Vol. 1 - Ch. 119 - Sports meet

The sweltering weather always made it hard for anyone to stay alert, and even with the air conditioning blowing in the classroom, some students still couldn't resist nodding off.

HuMing sat at his desk, propping his head up with one hand as he stared at the book on his desk.

It's bizarre that the school decided to hold the sports meet in this kind of weather. And to make things worse, it started in the afternoon, with classes still going on in the morning.

HuMing had an event scheduled for the afternoon, though it didn't really matter much to him.

After all, plenty of classmates were participating in the basketball event, so even with substitutions, HuMing's turn was unlikely to come.

Because of this, he wasn't too concerned about it. Meanwhile, some classmates were already dozing off, seemingly trying to rest up for the afternoon events.

In the classroom, the only sounds were the teacher's lecture and the soft hum of the air conditioning.

And that's how HuMing spent his morning.

Just before the lunch break, Han ShuYi gathered the classmates who were playing basketball to discuss strategies for the afternoon.

But in HuMing's eyes, it seemed pretty unnecessary. After all, when it came to the actual game, it would depend on individual performance.

How many average high schoolers could really stick to strategic plays?

HuMing left the classroom, and just like always, Ye QiuXue was waiting for him on the rooftop. Today, she wore shorts and a T-shirt, her fair arms and legs exposed to the sunlight.

"HuMing, didn't you bring shorts?"

Seeing that HuMing was still in his usual attire, Ye QiuXue couldn't help but ask.

HuMing just shrugged, then sat down beside her, pulling out his test paper. He replied:

"Why would I bring shorts? It's not like I'm actually participating in any events. I'm just on the roster for the show."

"But I thought you and Han ShuYi were both on the basketball team. Are you just going to give up?"

"Sorry to disappoint, but I already beat Han ShuYi at home."

HuMing's tone sounded helpless, but Ye QiuXue felt that he was just being smug.

She decided not to argue with him further and instead leaned closer to start tutoring him in English.

Ye QiuXue actually had a high opinion of HuMing's potential.

He absorbed knowledge quickly and could even apply what he learned, which put him ahead of many students in that regard.

If only HuMing had put effort into studying from the beginning, he might have been the school's other top student.

But of course, that was just Ye QiuXue's guess.

Teaching HuMing English all over again was quite a struggle, mainly because he really seemed clueless!

"HuMing, you did so well in math, and your Chinese scores aren't bad either. How can you be so terrible at English? The English teacher must be crying in the restroom!"

"Everyone has to have a weakness, right? It's not like I can be good at everything. If I were good at everything, wouldn't you be the one crying in the restroom? Then I'd have to fish you out- What a hassle."

"You're so gross!"

"Hey, you started it! I refuse to accept you calling me gross!"

"Just focus on the vocabulary!" Ye QiuXue scolded with a laugh.

Under the blazing sun, two small fans turned slowly back and forth on the bench. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Footsteps suddenly came from the exit behind them, causing HuMing to instinctively turn his head just in time to meet the newcomer's gaze!

The person flinched, but then their expression lit up with joy.

"Bro, what are you doing here?!"

Han YunXi walked in, but when she noticed Ye QiuXue sitting next to HuMing, she froze.

The two of them were sitting so close together that they looked like a couple studying side by side.

Ye QiuXue was also caught off guard by Han YunXi's sudden appearance.

She hadn't expected anyone to come up here at this time, especially since it was well into the lunch break. By now, most people would be lying down at their desks, taking a nap.

"Ye QiuXue? You're here too?"

Her gaze naturally drifted to the test papers spread out in front of the two, and she quickly made a connection to HuMing's recent improvement in grades.

Her eyes widened as realization struck.

"Oh, so it's Ye QiuXue who's been tutoring my brother. That's why his grades have gotten better lately! I was wondering how he suddenly improved on his own---turns out it's all thanks to you, Ye QiuXue!"

Hearing this, HuMing felt a wave of exasperation---why did he sound so incapable in her words?

But Ye QiuXue couldn't help but smile at Han YunXi's comment.

She glanced at the boy beside her, a playful look in her eyes.

"Yes, I've been tutoring your brother recently. But why are you up here at this time?"

"Oh, some guys wanted to give me something during the sports meet this afternoon. After turning them down, I didn't feel like returning to the classroom, so I just wandered around."

Han YunXi walked straight over and sat down next to HuMing.

When she saw the answers HuMing had written on his English test paper, she furrowed her brows, her expression a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"Bro, looking at your answers, I have to wonder if you've ever even studied English before."

"Stop!"

"It's fine, I'm good at English. I can tutor you at home, too!"

"No, please, spare me!" HuMing quickly tried to stop her, but Ye QiuXue seemed to support Han YunXi's suggestion fully.

"That's a great idea. It would really help improve his English grades."

Ye QiuXue smiled kindly at HuMing, though her smile carried a certain edge to it.

"You wouldn't say no, would you?"

Her smile seemed to warn HuMing: if he dared to refuse, things might not end well for him.

...

At 2 PM, the school's sports meet officially began.

The class's camp was nearly empty, as many of the students were holding cameras, ready to capture the memorable moments of their classmates.

Although HuMing didn't really have to participate in the events, he still had to join his classmates to watch the competitions.

As HuMing watched the high school students play, he noticed that most games were dominated by individual talent, with very little coordination between players.

After watching for a while, HuMing found it rather dull.

Although there were a few impressive moves during the games, they were few and far between.

HuMing stood up and walked out of the crowd.

From a distance, he spotted Ye QiuXue standing outside the track, maintaining order.

There had been an incident at the school before.

A girl had suddenly run onto the track, and those outside couldn't stop her in time, leading to a collision with a runner.

That runner had been a senior in his last year of high school, and it was his last sports meet, and it had ended like that.

Fortunately, neither the girl nor the boy was seriously hurt; otherwise, it would have been a huge problem.

Since then, the school has taken these safety concerns very seriously.

Ye QiuXie was ensuring that no one stepped onto the track, preventing people from suddenly rushing onto the track and colliding with the athletes.