“Still spacing out? Don’t just sit there.”
Li Yang waved his hand in front of An Ling’s face.
“Huh? What?”
“What do you mean what? Time to get ready for the competition. The broadcast said to go to the teacher in charge and confirm the contestants’ information.”
“Oh oh!”
An Ling whoosh stood up and walked forward a little stiffly while speaking. “Then… let’s… let’s go…”
Pfft.
Li Yang couldn’t help laughing.
He watched her walking in the opposite direction with the same arm and leg moving together, even her tail stiff as a board.
The sight was truly funny, and a little cute too.
He stepped forward, pressed down on this little thing’s head with one hand, and turned her around.
“The check-in is over this way. Where are you going?”
“Oh oh, I know.”
An Ling wiped nonexistent sweat from the top of her head. “I… I was just walking that way. Taking a stroll.”
“Oh.”
Li Yang looked at her with a wicked smile. “And here I thought you were nervous.”
“Nervous… haha, how could I be… how could I possibly be nervous… haha.”
Her laugh was stiff and guilty.
“Alright then. If you’re not nervous, let’s go.”
Li Yang led her over to the teacher in charge.
Other contestants from different classes were lining up in front.
***
An Ling stood in the line, looking at the pairs of contestants ahead.
Some were tall and sturdy.
Some you could tell at a glance had been called over just to make up the numbers.
Though they themselves were pretty much the same.
But the height differences among the other contestants weren’t that big.
She was the shortest one here.
The height gap between her and Li Yang was the largest of all the teams, which also made her stand out in the crowd.
A few classmates looked at An Ling with scrutinizing eyes and silently complained in their hearts.
What a cute girl.
But isn’t this the boys’ group competition?
How did a girl sneak in?
After they saw An Ling pass the teacher’s check they were even more surprised.
She’s really a boy?
Don’t tell me that guy next to her suddenly wanted to bring his girlfriend to compete and bribed the check-in teacher?
Something shady is going on.
After the two of them finished checking in, they waited in the preparation area for the race.
An Ling’s hands were wrung together nervously.
Her tail was wrapped around her leg.
This was her first time participating in this kind of competition.
Competing in front of so many classmates, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous.
Li Yang stood beside her.
This little one was about to have the two big characters for “nervous” written right on her face.
An Ling suddenly felt a warm large hand land on her head and gently ruffle it.
“You! You you! What are you doing?”
An Ling lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes, her voice tiny. “Didn’t I already say? Don’t touch my head.”
“My hand got itchy. I wanted to find something soft to touch.”
Li Yang didn’t care what she said with her mouth.
This little one was extremely stubborn.
He had clearly felt that when he touched her head, she couldn’t help leaning a little toward him, using her head to nuzzle his hand slightly.
“Alright, don’t think so much. Didn’t we already practice? Even if we don’t get a good ranking, as long as we tried our best it’s fine.”
“I… I know. I just feel like a lot of people are watching.”
“Then let them watch. We have to let them see how good we are.”
Li Yang pulled his hand back.
He could see her stiffen obviously for a moment.
“No matter what, I’m right beside you. If anyone’s going to lose face, I’ll lose it first. When the time comes this big body of mine will block for you. More than half the people won’t even be able to see you. Relax.”
“Is this how you comfort people?”
An Ling lifted her head and glared at him with complaint.
The tension in her heart eased quite a bit.
“Alright!”
She pumped herself up. “Let’s go all out!”
“Then I’ll go all out together with you!”
Li Yang said with a smile.
The announcer’s voice came from the broadcast. “Will the contestants for the Year 2 three-legged race please get ready and go to the track. The race is about to begin. Repeat, will the contestants for the Year 2 three-legged race please get ready, go to the track, the race is about to begin.”
“Let’s go.”
Li Yang gripped her hand tightly and pulled her along.
The staff tied their feet together and they stood on the track.
Five teams would run at the same time.
Year 2 and Year 1 together made five groups.
One heat could select the list for the finals.
An Ling and Li Yang were assigned to the second group.
The first group was already in position at the starting line.
Bang!
The starting pistol fired.
Five teams charged out at the same time.
An Ling watched them stumbling along.
Some had matching strides and ran very fast.
Some tripped after only two steps and fell face-first into the dirt.
Waves of laughter and cheering erupted from the stands.
“Good thing we practiced. Falling would have been so embarrassing.”
“That’s right.”
Li Yang said proudly. “With me as your coach, how could it be bad?”
An Ling rolled her eyes at him but didn’t argue.
The first team had left the second team behind by a full hundred meters.
“Group two, get ready!”
The teacher in charge raised a flag.
Li Yang gripped An Ling’s hand tightly and said in a low voice, “Remember, listen to my calls. Ignore everyone else.”
“Mm.”
The two of them walked behind the starting line and bent into a starting stance.
An Ling’s heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest.
Her palms were covered in sweat.
Her ears were pressed back nervously.
Her tail was stiff as well.
“Relax.”
Li Yang’s voice sounded by her ear. “Just treat it like usual practice.”
An Ling took a deep breath and tried hard to calm herself.
“On your marks—”
“Get set—”
Bang!
The starting pistol fired.
An Ling ran out listening to Li Yang’s calls.
At first it was a little stumbling, but gradually the only voice in her ears was Li Yang’s.
Their rhythm also slowly stabilized.