Jiang Wei's rare "mischievousness" caught Yi Ming off guard for a while.
By the time he finally realized that his childhood sweetheart was simply adorable just now, the little girl had pursed her lips and run off.
Yi Ming did not participate in the subsequent health cycling event, as the previous race had left his back drenched in sweat. He handed his mountain bike over to a teacher for safekeeping and took off his cycling attire, intending to take a cool shower in the campus pool.
On his way to the pool, Yi Ming was walking with his head down when he suddenly heard a call from behind.
"Yi Ming."
The voice was soft and small, tinged with a hint of hesitation.
Yi Ming stopped in his tracks and turned around.
"It's you?"
He furrowed his brow slightly, a chill creeping into his words, "What do you want?"
"You... you did really well in the race just now."
Qi Nian bit her lip, standing awkwardly in place.
"Thanks."
Yi Ming's lips curled with impatience. He raised his hand and unconsciously pinched his forehead, saying in a muted voice, "It's too hot. I'm going to take a shower. If there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."
As he turned to leave, Qi Nian quickly stepped forward and grabbed his slender arm.
"Yi Ming! Wait."
"What is it?"
"That outfit... I need to take it back."
Seeing Yi Ming's unfavorable expression, Qi Nian was startled and quickly withdrew her hand that had gripped his arm, lowering her head and saying softly, "That cycling attire was the one I had Xiao Wen give you... the girl who delivered the clothes to you before the race..."
"Cycling attire?"
Yi Ming paused, realizing he had forgotten about it until Qi Nian mentioned it. Indeed, he had received a set of cycling clothes before Jiang Wei brought him the one he wore.
"Why did you give me cycling clothes?" Yi Ming pondered for a moment. He hadn't worn that set but had changed into the one Jiang Wei brought instead. "Besides, I don't have those clothes with me anymore. I gave them to the staff backstage after leaving the changing room. You can contact them; they're keeping it temporarily."
Upon hearing this, Qi Nian suddenly lifted her head, her dark eyes flickering with a glimmer of light, "Then the one you wore for the race..."
"My Jiang Wei brought that one for me," Yi Ming smiled candidly.
Yi Ming's words instantly changed Qi Nian's expression several shades.
She had seen with her own eyes Yi Ming taking the clothes she gave him into the changing room. But she never expected that girl called Jiang Wei would still manage to deliver her clothes just before the last minute...
Flashback to before the race started.
Fifteen minutes until the event commenced, Qi Nian, as the event planner, sat on a stool backstage, absentmindedly doodling circles on a sheet of paper covered in lead streaks.
It was a discarded entry list ruined by a printer ink cartridge malfunction, and Qi Nian's pen was circling Yi Ming's name.
She truly liked him, but he was also truly indifferent towards her.
Qi Nian was startled by a notification sound while lost in thought, causing her to draw a curved line across the paper with her pen.
"Qi Nian, what are you doing?"
"At the backstage, getting things ready before the start. What else could I be doing..."
"Oh, what was the name of that guy you like again?"
Her friend asked curiously.
"Yi Ming... Why, do you want to chase after him too? Let me tell you, there's no chance. He's just an ice block..."
Qi Nian tapped on her phone screen dejectedly.
"Who wants your ice block? I've got a boyfriend, you know? I just wanted to tell you—your chance has come."