Distance of the race
The October campus, adorned with golden ginkgo leaves, was a scene of exceptional poetic beauty. But inside the high school building, an unusually tense atmosphere permeated the air. The math competition selection exam was about to begin, and the bulletin board was crowded with students checking the list of names.
Lin Weixi stood on tiptoe at the edge of the crowd. When she saw the words "Chen Wang" at the top of the list, a complex emotion surged in her heart - she was happy for him, but also felt that an invisible distance was widening.
Since joining the competition training class, Chen Wang's campus life trajectory has changed significantly. Every afternoon after school, while other students are still playing in the playground or chatting in the classroom, he is already hurried to the competition classroom in the laboratory building with his schoolbag on his back. Lin Weixi can only watch him through the window as he walks alone through the campus path covered with falling leaves.
Sometimes in math class, the teacher would explain some competition questions that were beyond the syllabus. While other students were still frowning and thinking, Chen Wang had already easily solved the answer. The teacher's approving eyes and the envious whispers of his classmates made Lin Weixi feel that the gap between them was getting wider and wider.
One Friday evening, Lin Weixi stayed in the classroom because she was on duty. When she cleaned Chen Wang's seat, she found a thick book "Mathematics Competition Lectures" spread out on the table. There were many sticky notes between the pages, the handwriting was neat and powerful. She couldn't help but take a few more glances. The complex formulas and symbols were like a mystery to her.
"What are you looking at?" Chen Wang's voice suddenly rang out from behind him. He had returned to the classroom at some point, clutching several competition reference books.
Lin Weixi was startled and the rag in her hand almost fell to the ground: "No...nothing. Are you back to get something?"
"Hmm, I forgot this notebook." Chen Wang took out a notebook from the desk and his eyes fell on the rag in her hand. "Are you still on duty?"
"It will be over soon." Lin Weixi replied softly, her heart beating faster. This was their first private conversation this week.
Chen Wang looked at his watch and said, "Do you want to go to the cafeteria together? There shouldn't be many people here at this time."
Lin Weixi was stunned for a moment, then nodded. The autumn evening came particularly early, and the afterglow of the setting sun stretched the shadows of the two people very long. They walked side by side on the Ginkgo Avenue, and the fallen leaves made a rustling sound under their feet.
"Is the competition difficult?" Lin Weixi mustered up the courage to ask.
"It's definitely not easy." Chen Wang smiled. "Sometimes it takes hours to solve a single problem. But it's quite interesting, like solving a puzzle."
"It's great." Lin Weixi said softly, "I can do what I like."
Chen Wang turned his head and glanced at her: "What about you? What do you want to do in the future?"
This question made Lin Weixi fall into deep thought. She had never seriously thought about the future, and her biggest wish every day was to see him more.
"Maybe...it's related to photography." She said uncertainly.
"Your photos are very good," Chen Wang said suddenly. "My sister really likes the winning work from the art festival. She even asked me to ask you for a copy to put in her hospital room."
Lin Weixi's heart skipped a beat. She had never thought that her work would be cherished by Chen Wang's sister.
"How is Xiaoxing doing recently?" she asked softly.
"Much better. I'll be discharged next week." Chen Wang raised the corner of his mouth in a gentle arc. "Thank you for the paper cranes. She has kept them as a treasure."
It turns out he knew. This realization made Lin Weixi both surprised and embarrassed.
As expected, there were not many people in the cafeteria, so they chose a seat by the window. Chen Wang ordered a simple meal: a plate of fried rice and a bowl of soup. Lin Weixi noticed that he ate very quickly, but his movements were still elegant.
"Are you going to training later?" she asked.
"Well, it starts at seven." Chen Wang looked at his watch, "half an hour left."
This short half hour became the most precious time of the week for Lin Weixi. They chatted about interesting things in school and their recent courses, just like ordinary classmates. But Lin Weixi knew that such moments were too rare for them.
When they parted, Chen Wang waved to her and said, "Good luck on next week's monthly exam."
"You too." Lin Weixi said softly, "Good luck in the competition."
Watching his back disappear into the twilight, Lin Weixi felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. They were like two briefly intersecting lines, meeting at a certain point and then extending in different directions.
On the day the monthly exam results were announced, Lin Weixi searched for her name on the list. She had improved five places and was now ranked fifteenth in the class. Meanwhile, Chen Wang's name remained high up, firmly in the top three.
What caught her attention even more was the announcement of a math competition posted on the bulletin board: Chen Wang had won first prize at the municipal level and would represent the school in the provincial competition. Attached to the announcement was a photo of him winning the prize, showing him smiling with a confident and determined look in his eyes.
During the break, classmates gathered around Chen Wang's seat to congratulate him. Lin Weixi sat in her own seat, looking at him from afar as he was surrounded by people. The distance between them was not just the physical distance of seven and a half steps, but also a gap in ability and talent.
After school, Lin Weixi stayed alone in the classroom. She walked to Chen Wang's seat and found a brand new "Advanced Guide to Mathematical Competitions" on the table. It should be the school's reward for the winners. She gently opened the title page and saw a handwritten message from the principal: "To the future mathematicians."
These words were like a needle, gently piercing her heart. It turned out that in the eyes of others, Chen Wang had already come so far.
That night, Lin Weixi wrote in her diary:
"Today he won first prize in the math competition. Looking at his photo on the congratulatory announcement, I suddenly realized that the distance between us isn't just the distance between our seats, but the distance between excellence and mediocrity. But strangely, I don't feel jealous, just a slight sense of loss. It's like gazing up at the starry sky, knowing you can't touch it, yet still captivated by its brilliance."
Having written this, she paused, thinking back to their brief time together in the cafeteria that evening. Perhaps to Chen Wang, it was just an ordinary meal; but to Lin Weixi, it was a memory worth cherishing.
The moonlight outside the window sprinkled on the diary, and Lin Weixi gently closed the book. She knew that tomorrow Chen Wang would step onto a broader stage, and she would continue to stay in the corner, silently watching him shine and glow.
This realization made her both sad and relieved. Some people are destined to shine, while for others, being able to be the audience who witness their brilliance is perhaps also a kind of luck.
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