It was seven-thirty in the morning; the mist had not yet fully burned off. The athletic field smelled of grass and damp earth, and shafts of sunlight pierced gaps in the clouds to touch the silhouettes of the students who jogged in slow, steady lines.
Gu Jinghan ran with Bluetooth buds in his ears, breath falling into a measured rhythm. The absurd dream from last night still clung to him, robbing him of sleep; running was the only thing that pushed the intrusive thoughts down, if only for a little while.
He was rounding the third lap when a clear, unabashed laugh cut through the air. The sound burst out with a careless, wholehearted joy.
"Xiaorou, look! Haha, I'm telling you about that thing from yesterday—"
Gu's stride faltered and he glanced over automatically. A few meters ahead, a girl with a high ponytail was running and laughing, her sports tank clinging to her frame, shorts revealing the taut lines of her legs; sweat dotted her temples and rolled down.
It was Xiao Yutian.
She jogged along, bottle in one hand, waving the other as she chatted with Zhang Xiaorou, oblivious to the number of heads turning in her direction.
"Annoying," Gu Jinghan snorted inwardly — and, inexplicably, slowed his pace. His eyes kept drifting back to that lively figure, again and again.
---
A scene on the grass
After about twenty minutes, Xiao Yutian finally ran out of steam. She and Xiaorou flopped down at the edge of the turf.
"Ugh… I can't. My legs are going to fall off," she panted, heads tilted back as she gulped water.
Zhang Xiaorou grinned. "You rest. I'll go buy breakfast."
"Yeah, get soy milk and youtiao!" Xiao Yutian answered.
She pulled out her phone and started scrolling. In her haste she tipped the water bottle, choking on a sudden cough.
"Cough, cough—!"
She nearly cried from the shock; her hand trembled and an entire bottle of water spilled over her. The sports tank soaked through, the fabric clinging to her skin and accentuating the curve of her body.
A few suppressed snickers rippled through the nearby students.
Gu Jinghan happened to be passing at that moment; his face darkened even though it wasn't his embarrassment on display. Irritation flared up inside him.
"Shameless," he muttered under his breath — and still, almost against his will, he pulled a handkerchief free and stepped forward.
Xiao Yutian looked up and met his cold, cutting gaze. Thinking he'd come to mock her, she flicked the handkerchief back into his hand.
"Quit pretending to be kind!" she snapped.
Gu Jinghan's hand froze midair.
The teasing around the track grew a little louder. Someone leaned in and whispered, grinning, "Hey — maybe those two actually have something going on?"
Gu Jinghan's expression blackened. Without another word, he turned and strode away.
---
A clash in the classroom
Before morning study the classroom buzzed with voices. Zhang Xiaorou divided the breakfast she'd bought and handed a portion to Xiao Yutian.
"Ah—so good!" Xiao Yutian bit into her youtiao and made an exaggerated contented sound, then shot a sidelong look at Gu Jinghan in the front row.
As expected, he turned his head, voice frosty. "No one wants to hear your eating stream."
"What's it to you?" Xiao Yutian shot back with a grin. "Ears ain't on my head, not on yours."
The class erupted in laughter; someone shouted, "Ooooh, shots fired!"
Gu Jinghan said nothing, face composed, but a restlessness simmered beneath his calm.
---
An unexpected round of applause
The math teacher pushed the door open and the room fell silent.
"Alright, who wants to try this one?" he wrote a string of formulas on the board. Heads bowed, pens poised, nobody volunteered.
Xiao Yutian's hand shot up.
Gu Jinghan arched a brow — her? Bold. Surely she'd make a fool of herself.
But she rose, methodical and clear, and in under three minutes the correct solution was chalked across the board.
Polite applause rippled through the classroom.
Proud and triumphant, Xiao Yutian returned to her seat and tossed a teasing look at Gu Jinghan. "Convinced now?"
He remained silent, but heat crept up the back of his ears, betraying him.
—End of Chapter.