Holding her phone, Chen Rourou took a bunch of photos of Elder Chen. After greatly satisfying his vanity, ti had advanced to noon. Thinking she had already fulfilled Zhang Beixing’s request and had no classes that afternoon, Chen Rourou wasn’t in a hurry to leave. So, she ate lunch at ho and then went to her bedroom to sleep. This nap lasted until half-past two in the afternoon.
「anwhile, on the sports field of Shi University」
Zhang Beixing, having finished a weighted training session, wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and then asked Lin Siqi for a sports drink. He sat in the stands, sipping his drink and waiting for custors.
However, his rest was soon interrupted by a voice.
"Hey, Beixing, so lost in thought sitting here. What’s on your mind?"
A small hand patted Zhang Beixing’s shoulder, and a clear, bell-like voice sounded from behind him.
Hearing the sound, Zhang Beixing was startled. He turned his head and saw a tall girl with a wheat-colored complexion smiling at him.
Seeing her, Zhang Beixing was initially stunned. But he quickly recovered and exclaid in surprise, "Sophia Zhou?"
"Hehe, yes, long ti no see, Beixing! I thought you would have forgotten since we haven’t seen each other in a month. I didn’t expect you to still rember!" Hearing Zhang Beixing call out her na, Sophia Zhou’s eyes curved into crescents as she spoke cheerfully.
Then she casually sat down next to him. "Beixing, what were you thinking about just now? I saw you from a distance, completely lost in thought. You didn’t even respond when I greeted you."
"Ah, I was just pondering the aning of life."
"Wow, Beixing, your level of contemplation is sothing we can hardly achieve."
"Just bullshitting, and you actually believed it. Speaking of which, Sophia, why are you here?" Zhang Beixing casually brushed off her comnt and asked.
If I rember correctly, Sophia Zhou is a student from the neighboring Normal University. Why did she co to Shi University today? Could it be like a month ago, when she ca over because she thought our sports equipnt was better and wanted to use it? Zhang Beixing thought, feeling it was plausible.
But in the next second, Sophia Zhou’s answer overturned his assumption.
"Because I ca to participate in the training camp!" Sophia Zhou answered.
Hearing this, Zhang Beixing was montarily stunned. "Training camp? What training?"
"Beixing, don’t you know?" Sophia Zhou sounded quite surprised. "In three weeks, the provincial sports competition is going to start. So, to help us perform better, the city has decided to designate Shi University as our temporary training venue. We’ll be training here for two weeks. Tomorrow, city leaders will even co to attend the opening ceremony for the training camp. Didn’t your instructor tell you about this?" Sophia Zhou tilted her head, looking at Zhang Beixing with a puzzled expression.
At this, Zhang Beixing was stunned. Then he took out his phone to check.
He discovered that just three hours ago, their instructor had indeed ntioned this in the class group chat. It was just that he had been busy with his training partner duties at the ti and hadn’t seen the ssage.
That explained it. No wonder while he was training earlier, he kept noticing people bustling about on the field, setting up sothing on the podium.
Now understanding the situation, Zhang Beixing put away his phone and asked Sophia Zhou, "So, will you be participating in the competition? Which event?"
Sophia Zhou chuckled. "Won’s long-distance running!"
Won’s long-distance running?
Hearing these words, Zhang Beixing’s eyebrows twitched slightly; he wasn’t very surprised. After all, Sophia Zhou indeed had the stamina. Although she had been outpaced by him a month ago when he had just started his training, that didn’t an Sophia Zhou wasn’t strong.
You have to understand, I’m not an ordinary person; I’m soone boosted by the System! Zhang Beixing thought. Even back then, when I had just started working out, as long as my System points were sufficient, forget Sophia Zhou—even national second-tier or first-tier athletes would have been crushed by . And yet, Sophia Zhou managed to keep up with , a cheat-level individual, for an hour. That was no small feat!
Afterward, the two exchanged a few more pleasantries.
Sensing that the atmosphere was right, Sophia Zhou looked at Zhang Beixing and revealed her true intention. "Speaking of which, Beixing, I’ve trained hard and improved a lot recently. How about we have a rematch?"
"A competition? Are you sure?"
"Yes, very sure."
Zhang Beixing chuckled.
Indeed, Sophia Zhou had improved, no doubt, but did she really think he, Zhang Beixing, hadn’t improved as well? Girl, who gave you the courage to challenge ? Was it Fish Leong? Zhang Beixing mused. Just as he was about to accept and give Sophia Zhou a taste of society’s harsh reality, a loud voice ca from the side, interrupting their conversation.
"Sophia, why are you here?"
Zhang Beixing wasn’t affected at all, but Sophia Zhou frowned upon hearing the voice, a trace of displeasure on her face.
Then, a young man in a school uniform, over 1.8 ters tall with a sturdy and imposing physique, approached them with a smile.
Upon arriving, the man gave Zhang Beixing a quick, appraising look. Noticing Zhang Beixing’s fair, smooth skin and rather average build, a hint of scorn flashed across his face.
Then he turned to Sophia Zhou and said, "Sophia, what are you doing here? Didn’t we agree to train together? Why did you co here to rest?"
As he spoke, he extended his hand, intending to place it on Sophia Zhou’s shoulder. But before his hand could land, Sophia Zhou slapped it away.
Sophia took two steps back, eyeing the man warily. "Li Chang, please don’t get handsy. If I rember correctly, our relationship isn’t close enough for that, is it?"
Seeing Sophia react like this, Li Chang’s bright smile instantly stiffened. However, he quickly adjusted.
He withdrew his hand, pretending nothing was wrong. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry. I’m just used to greeting other athletes like that. Didn’t switch gears in ti."
Then he looked at Zhang Beixing mockingly and said, "Speaking of which, Sophia, this guy is the one you ntioned before, right? The one who ’thrashed’ you at Shi University?"
"Tsk, looks can certainly be deceiving. At first glance, I thought this fellow was into yoga or sothing. Sophia, are you sure he ’thrashed’ you?"
Hearing the topic suddenly shift to him, Zhang Beixing’s eyebrows furrowed.
Sophia Zhou’s complexion also changed repeatedly; she clearly hadn’t expected Li Chang to be so shaless. Harassing her was one thing, but now he was even starting on Zhang Beixing.
But this was sowhat expected, she thought. Athletic boys often have an overabundance of hormones. Combined with their physical strength and limited life experience, they tend to be arrogant, generally looking down on most classmates as a way to attract attention from the opposite sex. Typically, such behavior only gets corrected by harsh lessons when they enter society. Only then do they realize that society isn’t truly about survival of the fittest, but about navigating human relationships and social etiquette.
At this mont, Sophia Zhou looked displeased. "Li Chang, what do you an by this?"
Li Chang shrugged. "Nothing much. I just heard he was amazing and couldn’t quite believe it. Hearing is one thing, seeing is believing, right? So I thought I’d challenge him. Hey buddy," he said, looking at Zhang Beixing, "how about a run?"
He had already thought out the script, Li Chang mused. If Zhang Beixing agreed, he’d choose his strongest event and thoroughly humiliate Zhang Beixing in front of Sophia Zhou to show off. If Zhang Beixing declined, he’d keep provoking him with smug remarks. Either way, his ultimate goal was to use Zhang Beixing as a stepping stone to capture Sophia Zhou’s attention, showing off his machismo right in front of her. This was the typical ntality of an athletic student his age.
As for failure, Li Chang didn’t even consider it a possibility. It wasn’t that he looked down on Zhang Beixing. With Zhang Beixing’s fair and delicate appearance, it was obvious he wasn’t much into exercising. If this guy could beat him, then he’d eat 1.5 kilos of dirt!
After hearing Li Chang’s words, Zhang Beixing looked at him for a mont and then said bluntly, "Race your mom!"
"What?" Li Chang was stunned.
"I said, race your mom," Zhang Beixing repeated, rather considerately. He showed him no courtesy whatsoever, nor did he have any intention of playing the gentleman or acting cultured in front of a beautiful woman.
On any other day, although Zhang Beixing’s manners could be "touching" in their inadequacy, he wouldn’t have stooped this low. But today was different. This Li Chang was ridiculing him to his face, even trying to use him as a stepping stone to show off and pick up girls. If Zhang Beixing had just stood there and spoken nicely after all that, it wouldn’t have been a matter of tolerance. One would have to question whether Zhang Beixing was even human or just a spineless coward.
A beautiful lady is nearby, so I should watch my manners? Bullshit! Do I give a damn about that?
Li Chang was completely dumbfounded by Zhang Beixing’s tirade, standing there sowhat unable to react.
Seeing this, Zhang Beixing, his words as venomous as ever, had no intention of letting up and pressed his advantage. "Leaving aside your attitude for a mont, just the fact that you’re asking to run with you—who the hell do you think you are? You want to run with you? Do you even know what I do? I’m a training partner! Twenty-eight yuan an hour, that’s my rate! And even then, there’s a line of people waiting to book . You want a freebie without even an appointnt? How much nerve do you have, huh?"
Saying this, Zhang Beixing spat on the ground with a complete lack of decorum. The spittle landed right beside Sophia Zhou’s foot, but she seed not to notice, or perhaps not to care. Instead, she exclaid in surprise, "Wow, Beixing, are you starting a business? That’s impressive!"
Zhang Beixing waved his hand at her, temporarily ignoring her and signaling her to be quiet, then continued taunting Li Chang, "You can’t even afford twenty-eight yuan? If you don’t even have that much, what girls are you trying to pick up out here? Aren’t you ashad? If I were you, I’d have dug a hole and buried myself long ago!
"Now, either pay for the sparring session, or get the hell out of here! Who do you think you are, showing off and trying to pick up girls at Shi University?"
After such a verbal barrage, Li Chang was fuming, his face flushed red. Stiffening his neck, he retorted, "Who says I don’t have it? Who says? It’s just twenty-eight yuan, you think I can’t afford that? Fine, WeChat!"
With the notification that the paynt had arrived in his wallet, Zhang Beixing watched his WeChat balance approach three thousand, and the smile on his face widened.
Then he looked at Li Chang and said, "Alright, what’s the challenge?"
Li Chang, thoroughly riled up by now, glared at Zhang Beixing and declared, "A 400-ter race! Whoever loses calls the other ’Daddy’!"
"Call them what?" Zhang Beixing asked.
"Call ’Daddy’!" Li Chang, fired up, blurted out without thinking.
"Alright!" Zhang Beixing responded, then grinned at Li Chang. "Good son. Now, go get ready."
With that, he got up from the stands under Sophia Zhou’s admiring gaze, moved to the track, and started warming up.
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