What I like is the sun.
Z City No. 1 Middle School holds a spring sports meet before the May Day holiday, which is a long-standing tradition of the school.
In order to promote the sportsmanship of students, the school attaches great importance to the annual spring sports meet.
Zhou Xiaozheng emphasized from the podium, "For the spring sports meet the week after next, has anyone volunteered?"
Zhou Xiao glanced at the audience and saw that everyone had lowered their heads and dared not look at her. She then pointed at one of the boys and said, "You're so tall, why don't you try running 1000 meters?"
"Teacher, I can't run! I just hurt my leg a couple of days ago." Noticing the teacher's gaze on him, the boy quickly put on a pained expression and looked pitifully at Zhou Xiao.
Zhou Xiao: "Then why were you playing basketball yesterday?"
Boy: ...
It seems like none of the students in their class are very athletic. They find the sports meet quite boring and even think it's a waste of time.
However, there are always those who love sports.
Jiang Yuzhou raised his hand and said to Zhou Xiao, "Teacher, I want to sign up for the 3,000m race and the relay."
Zhou Xiao smiled and wrote down Jiang Yuzhou's name.
Jiang Jingshu looked at Jiang Yuzhou. Jiang Yuzhou noticed that Jiang Jingshu was looking at him, and as if sensing it, he turned his head and smiled at Jiang Jingshu.
The next second, Xie Zhijin raised his hand, "Teacher, I'd like to sign up too."
After Xie Zhijin finished speaking, the class fell silent for a moment.
Xie Zhijin has never participated in the class's sports meet, and even his classmates have rarely seen him exercise.
He wasn't among the figures sweating on the basketball court, nor was he among the figures persevering on the track. Others' impressions of him were limited to him being a good student with decent athletic performance.
Therefore, everyone was shocked when they heard that Xie Zhijin had volunteered to participate in the sports meet.
Jiang Jingshu was no exception. She had never seen Xie Zhijin exercise in front of her, so she didn't know how fast Xie Zhijin could run or how far he could jump.
As Jiang Jingshu was thinking, she found that Zhou Xiao had mentioned her name. When she heard Zhou Xiao ask her to participate in the 800-meter race, she was stunned.
Please, asking someone who doesn't exercise much to participate in a sports meet, especially a long-distance running event, is a huge headache for Jiang Jingshu.
She shook her head desperately, but Zhou Xiao said to her, "This sports meet may be the last one you participate in at No. 1 Middle School. Don't you want to leave something behind?"
Jiang Jingshu had said "I don't want to" a thousand times in her mind. In the 800-meter race, Jiang Jingshu didn't exercise much and would definitely be at the bottom.
"Teacher, if you let me participate, I'll definitely be last."
“You child, you’re talking nonsense before you’ve even run.” Zhou Xiao didn’t listen to her and only told her, “Running results aren’t important, the process is what matters.”
Jiang Jingshu was at her wit's end. "I really will be last in the race. I know my own strength. Why not choose someone else?"
However, no matter what Jiang Jingshu said, Zhou Xiao rejected her one by one, so much so that in the following days, she had to practice the 800-meter run after school.
Su Xiaoyue, however, was an athletic star. She ran incredibly fast, and when she learned that Jiang Jingshu was going to run the 800 meters, she raised her hand without hesitation, "Teacher, I want to sign up for the women's 3000 meters."
Jiang Jingshu was truly impressed by Su Xiaoyue; she seemed to have inexhaustible energy when she ran. Seeing how difficult it was for Jiang Jingshu to run, Su Xiaoyue would accompany her to the playground to practice running every day after school.
"Jiang Jiang, why don't you take a break?" Su Xiaoyue asked Jiang Jingshu, who had already run three laps.
Jiang Jingshu waved her hand. She didn't have much stamina, and her legs felt like they were filled with lead as she ran. But she still didn't stop.
Su Xiaoyue watched Jiang Jingshu finish her last lap and pulled her back the moment Jiang Jingshu sat down on the ground. "Don't sit down right after you finish running."
Jiang Jingshu was pulled up again by Su Xiaoyue, and she was very confused. "I already said that if I were to run, I would definitely be last. The result is obvious, so why do you still want me to run?"
"Jiang Jiang, what's important in running isn't getting first or second place; the process of running is wonderful."
As Jiang Jingshu listened, panting heavily, to Su Xiaoyue saying, "The process of running is wonderful." A metallic taste of blood rose in her throat, and she didn't understand. "What's so enjoyable about it?"
"It's because you're thinking about it too much in terms of results. You run to achieve good results, so you feel a lot of pressure. When you're under a lot of pressure, you become anxious, and running becomes very uncomfortable." Su Xiaoyue gently patted Jiang Jingshu's back. "If you change your mindset and just run slowly, you'll be able to enjoy the pleasure that running brings you."
Jiang Jingshu does care about the result. Since the class chose her to represent them in the competition, she should do her best. Since she chose to participate, she should ensure that the final result is good.
But Su Xiaoyue told her not to think too much and just enjoy the process of running.
“But I run to get good results,” Jiang Jingshu said, looking at Su Xiaoyue.
“But Jiang Jiang, you’re not running very fast right now, are you?” Su Xiaoyue pulled Jiang Jingshu to stand by the track. “Look at the people on the track, besides those participating in the sports meet, there are many other people running.”
Jiang Jingshu's gaze followed Su Xiaoyue's as she looked at the track. Besides those practicing for the sports meet, there were also many people who simply loved running.
They don't care whether they come in first or second in the race.
They were simply enjoying the process of running.
Suddenly, she saw Xie Zhijin on the track and asked Su Xiaoyue, "I've never seen Xie Zhijin exercise except in PE class. This is the first time I've seen him do it."
"I don't think Xie Zhijin runs for the sake of rankings." Su Xiaoyue stared at Xie Zhijin's running figure.
"What was the reason for that?" Jiang Jingshu asked her, puzzled.
Su Xiaoyue gave Jiang Jingshu a sly smile, staring at her like a fox, "It seems that Xie Zhijin was the one who raised his hand and signed up after Jiang Yuzhou did."
Jiang Jingshu didn't understand Su Xiaoyue's meaning, and asked again in confusion. Su Xiaoyue shook her head mysteriously, "You still have to figure it out yourself."
Jiang Jingshu: ?
Jiang Jingshu didn't understand what this meant.
Xie Zhijin ran up to her again and stopped. "Jiang Jingshu."
Seeing that Xie Zhijin was still sweating, Jiang Jingshu took out a tissue from her pocket and handed it to him.
Xie Zhijin took it and carefully wiped the sweat from his brow. "Want to practice together?"
Just as Jiang Jingshu was about to refuse, Su Xiaoyue pushed her towards Xie Zhijin, saying, "Perfect timing, I also have something to do. Jiang Jiang, you and Xie Zhijin can practice together. Don't forget what I told you, enjoy the process of running."
After she finished speaking, she turned to leave, but then seemed to remember something and turned back to Jiang Jingshu, saying, "I hope you can figure out the question you asked me today. If you can't," Su Xiaoyue looked at Xie Zhijin behind Jiang Jingshu, "then ask someone else."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Xiaoyue had vanished without a trace.
"Want to run together?" Xie Zhijin asked cautiously, looking at Jiang Jingshu standing silently in front of him.
Jiang Jingshu nodded. "How long have you been running?"
"Five laps, I guess," Xie Zhijin replied.
"I've been running too, how come I haven't seen you?" Jiang Jingshu asked curiously, as she hadn't seen Xie Zhijin while she was running.
Xie Zhijin's lips curled up slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. "Maybe I'm just slow."
Jiang Jingshu didn't believe it. Could someone be slower than her?
But she didn't say anything more, and just stood on the track with Xie Zhijin.
Before the run, she asked, "Xie Zhijin, why did you sign up?"
"Maybe it's because I'm eagerly chasing after something." Xie Zhijin smiled and started running.
Jiang Jingshu didn't understand what Xie Zhijin was saying, but she quickly caught up with him.
The two ran side by side. Strangely, when running next to Xie Zhijin, Jiang Jingshu seemed to have forgotten the purpose of running. She no longer had any extra thoughts about how to run faster or how to achieve better results.
She was just running next to Xie Zhijin.
She suddenly remembered Su Xiaoyue's words and tried to feel the sensation of running.
Jiang Jingshu closed her eyes slightly.
She realized that running brought more than just the metallic taste of blood in her throat or the pain of a stitch. She couldn't help but think that Su Xiaoyue was right; running could indeed bring joy.
When she was next to Xie Zhijin, she felt as if the whole world had slowed down.
If possible, spend one more time with him before she leaves.
Jiang Jingshu looked at the profile of the boy beside her. The spring breeze gently brushed his hair, and the boy's cheeks gradually warmed up.
"Xie Zhijin, are you tired?" Jiang Jingshu asked her.
"No." Xie Zhijin turned his head to look at Jiang Jingshu before looking away.
“But your face is red.” Jiang Jingshu continued running beside him.
"Maybe I've gotten what I wanted."
It was still a mute message that Jiang Jingshu couldn't understand. The process of running with Xie Zhijin seemed really wonderful, and Jiang Jingshu no longer felt that running was such a difficult thing.
"Xie Zhijin, what do you want?" Jiang Jingshu asked curiously after hearing Xie Zhijin's answer.
"I don't know." Xie Zhijin slowed down and looked towards the horizon. "It might be the setting sun."
Jiang Jingshu followed Xie Zhijin's gaze and saw that the sun was about to set. She was puzzled. "The setting sun?"
Xie Zhijin nodded, then quickly shook his head and said, "I'm so glad the sun is right in front of me now."
The sun was still hanging in the sky, about to set.
Xie Zhijin didn't look at the sun anymore. He stopped running and stared at Jiang Jingshu. "Although I know she will come down the mountain, I will not be sad because of her temporary disappearance."
Jiang Jingshu listened quietly to Xie Zhijin's words.
“Because I know that the next day, she will rise high again.” Xie Zhijin’s gaze remained fixed on Jiang Jingshu, as if he were referring to something.
Even if I can never catch the setting sun, as long as it rises high the next day, that's all I want.
"It's okay even if we can't see the sun."
Xie Zhijin's words struck Jiang Jingshu's heart like a spell. She also liked the sun, which was a symbol of warmth.
In the depths of the palace, she had longed countless times for the sun to give her a little warmth.
However, the sun shines on many people, but not on Jiang Jingshu's palace.
"Is it okay if we can't see the sun?" Jiang Jingshu stared at Xie Zhijin. "The sun exists, but it's not by your side. Is that okay too?"
Xie Zhijin's eyes were incredibly firm, as if he were saying something solemn. He spoke slowly, word by word, "I just need to know that she is alive and well, that's enough for me."
"Because I love the sun, not the sun that shines on me. Even if the sun isn't beside me and can't shine on me, I still love it."
The boy's eyes were so intense that Jiang Jingshu almost thought that the sun he spoke of was herself.
Jiang Jingshu smiled and said, "Then you will definitely get what you want."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
