Of course, she was just kidding. Though she really did want to do it, wanting and doing were two different things. If she actually hoisted Li Mo onto her shoulders right now, that guy would definitely fight her to the death out of sheer embarrassment.
Still… she looked so pitiful… struggling just to watch a competition…
Should she record Tang Zhe’s match for her?
Or clear a path for her…?
What to do…?
Li Mo had no idea others were worrying themselves sick over her watching the match. She’d already given up.
*Forget it. Not watching.*
Thinking carefully, with so many PE students competing, even if Tang Zhe that jerk couldn’t win, it wasn’t worth watching anyway. Better to go sleep.
Yeah. Since she couldn’t see it even if she wanted to, she’d just sleep. Sleep, sleep.
So Li Mo chose to give up. She planned to leave and return to that draft-free, empty classroom to sleep peacefully.
"Students, step back! Clear the area!"
She hadn’t walked far when a teacher inside the crowd started dispersing the spectators on the opposite side of the mats. A big group blocking the area was unsafe—so many PE students around, who knew if someone might kick a bystander mid-roll?
Plus, staff needed space to adjust the bar height.
But this dispersal gave Li Mo a perfect, unobstructed view.
"…………"
*Well then. Might as well watch.*
Pouting slightly, Li Mo felt like she’d been cursed with bad luck since her surgery. Why did everything go the opposite of what she wanted? Seriously…
Tang Zhe’s number was mid-list. After all the earlier fuss, it was almost his turn. Li Mo even caught him shooting her a meaningful glance.
*Idiot!*
After the crowd cleared, Li Mo was practically the only one standing far back in that direction. His obvious wink drew several pairs of eyes toward her. Uncomfortable under the sudden attention, she immediately ducked her head, pretending to fiddle with her phone. She only dared peek up when Tang Zhe finally stepped onto the mat.
Truthfully, no one had high hopes for Tang Zhe, this newcomer.
He looked tall and sturdy, but his opponents were PE students—most clearly trained athletes. Among them were a few notorious upperclassmen who dominated the top three spots every year. Track meets were basically their playground.
Still…
*That bar is really high.*
With nothing blocking her view, Li Mo felt the height was intimidating.
Though objectively, it wasn’t that high.
She was only 1.6 meters tall—and the bar was set at exactly 1.6 meters.
For athletic seniors, clearing it with effort was doable. But slackers had already been eliminated in the first round.
Tang Zhe didn’t seem worried. This height was no challenge for him.
Inhale. Exhale. Sprint. Then a textbook back-first jump.
*Thud!*
He landed squarely on the mat.
Cleared it—by a wide margin.
"Whoa—↑"
This newcomer had skills. Not only did he clear it effortlessly, but he sailed over with obvious room to spare.
Like he was saying, *This is child’s play. Set it higher.*
"How’s that?"
After landing, Tang Zhe deliberately swaggered over to show off right in Li Mo’s face.
*He could’ve jumped clean over my head.*
*Damn it. This guy really asks for a beating.*
"Average. I could do it too."
"Oh? That confident?"
"Obviously. I wouldn’t get eliminated in the first round. Now scram!"
She shoved him away. His approach had drawn weird stares again. Hyper-aware of others’ gazes lately, Li Mo felt the shift instantly.
They were classmates. And with his troublemaker reputation, some surely recognized her. Sensing hostility in those looks, Li Mo grew restless.
Luckily, Tang Zhe took the hint. Seeing her odd expression, he obediently returned to the queue.
Li Mo had spoken lightly about not being eliminated in round one—but after that round, over half the competitors were already out.
Then came round two. Round three. Fewer and fewer regular students remained. Finally, only the PE squad was left… and Tang Zhe.
No one expected this ordinary student to be so stubborn. Later, three PE students were eliminated. Tang Zhe still stood firm, facing last year’s high jump champion in the final round.
The plot twist shocked everyone. Most spectators had left except the athletes and a few classmates from Li Mo’s class—all girls, called over by Liu Shishi.
Before the match, most were drawn by Tang Zhe’s looks. The girls cheered wildly from the sidelines, shouting "Go Tang Zhe!" nonstop.
It annoyed both the athletes and Li Mo.
But Tang Zhe’s performance had surpassed even Li Mo’s expectations. From casual curiosity to focused attention, she now genuinely wanted him to win.
*He’s competing under my name. He better win gold, or I’ll never forgive him. Definitely not because I want him to win!*
"Hey, if your man wins under your name, you gonna reward him?"
An unwelcome voice cut in beside her ear.
"Shut it."
*If it weren’t for our whole class being here…*
"Tang Zhe! Li Mo says she’ll treat you to dinner tonight if you win first place!"
But Liu Shishi? She lived for drama. Nothing pleased her more than seeing Li Mo flustered.
True to form, the moment Liu Shishi shouted this, Li Mo bolted.
Vanished without a trace. By the time Tang Zhe looked toward Liu Shishi, Li Mo was long gone.
*Sigh.*
*Whatever.*
Honestly, he had zero confidence for this final round.
He was just naturally athletic, worked out regularly. He’d dabbled in high jump during middle school meets (humblebrag).
Making it this far was already a win.
Worse, placing top three meant more classmates would see him competing under Li Mo’s name. The risk of exposure was huge. He had no idea why he hadn’t been caught yet—pure luck, probably.
And having Li Mo herself collect the award? That’d be a disaster. He had no clue how to handle it.
Zero motivation to jump this time.
"1.78 meters. First attempt."
But the competition had started. The PE student went first. Failed.
"*Boo—*"
Jeers from his teammates.
Second attempt.
Clearly nervous, he still took a deep breath, sprinted, jumped—flawless execution.
"Cleared it!"
*Cleared my ass!*
Bad luck struck. His body cleared the bar, but the pole wobbled and fell. No one saw what brushed it—maybe just the wind.
"*Boo—*"
He was out.
Meaning if Tang Zhe cleared it, he’d be champion.
*Hah. What a hassle. Might as well give up. Dealing with the aftermath would be worse.*
He felt bad for the spectators who stayed… but…
"…………"
*Still. Might as well try for first place.*
Because even though he thought she’d left, he’d accidentally spotted a certain sneaky onlooker watching from the other side.
Somehow, he just wanted to show off.
