The PE teacher was a middle-aged man with a protruding belly and a balding pate—the telltale hairstyle of a so-called “seasoned powerhouse.”
Yet his face was kindly, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and gentle, giving him the air of a rather decent teacher.
Before long, he had everyone assemble and line up by student number.
As a result, Wang Yuqiong stood in front of Shen An, Shen Lianyao was right beside him, and a little further ahead was Song Rui. Once again, he found himself surrounded on three sides.
Next, the class PE representative began calling roll.
“Number one?”
“Here.”
“Number two.”
“Here.”
Shen An stood quietly, not moving a muscle.
He had keenly noticed the furtive glances coming from both in front of him and at his side.
Soon enough, Wang Yuqiong’s stares grew bolder and less restrained. Taking advantage of a lull in the roll call, she turned back, trying to whisper something to Shen An.
But before she could get a word out, Shen An unhesitatingly poked her in the back and said flatly, “You should set a good example, Class President.”
Wang Yuqiong’s expression froze. She shot him a shy, annoyed glare and sneaked a peek at the impassive Shen Lianyao.
Once the roll call was finished, the PE teacher looked at everyone with great affability and said gently, “Excellent. Everyone’s here—no absences.”
He tucked away the roll sheet and clasped his hands behind his back. “For this first class, we won’t cover any actual content yet. Let’s start with a physical fitness test.”
“There are fifty-eight students in your class, so no need to make things complicated. Pair up, have your partner record your scores, and then report them all to me together.”
His gaze shifted to a spot not far off. “That’s your testing area over there. We’re skipping the run for this first session—just get through the other events.”
“I don’t need to explain the test items, right? You did them back in high school.”
“Once you’re done, you can have free time.”
“Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good. Now, let’s do some warm-ups, and then we’ll start testing.”
The PE teacher had just set down the roll sheet and was about to demonstrate the warm-up when Wang Yuqiong raised her hand. “Teacher, are we picking partners ourselves, or by student number?”
“Hmm… Pair up however you like.”
After a moment’s thought, the PE teacher decided to leave it up to the students.
“Got it!”
A flash of sly delight crossed Wang Yuqiong’s face as she lowered her hand.
If they were choosing freely…
She glanced back at Shen An, her eyes carrying an unmistakable hint.
Shen An’s mouth twitched slightly. For the moment, he ignored her.
Pairing up like this wasn’t ideal for him.
There were only three boys in total—Li Yun and Yang Bin would surely stick together, leaving him to partner with a girl.
And judging by Wang Yuqiong’s demeanor, she was dead set on teaming up with him.
But he had no desire to pair with her.
The thing was, if he did everything with Wang Yuqiong, it would tacitly bind him to her in everyone’s minds.
Then, even if he had other ideas later, it’d be hard to make any waves in that kind of environment.
Once that pairing notion took root, any other move he made would easily brand him a “player.”
Wang Yuqiong had asked that question on purpose, just to reinforce that impression among the others.
Hmm…
If he didn’t pair with her…
Shen An narrowed his eyes and quietly glanced at Shen Lianyao beside him.
Teaming up with her seemed like the better option.
For one, it would deflate Wang Yuqiong’s ambitions. Plus, Shen Lianyao was a loner by nature, and given her personality, she wouldn’t actively seek out a partner.
In other words, if no one approached her, Shen Lianyao was likely to end up alone, testing by herself.
If Wang Yuqiong snagged him, then among the four from East 7 Dormitory 105, Song Rui would be left out too.
With Song Rui’s soft heart, she’d surely end up pairing with the equally solo Shen Lianyao.
He couldn’t let that happen.
Perfect. Shen An quickly locked in his target.
The PE class warm-up was straightforward: some stretches followed by a lap or two around the field.
It took Shen An almost no effort at all.
Once the warm-up ended, the PE teacher told everyone to form pairs and ambled toward the testing area himself.
The assembly line dispersed.
The instant it did, Wang Yuqiong whirled around, eager to invite Shen An.
But Shen An beat her to it. “Tch, you four from the dorm can make two perfect pairs.”
“Right, Li Li?”
To bolster his point, Shen An shot Li Li a pointed look.
The four girls’ student numbers were consecutive, so they stood in the same row. Li Li and Zhang Tong were right next to Wang Yuqiong and Song Rui.
Wang Yuqiong swallowed her words on the spot.
In her haste, she hadn’t considered the dorm situation.
Four from the dorm, two pairs each—perfect fit.
If she picked Shen An, wouldn’t that mean ditching her roommates?
Meeting Shen An’s gaze, Li Li’s face fell, her smile strained as she floundered for a response.
From her earlier chat with Wang Yuqiong, Li Li could pretty much guess who she’d choose.
Especially after that question about self-pairing versus by number.
Her intentions were as plain as day.
But knowing it and saying it out loud were two different things.
If Li Li brushed it off as no big deal—showing support for Wang Yuqiong—it’d be fine for her; Zhang Tong could pair with her.
But what about Song Rui?
It would paint her as Wang Yuqiong’s accomplice, inexplicably shoving Song Rui aside.
Betrayal within a dorm was a messy business.
Yet she didn’t want to offend Wang Yuqiong either…
Shen An had effectively dragged Li Li into a dilemma.
In that moment, Song Rui’s mind sharpened like never before.
Without waiting for Li Li’s answer, Song Rui turned to Wang Yuqiong with a bright smile. “Then let’s pair up? Li Li and Zhang Tong can be the other team.”
Whew…
Li Li let out a silent sigh of relief as Song Rui spoke up.
Song Rui, I love you!
Wang Yuqiong wasn’t thrilled, but she didn’t want to make a scene.
She did want to pair with Shen An, but with Song Rui inviting her so nicely, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse outright.
So, returning Song Rui’s smile, Wang Yuqiong nodded slightly. “Sure, let’s do it.”
“Mm-hm.”
Song Rui’s smile was all innocence. “Let’s head over then.”
She took Wang Yuqiong’s hand and started toward the testing area.
Li Li and Zhang Tong followed along.
But after a few steps, Song Rui glanced back as if by accident, giving Shen An a knowing, half-smile.
Clearly, Song Rui had weighed the pros and cons in a flash.
She wanted to pair with Shen An too, but she knew with Wang Yuqiong around, she stood no chance.
More importantly, her smarts lay in picking up on Shen An’s subtext.
He didn’t want to pair with Wang Yuqiong either.
So rather than watch her succeed, Song Rui seized the moment to help him out—pulling Wang Yuqiong away instead.
She’d earn his approval, thwart Wang Yuqiong’s plan, and come out ahead on all fronts.
That look in her eyes, though…
Watching it, Shen An suddenly felt a twinge of wariness.
He’d always seen Song Rui as a harmless little bunny—the easiest to push around.
As expected…
When it came to matters of the heart, no girl was truly naive.
He couldn’t let his guard down.
Shen An stood there for a moment longer, then turned to find Shen Lianyao.
Sure enough, just as he’d predicted, no one had asked her to pair up.
She stood alone in a corner, her brows furrowed as if pondering something.
