On Friday afternoon, the traditional events concluded, and the fun sports activities began. The first event was the "Windmill Race." Sheng Xia stood on the bleachers holding Xin Xiaohe's belongings, cheering her on.
The race was genuinely entertaining. Everyone wore their class uniforms, gripping a pole as they ran. The track looked like it had been invaded by colorful centipedes, especially at the turns where the trailing teammates collided—kicking and pulling at each other—while the crowd on the bleachers erupted in cheers, creating a lively scene.
Class Six barely managed to secure third place in their heat, failing to advance to the finals.
Xin Xiaohe came off the track gulping water, furious and sputtering, "All that practice for nothing! Those jerks from Class Four kept pulling and shoving—did they fly in from Korea? I’m so mad!"
"It’s just for fun, no big deal!" Yang Linyu tried to console her.
Xin Xiaohe glared. "Easy for you to say—you weren’t the one getting yanked around!"
Yang Linyu awkwardly shut his mouth.
"Qi Xiulei!" Xin Xiaohe grabbed the boy beside her. "We have to win the 'Interlocking Rings' event. I don’t care about anything else—if you don’t beat Class Four, don’t even think about stepping foot in our classroom again!"
Qi Xiulei scratched his nose. "Then I’ll just use the back door."
Xin Xiaohe: "..."
Zhang Shu chuckled. "If you ban him, are you planning to stand guard at the door?"
Xin Xiaohe switched tactics. "Whatever—just win! Go for it, Shu-ge!"
Zhang Shu rubbed his arms. "Stop. No tough girls acting cutesy."
Xin Xiaohe scoffed. "Hah! Then you better resist your ex’s sweet talk and not switch sides last minute. Class Four’s 'Interlocking Rings' team has Chen Mengyao, you know."
She said this quietly, only audible to their immediate circle, but Zhang Shu suddenly stood up and leaned against the railing.
"Ex? Care to explain what 'ex' you’re talking about? I’ve kept myself pristine all these years—what ex? Xin Xiaohe, the walking rumor mill—so it was you all along? I’ve been searching high and low for the source."
He didn’t bother lowering his voice, and since he was facing the bleachers, nearly everyone nearby heard him.
Normally, Zhang Shu never engaged with such topics.
Xin Xiaohe retorted, "I didn’t start it! Everyone’s been saying—"
"Who’s 'everyone'?" Zhang Shu lounged lazily, but his tone carried a sharp edge. "'Everyone' said the world would end in 2012. If that were true, you’d be a fossil in the Himalayas right now."
The bleachers erupted in laughter, and whispers spread through the surrounding classes.
Xin Xiaohe: "W-was that really necessary? So harsh?"
Hou Junqi, sensing Zhang Shu was publicly debunking the rumor, chimed in, "Don’t panic—it’s not about you. What Shu-ge means is that the rumor about him liking someone is as debunked as the 2012 apocalypse."
Xin Xiaohe mimicked Zhang Shu by rubbing her arms. "Ugh, I’m out. I’d rather stay alive than turn into a fossil."
Someone, clearly enjoying the drama, shouted, "Shu-ge, so does that mean you don’t have an ex but do have a new flame?"
A gust of wind sent the flags on the bleachers flapping noisily. Zhang Shu cast a casual glance toward the back rows, his lazy voice scattering in the breeze.
"Wouldn’t it be better to focus on building a beautiful China? Spreading baseless rumors all day—how irresponsible."
Xin Xiaohe: "..."
Hou Junqi: "..."
Sheng Xia, sitting in the back rows, was drafting a report to earn some merit points for Class Six. Her pen paused mid-sentence at his words.
...
The "Interlocking Rings" event took place on the grassy field in the center of the track. Six classes competed per round. Though the junior and senior divisions had already finished, the students stayed, crowding the field in layers three-deep.This group had students from Class 4 and Class 6, including several "top trending" names recently featured on the confession wall. It promised quite a show.
"Is Sheng Xia wearing no makeup?"
"Looks like it."
"Her skin is so fair."
"From this angle, Chen Mengyao seems prettier."
"I don't think so. Chen Mengyao kept her hair down during the sports meet—such an idol complex."
"Well, isn't she training to be an idol?"
"Zhang Shu looks better matched with Sheng Xia anyway. With Chen Mengyao, it's more like a noona romance."
...
The comparisons between Sheng Xia and Chen Mengyao continued endlessly, though Sheng Xia, standing on the field, naturally heard none of it.
Under the scorching sun, she stood side by side with Zhang Shu in complete silence, the gap between them wide enough for another person.
The interlocking relay race required teams to run back and forth in segments. Sheng Xia and Zhang Shu were the fourth runners, positioned behind the second runners, while the first, third, and fifth runners waited across the field.
Chen Mengyao was the second runner for Class 4.
She now stood diagonally ahead to Sheng Xia's left.
"Shu, go easy on me, okay?" Chen Mengyao called out to Zhang Shu while stretching.
Zhang Shu stood with his hands loosely on his hips and replied flatly, "We're not in the same leg. How can I go easy?"
Chen Mengyao persisted, "Then you could just run slower."
Zhang Shu chuckled. "Why should I?"
"Ugh, knew you'd say that," Chen Mengyao rolled her eyes. "So boring."
Though rejected, their banter made it clear they were familiar with each other.
A sharp whistle signaled the start of the race.
The first runners, hula hoops around their waists, dashed from the opposite side. Class 6 gained an early lead by running sideways, reaching first as their second runner took off swiftly.
Chen Mengyao turned her head. "Shu, your class is doing well. That means you really should go easy on me?"
Before Zhang Shu could respond, Class 4's turn came, and Chen Mengyao added, "See you on the other side!"
Zhang Shu ignored her and glanced at the girl beside him.
The sunlight illuminated her face—pale and smooth, like flawless jade with perfect translucency.
Sheng Xia stood quietly, neither nervous nor showing any other emotion.
He shook his head and smiled wryly.
What was he thinking? That she'd be jealous?
This was how he and Chen Mengyao had always interacted, but now he wondered if he should change that.
Just then, the pleasant voice of the announcer came over the loudspeaker: "Next, we have a submission from Sheng Xia of Class 6, Grade 12..."
Many turned to look at Sheng Xia.
Even her classmates asked, "Xia Xia, when did you submit this?"
"Just now," Sheng Xia replied.
"Wow, that'll earn you extra points!"
Sheng Xia nodded slightly. "Mhm."
Zhang Shu listened intently. The opening praised the grand event with neat parallelism and flowery language—perfect for the occasion.
"Is there any topic you can't write about, and always this quickly?" Zhang Shu asked.
Sheng Xia froze.
They hadn't spoken all day.
Why was he suddenly complimenting her so respectfully and amiably?
"Not really," she answered.
Zhang Shu said, "Talent is talent. No need to be modest."
Their classmates exchanged raised eyebrows.
"They didn't even say much, but why does it feel so... intimate?"
"You're not alone."
At that moment, the third runner approached, already removing the hula hoop to hand over before crossing the line.
"Here," Zhang Shu reminded her, turning Sheng Xia by the shoulders and reaching out to take the hoop. He slipped it over their heads. "Go."
Back to back, they hopped sideways toward the opposite end...
Their quick reflexes and seamless coordination...
"Are they actually together?"
"I'm shipping it already."Halfway through the race, Sheng Xia suddenly heard a voice from behind, "When you need focus the most, don't overthink. Don't dwell on what others say or do... Run your own race to win."
For a moment, Sheng Xia almost thought he was offering comfort regarding the recent rumors. If not for his last sentence.
The final words were just about the competition.
But Class Six was nearly a full lap ahead. As long as they maintained their pace, they would win. There was no need for him to go out of his way like this now.
She couldn't figure it out and didn't want to assume too much.
The announcer was still reading Sheng Xia's script: "...The most beautiful sunset appears during summer evening self-study, and the most resilient version of you shines brightly on the track. Charge toward the finish line together, showcasing the spirit and ambition of youth! Witness the path of flourishing flowers and youthful vigor together."
Witness the flowers and the finish line together.
"Zhang Shu! Sheng Xia! Hurry! Class One is copying us—they're catching up, hurry!"
With less than ten meters left, Zhou Xuanxuan's anxious shouts rang out. Sheng Xia looked up and saw Class One on the far side running sideways, nearly overtaking them.
Zhou Xuanxuan grew even more frantic, stepping forward to pull them herself. Zhang Shu, being tall, hadn't fully removed the hula hoop yet. Zhou Xuanxuan's tug caused the hoop to catch around his neck, yanking him backward.
Zhang Shu swiftly turned, but he still lost his balance and began toppling forward.
Realizing Sheng Xia's back was right in front of him, he instinctively reached out to brace himself against the ground. But the momentum was too strong—there was no stopping it.
It happened in an instant. Sheng Xia only felt a force crashing into her from behind, pressing her toward the ground. The troublesome hula hoop tangled around her knees as it fell, making it impossible to step forward. She collapsed straight down—then came a sharp scraping sound.
Pain!
A flash of white light crossed her vision.
For that split second, Sheng Xia felt the world fade away.
It felt like she was about to depart this life.
"Sheng Xia!"
"Sheng Xia!"
"Xia Xia!"
Chaos—absolute chaos. She heard frantic voices overlapping. She felt her body being turned over.
She saw the boy in front of her pushing himself up, his face a picture of panic.
Many people crowded around—some familiar, some not...
As her awareness returned, she traced the source of the pain.
Her leg—her right leg—was screaming in agony. She couldn't move it.
"Sheng Xia, are you okay?" Zhang Shu knelt beside her, scanning the girl's body to check for injuries.
Her lips were pale, her gaze unfocused, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
This didn't look like an ordinary fall.
Zhang Shu called out, "Sheng Xia!"
Xin Xiaohe pushed through the crowd, trying to help Sheng Xia up, but Zhang Shu sharply stopped her. "Don't move her!"
Xin Xiaohe panicked. "What do we do?! Xia Xia, how bad is it? Zhang Shu, you idiot, this isn't how you're supposed to win!"
Zhang Shu seemed deaf to her words. "She might have broken something. Don't move her carelessly." He turned to Hou Junqi. "Get the school doctor!"
"Right, right."
Zhang Shu's gaze returned to Sheng Xia's face, searching anxiously. Without thinking, he brushed his fingers against her cheek. "Can you speak?"
The back of his hand was ice-cold.
Sheng Xia tried to open her mouth, but the word "yes" came out as a weak, "Hurts..."
"Okay, okay, don't talk..." Zhang Shu's brow furrowed deeply as he wiped the sweat from her forehead.Sheng Xia clenched her jaw, her eyes squeezed shut as the pain blurred her consciousness.
The onlookers exchanged glances at the intimate scene between the two, but no one dared to gossip at such a moment.
Zhou Xuanxuan was on the verge of tears. "Mengyao..."
Would Sheng Xia think she had done it on purpose? They had just had a conflict.
Chen Mengyao gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. Right now, she had no time to comfort Zhou Xuanxuan—her gaze was fixed on Zhang Shu's tense profile.
That expression of anguish, tenderness, helplessness, and forced composure was something she had never seen on Zhang Shu's usually indifferent face.
The school doctor, who was in the dispatch room, arrived quickly, followed by several teachers—the P.E. teacher, Wang Wei, and a few familiar but unfamiliar faces—all chattering about something.
"It's a fracture. Hard to say how severe it is without a hospital visit," the school doctor said, turning to Sheng Xia. "Any other discomfort elsewhere?"
The worst of the pain had subsided slightly. Sheng Xia slowly opened her eyes, moved her arms, and shook her head. "N-no..."
"Don’t crowd around. Clear the area and get her to the hospital."
"Should we get a stretcher?"
"It's her lower leg that's fractured. We can't extend it further—a stretcher might make it worse. Best to keep her leg steady and carry her."
The school doctor scanned the crowd, about to call for volunteers.
Zhang Shu turned to Xin Xiaohe. "Support her leg."
Then he slid an arm under Sheng Xia's shoulders and another beneath her knees, lifting her in a bridal carry.
To avoid jostling her, he rose slowly, which took far more effort than simply scooping her up in one motion.
His arms were taut, the veins in his neck standing out.
Though it felt inhumane to dwell on such thoughts at a time like this, the spectators couldn’t help whispering.
"Damn..."
"Boyfriend material right there."
Sheng Xia didn’t know where to put her hands. Beyond the pain, a tingling sensation spread through her limbs, as if electrified.
Zhou Xuanxuan was frantic. As the crowd began to disperse, she whimpered, "Mengyao, what do I do...?"
"It's fine. It wasn’t intentional," Chen Mengyao reassured her before stepping forward. "A-Shu, Xuanxuan, she—"
"Quiet. Move!"
Zhang Shu’s voice was low and urgent—not quite a shout, but close. Without waiting for a response, his sharp gaze swept aside the bystanders as he carried Sheng Xia toward the stadium entrance.
Chen Mengyao froze. Zhou Xuanxuan was so startled she stopped sniffling.
The murmurs among the crowd made it clear—now was not the time for explanations.
Zhang Shu didn’t seem to be targeting anyone. He was just frantic, his concern overriding everything else.
He walked swiftly yet steadily. When Sheng Xia looked up, she saw the fine beads of sweat dotting his forehead.
After a while, her body began to sag slightly. Zhang Shu glanced down. "You need to hold onto me." He couldn’t adjust her position abruptly—any sudden movement would worsen her leg.
Sheng Xia: "..."
Her peripheral vision caught the stares from all directions. Resigned, she buried her face against his chest—out of sight, out of mind—and slowly wrapped her arms around his neck.
X-rays, diagnosis, waiting for the cast.
Wang Wei and Xin Xiaohe had followed them to the hospital. Wang Wei and Zhang Shu handled the paperwork while Xin Xiaohe stayed by Sheng Xia’s side.
Li Xu arrived, explaining that Sheng Mingfeng was in a meeting and would come later.
Wang Lianhua was also on her way from work.Actually, everything that needed to be done was already taken care of. Coming here was just to keep an eye on things or perhaps offer a few critical remarks.
Before long, the hospital director arrived, followed by the department head and several other doctors.
They called from the doorway, "Director Li?"
Li Xu turned around, raised a hand to signal them to wait, and then followed the group out. Wang Wei also went with them.
Only the three teenagers remained in the hospital room.
The door was gently closed, leaving just a crack. Occasionally, snippets of conversation from the hallway drifted inside.
The scene, combined with words like "Party Secretary," "municipal committee's concern," "health commission," and "medical insurance"—terms often heard in the background of news broadcasts—left Xin Xiaohe a bit overwhelmed. She glanced at Zhang Shu, who stood expressionless by the window, revealing no particular emotion.
The department head personally applied the cast for Sheng Xia, saying it wasn’t a serious issue but would need to stay on for at least seven weeks.
By then, Sheng Mingfeng’s meeting had ended, and Li Xu drove to pick him up. The doctors gave a flurry of instructions before finally leaving.
Soon after, something came up at school, and Wang Wei prepared to leave as well. Before going, he asked if Xin Xiaohe and Zhang Shu wanted a ride back.
Xin Xiaohe said, "I’ll stay and help, just in case Xia Xia needs to use the restroom or something."
Wang Wei nodded. "Alright, call me if you need anything. What about you, Zhang Shu? Heading back?"
Zhang Shu replied, "I’ll go back on my own."
Wang Wei figured it wouldn’t hurt to have someone stay behind to run errands.
But Sheng Xia spoke up, "You should go back, Zhang Shu."
"Thanks for today. I don’t... there’s nothing else needed here," she added.
Her tone was cold, and her eyes never once met his.
Not even a glance.
What she meant was—
I don’t need you anymore.
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