Zhou Zhou, unable to keep his composure, smashed the speaker on the spot, apparently placed there by some genius. Then stomped off angrily. Another soap drama scene lost.
Yan Xi lamented deep inside at the missed opportunity for entertainment.
[This is oddly reminiscent of... a CEO's runaway sweetheart.] Pandora mused.
[I have reasonable grounds to suspect you're getting back at Zhou Zhou.]
[How could that be? A pure and kind-hearted young girl like me taking revenge? Just an accident.] Yan Xi replied coquettishly.
After all, she was just a seed player taking on the 800 meters, 400 meters, and the 4 x 100 meter relay.
Hellish training in the afternoon meant no mercy for anyone.
Yan Xi could barely make out what was in front of her.
Breathing in and out rapidly, completely erratic.
Yan Xi's nails dug into her palms.
Yan Xi’s legs felt pumped full of lead. Her breathing grew heavier as she struggled to steady it.
But to no avail.
The disgusting heaviness and clumsiness seemed to replay the nightmare, surging up relentlessly over and over.
Like the stickiest, foulest mire flooding in from the head down.
She still remembered dragging her cumbersome body day after day, madly engaging in high intensity exercise. The suffocation brought on by running seemed ready to end the world.
Ah hahaha.....I can’t...
I can’t...
Can’t what?
Can’t be ugly...!
Why can’t I?
Her mind tore violently as memories buried deep surged wildly, like nauseating muck.
"Don't wear that dress again in the future."
The man turned his head, his eyes deeply restraining his disgust, not showing the slightest bit.
But Luo Manman knew her esteemed father was angry.
No, to be more precise, he could barely contain his revulsion...
She was seated at the piano, head slightly lowered, not daring to defy him.
"Yes, father."
Her tone was neither humble nor imposing, as if she had practiced countless times to achieve that exact modulation.
The girl wore an antique black dress, her long black hair seeming to extinguish all expression, leaving only utmost perfection in obedience and docility.
No amount of effort could change her physique, hideous features, or the necrosis marring her skin, all interwoven with and congealing her ugliness, also crystallizing her original sin.
The dress was custom-fitted, her hair styled just right, even the dress's contours Luo Manman had fiddled with for a long time.
Was this beauty? Meticulous beauty, orderly beauty?
No, only ugliness held true existence.
The man left.
Yet to Luo Manman the scene seemed laughably dreadful.
But it's not me who's gone mad, right?
Luo Manman stroked her heart, blossoming a smile amidst agony, desolate beyond belief.
You have to get used to it, dear...
---------------------------------------------
800 meter finish line.
"Xi Xi, are you having low blood sugar?" Tu Qingluan supported Yan Xi with his left hand and handed her an energy drink with his right.
"...Why do you say so?" Yan Xi asked with difficulty, her lungs stinging, the taste of blood welling up from her trachea.
Having arrived at the finish line early after Yan Xi’s 800 meter race ended, Tu Qingluan had been waiting there for her.
“You look awful.” Tu Qingluan wasn’t lying.
The girl’s face was deathly pale, her lips bloodless, breathing raggedly as if she might lose consciousness any second.
“Tu Qingluan, I want to sit down, my legs feel weak.” Yan Xi said feebly.
[Sitting right after intense exercise is asking for dead legs!] Pandora warned in her mind.
[I know.]
“You can’t sit right after strenuous exercise. Let me help you walk a lap, Xi Xi.” Tu Qingluan was uncharacteristically firm.
[Displaying a bit of childish ignorance before a man is good sometimes. Because you know... they all want to be the one in control...]
What a coincidence, so did she.
Supporting Yan Xi, Tu Qingluan slowly walked a lap around the field with her.
Tu Qingluan’s phone suddenly buzzed. He took it out to glance at the screen then put it away again.
“Go take care of things if you’re busy.” Yan Xi seemed to guess he had matters to handle and appropriately provided him an out.
“Xi Xi, I need to step out for a bit. Someone’s looking for me. I’ll get you something tasty when I’m back.”
“Okay.”
Shortly after Tu Qingluan left, the competition was starting on Zhou Zhou’s side, jianzi kicking.
That area was even livelier than the morning. After Yan Xi’s antics, even more people had gone over to the recreational zone. Plus everyone in their class knew about the bet between Yan Xi and Zhou Zhou. So there was no way they wouldn’t show up, especially since he hadn’t come to watch that morning. If he didn’t make an appearance this time, he would lose his pants.
Yan Xi stood by the track as a 200 meter race began.
Representing their class in the 200 meters was Shen Qiuyi. Tall and shapely, Shen Qiuyi was athletically gifted and specialized in sprints. Having taken second place in the 100 meter dash that morning, Guan Yongyan had her lined up without hesitation.
The starting gun fired signaling the start of the race. Shen Qiuyi shot forward swiftly to grab first position right off the bat, closely tailed by another similarly tall girl from a different class with formidable speed.
The two were neck and neck in distance.
With only 100 meters left in the track, Shen Qiuyi suddenly stumbled and the figure beside her raced past, brushing against Shen Qiuyi’s left side.
“Ah!” Shen Qiuyi fell sprawling to the ground.
The girls behind swiftly overtook her and within seconds, she had dropped from first to last place.
Observing trackside, Yan Xi seemed to see Shen Qiuyi get knocked over.
Staring at the girl who took first place, the one who’d passed Shen Qiuyi on the left, something about her looked familiar.
A tattoo.
Wearing red shirt and pants, Shen Qiuyi didn’t realize at first that her knee was injured. She only felt momentarily weak-kneed and unable to get up.
Shen Qiuyi tried several times but couldn’t stand. Feeling wetness on her knee, she looked down.
Her hand was covered in blood.
Shen Qiuyi’s face paled tremendously. She began to grasp what happened and struggled to get up. Putting weight on her knee shot waves of agony through her.
The race had long finished and no one paid Shen Qiuyi any attention, everyone from the other classes cheering the victor. Naturally no one noticed Shen Qiuyi. Most of her own classmates had gone to watch Zhou Zhou’s jianzi match this afternoon. So Shen Qiuyi was practically alone.
She had intended to return on her own after the race anyway since she ran the 100 meters solo too. An injury never crossed Shen Qiuyi's mind.
Originally, Dong Yaya said she would accompany Shen Qiuyi but soon as she said it, Dong Yaya went straight to Zhou Zhou’s match, claiming she was saving them seats.
The broadcast sounded: “Female 400 meter runners, please head to registration for check-in.”
"Female 400 meter runners, please head to registration for check-in."
"Female 400 meter runners, please head to registration for check-in."
[I was going to go all out for the 400 meters, the last event too...]
This body truly was weak.
Watching Shen Qiuyi from afar, Yan Xi rhythmically tapped the knuckles of one hand with the fingers of her other, a habitual movement when she thought something through.
Can’t get up...
Still can’t get up...
Just as tears brimmed Shen Qiuyi eyes, a pair of fair hands stretched out before her.
“Are you okay, deskmate?” Yan Xi helped pull Shen Qiuyi to her feet with some effort.
“You seem quite badly hurt. Let me take you to the infirmary.” Seeing how drenched Shen Qiuyi’s pants were with blood staining her whole thigh and dripping onto the track, Yan Xi said.
The wound beneath was already a bloody mess.
“You go on ahead. You still have races left.” Shen Qiuyi spoke despondently with a sobbing tone to her voice. She knew about Yan Xi and Zhou Zhou’s bet and could see neither wanted to lose to the other.
Plus she just heard the announcement for the 400 meter event.
Shen Qiuyi couldn’t even walk right now. Just being pulled up made her feel it wasn’t skin deep. Something in the bone also seemed injured. Every slight movement brought such agony she nearly cried. She and Yan Xi weren’t close enough for her to believe Yan Xi would give up competing for her sake. Shen Qiuyi felt Yan Xi was merely being polite.
“Just message Dong Yaya to come get me. You go on...” Shen Qiuyi said with tears edging her words. She truly hurt a lot.
"Come on, get on," Yan Xi interrupted Shen Qiuyi's words.
Yan Xi turned his back to her and squatted down, signaling that he wanted to give Shen Qiuyi a piggyback ride.
"There's no need..."
"I'm telling you—get on, don't waste time. We might just make it," said Yan Xi, his handsome eyebrows showing some determination, although it didn't quite reach his eyes.
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