Ch. 1211..1220

Chapter 1211: 1210 Youth Sports Meet

Liang Lu was stunned all of a sudden. It turned out Tan Rou hadn’t told Lu Qing about her car accident, yet the news had been out for over two hours, which was more than the time spent on the road. How did Lu Qing manage to get there?

Lu Qing saw her confusion and replied, “The private plane couldn’t take off, so I bought someone else’s plane ticket at a high price. As soon as I landed, I arranged for a car. Fortunately, there was no traffic jam this time, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it.”

“That was really fast,” Liang Lu said, looking down. “You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine.”

Lu Qing sat by her bed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t take good care of you.”

With only the two of them in the room, Tan Rou didn’t want to disturb them, so she took her bowl of food and went out to eat.

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Zhuang Liu standing at the door. She asked a bit awkwardly, “Have you eaten yet?”

Zhuang Liu replied with a smile, “No.”

Tan Rou handed him her bowl of food, “Would you like some?”

Zhuang Liu took a bite from her hand and then commented, “It tastes bad, I’ll take you to eat something delicious tomorrow.”

Tan Rou laughed and nodded, “I want to eat cherries and steamed grouper.”

Zhuang Liu patted her head, “As you wish.”

Ultimately, the box office for Liang Lu’s movie was affected, but not negatively; it was a positive impact. Many people who saw the news were moved by Liang Lu’s story and bought tickets to see the film. After watching it, they realized that the movie was even more touching than reality, so many went in with doubts and came out with tears.

As things settled down and the weather warmed up, having nothing else to do, Tan Rou went back to Capital University to attend her classes regularly. The university offered her great flexibility to come and go as long as she didn’t miss any classes.

Tan Rou’s advisor was a very kind old man, affectionately called Professor Yi by everyone.

That day, Tan Rou went to report her recent research findings to Professor Yi. Her research ability had long surpassed that of her peers, including doctoral students, but she still maintained the habit of reporting.

“Professor, may I come in?” Tan Rou stood at the door holding a stack of reports. Her advisor was quite old and preferred paper reports, so he required all his students to provide paper reports.

“Come in,” Professor Yi said.

Professor Yi was always cheerful, with a smile in his voice. Tan Rou really liked the old professor and thought about choosing him as her advisor if she pursued a doctorate unless he no longer took students.

Tan Rou walked in and handed her reports to Professor Yi, “Professor, these are my recent research findings. Could you guide me through them?”

After hearing her, Professor Yi laughed so hard that his eyes squinted shut, “Tan Rou, what capacity do I have to guide you? You have long surpassed me. If only you were willing to stay and teach at the university, I’d recommend you to the dean this instant to become a professor inside.”

Tan Rou chuckled, “Professor Yi, please don’t joke with me. I’m not yet capable enough. When I feel I am, I’ll consider that.”

Professor Yi said no more. He opened Tan Rou’s research report and meticulously went through it, repeating ‘good’ three times.

“Tan Rou’s reports are always the best,” Professor Yi was very pleased. “Don’t just stand there; sit down. I have a question to discuss with you.”

Tan Rou sat down and immediately noticed two promotional posters on the table with “Sweat it out, embrace youth” written on them.

Her lips twitched. She hadn’t expected Professor Yi to still have such youthful sentiments; those posters seemed to be targeted towards the younger generation.

Noticing Tan Rou’s gaze, Professor Yi said with a smile, “The dean brought these over. This year’s Capital City Youth Cup Sports Event is about to start. In past years, our Capital University always sent a lot of undergraduates. This year, the dean said our graduate school must participate too, otherwise he won’t approve our research funding. I’m still wondering who to send, as we don’t have as many graduate students as undergraduates.”

Tan Rou said, “It’s simple. Just send a few who love sports.”

Professor Yi sighed, “They all say they’re too busy and don’t have time to participate.”

 

Chapter 1212: Registered for 1211

“The dean really has given you a big headache,” Tan Rou said. “Our graduate department doesn’t have that many students. A professor can only supervise up to five graduate students, and with the dean asking every teacher for nominations, Professor, you can only pick from a few of us.”

Professor Yi spoke with some difficulty, “The semester has just started not long ago, and your senior classmates are all busy with their own experiments, and can hardly spare any time to take part in the sports meeting. Plus, you’re well aware that young people these days lack exercise. The longer their studies, the worse their physical fitness.”

Tan Rou agreed with this point, saying, “How could the physical condition of those who soak in the library and lab all day be good?”

Professor Yi nodded, “Yes, just last night I showed this poster to one of your senior classmates, and after seeing the poster, he clutched his chest and gasped for air, saying that if I made him participate in the sports meeting, he’d call an ambulance to take him away right then and there.”

Tan Rou smiled, “I can probably guess which senior said that.”

After reading Tan Rou’s experimental report, Professor Yi was very pleased, “Indeed, entrusting the experiment to you was no mistake. Your one month’s work is equal to others’ six months of hard labor. If all my students were like you, then I’d probably be out of a job.”

Tan Rou said with a smile, “That won’t happen, even if I were out of a job, you wouldn’t be, Professor.”

Speaking of the issue of unemployment, Professor Yi looked worried again, “The dean has given each of us professors an ultimatum, if we don’t send someone to participate, not only will our research funds be withheld, but our professional title evaluations will also be postponed. I’ve reached this age and have long since received my professional title, but there are many professors promoted in the last two years who are awaiting their evaluations. If postponed, it would greatly impact them.”

Tan Rou thought that Professor Yi was good in all respects, except that he cared too much about others’ business. He was very kind and the oldest in the graduate department, so he liked to look after the juniors. Not only did he take care of them in their experiments, but he also cared about their everyday work. And here was Professor Yi, worrying over the professional title evaluations for those new professors.

“Ah, if only someone from our graduate department took the initiative to participate in the sports meeting, we wouldn’t have to select someone individually,” Professor Yi said, his eyes fixed on Tan Rou as he spoke.

Tan Rou chuckled lightly, seemingly understanding why Professor Yi was saying all this, “Professor, you’re not thinking of having me participate in the sports meeting, are you?”

Professor Yi said with a smile, “If Student Tan Rou is willing to participate, that would be wonderful.”

Tan Rou spoke with a sense of resignation, “Professor, you really think too highly of me, always thinking of me whenever there’s an issue.”

Professor Yi said with embarrassment, “I actually didn’t want you to participate, but as it stands, only your experiment is complete. And I used to watch you run on the track very fast, so I think you could do well in a race.”

Tan Rou was indeed capable of participating in the sports meeting, and lately, she hadn’t had much to do, so it seemed feasible for her to join. However, just because one enjoys sports doesn’t mean one has to take part in a sports meeting.

“Do you hope I sign up, Professor Yi?” Tan Rou asked directly.

Professor Yi pulled out two registration forms from some drawer, “Here, if you want to participate, just fill in this registration form.”

Tan Rou was momentarily speechless then said, “It seems you’ve planned this in advance, even preparing the registration forms.”

Professor Yi admitted honestly, “I really do want you to participate in this sports meeting. Right now, I have only four students, and aside from you, I can’t think of anyone else to ask.”

As Tan Rou got older, there were many things she didn’t like doing but had to do, like this sports meeting. If it were in the past, she definitely wouldn’t have participated readily, unless the prizes at the sports meeting were something she wanted.

But now things were different. Not only did Tan Rou have to consider the benefits of doing something, but she also had to think about others. After all, having one more friend was better than having one more enemy. Professor Yi’s students were always the best, and if Tan Rou could choose her employees from his students later, it would save her a lot of trouble.

 

Chapter 1213: 1212 Swimming Pool

“Since the professor has spoken, it would be somewhat impolite of me not to participate,” Tan Rou said with a soft smile, “Please hand me the registration form. I’ll have a look at the official website later and then decide what events to register for.”

Professor Yi was quite excited, “You’re really good at running. Why not sign up for a long-distance running event? Long-distance running events offer more bonus points.”

Tan Rou looked at the excited Professor Yi and said, “Professor, if you keep being this excited, I might just change my mind and not participate at all. You go ahead and compete instead.”

Professor Yi didn’t dare to offer further suggestions, “Alright, alright, I’ll stop talking. You decide what events to compete in based on your own situation. Anyway, no matter what events you choose to participate in, I doubt our graduate college could find many suitable athletes.”

Tan Rou thought to herself, if that’s the case, why are you still asking me to participate? If no one else does, maybe the dean won’t pay attention to this matter either.

After getting the registration form, Tan Rou logged onto the sports meet’s official website to take a look. There were many events, all fairly standard, and Tan Rou could handle them. Each person could register for up to three events but had to sign up for at least one. Tan Rou decided to take the middle ground and register for two events with the highest scores.

Typically, long-distance running events in sports meets offer large bonus points because they are extremely physically demanding and test an athlete’s endurance. If the scores weren’t high, few people would participate.

This sports meet was a youth meet, intended for young people aged 18 to 30. These young people are the pillars of the nation; if they don’t have good physical health, how can they contribute to the country?

The Capital’s Youth Cup Sports Meet had been held ten times; this year was the eleventh. University students had always been the main force in past sports meets, and this year was no exception. It was unclear whether it was because the university presidents had met or for some other reason, but all high schools were encouraging graduate students to participate in the sports meet, and some even tied the event to scholarships. If the students performed well, they could be considered for scholarship selection in advance.

Tan Rou didn’t need that bit of scholarship money; her name had always been at the top of the entire grade, and she had long since earned all the academic credits needed. Whether it was the national scholarship or the school’s, she could get it.

But Tan Rou signed up for the sports meet anyway. It was solely because her mentor had mentioned it. Had it been someone else, Tan Rou probably wouldn’t have given them the time of day.

Tan Rou registered for the long-distance running and the 400m freestyle swimming, as these two events awarded more points. As long as she won first place, the pressure on her school would be a bit less. There’s a common belief that students with excellent academic performance are physically weak, and Tan Rou wanted to shatter that prejudice.

Tan Rou’s house in the university town didn’t have a professional swimming pool, which made it inconvenient to train for swimming. Her family home did have a large swimming pool, but since the university town was too far from her home, traveling back and forth would waste a lot of time.

After some thought, Tan Rou called Zhuang Liu, “Zhuang Liu, I’ve signed up for this year’s Youth Cup Sports Meet, and one of the events is the 400m freestyle. I don’t have a suitable swimming pool here. Do you have one over there?”

Upon hearing that Tan Rou had registered for the sports meet, Zhuang Liu was a bit surprised because sports meets are purely exertive and thankless endeavors. Winning at most earns you a trophy, which offered no advantage to Tan Rou. So why would she want to participate?

“Tan Rou, what made you think of signing up for the sports meet?” asked Zhuang Liu curiously.

Tan Rou replied, “It wasn’t my idea to sign up. It was my advisor who suggested I do so. If I didn’t, he would probably sigh every time he saw me.”

Zhuang Liu didn’t want Tan Rou to participate and said, “Is there really no one else at your school?”

“Who knows? I don’t care about these things. Anyway, I’ve already registered, and unless there’s a special circumstance, I’ll definitely be participating in the sports meet,” Tan Rou said calmly, “Let’s get to the point. Do you have a swimming pool? If you do, I’ll come over tonight.”

 

Chapter 1214: Leave work earlier at 1213

Even if Zhuang Liu’s house had no swimming pool, he would have to find a way to build one overnight, for this was a request from Tan Rou, and Tan Rou hardly ever asked him for anything. Finally having the chance to help Tan Rou, Zhuang Liu wanted to seize this opportunity.

And what had Tan Rou just said? She mentioned that if Zhuang Liu’s place had a swimming pool, she would come over in the evening.

Ever since Tan Rou started school, she had been shuttling between school and the company, leaving little opportunity for her and Zhuang Liu to be together; Zhuang Liu had almost forgotten what it felt like to lie in bed with Tan Rou.

“Alright, I’ll make arrangements now,” Zhuang Liu said cheerfully, “Let’s have dinner together tonight at home, I’ll have someone prepare dinner in advance. After eating, we can rest for a bit and then go for a swim. Do you think that’s a good plan?”

Tan Rou had no objections, “Come pick me up after you finish work tonight, I won’t drive back.”

Zhuang Liu was even happier and his tone became more cheerful, “Okay, then wait for me a little while, I’ll head there as soon as I finish work.”

When Xiao Mo entered the office, he saw their always stern-faced boss smiling as brightly as a flower, wondering if the boss had overindulged in his “Smile Candies.”

Even when advised to cut down on sweets, the boss wouldn’t listen. However, the candies in the boss’s case did smell incredibly fragrant; Xiao Mo had been tempted to sneak a piece several times, but didn’t dare, because Zhuang Liu counted his candies every day. Even if not eating them, he would use tweezers to pick them out, one by one, and count them.

“Head of the Zhuang family, you seem to be in a great mood today,” Xiao Mo said with a smile: “Could it be that Miss Rou has asked you out again?”

Zhuang Liu looked up at Xiao Mo and said with a smile, “Prepare dinner for two and send it to the villa at 30 Hualin Road. Also, have someone change the water in the swimming pool ahead of time. Tan Rou and I are going there to swim tonight.”

Xiao Mo didn’t need to ask further; he just needed to do as Zhuang Liu requested, “Okay, I’ll make the arrangements right now.”

Just as Xiao Mo was about to leave, Zhuang Liu suddenly called out to him, “Wait.”

Xiao Mo turned back and asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to arrange, head of the Zhuang family?”

Zhuang Liu instructed, “Let everyone leave work early tonight, including you. I won’t need you to drive me tonight; you can take Bai Yin home directly or take her out for a spin. All the expenses for the two of you tonight are on me; enjoy whatever you want.”

Xiao Mo was thrilled, though he felt he shouldn’t let his boss pay for a night out with his girlfriend, Zhuang Liu’s offer still tempted him, “Thank you, head of the Zhuang family, but I’ll cover the expenses tonight. After all, Bai Yin is my girlfriend and she definitely wouldn’t be happy if I were stingy.”

Zhuang Liu didn’t insist and replied, “Alright then, since you don’t want reimbursement, I’ll let you leave work a bit earlier. You can come to work a little later tomorrow morning and don’t need to pick me up; I’ll drive myself to the company.”

Xiao Mo could no longer hide his excited smile, “Yes, boss!”

Zhuang Liu smiled, “Go make those arrangements; once they’re done, you can all leave work.”

Xiao Mo had to hurry; not just to leave work early himself but to get everything arranged so his colleagues could do the same.

After arranging everything, Xiao Mo drove off with his girlfriend. Zhuang Liu had the other employees leave early while he stayed at the company to finish up his work before leaving.

Zhuang Liu was rather strict with his employees, but he often allowed them some relaxation, like letting them leave work early or giving them gift vouchers to buy some things.

Tan Rou waited for Zhuang Liu in the laboratory; although her last experiment had finished, the work of experimentation never stopped, so she had to prepare for the next one.

It wasn’t just Tan Rou in the lab; neither her seniors nor her juniors had left. When they saw a very handsome guy standing at the door, they all took several glances over.

After washing her hands, Tan Rou said with a smile, “Let’s go.”

Zhuang Liu smiled back at her, “Let’s go home.”

Warmth filled Tan Rou’s heart, “Yes, let’s go home together.”

Chapter 1215: 1214 let’s go swimming together

Zhuang Liu had arranged for an indoor swimming pool, which, despite its limited space, was very warm. It was still rather cold now, and outdoor swimming pools were not quite suitable for Tan Rou’s training.

Tan Rou first went to check out the swimming pool, where she discovered a faint layer of steam rising above, making the entire space comfortably warm.

Although she knew that water surfaces emit steam in winter, this was a swimming pool, not a natural spring—how could there be steam?

Tan Rou squatted down, reached out, and touched the swimming pool only to find that the water inside was actually warm, not very hot, but significantly warmer than tap water from a faucet.

“The water is actually heated!” Tan Rou asked in surprise, “You didn’t burn something underneath, did you?”

Zhuang Liu came closer and explained, “I indeed installed a geothermal heating system under this swimming pool so that it won’t feel cold even when swimming in winter.”

Tan Rou said, “Isn’t that a bit extravagant? The pool is quite large, and I imagine heating all this water must use a lot of electricity.”

“It’s fine as long as you feel warm,” Zhuang Liu didn’t care much about the other aspects.

Having inspected the swimming pool and expressing satisfaction with the environment, it was now time for them to go have a meal.

The chef had already prepared the meal, they just needed to go and eat.

After eating, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu strolled through the yard for a while before changing into their swimsuits and heading to the pool.

The temperature of the water in the swimming pool was just right, perfect for swimming. Tan Rou entered the water first, then called out to Zhuang Liu, “Zhuang Liu, do you want to come down too?”

Zhuang Liu felt that they hadn’t come to the swimming pool to swim, but rather to flirt with each other. Besides, with the pool being such a romantic place, why limit oneself to swimming when there are more enjoyable things to do?

Not waiting for Zhuang Liu, Tan Rou dived under the water, swam around in a circle, and then suddenly burst forth from the water’s surface like a mermaid leaping from the sea.

Zhuang Liu was awestruck, not because he had never seen Tan Rou swim, but because he found her more beautiful than usual at that moment.

Tan Rou swam up to Zhuang Liu and floated on the water with her body completely relaxed, “How about we race each other for a lap?”

Zhuang Liu didn’t have time for a race—he wrapped his arms around Tan Rou’s waist and kissed her intensely on the lips.

Tan Rou also wrapped her arms around Zhuang Liu’s neck, responding to his kisses. They had not had intimate contact for a long time. Both were young and full of energy, so a proper swimming race turned into pool play.

By the time they had both enjoyed themselves fully, it was late into the night. After a quick shower, they returned to the bedroom to rest.

Tan Rou said with annoyance, “It’s all your fault. I was planning to swim tonight, but you messed it up. Not only did I not get to train, but now my back and waist are aching.”

Zhuang Liu rubbed her waist and said gently, “It’s all my fault, don’t be mad at me, okay?”

Tan Rou squinted in enjoyment of Zhuang Liu’s massage and then warned him, “Tomorrow, when I go swimming again, you can’t mess around like this.”

Zhuang Liu promised, “Okay, I will definitely accompany you in a proper training session today.”

The next day, Tan Rou came back even earlier. She didn’t ask Zhuang Liu to pick her up from school but drove over by herself. Before Zhuang Liu returned, she needed to swim a few more laps to avoid his influence.

Tan Rou was prescient because as soon as Zhuang Liu came back, the swimming competition took another turn.

When they lay in bed again, Tan Rou really wanted to kick Zhuang Liu off the bed, but she was too drained to do anything but close her eyes and sleep.

But Zhuang Liu seemed not too keen on letting her sleep. Whenever Tan Rou closed her eyes, he would start teasing her, either pinching her face or touching her body.

Too exhausted, Tan Rou was too weary to care about Zhuang Liu’s antics and fell asleep on her own.

Zhuang Liu didn’t continue to bother her and instead covered her properly with the blanket and fell asleep holding her.

On the third day, Tan Rou didn’t even want to come over, but Zhuang Liu assured her that he wouldn’t tease her this time and would seriously accompany her in training. Tan Rou decided to trust Zhuang Liu once more—if he dared to interfere again, she would ignore him for a week.

 

Chapter 1216: Come compete at 1215

Tan Rou had put on a new swimsuit today, and she did warm-up exercises before getting into the water, keeping a close eye on Zhuang Liu, “If you cause trouble again this time, I won’t pay attention to you anymore, do you hear me?”

Zhuang Liu smiled faintly, “Do you really distrust me that much?”

Tan Rou said indignantly, “I have always trusted you, but your behavior these past two days has been too much.”

Zhuang Liu also did some warm-up exercises, then said, “Just like you said before, let’s have a competition. Let’s race 100m freestyle and see who swims faster.”

The pool was 50m long, so they needed to swim there and back.

Tan Rou went to one end of the pool and signaled to Zhuang Liu, “Hurry up and come here, let me see how strong you really are.”

Zhuang Liu stretched his arms and said, “Since it’s a competition, we need to have a wager.”

Tan Rou asked, “What do you want to bet on?”

Zhuang Liu had already thought up a wager, “Let’s bet on a massage. I gave you such a long massage last night, and you didn’t give me one in return. If I win today, you have to give me a massage.”

Tan Rou felt this bet was too trivial, “Betting just once is no fun. How about we bet for a year instead? If you win, I’ll give you free massages for a year; if I win, you’ll have to massage me, and you’re not allowed to refuse for any reason.”

“Okay,” Zhuang Liu also wanted to bet big, “Let’s bet on that.”

With the venue and stakes set, all that was left was to swim.

Tan Rou couldn’t afford to lose, or she would be giving Zhuang Liu massages for a year.

Zhuang Liu couldn’t afford to lose either; although he really wanted to let Tan Rou win, he had to win this competition.

Since there was no one to start them off, they used their phones as timers. They placed the phones a distance away and started them at the same time. After finishing the 100m, they not only had to get out of the pool but also had to press the stop button on their phones.

So this was not only a race of swimming speed but also a test of running speed.

Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu stared intently at the pool, then counted down together. As soon as the time was up, they both charged toward the pool.

Zhuang Liu had longer legs while Tan Rou had a higher frequency of movement; both had their advantages.

Once in the water, they were like two fish, moving very fast, not at all inferior to professional athletes.

Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu reached the other end of the pool at almost the same time, but Tan Rou reacted quicker, and on the way back, she was clearly ahead.

However, Zhuang Liu’s legs were stronger, and with a thrust of his feet, he sprang forward, closing the gap Tan Rou had just created.

But Tan Rou’s mind was entirely on the competition; she just wanted to win. Zhuang Liu felt the same, so in the last 10m, he increased his pace.

Having long legs and arms was an advantage. Zhuang Liu was a little slower in the turn, but his legs were stronger, and he swam back faster, so he reached the shore first.

Tan Rou was half a second slower, but she couldn’t give up until the very end; they still had to press the stop button on the phones, which were about three seconds away.

Seeing Zhuang Liu almost touching the table, Tan Rou felt a bit anxious and sped up.

However, just as Zhuang Liu was about to reach the table, he slipped and fell right next to it, knocking both phones off the table.

Tan Rou reacted quickly, snatching one phone and pressing the stop button in an instant.

Zhuang Liu didn’t catch the other phone and just let it fall to the ground.

“I won, oh.” Tan Rou shook her phone, said happily, “You have to give me massages for a year.”

Zhuang Liu felt he lost too unfairly. If it weren’t for the water everywhere, he certainly wouldn’t have lost. But what’s done is done; saying anything more would just be a waste of time.

“Alright, you won,” Zhuang Liu said with a gentle smile. He picked up the phone from the ground and handed it to Tan Rou, “This is actually your phone.”

In the heat of the moment, Tan Rou had grabbed a phone. Hers and Zhuang Liu’s were the same model, so she hadn’t distinguished which one was whose. However, it didn’t really matter, as long as she won.

 

Chapter 1217: The 1216 Sports Meet begins

The competition took place in early April, when it was neither too cold nor too hot, making it perfect for outdoor sports events.

Tan Rou had enrolled in the long-distance running and swimming competitions, both of which were endurance sports, so they were scheduled with a considerable break in between. Track events were earlier, while swimming was later, allowing Tan Rou enough time to recover her energy.

Li Li had also signed up for an event, opting for the standing long jump, which was one of the first to start, so she came early to line up. Like Tan Rou, her advisor had required her to sign up.

Initially, Li Li hadn’t wanted to participate, but after learning that Tan Rou was competing in two events, she decided to register for one as well.

On the athletic field, Li Li was doing leg stretches while Tan Rou stood by her side, holding her stuff.

“Your competition is tomorrow, right?” Li Li asked, “I’ll be there to cheer you on.”

Tan Rou said, “Then you might as well sit in the stands to watch me; you definitely won’t be able to enter the field area.”

Li Li was actually a bit surprised that Tan Rou had signed up, especially for the two toughest events, “Tan Rou, can you really finish the three thousand meters tomorrow?”

Tan Rou smiled and said, “The three thousand meters is all about endurance; as long as I can keep going, that’s all that matters. And even if I can’t run it, not a problem, I just need to make it to the finish line.”

Li Li said, “Tan Rou, just don’t push yourself too hard. If you can’t go on, you must stop, okay? I’ve heard long-distance running can be dangerous, you might run out of breath if you’re not careful.”

Tan Rou often went running and was well aware of this, but she was still quite touched by Li Li’s concern.

“Don’t worry, I won’t push myself too hard,” Tan Rou promised.

The first day had the sprints and relay races, and the second day was for long-distance running. The women’s three thousand meters was scheduled for the afternoon, while the men’s five thousand meters was in the morning.

Tan Rou could have stayed away in the morning, but Li Li insisted on coming to watch the men’s races as she had recently taken a liking to a good-looking guy who was also competing in the five thousand meters.

Li Li didn’t just come to watch the race on her own; she called all the girls, including Tan Rou, claiming it was more encouraging in a group and she would feel a bit embarrassed coming alone.

Liang Lu scoffed, “Since when are you shy?”

Hand on her hip, Li Li replied, “Of course I am, that’s my male idol we’re talking about. In front of him, I naturally have to be embarrassed.”

Tian Tian picked up on the main point, “So is it that you’re actually embarrassed to meet your male idol, or are you just pretending to be? You didn’t call us here just to be your wingwomen, did you?”

“Li Li, when you asked me to come, you never mentioned anything about seeing your male idol,” Lan Ning tapped Li Li’s hand, “What happened to us being all about studying? Why are we here to watch guys now?”

Li Li grinned and said, “I’m just too shy, that’s all. Besides, looking at handsome guys doesn’t get in the way of studying. Plus, Wu Hao is an excellent student; watching his race, I’m just trying to take him as a role model.”

Lan Ning didn’t buy it, “Last time with that junior boy, you said the same thing, and quickly you stopped liking him.”

Frowning, Li Li retorted, “That junior smokes; he can’t be a study role model.” Then she went all starry-eyed, “But Wu Hao is outstanding, he doesn’t smoke or drink, he gets good grades, and he’s handsome. He’s just the kind of boyfriend I dream of.”

Hearing Li Li talk in a coquettish tone made Liang Lu feel very uncomfortable, “Don’t talk to us like that, it scares me.”

“Enough about the tone already,” Tan Rou interjected, “It looks like the athletes are about to enter. Li Li, where’s your male idol?”

Li Li somehow produced a pair of binoculars, “Number 23, the one in the blue short sleeve shirt and black shorts, see him?”

Tian Tian, who was slightly nearsighted, could only see a cluster of people and couldn’t make out what anyone was wearing, “Let me borrow those binoculars for a second; I want to see what your male idol looks like.”

Li Li passed the binoculars to Tian Tian, “You’ve only got thirty seconds, though.”

Tan Rou suggested, “Instead of just watching him through binoculars, why not take a photo of him?”

Li Li wanted to take a picture of him, but their seats in the stands were quite far from the track, and even the best camera phone couldn’t fully capture the handsome profile of the man she admired; she could only get a general outline.

 

Chapter 1218: Shoot more footage at 1217

“We’re too far away, if we use our phones to take pictures, he’ll definitely turn out blurry,” Li Li said, “And we can only stay in this one spot, if he runs to the other side, we won’t be able to catch him.”

Liang Lu jokingly said, “There are photographers below, aren’t there? Go bribe them to follow and shoot.”

Li Li glanced at her, “Do you think those photographers are arranged by my family? If I tell them to shoot, will they actually shoot?”

Tian Tian said with a smile, “Although the photographers aren’t arranged by your family, they are indeed arranged by your friend’s family.”

Li Li hadn’t reacted when Liang Lu, as if suddenly remembering something, said, “Oh, I heard from Brother Tao Zheng that Star Way Entertainment recently trained a batch of new photographers, apparently for covering the competition, could it be that those photographers are prepared for the competition?”

“Those photographers are all professional athletes,” Tan Rou said, “They may understand sports, but they don’t know photography. Forty percent of this Youth Cup athletic event is sponsored by our family, so the photographers needed for the competition were trained at Star Path Entertainment.”

“Ah?” Li Li looked regretful, “Tan Rou, why didn’t you let me know in advance? If I had known those photographers were trained by your family, I would’ve definitely gone to greet them.”

“They have just entered and still need to do some preparation work; it’s not too late for you to go talk to the photographers now,” Tan Rou said, “I’ll have my second brother mention it in the group, find a few photographers who get along well with him, and have them take more photos and videos of athlete number 23.”

Li Li pretended to be shy, “That’s so embarrassing.” Then she emphasized, “Make sure to take more photos and videos of his face; he has a good-looking face.”

Tan Rou and the others were speechless. Did Li Li really like that boy, or did she just enjoy looking at his face?

Given Li Li’s penchant for handsome guys, it’s probably just that the boy’s appearance is to her taste; she may not necessarily like him as a person.

Tan Rou had Tao Zheng send a message in the photographers’ training group, simply saying that athlete number 23 is a friend of Tao Zheng and asking the photographers to capture some shots of him, without mentioning that it was Li Li’s request.

The photographers, coming from a professional athlete background, were all quite loyal. Tao Zheng had always taken good care of them during training, so they were very willing to help with such a small matter as taking extra photos and videos.

Tao Zheng also reminded them to just take a few extra shots; their main job was still to photograph all the competing athletes, otherwise others might be dissatisfied.

The athletes participating in the 5000-meter run finally finished warming up and were about to start the race. Li Li was extremely excited; she pulled Lan Ning to the very front, planning to cheer for her idol during the first lap.

Lan Ning didn’t like going to crowded places, but she wasn’t as strong as Li Li. Before she knew it, Li Li had dragged her to the side of the barrier. If it weren’t for the barriers surrounding the competition field, Li Li probably would have charged to the front of the competing athletes.

“Slow down, I can’t run anymore,” Lan Ning wobbled, saying, “It’s already difficult to walk here, and with so many people, I feel like I’m bumping into someone every second.”

Li Li teased her, “I always tell you to exercise more, but you don’t like to. Starting from next week, you’re going to run with me.”

Lan Ning refused, “No, I don’t want to.”

Li Li had her own theory, “No, you must go running to improve your fitness. If not running, we can also do long jump.”

She had participated in the standing long jump competition the day before and left immediately after her jump, because she only managed a distance of one meter six, too embarrassed to stay and wait for the rankings.

Not able to refuse, Lan Ning could only say, “Okay, then I’ll go run a few laps.”

Li Li and Lan Ning finally made it to the edge of the barrier. Though there was a bit of a distance from the starting point, as long as they shouted, the participating athletes would definitely hear them.

Li Li patted Lan Ning’s shoulder and said, “You help me shout for Senior Wu Hao, tell him to go for it.”

Lan Ning was confused, “Ah, why do I have to shout?”

Li Li touched her face with both hands, making a shy expression, “Oh, just give a shout for me. If you do, I’ll treat you to dinner.”

Chapter 1219: 1218 falls down

Lan Ning didn’t want to shout. She already disliked speaking in crowded places, let alone shouting a boy’s name in front of so many people.

“No, I’d rather skip this meal.” Lan Ning refused to speak.

Seeing that the athletes had already taken their positions and were about to start, Li Li grew anxious, “Oh no, they are about to run.”

Tan Rou and the other two caught up, where they could get a clearer view.

“Why are you running so fast?” Liang Lu said, “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you wanted to take over and run for that senior.”

Li Li grabbed Liang Lu, pleading, “Liang Lu, I know you are the most loyal person, so I have a favor to ask you. Would you help me?”

Before Liang Lu could speak, Lan Ning quickly interjected, “Don’t agree to her request, because she wants you to shout words of encouragement for her.”

Liang Lu immediately understood Lan Ning’s point, “No way. I have a fiancé, and if my Mr. Lu hears me shouting another man’s name in public, he would certainly be upset.”

Li Li then turned to Tan Rou, “Tan Rou, can you give me a shout?”

Tan Rou glanced at her indifferently and said coldly, “Even if Zhuang Liu were the one standing there, I wouldn’t shout.” All she would do is smile slightly, without any unnecessary gestures.

Having no choice, Li Li turned to Tian Tian for help, but before she could speak, Tian Tian blurted out, “My husband is sitting right at the top in the special guest area. Do you think I can shout for you?”

Indeed, Li Li spotted Tao Zhi in the guest area; Tao Zhi even nodded at them.

“Alright then, I guess I’ll have to do it myself.” Li Li kept reassuring herself, “Just shout once, it definitely won’t ruin the perfect image Wu Hao has of me, don’t be nervous.”

Just as she was about to shout, Tan Rou stopped her, “Li Li, wait a second.”

That interruption made Li Li unable to shout, “What’s up?”

Tan Rou turned Li Li’s head towards the starting point, “Look, your senior is watching you.”

Li Li quickly looked towards the starting area, and indeed, the boy she liked was looking their way. Now Li Li didn’t have to shout loudly to get his attention; a simple wave would suffice.

Li Li stood very gracefully, then slightly raised her arm and gently waved it, whispering, “Come on.”

But Wu Hao just glanced at her and didn’t react, quickly turning his head away.

As he turned his head, the smile on Li Li’s face faded, “Did he not see me?”

Tan Rou said, “It’s possible he wasn’t really looking at you.”

“No way, he definitely was looking at me,” Li Li asserted confidently. “I even gave him a sports drink once, and he was so happy drinking it.”

Lan Ning emphasized, “If you hadn’t chugged his mineral water first, he wouldn’t have drunk the beverage you offered.”

Li Li covered Lan Ning’s mouth, “Don’t speak!”

Tan Rou chuckled, “We all heard that.”

After the greetings, the referee prepared, picked up the starting pistol, and said, “Get ready…”

With the sound of the starting pistol, all the competitors began to run slowly forward.

Sprinting is different from long-distance running; sprinting requires burst power to start running at the fastest speed immediately. Long-distance running requires stamina, involving not only speed but endurance to complete the entire course.

As Li Li moved through the spectator seats, Tan Rou and her group chose not to run after her and instead found a place to sit and wait.

Tan Rou asked, “When did Li Li start liking this senior?”

Lan Ning thought back, “Last Wednesday. That day, the senior was playing basketball, and Li Li passed by, took a liking to him, and tried to strike up a conversation, but it seemed like the senior doesn’t like girls who are too forward.”

Liang Lu mocked, “Li Li’s road to love seems bumpy; she isn’t exactly reserved.”

After about seven laps, some of the athletes had already dropped out, while others were still persisting, and Wu Hao was running in a leading position.

Tan Rou commented, “Li Li’s crush seems likely to make it into the top three.”

No sooner had she finished, Wu Hao tripped and fell to the ground.

The others looked towards Tan Rou; she paused and then said, “Well, now the odds seem a bit slim.”

 

Chapter 1220: 1219 is not an accident

During the long-distance race, the greatest fear is seeing an athlete fall, especially later in the race because at that stage it’s all about endurance. Once someone falls, it’s tough to get back up.

Wu Hao had already covered half the distance, and his physical strength and stamina were surely depleted. Had he fallen at that moment, even if he managed to stand, continuing was uncertain.

The medical staff on standby immediately rushed to Wu Hao’s side. It seemed they asked him a few questions, only to see Wu Hao wave his hand and then stand up again.

Just when everyone thought he was going to leave the race, he began walking forward, and gradually started running again.

Tan Rou couldn’t help but praise him, “Even though he’s not a professional athlete, he has shown the qualities of one, otherwise he wouldn’t have continued running.”

Li Li, who had returned without anyone noticing, saw Wu Hao fall and was very worried, “If he keeps running like this, won’t it affect his body?”

Tan Rou nodded and said, “Just now, I saw him stagger a bit when he stood up, he must have hurt his leg. It’s best for him to stop now; otherwise, it could cause severe damage to his body.”

Li Li said anxiously, “It’s just a sports meet, and there’s no prize money. Why is he pushing himself so hard? No, I have to stop him.”

Before Li Li could get there, Lan Ning exclaimed, “It’s bad, senior has fallen again.”

This time he fell harder and couldn’t stand up on his own, leaving the field with the help of the medical staff, unable to compete anymore.

Li Li chased after him, with Tan Rou and the others following behind to see if they could help.

Wu Hao’s friends had also arrived, some felt sorry for his leg injury while others blamed him for running a second time; had he not continued running, he wouldn’t have been so severely injured.

He was wearing sports shorts, and the rough surface of the running track meant that both of his legs were scraped to various degrees and bleeding heavily. Additionally, his ankle had swollen, obviously causing him great pain.

His roommate reproached him, “I told you not to participate in long-distance running. You insisted on running, and now not only did you fail to finish the race, you’ve gotten yourself hurt this badly. I wonder how you will participate in next week’s basketball game.”

Wu Hao hung his head and didn’t speak; he didn’t even make a sound, as if his legs had no feeling.

Another roommate said, “You usually run so well, how could you be so careless today? Hey, I thought you could have won the championship, but now you can’t even get the last place.”

Suddenly, Wu Hao raised his head, his eyes determined as he said, “I didn’t fall on my own; someone deliberately bumped into me.”

At that time, there were indeed many athletes around Wu Hao, some were catching up to him, and others were still at the sixth lap; accidents are quite common in such chaos.

“Someone deliberately bumped into you?” his roommate asked, “There were quite a few people at the time, could it have been an accident?”

Wu Hao shook his head, “The force with which he hit me was very strong, and he targeted my legs as if he intended to break them to stop me from running any further.”

The roommates were very angry, “Did you see who hit you? Let’s report it to the committee now so they can disqualify him.”

Wu Hao continued shaking his head, “There were too many people; I had a blank in my mind after I fell and didn’t see who hit me.”

“Let’s report the situation to the committee. They will surely investigate it thoroughly,” one roommate said.

Just then, a representative from the committee came to visit Wu Hao. The man was not tall and had pockmarks on his face; he approached slowly.

“How is the condition of this contestant?” the pockmarked-faced man asked, “Can he still compete?”

Wu Hao’s roommate said angrily, “Is that all you care about, whether he can compete? Don’t you see he’s injured?”

The pockmarked-faced man had a sly smile, “I am here to look after him.”

Another roommate said calmly, “My friend got injured because he was bumped while running. Your committee needs to find out who did it.”