The Truth Comes Out

Playing around, my ass.

'Get out.' Yu Fan suppressed the urge to silence him for good. 'Close the door. Don't come in unless I call you.'

Zhang Xianjing snapped back to reality. 'Yu Fan, you're not gonna hit him, are you?'

Wang Luan'an said, 'No way! Yu Fan never covers someone's mouth when he fights. He likes hearing them yell.'

Zhang Xianjing: '...'

Zuo Kuan stood at the back, his gaze shifting between the two. 'You guys discussing something?'

Wang Luan'an: 'What's there to talk about that can't wait for the top student to sit down and—'

'Get out.'

'Got it.' Wang Luan'an stepped back and pulled the door shut. Before closing it, he added, 'Take your time. I'll keep watch outside.'

The door clicked shut, and the classroom fell quiet again.

Chen Jingshen's eyes shifted, looking back at the person in front of him.

After all that hauling around, Yu Fan wasn't as cold anymore. His half-warm palm pressed against Chen Jingshen's face, and he could almost smell a faint sweetness.

Even after the three left, Yu Fan kept him pinned.

'Don't ever bring up that damn long jump again.' He threatened with a fierce look. 'And don't say anything about liking or not liking. Got it?'

The three outside were restless, their chatter drifting in intermittently.

'Not talking?'

Chen Jingshen's eyelashes fluttered, his gaze dropping downward.

Yu Fan followed his line of sight.

'...' He let go with both hands at once.

'Why?' Chen Jingshen asked.

Why else?

Yu Fan frowned, pulling out a random excuse. 'I don't want people thinking I'm gay.'

Chen Jingshen propped himself up with one hand and leaned back against the wall. His collar was a mess from Yu Fan's pulling, giving him a disheveled look he usually didn't have.

After a long moment, he said, 'Got it.'

Yu Fan's brow relaxed in satisfaction, and he was about to sit back down.

'Then I'll just have a secret crush.'

Yu Fan nearly fell off his seat.

During lunch break, students trickled back into the classroom.

Just as Yu Fan's fist clenched, Wang Luan'an knocked from outside, saying some classmates were back.

As soon as Wang Luan'an entered, he looked toward Chen Jingshen.

The top student sat composedly in his seat, a pen between his fingers, one hand adjusting his collar, not a scratch on that handsome face.

So he didn't get hit after all.

He knew it. Even though Yu Fan's stance was weird and kinda scary, he could tell Yu Fan didn't actually want to touch the top student.

If he was gonna fight, he'd have done it ages ago.

Wang Luan'an tore open the plastic bag and set the braised beef brisket in front of Yu Fan. 'Eat up, it's gonna get cold. We brought it back ages ago.'

'Mm.' Yu Fan was listless, head down playing Snake Game on his phone.

Zuo Kuan sat backward in the seat in front of him and opened his takeout. 'Why's your face—'

'None of your damn business.' Yu Fan said. 'Keep talking and go back to your class.'

'...'

Wang Luan'an felt bored eating alone, so he carried his lunch box to the seat in front of Chen Jingshen, eating as he asked, 'Top student, how'd you get second in the 3000 meters? I saw you struggling just to run 400 earlier.'

Chen Jingshen was concise. 'Peak performance.'

'Damn impressive.' Wang Luan'an said, 'Top student, why don't you go to the cafeteria?'

'My legs are sore. Can't walk.'

Yu Fan expressionlessly ate someone else's little snake.

'Ah, my bad! I should've brought you a meal, since you ran the 3000 for me.' Wang Luan'an slapped his head. 'How about I go to the cafeteria and grab you something now? Or do you want takeout?'

'No need.'

'Don't be polite with me.' Wang Luan'an said, 'You just ran 3000 meters, and you're not in great shape. What if your blood sugar drops?'

'It won't.' The person who'd been expressionless suddenly lifted his head. 'I already had some sugar water.'

'Huh? Oh... okay.' Wang Luan'an was taken aback but didn't push it.

Full and satisfied, Wang Luan'an tied up the trash bag and rubbed his stomach.

'You got the lighter?' Yu Fan suddenly asked.

'I've got it.' Zuo Kuan said, 'What's up? Hit the bathroom for a smoke?'

Wang Luan'an glanced at the untouched takeout in front of Yu Fan. 'Why aren't you eating? Don't like braised beef brisket?'

'Not hungry yet.'

Wang Luan'an stood up. 'Let's go then.'

When he reached the door and realized someone was missing, he turned back and called out, 'Yu Fan?'

'You guys go ahead.' Yu Fan tossed his Mobile Phone into his pocket and kicked Chen Jingshen's chair. 'Move.'

Chen Jingshen put down his pen and stood up.

The other two had already gone out the back door, out of sight.

Yu Fan averted his gaze. As he brushed past Chen Jingshen's shoulder, he hooked his hand on his own desk.

The plastic bag with the braised beef brisket was lifted, swayed in the air for a second, and then set down on the neighboring desk.

'Eat.'

Tossing out that cold word, Yu Fan headed for the bathroom without looking back.

-

In the afternoon, for the 4x400m relay, Zhuang Fangqin made a special trip to the School Playground.

For one reason.

After nearly a full day of events, she'd noticed—Yu Fan got second in the long jump; Chen Jingshen got second in the 3000-meter run; and Guan Feiyuan, the class's lone sports student, got first in the 100-meter dash.

Plus a few others who placed in the top six, adding up all the points...

'So our class is fourth overall in the grade?' Wang Luan'an was stunned.

With check-in approaching, the relay runners gathered together.

Gao Shi said excitedly, 'That's right! If we can get five points in this 4x400, meaning top two, we can break into the top three today!'

'Run well.' Zhuang Fangqin said emotionally, 'I've been with you guys for over a year, and we've never been this close to the top three in any extracurricular activity.'

'Can you handle it?' Zhang Xianjing looked at Wang Luan'an worriedly. 'You've never practiced the 400-meter or baton handoffs.'

That morning, Chen Jingshen had been carried off in front of the whole school. Although he said he could still run the relay, Zhuang Fangqin didn't agree and decisively put Wang Luan'an in as the third leg.

Wang Luan'an: 'Relax. I went to watch them train every afternoon. I've seen a pig run even if I haven't eaten pork—'

Yu Fan grabbed a bag of chips and threw it at him. 'If you can't talk, shut up.'

Wang Luan'an caught it with a grin, tore it open, and ate a chip.

'Just kidding.' Wang Luan'an turned to look at the person resting nearby. 'Top student, don't worry. You got me second place this morning, so I'll run well too.'

'Mm.'

Chen Jingshen lifted his eyelids, his gaze sweeping past Wang Luan'an to the big shot behind him. 'Good luck.'

The big shot kept one hand in his pocket, ignored him, and headed straight for the check-in area.

There was a line at check-in.

Wang Luan'an was warming up using the method Guan Feiyuan had taught him when he turned and met Zuo Kuan's eyes, who was also in line.

Wang Luan'an was startled. 'What are you doing here?'

'Surprise.' Zuo Kuan raised an eyebrow. 'Same as you, filling in for someone.'

'Your class has no one left?'

'You don't know shit. I run crazy fast. You'll be eating my dust the whole time.' Zuo Kuan snorted. 'But you better try hard. If you're last, you won't even get a whiff of my dust.'

'You're so uncivilized!' Wang Luan'an nudged the person next to him. 'Come on, Yu Fan, tell him—our goal this time is—'

Yu Fan looked at them like they were idiots. 'First place.'

Wang Luan'an: '?'

'You're dreaming. First place?' Zuo Kuan laughed. 'My class has two sports students running the relay. Saying that is kinda disrespectful.'

'Doesn't matter.' Yu Fan said. 'You're on the team, aren't you?'

'...'

Check-in finished, and the athletes gathered at the relay points. The race was about to start.

On the Senior 2 Class 7 bleachers, a few female students stood up to look into the distance.

'Can our class really get top two?'

'I don't know. Honestly, if you'd asked me yesterday, I wouldn't have thought our class would even have a full roster for the events.'

'...'

'But with Guan Feiyuan here this time, it should be better. He's the fastest sports student in our School and even won a national high school championship. Last year he had training and only did two individual events, otherwise our class definitely wouldn't have been last.'

'But... will Yu Fan actually run well?'

A few girls fell silent.

Chen Jingshen followed their gaze.

The athletes were already getting ready near the starting line.

Guan Feiyuan, seasoned in big events, was calm and unhurried, waiting for the referee at ease.

Gao Shi was frantically slapping his own cheeks. Wang Luan'an saw him and slapped his own a couple times too.

The last person stood with both hands in his pockets, slouching lazily. When the referee took position, he even stretched.

Classmates: '...'

He really wasn't going to run well!

The moment the gunshot rang out, everyone shot off the starting line.

Guan Feiyuan didn't disappoint. The two sports students in the lanes next to him were also athletes, but he still easily pulled ahead.

One lap back, Guan Feiyuan left everyone behind, handed the baton to Gao Shi, and stepped back.

Gao Shi grabbed the baton and ran with all his might.

Then, within a hundred meters, he was overtaken by a sports student from Class Eight.

'I'm off first.' Zuo Kuan got into position to receive the baton, taunting the person next to him. 'You hang around a bit longer.'

Wang Luan'an: 'Showing off never ends well.'

By the time Wang Luan'an got the baton, their class had dropped from first to fourth.

'Wang Luan'an!' Zhang Xianjing's voice carried from the bleachers. 'Fight for first, secure second! Try to overtake one!'

Wang Luan'an, thinking he looked cool, flipped his hair and gave her a thumbs-up.

Then he took the baton, ran two steps, and stumbled. Nearly dropped to his knees for everyone.

The other athletes passing by had to stifle their laughs.

Zhang Xianjing: '...'

Showing off really never ends well.

A girl next to her said, 'It's over. I don't even know if we can make top six now...'

'It's okay, this is only the third leg.' Zhang Xianjing cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. 'Yu Fan! Run well! Get first place!'

The last-leg runners from other classes were all on high alert, but Yu Fan...

He looked relaxed, turning back to see where Wang Luan'an had crawled to.

Wang Luan'an had dropped to fifth. In the final sprint, he used every ounce of strength to close the gap and handed the baton to Yu Fan, saying, 'Bro, it's on you—'

Before he could finish, the baton was snatched away, and the person in front shot off like an arrow from a bow.

'...' Wang Luan'an stared blankly, finishing the word.

When Yu Fan overtook the first person, the Class Seven students sitting in the bleachers didn't even recognize him as one of their own.

The student running fourth felt a weird gust of wind pass by, and then all he could see was the boy's wild, unrestrained back.

Yu Fan raced down the track, the wind pushing all his hair back. At that moment, countless teachers and students finally got a clear look at him—damn, he was handsome.

The school security guard on patrol stood by the banyan tree, watching the scene. He held back the urge to light a cigarette and looked up at the sky with a sigh.

Yeah.

This kid ran just as fast every time he caught him jumping the fence to skip class.

'Has he... trained in sports?' Guan Feiyuan stared at the figure, stunned.

'No,' Wang Luan'an paused. 'I think?'

When Yu Fan overtook the third-place runner, the Class Seven students snapped back to reality.

The neighboring Class Eight hadn't expected such a dark horse in the final leg and immediately raised their banner, shouting hoarsely to cheer on their own athlete.

'—Don't let Class Seven overtake you! They were last place last year!'

The hell?

A few Class Seven students shot to their feet!

At that moment, they didn't care about their usual relationship with Yu Fan. They just opened their throats and yelled—

'Yu Fan! Go!!!'

'Come on! Overtake that bastard!'

'Almost there, almost there, almost there—overtook!!! Ahhh, overtake another one! One more and we're in second!'

Amid the cheers, Yu Fan overtook the second-place runner.

The closer he got to the finish line, the faster he ran—

When he drew level with the first-place runner, the whole class was stunned into silence.

The two crossed the finish line almost simultaneously.

The two classes fell into a tacit silence for a moment, then a voice drifted from the bleachers: 'Who's first? Who's first?!'

The two referees exchanged opinions and announced, 'Senior 2 Class 7!'

The Class Seven bleachers erupted!

The finish line was close to their bleachers. Wang Luan'an had come up to sit and drink water after his run. Hearing the result, he jumped up and forcefully bumped the person next to him with his hip—

'Hahaha! Eat my bro's dust, you bastard!!!'

Zuo Kuan: '...'

Yu Fan ran a few steps past the finish line before stopping. He was listening to the results, back to the bleachers, bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing hard in silence.

His school uniform clung to his back, outlining his lean figure, his shoulders rising and falling with each breath.

As soon as he stopped, a few girls by the track almost moved forward at the same time, then felt a bit shy when they met each other's eyes.

Wang Luan'an had caught his breath. Sitting on the bleachers, he counted: 'Damn, Yu Fan's amazing. Running a 400-meter and three girls come to bring him water.'

Zuo Kuan said sourly, 'Normal. If I were a girl, I'd bring him water too.'

Wang Luan'an craned his neck. 'Hey, that girl from Class Four is here too. Not gonna lie, she's probably had a crush on my bro for a while...'

Chen Jingshen looked away and suddenly spoke. 'Can you bring water if you have a secret crush?'

'Huh?' Wang Luan'an was confused. 'I guess so. Why...'

'Wang Luan'an!' Gao Shi called from below. 'Come down! We need to sign at the playground!'

'Coming, coming!'

Wang Luan'an casually set his chips on the ground and quickly ran down the steps to follow Gao Shi to the referee's table to sign.

A figure hurried past him from behind.

Chen Jingshen walked down the steps, bent over, and pulled a bottle of water from the crate. Without looking back, he headed toward the track.

'Classmate Yu, are you okay? Want some water?' The third girl offering water held it out, glancing at Yu Fan shyly.

The boy hung his head uncomfortably, avoiding eye contact with her.

She gathered her courage and continued, 'When you were running just now, I was cheering for you the whole time. I don't know if you heard...'

'Sorry.' Yu Fan said stiffly for the third time today. 'I'm not thirsty.'

Even though it was a rejection, his voice was still relatively gentle, and his tone was different from when he read his self-criticism.

The girl suddenly felt Yu Fan wasn't as fierce as the rumors said. Maybe she still had a chance.

She gripped the water bottle tighter. 'Then...'

A shadow fell over her head.

The girl was startled and instinctively looked back—meeting the face of the grade's top student.

Chen Jingshen raised his hand and held the water out to Yu Fan.

He opened his mouth. 'Yu—'

'Get lost.'

The person who'd been hanging his head suddenly looked up, face cold and tense, spitting out a single word fiercely.

'?' The girl flinched.

Then she silently pulled her water back.