When Fang Yuan climbed into the stands and saw Xia Siqiao curled up there sleeping soundly like a Persian cat, he chuckled and planted himself beside him. He had spent a lot of time with Xia Siqiao over the past few days, and once he grew familiar with his personality, genuine admiration had replaced his earlier prejudice. He now regarded Xia Siqiao as a friend.
When He Pei and Lu Yan came looking for Fang Yuan, one of the two was hunched over a game, swearing loudly without regard for anyone around him, while the other was sleeping so deeply that his head kept bobbing like a pecking chick.
Perhaps Xia Siqiao was simply too pale to miss. He Pei spotted him at first glance.
The back of Xia Siqiao's head was probably uncomfortable against the railing, because even in his sleep he refused to suffer and let his head droop forward. The gland at the back of his neck was faintly red, a sign that differentiation was approaching. Xia Siqiao himself remained completely unaware, exposing it carelessly to everyone around him.
He wasn't sleeping very soundly. His head swayed unconsciously from side to side, revealing only a glimpse of vivid red lips and a small, porcelain-white chin.
He Pei paused for a moment, then lifted a long, well-defined hand to adjust his gold-rimmed glasses. Lowering his eyes, he stopped walking.
Lu Yan went over and nudged Fang Yuan. “The grade office wants you to draw the lane assignment for the relay.”
Fang Yuan closed the game he had thoroughly ruined.
Lu Yan continued, “Take a chance, Fang Yuan. Your luck was pitch-black last year. Let's see if you can lighten it by a few shades this year.”
Fang Yuan laughed, then theatrically rubbed himself against the sleeping Xia Siqiao, only to get slapped away by Xia Siqiao without him even opening his eyes.
Lu Yan folded his arms and sighed. “Even asleep, he's still got skills.”
Then he asked Fang Yuan, “Why were you rubbing against him anyway?”
As Fang Yuan stood up, he pointed at the small portion of Xia Siqiao's face visible beneath his lowered head. “Who could be paler than Little Xia? I was rubbing off some foundation for myself. Maybe it'll keep my drawing hand from being so cursed.”
Lu Yan laughed and shoved him. “Just go already.”
Then he turned and walked back toward He Pei. Halfway there, he suddenly rubbed his chin and remarked, “He really is pretty pale.”
He Pei gave him a cold sidelong glance.
Xia Siqiao was awakened by an indiscriminate wave of screaming from across the entire field. The volume was so extreme that even someone as unflappable as him jumped.
He followed the gazes of the omegas and betas and saw He Pei doing the high jump not far away.
If you're going to high-jump, then high-jump. Why are you showing your waist?
To keep from brushing the bar, He Pei wore only a T-shirt on top, with the hem carelessly tucked into his track pants. Every time he arched backward over the bar, a narrow strip of his waist showed, accompanied by another round of screams.
Xia Siqiao heard an omega boy below babbling with a flushed face, “See that? That's the legendary lean, powerful stud's waist! Ahhh, I really want to try it!”
Try what?
What kind of shameless filth was that?
Xia Siqiao scooted backward until he was pressed against the railing, pulled the hood from behind his neck over his head, put in his earphones, and started listening to music.
Even before transmigrating into the novel, he had always wondered about something. Countless people at this school liked He Pei, and plenty pursued him boldly and passionately. If you really counted them, He Pei's admirers could fill an entire library. So why was Xia Siqiao, of all people, the one who became cannon fodder?
Only after transmigrating did the answer suddenly become obvious.
Because he was the only one who dressed like a scene kid.
Before long, Fang Yuan returned looking dejected. He sat beside Xia Siqiao with drooping eyes and kept sighing heavily.
Xia Siqiao tried hard to ignore him, but Fang Yuan stared at him with a blazing expression that practically screamed, Ask me what's wrong and comfort me.
Xia Siqiao had no choice but to slowly remove one earbud and raise a brow. “What's wrong?”
Someone with Fang Yuan's maxed-out cursed luck couldn't be saved even by Xia Siqiao's skin-whitening aura.
Fang Yuan said miserably, “I just drew our positions for the relays. In the four-by-one-hundred we're in the outermost lane, and in the four-by-four-hundred we're in the second lane from the outside.”
Track events were decided by fractions of a second; even the smallest outside interference could create an enormous difference in results. In the four-by-one-hundred relay, runners couldn't change lanes, which meant they would have to complete the entire race in the outermost lane, a significant disadvantage compared with the inner lanes.
Xia Siqiao stared at Fang Yuan in disbelief and sincerely asked, “And you still had the nerve to come back?”
With luck that dark, he might as well throw his whole face away. Fang Yuan said, “Before I left, I rubbed against you. I think you should take half the responsibility for my bad luck.”
Under Fang Yuan's expectant gaze, Xia Siqiao expressionlessly put his earbud back in.
The sports meet lasted two days. On the first day, Xia Siqiao had the four-by-four-hundred relay. On the second, he had the hundred-meter race and the four-by-one-hundred relay.
Their relay event was coming up soon, so Fang Yuan dragged the others along to change into track uniforms and spiked shoes.
As they walked, Lu Yan said, “Fang Yuan, I've realized you're genuinely incredible. If I'd known, I would've saved a shot put so it could have a head-on contest with your skull. Or you could stand over there while I hand you a javelin and let you reenact Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats.”
“Last year our class was in the outermost lane, and this year you've somehow managed to stay true to yourself. I'm starting to suspect you're actually a spy from another class.” Last year, Class 1 had also drawn the outside lane and lost to Class 10, which had enjoyed the better position. They had missed first place by a hair, and Lu Yan still couldn't let it go.
Fang Yuan shamelessly shifted the blame. “Look at it from another angle. Maybe Zhou Jiawei was the problem. Now that Little Xia is here this year, maybe we'll take first place in one shot.”
Lu Yan instinctively opened his mouth to sneer, “Him?”
Then he abruptly stopped himself.
After nearly two months of changes and more than a week of working together, his impression of Xia Siqiao had improved considerably.
From the perspective of He Pei's friend, he still disliked Xia Siqiao, but he wasn't unreasonable. Xia Siqiao had stepped in at the last minute and saved their class from a difficult situation. This was hardly the time to drag personal feelings into it.
Xia Siqiao kept his head lowered and walked straight ahead, his lashes trembling slightly as he thought: Second time.
This was the second time Lu Yan had tested his limits. The first had been that blatant probing at the restaurant. The second was the open contempt he had just shown him.
Xia Siqiao could understand why Lu Yan's prejudice against him was more deeply rooted than everyone else's because of He Pei, but that didn't mean he was obligated to indulge it.
Three strikes and you're out.
He said nothing and quickened his pace, walking farther ahead.