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Chapter 43
by shae.“Classmates!”
After class, the sports representative, Sun Liyu, stood on the podium holding a pile of registration forms. He shouted loudly, “Who wants to join the sports meet? Step forward! Let’s make our school proud!”
Sun Liyu was full of energy and excitement, but the students below acted like they didn’t notice, staying focused on their test papers.
“……”
Seeing that no one wanted to join, Sun Liyu tapped the podium with a wooden ruler and said seriously, “Come on, everyone! Get excited and join in! Sports are vital! They help you build strength, stay healthy in body and mind, and push yourself to do better. Plus, it shows a different, passionate side of you!”
Sun Liyu really hoped everyone would sign up, but sadly, Class 1 didn’t do well in sports. If it were a competition, everyone would want to grab a registration form. However, at the sports meet, it would be impossible to force anyone to participate.
Is taking tests not fun enough? Why would they want to work hard and sweat under the hot sun?
Is doing well in school not enough? Why would they want to get pushed and knocked down on the sports field?
It wasn’t just Class 1; other classes were having the same problem with few sign-ups.
Lincheng No. 1 High School boasts excellent academic results and a strong focus on cultural subjects. Every year, the city’s top scorer in the college entrance exam comes from this school. Over the past decade, it has produced provincial top scorers three times, a record unmatched anywhere in the country. However, its overall athletic performance remains relatively weak.
Students at Lincheng No. 1 knew they couldn’t be outstanding at both academics and sports, so they only gave themselves the two weekly PE classes for exercise.
While the annual sports meet was embarrassing for Lincheng No. 1 students, schools like Qixing High School and Huanglun Qiao School had strong athletic programs and several provincial-level athletes, making Lincheng No. 1 students tremble with fear.
After a long time of shouting, only Jiang Zhihuo raised his hand. Playing on his phone with one leg of his chair awkwardly raised, he said, “Sports representative, save me a form. Just sign me up for whatever’s left.”
Thereafter, no one responded; they all wished they could sink further into their test papers.
The class monitor couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
The number of participants for the sports meet was a strict requirement; regardless of speed, they had to submit enough people.
Usually, Class 1 had only one solution for a problem that was impossible to resolve without inciting resentment.
Gritting their teeth, the class monitor proposed, “Since no one wants to sign up, let’s stick to our old rule and draw lots.”
Sun Liyu sighed.
The class monitor and Sun Liyu cut out forty-seven sheets of equally sized white paper and mixed them with the project slips in the bucket.
Sun Liyu shook the bucket to mix the slips thoroughly and walked to the front of the class. “Everyone, pick quickly! The sooner you draw, the sooner you’re free! Don’t worry too much; drawing a lot doesn’t mean you’ll have to compete. The school will hold tryouts later. It might be embarrassing here, but you won’t embarrass yourselves outside!”
Everyone: “……”
The phrase ‘don’t worry’ felt even less reassuring than saying nothing at all.
Every person drawing lots was nervous, their hands shaking, afraid they’d open the slip of paper and find the losing slips inside.
A boy sitting in the front row put his hands together and sincerely prayed before he started drawing lots. “I hope Xue Jinxing1T/N: A famous Chinese education author, known for his strict and comprehensive workbooks and Wang Houxiong2T/N: Another well-known figure in Chinese exam prep books (like your high school drill sergeant in print form). bless me! I love studying! I really don’t want to do sports!”
After yelling, he felt much better and quickly grabbed a slip of paper without hesitation, only to open it and see that it was for a 1500-meter race.
The boy: “……”
Sun Liyu patted his shoulder to comfort him and placed a registration form in front of him.
Everyone in the class drew lots except for Jiang Zhihuo, and as soon as they got their tasks, the whole room fell silent.
A girl in the front row, who was 153 cm tall, suddenly broke the awkward silence and complained to the girl next to her, “High jump? Seriously? The bar’s taller than I am! How am I supposed to jump over it? Should I just crawl underneath instead?”
The girl next to her didn’t know how to comfort her, so she helped take off her pen cap and said, “… Just write it down. When it’s time to compete, you can wear a mask, so at least nobody will see your face. You got this, sweetheart.”
Sun Liyu put a registration form in front of Jiang Zhihuo. “Huo-ge, I saved you spots for the 3000 meters, long jump, and relay race. Is that alright?”
Jiang Zhihuo had joined these same events for the past two years, so he was fine with it and gave an okay gesture.
After handing in the registration form, Sun Liyu said, “Anyone who got picked for events will have tryouts next Wednesday. There’s still a week left, so everyone, remember to practice!”
Picking events was really hard for Class 1, and Class 4 had the same problem. From what Sun Liyu heard, signing up in Class 4 was even more intense.
They chose a class period for sign-ups, where the class monitor asked questions and the sports representative acted as a judge. Students went head-to-head in quick-answer battles to decide who could pick which events. This way, everyone practiced their subject knowledge while also putting some mental and physical pressure on their opponents.
PE class.
After the warm-up, the PE teacher signaled the end of the session with a whistle. Students who were joining the sports meet started their training, while everyone else could do whatever they wanted.
Jiang Zhihuo and another boy who got picked for the long jump changed into T-shirts and shorts, putting on knee pads to get ready for practice in the sandpit. When Jiang Zhihuo glanced over, he saw Yan Mu on the other side of the field, looking at the high jump bar with a complicated expression.
At that moment, some boys from other classes were taking turns trying to do the high jump.
The boy took a few steps back, then stepped back even further, broke into a run, paused in front of the bar, jumped up as if doing a standing long jump, and sent the high jump bar flying with a kick from one foot.
The boy: “……”
Yan Mu: “……”
“Go ahead and start digging in the sand,” Jiang Zhihuo said to the boy next to him. “I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Where are you going?”
Jiang Zhihuo: “To show off.”
He walked towards Yan Mu.
At the high jump area, a small crowd had already gathered around Yan Mu. When they saw Jiang Zhihuo approaching, they instinctively stepped aside to let him through.
Jiang Zhihuo patted Yan Mu on the shoulder. “Did you sign up for the high jump?”
Yan Mu frowned, clearly reluctant to admit it. “Mhm.”
He hadn’t actually wanted to sign up; it was that no one else did, so the last high jump spot was forced on him.
Back then, the sports representative had given the task to Xie Qiu, who took the registration form and sat down in front of Yan Mu. Feeling Yan Mu’s intimidating presence, Xie Qiu’s voice trembled. “Y-Yan, Yan-ge… you see, for the high jump, it’s pretty high. With your height, you can just step over it. Super steady.”
Yan Mu: “……”
Jiang Zhihuo couldn’t help but laugh. Thinking back to the last two sports meets, he realized he’d never seen Yan Mu participate in any events.
During regular PE classes, he hardly ever saw Yan Mu play sports. He was usually studying alone or working on problem sets with others.
Jiang Zhihuo: “I remember you didn’t sign up last year?”
Yan Mu replied, “Mhm, I didn’t.”
He didn’t want to take part in the sports meet. There were too many people, making unwanted contact likely to occur.
Jiang Zhihuo glanced at Yan Mu again, noticing his contemplative look. After thinking it over, he suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed, “You can’t jump, can you? I’ll teach you!”
Yan Mu looked up in surprise. “Teach me?”
“Yeah, but I’m not a professional,” Jiang Zhihuo admitted honestly. “I know a few moves; that should be enough for showing off.”
Yan Mu did not refuse, saying, “Sure.”
Jiang Zhihuo smiled and raised his hand, calling over those nearby who also wanted to practice high jump. “Come here, come here! Is there anyone who can’t jump? Huo-ge will teach you how to show off at the competition! Whether you can get over the bar is one thing, but looking cool while doing it is even more important! I guarantee you’ll all look awesome!”
The atmosphere immediately brightened, and a group of boys eagerly chimed in, “Teacher Jiang, we seek your guidance!”
Jiang Zhihuo set the bar to 1.75 meters. “I’m not a professional, so there’s no way I’m beating the athletes. I’ll just act 85% serious.”
The girl from Class 1, who cleared the 1.5-meter high jump, made a miserable face. “Only 1.75 meters for 85% effort? I can just walk right over that without even bending down.”
Everyone around laughed, and a boy close to her playfully tugged at her hair.
Jiang Zhihuo warmed up his wrists and ankles before starting to teach. “There are two main high jump styles: the Fosbury Flop and the Straddle technique.”
“A running start is essential for the Fosbury Flop. The ideal approach involves eight to twelve strides, straight at first and curving in the latter half.”
“Besides that, the most important things are to keep your movements natural, maintain your speed, coordinate your joints, and stretch your torso.”
“For the Straddle technique, you need to generate explosive power for takeoff by arching your back and kicking your legs upward. And most importantly—whatever you do, don’t touch the bar!”
“Of course, you can ignore everything I just said; the sports meet won’t care about how perfect your form is; simply jumping over is fine. Let me show you how it’s done.”
Jiang Zhihuo stepped back a few paces.
The crowd also backed away, gathering in a small circle around him.
Jiang Zhihuo gave two light hops on the grass, leaned forward, and sprinted toward the bar. Planting his foot and tensing his calf muscles, he pushed off the ground and soared into the air like a leaping leopard. Arching his back, tilting his shoulders, and lifting his head, chin, neck, and Adam’s apple, he traced an incredibly graceful arc.
He cleared the bar smoothly, landed on his back, then got up and gave Yan Mu a playful eyebrow raise.
The clouds were thick today, and the sunlight wasn’t warm, yet the whole heart felt as if it had been burned by the sun, making breath catch.
The energetic, lively boy stood out the most, always wearing a charming, stylish smile. It was merely a high jump, but people crowded around him, and many girls even pulled out their phones to take pictures.
Some boys practicing the long jump noticed the crowd and came over to see what was going on. When they saw Jiang Zhihuo showing off at the high jump, one of them pulled on his shoulder and complained, “Huo-ge, you’re supposed to be with us in the long jump. Why are you over here doing the high jump?”
“Showing off, didn’t I already say that?” Jiang Zhihuo said honestly, “Showing off isn’t about long jump or high jump!”
The long jump boys all dragged him back, saying, “Alright, that’s enough; come back and practice.”
On the surface, he was teaching, but actually, he was showing off in front of Yan Mu. Jiang Zhihuo felt pretty good inside. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to look back and asked Yan Mu with a big smile, “Got it? The main thing is to be cool; nothing else matters.”
There was only one high jump mat on the sports field, so many classes had to take turns. Huo-ge’s flawless jump drew such a big crowd that it made everyone nervous. The group hesitated and fidgeted for a long time before someone finally stepped up. Even with the bar lowered to 1.4 meters, they still couldn’t clear it.
Yan Mu quietly moved to another spot. When the girls who had been hanging around saw the god of learning leave, they followed suit, turning their attention to a different sandpit.
The boys practicing long jump noticed the crowd heading their way, including several pretty girls, and immediately started rubbing their hands together in anticipation.
Jiang Zhihuo was accustomed to receiving attention from girls, so he didn’t mind. The forums were still lively with talk about him, and now, the girls weren’t just admiring his looks—they were fantasizing about when they might get to pair him up with Yan Mu, weaving stories about complicated love triangles. Their thoughts definitely weren’t innocent.
He walked to the starting line.
Jiang Zhihuo was the king of showing off; he made everything he did look effortlessly cool.
From a distance, they saw him bolt forward, his body tense and ready like a drawn bow. He sprinted, leaped, and landed, almost as if he were flying. After he finished, he pulled up the hem of his shirt, revealing a lean waist and well-defined abdominal muscles.
Next, it was the others’ turn. Jiang Zhihuo wiped his hands with a wet wipe and pulled out his phone.
Yan Mu was busy working on problems when a message notification appeared at the top of his screen.
Jiang Zhihuo: Am I cool?
Yan Mu: ?
Jiang Zhihuo: I saw you looking this way; your eyesight is excellent.
Jiang Zhihuo: 5.03T/N: This is slang for very good vision. In China, vision is sometimes measured on a 5.0 scale instead of the 20/20 system — 5.0 = perfect eyesight, maybe even better than 20/20.!
Yan Mu: Cool.
Jiang Zhihuo: That’s right, you didn’t jump earlier? I’ll secretly teach you later.
Yan Mu: Okay.
After sending that message, Yan Mu redirected the conversation: You were watching me too.
Jiang Zhihuo candidly acknowledged: Yeah.
The two of them were open and honest, with nothing off-limits in their conversation.
Jiang Zhihuo: Right now, only you look at me with pure eyes; everyone else looks at me like they’re shipping a CP.
Yan Mu: ……
“Yan-ge.” Xie Qiu, having finished a lap, was panting heavily. He grabbed a bottle of water and sat next to Yan Mu. His clothes were soaked with sweat.
His luck was truly awful; losing to his opponent by one question had landed him in the 1500-meter race. Now, scrambling to prepare at the last minute, he had no expectations and only hoped he could get through it without overexerting himself.
Xie Qiu was hoping Ya-ge would offer him a few words of comfort, since the high jump was definitely easier than the 1500-meter race. However, Yan Mu remained silent, lowering his head to text on his phone and responding with a distracted ‘mhm.’
“Yan-ge?” Xie Qiu glanced over and noticed Yan Mu was texting again, so he asked, “Who are you talking to?”
Before Yan Mu could reply, Xie Qiu looked up and was surprised to see a rare expression flicker across Yan Mu’s face.
Yan Mu, the god of learning, was usually stoic; even the slightest hint of a smile on his lips was enough to notice.
Xie Qiu wasn’t sure whether to be surprised or delighted. “Yan-ge, what are you smiling about?”
Yan Mu was still considering how to respond when, clearly, the other person was much faster, sending a flurry of messages in a few seconds.
Hearing Xie Qiu’s question, Yan Mu paused his typing. “Was I?”
“Yes!” Xie Qiu blurted out. “I’ve known you for so long, and I’ve never seen you show any expression, let alone smile! Not even when you were chasing after the school beauty… Oh, wait, you did.”
Yan Mu: “?”
“About the school bully Jiang,” Xie Qiu explained, counting off on his fingers. “Frowning, disgusted, annoyed, ‘stay away from me’—you had all sorts of expressions. Honestly, you two really can’t stand each other; every time you meet, it turns into an argument, and you both simply can’t be pulled apart. Huo-ge is impulsive, but I didn’t expect you to be so hot-headed either. You’ve almost come to blows a few times. I’ve never seen you lose your temper like that before.”
Yan Mu: “……”
Xie Qiu continued, “Oh right! Remember that time you said, ‘Next time I want to beat someone up, don’t stop me’? Were you really that angry?”
Yan Mu: “……”
Each of Xie Qiu’s words came like a sharp knife, leaving Yan Mu with stabs of pain inside, as if he were bleeding out.
Completely unaware of Yan Mu’s discomfort, Xie Qiu pressed on, “You know how surprising it is to see you smile! So who could make you smile like that? It can’t be Huo-ge. The people shipping you two on the forums are too fake! If they knew how much friction there is between you and him, they’d never dare to ship you like that!”
Yan Mu: “…….”
Xie Qiu asked again, “Anyway, I think it’s pretty amazing. Despite everything, there’s still room for minor adjustments, but that’s probably it. Yan-ge, how could you possibly bend for him? That’s simply nonsense.”
Yan Mu: “…….”
Xie Qiu asked suspiciously, “Why aren’t you talking?”
In the past, Yan Mu would at least respond with an ‘mhm,’ but now he was silent. This prompted Xie Qiu to ask, “Could it be that you were chatting with your omega partner?”
Yan Mu: “……….”
Yan Mu switched off the screen and glanced at Xie Qiu silently.
“What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Or did I not insult him enough? Yan-ge, say it. I’m always on your side!”
Xie Qiu looked innocent, his tone firm as he stood by him without reservation. He had no idea that his recent words had already hurt Yan Mu deeply and caused him severe emotional distress.
“Enough…” Yan Mu withdrew his gaze.
Stop scolding; that’s harsh enough. My heart is completely cold now.
This… Can I still win over a certain someone at this point…?
The author has something to say:
Information about the high jump is from Baidu.
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