythm and think of yourself as my shadow. One!"
This time, time caught up.
"two!"
The two men, their legs tied together, took a crooked step forward.
"Yes! That's the feeling! Come again! One, two, one, two..."
Under Lu Yu's patient guidance, Shi Guang's amazing learning ability was once again evident. In just two minutes, they were able to barely keep up with the pace and staggered a short distance.
“Beep!”
The whistle blew to signal the start of the game.
More than a dozen pairs of conjoined twins were in chaos at the starting line, and their screams and laughter filled the sky.
"One, two, one, two!"
Lu Yu ignored the chaos around him. He firmly controlled the rhythm, guiding the time with a calm voice. Their start was not fast, and they were even a little behind, but they were stable and did not fall apart at the beginning like other groups.
The track was a slippery patch of grass. Lu Yu placed most of his weight on his side, his other hand half-protecting Shi Guang behind him to prevent him from falling.
"Follow me! Don't look around, just listen to my voice!" Lu Yu shouted.
Shi Guang bit his lips tightly, focusing all his attention on Lu Yu's commands and the rhythm of their feet. Gradually, he no longer felt nervous, and a wonderful sense of synchronization spread from their tied ankles to their whole body.
They were no longer two independent individuals, but seemed to have become one person.
"Good job! Come on! Surpass them!"
They began to accelerate, their strides growing longer and their tempo quickening. Lu Yu's immense stamina and Shi Guang's exceptional coordination merged perfectly at this moment. Like a well-honed sword, they began to surge forward across the chaotic arena, unstoppable.
One...two...three...
They overtook more and more teams, and the cheers from the sidelines grew louder and louder.
"Oh my god! Brother Lu and the others are catching up!"
“Charge!!”
In the last twenty meters towards the finish line, they were almost on par with another group of boys from the Physical Education Department.
"The last section! Let's fight!" Lu Yu growled, exerted force with his arms, and almost half-carried time as he sprinted forward with all his might.
The moment I crossed the finish line, the whole world seemed to quiet down.
They won.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
