Xu Fei even contemplated getting hair extensions.
But after checking her account balance, she gave up on the idea.
Mei Qia asked curiously, “Weren’t you used to being stared at when you were a kid?”
“Never got used to it.”
Xu Fei had always been thin-skinned. When she was little, adults loved to tease her, and she would always blush and hide in her mother’s arms. Her mother would laugh at her too. “Are you going to be this shy when you meet someone you like in the future?”
Now, Xu Fei finally had an answer.
She would still be shy.
Zhu Nianxi rested her chin on her hand, her gaze sweeping over Xu Fei without any concealment or inhibition. Her fair, smooth arm rested on the desk, her fingertips rhythmically tapping a beat.
Xu Fei’s nerves seemed tied to those fingertips, tightening and relaxing with every tap.
“Nianxi, it’s done.”
Xu Fei pushed the math quiz toward the Omega.
Yet Zhu Nianxi’s eyes remained fixed on her face. A pair of eyes that were far too calm made one’s heart skip a beat.
Only when the young mistress had stared her fill did she leisurely avert her gaze. Her long eyelashes veiled the desire deep within her eyes, and her voice sounded cool and crisp.
“Forget it. It actually looks quite nice cut short.”
Xu Fei let out a sigh of relief for no apparent reason.
Ever since that day, she had felt a lingering sense of guilt in front of the Omega, as if her hairstyle were their joint property and modifying it on her own was a bit improper.
The Sports Meet Arrives
The school sports meet arrived as scheduled. Early in the morning, the March of the Athletes echoed across the campus. After the opening formation parade, the classes gathered on the lawn to listen to the school leaders’ speeches.
Jian Zhixing was softly reciting English vocabulary words next to her ear, while Xu Fei’s gaze drifted toward a specific spot beneath the rostrum.
A few students were working together to move a table under a sunshade canopy. Zhu Nianxi walked behind them, holding only a single folder. Her black hair was tucked behind her ears, neatly revealing her entire face.
Apart from Xu Fei, many people around were also staring at her.
Ning Siyi felt her back tapped by Xie Han.
“Siyi, didn’t you say Zhu Nianxi never comes to school during the sports meet?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe she has duties with the student council.”
Once the speeches concluded, the classes headed to the grandstands one after another. Jian Zhixing seized the opportunity to slip back to the academic building. Xu Fei instinctively wanted to follow her back, but was called out by Zuo Kewei.
A folder was shoved into her hands.
Zuo Kewei pointed toward the sunshade canopy beneath the rostrum.
“Take this over to the scoring station.”
Quite a crowd had gathered below the rostrum, making it livelier than the actual event stations. In her memory, the scoring station hadn’t been this popular last year.
Xu Fei knew better than anyone exactly who they were gathered there to see.
At the Scoring Station
Zhu Nianxi sat at the table, her slender, white fingers flipping through documents as she picked up a pen to transcribe the rankings onto a spreadsheet.
Because the student in front of her lingered for too long, she calmly lifted her eyelids. “Is there anything else?”
That student’s face suddenly flushed red. Pulling a bottle of beverage from behind their back, they said nervously, “Y-you’ve worked hard, this is for you.”
“No need,” Zhu Nianxi dropped her gaze, her expressionless face still breathtakingly beautiful. “Next.”
The student tallying scores alongside her thoroughly enjoyed the drama, silently adding another stroke to the tally mark in her notebook.
When someone else approached, she didn’t even lift her head, “Just leave the folder there.”
Xu Fei offered a soft response. Just as she was about to leave, her hand was pressed down. The touch was soft, brushing over the back of her hand like silk.
“Feifei, leaving right after dropping by? Weren’t you here to see me?”
Zhu Nianxi withdrew her hand and leaned back against the chair, her posture as relaxed as if she were sitting on a sofa, tilting her chin up slightly.
Her deep, dark gaze swept across Alpha’s empty hands.
Zhu Nianxi pouted her lips, her expression looking inexplicably aggrieved. “You didn’t bring anything for me either.”
This look was identical to the one from the Mid-Autumn Festival. Flustered all at once, Xu Fei hurriedly said, “Then I’ll go buy something right now.”
“Forget it,” Zhu Nianxi stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly flashed a triumphant smile. “Stay here and help me record scores.”
Xu Fei brought over a chair. Just as she was about to sit at the opposite end of the table, the Omega spoke up again.
“Sit next to me.”
There was no empty space directly beside Zhu Nianxi, so Xu Fei obediently walked over and sat at a right angle to her, just like how they used to study in the study room.
Afterward, whenever anyone came to deliver folders, Xu Fei would skillfully take them, “Just give it to me.”
She held Zhu Nianxi’s black pen in her hand, while Zhu Nianxi leaned back, quietly holding the beverage Xu Fei had just restocked for her.
The other students gathered around were losing their minds over the gossip!
What was the situation here?!
They had been recording scores here all morning, and Zhu Nianxi’s expression had been consistently indifferent. They had assumed the young mistress was just naturally aloof, but who would have thought…
Just what was this person’s background?
She silently poked her head out to get a clear look at Xu Fei’s face.
Thick eyelashes, a straight nose bridge, round eyes with short outer corners, unlike Zhu Nianxi’s aloof and distant appearance, she possessed a unique sense of contradiction.
Just as she wanted to observe further, her line of sight was blocked by a school uniform. Zhu Nianxi cast a faint glance over, the temperature in her eyes colder than snow.
Xu Fei obediently sat by Zhu Nianxi’s side for the entire morning.
Every single person who had intended to catch a glimpse of the Omega could see the Alpha sitting right next to her after squeezing through the crowd.
The two sat very close, their legs touching beneath the table.
To ordinary people, this posture could already be considered intimate.
Not to mention it was with Zhu Nianxi, who had always been notoriously difficult to approach.
The number of students loitering around the scoring station with ulterior motives dwindled significantly.
Utterly oblivious, Xu Fei kept her head down, helping Zhu Nianxi record the rankings.
As she logged the final event of the morning, Xu Fei stretched her back, her downward gaze locking right into Zhu Nianxi’s eyes.
Zhu Nianxi was propping herself up with one hand on the table, making even a lazy posture look elegant.
“Tired?” Zhu Nianxi asked softly.
Xu Fei rarely heard her use this tone, and the tips of her ears grew a little warm.
Her instinct was to say she wasn’t tired, but she couldn’t help but wonder, what would happen if she said she was?
The Omega’s tender, lingering gaze gave her courage.
Xu Fei said softly, “A little.”
Zhu Nianxi was taken aback for a moment, her eyes crinkling into a smile as her mood visibly brightened.
Under Xu Fei’s expectant gaze, the Omega reached out and gently patted her head.
“Thank you, Feifei. You helped me a lot.”
The Relay Race
In the afternoon, without Zhu Nianxi even having to ask, Xu Fei proactively came to the scoring station to help.
The voice of the Dean of Students echoed from the broadcast speakers:
“Students participating in the Sophomore Relay Race, please proceed to the rostrum for check-in…”
Zuo Kewei came running over to call her: “Xu Fei! It’s time to check in!”
“Coming!” Xu Fei put down the pen.
Zhu Nianxi said with a beaming smile, “Good luck.”
Stepping onto the rostrum, the announcer happened to be reading out the encouraging message Qin Weiran had submitted for them.
Xie Han was a bit nervous, adjusting her breathing. Jiang Xuan’s nametag had an issue, so she was looking down to fix it. Zuo Kewei stepped forward, slinging an arm around her shoulder and saying softly, “Let’s do this.”
Xu Fei’s heart began to surge with adrenaline.
The group followed the teacher toward the track. As they passed the scoring station, Xu Fei couldn’t resist shouting toward Zhu Nianxi.
“Zhu Nianxi, we’re going to take first place.”
The Omega seemed startled, snapping her head up abruptly, and then, she nodded firmly.
Students from other classes couldn’t sit still after hearing that.
“How arrogant!!”
“Our class is going to be first!!”
“Class 3 takes first!!”
The four of them took their respective positions. Xu Fei searched for Zhu Nianxi’s figure and ended up spotting her up on the rostrum, right across from the track section she was responsible for.
That was enough.
Xu Fei suppressed a smile.
“Bang!”
The starting pistol went off.
Zuo Kewei bolted out. Blessed with powerful explosive strength, she quickly secured the lead. Jiang Xuan took the baton from her hand, followed by Xie Han, and then….
Xie Han shouted loudly, “Xu Fei, take it!”
The impact of the baton slamming into her hand actually made her palm go numb. Keeping her lips firmly sealed, Xu Fei bore the weight of everyone’s gaze as she sprinted toward the finish line.
People kept gathering by the side of the track. At first, there were only a few, but then, more classmates joined in. Zuo Kewei rallied them, and the cheers grew louder and louder, crashing like waves.
“She’s accelerating again!”
“She passed them! Passed them!”
Qin Weiran captured this exact second with her camera.
The moment Xu Fei crossed the finish line, the stadium was drowned out by deafening cheers.
Zuo Kewei rushed forward, hugging her tightly and screaming into her ear, “First place. Xu Fei!! We got first place!!”
Xie Han and Jiang Xuan joined them, cheering and screaming around her.
Where is Nianxi?
“Xu Fei.”
A crisp, clear voice drifted down lightly from above. Xu Fei raised her head and saw Zhu Nianxi leaning against the railing, looking down at her.
The sunlight was dazzling, but Xu Fei caught the bright smile on her face.
“You’re number one.”
Xu Fei instantly let go of the other three and walked briskly toward Zhu Nianxi, taking the beverage the Omega handed down to her.
Xu Fei drank it with reserved composure, but inside, her heart was blooming with joy.
Since the relay race had just ended, a large crowd of classmates from Class 7 had gathered at the finish line.
Right before everyone’s eyes, Zhu Nianxi took hold of Xu Fei’s hand.
Fearing her palm might be sweaty, Xu Fei instinctively tried to pull back slightly, but the Omega’s expression remained unchanged, her smile widening as she gripped her hand even tighter.
“Feifei, you can come back with me now.”
Without a second thought, Xu Fei agreed and followed Zhu Nianxi back to the scoring station like a devoted puppy.
Everyone turned bewildered glances toward the remaining three members of the relay team.
Zuo Kewei laughed heartily, “They’re friends, just friends.”
The Three Thousand Meter Race
The sports meet continued in full swing. By the end of the first and second days, most events were finished. The crowd on the field thinned out, with most students wandering elsewhere, waiting for the closing ceremony to return.
The three thousand meters race was scheduled for the afternoon of the final day.
“Sophomore students participating in the three thousand meters race, please proceed to the rostrum for check-in…”
Zhu Nianxi lowered her gaze, tracing her eyes all the way from Xu Fei’s trouser cuffs up to her face.
She finally voiced the question. “Xu Fei, aren’t you going to change into shorts?”
Xu Fei was caught off guard. “Ah? I don’t have any.”
She was wearing the sportswear issued by the school.
For summer, it was short sleeves and long pants.
For winter, it was long sleeves and long pants.
The corners of Zhu Nianxi’s mouth flattened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She could have bought them for her.
Xu Fei felt rather embarrassed.
She was already wearing the inhibitor patch gifted by the Omega over her gland.
“It’s fine, this won’t limit my performance.”
With that, the Alpha walked off to check in with light steps.
Zhu Nianxi put her pen down, staring intently at the scoring sheet in her notebook.
So, why exactly did she volunteer to come here?
Xu Fei prepared herself on the track, looking around. To her surprise, she found several people walking toward her.
Aside from Zuo Kewei and the others, even some classmates she had barely spoken a few words to in class had come over.
Zuo Kewei patted her shoulder. “Good luck! I scoped things out for you, most of them are just here to make up the numbers, they pose no threat at all.”
What threat? She only wanted to run in the middle pack.
Xie Han: “Our overall score is currently in second place. If you get first in this event, we can turn the tables.”
Qin Weiran had her camera slung around her neck. “Good luck! I’ll take photos of you!”
Jiang Xuan smiled. “I submitted an encouraging draft, they’ll read it in a bit.”
The remaining few classmates cheered her on as well.
The race began, and Xu Fei ran out.
It wasn’t until she finished the first lap that she felt a sense of wonder in her heart.
Since when did she know so many people?
The three thousand meters race was different from the relay; it was longer and more grueling. Xu Fei adjusted her breathing, not letting it bother her even if she was briefly overtaken. She maintained her own pace.
The sunlight was brilliant, and Xu Fei was like a tree growing in the light, her roots firmly anchored in the ground, gentle yet resolute. She quietly fulfilled her mission, her steady eyes fixed on the stretch of track ahead, her gaze crystal clear.
Qin Weiran’s gaze followed her figure from behind.
Seeing that Xu Fei’s face wasn’t even red and she wasn’t out of breath, she asked in confusion, “Which lap is this?”
Xie Han had just finished running a lap alongside her to keep pace and was panting heavily. “The fifth lap is about to end…”
“She’s starting to accelerate!”
Zuo Kewei ran alongside her, staring excitedly at the figure on the inner lane. “She passed them! One, two, she passed another one! Xu Fei, let’s go…”
She was out of breath to shout any further.
Xu Fei overtook more and more people, and her speed grew faster and faster.
From the vantage point of the rostrum, this became strikingly apparent. Among the runners who were completely exhausted, Xu Fei stood out extraordinarily. She was locked in a tight battle with another figure, and neither of them showed any intention of slowing down.
Zhu Nianxi heard the exclamations around her ear.
“Is this really a three thousand meters race?”
“So fast, so cool!”
The Finish Line
With the final lap and a half remaining, Xu Fei began her full sprint.
The person beside her sprinted along as well. The two of them were running with everything they had. It had been a long time since Xu Fei had experienced this sensation, thrilling, exhilarating. The feeling of a massive adrenaline spike made her head feel slightly dizzy.
Faster.
Just a bit faster.
She wanted to win.
Several of her classmates were shouting until their voices grew hoarse.
“Xu Fei! go!!”
“Xu Fei! first place!!”
Qin Weiran stood guard at the final bend, waiting to snap a photo of Xu Fei. Suddenly, she caught a whiff of an elegant, noble rose fragrance.
Zhu Nianxi looked at the camera in her hands and offered a friendly smile: “Could I borrow that to take a photo, please?”
Qin Weiran instinctively handed it over, hesitating over whether she should teach her how to use it. Zhu Nianxi pressed the shutter to take a test shot, her posture looked highly professional.
Zhu Nianxi raised the camera, gazing at the Alpha through the viewfinder.
Xu Fei flashed past her in an instant.
Initially, she hadn’t recognized the person, keeping her eyes strictly on the track. It wasn’t until the rose scent drifted to her nose that, even though it was very faint, the primal instinctual attraction compelled her to look toward that direction.
Her pupils contracted as she recognized the Omega.
The wildness following the intense excitement surged deep within the Alpha’s eyes. Xu Fei’s gaze was frighteningly bright, like a beast waiting to strike, carrying an aggressive, scorching heat.
As their eyes locked, Zhu Nianxi’s breath caught in her throat.
The person had already run past, but the Alpha’s pheromones lingered in the air, the woody scent drifting toward her of its own accord.
Recalling that look, Zhu Nianxi felt a wave of indescribable excitement wash over her.