But thinking carefully about today’s events, it was just too strange.

The protagonist’s childhood sweetheart joined the mixed-gender 4x100 relay, yet the protagonist himself didn’t participate. Making me, the second male lead, join instead—how weird is that? If this plot happened in a novel, fans would call it stupid, right?

Besides, no options or commands have appeared now. So what exactly is that blonde beauty planning?!

“I caught up to you.”

While Zhou Zhiyi was lost in thought, his speed unconsciously slowed down a lot. Qin Huan actually caught up to him.

“What do you mean ‘caught up to me’? I haven’t even accepted it yet.”

“Idiot-idiot-idiot! What are you even saying?!”

Qin Huan had somehow learned an instant face-changing trick. Her fair face instantly flushed with a trace of blush, spreading all the way to her slender neck.

“Just kidding. Why such a big reaction?” Zhou Zhiyi chuckled. “Could it be you like me?”

Outwardly, Zhou Zhiyi still looked carefree, but inside, he was panicking like crazy. He was afraid Qin Huan would reject him like Liu Muyu did before, then scold him endlessly. Just thinking about last time gave him a headache…

“Idiot-idiot-idiot! Who would like a slick trickster like you?!”

Seeing Qin Huan’s intense reaction, Zhou Zhiyi finally breathed a sigh of relief. A hard-to-describe comfort washed over him. If he were the protagonist, he’d probably be sure Qin Huan liked him by now. But he wasn’t, so he didn’t understand.

He felt a strong sense of dissonance. He sensed something would happen at this sports festival, but he didn’t know what. Logically, after reading so many manga, he should recall such plots. He should know what the second male lead must do. But no manga would ever have a plot like this for the second male lead, right?

“Alright, alright, I’m a slick trickster.” Zhou Zhiyi glanced at Qin Huan. “I’m tired. Let’s stop running, okay?”

“Hmph, I can still run a few more laps.”

No way. I said that because I’m afraid you’ll collapse any second!

“Fine, fine, I admit defeat. Miss Qin, spare my life, will you?”

“Hmph, how will you compensate me?”

I finally understood what “taking the advantage and still acting coy” meant.

“Breakfast?”

“Deal!” Qin Huan blurted out. “No taking it back.”

“OK.”

Qin Huan’s forced steps finally stopped. She kept gasping for breath. As if not wanting Zhou Zhiyi to notice, her cherry-colored lips parted slightly, looking a bit pained.

“Do you have water?”

Qin Huan looked at Zhou Zhiyi with eyes as cute as a kitten begging for food. Zhou Zhiyi’s face couldn’t help but flush slightly.

“I don’t know the science, but I heard drinking water right after exercise is bad for you.”

“What nonsense! Only an idiot like you would believe that!”

“Besides, there’s only one bottle.”

“Then give it to me.”

“You’re so unreasonable!”

Though he said that, Zhou Zhiyi walked to where he’d placed his mineral water. He reached out and grabbed the only bottle. Earlier, there were still people on the playground. Now, not a single person was in sight. Without realizing it, had it gotten this late?

“Unreasonable young lady, here you go.” Zhou Zhiyi casually muttered, then tossed the bottle to Qin Huan.

“Since you gave me water, I’ll forgive your rudeness.”

Qin Huan wasn’t an overly delicate girl. She easily unscrewed the cap. Her cherry-colored lips touched the bottle’s opening. For some reason, Zhou Zhiyi felt a dryness in his mouth. Perhaps because she drank too hastily, a small stream flowed from her lips down her slender neck to her fair, smooth skin. Zhou Zhiyi looked away, unable to bear watching.

“The rest is yours.”

Qin Huan tossed the nearly empty bottle back to Zhou Zhiyi. He looked at the less than one-third water left, feeling both amused and exasperated.

Hey, why are you tossing it back?!

“So generous?”

“If you don’t want it, throw it away, idiot.”

“Even a little is still water.”

“Don’t touch the bottle opening!”

“I know that without you telling me!”

Zhou Zhiyi tilted his head back, about to pour out the little water left. Then, that damn voice surfaced in his mind again.

Option One: Pretend not to hear, drink with lips touching the bottle.

Option Two: Obediently drink without touching the bottle.

Option Three: Don’t drink.

At a time like this, such a deadly option appears? Seriously, not drinking is impossible, right? No matter how you analyze it, not drinking is the most absurd choice. If this were a galgame, I might choose Option One. But after the heavy price of last time’s wrong choice, Zhou Zhiyi hesitated…

So which one should he choose?!