He will always be the champion in my heart.
Xie Zhijin's face returned to calm.
The next second, someone else walked into the infirmary.
"Xie Zhijin, are you alright?"
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Xie Zhijin instinctively grabbed Jiang Jingshu's hand.
Seemingly startled by Xie Zhijin's sudden action, Jiang Jingshu did not immediately notice Jiang Yuzhou's arrival.
It wasn't until Jiang Yuzhou called Jiang Jingshu's name that things changed.
Jiang Jingshu turned around at the sound and saw Jiang Yuzhou standing at the door of the infirmary. Seeing that Xie Zhijin did not respond to him, Jiang Yuzhou curled his lips and asked again, "Xie Zhijin, how are you?"
"I'm much better," Xie Zhijin said in a muffled voice.
“You suddenly overtook me then, so don’t run so fast next time,” Jiang Yuzhou said.
Xie Zhijin did not answer him again.
Jiang Yuzhou's gaze shifted from Xie Zhijin to the two people's clasped hands.
Jiang Jingshu quickly pulled her hand back. Her attention had been completely diverted by Jiang Yuzhou, and she had forgotten that their hands were still together.
"It's good that you're alright," Jiang Yuzhou said, not minding Xie Zhijin's disregard. He then asked Jiang Jingshu, "Jiang Jingshu, could you come out for a moment?"
Jiang Jingshu was somewhat puzzled, but she still followed Jiang Yuzhou out.
Xie Zhijin's gaze suddenly dimmed.
Jiang Yuzhou and Jiang Jingshu stood outside the infirmary. "Aren't you going to watch the game?"
Jiang Jingshu shook her head. "I want to stay here with Xie Zhijin for a while."
“You seem to treat him very differently.” Jiang Yuzhou observed Jiang Jingshu’s expression as she spoke.
Seeing that her secret had been exposed, Jiang Jingshu could only shake her head and say, "Just a friend."
"Just friends?" Jiang Yuzhou asked again.
"Just friends."
Upon receiving confirmation from Jiang Jingshu, Jiang Yuzhou seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and handed the gold medal he had just won to Jiang Jingshu.
Jiang Jingshu: ?
She didn't understand Jiang Yuzhou's hint and just looked at him with confusion.
"Jiang Jingshu, I like you. Will you be with me?"
Jiang Jingshu did not accept the medal from Jiang Yuzhou, nor did she respond to his words. Instead, she brought up another matter, "Jiang Yuzhou, during the competition, you turned around and provoked Xie Zhijin, didn't you?"
Jiang Yuzhou's expression changed slightly. "I didn't."
Jiang Jingshu wouldn't believe it. Based on her understanding of Xie Zhijin, Xie Zhijin was a very organized person. She could tell from running with Xie Zhijin before that Xie Zhijin had good endurance and his running speed had improved through practice.
Xie Zhijin does not speed up in the middle of a run.
"Jiang Yuzhou, do you have a conflict with Xie Zhijin?"
If Su Xiaoyue hadn't reminded her, Jiang Jingshu might not have realized that Xie Zhijin already saw Jiang Yuzhou as a potential competitor.
Especially those who lag behind Jiang Yuzhou, like Xie Zhijin who are sensitive and insecure, will definitely panic and disrupt their breathing rhythm.
Jiang Yuzhou instinctively shook his head. "I just smiled at him while we were running. Is that considered a provocation? He's too fragile."
Jiang Jingshu also shook her head, "He was too impatient. It's not your fault, but it's not gentlemanly to provoke your opponent on the field."
"Jiang Jingshu, do you like Xie Zhijin?" Jiang Yuzhou stopped dwelling on the events on the field. He just stared into Jiang Jingshu's eyes, trying to find a clue in her gaze.
"I don't like you." Jiang Jingshu avoided Jiang Yuzhou's question.
"Then who do you like?" Jiang Yuzhou pressed on, "You like Xie Zhijin, right?"
Jiang Yuzhou, however, spoke with certainty what he had been asking.
"Yes."
Jiang Jingshu met Jiang Yuzhou's gaze. "I like Xie Zhijin."
Jiang Yuzhou smiled bitterly, "As expected, my championship is meaningless now. I lost to him in the end."
“Jiang Yuzhou, can I ask you…” Jiang Jingshu stared at Jiang Yuzhou, “Why do you like me?”
"Does this need a reason?" Jiang Yuzhou seemed curious about Jiang Jingshu's question. In his eyes, liking someone is simply mutual attraction between two people, without any reason.
"Of course you need one. Don't you have a reason to like someone?" Jiang Jingshu looked at Jiang Yuzhou in confusion. In Jiang Jingshu's mind, there is always a reason to hate someone, so there must be an even stronger reason to love someone.
“Jiang Jingshu, liking someone is liking someone. It's a one-sided attraction between you and me. If you ask me for a specific reason, I can't give you one, but I just like you,” Jiang Yuzhou said. “So, what's your reason for liking Xie Zhijin?”
This question stumped Jiang Jingshu.
Why does she like Xie Zhijin?
Because he was the first person to hold an umbrella for her, the first person to shield her from others' malice, the first person to treat her affairs as his own, the first person to firmly tell her to protect herself, the first person to buy her a lighter for her birthday so she could make a wish, and the first person to always bow his head and apologize to her…
Is this the reason she likes him?
Or is it that Xie Zhijin is handsome, has a good physique, is academically excellent, considerate, and a gentleman?
But Xie Zhijin isn't all good. He's also sensitive, insecure, conflicted, and vulnerable. Are these the qualities that Jiang Jingshu likes?
Jiang Jingshu, what exactly is your reason for liking Xie Zhijin?
She remained silent for a long time, and just when Jiang Yuzhou thought Jiang Jingshu wouldn't answer the question, he heard her reply.
She said, "Because he is Xie Zhijin."
It's all because of this person. He is Xie Zhijin. He is outstanding, considerate, conflicted, and sensitive.
These strengths and weaknesses combined make Xie Zhijin unique.
Jiang Jingshu only loves the one and only Xie Zhijin.
"Please don't tell Xie Zhijin these things. I'm transferring schools soon and probably won't be coming back." Jiang Jingshu looked at Jiang Yuzhou, and only breathed a sigh of relief when Jiang Yuzhou nodded.
Jiang Yuzhou said, "Xie Zhijin also likes you, so why aren't you two together?"
“Liking someone doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be together.” Jiang Jingshu smiled at Jiang Yuzhou. “If there’s no future, it’s better not to start.”
Besides, the two of them are still young, so it's too early to discuss this.
—
At lunchtime, while Jiang Jingshu and Su Xiaoyue were eating, Su Xiaoyue remained sullen.
Jiang Jingshu gently patted her arm. "What's wrong, Xiaoyue?"
Wen Jinyan stared at Su Xiaoyue, "She can't bear to part with you."
Hearing this, Jiang Jingshu's eyes also welled up with tears. "Silly Xiaoyue, I'm going to study. Besides, you can send me a message."
"Today is the last lunch we'll have this year," Su Xiaoyue said, picking up another broccoli and putting it in her mouth. "After school starts on May Day, there will be no one to eat with me."
"Xiaoyue, I'm sorry." Jiang Jingshu silently looked at the rice in her hand.
Seemingly noticing Jiang Jingshu's low spirits, Su Xiaoyue quickly adjusted her mood as well, "What's the big deal? After you transferred schools, I've been dragging Wen Jinyan out to eat with me every day."
Wen Jinyan smiled and nodded, "Okay, okay."
In the afternoon, Jiang Jingshu prepared to go for registration.
Su Xiaoyue took Jiang Jingshu's hand and said, "Jiang Jiang, don't be nervous, just enjoy the process of running."
Jiang Jingshu nodded. She stood on the track, watching Su Xiaoyue cheering her on from below the stage.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoyue received a phone call.
"Hello, Xie Zhijin?"
"Could you please ask Wen Jinyan to help me up? I want to watch Jiang Jingshu's competition," Xie Zhijin's pleading voice came through the phone.
Without saying a word, Su Xiaoyue hung up the phone and asked Wen Jinyan to go to the classroom to help Xie Zhijin over.
Just as the gunshot rang out, Xie Zhijin appeared in Jiang Jingshu's line of sight.
He's here.
Meeting Xie Zhijin's gaze, Jiang Jingshu ran out.
800 meters, two laps.
In the first 400 meters, Jiang Jingshu's breathing was relatively stable, but her steps became increasingly heavy afterward.
The familiar pain returned, and Jiang Jingshu slowed down on the track.
One by one, the people around her surpassed her.
She couldn't help but feel a little anxious, and her pace quickened involuntarily.
"The countdown is almost over."
Jiang Jingshu repeated to herself that she was a strong-willed person and she did not want to see others surpass her one by one.
Just when she was about to give up, she heard encouraging words from the radio station:
"Enjoying the process of running is far more important than pursuing the result. We hope that all athletes can experience the charm of running and enjoy the competition."
—From Class 1, Grade 11.
Jiang Jingshu knew that Su Xiaoyue had written this, and Su Xiaoyue was reminding her not to let those results disrupt her rhythm.
Enjoy the process of running.
Jiang Jingshu began to adjust her breathing. So what if she came in the last few places? She was just here to enjoy her last afternoon at this school and her last sports meet.
"No matter what place you get, you will always be the champion in my heart."
—From Class 1, Grade 11.
Almost immediately, Jiang Jingshu realized who wrote it. As if encouraged, even though her feet felt as heavy as lead, it didn't seem like a big deal.
She ran the 800 meters, and although she didn't place, it was the first thing Jiang Jingshu did without caring about the outcome.
After finishing her run, Jiang Jingshu returned to her seat, and Xie Zhijin handed her a glass of water.
"Thanks."
Xie Zhijin waved his hand dismissively, "What are you thanking me for?"
Yeah, why thank me?
Jiang Jingshu seemed to have a lot to thank: for coming to watch her race despite his injured leg, for the encouraging words he wrote for her, and for handing her a glass of water after she finished running.
"Thank you for everything." Jiang Jingshu didn't say anything else, she just spoke.
The sports meet finally came to an end, and Jiang Jingshu's school life at Z City No. 1 Middle School also came to a close.
Jiang Jingshu helped Xie Zhijin back to the classroom. Jiang Yuan was waiting for her at the school gate. Su Xiaoyue helped Jiang Jingshu carry books back and forth, and said with a wronged tone, "I will miss you, Jiang Jiang."
Finally, after moving everything, Jiang Jingshu and Su Xiaoyue held hands and came to the classroom one last time.
Before going in, Jiang Jingshu saw Xie Zhijin standing in front of her seat, and she tugged at Su Xiaoyue's sleeve.
Xie Zhijin stood in front of Jiang Jingshu's desk, with his back to the classroom door, so Jiang Jingshu couldn't see Xie Zhijin's expression.
But looking at his back, he exuded an overwhelming sense of loneliness.
"I'm sorry, there are things I still haven't said." Xie Zhijin remained silent in front of his seat for a long time before walking out of the classroom.
After realizing that Xie Zhijin was about to leave, Jiang Jingshu and Su Xiaoyue hid. After he left, the two went to the classroom.
Jiang Jingshu stood in front of the blackboard at the back, which she had drawn, filled with her lofty aspirations and ambitions for preparing for the college entrance examination.
Her name was still prominently displayed on the duty roster posted next to the blackboard.
In the class's job descriptions, Jiang Jingshu's name follows closely behind that of the Chinese language representative.
She collapsed to the ground, as if deflated.
"Your Highness, you didn't actually have to leave."
Two lines of tears slid down her cheeks, and she wiped them away haphazardly with her hand. "The sooner you let go, the easier it will be when you actually leave."
But this feeling is really unpleasant.
Goodbye, to the class she spent only a year with.
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