Gu Yu suddenly stood up. “Handle this first… I’m stepping out for a moment.”
Zhao Che grimaced in pain, asking with a lopsided grin, “Where are you going?”
“Mind your own business,” Gu Yu threw back two words and turned to walk out the door.
Zhao Che scratched the back of his head. A thought suddenly popped into his mind—Gu Yu isn’t going to…?
“Hey, Yu-ge! Weren’t you accompanying Che-ge to the infirmary?” Zhou Wei bumped into Gu Yu head-on, startled a step back by the icy aura surrounding him. Gu Yu’s eyes were even colder than usual, looking as if they were coated in a layer of frost.
Gu Yu ignored him and walked up to the sports student wearing the “No. 2” jersey. His voice was flat, yet heavy with pressure: “You intentionally scraped Zhao Che with your shoe.”
Sun Hao felt a chill run down his spine under Gu Yu’s intense stare, but he forced himself to hold his ground. “I did not! Which eye of yours saw it?”
Gu Yu pressed him with a sharp look and asked again, “Refusing to admit it?”
The captain of the sports students turned around and asked Sun Hao, “Sun Hao, did you really kick him?”
Sun Hao was certain nobody was paying attention back then. Even if they took this to the teachers, there was no evidence. At worst, he’d just have to apologize. Emboldened by this thought, he puffed up his chest and snapped, “If I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it!”
Gu Yu raised his chin slightly, his expression detached. “Fine. Then let’s find the teacher. Do you dare?”
“A straight foot fears no crooked shoe! Let’s go then, who’s afraid of who!” Sun Hao stiffened his neck and followed Gu Yu toward Li Zhonghai’s office.
Li Zhonghai’s office was behind the Boxue Grove. The school had specially set aside that grove of trees, and in the summer, it was lush and densely covered with leaves.
It was originally built for students to read books, but over time, it gradually became a “secret base” for young couples to avoid surveillance cameras. The foliage was so thick it formed a natural barrier, and many corners couldn’t be captured by the cameras at all.
Upon reaching the deep end of the grove, Gu Yu suddenly stopped in his tracks. Sun Hao thought he was scared and sneered triumphantly, “What, backing out now? It’s not too late to apologize to me right now…”
Before he could finish his sentence, a kick landed squarely on his stomach. The sharp pain made him double over instantly, gasping for air. He clutched his stomach, looked up, and pointed viciously at Gu Yu: “You fucking play dirty! How could Wang Anran like a sneaky scoundrel like you!”
Gu Yu said nothing. He raised his foot and threw another kick, sending Sun Hao sprawling onto the ground, following it up with a punch right to his shoulder. Sun Hao curled up in pain, yet his mouth remained stubborn: “I’m gonna tell the teacher! Just you wait to get disciplined!”
Gu Yu looked down at him from above, letting out a cold laugh. “Got evidence? Who would believe you?”
Only then did Sun Hao panic. This place was secluded; at this time of day, no one walked by, and the surveillance couldn’t reach it. Even if he screamed at the top of his lungs, nobody would hear him.
Just as he was about to beg for mercy, his lower leg was kicked violently again. Tears almost burst out from the excruciating pain, and he cried out frantically, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Stop hitting me!”
“Was it intentional?” Gu Yu’s voice remained dead cold.
“Yes, yes, yes! I did it on purpose!” Sun Hao was in so much pain he couldn’t speak clearly. “Seeing that you guys were about to win, I was bitter, so I intentionally kicked and injured Zhao Che…”
“After you go back, apologize to Zhao Che.”
“I will! I’ll go apologize right away!”
Only then did Gu Yu pull back his foot. Nobody knew that Wang Xue had enrolled him in San Shou (Chinese kickboxing) classes back in elementary school, which he practiced all the way until eighth grade. Zhao Che, afraid that Gu Yu would get bored practicing alone, had insistsed on being his sparring partner. Gu Yu had trained solidly for years; if it came down to a real fight, even two people like Sun Hao wouldn’t be a match for him.
When Gu Yu returned to the infirmary, Zhao Che was already gone.
The school nurse was packing up her things. Seeing him, she looked up and said, “Are you looking for that student from earlier? He left in a hurry right after getting bandaged, saying he had to rush back to class. I didn’t even get a chance to remind him not to let the wound touch water.” She handed him a medical slip. “Give this to him; he needs to submit it to his head teacher. Remember to remind him—it’s hot outside, so if the wound touches water, it’ll get infected easily.”
Gu Yu took the slip and hurried back to the playground. From a distance, he saw a crowd gathered around Zhao Che and Sun Hao.
“Yu-ge, you’re finally back!” Zhou Wei leaned in and lowered his voice, saying, “This idiot doesn’t know what got into him. He suddenly ran over to apologize to Che-ge, admitting that he injured him on purpose just now, and even said he shouldn’t have mocked me by saying I can’t play basketball with glasses on!”
Gu Yu glanced at Sun Hao and said casually, “He turned over a new leaf halfway there.”
Sun Hao gritted his teeth and bowed to Gu Yu: “Gu Yu, I shouldn’t have said you’d collapse the moment you were touched. I have a big mouth, I’m sorry.” In his heart, however, he cursed Gu Yu a thousand times over: Who would have thought this lean-looking guy hits so brutally? My lower leg is still throbbing with pain—it’ll probably take three days to heal.
Gu Yu ignored him and walked straight to Zhao Che, handing him the medical slip. “For you. Submit it to the head teacher.” Pausing briefly, he relayed the nurse’s instructions: “Don’t let the wound touch water; it’ll get infected.”
Zhao Che took it with a grin. “Got it, classmate Gu Yu. I will definitely keep that in mind.”
Suddenly, he limped half a circle around Gu Yu, pulling a long face: “I still have to climb to the fifth floor later, what should I do?”
Everyone around them froze. When Zhao Che walked back from the infirmary earlier, his steps had been completely steady. Aside from the bandage wrapped around his pant leg, there was no sign of injury at all.
In contrast, it was Sun Hao who was limping heavily. When asked by his team captain, he merely mumbled vaguely that he wasn’t looking where he was walking and banged into the steps.
Gu Yu said, “I’ll support you.”
Zhao Che grinned and draped his arm over Gu Yu’s somewhat slender shoulders. “Thanks, classmate Gu Yu!”
Everyone else: “…”
From that day on, Zhao Che needed Gu Yu’s support to go to the bathroom, Gu Yu’s help to walk to the cafeteria, and on the way to and from school, he practically wanted to hang himself off Gu Yu’s body.
Zhou Wei and Wei Junjie clicked their tongues at the sight, but neither pointed it out—they just secretly giggled on the side.
After Wang Xue found out Zhao Che got hurt playing soccer, she scolded him for being “foolish” while simultaneously adding pig trotters to the dinner table every day, claiming that “eating what you want to heal builds what you need.”
Days passed by neither fast nor slow until Friday arrived.
“We’re done for, we’re done for,” Wei Junjie sighed while holding the sign-up sheet. “More than half the events in our class have no sign-ups. When Teacher Chen arrives later, she’s definitely going to blow her top.”
Zhou Wei’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Haven’t Yu-ge and Che-ge signed up yet?” He scurried over to Zhao Che’s seat. “Che-ge, how about signing up for an event? Our class has too many empty spots; Old Chen will definitely get angry if she sees this.”
Zhao Che rubbed his chin, running his own little calculations. Over the past few days, using his “injury” as an excuse, he had been able to stick to Gu Yu every single day. If he signed up for an event, wouldn’t he lose his excuse? Just as he was about to come up with a reason to decline, Zhou Wei added, “Look at you—you’re tall, handsome, and athletic! If you sign up for the high jump, you’ll definitely take first place!”
Zhou Wei even struck a folded-hands begging pose.
Well then… the sports meet is two weeks away, so it won’t affect me pretending for a few more days anyway.
With a wave of his hand, Zhao Che said, “Alright then! Seeing how sincere you are, put me down!”
“Awesome!” Zhou Wei yelled to Wei Junjie, “Little Jie, bring the sign-up sheet over!”
Wei Junjie came over holding the sheet, scratching his head in confusion: “Che-ge, I remember when you came back from the infirmary that day, you were clearly fine. How come as soon as Yu-ge showed up, you suddenly became lame?”
Just as the words left his mouth, Gu Yu walked in through the doorway holding a stack of physics test papers. Zhou Wei was so startled he rushed to cover Wei Junjie’s mouth, cursing in a low voice: “You idiot, shut up!”
Wei Junjie was left completely baffled with his mouth covered. Only after Gu Yu walked past behind him did he realize what had happened in hindsight. Zhou Wei tactfully dragged the dummy away, giving Zhao Che a “fighting” gesture before leaving.
In his mind, Zhao Che cursed his class monitor for ruining his plans. But after cursing, he still couldn’t escape facing the storm. Seeing Gu Yu walking over, what should he do? How should he explain? Would he be buried alive if he said the wrong thing?
Just as he was unsure of how to speak up, a cold voice reached him first: “You’re healed?”
Zhao Che awkwardly scratched the back of his head: “Healed… I’m healed.” Then he nervously rushed to explain, “Things aren’t what you think! Listen to me…” He was already prepared to face at least three days of the silent treatment, and he had even brainstormed ways to coax him.
Worst-case scenario, he’d just throw a tantrum and act clingy—after all, Gu Yu used to fall for that in their past life.
Unexpectedly, the person holding the test papers showed no emotion at all, merely saying indifferently, “Since you’re healed, go sign up for an event. Don’t let your good legs go to waste.”
???
Is this… him not being mad, but rather making a sarcastic jab?!
Zhao Che froze for a second before a wave of wild joy surged in his heart! “Sign up! I must sign up! Wei Junjie, put my name down for whatever’s left to fill!”
Wei Junjie, who was currently being “schooled” by Zhou Wei, quickly replied, “Got it!”
After the initial burst of joy passed, Zhao Che was still a bit uncertain. He carefully probed, “You’re not angry?”
“No.”
At this moment, Zhao Che felt like he had survived a disaster. He was overjoyed that Gu Yu wasn’t mad, but had even asked him to sign up for events! He then boldly leaned in closer: “Classmate Gu Yu, how about you sign up for a couple of events too?”
“Mm,” Gu Yu hummed in response.
Just like that, by the end of the morning, almost every event had been assigned to someone, with a few exceptions.
At that moment, a student ran in holding a stack of workbooks, reminding everyone: “Ahem, Old Chen is coming!”
Everyone quickly returned to their seats, picking up their books to bow their heads and study.
When Chen Shuang pushed open the classroom door, what she saw was precisely such a harmonious picture. She nodded, feeling quite pleased, then adjusted her glasses frame and spoke up: “Wei Junjie, how is the sign-up for the sports meet going?”
Wei Junjie quickly handed over the registration form: “Please take a look, Teacher.”
She took the registration form somewhat skeptically and looked at it:
Zhao Che: 4x400m Relay, High Jump, 1500m.
Gu Yu: 4x400m Relay, 200m.
Li Changlin: 4x400m Relay, 100m, 3000m.
Wei Junjie: Shot Put, Solid Ball Throw.
Zhou Wei: Long Jump, 4x100m Relay.
…
Scanning through the general list, her brows instantly furrowed. “There’s only one person per event—you call this fully registered? Why didn’t you just put one person for the relay race too while you were at it? And what about the girls’ long-distance running? Why is no one signed up?”
Everyone kept their heads low, remaining silent.
Thus, Wei Junjie stepped up once again to take the blame for everyone: “Teacher, the girls in our class are relatively delicate, which is why no one signed up for the long-distance runs. As for the rest, they were filled out based on what everyone is good at.”
After hearing his words, everyone nodded in agreement one after another.
Since their class monitor was protecting them with all his heart, they couldn’t let him take the scolding all by himself.
Chen Shuang’s gaze swept over the students in her class, then shifted to Li Lourou, the arts committee member. Her tone softened slightly as she said, “Fine, then let’s leave the sports events as they are for now. But as for the performance act this time, don’t mess it up again!”
Li Lourou quickly responded, “Guaranteed to complete the mission!”
“Hand it in to me before this afternoon.”
“Alright!”