61. As for giving up, forget it
Although the sports meet was scheduled for next Friday, events like basketball, football, and table tennis needed to be held in advance. So, after each class submitted their rosters, the ball games began immediately. To minimize disruption, the school scheduled all games for the last afternoon class, with the missed class time made up during the first period of evening self-study.
So, in the afternoon, the playground of Qingshi No. 1 Middle School seemed to be buried with time bombs, and bursts of earth-shaking cheers broke out from time to time.
Table tennis isn't as popular as basketball or football, so Xu Wenqiang initially thought few people would watch it. But she was surprised to see so many people from her class follow her to the table tennis court during her first match.
"Xu Wenqiang, are you thirsty? I brought some water."
"Xu Wenqiang, I brought a small towel to wipe your sweat."
"Xu Wenqiang, I have some bread here. You can eat it if you are hungry."
…
The girls surrounded Xu Wenqiang, chattering non-stop, pushing everyone else aside. The others, including Lin Tong, Ning Yi, Xiao Cheng, and Gao Zhe, stood aside and watched, their hearts filled with emotion.
Lin Tong said aggrievedly, "I prepared water and a towel for Xu Wenqiang, but it seems they won't be needed."
Ning Yi clenched the chocolate in his pocket. He had told Xu Wenqiang that it was for her to replenish her energy after the competition.
"When did Xu Wenqiang become so popular?" Gao Zhe asked Xiao Cheng sourly. "I've played basketball for so many years, and I've never enjoyed the kind of treatment she's getting. With her attitude, I feel like she's a bit of a school idol."
Xiao Cheng looked at Xu Wenqiang, standing in the center of the crowd, as if he were gazing at a star, shining with a cold, radiant light in the quiet night sky. Once upon a time, he and she had huddled beneath the ping-pong table, while outside, amidst the whirlwind of wind and rain and rumors, she had stubbornly refused to concede. Now, neither the storm nor the rumors frightened her. Now, she was radiant and beautiful, radiant with the glow of a star.
"Gao Zhe, what are you thinking about?" Gao Zhe bumped into Xiao Cheng.
Xiao Cheng came back to his senses and said, "She's a girl who can play basketball and table tennis, and her grades are improving rapidly. Isn't it natural that she's popular?"
"That's true." Gao Zhe wasn't really being sarcastic. "Xu Wenqiang has finally gotten her due. No one in the class has mentioned her smell for a long time. Also, a few days ago, Dai Ze and Wu Ruixue were swapping class representatives on Cricket. Then the homeroom teacher contacted Dai Ze, and no one mentioned the matter again. Now, even the teachers are on her side."
"It's so nice to be quiet like this," said Xiao Cheng.
Gao Zhe glanced at Xiao Cheng and thought of something: "Could it be that you asked the class teacher to control Dai Ze's mouth?"
"That's only because she has good grades that the teacher will intervene. In the past, when things got worse, no one cared." Xiao Cheng said calmly, looking towards the table: "The game is about to start, let's watch it."
Xu Wenqiang performed very well and ended the first game with a clean score of 3-0.
As soon as the game was over, the girls rushed over, holding up water bottles, towels, bread, biscuits...all in front of her.
Xu Wenqiang was wearing a sports jacket, and after playing, she was sweating a little. She took off her clothes and walked out of the crowd.
"Lin Tong, help me hold my clothes." Xu Wenqiang threw her coat to Lin Tong. "Where's the water you prepared for me?"
Lin Tong held Xu Wenqiang's clothes and obediently handed her the water bottle he had prepared. Seeing her take the kettle and drink her water in big gulps, his heart felt sour and sweet, and he smiled like a girl who had just fallen in love. She drank my water.
After Xu Wenqiang finished drinking the water, she turned to look at Ning Yi and held out her hand: "Didn't you prepare chocolate for me?"
Ning Yi quickly took out the chocolate from his pocket and handed it over, "Here you go."
Just as Xu Wenqiang reached out to take it, someone snatched the chocolate away.
"Ning Yi, I have a basketball game soon. Can I have this piece of chocolate?" Xiao Cheng asked politely while holding the chocolate.
Ning Yi was stunned for a moment, then said: "Well, okay."
"Thank you." Xiao Cheng put the chocolate into his pocket.
Xu Wenqiang was unwilling, "Xiao Cheng, that's for me."
Xiao Cheng looked at Xu Wenqiang. After she took off her coat, she was only wearing a close-fitting long-sleeved T-shirt. The last time she was at his house, Xu Wenqiang wore his white shirt, and he knew that her figure was more attractive than he had imagined.
"I'm going on stage soon, please hold my clothes for me." Xiao Cheng took off his coat, put it on Xu Wenqiang without saying anything, and then zipped it up for her.
"Then what about my own coat? And my chocolate?" Xu Wenqiang asked with a pout.
"You can do what with the coat yourself, and I'll compensate you for the chocolate," said Xiao Cheng.
Xu Wenqiang didn't give up and turned to ask Ning Yi, "Do you have any more chocolate?"
Ning Yi actually had another piece in his other pocket, but he shook his head and said, "No more."
Lin Tong had just quietly reminded him that chocolates should not be given to girls casually. In fact, even if Lin Tong hadn't reminded him, he would have understood it when Xiao Cheng took the chocolate away.
"Xu Wenqiang, don't worry about the chocolate anymore. The basketball game is about to start. Come over and cheer us on." Gao Zhe said.
"I'll go over later. I'll go see if Su Xiaoshan won first." Xu Wenqiang said as she walked towards the table on the other side. Su Xiaoshan also signed up for table tennis.
When she left, Lin Tong and Ning Yi followed her. The girls surrounding her also followed.
Seeing a group of people following Xu Wenqiang away, Gao Zhe put his arm around Xiao Cheng and said, "We're childhood sweethearts, so it's only natural for you to show some concern."
Xiao Cheng took out the chocolate from his pocket and threw it to Gao Zhe, "This is for you."
Gao Zhe opened the chocolate and put it in his mouth, then shook his head. It tasted so sour that the chocolate wasn't sweet at all.
After more than a week of competition, the results of basketball, football and table tennis were all out.
Xu Wenqiang and Su Xiaoshan both played table tennis smoothly, reaching the finals. Gao Zhe and Xiao Cheng also struggled in basketball, but ultimately made it to the finals. Football struggled, though, and they lost in the second game.
The finals of table tennis and basketball were scheduled for the day of the sports meet.
The opening ceremony of the sports meet finally ended after more than two hours.
As soon as the opening ceremony ended, Xu Wenqiang began her warm-up exercises. In order not to delay other track and field events, she arranged table tennis first and basketball last.
"Xu Wenqiang, do you know who your opponent is in the table tennis final?"
Xu Wenqiang was stretching her legs when she looked up and saw Chen Yang, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
Xu Wenqiang stood up, flexed her fingers, and said, "I know, Chen Mengyao."
"Since we've played table tennis together, let me kindly remind you that Chen Mengyao learned table tennis from a professional teacher since she was a child. Your unskilled skills won't be able to compete with hers," Chen Yang said. "I advise you to just give up."
Xu Wenqiang glanced at Chen Yang and said, "Thank you for the reminder. You can go back now."
Chen Yang continued, unwilling to give up. "Xu Wenqiang, I'm here to persuade you sincerely. You slapped Chen Mengyao twice back then. She's definitely going to make you lose miserably."
"It's ugly, so be it. I admit I'm not as skilled as others," Xu Wenqiang said. "As for giving up, forget it."
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