Before I could react, Chen Qiao Luo had already responded. He turned around and roared at Gu Yu, “Gu Yu, if you have an issue, take it out on me. Why must you drag innocent people into this?”
“Innocent?” Gu Yu raised an eyebrow before letting out a cold laugh. “Chen Qiao Luo, don’t forget, my father was innocent too.”
That struck a nerve, and Chen Qiao Luo immediately deflated, lowering his head and standing there in defeat.
Seizing the moment, Gu Yu grabbed my hand and pulled me forward.
I tried to break free, but his grip was like an iron shackle. As I turned back to look at Chen Qiao Luo, he remained motionless, still standing with his head bowed, emanating a profound sadness.
Gu Yu dragged me all the way to the school garden before finally letting go.
I rotated my wrist; the area where he had held me was red and tender, throbbing with pain at the slightest touch.
As I frowned and tried to endure the discomfort, Gu Yu spoke again, catching me off guard with his words. “Zhu Yun Hao, how about we try dating?”
Stunned, I looked up at him, his face partially hidden in the shade of the trees.
The wind rustled continuously around us, but my heart was stirred into ripples by his unexpected proposal. Before I could figure out how to respond, Gu Yu said nothing more. He simply turned and walked away.
I stood rooted to the spot, watching his figure grow smaller and smaller, like a traveler with no destination.
I couldn’t remember how I made it back to Li Zi’s side, but my heart was a tangled mess when I did. At that moment, the loudspeaker announced that the 400-meter race was about to start. I heard both Gu Yu’s and Chen Qiao Luo’s names mentioned.
My body reacted instinctively, and I looked down at the track.
Both of them were already in their sportswear, warming up on the sidelines. They weren’t far apart, and I could almost sense the unspoken tension between them.
A feeling of unease slowly crept into my chest. Just as I was at a loss for what to do, the sharp crack of the starter’s pistol signaled the beginning of the race. I watched as the two of them sprinted forward without yielding an inch to each other. The cheers of the students around me filled my ears, but I felt like I was teetering on a tightrope, my heart suspended in midair.
My eyes stayed glued to the two figures on the track. Both Chen Qiao Luo and Gu Yu had pulled far ahead of the other runners, neither willing to concede even the slightest lead. As they neared the finish line, Chen Qiao Luo, on the left, suddenly appeared to step on something. His body tilted, and he crashed to the ground. Screams from nearby girls pierced the air. I reflexively stood up and ran toward the track.
By the time I pushed through the crowd to reach him, Chen Qiao Luo had already been carried to the rest area. His face was pale, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Panic surged in me as I knelt down to check his injury. His ankle was already swollen and red, looking painful at the slightest touch.
Someone in the crowd said, “It looks pretty bad. We should take him to the infirmary immediately.”
Those words snapped me out of my stupor. I quickly stood up and said to Chen Qiao Luo, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
Hearing that, Chen Qiao Luo lifted his head and looked at me. His eyes were filled with emotions I couldn’t decipher. After what felt like an eternity, he finally spoke, his voice cold: “Zhu Yun Hao, what does this have to do with you?”
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