“I’ll bring back first place for you”
Jiang Rong couldn’t help asking again: “Are you sure you can do the 3000 meters?”
Running 3000 meters meant seven and a half laps around the 400-meter track. She couldn’t run that far.
“What, don’t think I can do it?”
Jiang Rong shook her head: “No.”
Xu Si chuckled: “I’ll bring back first place for you.”
Jiang Rong saw he was teasing her again and smiled: “Alright then.”
Xu Si passed the registration form along. Yang Shikun got excited: “Si-ge, you’re finally joining the sports meet?”
Jiang Rong asked puzzled: “You never participated before?”
“No, wasn’t interested.”
“Then why are you joining this time, Si-ge?”
Xu Si just gave Yang Shikun a casual glance: “Just felt like it.”
Yang Shikun gave a thumbs up: “That’s our Si-ge – never joins the sports meet, but when he does, he picks the longest, most tiring event.”
Xu Si didn’t respond, just passed the form along: “Pass it on.”
“Sure thing, Si-ge.”
Li Mo looked at the form as it came to her. On it was the young man’s bold handwriting: Xu Si, with a black check mark next to the 3000-meter event. She was so excited she wanted to run a few laps herself. Last year nobody would sign up for the 3000 meters no matter how much they begged, so she had to do it herself and nearly fainted after finishing.
She looked back at Jiang Rong, who was talking with Xu Si about something. Somehow they reminded her of a big bad wolf and a little white rabbit, both in size and appearance.
…
Both of class 17’s performances were selected. The athletes had practiced several times, and Jiang Rong had rehearsed her sign-holding role multiple times too.
The evening before the sports meet, during self-study.
Teacher Fang Zixin looked at the restless students below and told two students sitting near the podium: “Go get the two big boxes from my office.”
“Big boxes? Teacher Fang, what did you buy? It’s not more test papers, is it?”
Fang Zixin smiled mysteriously: “You’ll find out when you bring them over.”
“Okay.”
The two boys called two more from the front row. Soon four of them carried in two boxes.
One boy said: “They’re pretty heavy. It’s really not test papers, right?”
Fang Zixin just smiled and directed them to put the boxes on the podium.
“Teacher Fang didn’t get secret test papers from somewhere, did he?” “Could be, you never know.” “No way, we have to do test papers during sports meet too?”
Fang Zixin pointed at the curtains: “Those by the windows, please draw the curtains.”
“?” “!” “Teacher Fang, are we watching a movie?” “Correct!”
The class erupted in cheers.
“Oh man, we love you Teacher Fang!” “No way!” “Let the other classes be jealous!”
Fang Zixin made a “shh” gesture: “Keep it down, the classes next door are still having class.”
Everyone covered their mouths.
The teacher supervising next door’s class 18 heard the noise and looked up. What was class 17 up to?
Class 18 students: “Teacher, class 17 must be watching a movie.”
Class 18 teacher: “Don’t spread rumors. Get back to your work.”
Class 18 students: “…”
Just as Jiang Rong finished rolling up the curtain and sat down, it fell loose again. She got up to fix it again. Two hands reached out from behind, and Xu Si chuckled: “Finally found something the little bookworm isn’t good at.”
They were quite close. Jiang Rong said softly: “I didn’t roll it tight enough.”
“Sit down, I’ll do it.”
Jiang Rong tilted her head up slightly to watch him stand and roll the curtain. The young man had long arms and distinct knuckles. He secured the curtain properly in one try, and it didn’t fall again. She quietly thanked him: “Thank you.”
Xu Si smiled: “No need, little bookworm.”
Such a well-mannered student, always saying thank you.
Fang Zixin opened the big box and took out its contents – a box of calcium-enriched milk, sunflower seeds, oranges, and potato chips.
“Come on, need some people to help distribute these.”
Wu Wei rushed to the podium: “I’ll help, I’ll help!”
Yang Shikun also ran up: “Me too, me too!”
Yang Shikun carried the bag of sunflower seeds, dropping a handful on each desk as he went. Passing by Hao Ming’s desk, he couldn’t resist being mischievous. He put seeds on Hao Ming’s deskmate’s desk and said impishly: “Don’t share with him.”
Hao Ming: “…”
Yang Shikun finished distributing to the back, then returned to give Hao Ming a big handful: “Your daddy loves you, giving you extra.”
“Get lost!”
Yang Shikun then came to Jiang Rong and Xu Si, dropping a large handful between them: “Si-ge, Study Queen, extra for you two.”
Xu Si gave a casual “mm” in response. Jiang Rong: “Thank you.”
Everyone got a bottle of milk, an orange, some sunflower seeds, and a small bag of chips.
Fang Zixin asked after everything was distributed: “Turn off the lights?”
Amid the chorus of “yes,” Xu Si’s “no” stood out.
Yang Shikun turned back to look at Xu Si: “Si-ge, why not? You’re not afraid of the dark… Oh, Study Queen is afraid of the dark, right?”
Jiang Rong replied: “It’s okay.”
As long as it didn’t suddenly go dark, she could handle it.
“Okay” meant she was afraid.
Yang Shikun immediately shouted: “Keep the lights on!”
Hearing Yang Shikun, Fang Zixin smiled: “We’ll turn off the back lights and leave the front two on.”
The movie was a comedy. The class was doubled over with laughter, filled with waves of giggles.
Meanwhile, Class 18’s teacher told his students: “Look at Class 17, they can make learning so joyful. They might surpass you next time.”
Class 18 students: “…” Still convinced they were watching a movie.
Jiang Rong picked up her milk but couldn’t get the straw in. She was confused until she heard Xu Si say: “It’s upside down.”
Only then did she notice she had the straw backwards. Before she could insert it, he took the milk, put the straw in, and handed it back without expression.
She held the milk bottle, momentarily lost in thought.
As soon as class ended, students from Classes 18 and 16 crowded around Class 17’s door.
Yang Shikun saw someone he knew and waved: “Come in and watch!”
The boy waved back: “Still have homework to finish.”
When the class bell rang, the crowd finally dispersed.
Though it was a comedy, it made people cry even as they laughed.
Jiang Rong was feeling for tissue in her desk drawer when a piece of paper was handed to her.
She took it from him, noting that Xu Si’s gaze was still on the screen, and softly said thank you.
The movie finished near the end of third period. It was a comedy.
Xu Si looked at her slightly reddened eyes and was mysteriously reminded of a rabbit.
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