Chapter 19: That Delicate Flower (19)

In the relay race, Song Qi ran the third leg and Qin Xiao the fourth, each covering a hundred meters.

“Class Monitor, don’t fall too far behind, or I won’t be able to catch up.” Qin Xiao gave Song Qi a provocative grin.

Song Qi curled her lip and shot him a casual glance. “If I leave everyone else in the dust and you still fail to get first place, won’t that be pretty embarrassing for you?”

“Ha. Don’t worry.”

They met each other’s eyes. Sparks flew in Qin Xiao’s; Song Qi’s gaze didn’t flicker.

The other two runners from their class exchanged a look and shuddered. The tension between those two was so thick it was frightening.

Neither wanted to take the blame, so they put every ounce of effort into their legs.

But by the time Song Qi took the baton, they were already in third place, a good distance behind the two runners ahead.

“Yangnuan! Go!” The moment Gu Si saw Song Qi take the baton, she started shouting in her direction.

Song Qi didn’t quite hear her, but still glanced back on instinct.

Gu Si was already jumping up and down, screaming herself hoarse.

“Yangnuan! Come on!” She ran along too, even though she couldn’t possibly keep up, trying her hardest to make her voice carry.

Song Qi lengthened her stride. At the sixty-meter mark, she overtook the two runners ahead and gradually pulled away.

If she were in her own body, she could have gone even faster.

Song Qi passed the baton to Qin Xiao and lowered her voice. “If you lose, you’ll be doing five math worksheets when we get back.”

Qin Xiao shuddered. He didn’t even have time to glare at her before turning and sprinting away, as if a tiger were on his heels.

His thoughts were in a jumble. How could she still be threatening him at a time like this?

Song Qi took a deep breath and loosened up her muscles. Watching Qin Xiao charge across the finish line, she curled her lips into a smile.

The girls in the stands erupted in shrieks. Song Qi glanced their way.

Then it struck her that this was supposed to be a romance novel.

Though the atmosphere right now was anything but romantic.

The system hadn’t spoken in ages. She wasn’t sure if she’d managed to annoy it, or what.

“Yangnuan, you were amazing!” Gu Si bent over with her hands on her knees. She looked even more exhausted than Song Qi. Then she raised a hand and waved, beaming with excitement.

Song Qi walked over and helped her straighten up. “Why did you shout so loud?”

“Isn’t that how you cheer someone on? You have to shout, or how will they hear you?” Gu Si coughed a couple of times and rubbed her throat. “So, did you hear me?”

“I did,” Song Qi said, straight-faced, lying through her teeth. “Loud and clear.”

Gu Si smiled with satisfaction. “Of course. I put my whole heart into it and threw all my dignity out the window. I even broke character as your little fairy today.”

“Mm. Thanks. Should I give you a gold star as a reward?”

“No need. Want to get dinner together?”

Gu Si looked at Song Qi, suddenly nervous.

“Sure.”

Gu Si breathed a sigh of relief.

After registering their result, Qin Xiao set off to find Song Qi. He finally made his way through the crowd—and spotted Gu Si at her side.

He stopped short, then abruptly veered off in the opposite direction.

Maybe later.

After the relay came several events for the teachers. Nearly the whole school had gathered on the field. Students rarely got to watch their teachers make fools of themselves, after all. A few daredevils furtively pulled out their phones, hoping to snap pictures of their teachers’ contorted faces.

There would probably be plenty of teacher reaction memes circulating online for a while.

Even the strictest teachers felt closer to the students than usual today.

The PE teachers stole the show in every event. One particularly good-looking PE teacher ran alongside the potbellied head of the biology department, making the spectacle even funnier.

The students laughed at the head of biology, but he laughed right along with them. “If you don’t exercise, you’ll all end up looking just like me.”

As he spoke, he patted his beer belly.

Gu Si clung to Song Qi’s arm with all her might, but someone nearly jostled her away.

Song Qi glanced at Gu Si’s scrunched-up face, pulled her in front of her, and draped an arm over her shoulders, resting her hand against Gu Si’s back. The distance between them closed at once.

Gu Si tilted her head to look at Song Qi. Song Qi was watching the field. Gu Si studied her profile: the graceful curve of her chin, her small, straight nose.

She had the looks of a sweet, soft girl, yet being near her felt reassuring.

And the softness pressed against Gu Si’s back made her swallow, suddenly self-conscious.

She could feel Song Qi’s steady heartbeat—and her own heart thudding wildly.

“What is it?” Song Qi turned to look at her. Their noses brushed.

Before Gu Si could react, Song Qi had already leaned away a little, putting some distance between them.

“Nothing,” Gu Si murmured, her cheeks turning pink.

“Are you hot?” Song Qi started to let her go.

Gu Si immediately leaned against her and grabbed her arm. “I’m not hot. This is nice.”

Song Qi…

“All right, then. Just stop sneaking looks at me.”

Gu Si’s face grew even redder. “When did I ever sneak a look at you? I… I was looking right at you.”

“Mm. So what did you notice?”

“You’re getting fat,” Gu Si blurted, grabbing the first excuse that came to mind.

Song Qi put a hand on Gu Si’s waist and pinched a bit of flesh, then gave it another squeeze. “You’re the one who’s gotten fat.”

Gu Si went rigid. “Xu Yangnuan, don’t… don’t do that!”

“Do what?” Song Qi laughed.

Gu Si lowered her head. “Just… that.”

“Okay. Just that.” Still smiling, Song Qi gave her waist two more squeezes.

Gu Si: !!!

“How can you be so mean?”

“Mm?”

Before Song Qi could ask what she meant, Gu Si cut her off. “You’re awful.”

Song Qi’s smile widened. She let go and ruffled Gu Si’s hair.

Once the teachers’ events were over, everyone had to return to their class lines and wait for the results.

Their class came in second, behind the sports class.

Song Qi wasn’t thrilled about not taking first place.

As class monitor, she still had to go up to the podium to accept the certificate.

Honestly, she thought standing there holding a certificate looked ridiculous. The teacher taking pictures even insisted she smile.

As if she’d smiled when she was given an award.

The podium faced Gu Si’s class. Since Gu Si was short, she stood at the front. She smiled at Song Qi and raised her camera, her eyes bright.

Song Qi smiled back.

The teacher taking pictures let out a sigh of relief.

How could such a pretty girl not like to smile? Look how lovely she was when she did.

As soon as Song Qi stepped down from the podium, her smile vanished. She rolled up the certificate and shoved it into the PE rep’s hands.

“All the glory goes to you, and all the hard work goes to me.” The PE rep glanced at Song Qi and sighed.

Song Qi looked at him. “Didn’t I ask if you wanted to go up there? You said no.”

The PE rep touched his face. “Well, I can’t help being so handsome. I was afraid I’d blind everyone up there. I’m a kind person, you know. What do you think, Class Monitor?”

He smiled at Song Qi.

It was ridiculous.

Song Qi…

Qin Xiao grabbed the PE rep by the collar and hauled him toward the back. “I suggest you stand outside a hospital. Once you’ve blinded someone, you’ll help bring in business, and the hospital will thank you. They might even treat your brain for free.”

Ever since Qin Xiao had spent so much time with Song Qi, his talent for roasting people had improved by leaps and bounds.

“Tsk, Brother Qin. You’re just jealous of my good looks.”

Qin Xiao laughed. “With a face like mine, why would I be jealous of you?”

Song Qi listened to the two of them bicker and stared silently at the PE teacher in front. The moment the teacher called for everyone to disperse, she left at once.

Qin Xiao had meant to talk to Song Qi, but when he turned around, she was gone.

They might have been desk mates, but when you had something you were dying to say, who wanted to wait until class?

Whenever they ran into each other, he forgot what he wanted to say. And when he remembered, he couldn’t find her.

How pathetic.

Song Qi and Gu Si finished dinner and went back to class together. As soon as Song Qi walked in, she saw the serious look in Qin Xiao’s eyes.

“What’s up?” she asked casually.

“I need to talk to you.” Qin Xiao lowered his voice.

“Go ahead.” Song Qi unscrewed her water bottle and took a drink.

Qin Xiao dragged his chair closer. “I’m telling you again: stay away from Gu Si. That girl is bad news.”

“Remember that person who fell during your hundred-meter race today? I saw them throw a marble onto your lane. Somehow it rolled back, and they were the one who fell.” Qin Xiao laughed. “That girl had some contact with Gu Si before the race. She probably said something to her.”

Song Qi looked at Qin Xiao, considering whether to tell him the truth.

“And weren’t you cornered a few days ago? Gu Si was the one who got people to do that.” Qin Xiao rubbed his chin. “She’s pretty stupid, though. She knows you can fight, and she still sent a bunch of useless girls who can only pull hair.”

Qin Xiao frowned at Song Qi, who was calmly sipping her tea. “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Song Qi ran a finger along the rim of her cup and glanced at him. “I knew all that already.”

Qin Xiao: ???

“Wait. You knew, and you still hang out with her?” Qin Xiao nearly jumped to his feet. He couldn’t understand it.

“And I was the one who kicked the marble back.” Song Qi smiled at him. “I wanted to see what she’d try next. Is that a problem?”

Watching Qin Xiao’s whole worldview crumble, Song Qi realized Gu Si might have been right about her. She really could be pretty awful.

Qin Xiao opened his mouth several times. It took him a while to find the words. “Xu Yangnuan, are all you girls this scary?”

“I wouldn’t know.” Song Qi swirled her cup and glanced at him. “But I’m probably pretty scary, so don’t mess with me, Qin Xiao. You might not even know why you ended up in trouble.”

Qin Xiao…

He’d thought she was a sweet little cabbage. Turns out she was a mutant cabbage, and the inside was poisonous.

Qin Xiao gave Song Qi a complicated look. He suddenly felt a little sorry for the person who was still being kept in the dark.

“But most girls are still sweet and kind. Don’t let me give you a complex.” Song Qi thought for a moment and added that.

Qin Xiao glanced at her and twisted his mouth. “Heh. Too late.”

“Oh. You’ll get used to it.” Song Qi stood up. “I’m going to refill my water. Take out the physics worksheet I told you to do yesterday.”