Criticizing Love - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Nancheng was not in the far south; being a coastal area, its four seasons were distinct. After a single night of wind, the ground would be covered in red leaves.

The sports meet arrived as scheduled in the last week of September. Because the entire school gathered on one field, supervision was spread thin, making it feel like a carnival without school rules for many students.

The Grade 12 section was located near the finish line, providing the best vantage point. Wang Tingxiu seemed to have pulled some strings; the elite class had a great geographical advantage, being close to the finish and backed by a row of shade trees. No matter how high the sun climbed, they were protected from the heat.

The only downside was that Wang Tingxiu strictly required the seating in the spectator stands to follow the PE class formation. Unsurprisingly, Lin Xi was seated next to Gu Nianyin again.

There were fewer events for Grade 12, so everything could be finished in one day. The stands held a mixture of leisure and tension. Lin Xi had nothing to talk about with Gu Nianyin; she sat sideways watching the crowd come and go until, bored, she saw a familiar figure running toward them.

Zhong Sheng had spent the morning scouting for information. Her gossipy nature finally found its purpose today. She waved to Lin Xi from a distance, shouting breathlessly, “I… I found out!”

“Great One, there are two student-athletes in your 3000-meter heat. They’re professionals trained in middle-to-long distance running.” Zhong Sheng panted, unable to catch her breath. “Last year, they took first and second, even lapping the third-place finisher by a lap and a half.”

Zhong Sheng, projecting her own limitations, tried to “de-stress” Gu Nianyin. “We don’t need to compete with professionals like them. Just beating the other regular students is a victory. Great One, don’t feel any pressure.”

This wasn’t the first time Lin Xi had heard Zhong Sheng talk like this. She had always hated losing without a fight. Tapping Zhong Sheng with her water bottle, she said, “I say, can you stop dampening people’s spirits?”

“Ouch… I’m just stating facts,” Zhong Sheng rubbed her arm. “Who can beat a student-athlete?”

“I’ll try.”

Amidst their bickering, a soft voice interjected. Gu Nianyin, the subject of the conversation, looked over with a calm face, her eyes showing a leisurely composure.

Zhong Sheng was stunned. “Huh?”

But Gu Nianyin’s gaze didn’t land on her. She turned her eyes toward Lin Xi. “If I beat the student-athletes, you add me back as a friend.”

Lin Xi’s first reaction wasn’t anger at being bargained with, but amusement. So, Gu Nianyin knew that if she tried to add her normally, she’d be rejected. And because Lin Xi had just stood up for her, Gu Nianyin had seized the chance to pin her down.

Truly someone who takes an inch and wants a mile.

Seeing Lin Xi’s delay in answering, Gu Nianyin asked again, “Is that a deal?”

Is that a deal? Of course not. Who wants to take such a stupid bet?

Lin Xi snorted, but before she could refuse, Zhong Sheng chimed in. She poked her head forward with a look of pure surprise. “Xi, you haven’t added the Great One as a friend yet?!”

Being crowded, Lin Xi turned her head away with a look of disdain. “Is that a crime?”

“It’s not a crime, I just don’t understand why…” Zhong Sheng stopped mid-sentence, realizing Gu Nianyin was right there.

Even she could see that Lin Xi didn’t like being around Gu Nianyin. Lin Xi had never told anyone about her history with Gu Nianyin. No one at school knew about her family situation or Xing Xiu’s illness. Lin Xi hated the pitying looks people gave her when they heard her story—as if she couldn’t survive on her own.

The girl’s head was always held high; even though she had to rush to see Xing Xiu after school, she always lied and said she was going to cram school.

But Zhong Sheng had dragged the topic into the open. Under the sun, two pairs of eyes watched her. Lin Xi gripped her bottle randomly and blurted out, “I was going to add her. Why do we need a bet?”

“…Is that so?” Zhong Sheng scratched her head, sensing something was odd. The timeline felt a bit off.

Gu Nianyin said nothing. She subtly curled her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Zhong Sheng struggle to organize the logic of the situation, while she waited for Lin Xi to speak.

“You don’t have to beat both. If you beat even one of them, I’ll add you.”

The girl was defiant, her voice full of disdain. Gu Nianyin nodded gently, accepting the wager. “Deal.”

The 3000-meter race began after the 100-meter sprints. It wasn’t a popular event, and in the busy schedule of Grade 12, few paid it much attention. However, the entire elite class started moving toward the track, confusing the students from other classes.

Lin Xi was also confused. She didn’t understand why an antisocial loner like Gu Nianyin commanded such attention from the class—yet she also seemed to understand why. Dragged by Zhong Sheng and Qin Zhuo, she was squeezed into the front row of the spectators.

Gu Nianyin had good luck; she drew a lane near the inside during check-in. The morning sun poured down. The summer PE uniform was loose and breathable; its short hem openly displayed the girl’s well-proportioned long legs. Compared to the others, especially the two athletes next to her, her skin was more than one shade fairer.

Among the nervous contestants, Gu Nianyin stood on the track unhurriedly. Whether it was the noise from the crowd or the anxiety of her competitors, she remained calm. Her aura of cold detachment seemed to melt slightly under the intense sun; her mild appearance made it hard for people not to think: She’s just here to make up the numbers.

If they really thought that, the elite class students could tell them from experience: Wrong. Dead wrong.

The starting gun “Bang!” echoed across the field. The runners at the starting line surged forward to secure their positions. Gu Nianyin’s steps were crisp and fast; she quickly locked into a lead position, running side-by-side with the two athletes.

The athletes looked at the slender figure that had suddenly appeared beside them with confusion. They glanced at her, thinking she had no self-awareness—trying to sprint with them from the start was the act of a clown.

But that thought was quickly shattered. Three laps in, Gu Nianyin was still with them. It seemed they were the clowns. Having trained together for years, the two athletes exchanged a blatant look in front of Gu Nianyin.

One of them accelerated to break the stalemate and secure first place, while the other maintained Gu Nianyin’s speed, boxing her in so she couldn’t accelerate. Once the first girl opened a gap, the second would pull ahead of Gu Nianyin.

The plan was perfect—a common tactic in international races. But the final link broke. When the time was right, the second girl tried to accelerate from the outside to pass Gu Nianyin.

To her surprise, Gu Nianyin also accelerated. Her rhythm didn’t break; instead, she steadily got faster. She had locked her in.

…How is that possible!

The girl was arrogant and dismissive of this “amateur” challenger; her pride wouldn’t allow her to fall behind. In an instant, a dirty thought surfaced: they were rounding a curve near the Grade 10 stands where fewer people were watching. A forced bump wouldn’t be easily noticed. Her physical build was superior; this skinny girl wouldn’t be able to withstand it. This wasn’t a professional race; a little “strategy” wouldn’t hurt…

This thought, contrary to sportsmanship, bloomed in the girl’s heart. She was about to act.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Just as her long leg was about to move across, a voice as cold as ice reached her ear. The athlete was startled and looked sharply at Gu Nianyin. In front of the blurred, receding background, Gu Nianyin’s eyes met hers.

They were very, very calm eyes. If one had to use a metaphor, they were like a pool of stagnant water under the sun. Yet that very stillness made the girl feel an inexplicable pressure, a dark tide rushing toward her.

The girl suddenly realized: she had never really “locked” this person in from the start. Gu Nianyin had let the first-place runner go on purpose. Her goal was to leave the second girl isolated so she couldn’t fight back.

Who is this person?

A chill pierced through the girl’s fingertips to her heart, making her lose the nerve for any “tricks.” She had no choice but to try and pass Gu Nianyin through raw strength. As she sped up, Gu Nianyin sped up. As she tried to weave around, Gu Nianyin moved faster to block her.

After two laps of this targeted pressure, the athlete was the one reaching her limit. Unwilling yet helpless, she stayed behind Gu Nianyin, watching the girl’s back as the distance between them began to grow.

“Crap, the Great One did it!” “If she keeps this up, second place is guaranteed!” “Go, Great One!!!”

The chatter in the class grew dense. Shouts of “Great One” pierced Lin Xi’s ears. Standing in the crowd, she couldn’t help but frown. “Even you guys…”

The sports rep, watching nervously beside her, was confused. “What?”

Lin Xi waved him off, realizing it was pointless to argue. “Nothing. Just keep watching.”

The grudges of the parental generation stood between her and Gu Nianyin, preventing her from understanding the other girl’s charisma. Or perhaps, preventing her from admitting it… The clearer her thoughts became, the more grating they felt.

Lin Xi clenched her fist slightly, and then an arm dropped onto her shoulder. Zhong Sheng, seeing Gu Nianyin solidify her second-place position, felt her tension ease and started teasing. “Xi, I didn’t realize your contact info was such a powerful incentive.”

Lin Xi glanced at her, feeling absurd. “Get lost.” She didn’t like people getting too close and shrugged off Zhong Sheng’s arm.

At that moment, Gu Nianyin rounded the final curve and headed down the straightaway. It was the final lap; her stride opened up. Her long legs ate up the track, the smooth muscles outlined by the sun in a curve that seemed meticulously carved by a creator—almost a perfect golden ratio, long and striking.

Her ponytail, which usually felt no different from her loose hair, swung like ink in the air. Her entire face was visible—neither gentle nor hardened, just clean and expressionless. The exertion of the run had pulled at her breath, inevitably flushing her lips and the tip of her nose.

“Great One! GO!!!”

Zhong Sheng’s shout led the way, and the entire spectator area erupted. The whole class was cheering for Gu Nianyin. The sound was deafening. Lin Xi, forced to stand in the middle of it, turned her body slightly, her lips sealed.

She wouldn’t cheer for Gu Nianyin like that. She shouldn’t cheer for someone from the enemy camp. The cheers and her thoughts wrestled within her, causing her to frown deeply.

Soon, her eyes met Gu Nianyin’s as she passed. Passing the final bend, the 3000-meter reached its last 100-meter sprint. Sweat soaked Gu Nianyin’s hair. Her deep brown pupils became clear and piercing through the rapid rhythm of her breath. That look, pulled from a critical moment, seemed to say: She was doing this for the promise they just made.

Thump!

Suddenly, Lin Xi felt something knock against her heart. Absurd. Yet, a fact.

“AAAAHHH!!! THE GREAT ONE IS SO COOL!!” “GREAT ONE!! HOLY CRAP, SECOND PLACE!! SECOND!!”

Lin Xi stood there dazed as the cheers overturned the field. Everyone around her was celebrating—the elite class had finally escaped the title of “athletic failures.” Zhong Sheng and Qin Zhuo were hugging in excitement, looking exaggerated and hilarious.

Gu Nianyin slowly slowed her sprint, standing on the grass by the track to greedily inhale the air. The girl who had fought her the whole way walked over, hands on her hips, panting and asking with sheer respect, “You’ve trained before, haven’t you?”

Gu Nianyin hadn’t caught her breath yet; her thin lips were a deep red. She parted them slightly as if to answer, but then she seemed to lose her strength, her body going limp…

A second before she fell, a strong arm caught her.

“Trained my ass. Didn’t I tell you to know your limits?”

Lin Xi’s irritable voice came from above Gu Nianyin’s head. Gu Nianyin panted, raising her eyes toward the sun. She saw Lin Xi holding her with one hand, the other tucked in her pocket, her gaze fierce as if she might tear her apart right then and there.

Gu Nianyin suddenly smiled and said something completely unexpected to Lin Xi:

“Lin Xi, do you know what a Sunset Moth is?”

Lin Xi frowned. “What the hell is that?”

“A species of Lepidoptera that flies during the day,” Gu Nianyin shared earnestly, staring into Lin Xi’s eyes.

“Their wing iridescence has no color of its own. They become whatever color the sun gives them.”

“In other words, she is the sun.”

Support Criticizing Love