CH 41.1

I’m Only Looking at you (1)

Inside Class 1, Fu Songhua smugly stood on his seat. “Fine, I’ve recorded everyone who signed up. Thank you for everyone’s support!”

He looked at the registration form and scratched his head, feeling slightly worried. “Say, can the girls sign up for several more categories?”

Last year, they came first in overall scores and narrowly won against Class 6, which had a student good at sports.

Their main focus would be to guard against Class 6’s counterattack this year. They definitely have to go all out and preserve the first place!

The girl sitting in front of him rolled her eyes at Fu Songhua. “The number of girls participating already exceeded those who participated last year. What do you want us to do?”

“That’s right. We will surely win with you and the class monitor on our side.”

“Our mission is to be the cheerleaders. Sports representative, you’re in charge of being cool. We’re in charge of cheering you on from below.”

Their Class 1 had Qin Yuan and the sports representative Fu Songhua as a double guarantee. What should they be afraid of?

A boy immediately shouted, “Our class monitor is in charge of being cool. The sports representative is in charge of being flirty!”

“Hahahaha…”

Fu Songhua was proud of himself even amidst the laughter. “Pah! The class monitor is the flower on the top of the mountain while I’m the fierce tiger in the forest. We both happen to be cool.”

The flower on top of the mountain sitting at the back took the registration form from him, attentively looked at it, and tapped his desk with his fingers. “We need to adjust the categories for several people because there’s a time conflict.”

He picked up a pen, quickly marked several names, and said to Fu Songhua, “You should withdraw from the 5000 meters and change it to something else.”

Fu Songhua doubtfully moved over closer. “Why? Who will go for this exhausting thing if not me? Moreover, I can surely get first place for that, ah.”

Qin Yuan checked the competition schedule on the second day. “It’s a pity if you waste your strength on this one. With the 800 meters on top of that, it’ll be better to get two second or third places rather than one first place.”

Fu Songhua suddenly realized something. “Ohh, okay!”

“For Feng Yuan, I suggest you don’t fight hard with that sports student from Class 6. You better yield to him and save your strength for the 400 meters.” Qin Yuan raised his head and looked at a boy. “Can you do it?”

That boy nodded his head vigorously. “Understood. I’ll listen to the class monitor!”

Their class monitor usually spoke only a few words. But when it came to a crucial moment like this, he never hesitated to speak up and make the arrangements and allocations. Nobody would disagree with him and only a few would question him.

It started with that incident in the karaoke place in their junior year, right?

Fu Songhua moved closer and watched Qin Yuan seriously refilling everyone’s names. He suddenly thought of something and took out his phone to look for someone.

“Bai Xiaosheng, I want to buy some information. Can you collect the situation of the main classes that signed up in the sports competition, especially Class 6? Secretly give them to me and I’ll give you a good price!”

Bai Jing replied to his WeChat soon after, “I will go ask around. The information for each class is 18 yuan, are you ok with that or not?”

“OK! The registration form will be handed in tomorrow at noon. Send them to me before that time. If it’s later than that, I don’t want them anymore.”

“No problem. I’ll send as much as I can collect to you. But I’m saying this first, I won’t be selling the information about our class!” Bai Jing explained righteously.

Fu Songhua sent a sticker of a male with a question mark. “Hahahaha, your class’ information?”

Bai Jing immediately replied with a proud emoticon, “You are indifferent now, but you’ll be on your knees for a long time tomorrow!”

Fu Songhua felt ridiculous the more he thought about it. He turned his head and said to Qin Yuan, “Boss, it’s ridiculous. The person from Class 9 told us to be on our knees for a long time after tomorrow!”

Qin Yuan’s hand holding the pen suddenly paused. He raised his head and a light flashed through his bright phoenix eyes.

“Their class’ sports representative… Ruan Qingmu will sign up this year, right?”

Fu Songhua scratched his head. “That’s for sure. Is there any sports representative who doesn’t participate? Even if he’s a weak chicken*, he still has to pretend.”

*T/N:  Internet terms, it refers to a person who is not good at physical activities or some other aspects dealing with sports.

Qin Yuan’s expression was slightly weird at this time.

“He’s not a weak chicken.” He faintly lowered his eyes. “And he’s not pretending.”

Who was the weak chicken? Of course, that person wouldn’t be it.

Whether it was the tall fingerprints on the snowy white walls or his explosive power and agility when he fought, Ruan Qingmu was far from weak.

***

Inside Class 9, Ruan Qingmu stood on his tiptoes, watched Tang Tiantian record all the names that signed up, and reached to take back the sheet of paper.

He looked at the piece of paper for a long time and suddenly beckoned to Bai Jing. “Help me to do something.”

“Ruan-ge, you can just say it!”

Ruan Qingmu slightly squinted his eyes. “Are there any students who are good at sports and which categories did they sign up –”

His voice was lazy and soft. “Especially the categories that Class 1 won last year. Find all of them for me.”

Bai Jing was stunned. “Fuck. Class 1’s Fu Songhua also looked for me in regard to these things just now.”

Ruan Qingmu stared at him and the corner of his mouth suddenly raised. “Hehe, it turns out he’s not an idiot.”

Fang Li in the front lowered his voice. “Mm, he’s very responsible.”

Tang Tiantian at the side blankly looked at him. “W-What happened?”

Ruan Qingmu didn’t say anything, his long, pale fingers quickly tapping the table. He suddenly stretched out his hands and clapped.

The students in the classroom had been paying attention to him and several claps rapidly stopped the chatter.

Ruan Qingmu’s voice was unhurried when he spoke. “There’s a possibility that I will readjust some categories during the last final hour before handing in the registration form tomorrow at noon. No, I’ll definitely adjust it.”

Huang Ya scratched his head. “Why? The only thing I know how to do is shot put. You can’t tell me to run 100 meters.”

Ruan Qingmu asked, “Do you know that Tian Ji races his horse*?”

*T/N: Idiom: accepts one loss in order to ensure two wins.

“I certainly know, ah!”

“Do you know about the retreat three day’s march* then? And striving to be first and fearing to be last*?”

*T/N:  Idiom: to give way in the face of superior strength; a strategic withdrawal.

*T/N:  Idiom: outdoing one another.