Chapter 27: Reborn
During a sports meet, you’ll always see a scene like this—a popular person competes, and a crowd gathers to cheer for them. When they run past their class’s stands, everyone screams for them. When they cross the finish line, someone from their class is already waiting there to catch them.
But what if… it’s someone who isn’t so popular?
Perhaps their classmates won’t even know they have a race. From beginning to end, maybe only a single girl, overflowing with sympathy for everyone, will say, “Go for it.”
Ruan Xi wanted to be the first kind of person.
There was a time when she wouldn’t even have such a thought, but now, it was as if a derelict swimming pool had been drained of its foul water. She was eager to become a brand new version of herself, and she wouldn’t stop for a single moment in pursuit of it.
Tong Yao helped open the pull-tab on the Red Bull and handed it to the young girl.
“Want a few sips? It can replenish your energy, but don’t drink too much.”
Ruan Xi gave a small “mhm,” took the can, and took a few light sips, like a small animal drinking water. The taste of Red Bull was mellow and delicious, with a slight sweetness, and a tingling sensation went straight to her heart.
It was as if… it really could give her strength.
“Teacher Tong, this…”
It was almost time to enter the field. The young girl, holding the half-full can of Red Bull, was suddenly at a loss. She looked to the side; He Xueyu had gone to help Ji Chen move the box and was nowhere to be seen.
“This?” Tong Yao smiled, smoothly taking the can from Ruan Xi’s hand and giving it a gentle shake. “I’ll hold it for you. You just focus on the race.”
This action made the young girl’s heart race again.
At the Class 7 stands.
Ji Chen returned to the crowd, placed the box of Red Bull at his feet, and stood up, clapping his hands.
“Everyone, don’t just stare at your phones. Go cheer for our classmates. Ruan Xi’s 100-meter race is coming up. We can shout when she runs past here. We can’t be quieter than the other classes, right?”
“Alright!” everyone readily agreed.
The class spirit of Class 7 was very positive, unlike some classes where the atmosphere was so warped that shouting “Go for it” was seen as a foolish and strange act. Although there were occasional conflicts and frictions, no one lacked a sense of camaraderie or class honor. They valued the class’s image and cherished their friendships. Elementary school was a time of innocence and naivety; middle school was marked by a childish, self-perceived maturity. But high school was probably the most memorable and unforgettable period of one’s life. The close friends made in high school were likely the best friends one would ever have.
“Group A, get ready!”
The officials shouted on the track.
Ruan Xi walked onto the track, waiting for her turn. The autumn wind, carrying a hint of moisture, blew against her face. She didn’t feel cold at all. Her racing heart and accelerating blood circulation kept her nerves on edge, ready at any moment. Time seemed to move slowly; it took forever for one group to finish before the next one started. Yet, time also flew by; in the blink of an eye, a group would finish, leaving the others in the dust. She wondered if she could keep up.
“Group E, get ready!”
Tong Yao stood nervously at the finish line, a hundred meters away.
It was strange. It wasn’t her race, yet she was nervous.
Was she worried that the child would fail, that her newly sparked fighting spirit would be crushed?
But it didn’t seem like that was it.
She saw her class representative, Yin Jiali, already waiting at the finish line to receive the runner. Were they that close? Speaking of which, as a teacher, there was probably no need for her to wait here. It would be more appropriate for Ruan Ruan’s friends to be the ones to receive her.
But since she was already here, she didn’t plan on moving.
“Teacher Tong!” Yin Jiali saw her and waved excitedly. “Are you here to wait for Ruan Xi too?”
“Mhm.”
She was a little ashamed to admit her favoritism. To cover it up, she subconsciously took a sip of the Red Bull in her hand—wait, this didn’t seem to be hers.
By the time she realized, she had already drunk quite a bit.
Although she had never been in a relationship, she wasn’t completely clueless. She had heard of the cheesy “indirect kiss” trope, even if she had never experienced it herself. She never thought it would happen to her one day.
…It wasn’t that she had any romantic thoughts, it was just that a teacher secretly drinking a student’s drink was weird. If it were a male teacher, he would probably be labeled a pervert.
That child is a little silly, she won’t notice, will she?
“On your marks—”
“Set!”
BANG! The starting pistol fired.
From a distance, Tong Yao saw a flag wave down.
The runners shot out like arrows.
Unlike the fiercely competitive boys’ races, there were clearly some in the girls’ 100-meter who were just there to fill the numbers. A few girls fell far behind, but Ruan Xi was not among them. On the contrary, Ruan Xi was leading the pack!
The young girl’s performance clearly shocked the students of Class 7. Before she even reached their stands, they were already on their feet, cheering. The boys were still a bit shy about cheering for a girl, but the girls, without any inhibitions, began to shout and scream.
“Go, Ruan Xi! Ruan Xi!”
“Go for it!”
“Go!!”
Jiang Yiming was running alongside her on the inner track, carrying the class flag.
Tong Yao watched in a daze. This young girl, charging forward without a care in the world, was nothing like her usual kitten-like self. She was like a little leopard—agile, beautiful, dazzling, as if reborn.
When the first runner crossed the line, the referee pressed the timer and shouted:
“First!”
The world seemed to go blank, leaving only the tilted silhouette of a person crossing the finish line.
It was Ruan Xi.
Inertia made it impossible for her to stop. She plunged straight into a warm embrace, nearly knocking over the can of Red Bull in the person’s hand.
A familiar faint fragrance, slender yet encompassing arms, and a stifled grunt of endurance.
Tong Yao smiled helplessly and steadied the young girl.
“Be careful.”
Yin Jiali looked even happier than Ruan Xi.
“Ruan Ruan, you were so fast! That sports student from Class 9 behind you couldn’t even catch up!”
Ruan Ruan? Have others started using that nickname too?
Tong Yao couldn’t quite describe her current mood.
Ruan Xi was a little dazed. I beat a sports student? Then that sports student must be kind of weak.
She had run so fast that her legs felt like they were on fire, aching faintly. She even felt a little nauseous. By the time she recovered, she realized she had been hugging Teacher Tong for so long, and her face turned bright red again.
But… it was so warm, she didn’t want to let go.
“You must be tired, right?” Tong Yao felt a pang of pity. She held up the Red Bull, then felt a little embarrassed. “Want some Red Bull? I’m sorry, I accidentally drank a little of yours…”
Hearing that Teacher Tong had drunk her Red Bull, Ruan Xi’s face turned even redder. She shook her head vigorously. “It’s okay…”
Can I… still drink from this can? Wouldn’t that be an indirect… with Teacher Tong?
At that thought, Ruan Xi almost fainted.
Just then, Jiang Yiming, carrying the class flag, ran over and gave Ruan Xi a thumbs-up.
“Desk mate, you’re awesome!”
The young girl, still hugging Tong Yao, gave an embarrassed “mhm.”
But then, Jiang Yiming took out a can of Red Bull and said:
“I brought this for you. You still have the finals. Go for it!”
His action, however, was not met with the girl’s gratitude.
Tong Yao’s feelings were complicated. Why are you only showing up now? If you had come earlier, I wouldn’t have had to expose myself, would I?
Ruan Xi roared internally, Why did you have to come now!
**
“I’m sorry,” Yan Zhi said, panting, her hands on her thighs. “I was too slow.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. You did your best.”
Her classmates comforted her.
She refused her friends’ company and walked back to her seat. The stands for each class were close together. From here, it was easy to see the class two over—Class 7. Ruan Xi, that timid and shy rabbit, had really become the center of attention in her class, even if it was only temporary. Boys and girls were all surrounding her, praising her for her first-place feat.
Even Teacher Tong…
Some things seemed to change in the blink of an eye.
She couldn’t deceive her own heart. That emotion was called envy.
**
Ruan Xi was overwhelmed by the praise from her classmates.
Some were praising her to the skies, some brought her water, and at the very least, they would say “Awesome,” like Jiang Yiming.
The only unfortunate thing was that as soon as she was back with her class, Teacher Tong became everyone’s.
“Teacher Tong came to watch the race too?”
“Teacher Tong is even prettier today!”
“Teacher Tong, are you rooting for Class 4 or our class?”
Tong Yao was in a difficult position. It was like choosing between the palm and the back of her hand. She could only give a wry smile.
“I’m rooting for both.”
Class 7 was actually quite good at sports. The results of the sports meet mainly depended on the boys, and those boys didn’t play ball for nothing. Most of the sports students didn’t compete, the liberal arts classes’ combat effectiveness was average, and the experimental classes’ participation was a bit lacking. After the first few events, Class 7’s score was actually ranked first.
Class 7’s academic performance wasn’t great, but their cohesion was strong. When it came to facing outsiders, they were never ambiguous.
Xu Hao, a skinny monkey, won first place in the high jump. Among a group of people using the straddle jump, he stood out with his Fosbury Flop. A usually low-key, tall and strong boy won first place in the shot put.
And the next event was the girls’ 100-meter final.
“Go for it. Don’t feel any pressure.”
Ji Chen patted Ruan Xi’s shoulder, his tone earnest.
Ruan Xi rolled her eyes at him. How could there be no pressure?
She didn’t look at her ranking among the finalists, afraid that she would lose her nerve if she did.
If I don’t get a place, will everyone be disappointed?
She was about to go to the check-in area. As she passed by Teacher Tong, she heard her say:
“Do your best at what you can do, and no one will be disappointed in you.”
She was slightly taken aback.
Tong Yao smiled. “It’s a line from an anime. Go for it.”
It wasn’t the original line; she had modified it a bit, but it was very applicable.
The young girl repeated it in her mind and asked, “Who said it?”
“The home tutor(Katekyo Hitman),” Tong Yao’s eyes curved. “Reborn.”
So Teacher Tong watches anime too, Ruan Xi thought.
On the track, the finalists gathered.
The people from Class 7 were already on their feet, their cheers ready to erupt.
When the starting pistol fired, Tong Yao suddenly thought of another classic line.
A salute to the birth of a king.
“Go, Ruan Xi!”
The cheers rose and fell, breaking through the sky.
Ruan Xi ran, and ran, her eyes fixed on the finish line.
Don’t look back.
She thought of the line from Forrest Gump.
“My momma always said you’ve got to put the past behind you before you can move on. And I think that’s what I had to do. I had to run.”
“Miracles happen every day.”
She rarely won.
But sometimes, she did.
