Sports Day
The bell for the end of math class was like a heavenly sound. Chen Xiyu covered her eyes in pain as she looked at the densely packed calculus proofs on the blackboard.
It's over, it's over. The world has changed in the time it takes me to bend down to pick up a pen? Those few missed classes feel like a century! My science-stupid DNA is wailing.
"No, no, my brain is smoking, I need some sugar!" She buried her head in her schoolbag and searched for a while, finally touching a cool, round glass bottle - canned yellow peaches! Lifesaver!
Twist! Twist hard! The bottle cap won't budge.
"Tsk..." Chen Xiyu's face turned red as she struggled with the stubborn bottle cap.
Tan Zhao, who was working on a competition question nearby, paused and reached out his hand naturally: "Give it to me."
Before Chen Xiyu could react, the can had already fallen into his hands. His bony fingers firmly grasped the bottle cap, and with a slight push of his wrist, the bottle cap popped open with a crisp sound.
He gently pushed the open can back towards her, as if it were just a trivial matter, without even taking his eyes off the complicated formula on the draft paper.
Wow… that's quite a bit of strength… Chen Xiyu marveled inwardly, then happily scooped out a large piece of the sweet yellow peach and stuffed it into her mouth. Mmm, I'm alive again!
Yao Nuannuan, a student council member who came to ask for help with her workbook, happened to see the whole scene. Her heart was instantly blown: Ahhh! This is so damn natural and doting! The profile of the male god opening the bottle cap is killing me! Xiyu's confused look is also so cute! Zhaoyu CP is real!
The gloom brought by the recent scandal of the entertainment industry couple was instantly dispelled by this fresh bite of sugar. Yao Nuannuan silently withdrew her foot and decided to disturb the "young couple" later.
At the end of the Chinese class and class meeting, homeroom teacher Yao Chunsheng knocked on the podium: "Students! Midterm exams begin next Tuesday! Everyone, get ready! Also, after the exams, there will be the school winter sports meet, scheduled for next Thursday and Friday. To register for the events, please contact the sports committee member Xue Kaiqi and the class monitor Chen Xiyu! Participate actively and win glory for the class!"
Chen Xiyu was lamenting that he couldn't play due to a leg injury: "Alas, my 400-meter bronze medal title...I will be handed over to someone else this year..." The passion he felt when he crossed the finish line last year seemed to be still fresh in his mind yesterday.
Tan Zhao, who was sorting his notes, turned his head to look at her and said, "I've participated in the race a few times at Keio University, running the 200 and 400 meters."
"Really?" Chen Xiyu's eyes lit up, and she instantly became more energetic. "Then will you still apply this year?"
"Um."
"Great!" She immediately became dramatic, waving her hands and lowering her voice to imitate the emperor's tone, "General Zhao! The glory I missed is now in your hands! You must win back the medal for Class Three!"
Tan Zhao's eyes were filled with smiles. He clasped his fists in agreement and said in a clear voice, "General, I obey your command!"
During recess, Old Yao, having remembered her restless nature, summoned her to his office and gave her a new assignment: to fill in as a backup photographer for the school sports meet. Chen Xiyu was overjoyed, promising, "Don't worry, Teacher! My dad's a seasoned photographer, and I've learned a lot from him!" Finally, she didn't have to sit around doing nothing!
Humming a little tune, she returned to the classroom, but at the corner of the corridor she ran into a famous scene: Yang Xiaoxiao, the class beauty from the next class, was standing in front of Tan Zhao, holding a bottle of water, her cheeks slightly red, and talking to him. Chen Xiyu subconsciously wanted to slip past him, acting invisible.
"Chen Xiyu." Tan Zhao's voice called her accurately.
Damn it, I got caught eating melons... She turned around and forced a cute smile: "Hi, Tan Zhao! Hi, beautiful Xiaoxiao!"
"Did you bring paper?" Tan Zhao asked naturally.
"Ah? Oh, yes!" Chen Xiyu quickly took out a wrinkled small package of tissues from her school uniform pocket and handed it over.
Tan Zhao pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Yang Xiaoxiao, his tone as calm as if he were explaining a physics problem: "Use paper to cushion the twist. This will increase friction and make it easier to open the bottle cap."
The blush on Yang Xiaoxiao's face faded instantly and became a little stiff. She pinched the tissue, looked at Tan Zhao with complicated eyes, then quickly glanced at Chen Xiyu. In the end, she said nothing, threw the paper into the trash can next to her, turned around and walked away quickly.
On the way back to the classroom, Chen Xiyu couldn't help but nudge Tan Zhao with her elbow and grumbled quietly, "Hey, you're too much of a straight man, aren't you? I obviously want you to help unscrew it!"
Without stopping, Tan Zhao raised her hand and gently tapped her smooth forehead. "You're the straight girl, Chen Xiyu." Her tone was filled with a hint of resignation. Couldn't she see that the girl had other intentions?
The midterm exams ended in a chaotic state. After the Chinese and biology tests, Chen Xiyu beamed with pride: "So easy!" Tan Zhao stared at the classical Chinese text, frowning: "I recognize all the characters, but when they're put together, it sounds like hieroglyphics."
After taking math and physics exams that afternoon, Chen Xiyu emerged with her eyes wide open and her steps unsteady. "Those symbols... danced before my eyes... That last big question, it knew me, but I didn't know it..." Tan Zhao jokingly helped her up, "It's just a test, don't act like you're drugged."
In the English exam, Tan Zhao gritted his teeth at Li Hua, the "universal tool man" in the essay topic: "Why does he have so many suggestions? Doesn't he have hands?" The listening test made him question his life. Chen Xiyu, on the other hand, looked relaxed: "Just sprinkle some water!"
After the last chemistry class ended, the classroom was filled with the rustling noise of desks and chairs being moved. Chen Xiyu sat obediently, watching Tan Zhao effortlessly move her desk back to its proper place. The sunlight fell on his forehead, where beads of sweat were slightly beaded. Surprisingly, the noisy background noise became pleasant to her ears.
Just as I finished packing, a well-behaved, handsome junior student in a freshman uniform poked his head in and said in a clear voice, "Excuse me, is Senior Chen Xiyu here?"
"Here!" Chen Xiyu immediately raised her hand. When she heard the word "senior sister", her heart was filled with joy.
"Senior, the photography team is here to pick up the equipment!" Junior Zheng Jing smiled shyly.
"Here I come!" Chen Xiyu, leaning on a single crutch (his foot injury had not yet healed), skipped and followed Zheng Jing. Before leaving, he did not forget to raise his chin proudly towards Tan Zhao.
To capture the perfect photos, Chen Xiyu dragged her photography-obsessed father into a late-night cramming session. Holding his beloved old camera, his father reminisced about the glorious past: "Back then, it was with this 'magic tool' that I was able to have 'chance encounters' with your mother eight hundred times..."
Sports Day!
At the opening ceremony, colorful flags fluttered, drums and music blared. Chen Xiyu, wearing her work ID and a heavy SLR camera, stood at attention at her designated position. When the announcement called out "Class 2-3," she immediately raised her camera, adjusted the settings, and captured the front row with pinpoint accuracy: Yang Xiaoxiao, a strikingly beautiful figure in a carefully coordinated white shirt and plaid skirt, holding her class sign. Behind her, the vibrant Class 3 formation, dressed in their uniforms, also appeared. Of course, her camera also subconsciously panned to the handsome young man in the formation, standing tall and handsome.
"Click!" The picture froze.
After the principal's lengthy speech, the competition officially began! Chen Xiyu and her partner Zheng Jing quickly got into the swing of things, taking up different positions along the track.
The men's 400m preliminaries were about to begin, and Group A runners were warming up behind the starting line. Chen Xiyu, camera in hand, squeezed to the front and waved to familiar figures: "Tan Zhao! Tang Wen! Come on!"
Tang Wen, with his curly hair, struck a funny pose: "Sister Yu! My life's highlight depends on you!"
Tan Zhaoze looked at her, his lips curled up slightly. He suddenly raised his hand, put three fingers together, bent his pinky and ring fingers, and gave her a neat pilot-style salute. His eyes were bright and confident: "Got it! I promise to complete the mission!"
The sunlight outlined his smooth jawline and focused profile, showing the youthful vigor and vitality. This handsome and slightly rogue scene instantly triggered a small group of screams from the girls watching nearby.
Yang Xiaoxiao, who had just finished her guide duties and was passing by wrapped in a thick coat, paused involuntarily. Her gaze passed through the crowd and fell on the young man, whose smile was so dazzling that it seemed to glow in the sunlight. Her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason, and an unfamiliar throbbing quietly grew. So he... had this side to him?
"On your marks—ready—bang!"
The starting gun fired! The figure at the starting line shot out like an arrow from a bow! Tan Zhao's reaction to the start was extremely fast, his stride long and powerful, and he instantly took the lead. Chen Xiyu's camera followed him closely, the shutter clicking non-stop, capturing his taut muscles, flying hair, and focused, sharp eyes as he ran.
The wind whistled in my ears, the cheers from the stands shook the heavens, and the radio read out passionate cheering scripts for each class. The entire stadium seemed to be boiling, and every cell in my body was clamoring with the passion and fighting spirit of youth!
Tan Zhao undoubtedly crossed the finish line first in his group, easily advancing to the finals. Tang Wen, who was in the same group, came over panting, his face full of admiration: "Brother Zhao! You're too fast! Like a gust of wind! There's no way I can catch up!"
On the final day, a crowd of top athletes, including many students with athletic backgrounds, competed. Tan Zhao gave it his all, ultimately winning silver in the 400m and bronze in the 200m.
On the podium, photographer Chen Xiyu was intently photographing the winners of the women's 800m race. Just as she put down her camera to drink some water, she felt a chill on her neck—two medals, still warm from body temperature, were gently draped around her neck.
She turned around in surprise.
Tan Zhao stood behind her, his forehead slightly damp, his breath still lingering, but his face had the characteristic post-workout flush and a bright smile. He leaned forward slightly, his slender fingers tapping the two medals, his voice a little breathy, but clearly reaching her ears:
"Here, your 'glory'."
He paused, looking towards the finish line. His tone was rarely filled with childish annoyance and a subtle hint of "seeking praise" that was only shown to her. "It's a pity that I couldn't outrun those two athletes. I almost won."
Chen Xiyu's heartbeat instantly went haywire. She lowered her head, her fingers tracing the cool metal medal. The F High school emblem gleamed in the sunlight. "Wow! This is such fine workmanship! F High truly has deep pockets!"
She tried to hide her excitement with an exaggerated tone, holding up her medals and examining them in the sunlight. "Silver and bronze medals are great too! They're incredible!"
She was about to take off the medal and return it to him, but out of the corner of her eye she caught a familiar yet unusual figure at the exit of the auditorium.
Thank you for the banquet!
He was not alone. He was holding a girl's hand and walking through the bustling crowd.
The girl had smooth, shoulder-length hair and wore a simple off-white sweater and jeans. Her profile was delicate and clean, and her demeanor was calm and composed, completely different from the bright and lively girls Xie Yanzhi usually associated with. What made Chen Xiyu's eyes widen even more was the look on Xie Yanzhi's face... something she had never seen before, a look that bordered on gentleness and caution. He leaned slightly, as if to help the girl avoid the crowd.
Oh my god! Xie Yanzhi actually... held a girl's hand?! Chen Xiyu was so shocked she forgot how to move. You know, this "Young Master Xie," while he had a lot of girlfriends, was a complete mysophobia. Holding hands and such "intimate contact" were off-limits to him! He even considered climbing over a wall dirty!
In the backlight, Xie Yanzhi seemed to notice the gazes coming from this side. He paused slightly and glanced in the direction of Chen Xiyu and Tan Zhao with a complicated look in his eyes. Then he held the girl's hand tighter and quickly disappeared into the crowd with her.
With Tan Zhao's medal still hanging around his neck, Chen Xiyu stared at the direction they disappeared and remained in his senses for a long time.
I couldn't see the girl's face clearly, so who was she?
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