Turns Out I’m the Villain They’re Supposed to Redeem? [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 9

When Huo Yuwan gathered at the track in the afternoon, she seemed even more spirited than she had been in the morning.

She stretched her ankles, confidently collected her bib, and waited for the upcoming 5,000-meter race.

“All participating students, please assemble on the track…”

The referee teacher called out loudly.

“Wow, it’s Qi Qiuyuan!”

“Is she competing in this race too?”

“I heard Qi Qiuyuan stopped participating in school-level competitions since last year?”

Under the gaze of the crowd, Qi Qiuyuan smiled gently and politely as she collected her bib, then calmly took her place among the competitors.

“Qi Qiuyuan is competing too? Oh my god, I’m so stressed!”

Huo Yuwan overheard a student nearby muttering in frustration.

“Didn’t she not sign up?”

Puzzled, Huo Yuwan glanced in Qi Qiuyuan’s direction, only to meet her disdainful gaze.

With a slow, deliberate smirk, Qi Qiuyuan averted her eyes and began stretching her arms.

Her performance in the 100-meter sprint that morning had sparked discussions among many members of the school team. Qi Qiuyuan kept hearing her name mentioned alongside Huo Yuwan’s.

Even several coaches had come to observe, eager to assess Huo Yuwan’s abilities.

If her skills were truly impressive, they planned to recruit her into the school team for training.

When Qi Qiuyuan heard the news, she found it laughable.

Did Huo Yuwan even deserve a spot on the school team?

Someone who barely passed the 800-meter test in PE class, what right did she have to join the team?

…

With the sound of the starting gun, all the competitors took off on the track.

Huo Yuwan maintained a steady pace, staying close behind the runners ahead. In a 5,000-meter race without her magical abilities, she wasn’t sure if she could make it.

As everyone knew, the fox clan excelled in speed and agility, but endurance was another matter entirely.

Most of the competitors shared Huo Yuwan’s mindset: with a course of twelve and a half laps, simply finishing was an achievement. Starting off too fast would only lead to exhaustion later.

However, the professional athletes from the school team were different. Even at the beginning of the race, they had already pulled ahead by nearly 20 meters.

Qi Qiuyuan was leading the pack by a significant margin.

Her tall, athletic figure drew cheers and encouragement from the students lining the track.

By the fifth lap, the runners ahead of Huo Yuwan began to slow down. She maintained her breathing and moved forward, tucking in behind another competitor.

By the eighth lap, four or five students had given up, switching from running to walking.

Huo Yuwan continued, following closely behind one of the professional athletes.

On the eleventh lap, Huo Yuwan accelerated, overtaking Qi Qiuyuan and flashing her a provocative look.

It was her way of retaliating for the disdainful glance Qi Qiuyuan had given her before the race.

Sweat streamed uncontrollably down her forehead as Qi Qiuyuan tightened her expression and pushed forward to catch up.

Only six runners remained on the track, all of them, except Huo Yuwan, were members of the school team.

The coaches on the sidelines smiled with satisfaction. It seemed this student, Huo, was not only strong but also had the effect of motivating Qi Qiuyuan.

Unaware of the underlying tension between the two, they only saw Qi Qiuyuan and Huo Yuwan relentlessly overtaking each other in a fierce back-and-forth.

By the final half-lap, Huo Yuwan no longer had the energy for provocation.

She was so exhausted that all she could hear was the whooshing wind in her ears and her own heavy panting.

No more running.

Once this race was over, she would never participate in a long-distance event like this again.

It was killing her.

Her mind was hazy with fatigue.

In the last hundred meters, her legs moved mechanically, and she didn’t even notice when she passed Qi Qiuyuan. Her only thought was to finish quickly so she could lie down and rest.

The cheers from the crowd grew louder and louder. No one had expected Huo Yuwan to surpass the school’s long-distance legend, Qi Qiuyuan.

Only Li Xuzhi stood in the crowd, his gaze fixed on Huo Yuwan with deep concern.

Eyes locked on the figure ahead, Qi Qiuyuan gritted his teeth and picked up his pace, determined to catch up.

There was no way he could lose to Huo Yuwan!

Five meters.

Three meters.

Two meters.

As the finish line loomed just ahead, Huo Yuwan couldn’t help but relax her expression.

Finally, it was almost over.

Thud.

A sudden impact struck her shoulder, causing Huo Yuwan to stumble.

With her strength completely drained, she had no energy left to regain her balance.

Closing her eyes in frustration, Huo Yuwan didn’t need to guess who had bumped into her.

Clenching her fists, she gritted her teeth in anger and threw herself forward with all her might.

The next moment, the finish line fluttered down in front of Huo Yuwan.

Qi Qiuyuan crossed right after her.

He was less than ten centimeters away from that colorful ribbon.

“WOW!!!!!!!!”

After a brief moment of shock, the entire venue erupted in cheers for Huo Yuwan.

She had actually beaten Qi Qiuyuan!

…

Helped to her feet somewhat awkwardly, Huo Yuwan glanced back at Qi Qiuyuan.

He stood with his head lowered, surrounded by several stern-faced coaches who were discussing something in hushed tones.

Thank goodness I reacted quickly.

Huo Yuwan snorted softly and turned away.

Supported as she made her way to the shaded rest area, Huo Yuwan was told she couldn’t sit down immediately, she had to stretch and move her muscles first, or her body would suffer.

Hearing this, she felt like crying. Though she knew it was for her own good, she had no strength left to move.

Leaning lazily against the table behind her, Huo Yuwan waved her arms aimlessly, her limbs feeling as soft and limp as overcooked noodles.

“At least you’re not hurt.”

Li Xuzhi looked at her with a mix of amusement and concern, then knelt in front of her with a towel, carefully wiping the dust off her legs.

When Huo Yuwan had lunged for the finish line, Li Xuzhi, watching from the sidelines, had felt his heart tighten with anxiety.

Fortunately, Huo Yuwan had the presence of mind to twist her body before hitting the ground, so aside from a bit of dust, she was unharmed.

“I can do it myself… Dr. Li…”

Her face still flushed from the intense exertion, Huo Yuwan looked down at the crown of Li Xuzhi’s head, feeling a little embarrassed. She tried to pull her leg back to refuse his help.

His fingers, resting at his sides, curled slightly. Li Xuzhi pressed down on her knee. “Don’t move. I’ll be done soon.”

The spot where he touched her felt burning hot again, and Huo Yuwan felt a sudden weakness in her waist, as if all strength had drained away.

Sliiide.

She unexpectedly slid down along the table behind her, her eyes wide with startled confusion as she met Li Xuzhi’s gaze.

Both of them were now crouching, their eyes locked. Huo Yuwan could feel his light, pleasant breath.

“Dr. Li, you…”

She wanted to ask Li Xuzhi what brand of shower gel he used, how could it smell so good?

“Why are you all squatting here?”

Zhao Lan, who had just run off to fetch water, asked in confusion, interrupting Huo Yuwan’s half-spoken question.

Fingertips gripping the towel turned white from restraint. Li Xuzhi was the first to avert his gaze, then reached out to help Huo Yuwan stand up.

“Are your legs weak? You should sit down and rest.”

He gently explained on Huo Yuwan’s behalf, then unscrewed the water bottle and placed it in her hand, carefully reminding her, “Take small sips, don’t drink too quickly.”

Hearing this, Huo Yuwan blushed and nodded. “Oh.”

“Student Huo Yuwan.”

Several coaches approached Huo Yuwan’s resting spot, holding record books in their hands.

They had just received the results of all the events Huo Yuwan had participated in that day. Not only had she performed well in the running events, but her results in the high jump and shot put were also impressive.

This indicated that Huo Yuwan had strong overall physical fitness, a natural talent for becoming an athlete.

“Student Huo, are you interested in joining the school team? If you become a professional athlete in the future, your prospects will undoubtedly be bright.”

One of the male coaches pulled up a chair and sat beside Huo Yuwan, his voice filled with admiration for her.

“Sorry, Coach, I’m not interested in becoming an athlete.”

Having nearly exhausted herself from just one run, Huo Yuwan couldn’t possibly imagine running every single day in the future.

Seemingly taken aback by her straightforward refusal, the male coach exchanged glances with the other coaches.

“Student Huo, please reconsider. As a professional athlete, you’ll have opportunities to compete internationally and might even bring glory to our country.”

“Moreover… I’ve just spoken with your academic advisor. To be honest, your academic performance pales in comparison to your athletic talent.”

The coach didn’t spell it out completely, but based on their understanding, Huo Yuwan’s grades from the previous semester weren’t just average, they were actually in the lower ranks of her entire grade.

“Your law major will require you to take the bar exam in the future. Even as an outsider, I know how difficult that exam is…”

The coaches took turns, earnestly trying to persuade Huo Yuwan to take a different path.

Li Xuzhi had been standing silently beside Huo Yuwan the whole time. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but frown.

Although he could see Huo Yuwan’s exceptional athletic talent, she was only a freshman. There was still room for improvement in her studies.

Sure, the bar exam was challenging, but was the path of an athlete any easier?

Athletes who could compete internationally and earn honors were also one in a million.

“Yuwan is still young. Coaches, please give her some time to think it over carefully.”

Seeing the coaches already painting an overly optimistic picture for Huo Yuwan, Li Xuzhi couldn’t resist softly interrupting.

Huo Yuwan raised her head and gave him a bright, smiling glance, then rubbed her shoulder. “Where’s Qi Qiuyuan? Shouldn’t she come and apologize to me first?”

Innocent-faced, she looked at the coaches, not believing they hadn’t noticed Qi Qiuyuan’s deliberate collision with her earlier.

“Um… Qiuyuan didn’t do it on purpose. She was probably exhausted and didn’t notice,” one of the coaches quickly explained.

“Right, when you’re mentally and physically exhausted from running to the limit, it’s normal to make small mistakes like this. Don’t worry too much about it, Miss Huo.”

Other coaches quickly followed suit, making excuses for Qi Qiuyuan.

“Isn’t she a professional athlete? How could she make such a mistake after training for so long?”

Huo Yuwan was not buying it.

“Seems like her skills aren’t all that impressive after all.”