“So that’s why you were late to PE?”

After hearing Bai Chen out, even Lao Zhu couldn’t help frowning.

PE had started more than ten minutes ago by the time Bai Chen finally showed up, naturally making some of his classmates curious.

“Someone actually messed with your lunch? Did you find out who did it?”

“Yeah.”

The trio of delinquents in their class had a long record of bad behavior. After this latest incident, their homeroom teacher, Zheng Yuxin, flew into a rage and marched them straight to the discipline director.

The three, who usually strutted around like they owned the place, got an earful and a major demerit to boot.

Watching the whole thing unfold, Bai Chen had never seen the discipline director so furious. He didn’t even dare breathe too loudly.

The incident finally came to an end when the trio apologized to Bai Chen.

“You did good. A lot of people have been sick of them for ages.” Lao Zhu slapped his thigh. “My girlfriend got harassed by them before, too. You really are my best bro.”

Bai Chen had unwittingly given everyone else a chance to blow off some steam, and he felt a lot better for it.

“But what did you do about lunch today?” Lao Zhu suddenly asked.

“Oh, that? I just went to the cafeteria, of course.”

“Don’t give me that. Someone saw you sitting with Mo Qiu from our class, having a lovey-dovey lunch together.”

Bai Chen’s eyes widened. “How do you know about that?”

“Everybody knows. We heard it from someone else.” Lao Zhu grinned mischievously and poked him in the side. “You two seem pretty close. Not only were you being all lovey-dovey, but Teacher Zheng caught you and called you to the office for a lecture.”

Even that had gotten around?

Bai Chen was about ready to show his face somewhere else—maybe even transfer to another school.

“I’m really not close with Mo Qiu. I only helped her once, last Friday.”

“So it was all fake news?”

“Yeah, fake news! If I find out who’s spreading rumors about me, I won’t let them get away with it!”

Bai Chen clenched his fists to hide how flustered he was. They really had eaten lunch together, and he really had been called in for a lecture. But as for them being lovey-dovey… Mo Qiu was the only one who’d made a move.

Worried Lao Zhu might keep asking questions, Bai Chen hurriedly invited him to play ball. PE was the best—he didn’t have to sit in the classroom and read.

The autumn sun was still brutally hot, its rays beating down over the whole court.

The boys darted across the court with nimble moves, passing, dribbling, dunking… letting their sweat fly as they played.

Their dazzling moves earned the occasional cheer from the girls in the shade.

Bai Chen loved playing basketball. When all his attention was on the court, he couldn’t even feel the blazing sun. All the unhappiness in his heart seemed to pour out with his sweat and evaporate into the air.

When he got tired, Bai Chen tagged someone else in and left the court.

Just then, a slender figure came running over. Stars shone in the shy girl’s eyes as she held out a bottle of mineral water, its surface beaded with droplets.

“Um, Bai Chen, if you don’t mind, you can have this.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got my own water.”

“Oh…”

The girl walked away, dejected, and Bai Chen let out a breath of relief. Those eyes were so dazzling that he just couldn’t get interested.

Speaking of eyes, Bai Chen scanned the field while he drank, and finally spotted a pair he was into in a shady corner.

Even in her PE uniform, Mo Qiu sat like a puppet, giving off a stay-away-from-me vibe.

Most people were having fun in groups of two or three. All alone, she seemed to belong to another world.

Did she really have no friends in class?

“What are you looking at?”

Lao Zhu and a few others came over, too, and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Looking at Mo Qiu? That’s so you.”

Bai Chen shot him a glare, then suddenly thought of something and asked:

“What do you think of Mo Qiu?”

At the question, Lao Zhu looked troubled. “I’m not even sure how to answer that.”

“Do you know her well?”

“No. I don’t think anyone in class can really understand her.” Lao Zhu shook his head. “I heard she transferred here from out of town this semester. Her grades are okay, but you hardly ever see her get involved in anything.”

“She’s not your type?”

“Nah… She’s pretty, but nobody dares meet her eyes for too long. And she talks in such a lifeless, expressionless way that it’s hard to get interested.”

Bai Chen had always thought Lao Zhu was up for anything. He hadn’t realized there were girls he didn’t know how to handle.

Bai Chen asked the others what they thought, and their answers were all pretty much the same.

“She’s actually cute, but she always keeps her head down and never says a word.”

“There’s something scary about her eyes. I don’t even dare hang around her.”

“I tried talking to her once. She was like a robot—barely reacted to anything.”

People who stood apart from the crowd always drew attention. In her classmates’ eyes, Mo Qiu was a strange, untouchable beauty, her outward prickles making her hard to approach.

And yet she’d softened those prickles for me, and come to me of her own accord.

Bai Chen found it increasingly hard to believe. He was growing interested in this delicate little flower nobody dared approach.

While Bai Chen was full of enthusiasm for PE, Mo Qiu couldn’t have been less interested in it.

The sun was hot. Exercise was exhausting.

Rather than waste her energy and sweat on the sports field, Mo Qiu preferred to sit in the classroom and be invisible.

With a clang, a tall student pulled off a beautiful dunk, drawing screams from the girls. The shrill noise made Mo Qiu frown.

So noisy. Even tucked away in the deepest shade, she couldn’t escape the boisterous sports field.

She’d been watching Bai Chen play in secret. The brighter his smile, the deeper the whirlpool inside her grew.

How could he run so fast under the sun? Didn’t he get tired?

Mo Qiu had thought about joining the cheering girls, but her stubbornness kept her butt planted on the cool steps.

Come to think of it, I’ve messed things up, haven’t I?

Mo Qiu hunched her shoulders and rested her chin on her knees.

The homeroom teacher had caught them and called them to the office for a lecture.

Bai Chen said he didn’t blame me, but he must still resent me deep down, right?

She wanted to get along with him, but everything kept hurtling in the opposite direction from what she’d planned. Maybe it was the effects of puberty, but she could feel herself growing restless.

This won’t do. PE is absolutely not my thing. I don’t want to stand under the sun, either.

When a deceiver is forced to stand in the sunlight, every lie is laid bare. Without deception, there’s no sense of safety. The scorching rays nearly burned her to ashes.

I don’t want to be exposed. I don’t want to feel the heat of the branding iron again, or have someone hold my hand down in boiling water while I pick out glass beads.

Mo Qiu buried her head between her knees. Her dark hair trembled slightly, like that of a helpless little animal.

“Mo Qiu?”

That voice…

Mo Qiu looked up and met Bai Chen’s eyes. With the sun behind him, he seemed tall and dependable. A few beads of sweat dotted his face, and he looked worried.

“Are you okay? Do you feel sick?”

“I’m fine.”

“Don’t you get bored sitting here?”

“No.” Mo Qiu’s voice was clearly displeased. She didn’t even look at him.

Seeing her like that, Bai Chen scratched his head. Then, as if he’d made up his mind, he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“What are you doing?”

Dragged out into the sunlight, the girl looked terrified. She tried to pull her hand free, but couldn’t.

“Ah, sorry. Did I hurt you?”

“No.”

Mo Qiu’s face returned to its usual cool expression, but the look she’d just given him left a deep impression on Bai Chen.

So you do have other expressions. That’s kind of cute. Thinking this, Bai Chen led her to the starting line of the rubber track, his smile bright.

“Run two laps with me.”

His smile was a little blinding. Mo Qiu didn’t dare look straight at him.

“Why?”

“Running’s a great way to blow off steam.”

“There’s no need.”

“Huh?” Bai Chen looked disappointed. “Are you leaving?”

Leaving… Why would I leave? Isn’t this the perfect chance to get closer to him?

Mo Qiu wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity handed to her. She glanced down at the bright red track and took her place beside him.

Seeing this, Bai Chen’s smile grew even brighter.

After warming up, he remembered to add:

“Want me to go easy on you?”

His words struck a nerve. Without even looking at him, Mo Qiu replied:

“There’s no need.”

Go easy on me? What a joke!

I don’t like exercise, but a healthy body is a deceiver’s most valuable asset. In my previous life, I’d still forced myself to work out.

Mo Qiu suddenly wanted to see the look on Bai Chen’s face when he lost. She’d been holding back for so long; she was allowed to have a little fun.

“On your marks—go!”

After that, Mo Qiu couldn’t remember much.

Once they’d finished two laps, all she could think about was Bai Chen sprinting ahead of her. He was absurdly fast and left her in the dust.

After finally making it back to her gloomy little corner, Mo Qiu’s legs still wouldn’t stop shaking, and her breathing wouldn’t settle.

I’m so tired. I’m drenched in sweat. Am I going to die?

Her black hair clung to her cheeks, and her PE uniform was soaked with sweat. This was more exhausting than being chased down several streets by someone with a weapon.

Has my stamina gotten worse? No, I need water. If I don’t drink soon, I’m going to die here.

Luckily, Bai Chen caught up with her in time and brought her the water he hadn’t finished.

Why wasn’t he even out of breath after running that far? Was he really human?

“Feel better?”

Mo Qiu had meant to deny it, but the truth slipped out. “I feel a lot better.”

“Next time something’s bothering you, go for a run. You don’t have to put yourself through this, understand?”

“I just wanted to repay you.”

“You’ve already repaid me, haven’t you?” Bai Chen spoke patiently. “If you really want to do something for me, take this.”

It was a piece of clothing, marked with a familiar yellowish-brown stain.

“Your chicken drumstick got my clothes dirty. Help me wash them when you get back.”

“Then what about you…?”

Bai Chen tugged at his collar. “See? I’ve still got a spare.”

“All right.”

Mo Qiu accepted it and hugged his uniform to her chest. After a moment’s thought, she did something astonishing right in front of him:

She buried her face in the clothes and took a deep breath.

Besides the smell of chicken drumstick over rice, there was sweat. It didn’t smell good at all.

But when she saw Bai Chen’s mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a whole egg, she knew she’d accomplished her goal.