Bei Yao used all her strength to support him and whispered in his ear: "I’ll help you walk. Don't worry, there will always be someone who loses their strength after a race."
A person couldn’t sit right after a long run. It was better to take a short walk first. She couldn't imagine how painful it was for Pei Chuan, so she asked, "Do you want to sit for a while?"
Pei Chuan gritted his teeth and stood up. “Go.”
They slowly walked together to the finish line, the colored banner set up at the end of the line blowing gently by the mountain breeze, revealing a splendid feeling of being welcomed.
Everybody could see that there was something wrong with Pei Chuan’s condition. His face was as white as paper and his walking posture underneath that black sweatpants was not right. Countless inquisitive and curious eyes were looking at him.
In terms of reputation, Bei Yao was more famous. Since she had started volunteering at the race all morning, countless people had recognized her as the famous school flower of Sixth High School who had previously taken part in the cheerleading squad. On the other hand, although Pei Chuan was famous in Third High School’s second grade, it wasn’t to the point of being known to several schools.
However, Bei Yao had trespassed into the racing track to support him; and rather than supporting, it had been more like a hug. Most of the students were about sixteen or seventeen, so they were more excited about this kind of gossip than who had won the marathon.
Someone whispered, “Who is that boy? Why is Bei Yao helping him?”
“I don’t know, I’ve never seen him. But, to be as weak as that…… tsk, Bei Yao has really bad eyes.”
Bits and pieces of those conversations came into his ears. Pei Chuan’s body was drenched in sweat and was being blown by the wind. His body shivered a little. As it turned out, even when he had done everything he could, in others’ eyes, it had simply been nothing.
Pei Chuan felt ridiculous.
Sigh, what the hell had he been doing? Besides giving her more trouble, the thing he had been trying to prove had been utterly worthless.
He could barely stand with the table supporting his arm. The sweat on his forehead was dripping down, and his shirt had long been soaked. Bei Yao intended to mix the warm water and come over to feed him.
Shi Tian felt a little bit awkward and quietly pulled Bei Yao away. “Why are you helping him over? Will the results still count now?”
In fact, Pei Chuan’s achievement had been finalized in the top fifty bonus list. Throughout the race, he hadn’t taken a sip of water and hadn’t wasted a single moment.
Bei Yao said, "He ran the whole course, why doesn't it count?" For the first time, her soft and clear eyes showed a bit of stubbornness, leaving Shi Tian speechless for a while. Bei Yao hurriedly poured water, added glucose, and walked away.
Pei Chuan looked at her. She was dirty because of him. A man’s sweat dripping on a woman’s body, shouldn’t be because of his sorry figure.
He pressed his palm against her paper cup and pursed his whitened lips.
He didn’t accept her water.
Bei Yao couldn’t understand, but he did.
As a volunteer, to help someone physically weak was because of the kindness of the heart, but to feed water after the race, would lead people’s minds to run wild.
Because of the pain on his stump, his hand trembled as he lifted the water kettle.
Upon seeing this, Wu Mo immediately helped him pour the water.
Pei Chuan endured the pain. He did not look up to see who was helping him pour water, as long as it was not her. During the year without him, Bei Yao had lived an easy and happy life, and he still remembered the consequences of Shang Mengxian's deliberate approach.
Wu Mo felt happy inside, although she didn’t understand why Pei Chuan looked uncomfortable and surprised at Bei Yao’s boldness. Yet, seeing Pei Chuan not drinking Bei Yao’s water in front of so many people made her rejoice.
She eagerly poured the water, using a volunteer’s tone to speak. “You’ve worked hard, have some water.”
Pei Chuan didn’t have any more strength to pour water. He reached out to pick it up, but the cup was taken away by a small hand.
The hand was white and beautiful, just like the one which had been placed on his waist before.
Pei Chuan looked up.
Bei Yao didn’t speak. She pursed her lips, put away the water from Wu Mo, and handed him her cup.
Suddenly, a discussion began to rise. Wu Mo's face wasn’t good, but she also knew that Pei Chuan was still here. She jokingly said, "Bei Yao, we’re all volunteers. What are you trying to do?"
Bei Yao didn’t know what she was doing either, but even though she was ignorant, she knew that Wu Mo had bad intentions.
Girls had been born a little more sensitive.
Seeing that Bei Yao had ignored her, Wu Mo said, “Bei Yao, others can’t drink if you do this. You’re going too far.” She thought to herself that Pei Chuan had better see how insensitive Bei Yao was.
Bei Yao's eyes were clear, reflecting Pei Chuan's appearance, Her brittle voice held a bit of grievance as she took her cup. "This one has glucose added to it."
His dark eyes looked at her, reflecting no blame. His Adam’s apple jumped.
Shi Tian couldn’t watch anymore. She poured another cup of water, added a bunch of glucose, and with a forced smile on her face said, “Come on, classmate, drink drink."
Pei Chuan lowered his eyes, took the water from Shi Tian, and drank it. He frowned slightly. Shi Tian… How much sugar had she added? It was so sweet that it was hard to drink.
This development made the crowd baffled.
Finally seeing Pei Chuan drink the president’s water, they reluctantly felt that the volunteer must be very thoughtful. Seeing a participant who couldn’t make it to the finish line, they had given a helping hand, this matter was resolved this way.
Wu Mo knew she only had this one chance, so she went over and said: “I’ll help you go over to rest, there are athletes’ stools over there.”
Bei Yao inexplicably knew that he would not let her support him. She could only look at him with pursed lips.
Pei Chuan glanced at Bei Yao. She was never willful. This had been the first time that she had been forced to lose her temper. Even though he knew that perhaps what she had in mind was not what he was expecting, his heart still felt like it had been blown softly, until it became a soft complete mess.
He flicked away Wu Mo’s hand, not giving even a slight glance. He gritted his teeth and walked away.
In just 20 meters, he looked like he had died again.
Wu Mo's face didn’t look good. In fact, she also understood that her show of goodwill today meant to shed all pretense in front of Bei Yao. Bei Yao was simple, but not a fool. If she wanted to tear her facade, she’d tear it. In fact, she felt a cold and dark pleasure by doing it. It wasn’t yet certain who would lose.
Pei Chuan still remembered Han Zhen's affair, and there were still many students around. He endured the pain: "Classmate Bei."
"Classmate Bei" looked back. He whispered, "My wallet is at the foot of the mountain, could you help me take it?"
She walked over and squatted down beside him: "What kind of wallet?"
"The black one, it's at the water vendor's stall, in my coat."
Bei Yao was upset inside. When she thought back now, it had been shameful to stop him from drinking Wu Mo's water just now.
Her small face reddened. With a small and soft voice, she whispered in his ear: "Wu Mo is not good at all." This had been her first time to say bad things about someone behind their back. Her ears were red and the ripple in her pupils showed her embarrassment.
He looked down at her.
Yes ah, Wu Mo was not good at all. How about you instead?
However, he still had his senses. In the end, he could only squeeze one word out of his throat: "Hmm."
"Classmate Bei" finished her bad-mouthing and fled away.
He grunted softly in pain while watching her get into the car and go down the mountain. Pei Chuan called Wang Zhan: "Chang Qing Mountain, send people over."
Wang Zhan knew he was a proud person, for him to give a call must mean something serious had happened. At the other end of the phone, the veins on Wang Zhan's forehead were bursting. What were you doing?
Through his connection, Wang Zhan sent people up the mountain to send Pei Chuan down.
On the other side, Han Zhen ran out of breath and saw that there was only Wu Mo still sitting there. There was no figure of Bei Yao.
Most of the boy's shirt was soaked in sweat. As he ran over, the light in his eyes dimmed.
Wu Mo's heart jumped before she remembered that she had also deceived Han Zhen.
She poured a cup of water for Han Zhen and whispered: "She doesn't want to come no matter what I say. I'm sorry."
Han Zhen shook his head, and he smiled softly: "It's okay, I don't blame you. It's okay if she's not willing to, I… I'll just like her silently."
His figure slowly walked away.
Wu Mo was very angry!
You're not angry even when Bei Yao had stood you up like this! Still accepting it quietly. For the first time, Wu Mo felt like vomiting blood out of anger. Didn’t that woman only have an excessively pretty face? Everyone was biased towards Bei Yao. When Bei Yao had prevented Pei Chuan from drinking water, even if it had been hard to bear, Pei Chuan had been silent and had indulged her.
Han Zhen's public confession had also failed, naturally, there would be no rumors.
~
Three days after the end of the autumn marathon, Pei Chuan still had to recuperate at home.
Wang Zhan looked at the person reading a book on the bed. The side of the young man’s face looked desolate. Wang Zhan admittedly said, "How many times have I told you not to engage in these strenuous exercises, prosthetic limbs are not...... Forget it, your ability to bear pain is first-class."
He gave up lecturing the young man. “Will you still change the dressings yourself today?”
Pei Chuan responded: “Hmm.”
No matter what, Pei Chuan was just a teenager. Dr. Wang also had a child his age and sighed. “Pei Chuan, just go home.”
Pei Chuan said: “Mind your own business, get lost.”
“......” Wang Zhan said, “Boy, go back to school sooner and learn some manners from your teacher. I, Old Wang, am old enough to be your father. No girl will like you this way, you know?”
Pei Chuan stiffened up and spoke with a low voice: “There can be none anyway.”
Wang Zhan just wanted to tease him, but inadvertently stabbing him in the heart, Wang Zhan felt awkward. He coughed twice before getting out on his own.
In fact, Wang Zhan could have comforted Pei Chuan, but he chose not to.
He had a son and a ten-year-old daughter. It would be hard as a father to accept having his daughter marry someone with a disability. In addition to the body, their hearts were also extra sensitive. It was difficult for anyone to be tolerant and supportive for a lifetime.
Some things were better off not being given hope from the beginning, so as to not fall into a deeper abyss.
He remembered that beautiful and outstanding girl named Bei Yao. She might be an exception. If he really liked her, how hard and bitter must it be.
Pei Chuan had missed school for five days, and when he went to school again, his leg was still aching.
Jin Ziyang said: "Brother Chuan is so cool, ah, I don't dare to be like you. If I miss class for so long, my old man will definitely kill me."
In fact, they all wondered if Brother Chuan's family had received a call from the teacher?
Zheng Hang said: "Brother Chuan, are you okay?"
Pei Chuan took out a book from the drawer: "I'm okay."
Jin Ziyang wondered: "Have you been infected by Brother Wei? Why did you start reading, too?"
Ji Wei in the front row turned his head excitedly. "Brother Chuan, you also understand the joy of learning……"
Pei Chuan frowned. "Shut up."
Ji Wei was still happy, he shyly said, "The result of the English test the day before yesterday will be issued by the next class, I'll invite everyone to dinner if I pass."
Zheng Han smiled. "Oh, good luck."
"Thanks."
Pei Chuan couldn’t help but bend his lips.
Sometimes, he felt that youth didn’t seem so obscure and difficult. What was bad and undesirable in people's eyes also had vivid and interesting aspects.
It was just that whenever he thought of someone, his heartbeat would go crazy and out of control, so bitter yet so sweet. He obviously liked her very much that it didn’t matter if even the sky were to fall, but she couldn’t see anything. He still kept this one-sided feeling, becoming satisfied by not giving up.
After handing out the English paper, classmate Ji Wei almost cried again. He had scored 62 in English!
He folded the paper lovingly. Zheng Hang laughed his ass off. "Yes, yes, keep it well, maybe you won't get this number next time."
Ji Wei didn't care about his friends’ teasing. He earnestly took out his error book and prepared to take notes.
Ji Wei's family was rich. In fact, among the few teenagers, his family was quite well off, but because of his natural dullness, he didn't have many friends, and no one could tell how rich he was.
Qin Shi had recently become the place for them to entertain their guests.
Jin Ziyang still took his little girlfriend. With several other people, they opened a private room. Later, he proposed to go to the hall to sing.
In fact, the hall on the fifth floor of Qin Shi was very lively.
A big place like Qin Shi couldn’t keep up just by relying on rich students alone. So when its fame grew, Qin Shi would become like a club where adults would love to go.
This way, there would be fewer students.
After all, for adolescents, although they longed for the worlds of adults, there would be an inexplicable trepidation that would stop them in their tracks.
Pei Chuan's legs still hurt. He leaned against the bar and asked the waiter for a glass of wine.
Ji Wei found a table in a corner. He struggled to negotiate with the waiter to get him a table lamp. The colorful lights blurred his eyes and were inconvenient for reading.
Pei Chuan had never had any friends since childhood. Jin Ziyang and the others were considered the first few people who had become his friends. Sometimes, he would be at a loss in his current world, but the circle of good students was of mostly noble and arrogant people, and his peculiar personality would be seen as abnormal.
From time to time, some people went upstairs from the fifth floor. In Qin Shi, some people would play balls, others would get a room, and people from society would come and go. Pei Chuan squinted his eyes, watching a suspicious man who went upstairs in hurried steps.
With just a glance he guessed that the man had taken drugs and was in a poor mental state.
Pei Chuan didn't say a word.
It was just that before Jin Ziyang and the others passed, he nodded towards the table bar and said, "Go back early tonight."
Zheng Hang did not object. "Okay, Brother Chuan, do you want a cigarette?"
Pei Chuan took it. When it was nine o'clock at Qin Shi, a group of police rushed in.
Fate seemed to be playing tricks. Pei Haobin walked at the forefront and saw Pei Chuan at a glance. The teenager was sitting on a stool in front of the bar, his long legs slightly bent.
Across the crowd, father and son looked at each other.
Pei Haobin's eyes widened in disbelief. This year's Pei Chuan had an indifferent gaze, cigarette between his lips, smoke lingering. Pei Chuan's expression was distant.
People were singing loudly in the background, and the colorful lights staggered downwards.
Time seemed to flow backward for a moment. The four-year-old Pei Chuan smiled as he sat on his shoulder. "I want to grow up and be like Father to become a policeman. I’m gonna catch all the bad guys."
Pei Haobin's heart trembled when he remembered Pei Chuan facing the light, trying to walk forward.