But that wasn't how it worked.
Zhou Shihui had never been able to surpass Chen Yiyang in his life.
Reading Xie Yue's message, Zhou Shihui's eyes narrowed as he scanned the content. The tense lines of his body unconsciously relaxed. Then he lazily leaned back against the silver car seat, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
Chen Yiyang went in to see his grandfather. When he came out, Zhou Shihui stood up and said, "Chen Yiyang, want to head back together?"
His attitude had changed.
Chen Yiyang caught it in an instant.
He picked up his bag and jacket and said, "No."
Having seen his phone, Chen Yiyang frowned slightly. Zhou Shihui raised an eyebrow. "Leaving?"
Chen Yiyang didn't respond to the gesture. He slung his bag over his shoulder and said, "Zhou Shihui, next time don't sneak a peek at my phone like a thief."
Chen Yiyang knew Xie Yue's temper too well—careless and gloating.
As he went down the stairs, he asked what exactly was said.
Xie Yue replied: She said she super doesn't like the way you're so 'snarky.'
y2: Isn't that the same as saying she doesn't like me?
Xie Yue: Is there a difference?
y2: You don't like memorizing classical Chinese texts, and you don't like Chinese class. No difference?
Xie Yue: ...Uh, of course there's no difference. Both classical Chinese and Chinese can go to hell, right?
y2: 6
Chen Yiyang looked at the messages and thought Xie Yue was really boring. But seeing the 'snarky' comment, he couldn't help but smile a little.
—
Shanfu's military training was twenty days long. Yun Mi, representing Class 2, went with Ding Yuan to pick up their training uniforms.
On the way, Ding Yuan casually mentioned that the confession wall had another post from Jiang Miyan declaring her love.
"I heard she even sent flowers this time," Ding Yuan said, arms crossed, deeply puzzled. "What's so great about Chen Yiyang anyway? What charm does he have that makes Jiang Miyan confess over and over again?"
The school-issued military training uniforms were all standard camouflage green.
As Yun Mi listened to Ding Yuan's words 'what charm,' she suddenly felt the summer wind was sticky and oppressive, her hair plastered damply to her neck, making it hard to breathe.
Jiang Miyan happened to be there too. When she saw Yun Mi, she greeted her: "Yun Mi, long time no see! Done with your homework?"
Even though Ding Yuan complained, she had no ill will toward Jiang Miyan herself. But thinking the two were 'love rivals,' she immediately pulled Yun Mi behind her protectively and said loudly, "Of course Yun Mi is done. Right?"
Jiang Miyan blinked, confused, feeling like she might have offended someone somehow, but also not.
She turned naturally to Yun Mi. "Oh, by the way, Yun Mi, do you know where Chen Yiyang has been studying these past few days? We're in the same class now, and I need to talk to him about some class stuff."
Yun Mi thought about it and said, "Probably in the competition classroom."
Jiang Miyan's eyes curved into a smile. "I'll go look for him later. When I ask him, he never answers me."
Not far away, some athletic students who stayed on campus were training.
A sharp whistle suddenly pierced the sky.
After Jiang Miyan left, Ding Yuan couldn't help complaining to Yun Mi: "Why did you tell her? Why don't you try to fight for him yourself?"
Yun Mi understood what she meant but said lightly, "What if it really is something important."
Ding Yuan rolled her eyes, not buying it. "She's definitely using it as an excuse."
Yun Mi looked at Jiang Miyan's retreating figure. The girl was bright and dazzling, walking with a light breeze.
Yun Mi thought, if one day she could stand back in first place, would she be just as radiant?
Just as she was thinking, an athletic student nearby let loose a shot put.
Under the clear blue sky, Yun Mi's heart tightened, and she blurted out, "Watch out!"
Jiang Miyan hadn't reacted yet when she felt a warm, clean force suddenly pull her into an embrace. The world spun as they both tumbled to the ground.
When she scrambled up, still shaken, she saw a silver-gray, lusterless shot put lying quietly not far from where she'd been standing.
The playground erupted in noise.
Jiang Miyan got up from the ground, looking a bit disheveled, and harshly scolded the athletic student who ran over to apologize: "Can't you train where there are no people? If someone hadn't protected me, I could have been hit in the head!"
"What if I got hurt?"
"Apologize to me—"
Her movements were agitated, her voice suddenly desperate, on the verge of tears.
The tall boys knew they were in the wrong and lowered their heads, saying, "Sorry."
On the other side of the playground, Chen Yiyang said to a newly acquainted male classmate beside him, "Take my stuff back to the classroom." The friend asked, "What's up?"
But before he finished, Chen Yiyang had already started sprinting.
Jiang Miyan's tears had already fallen. Seeing Chen Yiyang approach, she was about to complain when he walked straight past her.