TGMNDIAR - 70
"If you have a stomach ache. Go tell the teacher."
"The scores are converted to percentages. I'll send the chart to the group later."
"Do we need to retake the exam if we fail? I'm not sure, I'll ask the teacher..."
...
Because Nian Yueyue is the class monitor, she's basically in charge of all the physical fitness test matters, and she's been so busy that she's dizzy. Zou Ning, on the other hand, is next to her, helping her check the list of students who are absent and communicating with the teacher.
"Just looking at it makes me tired," Lou Haoyu sighed, sitting on a nearby chair with his legs crossed.
"Xu Mu, what number are you?"
"Number for what?" Xu Mu asked casually while fiddling with the light screen in his hand.
"The order for the 100-meter race. Let's see if we're in the same group."
"No," Xu Mu shook his head.
"Hmm?" Lou Haoyu raised an eyebrow and dramatically clutched his chest, "I didn't expect you to care so much about us being in the same—"
"No, the order list has been posted."
"How cold," Lou Haoyu said, crossing his hands behind his head and scrutinizing Xu Mu, "Are you not feeling well? You don't seem to be in good spirits, and even your voice lacks energy."
"Really?" Xu Mu, feeling parched, took out his thermos and drank a large gulp.
"Absolutely."
"You're imagining things."
Lou Haoyu clicked his tongue lightly. "I'm concerned about your health. I'm afraid you'll feel unwell and faint."
"Oh, thanks. Don't worry," Xu Mu responded indifferently, continuing to lean against the wall, looking like he didn't want to talk.
Lou Haoyu scratched his head, feeling something was off.
"Hey, I'm serious."
Xu Mu made a gesture indicating he understood and that he was fine.
Lou Haoyu shrugged. Alright then.
Xu Mu closed his eyes, pretending to nap, with the hood of his black down jacket covering his eyes and his arms crossed.
Time seemed to pass slowly.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Xu Mu felt someone press down on his hood.
A familiar scent of hibiscus flowers wafted by.
"Brother Nian..." Xu Mu didn't lift his head, grabbing the other person's hand. "Finished your conversation?"
The other person had run into a former senior, now a teacher at the school, and they started chatting.
Xu Mu had to come over to sign in, so he left first.
"Yeah. Were you sleeping just now?" Bai Nian bent over. "It's not good to sleep like this, you might catch a cold."
"I didn't fall asleep, I was just dozing off a bit." Xu Mu intertwined his fingers with Bai Nian's, gently kneading the soft flesh.
"Alright." Bai Nian sat down beside him.
Lou Haoyu happened to meet Bai Nian's gaze and cautiously raised his hand. "Hi?"
Bai Nian smiled and nodded in greeting.
Xu Mu leaned over, resting his head on Bai Nian's shoulder.
Bai Nianye relaxed a bit, making it more comfortable for Xu Mu to rest.
...
Xu Mu's major had three physical tests: the 100-meter dash, pull-ups, and a 3000-meter long-distance run.
The long-distance run was the final event.
Xu Mu felt okay with the 100-meter dash and the pull-ups, not expending much energy.
It seemed that his training had paid off.
Xu Mu was quite satisfied.
"Hey, Xu Mu, are your lips turning pale?" Nian Yueyue asked worriedly.
"..." Xu Mu replied, "No, they're just dry. I'll drink some water."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Alright, take care."
Xu Mu didn't plan to take first place, so he maintained a steady pace for the 3000 meters.
From start to finish, his posture remained relaxed, in stark contrast to those around him who were breathing heavily.
Bai Nian stood in designated spots, waving at Xu Mu, and each time, Xu Mu responded with a smile.
In the final sprint, Xu Mu increased his speed.
Crossing the finish line, Xu Mu came in third.
Xu Mu didn't stop or rest his hands on his knees after crossing the finish line. Instead, he quickly removed the wristband with the recorded time and scanned the crowd for Bai Nian.
"Damn, you're too fast!" Lou Haoyu approached, still catching his breath.
Nian Yueyue followed closely behind, hands on her hips, breathing heavily.
"Hmm? It wasn't that fast," Xu Mu replied, still scanning the crowd for Bai Nian.
"Upperclassmen, do you need water? We're freshmen, also doing the physical tests, and our class bought too much water," a clean-cut boy approached them.
Lou Haoyu accepted the offer, "Oh, thanks."
Nian Yueyue forced a smile, "Thank you..."
The boy clutched a bottle of mineral water tightly and walked towards Xu Mu, taking a deep breath. "Senior, do you need—"
Xu Mu didn't hear him. His attention was fully on finding someone in the crowd. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye—found him!
He quickly walked towards a specific spot, not hearing the murmurs behind him.
"Did you give it to him?"
"No..."
"Did he refuse?"
"No, he just walked away before I could finish speaking."
"Ah, how could that happen?"
"But... It's normal. I think I saw him going to find his boyfriend."
"So he likes guys—ah, too bad he's taken."
"Mm..."
...
Bai Nian was outside the field, pushed to the back by the crowded crowd.
He never fought for space, so he always ended up standing further and further back each time, especially after the end of the 3000-meter race, when the crowd surged forward like a swarm of bees, both spectacular and frightening.
When he finally found a gap, the young man had already disappeared.
Bai Nian followed his intuition and indeed spotted him.
The other person seemed to be looking for him too, scanning around.
Bai Nian smiled and was about to call out to him when he saw a shy-looking boy carrying mineral water walking towards Xu Mu.
He froze for a moment, words stuck in his throat.
"Hey, are you a sophomore?" Suddenly, a young and curious voice sounded in his ear.
Bai Nian politely shook his head, "No."
When he looked back, the young man was blocked from his view again.
The boy had a crew cut, tall stature, wheat-colored skin, muscular build, looking very fit, wearing only a tank top and shorts.
Although there was heating indoors, because the sports field needed ventilation, the windows were wide open, and cold wind blew in, making it feel as if the heating system was just for show.
"Freshman? Junior? Senior?"
"I'm not a student at this school."
"Could you be here to visit our school during the holidays?"
"No."
"Oh, you won’t be my junior next year then?"
"Not that either." The questions were becoming more absurd, and Bai Nian was getting a bit annoyed by the chattering voice of the boy, finding it noisy and irritating.
"Then you must have a friend at our school, did you come here together?"
"No." Bai Nian casually replied, preparing to leave from the right.
"Brother Nian." An arm suddenly descended from above, pushing Bai Nian backward, causing him to stumble a few steps.
"Hey." Bai Nian's lips curved upwards. "You ran really well."
"Can I have a reward kiss for that?" Xu Mu lowered his head, his chin resting on the other's neck, gently rubbing against it.
Bai Nian chuckled. "Of course." He generously planted a kiss on the other's cheek.
The boy's face turned as red as a beet, awkwardly making a few fake movements.
He didn't say anything and hurriedly escaped.
"...It works wonders, I’m not even tired after running 3000 meters and still full of energy." Xu Mu said with a serious tone, catching a glimpse of the departing boy, his eyes drooping slightly, then he leaned in and lightly brushed Bai Nian's lips with his own.
"Cut it out." Bai Nian pushed Xu Mu away.
But his smile grew even wider.
"Do you have any water? I finished the one I bought." Xu Mu's voice was slightly hoarse.
"Yeah, I'll pour you some in a cup."
"No need, I'll just drink it straight from the bottle."
"Alright."
Xu Mu pushed back his bangs, revealing his sweaty forehead. His eyebrows and eyes looked clear and sharp after exercising, exuding a strong youthful vigor. But when his gaze turned cold, it seemed particularly aloof.
Bai Nian found himself somewhat fascinated.
After drinking most of the water, Xu Mu's throat felt much better, and the metallic smell in his breath gradually dissipated.
"Did you not drink any water just now?" Bai Nian suddenly asked.
"What?"
"I mean, didn't you drink any water after running?"
"No, I finished my water from my thermos."
Bai Nian gently brushed aside Xu Mu's disheveled bangs with his fingertips and said softly, "I saw someone distributing bottled water..."
"Oh, really? I didn't notice."
"Is that so..." Bai Nian lightly rubbed Xu Mu's cheek with his fingertip. "Next time you finish running and feel thirsty, you should pay more attention to your surroundings."
"No need, bottled water is too cold. I'd prefer some warm water," Xu Mu shook his head.
Warm water.
Bai Nian repeated these three words in his mind, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Right, you're so afraid of the cold."
"Yeah."
...
Xu Mu and Bai Nian walked along the campus's tree-lined path.
The tall trees on both sides were bare, with little greenery in sight, covered instead in layers of snow.
"Excuse me, could you help me take a photo with my boyfriend?" A girl jogged over and stopped them.
"Sure." Xu Mu was closer, so he replied.
"Thank you." The girl handed him a simple camera.
Then... Xu Mu found out he didn't know how to use it.
The camera was a portable little sphere, light to the touch with sharp edges, but the casing was delicate, with purple glitter, very girly.
—There were no buttons or screens, just a shining sphere.
"Press here." Bai Nian leaned in and said.
"Here?"
"Yes."
Xu Mu tapped, and a small screen appeared above.
"The black button," Bai Nian instructed.
Xu Mu nodded.
He aimed at the couple, found the right angle, and snapped a few shots.
"Done."
The girl jogged over, "Thank you."
She thanked them with a smile, checked the photos, and her mouth stiffened.
Xu Mu tentatively asked, "Are the photos not good?"
"They're... okay." The girl turned around and smiled at Bai Nian, "By the way, could this gentleman help take a photo too?"
Bai Nian's outfit today was very youthful, or rather, it was the style he often wore during his university days.
Overall, it had an artistic vibe: a vintage newsboy cap, black round glasses covering most of his face, a plaid sweater paired with a furry vest on top, loose linen pants with a bit of lining, not too thick, but with a strong drape, giving off an air of style over warmth.
"I'm actually not a student anymore," Bai Nian said with a warm smile, "But, I'm still happy to be called young."
"Oh, I see..." The girl blushed a little.
"You and your boyfriend strike a pose."
"Okay." After the girl replied, she immediately ran back.
Xu Mu watched as the girl returned, looking extremely delighted as she begged Bai Nian to take a few more photos—
He realized that his photos were not good, and he was being rejected.
Buzzing, his phone vibrated.
Xu Mu opened the message.
[Today's still handsome Karl: It's over, the protagonist gong failed to met him at the company and is coming to your school for him]
Xu Mu was stunned. [He knows Brother Nian is at my school?]
[Today's still handsome Karl: He doesn't know, he's coming to find you]
[Xu: ...Why is he looking for me?]
[Today's still handsome Karl: I am still asking him]
Xu Mu waited, and after about two minutes.
[Today's still handsome Karl: He said he wants to see what incredible skills you have to kidnap the protagonist shou]
Xu Mu was speechless.
[Today's still handsome Karl: How about I delay him for a bit, create a time gap, anyway, the protagonist gong will definitely leave at night]
Xu Mu pondered for a moment. Honestly, he was quite curious why the protagonist gong was looking for him.
[Xu: What time will he arrive at the school?]
The little black ball said ten minutes.
[Xu: Alright, let him come.]
Bai Nian finished taking the photos and returned to see Xu Mu lost in thought.
"What's wrong?" Bai Nian waved his hand in front of Xu Mu's eyes.
"Nothing." Xu Mu pulled him close. "Are you done taking the photos?"
"Yeah."
"Brother Nian, I want to eat ice cream." Xu Mu suddenly lowered his head and lightly brushed his cheek against Bai Nianye's.
"Now?" Bai Nian was surprised, holding his hand. "Aren't you cold?"
"I'm not cold, I just finished running."
Bai Nian didn't agree. "But isn't it bad for your stomach to eat ice cream right after exercising?"
"I'll rest for a while before eating."
Bai Nian hesitated, still a bit worried.
Xu Mu gently bumped his forehead forward and whispered, "Brother Nian, just a little bit. If I don't eat it, my mood might be affected even if it’s good for my stomach."
Bai Nian felt helpless. "Why are you like Ye Ye?"
"Not the same." Xu Mu denied it. "If I were Ye Ye, I would be sitting down right now, hugging your leg and acting spoiled."
Bai Nian gave him a skeptical look. "If I asked you to do that, would you dare?"
"I would." Xu Mu's eyelids drooped, without a hint of hesitation, as if he had already prepared for it.
There was a strange sense of certainty and conviction.
"...” Bai Nian took a step back, feeling a bit apprehensive, ”Don't really do it."
Xu Mu suddenly smiled and placed his palm on the back of Bai Nian's neck, affectionately bringing him back to focus.
He whispered softly, "I was just kidding, Brother Nian."
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