Chapter 44
Considering that Jiang Huaiyu was physically weaker than Lu Mingxiao, he was assigned to the third leg of the race, while Lu Mingxiao was responsible for the final leg of the sprint.
When marching in formation, Zhuoran, the student from Class 5 who is known for her good looks, was carrying the sign. Since she was going to do cheerleading later, she was wearing a silver-blue dress. Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu were carrying red flags on either side of her and followed behind her.
"Oh my god..." Zhuoran's friends laughed out loud after seeing the lineup, and whispered to her, "Ranran, the whole school's looks are out of 10, and your class has 8 out of 10."
"That's right!" Zhuoran proudly raised his chin, showing her the photos he had just taken with Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu: "This will be the year with the best eyesight of my life, after all, it's so pleasing to the eye every day..."
The two girls huddled together, occasionally letting out giggles.
Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu, dressed in long-sleeved school uniforms, huddled together with a group of boys. In this small, third-tier city school, there were hardly any stands around the playground. Each class had to bring their own chairs, and the school had set up a makeshift shed. Springtime in the north was very windy, and Class 5's location was right in the wind's eye. The open shed was rattling loudly in the wind. Lu Mingxiao and the boys carried several cases of bottled water and weighed them down on the sandbags securing the shed, in case a gust of wind sent the wrecked thing flying.
Jiang Huaiyu had a slight cold, and the tip of his nose was a little red. He grabbed a bottle of mineral water, but Lu Mingxiao didn't let him drink it. Instead, he ran to the dormitory and got him a cup of hot water.
When Jiang Huaiyu took the cup, his fingertips were cold. If there weren't so many people around, Lu Mingxiao would have grabbed it and warmed it up for him. He subtly adjusted his position to shield Jiang Huaiyu from the wind.
"Those protecting the flag are all seniors, otherwise it would be our class's top student and Brother Xiao..." Liang Jing looked back and said, "Brother Xiao, why are you pushing me? There's so much space over there!"
"Squeeze in a bit to keep warm, move over there a little..." He then cornered Jiang Huaiyu, pleased to see that the few stubborn tufts of hair on Jiang Huaiyu's head that were always so unruly had finally stopped swaying in the wind.
Jiang Huaiyu looked up at him, her lips, warmed by the lukewarm water, curving slightly upwards: "Thanks."
Lu Mingxiao immediately pressed his advantage, raising an eyebrow slightly and asking in a low voice, "How should I thank you?"
Those icy-cold little paws, out of everyone's sight, gently grasped Lu Mingxiao's wrist, their cool fingertips tracing two lines across his palm.
"What is this..." Lu Mingxiao leaned down, his aggressive eyebrows curving like a tamed wolfhound: "JQK? You want to play cards with me?"
"..." Jiang Huaiyu withdrew her finger and mimicked his accent: "Thanks~"
"Jiang Xiaoyu, you're still laughing at my spoken English, and I even got you hot water and shielded you from the wind. You're so ungrateful." Lu Mingxiao laughed too, looking at Jiang Huaiyu's smiling eyes, he couldn't help but move closer: "Jiang Xiaoyu, go home tonight..."
"Brother Xiao!" Liang Jing shouted, "Do you eat rice noodles?!"
Lu Mingxiao: "Get lost! Why would I be obsessed with an old man?!"
...
Each class's review formation, chanting about youth and dreams, passed by the reviewing stand. The students of Class 5 lined up in formation, waiting to go on stage, while Liang Jing was still reciting slogans.
"With lofty ambitions soaring over the Five Sacred Mountains, and triumphant spirits rising in victory... We will surely... we will surely spread our wings across the heavens, and ride the winds and waves..." Liang Jing's face scrunched up like a bitter gourd: "This acrostic poem is too hard to remember..."
Lu Mingxiao: "Hmm?"
Liang Jing quickly changed his tune: "Easy to remember! Catchy and easy to pronounce. The genius is indeed a genius. This little phrase he wrote shows he's a good candidate for the civil service exam!"
“No need for forced praise, I also feel awkward,” Jiang Huaiyu said. “But I think there’s no harm without comparison, it’s a bit better than Class 3 capturing the principal alive.”
Zhuoran: "I want to capture the principal alive!"
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
He shouldn't have used the thinking of an ordinary person to speculate about his dear classmate.
"Class Four is moving, it's our turn..."
...
Because of time constraints, the opening ceremony was very simple. After the inspection of the formations, Zhuoran led a group of girls in a cheerleading performance, followed by a display of swordplay by several martial arts students. The principal gave a speech, and as applause rang out, fireworks with colored smoke burst into the sky. Pre-prepared balloons flew out of the net and rode the wind into the clear blue sky.
Shenhai High School also has a sports meet, which Jiang Huaiyu has participated in many times. He even rode Xingye to participate in an equestrian competition. Compared with any of the events he had participated in before, this sports meet at No. 7 Middle School seemed a bit simple and boring. However, for the students around him, it was a rare change in their monotonous study life. Everyone was very happy and cheered for their classmates.
This was a rare, enthusiastic atmosphere for Jiang Huaiyu. He unconsciously smiled and, without knowing who had given him a small hand that was divided into three parts, he joined his classmates in waving and clapping his small hand as the sports committee member sprinted past them on the track.
Lu Mingxiao was initially worried that the well-traveled young master would find it boring, but when he saw him smiling with his eyes narrowed, his eyes and nose reddened by the spring breeze, he couldn't help but chuckle along.
He brought a large bag of snacks, shared half with the people around him, picked and chose, and finally stuffed a honeysuckle pomelo lollipop into Jiang Huaiyu's hand.
"You have a cold, so eat fewer snacks. This one has fewer additives." He tore open the packaging and stuffed the lollipop into Jiang Huaiyu's mouth.
Jiang Huaiyu's cheeks puffed out as she asked, her voice muffled, "Where did it come from?"
This kind of candy, which you can tell is made with clean ingredients just by tasting it, is unlike the kind sold in school supermarkets.
really……
Lu Mingxiao said, "I just bought some snacks, and the supermarket owner's youngest son gave them to me."
Jiang Huaiyu: "...Brother Xiao, you have a really wide network of connections."
The project progressed quickly; before Jiang Huaiyu had even finished eating the candy, someone notified them to warm up and prepare.
The atmosphere made Jiang Huaiyu a little nervous as she stood in the middle of the track. The regular relay races were only 4x100 or 4x400, but the convex lens had set up a 4x200 relay. The 800-meter school track was exactly one lap, and the runners for the next few legs were already waiting in their positions.
Lu Mingxiao stood 200 meters away, smiling and waving to Jiang Huaiyu. Jiang Huaiyu waved back. The second runner saw the two of them interacting and thought it was a sign of unity and friendliness in Class 5, so he also waved to Jiang Huaiyu as much as he could.
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
Smile and wave.
The starting gun fired in the distance, and the first runner had already set off. They were all sixteen or seventeen-year-old boys, at the age when they were full of energy and could run and jump. The first runners ran like arrows, and the gap between them was not large. In the blink of an eye, the baton was passed to the second runner.
Jiang Huaiyu silently prepared herself, watching as her classmate, who had just been waving goodbye, came running towards her with a ferocious expression.
In the second leg, Jiang Huaiyu's group was slightly behind. After the baton was handed to her, Jiang Huaiyu turned around and ran along the track at full speed.
He always felt that he didn't have any advantage in physical fitness, but that was actually in comparison to Lu Mingxiao. In reality, he was tall and had long legs, which put him ahead of many of his peers.
In the shed of Class 5, Zhuoran led the students of Class 5 in shouting "Go, God of Learning!" The wind rushed past their ears, and everything in their peripheral vision turned into dazzling streaks of light. Lu Mingxiao's tall figure became clearer and clearer in front of them. He had already taken a pose, bowed slightly, and stretched out his hand in his direction.
His heart was pounding like a war drum as he ran towards Lu Mingxiao with all his might.
The handover happened in an instant. Lu Mingxiao seemed to smile for less than a second, but Jiang Huaiyu clearly caught it. The baton was gone from his hand as Lu Mingxiao shot off like an arrow.
At that moment, another group next to them had just completed the handover between the third and fourth batons, a full seven or eight seconds slower than them.
Jiang Huaiyu held his knees, panting heavily, feeling the sweat rolling down the back of his neck. The intense exercise made his chest ache slightly, but at the same time he felt very refreshed. At this moment, he understood why Lu Mingxiao liked sports so much. It really gave people a feeling of being in control of their lives by fully utilizing their physical energy.
It felt so good, so satisfying!
He looked up and gazed in Lu Mingxiao's direction.
Class 5 chose red and white uniforms, which were particularly eye-catching on the playground. Lu Mingxiao was like a burning flame, swept by the wind and rushed towards the finish line. He and another boy were neck and neck and crossed the finish line almost at the same time.
Regardless of whether they came in first place or not, the students in Class 5 stood up and applauded and cheered. Lu Mingxiao was panting with his hands on his knees at the finish line, his heart pounding wildly. After catching his breath for a while, he straightened up and looked for Jiang Huaiyu.
Perhaps it was because his adrenaline was surging too fast, but he felt his heart beating unusually fast. When he saw the tall, slender boy walking towards him, he could hardly control the smile on his face.
He ran over in a few steps, his smile brighter and warmer than the spring sunshine. Under his gaze, Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but chuckle, her steps becoming lighter and lighter.
Even though he had just given it his all to cross the finish line, as Jiang Huaiyu approached, Lu Mingxiao felt as if his body was filled with strength again. He couldn't help but jog, stretch out his arm, grab Jiang Huaiyu's waist, and pull her into his arms.
Their heartbeats overlapped, their frequencies gradually aligning across the boy's thin chest and boiling blood.
There were many people on the field at the moment, and some students from each class were specifically assigned to bring water to the athletes. The scene was a bit noisy, but the noise receded like the tide, as if it had nothing to do with them anymore.
Lu Mingxiao heard Jiang Huaiyu's low, hoarse chuckle and rapid breathing: "You're right, participating in the competition together is indeed... very good."
“That is…” Lu Mingxiao hugged him and tightened his arms, their body temperatures slowly mingling with their heartbeats: “Just you wait and see, we’ll definitely be number one.”
Not far away, Liang Jing and his deskmate looked at each other, holding the energy drinks they had prepared.
"Why are those two hugging?" Liang Jing asked, full of doubt. "Are they celebrating getting first place in our class? Aren't the results out yet?"
His deskmate, also a staunchly straightforward guy, muttered to himself, "Maybe Brother Xiao is just confident."
Further away, the two boys who had run the first and second leg of the race looked at each other in bewilderment.
"They both hugged, so should we hug too?"
They looked at each other, neither of them able to bring themselves to do it.
Further away, the head of the teaching department stood on the stands, feeling a little uneasy.
He had a feeling that he hadn't made a mistake that night; could these two kids be having a puppy love affair?!
As it turned out, Lu Mingxiao did have the ability to be confident. The relay team of Class 5 did indeed win the championship. Liang Jing suddenly felt that the heart-wrenching hug had an explanation. The dean of students was relieved and went with the principal to present the award to the winning team.
This is probably the least prestigious medal in Jiang Huaiyu's life, but setting aside the added value bestowed upon it by the world, it is his favorite medal.
...
After dinner, Jiang Huaiyu cleaned the two glass medals and put them away. He looked up, wanting to chat with Lu Mingxiao about today's sports meet, but found that Lu Mingxiao, who had been sitting upright doing his homework, had fallen asleep on the table.
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
That's true. I ran a relay race in the morning and a 1,500-meter race in the afternoon. With such a high level of physical exertion, how could I not be tired?
He leaned over and gently patted Lu Mingxiao's shoulder: "Brother Xiao, go to bed."
Lu Mingxiao's eyelashes fluttered, casting a small shadow on his face, but he did not wake up.
Jiang Huaiyu didn't call out again. Instead, she sat down in the chair next to Lu Mingxiao, rested her elbows on the edge of the table, propped her chin up, and reached out to trace the straight bridge of Lu Mingxiao's nose with her fingertips.
Finally, gently dab it on the soft lips.
Lu Mingxiao's lips are very beautiful, on the thin side. Books say that people with this kind of face are often cold-hearted, but Lu Mingxiao clearly doesn't belong to that "most" category...
I couldn't resist poking it a couple of times, and the next instant, my fingertip was sucked by something warm.
Lu Mingxiao opened his eyes at some point, a faint, gentle smile in his brown eyes, and took the finger that had attacked him into his mouth.
Jiang Huaiyu's ears turned bright red in an instant. He tried to pull his hand back, but Lu Mingxiao increased the force, neither biting him hard nor letting him pull it back, just looking at him like a rogue.
"Lu Mingxiao..." Jiang Huaiyu got impatient and called his name irritably, "Are you a dog?"
Lu Mingxiao finally let go of him, but a second before he pulled back, he grabbed that finger again, gently rubbing the shallow teeth marks on the knuckle. He sat up, his voice hoarse with drowsiness: "We were born on the same day, month, and year. Are you a dog? If you're a dog, then I'm a dog."
They are not dogs; they are two little mice.
Jiang Huaiyu thought the conversation was childish and tried to pull her fingers away, but Lu Mingxiao grabbed her entire hand.
"Are you happy today?" His voice was still hoarse from not having woken up properly. He was lying on his side on the table, pressing Jiang Huaiyu's hand under his cheek. Jiang Huaiyu only needed to bend her finger so that her fingertip could brush against his Adam's apple.
"I'm so happy." Jiang Huaiyu lowered her eyes, her eyelashes casting a small shadow: "You used up so much energy today, don't stay up late, go to sleep early."
“There’s still one test paper I haven’t finished…” Lu Mingxiao nuzzled Jiang Huaiyu’s palm: “Finish it before you go to sleep.”
With her free hand, Jiang Huaiyu gently rubbed Lu Mingxiao's head. The hair was a little prickly to her palm. She chuckled softly and tilted her head to look at him: "Brother Xiao, do you remember when I first came here, you asked me to do your homework for you? How about... I do these two papers for you?"
"That won't do..." Lu Mingxiao sat up straight, grabbed Jiang Huaiyu's hand and kissed it twice: "Alright, charging complete!"
He grabbed the test paper from the table, about to focus on the questions, but the hand didn't leave his chin. Instead, it gently hooked his chin. Jiang Huaiyu leaned against the table, smiling as she looked down at him: "Brother Xiao, are you sure you're fully charged?"
The boy had delicate features; his upturned eyes and thick eyelashes resembled small hooks, and a glimmer of light reflected in his dark pupils. The playful smile in his eyes was like shattered diamonds on black velvet, so beautiful that it was impossible to look away.
With his exceptionally high emotional intelligence, Lu Mingxiao immediately understood. He even raised his chin and blinked, but his nervousness was betrayed when he opened his mouth, and he accidentally stammered, "It's not full yet, how about... refilling it?"
Jiang Huaiyu leaned down and got closer to him.
Lu Mingxiao swallowed subconsciously, his Adam's apple bobbing, his lips moving slightly as he mumbled "Jiang Xiaoyu"...
Jiang Huaiyu simply lowered her head and rubbed her nose against his, like a kitten being affectionate.
"I've caught a cold, Brother Xiao." He leaned so close, his warm breath landing on Lu Mingxiao's lips, his eyes crinkling mischievously. "Will I recharge you when I'm better?"
The cunning catfish winked smugly and was about to slip away when it was suddenly grabbed by the back of its neck.
"You're so close, if we were going to get infected, we would have already..." Lu Mingxiao pursed his lips, pouting like a puppy: "Jiang Xiaoyu..."
"Woof!"
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
Lu Mingxiao: "I didn't call it!"
Author's Note:
I apologize for the long hiatus. I've had some really tough times in my life and work these past few months, and I haven't had the energy to write anything lively or cute. Thankfully, things are all sorted out now, and I'll be resuming updates today, posting daily.
I'll update 10,000 words today as a token of my sincerity; there will be another chapter later.
I apologize again [please] I will randomly send out 100 small red envelopes in the comments section.
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