Chapter 46: Three Thousand Meters
Ruan Yu jogged all the way to the registration area. The race hadn’t even started yet, but her heart was already pounding so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat.
"Ruan Yu?" The staff member at the registration desk looked at her.
"Yes, I'm Ruan Yu."
The staff handed her a bib number. Ruan Yu took it and pinned the four corners of the number onto the fabric of her shirt, securing it in place.
The other competitors were warming up, so she also stretched her limbs slightly.
Her three roommates stood nearby, pumping their fists and continuously making "go for it" gestures at her. But her gaze kept drifting involuntarily toward the podium.
That dark figure was no longer visible, yet her heart still raced wildly.
Why had he come here? Was it specifically to cheer her on? Or was it just a coincidence?
"Ruan Yu," the registration staff suddenly called her.
"Hmm?"
"Are you running in those shoes?"
Ruan Yu glanced down at the canvas shoes on her feet and nodded.
"Don’t you have any sports shoes? Three thousand meters is a long distance. Running in canvas shoes will tire your feet," the staff member said kindly.
"It's fine."
Ruan Yu smiled at her, but the smile faded the moment she turned away.
She didn’t own any sports shoes. A decent pair would cost several hundred yuan, and since she rarely needed them, she couldn’t justify the expense. She only had two pairs of canvas shoes, bought online for a few dozen yuan each—affordable, comfortable, and easy to match with her clothes.
This sports meet had caught her off guard, and the three-thousand-meter race was something she’d never even considered. If she’d known earlier, she would have set aside some of her scholarship money from last semester to buy a pair of sports shoes.
The race began soon after.
Since runners could switch lanes from the start, the staff simply drew a diagonal line on the track with their foot as the starting line, without clearly marking individual lanes. All the competitors crowded together, and Ruan Yu ended up on the outermost edge.
Bang!
At the sound of the gunshot, the runners surged forward in a swarm. Some sped up immediately, while others took it slow at the back—each had their own strategy.
Once Ruan Yu made her way to the inner lane, she settled into a steady pace, keeping herself in the middle of the pack.
One lap.
Two laps.
Three laps.
Her breathing grew heavier, and the cheers and shouts around her gradually blurred into white noise.
When Jian Xiangxiang handed her water along the track, she reminded her, "Ruan Ruan, that’s enough."
But Ruan Yu acted as if she hadn’t heard, wetting her dry throat and lips before pressing on.
Four laps.
...
Five laps.
...
Her legs felt like they were filled with lead. Her nose stung, and she could only breathe through her mouth. The wind howled against her face, rushing straight into her lungs. She was miserable. She wanted to quit.
But a voice echoed relentlessly in her ears.
"Keep going, Little Fish!"
She was going crazy, possessed. She told herself that for Teng Yi’s words alone, she had to push through to the end.
Six laps.
Her steps became increasingly labored, her forward movement slower and slower.
Seven laps.
Her insides felt parched.
In her daze, she heard countless voices calling her name, cheering her on. She knew she was close to victory—not in terms of ranking, but in conquering herself.
Seven and a half laps!
Finally, she crossed the finish line.
She didn’t know if Teng Yi was still on the field. But she thought—if only he had seen her, that would be enough.
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