Dazzling

Qing Ye and the others walked back to the stands. She sat down next to Da Hei and asked, "Who was that Brother Fang earlier? Did he come to help Da Cao too?"

Da Hei glanced sideways toward the opposite stands and told her, "Fang Jie, someone with influence in the Dark Hall. He also runs businesses outside and is one of the shooting range's regular suppliers."

Following Da Hei's gaze, Qing Ye saw Brother Fang and his group walk over to the opposite stands and sit beside the senior figures Da Hei had mentioned. She couldn't help but recall what this Brother Fang had said to her earlier—telling her to leave early? Why leave early? What were they planning to do? As a member of the Dark Hall, he should logically side with Da Cao, so why would he give her a warning?

All these chaotic thoughts flooded Qing Ye's mind at once, a tangled mess that grew increasingly difficult to unravel. Her heart had been restless ever since they entered the venue.

Suddenly, she realized something and scanned the crowd, asking, "Where's Quan Ya?"

Hua Bi turned to her and said, "I called him this morning, but no one answered."

Qing Ye's frown deepened. Where was Quan Ya now? Why wasn't he answering his phone?

When Xing Wu's family had trouble, Quan Ya had contributed the most money without hesitation. No matter where Xing Wu went or who he encountered, Quan Ya was always the first to stand by him. Yet on such an important day today, he hadn't shown up? Everything seemed to carry an unusual undertone!

Just then, the county sports meet officially began. The stands immediately buzzed with excitement as all participants filed in from the waiting area. Qing Ye straightened up, her eyes trembling slightly. Suddenly, Huang Mao pointed somewhere and shouted, "Over there!"

Qing Ye followed his direction and spotted Lao Dong in the crowd. Dressed in blue athletic wear, Lao Dong held a clipboard and was speaking incessantly.

Her eyes continued searching that corner until she finally found Xing Wu behind a few boys. He wore a black short-sleeved shirt and gray sweatpants, with a large towel draped over his shoulder. People kept moving back and forth in front of him, making it hard for Qing Ye to see his expression clearly. She could only vaguely make out him holding a water bottle, head bowed as he squeezed the plastic container.

After the announcer's introductory remarks, the events officially commenced. Xing Wu was still participating in the pentathlon: long jump, 200-meter dash, shot put, high jump, and 1500-meter run. Da Cao had registered for the same five events, so the winner would be determined by best of five.

The first track event was the 100-meter dash, which neither of them had entered. Simultaneously, the high jump was taking place in the field. Xing Wu finally removed the towel from his shoulder. As he stood up, his tall, athletic figure instantly drew many people's attention. But unlike during the Winter Camp, no girls screamed for him today—only predatory stares filled the venue.

At the same time, amid roaring from the opposite stands, Qing Ye noticed Da Cao on the other side. This was her first time seeing Da Cao dressed in white athletic wear. He was about as tall as Xing Wu but leaner in build, with a small ponytail today and a sinister smirk on his face.

He wasn't in the same group as Xing Wu, but the two still exchanged a glance through the crowd.Qing Ye unconsciously clenched her hands together. Xing Wu did some simple warm-up exercises on the sidelines before joining his group for the first high jump event. With his long legs and tall frame, he had a natural advantage in this discipline, easily securing first place in the preliminary round. Meanwhile, Da Cao also delivered outstanding results in the long jump.

Though the two had no direct interaction throughout, they silently kept track of each other's performances. Ultimately, Xing Wu took first place in high jump, while he lost to Da Cao in long jump.

In the 200-meter race, they were assigned to the same heat but separated by two lanes. When the starting gun fired, the runner in lane 5 had a slight head start from the outer curve, but just as Xing Wu surged forward, the lane 5 competitor suddenly veered toward him. That split-second disruption allowed Da Cao to seize the lead by a second. Qing Ye couldn't quite see what happened, but Hua Bi and the others immediately jumped to their feet shouting, "Foul!"

Flustered, she rose and asked those around her, "What happened?"

Da Hei said grimly, "It won't count as a foul. Lane 5 didn't cross the line."

Qing Ye clenched her fists tightly, her palms slick with sweat. After falling two seconds behind, Xing Wu accelerated into a sprint, but by then Da Cao was already far ahead, his speed like an arrow released from a bow. Qing Ye's pupils dilated abruptly, the pounding of her heart echoing in her eardrums. Da Cao's ability was undeniable—even after over two years without training, his speed remained astonishing.

Xing Wu ran close to the lane 5 competitor, their elbows occasionally brushing. The other runner was built like Pang Hu, tall and bulky, sticking to Xing Wu like glue. Xing Wu shot him a glare, and in that moment, the other man drove his elbow hard into Xing Wu's ribs. Everyone froze.

Qing Ye never imagined that in a county-level competition, participants would dare to blatantly employ underhanded tactics.

Xing Wu absorbed the blow from lane 5 with only a slight frown, never breaking stride. As the other runner moved to crowd him again, Xing Wu raised his arm—a motion that to outsiders clearly appeared as though he had bumped into lane 5. Huang Mao cursed furiously, while Qing Ye anxiously muttered, "Faster, shake him off..."

With 50 meters left, Xing Wu suddenly unleashed a furious sprint, leaving the lane 5 competitor behind in just two seconds. His speed was equally breathtaking, like a fierce leopard on the hunt. Yet the finish line loomed ahead, and he ultimately couldn't catch Da Cao, finishing two body lengths behind in second place.

Huang Mao and the others collectively roared about lane 5's foul, their shouts growing increasingly vehement.

Sweat dripped from Xing Wu's forehead as he lifted his T-shirt to wipe it away, glancing toward their direction. Qing Ye's gaze unexpectedly met his—she stood beside Da Hei, her eyes fixed intently on him. Xing Wu paused, gradually furrowing his brows as he stared at her.

Qing Ye knew he was upset she had come. That morning, he had deliberately claimed the event would end by noon so he could accompany her for lunch, hoping to prevent her from attending. But she had to come—she couldn't let him fight this battle alone.

Just then, the referee hurried to the announcer's booth for discussions. Soon, the announcer declared that both lane 5 and lane 4 in the recent 200-meter race had been disqualified due to physical altercations.

Huang Mao and the others were stunned, never expecting this outcome. Hua Bi swore, "Goddamn it."Da Hei said to Huang Mao and the others in a low voice, "Stop shouting. Whether Xing Wu bumped into him or not isn't clear now. Once a physical collision is ruled, both their results will definitely be canceled. They want to play dirty, and I'm afraid this is just the beginning."

Qing Ye could see the expression on Xing Wu's face darken. He walked to the sidelines, picked up a towel, and turned to look at Da Cao. Da Cao raised two fingers to his temple and waved them at him mockingly.

Everything felt so familiar. Qing Ye suddenly remembered what they had said earlier at Huang Mao's house—Da Cao wanted to use the same method that had forced him to withdraw from the competition years ago to strike back at Xing Wu.

Xing Wu must have understood Da Cao's expression by now. He gave Da Cao a cold, sinister smile, turned around, and flung the towel aside.

Time passed slowly. The sun had silently moved to its zenith, but the thick clouds blocked any light from breaking through. The entire competition ground seemed shrouded in a chaotic darkness—oppressive and stifling.

In the fourth event, the shot put, Da Cao underperformed. His throwing posture was strange; every time he was about to release the shot, it seemed as if he suddenly lost strength. Da Hei watched silently and suddenly remarked, "Da Cao injured his arm in a fight the year before last. This event is practically useless for him."

Just as Da Hei said, Da Cao's result was even worse than those of several smaller competitors before him. Xing Wu stood among the crowd, and after Da Cao finished the shot put, Qing Ye's eyes never left Xing Wu. But then, for some unknown reason, Xing Wu suddenly crouched down, clutching his left knee, his features contorting in an instant.

Immediately, the stands erupted in an uproar. Hua Bi and the others all stood up, their eyes fixed intently on Xing Wu. The referee went over to ask about his condition, but soon Xing Wu patted his pants, stood up, and shook his head indifferently. Seeing that he was fine, everyone let the competition continue.

Xing Wu stood waiting with his hands in front of him, but Qing Ye's heart was already in her throat. Something was wrong—definitely wrong. Something must have happened just now.

She knew all too well that Xing Wu wouldn't even flinch at minor pains, but his reaction earlier clearly indicated he had suffered severe pain. What exactly had happened?

Qing Ye could no longer contain herself; her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. Yet Xing Wu's expression remained calm, showing no signs of anything amiss. Even as he later walked to the starting point and completed the entire competition, he displayed no abnormalities. In fact, the result of the event had Da Hei and the others cheering loudly. Huang Mao turned his head and asked, "Brother Da Hei, if Wu Ge wins the 1500 meters in the final event, does that mean we've secured the victory?"

Da Hei nodded. "It all comes down to the last event."

Da Cao's ability in the 200 meters had already been made clear—running was his strong suit. The 1500-meter long-distance race would test endurance, and no one could predict the final outcome. The venue suddenly fell into an unusual silence.

Even the older guys on the opposite side, who had been chatting idly, couldn't help but turn their attention to the track.

Lao Dong pulled Xing Wu to the sidelines and kept talking to him incessantly. Qing Ye noticed that Lao Zhu had somehow arrived as well, carrying a case of bottled water and handing them out one by one to the competing students from An Zhong.

When he handed a bottle to Xing Wu, Lao Zhu patted him on the shoulder. Xing Wu simply unscrewed the cap and drank silently.However, Qing Ye noticed that when Xing Wu walked to the sidelines and sat down, his left leg didn't even bend before he dropped into the seat. This seemingly casual motion made Qing Ye's heart tremble. Her voice tightened as she said, "Xing Wu is injured."

"Injured?" Huang Mao immediately turned to look at Xing Wu, while Da Hei and the others' expressions darkened.

Pang Hu said doubtfully, "N-no way, then why didn't Brother Wu s-say anything?"

She didn't know. Qing Ye didn't know why he hadn't told the referee. She didn't know what he was planning to do? But she was certain that Xing Wu must have encountered something just now. She was deeply worried about whether he could endure the upcoming 1500-meter race. It was already noon.

This was the final event in his pentathlon competition against Da Cao. A thin crack suddenly appeared amidst the thick clouds, allowing the scorching sunlight to pour through the fractured gap onto the center of the track. The bizarre scene resembled half hell and half heaven, making the atmosphere across the entire stadium grow tense.

The announcer declared preparations for the 1500-meter race. Only Xing Wu from Anzhong had registered for this event. Lao Dong personally escorted him to the track side, repeatedly telling him to adjust his breathing and conserve energy.

Xing Wu brushed past Da Cao and walked directly to lane 2. Da Cao was doing warm-up exercises on the spot. Once Xing Wu settled into position, Da Cao suddenly blew a sharp whistle at him. Xing Wu glanced over, and Da Cao provocatively scanned his knees. Xing Wu indifferently wiped the corner of his mouth.

The race began with the sound of the starting gun. Everyone immediately scrambled to secure their positions on the track. In the chaos, someone stepped on Xing Wu's foot, but he paid no attention. After one lap, the distances between runners had gradually widened.

Da Cao was far in the lead, and the stadium fell into complete silence. Qing Ye kept her eyes fixed on Xing Wu. Although he maintained a steady pace at a distance behind Da Cao, his jaw remained clenched tight, and bean-sized sweat droplets continuously dripped from his forehead. At this moment, Qing Ye felt like she could barely breathe. The unbearably stifling heat in the air was just like when she had first arrived in this place—oppressive to the point of suffocation.

After three laps, Xing Wu suddenly began to accelerate. Da Cao's stamina was clearly nearing its limit too. Catching sight of Xing Wu's figure in his peripheral vision, Da Cao's face contorted as he pushed himself harder. When there was half a lap left to the finish line, Xing Wu gradually caught up, closing the gap between them to just one body length.

Restless murmurs began to emerge from the stands. Da Hei watched the people from the Dark Hall warily, sensing something ominous.

The two continued running. When both Da Cao and Xing Wu simultaneously moved to lane 2 to overtake a runner who was one lap behind, just as they passed him, Xing Wu's shirt was violently yanked. The harsh "rip" sound instantly startled everyone awake.

Immediately after, Xing Wu's back was brutally punched. Covering her mouth in disbelief, Qing Ye cried out, "What are they doing? This is still a race!"

Seeing the Dark Hall members stirring restlessly, Da Hei's face turned pale: "They never intended to compete properly!"

Xing Wu ignored the attacker and kept running forward. However, at that moment, the person desperately grabbed Xing Wu's arm and kicked him hard in the knee. With Qing Ye's shocked gasp, Xing Wu crashed heavily onto the track.At the same time, Da Cao crossed the finish line. The surrounding competitors gradually came to a stop. Qing Ye's chest heaved violently as she watched Xing Wu's pale face, saw him struggling to support himself and stand up, and witnessed him sneering coldly at Da Cao across the finish line.

He did nothing. When everyone expected him to fight back, he remained motionless, merely looking at Da Cao with that contemptuous gaze as if viewing a loser.

Da Cao was instantly enraged by that look. With a wave of his hand, the man standing beside Xing Wu delivered another kick to his knee. Still, Xing Wu neither dodged nor retaliated.

Heizi roared: "Da Cao's going to cripple Wu Zi!"

Lang Dai and the others immediately erupted, all charging toward the track.

Lao Dong and Lao Yang shouted as they rushed onto the runway. The referee blew his whistle while Anzhi personnel leaped over the barriers. The scene descended into chaos within seconds. A buzzing explosion went off in Qing Ye's head. When she looked back toward Xing Wu, he was already surrounded by people, countless fists raining down upon him. Qing Ye's tears instantly burst forth as she sprinted toward Xing Wu, only to be violently yanked back by Da Hei. Gasping for breath, he told her: "Find Quan Ya! Quick! Get him to gather people!"

The moment Qing Ye saw Xing Wu being surrounded, her brain had stopped functioning. She stared at Da Hei in terror as all surrounding sounds vanished within a second, her ears filled entirely with buzzing noises, her entire body trembling uncontrollably!

Da Hei kept shouting at her: "Qing Ye! Do you hear me?"

After a second of mental blankness, Qing Ye suddenly snapped back to reality and turned to run outside. Simultaneously, Da Hei had already charged down toward the track. In her final glance, Qing Ye could no longer see Xing Wu's figure, only witnessing swarms of people leaping over guardrails and flooding onto the track.

As Qing Ye ran out of the venue, her chaotic thoughts suddenly coalesced. Her mind flashed back to what Xing Wu had told her that time in the infirmary.

"You're supposed to be smart, right? Then use your brain more."

"Those girls from Class Four aren't without their fears either. There's a girl in our class who has history with them. You can guess who."

Why was Cao Fan afraid of Fang Lei? What gave Fang Lei the right to swagger around the school? Fang Lei, Fang Jie.

Qing Ye pulled out her phone and immediately called Fang Lei: "What's your relationship with Fang Jie?"

Fang Lei replied with some surprise: "He's my cousin."

"Get your cousin to protect Xing Wu, no matter what!"

...

Inside the venue, Brother Fang ended the call and glanced at the senior figures beside him. Rising to his feet, he said: "I'm going to the restroom."

He walked to a corner and, while no one was watching, signaled to his own people: "Go stall for time. Let the bullets fly a while longer. There's more drama to come."