Physical Examination
early morning.
Lin Li got up early. The physical education exam was held at Yancheng No. 9 Primary School. The school did not provide transportation, so everyone had to go on their own.
Finally, we'll meet at the school gate; you can bring your phone.
When Lin Li arrived at the examination hall, she saw the candidates warming up in groups of three or five, with conversations and laughter rising and falling.
The gloom that had been weighing on Lin Li's chest, the heavy thoughts about illness and death, strangely began to dissipate the moment he saw her. He stopped, not immediately going forward to disturb her.
"A fine sword is forged through tempering, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold."
The poem entered his mind without warning. Yes, plum blossoms. Wasn't the girl before him just like this flower blooming alone in the cold?
He thought of Tong Yao from his previous life. Her father died early, and the burden of the family fell on her tender shoulders far too early. But what about her?
She didn't complain or give up on herself. She simply pursed her lips, became even more silent, and gripped the pen in her hand even tighter.
For her family, which had lost its breadwinner, attending a top-tier local high school was the safest and best option she could secure. She never gave up on herself. Her final score of 565 on the college entrance exam was enough in this small town to open the doors of a decent university and pave her own path.
Tong Yao was clearly much more resilient than he had imagined.
His previous worries, that fear that she would be defeated, now seemed to carry an underestimation of her offensiveness.
Tong Yao is not a hothouse flower; she possesses the resilience of a plum blossom braving frost and snow, and she has her own unique pride.
Lin Li didn't disturb her. He just stood not far away, quietly admiring what an outstanding person the girl he liked was!
Tong Yao seemed to sense the turmoil in his heart and turned her head to look at him.
"Why did it take you so long to get here?" she asked.
Lin Li's heart suddenly clenched.
He forced himself to walk over, his steps somewhat stiff.
"How are the preparations going?" His voice was dry and monotonous.
"Mmm," Tong Yao responded, which was her reply.
Her gaze lingered on his face for two seconds, then she frowned slightly. "You don't look well."
"I was too...too excited, I didn't sleep well." Lin Li subconsciously avoided eye contact. This wasn't entirely a lie; the anxiety from last night was indeed etched on his face.
Upon hearing this, Tong Yao lowered her head and took out a bright yellow energy drink from her bag, handing it over.
Lin Li stared blankly at the plastic packaging paper.
"I saw it when I was buying water," she said calmly. "The shopkeeper said that this is what you should drink during the physical exam to refresh your mind and replenish your energy."
Lin Li felt a gentle touch on the softest part of her heart as she watched her earnestly reciting the advertising slogan.
"Then what will you drink if I give it to you?"
"I heard that girls will grow beards if they drink it, so I won't drink it." Tong Yao turned her head to continue admiring the plum blossoms, her ears slightly red.
So... it was bought especially for him?
This realization made Lin Li's chest swell, a feeling that was both sweet and bittersweet.
Why does someone as gentle as Tong Yao have to face all this? She's clearly so wonderful, why is fate so unfair to her?
The thought brought a wave of bitterness to my heart.
Before he could say anything, Tong Yao could already hear his disordered breathing. Helpless, she took out a tissue.
"Why are you crying?" she asked casually, but her eyes were full of concern.
"I didn't cry!" Lin Li stubbornly raised her face, but a tear slipped down her cheek and landed on Tong Yao's hand, burning her fingertips.
"I...I had a nightmare, and I'm scared."
Tong Yao looked at his tear-streaked face and chuckled softly, then tiptoed to wipe away his tears.
Lin Li was stunned.
“I’ve discovered that besides being an idiot,” she said, handing over another tissue, “you’re also a coward.”
"Blow your own nose."
Lin Li obediently did as she was told, making quite a noise.
Once he calmed down a bit, he asked softly, his eyes red, "Can I hug you?"
"No!" Tong Yao refused decisively, her ears turning even redder.
The next second, she was enveloped in an embrace that smelled of laundry detergent.
"I'm scared..." He buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled, "You don't even comfort me."
The embrace was so warm, so comforting, that he almost cried. He took a deep, lingering breath and whispered in her ear:
You definitely... don't like me at all.
Just as Lin Li was immersed in this moment of tenderness and excitement, thinking she could draw more courage from it—
When did I ever say I liked you?
Tong Yao's cool voice rang out, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.
Lin Li choked, his emotions, which had been building up, were interrupted. He was so angry that he subconsciously tightened his arms, making the hug even tighter, as if this could punish her for being "hypocritical".
"Hiss—you..."
Tong Yao groaned softly as he suddenly tightened his grip, her brows furrowing slightly.
Hearing her cry of pain, Lin Li panicked instantly. She had just relaxed her grip slightly and was about to bend down to check—
"Come on, you two, don't move!"
A familiar female voice, tinged with laughter, suddenly broke in.
Both of them were startled and turned their heads at the same time.
Tang Yue had somehow gotten up and was pointing her camera at them, a smile on her face that they couldn't decipher—a maternal smile.
With a crisp "click" of the shutter—
The scene freezes here: under the plum blossom tree, a tall and slender young man holds a beautiful and delicate young woman tightly in his arms.
The boy's eyes were slightly red, his face still bearing traces of tears and a hint of surprise at being caught red-handed. The girl leaned against him, her usually cool face flushed, and her usually calm eyes were now filled with unprepared shyness.
Sunlight filters through the branches, casting even shadows on them. Plum petals drift in mid-air, creating a breathtaking scene.
Tang Yue took a closer look and saw Lin Li with red eyes on the screen: "Why are you crying? But I have to say, Lin Li, when you cry, you actually give me a feeling of 'I feel sorry for you'."
Tong Yao was the first to react, blushing to the roots of her ears, and tried to break free from Lin Li's embrace.
Lin Li subconsciously let go of her hand, feeling so embarrassed that she wanted to disappear into the ground. But seeing that Tong Yao was even more embarrassed than herself, the complicated emotions in her heart strangely dissipated.
He took a deep breath, as if engraving the fragrance of plum blossoms and her scent into his heart.
The exams are over, and what needs to be faced must be faced. But Tong Yao, this time you won't have to face it alone!
_
The physical education exam has officially begun.
The boys and girls took the exam separately. As they parted, Lin Li waved goodbye and said, "Tong Yao! Good luck!"
Although Tong Yao's expression was still a little unnatural, she still waved and said, "Lin Li, good luck!"
Men's 1000m, first heat!
Lin Li, wearing a number 6 vest, stood on track number four.
As the starting gun fired!
Lin Li set off.
_
Women's 800m, first heat!
Tong Yao and Lin Li were both in the first group of the competition.
At this moment, Tong Yao is wearing a vest with number 3 and standing on track number 1.
Her gaze was firm and full of confidence.
With the sound of the starting gun, Tong Yao set off.
...
The man ran back and forth, Lin Li No. 2.
The female lead runs back and forth; Tong Yao is number 1.
Standing long jump...
Seated forward bend...
...
With the results announced, Lin Li and Tong Yao's physical education exams came to an end.
The two followed the flow of people and headed towards the school gate.
Lin Li was tall and spotted Tong Yao in the crowd from afar.
He walked through the crowd and took Tong Yao's hand.
"I've got it figured out, what about you?"
Tong Yao let him hold her hand, "If nothing unexpected happens, there shouldn't be any major problems!"
After the physical education exam, the teacher told everyone to go home.
Lin Li pulled Tong Yao away from the noise.
Yancheng Jiuyi School is a large school located in the suburbs of Yancheng.
The two walked on an empty street.
"Lin Li, why did you bring me here?" Tong Yao asked. Her voice was particularly clear in the empty street, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.
Lin Li looked troubled, her hands unconsciously clenching the seams of her trousers, stammering for a long time. The words she had rehearsed countless times in her mind now felt like stones stuck in her throat.
When Tong Yao saw him stammering and unable to give a coherent answer, her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
He couldn't possibly be the one she vaguely anticipated yet feared to face.
"I don't want to be in a relationship right now!" she blurted out, her voice rising slightly with urgency.
Lin Li was stunned: "Huh?"
Seeing Lin Li's astonished expression, could she have guessed wrong?
This realization made Tong Yao's face turn bright red.
She turned around and tried to run away from the embarrassing scene.
"Wait!" Lin Li was anxious and stretched out his long arm to grab Tong Yao's wrist. With a little force, he turned her around and held her tightly in his arms with her back to him.
"Let go!" Tong Yao struggled, but he held her even tighter. The boy's chest wasn't broad, but it carried an unyielding strength and a burning heat.
"How is your father's health lately?" Lin Li's voice came from above, with a cautious probing tone.
Tong Yao froze, her struggling movements ceasing. He was actually thinking about her father? A feeling of indescribable loss or confusion welled up inside her.
“Very well!” she replied coldly.
"Does he have a stomach problem? Has he been having rectal bleeding lately...?" Lin Li's voice trembled almost imperceptibly, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
Tong Yao suddenly broke free from his embrace, her eyes and brows furrowed with frost as she turned around: "My dad has a physical exam every month, and yesterday's report showed everything was normal."
Truck drivers undergo regular medical checkups. Lin Li didn't know this, but Tong Yao certainly did.
She looked at Lin Li's still worried expression and asked, "What on earth are you thinking about?"
Just then, the gloom on Lin Li's face began to dissipate at a visible speed. First, her tense jawline relaxed slightly, and then the seriousness on her face gradually dissipated.
"Really?" His voice was soft, tinged with disbelief.
"Really." Tong Yao's calm tone carried a hint of annoyance.
He seemed to have a huge weight lifted off his shoulders, even loosening his grip on her arm a little, but he still stubbornly pressed on, "Then why is his face so dull and yellow, and why is he so thin!"
Tong Yao was almost amused by his logic: "Do you even know what my dad does for a living?"
She retorted irritably, "Truck drivers are out on the road every day, how could they possibly be fair-skinned?"
She finally managed to break free from his embrace, turned around to face him, and her clear eyes held a hint of anger: "What are you thinking about all day long?"
Lin Li, however, was completely unaware. He tried to maintain his serious demeanor, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up in a smile. "That's great... Your father is really alright?"
As Lin Li listened to this string of information, her previously depressed and conflicted expression was replaced by ecstatic joy.
That's great! Yes, he is the butterfly. It must be the butterfly effect brought about by his rebirth that unintentionally changed Tong Yao's father's fate! The immense joy washed away his anxiety and fear of the past few days.
He released Tong Yao, his face beaming with an undisguised, radiant smile of triumph over loss, a smile that made Tong Yao's eyes dazzle.
Thinking of how he had cried his eyes out earlier, and his unusual concern just now, a thought gradually became clear—all his abnormalities stemmed from a terrible nightmare about her father.
As a result, the last bit of anger in Tong Yao's heart vanished, replaced by a bittersweet warmth.
She looked at him, then suddenly reached out and gently touched his cheek with her fingertips.
Lin Li froze, her breath caught in her throat.
"Your place is dirty." Tong Yao's voice was very soft, carrying a gentleness that she herself was unaware of.
She rubbed her fingers on his cheek twice, but couldn't wipe it off, so she bent down, pulled a tissue from her bag, and handed it to him.
"Wipe it yourself."
Seeing Lin Li still standing there in a daze, as if his soul had left his body, Tong Yao frowned slightly and pointed to the corresponding spot on her cheek, indicating where he was dirty.
Lin Li's mind had just gone blank; he was still immersed in the joy of Tong Yao's future being changed—she would attend the best high school in the province, enter a top university in the country, and have a bright and promising future...
It wasn't until Tong Yao's fingers, with their slightly cool temperature, touched his skin that he was brought back to reality.
Coming to his senses, he saw Tong Yao pointing at his cheek, her eyes so gentle and focused, as if he were the only person left in the world.
Could it be... she was referring to "here"? A bold idea exploded in his mind like a demon possessing him.
The next second.
Before Tong Yao could react, Lin Li quickly lowered his head, leaned close to her, and his warm lips precisely and gently pressed against the spot on her cheek where her fingertips had just touched.
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, they part ways in an instant.
Tong Yao's eyes widened instantly, staring at him in disbelief. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, leaving only the thunderous beatings of their hearts echoing in the silent street.
She subconsciously took a half step back, her fingers gently touching her cheek where she had just been kissed, where the warm touch of the boy's lips still lingered.
"What...what are you doing!"
Tong Yao's voice seemed to be tinged with shyness.
"I...I'm home!"
She took a couple of steps, then turned back and warned, "You're not allowed to follow me! You pervert!"
This title left Lin Li stunned.
"So it didn't mean he had to kiss my cheek after all..."
Only after that figure disappeared around the street corner did Lin Li slowly raise her hand and lightly touch her lips with her fingertips.
The soft touch of her cheek seemed to linger there, carrying a faint fragrance of plum blossoms.
He looked down and chuckled, wondering how he could have misunderstood things like that!
Belatedly, a blush gradually crept up her cheeks.
By the way—was this his first kiss?
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