In short, Hua Yan had no idea why things turned out this way.
Lu Chengsha was trying to explain the techniques of sprinting using physical principles. For example, at the start, the lower leg should remain parallel, the front knee should be at a 90° angle, and the back knee at 135°. This positioning provides the best mechanical conditions for horizontal acceleration through the angle of the horizontal force and the ground push-off force.
He then demonstrated by bending his body, tensing his frame, and placing his hands on the ground with his thumbs facing each other.
The hem of his shirt was tucked into his black school uniform pants, but the wind made it billow slightly, outlining his slim and strong waistline. He looked into the distance with a dark, intense gaze. In the next moment, his center of gravity shifted forward, his body powerfully erupted, and Lu Chengsha shot out like an arrow from a bow, covering ten meters in an instant… Then he ran back and said to her, “…You try.”
Hua Yan was utterly bewildered, speechless with confusion.
Thankfully, she was wearing her school uniform pants today; otherwise, she would have been even more flustered. She pulled out a hairband from her backpack to tie up her long hair and, driven by some inexplicable impulse, bent down to try Lu Chengsha’s stance. While physical education classes did teach this, it was never this precise.
Lu Chengsha commented, “Your back leg is still off by 10°.”
Are you a protractor or something?
Out of the corner of her eye, Hua Yan saw Lu Chengsha seemingly wanting to correct her posture but feeling it inappropriate. He slightly tilted his head and pointed to her lower leg, saying, “Lower it a bit more.”
Her face inexplicably reddened, but fortunately, it was not noticeable in the night.
However, once she found the right posture, the start indeed felt smoother and more natural. Hua Yan wasn’t great with endurance but had good explosive power, which was why she chose sprinting. After a few tries, she began to sweat and felt a bit out of breath.
Lu Chengsha watched her, pondered for a moment, and quietly said, “…You don’t exercise much, do you?”
His tone was identical to when he had previously asked if she studied.
Hua Yan immediately retorted angrily, “The college entrance exam doesn’t give extra points for sports.”
Lu Chengsha replied, “But it makes you healthier.”
Hua Yan gestured to her arm, “I am very healthy now!”
“…You could eat more.” Lu Chengsha paused, “You eat too little.”
How did his logic still make sense?
Just then, a passing boy remarked, “…Brother Sha, you can’t be so strict with your girlfriend, or you’ll end up single.”
The two of them turned their sharp gazes towards him in unison.
“Huh? Did I say something wrong?”
Hua Yan’s face quickly turned red. “What nonsense are you spouting!”
Lu Chengsha’s expression was also peculiar. “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“Ah…could it be that you guys haven’t… but…” The boy looked at the beautiful girl with a high ponytail and slender figure, whose face was flushed like a rosy cloud, and then at Lu Chengsha, who was unconsciously averting his gaze but looking extremely awkward, and he became increasingly suspicious.
He pulled Lu Chengsha aside and asked, “…No way, you haven’t confessed yet?”
Lu Chengsha’s tone was puzzled. “Why should I confess?”
“…Then what are you doing here with classmate Hua in the middle of the night!”
Everyone’s envious, okay!
Usually, she looks so delicate and beautiful, like she’d break at a touch. But now, with her hair tied up and her school uniform shirt cinched at her waist, her bright face slightly flushed from running, she looked spirited and heroic. Several boys nearby were staring at her, mesmerized.
Lu Chengsha, looking even more puzzled, said, “I’m teaching her to run.”
“But…” The boy turned Lu Chengsha’s head to look at the girl waiting nearby, clueless and innocent, and whispered, “Uh, don’t you think she’s really pretty?”
Lu Chengsha was silent for a moment, seemingly never having considered this question.
After a brief pause, he silently, wordlessly, nodded.
“Then there you go! Brother Sha, don’t you have any thoughts?”
Lu Chengsha asked, “What thoughts?”
“…Are you serious?”
However, Lu Chengsha’s eyes were clear, without a hint of pretense.
“The top student really is different! It’s my own thoughts that are too lowly! Never mind… Brother Sha, carry on, I’ll be leaving now!”
As Lu Chengsha returned, Hua Yan, doing some stretches, curiously asked, “What did he say to you?”
Lu Chengsha replied, “Nothing.”
Hua Yan nodded, “Oh.”
“Then let’s continue running.”
“…Huh?”
- ••
That night, the Tingjian campus BBS was buzzing with a hot post.
#TreeHole# Shock! Who was at the sports field last night? It’s said that Lu Chengsha was on a date with the school belle from the neighboring school! Lu Chengsha was teaching her how to run hand in hand! And it’s rumored that Lu Chengsha even stripped!
—— Stripped?
—— In public?
—— OP, can you not make it sound so dramatic? He only took off his jacket, not like Lu Chengsha was streaking…
—— Scared me to death, I thought Lu Chengsha couldn’t control himself and tore his shirt off.
—— A regretful report from an onlooker, not only did he control himself, but he also spent more than half an hour helping the school belle practice 100-meter sprints… The results were impressive…
—— ?????
—— No surprise there.
—— How does he even have a girlfriend acting like this?
—— According to another onlooker, she’s not even his girlfriend.
—— Huh?
***
A few days later, the school sports meet took place as scheduled.
In the women’s 100 meters, Hua Yan finished third, with the top two spots taken by sports specialists, whom she couldn’t outrun.
Breathing heavily and supported by her classmates, Hua Yan took several steps to catch her breath. She looked down at her phone.
Teaching App: Better luck next time.
What the heck, not even a word of praise!
Muttering in dissatisfaction, she swiped down and was greeted by a photo of herself crossing the finish line.
Hua Yan froze.
Just as she felt a moment of surprise, her expression suddenly darkened.
What on earth did Lu Chengsha take? Her hair was a mess, her facial expression was somewhat fierce, and her posture was exaggerated, as if she were about to take off. Can he even take a proper photo?
Xiao Hua: Delete it now!
Teaching App: ?
Xiao Hua: It’s too ugly!
Teaching App: ???
Teaching App: It’s not ugly.
Xiao Hua: It’s really too ugly. Delete it now, and empty the recycle bin [frustrated.gif]
Teaching App: …Alright.
The tone sounded very reluctant.
Hua Yan carefully searched through her photo album and found a selfie she considered the best. Blushing, she sent it to Lu Chengsha.
Teaching App: It’s about the same as the one I took.
Xiao Hua: …??? What kind of aesthetic do you have?!
Hua Yan decided she would take an even uglier photo later to get back at him.
The 1500-meter race was scheduled for the last time slot, with people crowding both sides of the track.
As Hua Yan approached, she thought she would have to struggle to find a spot. To her surprise, a boy nearby immediately said, “Quick, make room for classmate Hua!”
“Do you want some water? We have plenty of bottled water here!”
“Do you want to encourage him with a few words? We even have maracas for group purchase if you need them!”
Having been teased several times before, Hua Yan calmly replied, “No, thank you.”
Over at Lu Chengsha’s side, he had taken off his school uniform jacket and was getting ready. Hua Yan then noticed he wasn’t wearing the standard school shirt underneath but a black sports tank top.
The plain black tank top had silver letters “LG” printed on it, with both arms exposed, revealing defined but not overly exaggerated muscles. The fabric clung to his body, outlining a physique that was between a teenager and a young man. His waist and abdomen showed a faint layer of muscle, though Hua Yan was too embarrassed to count how many.
Although this was a typical running outfit, her cheeks still flushed slightly.
The 1500 meters tested endurance, lacking the thrill of a sprint but becoming more intense towards the end. Hua Yan was about to comment on this when she saw Lu Chengsha running steadily in the lead, already ten meters ahead of the second place within half a lap.
Hua Yan: “…”
What a boring race.
Oh well.
She took out her phone, selected a filter, and zoomed in on Lu Chengsha. Under the sunlight, he ran smoothly, showing no signs of strain. However, his hair and forehead were slightly damp with sweat, and the fabric on his shoulders was beginning to soak through.
The cheering and shouting on both sides were deafening, but Lu Chengsha had already completed a lap and was getting closer in Hua Yan’s camera lens. She was inexplicably startled, lowered her phone, and met Lu Chengsha’s gaze.
As a student of Zhengyi High School, it was fine for Hua Yan to come and watch the competition, but cheering in public was really…
Forget it!
Without hesitation, Hua Yan shouted, “Go for it!”
Lu Chengsha glanced sideways at her, and as he passed by her on the track, she could hear his slightly heavy breathing.
Then, he suddenly began to accelerate.
Hua Yan: “…?”
There’s still almost a lap to go; no need for that!
Just as Hua Yan thought Lu Chengsha would smoothly finish the 1500 meters, near the finish line, a boy who was a full lap behind him suddenly swerved to the side. Lu Chengsha, caught off guard, was knocked off balance, and his knee buckled, causing him to fall forward.
Hua Yan’s heart jumped. She quickly put down her phone and took two uncontrollable steps forward.
Just as Lu Chengsha’s knee was about to hit the ground, he amazingly extended his arms and pushed hard against the ground, preventing a full fall. He immediately got back up, and although there was a faint hint of red on his knee and palms, he seemed unaffected by the pain and continued running.
Hua Yan was stunned.
“Damn it, Lu Chengzhao, not this again!”
By the time Hua Yan came back to her senses, Lu Chengsha had already crossed the finish line. He ran a few more steps before nearly collapsing from his knees giving way, but people around quickly rushed to support him.
Initially, Hua Yan didn’t plan to go over, as he was surrounded by his classmates. But she couldn’t help it.
Over there, Lu Chengsha had already pushed the crowd away, propping himself up and saying, “…I’m fine.”
Hua Yan rushed over and looked down at him. Lu Chengsha seemed reluctant to show her, but he couldn’t hide it now.
Seeing the injuries, Hua Yan’s nose tingled with emotion. “How is this fine!”
Why is he trying to act tough?
***
Ten minutes later, in the infirmary.
They each occupied a chair, sitting across from each other. Lu Chengsha had his injured leg raised, while Hua Yan, head slightly lowered, held iodine in one hand and a cotton swab in the other, carefully tending to his knee wound.
Due to the busy sports meet, the school nurse was short-handed, and minor injuries were typically self-treated by students.
However, if it weren’t for Hua Yan pressing him, Lu Chengsha hadn’t intended to treat the injury at all. He was even ready to change his clothes and leave right away.
Lu Chengsha said, “A shower will do.”
Hua Yan angrily retorted, “Sit back down! It will get infected!”
The closer she looked, the worse his leg seemed—bruises and abrasions, with blood everywhere. Although the school nurse said it was just a flesh wound and not serious, it still made her uncomfortable and frustrated.
As she continued applying the iodine, Hua Yan noticed that Lu Chengsha made no sound at all.
If he cried out, it would be better, but his silence was unsettling.
She couldn’t help but ask, “…Does it hurt a lot?”
Lu Chengsha looked down and saw the girl looking up at him. Her hair was soft, braided into two intricate pigtails that swayed behind her head, distracting him. He had to shift his gaze slightly and said, “…It’s okay.”
“Okay, my foot. If it hurts, just say so. I’ll be gentler.” She said, her movements becoming even more delicate.
Lu Chengsha genuinely didn’t think it was a big deal. He had fallen before while playing basketball, and unless it was a broken bone, it wasn’t worth fussing over. These wounds would scab over in a few days, with only a bit of pain when showering.
But…
Watching the girl meticulously treating his wound as if handling something fragile, Lu Chengsha felt an inexplicable sensation. It was strange but not unpleasant.
Hua Yan finished with his knee, carefully bandaged it, and then said firmly, “Give me your hands.”
Lu Chengsha hesitated but obediently held out his hands.
His palms, where they had hit the ground, were also a bloody mess. Hua Yan felt a surge of mild anger again. She carefully took out a wet wipe, cleaned his wounds, and said indignantly, “You didn’t have to push yourself so hard.”
Lu Chengsha couldn’t help but look down at her, moved his lips, and said, “Isn’t it normal to work hard?”
Besides…
He felt a bit awkward to admit it, but he didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her.
Falling and not finishing first both felt equally humiliating, so he wanted to win and instinctively pushed himself to get back up.
Hua Yan, still fuming, said, “Not really. If you had rolled onto the grass, you wouldn’t have…” She thought about it and realized he might be burdened by pride, so she softened her tone, “It’s okay not to push yourself so hard. It’s fine if you don’t get first place.”
Lu Chengsha was about to say that his grandfather had always told him that not getting first place was no different from being useless, but… he suddenly didn’t want to contradict her.
“Otherwise, I would…” Hua Yan’s voice trailed off, realizing the latter part of her sentence wasn’t appropriate to say out loud.
After applying the medicine to both of Lu Chengsha’s hands, she instinctively blew on them to help the medicine dry faster.
Luckily, she knew a bit about wound care.
However, Hua Yan’s gentle blowing was too soft.
The wound that hadn’t hurt much now started to feel a bit itchy.
She carefully bandaged his hands with two pieces of gauze. Her fingers were slender and fair, much smaller than his, with a faint pearl sheen on her pink fingertips. As she bent over her task, her fine bangs fell over her forehead, obscuring her delicate eyebrows and eyes. Only her small, perky nose and slightly flushed cheeks were visible, the latter perhaps from exertion or anger.
Below, her lips were slightly pouted, their color a vibrant red, looking exceptionally soft…
Lu Chengsha suddenly averted his gaze.
An unexpected thought flashed through his mind, recalling someone’s recent question.
—Don’t you have any thoughts?
Hua Yan finally finished treating Lu Chengsha’s injuries. She breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the nervous sweat from her forehead, only to notice that Lu Chengsha’s face was oddly flushed.
It wasn’t a big deal initially, but now he was only wearing a black sports tank top. As he bent slightly to adjust his pant leg, his prominent collarbone formed a V-shape, highlighting his defined muscle lines. His entire shoulder, back, and neck were perfectly contoured, fitting the tank top snugly. With his face slightly reddened from the recent run, he looked extremely…
Hua Yan forgot what she was going to say.
She suddenly felt a bit shy.
Lu Chengsha stood up and put on his school uniform jacket, making her feel a bit more comfortable.
Then Hua Yan finally remembered what she wanted to ask, “By the way, who is Lu Chengzhao?” she said, eyes glinting with annoyance.
Lu Chengsha paused and replied, “A relative.”
She had already heard that the boy who knocked into Lu Chengsha was named Lu Chengzhao. The name alone seemed suspicious, and now it was confirmed…
“Why did he bump into you?” Hua Yan tried to recall the incident. “It was on purpose, right?”
Lu Chengsha nodded and said, “He probably doesn’t like me.”
“It’s not the first time, is it?”
“Mm.”
Hua Yan’s anger grew. “And you’re just going to let him get away with it? Should I…” She was itching to take out her phone.
“I’m handling it,” Lu Chengsha said, buttoning up his school uniform one by one, his gaze lowered and his tone indifferent. “I’m going to go beat him up later.”
Hua Yan: “…?” That was sudden.