Chapter 46

The sports festival arrived, and the weather couldn’t have been better, bright blue sky, not a cloud in sight.
Su Xiaoxiao was eliminated early in the 50-meter preliminaries.
The 3000-meter race had no qualifiers, so Jin Qishan went straight to the final.
He stood on the track as the starting gun fired, taking off at a steady, unhurried pace.
By the third lap, some runners were already giving up. Jin Qishan stayed in the middle of the pack, calm and collected.
By the fifth lap, out of more than thirty contestants, barely a dozen were left.
On the sixth lap, he was still neither leading nor lagging. While others were gasping for breath, he ran as if he had all the time in the world.
Su Xiaoxiao knew he was holding back and grew anxious, jogging along the sidelines and shouting, “Jin Qishan! Run faster, it’s the last lap!”
He glanced at her and said coolly, “No reward, no motivation.”
Gritting her teeth, she yelled back, “Two times!”
“Three.”
“Fine, three!” she said desperately, seeing there were only about three hundred meters left. Any later, and he’d never catch up to first place.
Jin Qishan pressed his lips together, and then began to accelerate.
Su Xiaoxiao screamed herself hoarse. “Jin Qishan, go! Go!”
Gradually, he overtook one runner, then another, then another,
The boy in first place was a trained athlete and had been far ahead since the start.
Half a lap from the finish, he even glanced back, seeing the gap still wide, and relaxed a little too early.
He never expected that in the final twenty meters, Jin Qishan would surge past him.
All he felt was a gust of wind sweeping by, then the roar of the crowd.
When Jin Qishan crossed the finish line, cheers erupted around him.
“Ohhh! Brother Shan took first!”
“Hell yeah!”
“Damn, that comeback was insane!”
“Congrats, man!”
“Look at the sports-class guy, he’s totally dumbfounded!”
Amid the chaos of shouting and laughter, Jin Qishan’s gaze found Su Xiaoxiao’s through the crowd. She waved a bottle of water at him from the sidelines, grinning ear to ear.
He made his way toward her, and as she reached out to steady his arm, he bent his knee Suddenly, pretending to stumble into her.
“Ah!” she cried, panicked, clutching him tight. “What’s wrong?”
Straightening up, he ruffled her hair. “Just kidding.”
She smacked him hard on the back. “You’re insane, you scared me!”
He only chuckled, taking the water from her hand and drinking slowly.
From not far away, Cai Meng watched them, then looked down at the bottle of water in her own hand and smiled bitterly. She knew perfectly well she didn’t stand a chance, but still couldn’t stop herself from wanting to get closer.
…
June 7th arrived, the college entrance exams.
During the math test, Su Xiaoxiao’s mind went completely blank; she stumbled through the entire paper in a daze.
It was the same with English, even the listening section, usually her strongest point, sounded muffled and distant. She answered mostly by instinct.
College entrance exams, in the end, were all about mindset.
Even though Su Xiaoxiao didn’t feel she’d done her best, she stayed calm and steady all the way through.
On the first day after exams ended, she and Jin Qishan rode their electric scooter to a brand-new park on the northern outskirts of the city.
It was a remote area, and since the park had just opened, there were hardly any visitors.
That was exactly why they’d chosen it for their date, somewhere quiet, where they could finally hold hands in broad daylight without worrying who might see.
For the first time walking together in public like that, Jin Qishan was visibly excited, gripping her hand tightly as he said, “I wish I could hold your hand like this forever.”
Blushing, Su Xiaoxiao nodded shyly.
They were strolling side by side, wrapped in a little world of their own, when a group of middle-school girls came chattering down the path.
The girl at the back nearly bumped into Su Xiaoxiao.
Jin Qishan immediately pulled Su Xiaoxiao into his arms, steadying her with one hand on her shoulder.
The younger girl ducked her head, flustered. “Sorry, sorry!”
When she looked up, she was stunned, the boy and girl in front of her were both so beautiful.
Su Xiaoxiao smiled gently. “It’s alright. Go catch up with your friends.”
The girl nodded quickly and ran ahead, but as she rejoined the group, she whispered, “Hey, turn around, those two back there are so good-looking! I wish I could look that pretty, and have a boyfriend that handsome!”
Her friend Xiaoxue, famously obsessed with good looks, immediately turned to look.
Both figures were tall and slim, their backs strangely familiar.
And perhaps sensing the attention, the couple turned around too.
When Xiaoxue finally saw their faces, her lollipop dropped straight to the ground.
Oh my god, it was Sister Xiaoxiao and Brother Jin Qishan!
The girl who’d spoken before beamed. “See? I told you they were beautiful, didn’t I?”
Su Xiaoxiao spotted her too, the little girl from the convenience shop, and froze. She quickly withdrew her hand, half tempted to flee on the spot.
But Xiaoxue came running, waving excitedly. “Sister Xiaoxiao!”
Su Xiaoxiao could only manage an awkward “Mm.”
Xiaoxue circled them twice, eyes wide. “Are you two dating?”
Su Xiaoxiao’s face turned crimson. She had no idea how to respond.
Jin Qishan, however, simply took her hand again and said boldly, “What, are you planning to tell on us?”
Xiaoxue grinned mischievously. “If you buy us lunch, I won’t.”
Jin Qishan chuckled and patted her head. “Deal.”
So he treated the whole group of girls to lunch.
During the meal, Xiaoxue and her friends chattered endlessly about Su Xiaoxiao and Jin Qishan’s “legendary” school stories.
Of course, Xiaoxue couldn’t resist gossiping about their romance either.
Trying to keep her quiet, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered that Xiaoxue had asked to borrow her high school notes a while ago.
At first, she hadn’t planned on lending them, Xiaoxue was only in her second year of middle school, and Su Xiaoxiao had wanted to save her books for someone who really needed them.
But now, desperate to shut her up, she said, “If you pretend you didn’t see anything today, I’ll give you all my high school textbooks and notebooks.”
“Really?” Xiaoxue’s eyes lit up, practically jumping with joy.
Other students in the neighborhood who’d borrowed Su Xiaoxiao’s notes had all seen their grades skyrocket. There was even a rumor that Jin Qishan’s top scores had come from studying her notebooks.
Su Xiaoxiao nodded solemnly.
Xiaoxue beamed. “Thank you, Sister Xiaoxiao! I wish you two everlasting love, a happy union, hearts as one, may you never be apart!”
Su Xiaoxiao was stunned.
Those blessings sounded like something you’d say at a wedding!
Jin Qishan laughed, pulled the dazed Su Xiaoxiao to her feet, and tossed a hundred-yuan bill to Xiaoxue. “Go buy some milk tea for your friends later.”
Clutching the money, Xiaoxue bobbed her head eagerly. “Thank you, Brother Jin Qishan, Sister Xiaoxiao! May you have lots of children and grandchildren”
Su Xiaoxiao quickly clapped a hand over her mouth. “Alright, alright! Just eat your lunch!”
Xiaoxue’s friends were all green with envy. “You’re so lucky! They’re both so good-looking, and they even treat you so nicely!”
Xiaoxue lifted her chin proudly. “Of course! Sister Xiaoxiao loves me, she’s always buying me duck necks and fried chicken!”

Days later, the exam results were finally released.
Originally, Jin Qishan had wanted to witness the moment with Su Xiaoxiao, but she’d mercilessly kicked him out of the room.
He’d already been accepted early into Q University’s computer science program, which only made her feel more pressure, she wanted to get in too.
Gripping the phone tightly, she listened to the score being read out loud. Her teeth sank into her lip, and then she stood up with a radiant smile.
Finally, finally, her wish had come true.
She opened the door, and her grandparents rushed in.
“Well? How did you do?” her grandfather asked eagerly.
Su Xiaoxiao grinned. “Not bad.”
Her grandmother frowned. “‘Not bad’? What does that mean? What school can you get into?”
Her grandfather chuckled. “Must be the same as Qishan’s.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s smile deepened. She glanced at Jin Qishan and nodded. “If nothing goes wrong, it should be fine.”
“Wonderful, wonderful!” Grandma clapped her hands in delight, spinning around the room. “Call Junhua and Xinyu, tell them Xiaoxiao got into Q University! And call your auntie too”
“Grandma, not yet.” Su Xiaoxiao tugged at her sleeve. “Wait until the official cutoff scores are posted. I’ll call my parents first and tell them my total.”
“Alright, alright,” Grandma agreed at once. “Our Xiaoxiao always knows best.”
She adored that girl. Though Grandma was kindhearted, she was also gullible and easily fooled, but her granddaughter, sharp-eyed and level-headed, saw people far more clearly than she ever could.
Jin Qishan had never once doubted that Su Xiaoxiao could get into Q University. The only thing he’d ever worried about was whether she wanted to go there, with him.
After Grandma Su and Grandpa Su got busy with their own things, the two of them slipped out for a walk.
From the kitchen window, Grandma Su watched their silhouettes leaving side by side and smiled to herself. Those two children get along so well, she thought. Just like brother and sister. If both of them went to B City for university, they’d at least have someone to look after each other.
Su Xiaoxiao and Jin Qishan wandered aimlessly until they reached the riverside.
The sun was sinking in the west, painting golden ripples over the water. A soft summer breeze stirred the willows by the bank.
Holding her hand, Jin Qishan said quietly, “These days, every night before I sleep, I find myself wishing morning would come faster. I can’t wait to see you, to hold your hand, to hug you, to kiss you. Every day with you feels like something worth looking forward to.”
He smiled faintly. “It’s funny, there was a time when I used to think it’d be better if I just didn’t wake up at all.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s chest tightened. Remembering what he’d been through in the past, her eyes prickled with emotion.
She looked up at him. “If, all your misfortune was because of me, would you still like me?”
He ruffled her hair, chuckling softly. “Why so serious all of a sudden? Looking back now, it doesn’t even feel that bitter anymore. Besides, I really like my life the way it is now.”
There was a time when Jin Qishan had questioned fate itself, how it could be so cruel. He’d never done anything wrong, yet life had been merciless: bullied, mocked, abandoned.
But he had long since let go of that bitterness. It was Su Xiaoxiao who had once made him realize, the best revenge isn’t to hurt others, but to become stronger than them.
Su Xiaoxiao wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. “It’s my fault for showing up too late, I couldn’t protect you.”
After a pause, she said with determination, “Qishan, I’ll spend my whole life making it up to you. From now on, I’ll treat you twice as well.”
Her words pulled up an old memory in Jin Qishan’s mind, a little girl grabbing his collar years ago, her tone bossy but soft: ‘Hey, come inside. From now on, I’ll take responsibility for you.’
He couldn’t help laughing. He didn’t need her protection, he only wanted to protect her.
Seeing him laugh, Su Xiaoxiao pouted, thinking he didn’t believe her. “I mean it! Whatever you want to do in the future, I’ll support you, no conditions.”
Jin Qishan bent down, his voice brushing against her ear. “Then right now, I just want to kiss you, no limits.”
Her whole body went rigid. She hadn’t expected him to say something like that at such a tender moment.
Still, exams were over. The “once-a-week” rule didn’t really apply anymore.
He looked at her quietly, waiting for an answer.
They locked eyes for a long moment, then Su Xiaoxiao rose on tiptoe, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him gently.
Jin Qishan’s eyes fluttered shut as he pulled her closer, one hand tracing the curve of her waist, his heartbeat trembling against her.
What began as soft and tender soon grew urgent, breathless.
When she could barely stay on her toes, Jin Qishan lifted her effortlessly, pressing her back against the willow tree behind them.
Her legs circled his waist, her hands cupping his face as they lost themselves in each other.
When they finally broke apart, Jin Qishan bit lightly at her lower lip and whispered, “I love you.”
Thank you, fate, for letting me meet you.
Their breaths mingled, warm and uneven. Su Xiaoxiao kissed his eyes and the tip of his nose. “Me too. I love you so, so much.”
“I wake up every morning wanting to see you,” he murmured.
“Me too,” she whispered back.
Jin Qishan’s ears reddened, but he grinned. “Then let’s live together when we go to college.”
Su Xiaoxiao blinked. “What???”
“I have money,” Jin Qishan said earnestly.



THE END