At the beginning of March in Xing City, calling it early spring was a bit of a stretch. The wind was chilling, cutting across the face like blunt ice blades, causing a dull pain.
Lu Xingyan took off his school uniform jacket, wearing only a smoky pink T-shirt and black sports shorts. He stood on the track, stretching his arms and legs.
—It was damn cold.
Cold was one thing, but the lineup for the senior-year race was downright pathetic. The track had only a handful of participants, most looking listless, not even bothering to take off their coats.
In contrast to the energetic underclassmen nearby, they looked like a group of frail and sickly individuals.
The best sight was a guy from Class 21, who had completed the check-in but was still clutching his English notes, muttering to himself. He was bundled in a thick coat, scarf tightly wrapped, probably wearing thermal pants too, making his loose school pants look tight.
The cherry on top was his pair of snow boots, which seemed designed for extreme cold.
Lu Xingyan glanced him up and down, thinking it would be tough for this guy to even walk 3,000 meters.
The whistle blew, and amidst the group of frail competitors, Lu Xingyan, the picture of health, prepared for the start while silently cursing He Siyue.
In the classroom, Shen Xingruo also heard the whistle. Sitting by the window, she instinctively looked outside.
As the runners started, a gust of wind blew through the window gap, ruffling her hair and lifting the corner of her exam paper.
When she later thought back to her senior year, she rarely remembered the endless piles of books and papers. Instead, she often recalled that afternoon, looking out the window at the scene on the track.
It wasn’t particularly vivid—just daylight shimmering, the grey of late winter tinged with the unnamed colors of laughter and joy, making spring feel within reach.
Pressing down the corner of her paper, she intended to continue writing but found herself unable to focus.
Suddenly, she stood up, told Ruan Wen she was going to the bathroom, and quietly slipped out the back door.
A 400-meter track meant running seven and a half laps for 3,000 meters.
During the first lap, Lu Xingyan felt—
It was freezing! Damn it! He didn’t want to keep up this pretense! Could someone please give him some pants or a coat? If not, even those snow boots would do!
By the second lap, Lu Xingyan’s body had finally warmed up, and it felt more comfortable. Being a regular basketball player, running 3,000 meters wasn’t too difficult for him. Plus, with most of the others on the track moving slower than a stroll, he leisurely took the lead by half a lap.
—After all, he wasn’t aiming to break any Olympic long-distance records.
During the third and fourth laps, quite a few junior and sophomore girls noticed him. With his fair skin, tall stature, and handsome looks, coupled with his stylish attire and the comparison with the others, he appeared especially striking. Soon, enthusiastic younger girls joined him on the inner track, cheering him on loudly.
Originally, Lu Xingyan found running alone to be as lonely as snow, so having someone praise him felt pretty good. But as he completed the fifth lap and passed by the finish line, he caught sight of Shen Xingruo standing by the track with her hands in her pockets. She tilted her head slightly, her expression neutral.
But for some reason, Lu Xingyan instantly imagined a scene straight out of a TV drama where the main wife caught the mistress in the act. With a strong desire to survive, he bent his hands toward Shen Xingruo, forming a heart shape. Then, in the next second, he put on a cold face and waved to the junior girls on the inner track, shouting, “Move aside, don’t follow me.”
Glancing back, he saw Shen Xingruo still standing there, unmoved. Feeling determined, he picked up his pace.
As the guy from Class 21, wearing snow boots, half-ran, and half-walked his way to the fifth lap, Lu Xingyan broke through the finish line without suspense, securing first place in the “senior frail male” 3,000-meter race.
Running the last few laps had left Lu Xingyan a bit tired. Upon reaching the finish line, he removed the sweatband from his forehead, adjusted his bangs, and then leaned on his knees, panting heavily.
At the same time, the results of the senior male 3,000-meter race were announced from the podium.
Meanwhile, a group of junior girls came over to give him water.
“Senior, are you Lu Xingyan? Can I add you on WeChat?”
“Senior, you’re from Class 1, right? What a coincidence, I’m also from Class 1, the freshman Class 1.”
“Hahaha, what a coincidence! Senior, I’m from the same school as you!”
The cold wind was biting, causing pain in Lu Xingyan’s chest, and he couldn’t speak for a while.
As the junior girls chattered, a familiar voice—clear and chilly—suddenly came from the front.
“Excuse me, please move aside.”
With Shen Xingruo’s air of authority as a member of the disciplinary committee, the junior girls instantly fell silent and automatically made way for her.
Shen Xingruo walked slowly to Lu Xingyan’s side, then slowly took out a small bottle of mineral water from the pocket of her school uniform.
Lu Xingyan raised his head, the corner of his lips quirking up as he accepted the water from her.
Shen Xingruo held the water in his pocket for a long time, keeping it warm. It was comforting, though there wasn’t much left. Lu Xingyan had already finished it after two sips, revealing the bottom of the bottle.
A bold little junior girl nearby noticed he hadn’t had enough and tried to hand him another bottle. Shen Xingruo gave her a cold glance and took out a small bottle of Nongfu Spring water from another pocket. The junior girls fell silent collectively, then dispersed.
It couldn’t be helped; experience counts for a lot, and seniority rules. Lu Xingyan finally calmed down after finishing two mini bottles of water. Shen Xingruo urged him to put on his jacket and hurry back to the classroom for self-study.
When Shen Xingruo transferred here last year, Lu Xingyan also participated in the sports meet. At that time, he signed up for the men’s 1000 meters, 4×300 relay, and long jump. The 1000 meters had athletes from the sports team, and he only got third place, but he got first in the relay and long jump.
At that time, their relationship could be described as opposites, with one occasionally mocking people and the other occasionally showing kindness.
Shen Xingruo was assigned the task of writing cheers for the competition. She wrote a separate one for each participant, except for Lu Xingyan.
But in a year, everyone had changed quite a bit. In senior year, few people cared about the sports meet or their rankings; it was merely a task to be completed.
The two of them stopped by the convenience store to buy some snacks. When they returned to the classroom, Wang Youfu had just entered.
After hearing that Lu Xingyan had won first place in the 3000 meters, Wang Youfu praised him happily for a few moments before asking them to take their seats and get down to business.
“Everyone, just pause for a moment. I have something to announce. The admission regulations for Xing University and several 985 universities from other provinces have been sent over. As for our class, I’ll focus on explaining Xing University’s Tomorrow’s Star admission plan.”
“I won’t go into specifics since most of you should already know. He Siyue, you’ll pass the plan down for everyone to look at later. In short, it’s quite suitable for our class to participate in. Interested students can come to me for a recommendation letter, and then fill out an application form. The school will handle it all together.”
“The written test will probably take place at the end of the month. You can choose one subject from Chinese, English, or History, but remember, your choice will determine what you can apply for in the college entrance exam. Xing University has lowered the admission requirements to the first batch of undergraduate programs in Star City, which is a significant advantage.”
“Moreover, here at Mingli, we have organized training sessions for the self-admission test. Students willing to participate can sign up.”
After listening, Shen Xingruo instinctively glanced at Lu Xingyan. Lu Xingyan originally thought this had nothing to do with him, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching him from behind. When he turned around, he coincidentally met Shen Xingru’s gaze. Shen Xingruo mouthed to him, “Go get it.”
Lu Xingyan frowned. Shen Xingruo gestured towards the podium again. He couldn’t believe it. Pointing at himself, he mouthed, “Me?”
Seeing him hesitate, Shen Xingruo stood up and went to the podium to get the application form. Wang Youfu looked at her in surprise and firmly held onto the application form, not allowing her to take it. “Shen Xingru, what are you doing with this?”
Shen Xingruo lowered her eyes and modestly replied, “Being prepared is always good.”
Wang Youfu paused, then continued, “No, why don’t you prepare for F University or S University? They also have self-admission. I’ll go to the office later and get some information for you.”
Wang Youfu wasn’t implying that Xing University wasn’t good; it was a solid 985 institution, and its admission requirements for students from other provinces were several tens of points higher than the cutoff for regular admissions. But for Shen Xingru, it seemed like settling.
Shen Xingruo remained silent.
Fortunately, Lu Xingyan finally got up. But Wang Youfu still didn’t let go and looked at Lu Xingyan with surprise. “Are you getting one too?”
Wang Youfu wasn’t suggesting that Lu Xingyan had no chance of self-admission. After all, the written test only covered one subject, and with targeted training for a couple of weeks, passing the test wouldn’t be difficult. Plus, the Lu family must have connections. Getting a recommendation letter from an educational expert would secure him during the interview. But even after passing the self-admission, he would at least need to reach the cutoff for regular admissions.
The gap between Lu Xingyan and the regular admission cutoff was significant…
However, Wang Youfu suddenly realized something. Maybe he was biased. Lu Xingyan had shown significant improvement in the recent exams, and he was only a few tens of points away from the regular admission cutoff. In the exam hall, success relied seven-tenths on hard work and three-tenths on fate. Luck was unpredictable; perhaps he would make it after all. Wasn’t this also a result of his guidance?
Wang Youfu’s face showed a mysterious smile. Suddenly, he released his grip and handed Lu Xingyan a form, smiling warmly. “Prepare well.”
Turning to face Shen Xingru, he firmly pressed down, his eyes warning her to “get a grip.”
Fortunately, Shen Xingruo hadn’t intended to ask for it anyway.
The sports meet went on for two lively days. With all the noise outside, the senior students couldn’t concentrate in class, so they had self-study for two days instead. In the end, some student council members came to the senior building to deliver the prizes.
The prize for Lu Xingyan’s first place in the men’s 3000 meters was quite valuable—a Jiangxing V2 sports bracelet, a product released last year. During the break between classes, Li Chengfan even came to his seat to take a look. When he saw what it was, he chuckled, “Is that it? Isn’t this your cousin’s company’s product? I remember when it first hit the market, you gave one to each of us.”
Lu Xingyan unexpectedly kicked him and scrutinized him from head to toe, saying four words, “You know nothing.”
This was a trophy won in the name of love. How could it be compared to those cold, emotionless sports bracelets? He didn’t want Li Chengfan to look at it any longer, quickly put it away, and charged it during the break, adjusting the settings. After school, he took it to Shen Xingru.
As the evening approached, the classroom was filled with the golden light of the setting sun, casting deep and shallow shadows through the window grids.
He placed the box of the sports bracelet on Shen Xingru’s desk and then took a seat in front of her.
Ruan Wen, always timid, immediately stood up and left to find Shi Qin for dinner when she saw Lu Xingyan approaching, not bothering to collect her books. Lu Xingyan was very pleased with her understanding.
After they left, he casually opened the box and said, “Here’s a prize for you.”
Shen Xingru’s gaze fell on the white sports bracelet with the strap, and she remained motionless for a while.
Lu Xingyan said, “Don’t be shy. I already have one. Here, let me help you put it on.”
Afraid that Shen Xingruo might refuse, he took off the bracelet himself and then grabbed Shen Xingru’s hand, pushing up her school uniform sleeve. He muttered, “I told you, you’re too thin. It’s already on the last notch, and I still think it’s a bit loose. Maybe I should find a needle and drill another hole…”
The bracelet had already been adjusted.
As Lu Xingyan’s hand touched Shen Xingru’s skin, the data began to fluctuate. Shen Xingru’s lips tightened, her gaze slightly lowered, and she remained silent.
When Lu Xingyan went to help her put on the bracelet, she didn’t refuse. But as soon as he finished, she quickly withdrew her hand.
“It’s done. Let’s go eat.”
“You won first place in the race. What do you want to eat tonight? I’ll treat you.”
Lu Xingyan had initially wanted to say, “Why did you retract your hand so quickly? Let me admire it for a moment.” But when Shen Xingruo offered to treat him to dinner, he couldn’t dwell on it and quickly got up to follow her.
As they left the classroom together, someone glided past on rollerblades. Lu Xingyan reached out and held Shen Xingru’s hand.
The setting sun cast long shadows behind them, and the sports bracelet hidden in Shen Xingru’s sleeve caused her heart rate to rise from the already nervous 134 to a skyrocketing 147.