Chapter 85: Activity
A sports meet should be held on a sunny day. The weather hadn’t been good for a few weeks after National Day. After a heavy downpour a few days ago, it was as if all the gloom had been washed away. The thick clouds scattered into thin pieces, and the sun shone through the clouds. The repeatedly postponed sports meet was finally on the agenda.
University sports meets were much more casual than those in primary and high school. Not every student was required to be present. But after all, it was the first sports meet of their university life, and the freshmen were still quite enthusiastic. At least on the first day, many people showed up to watch the opening ceremony.
Chu Feng, as the sports representative, was in charge of registration for the sports meet. The boys’ registration was fine, but the girls’ was almost deserted. The girls really weren’t interested in sports. Compared to running on the plastic track under the autumn sun, sweating profusely, they would rather spend two hours putting on beautiful makeup and standing by the side of the track with a small umbrella to attract attention.
“By the way, how many people from our class participated?”
Gu Chuan was curious and clung to Chu Feng’s shoulder to look at the list in his hand. He had been in a state of invisibility for a while, often not staying at school or even attending classes. He had only been a little more free these past few days. When asked for the reason, he was always vague.
“Not many, just enough.” Chu Feng handed the list to Gu Chuan.
Su Yu leaned against the railing and chimed in. He had seen Chu Feng running around trying to find people these past few days. “This is to be expected.”
Gu Chuan scanned the list, his calm eyes suddenly widening in surprise. He exclaimed, “Damn, An Zhi signed up for an event? And it’s the 200m and 4x100m, such explosive events. Not bad, the light of our class’s women. But can that little white rabbit’s short legs create a miracle?”
“Hmm? An Zhi?” Su Yu raised his eyebrows, also a little disbelieving.
“Hey, why can’t I do it?”
A sweet and childish voice with a hint of anger suddenly came from behind.
“Ouch… hiss.”
Gu Chuan clutched his arm, which had been pinched hard a few times, grimacing in pain. He turned around and saw the little white rabbit standing behind him with her hands on her hips, pouting, looking angry.
“Little white… An Zhi.” Gu Chuan immediately corrected himself and put on an enthusiastic smile. “Don’t be angry. I’ve always felt that frequency is true speed. We all believe in you. Right, Su Yu?”
Su Yu was nudged by Gu Chuan’s elbow and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, frequency is true speed.”
“Hmph, you know what’s good for you.” An Zhi lifted her head, the corners of her mouth twitching. “Then… when you cheer for me later, remember to shout louder.”
“Okay, I’ll definitely shout my lungs out then.” Gu Chuan readily agreed.
…
The women’s 200m race was scheduled for the afternoon of the opening day of the sports meet. The little girl wore a white tracksuit, her hair tied in a ponytail, and walked towards the check-in area with a bounce in her step. From not too far away, Su Yu could see An Zhi’s shadow as she did some stretches near the starting line.
The race was about to start. Lu Siyuan and Gu Chuan brought a few boxes of mineral water and placed them on the spectator stands. He was panting, and he and Gu Chuan were both exhausted.
Lu Siyuan wiped his sweat and asked, “Whose event is it?”
“An Zhi’s 200m.” Su Yu answered without thinking.
“That’s perfect. Go give her some water. An Zhi doesn’t know many people in the class.”
Lu Siyuan shoved two bottles of water into Su Yu’s hand and gestured for him to go and meet An Zhi.
“Sigh, if she sees you guys didn’t go to cheer for her, she’ll be unhappy again. I’m the one who’s going to suffer.”
Su Yu complained a little, took the water, and walked down from the stands towards the finish line of the 200m race.
There were many people running around on the track, couples chasing each other playfully, girls handing water to their favorite boys… the air was filled with the scent of youth. The scorching sun couldn’t diminish their enthusiasm.
Su Yu stood at the finish line, staring blankly for a while, whether he was spacing out or thinking about something else. His thoughts were interrupted by a gunshot from the starting line.
The loud gunshot echoed throughout the track. The runners on the starting line shot out like arrows. An Zhi was in the fifth lane. With the gunshot, she instantly shot out, as if she had wind under her feet, and actually managed to leave the girls behind her in the dust.
This was beyond Su Yu’s expectations. He hadn’t expected the soft and gentle girl to be so agile at a critical moment. A white figure ran wildly on the red track, flashing past the spectator stands like lightning, eliciting a wave of cheers.
The 200m distance was over in a flash. An Zhi was the second to cross the finish line, only a few steps behind the first.
The little girl stopped abruptly at the finish line, and she didn’t seem tired at all. She wasn’t panting, and she was still immersed in the excitement of the sprint. She even bounced on the spot a few times.
An Zhi saw Su Yu at once, and her big eyes flashed with surprise. She had thought that no one would be there to meet her. Seeing Su Yu waiting at the finish line, although he looked lazy, she immediately ran towards him.
Su Yu walked up to her. The little girl was still excited about getting second place. She reached out and gave him a high-five, her happy, silly smile unstoppable.
“Hey, sister is here too.”
An Zhi’s big eyes darted around, and she suddenly saw Xia Qian Ge standing not far away. The smile on her face grew even brighter. She pulled Su Yu and bounced over to Xia Qian Ge. “When did you get here, sister? Are you here to watch me? I only mentioned it once, and you remembered?”
Su Yu turned around and was stunned to see Xia Qian Ge behind him. When did Xia Qian Ge…
“I was just passing by and happened to hear the announcement for the race, so I came to watch. Congratulations on your good result.” Xia Qian Ge glanced at An Zhi’s hand, which was clutching Su Yu’s sleeve, without a trace of expression, a faint smile on her face. Her tone was gentle, as if she and An Zhi were already good friends.
“Um… I didn’t notice you just now.” Su Yu chimed in, trying to explain why he hadn’t seen Xia Qian Ge before. “How long have you been here? I really didn’t notice you if you didn’t say anything.”
“I saw you were very focused, so I didn’t disturb you.”
Xia Qian Ge nodded, not seeming to mind.
Su Yu saw the armband on Xia Qian Ge’s shoulder and remembered that Lu Siyuan also had one. It was a sign of being a volunteer during the sports meet, and it seemed there was a decent subsidy.
“Are you volunteering?”
“Yeah, I’m just idle anyway.”
Xia Qian Ge replied softly, her tone light, without a trace of emotion. She always isolated herself like this, making it impossible to read her mind.
“Huh? Sister, you’re working part-time again? Didn’t you promise me you would get some rest?”
An Zhi felt a pang of pity for no reason. She touched the scratches on Xia Qian Ge’s knuckles, some new, some old, her big eyes almost welling up with tears.
“Sister seems to be working several jobs. She doesn’t even have time to hang out with me on weekends.”
“You, your mouth is like a sieve. Didn’t I tell you not to mention these things?”
Xia Qian Ge poked An Zhi’s smooth forehead. An Zhi dodged with a playful cry. They both smiled, as close as best friends who had shared their deepest secrets.
