On the red track, a slender figure is far ahead, leaving the rest far behind.
Not far away, on the basketball court, it’s halftime.
Xie Zhen, covered in sweat, looks at the tireless Sheng Qingxi on the track and gasps, “How many laps has the fairy run now?”
He Mo thinks for a moment, “It’s been almost twenty minutes. The fairy has been running at a steady pace, so she must have covered at least 3,500 meters by now. She won’t run out of energy by the end, will she?”
Xie Zhen gestures, “This is a tough one.”
Lin Ran drinks the last half of his bottle, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow, fine beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and disappearing into his collar.
With a slight effort, the slender, strong wrist of the young man throws the empty bottle into the trash can with a dull thud.
Lin Ran’s dark eyes are fixed on Sheng Qingxi. At this moment, besides those playing soccer on the field, she is the only one still running. Her black ponytail sways with her movements, and her breathing remains steady.
Her stamina is impressive; it seems she regularly runs.
However, her expression suggests she’s not feeling very comfortable, with her pale brows slightly furrowed.
Lin Ran stops looking at her. He turns towards He Mo and Xie Zhen but halts halfway, his expression obscure, lost in thought.
He Mo and Xie Zhen hear Lin Ran mutter a curse under his breath before heading back to the track.
He Mo almost spits out his water, “What’s Brother Ran doing?”
Xie Zhen, breathing heavily, doesn’t respond and just watches Lin Ran block the track in front of Sheng Qingxi.
The sun is not too harsh today, and the breeze is gentle. Sheng Qingxi usually enjoys running in such weather, but today she’s not feeling great.
Because she didn’t change her sports bra.
The class was scheduled this morning, so she didn’t have time to prepare.
Sheng Qingxi plans to stop and rest after this lap. She exhales slowly and continues running, sweat hanging on her lashes, making it hard to see the figure blocking the track ahead.
She can only make out a tall, vague shadow.
She thinks the person will move aside, but he remains firmly in place.
Sheng Qingxi tries to run around him, but as she gets close, she is stopped by him.
She hesitates slightly, and through the sunlight and wind, she smells his scent.
It’s a dry vetiver with a hint of sweetness, but on closer inspection, it carries a faintly dried iris root smell, with a strong, aggressive aging scent.
It’s the same smell she noticed when she hugged him at the school gate, although today it’s lighter because he has removed his jacket for basketball.
Sheng Qingxi thinks this must be the scent from Lin Ran’s wardrobe.
She blinks, trying to shake the water droplets from her lashes, but she still can’t see Lin Ran’s face clearly. She calls out his name by instinct, “Lin Ran.”
Lin Ran gazes at her pale face for a moment, his tone somewhat indifferent, “Come here.”
After these words, Lin Ran walks straight towards the basketball court. Sheng Qingxi takes a deep breath, pulls out a tissue from her pocket to wipe her sweat, and jogs to follow Lin Ran.
When she reaches the basketball court, she notices that a few tall boys are secretly watching her. They seem intimidated by Lin Ran and avoid looking directly at her, quickly glancing away.
Lin Ran doesn’t pay her any more attention, so Sheng Qingxi stands aside, trying not to interfere with their game.
Lin Ran walked back to the field and glanced at He Mo. He Mo promptly took a bottle of water and approached Sheng Qingxi with a grin, showing off his neat, white teeth. “Fairy classmate, have some water and rest for a bit.”
Sheng Qingxi took the water from He Mo and thanked him softly, “Thank you.”
He Mo ruffled his black hair and quickly ran off.
Not long after Sheng Qingxi took the water, the second half of the basketball game began. She thought Lin Ran might have something to say to her, so she obediently sat by the court and waited for him to finish.
Previously, Sheng Qingxi didn’t understand basketball, but after joining the workforce and attending various departmental games, she picked up some knowledge and could follow the game better now.
Lin Ran plays as a point guard, a position usually responsible for organizing the team’s offense. He needs to advance the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt and pass it to his teammates.
The opposing team clearly focused their defense on Lin Ran, with at least two players blocking his path and preventing him from advancing, like shadows sticking to him.
Sheng Qingxi’s attention was somewhat distracted as she stared at Lin Ran’s sneakers. From what she learned from Lin Yanyan in her previous life, Lin Ran was particularly fond of sneakers and motorcycles.
His skin is slightly lighter than others, and his ankles are just covered by his sneakers, with his calf muscles taut, hinting at the strength within, which she had felt one night.
At that moment, Lin Ran was surrounded by two players, his hands continuously dribbling the basketball. With a fake move, he dodged the player on his left, took a step forward, but there was still someone blocking him.
Not giving an inch.
Lin Ran’s expression remained as indifferent as ever, making it hard to guess his thoughts.
He Mo, from the opposite side, shouted loudly, “Brother Ran, over here!”
Suddenly, Lin Ran bent slightly at the waist, moved his feet, and seemed to be preparing to pass the ball to He Mo. The defenders instinctively jumped to block his pass to He Mo.
But Lin Ran twisted his waist, took two steps back, leaped high, his arm naturally extended. With a slight effort, the basketball left his hand, tracing a beautiful arc in the air before perfectly landing in the basket.
A flawless three-point shot.
A hint of a smile appeared in Lin Ran’s dark eyes as he ran over to He Mo and gave him a high five.
Sheng Qingxi’s gaze remained fixed on Lin Ran. Not only Lin Ran, but everyone on the court noticed. She hardly divided her attention, quietly watching him.
With Lin Ran’s final dunk, the game ended, and the school bell rang.
Lin Ran wiped his sweat and walked towards Sheng Qingxi. During this time, she had remained quietly seated beside the chair, and when he approached, she naturally handed him the bottle of water that He Mo had given her.
She looked up at him, with sunlight completely shaded by his figure.
Lin Ran’s gaze lowered, observing her pale hand. She was very thin, with faint blue veins visible on the back of her hand. The water bottle in her palm hadn’t been opened yet; she hadn’t had a sip.
He took the water she offered with a casual touch of his fingers over her hand, which was cool to the touch.
For a moment, both Sheng Qingxi and Lin Ran were slightly taken aback. After a brief pause, Lin Ran bent down, picked up the clothes lying beside him, and said indifferently, “Go back to class and drink some water before the next class.”
With that, he walked away.
Sheng Qingxi, left standing there in confusion, wondered what Lin Ran had called her over for.
After hesitating, she jogged to catch up with him.
He Mo and Xie Zhen cooperated by stepping aside, leaving space for the two who seemed to have become entangled.
At this point, Lin Ran was nearly 1.85 meters tall, while Sheng Qingxi had only recently reached 1.63 meters. She had to look up to talk to him. “Lin Ran, why did you call me over earlier?”
Lin Ran glanced at her, noting that her previously pale face had regained some color, making it look better. He withdrew his gaze and said nonchalantly, “Aren’t you chasing me? Isn’t watching me play basketball part of chasing me?”
Sheng Qingxi quietly denied, “I’m not trying to chase you. I already said I’m not into early romance.”
He Mo and Xie Zhen, who were eavesdropping, were stunned into silence.
Lin Ran chuckled lightly at her response, finding her adherence to her words quite endearing.
Before turning the corner to the restroom, Lin Ran tilted his chin towards Sheng Qingxi and said, “Go upstairs. I’m going to the boys’ restroom, so don’t follow me.”
Sheng Qingxi stopped, watching as Lin Ran’s figure disappeared around the corner. When she reached the third floor, she immediately spotted Song Shiman waiting at the stairs.
Song Shiman was not pleased, resting her chin on the railing.
As soon as class ended, she had stuck her head out to watch. She saw Lin Ran taking the initiative to talk to Sheng Qingxi and even accepting the water she handed him. He had never taken water from girls before.
Song Shiman examined her reflection in a small mirror, noting the baby fat on her face and comparing it to Sheng Qingxi’s more striking features, such as her bright eyes and well-defined nose.
She wasn’t as slim as Sheng Qingxi either.
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. Did Lin Ran prefer people who looked good? The thought made her even more upset, as she also had a preference for good-looking people.
Sheng Qingxi approached Song Shiman, patted her arm, and peeked at her slightly gloomy expression. It was obvious why she was upset.
Just as Sheng Qingxi was about to speak, Song Shiman turned to her with a fierce look and said, “Xiao Xi, there are three months until the college entrance exam. We’ll compete fairly in these three months.”
Sheng Qingxi blinked and suddenly asked, “How are your grades?”
Song Shiman was taken aback, “…”
Who said anything about competing in grades!
Her parents were constantly praying and hoping she could score high enough to get into a good college. If she couldn’t, they planned to send her abroad. But if she went abroad, she’d be even farther from Lin Ran.
Feeling a surge of sadness, Song Shiman pouted, “My grades are terrible. I’m not good at studying, and the person I like doesn’t like me back. I can’t do anything right and I’m not as pretty as you.”
Sheng Qingxi patted her head and gently said, “I’ll tutor you. Let’s get into a good university together, okay?”
Song Shiman bit her lip and said, “But I’m really dumb. All my teachers have told my parents that I have no talent for studying. They say I’m not hardworking, impatient, and too playful.”
She lowered her head and murmured, “But I just don’t understand.”
Seeing her dejected state, Sheng Qingxi tentatively asked, “Shiman, do you want to stay in the country for university or go abroad?”
Song Shiman thought for a long time before replying, “I want to stay here. All my friends are here.”
Sheng Qingxi smiled and said, “From now on, I’ll tutor you every evening during study hall. The school has other study rooms; I’ll apply for two spots. Talk to the teachers and set a goal for the second mock exam next month, okay?”
Song Shiman was about to agree but then realized something and asked suspiciously, “Xiao Xi, aren’t you still in the second year of high school?”
Sheng Qingxi reassured her, “Don’t worry. I’ve already completed all the high school courses; it’s not difficult.”
Song Shiman was even more disheartened, thinking, ‘This is even worse!’