There was a breeze in the corridor. Lin Tiao buried her head in Jiang Yan’s arms, fingers clutching tightly at his shirt. Her breathing was somewhat heavy, mixed with the sound of the wind, unclear.
Jiang Yan didn’t ask any more questions, simply resting his warm palm on her back, gently comforting her.
Although there were few people here, it didn’t mean there was no one at all. Soon, footsteps and voices drew closer.
Lin Tiao quickly withdrew from his embrace, took a steady breath, and regained her calm expression.
She reached out, her slender fingers smoothing the wrinkles in his shirt that she had just gripped, her voice devoid of any convincing tone. “It’s nothing, I just missed you.”
Jiang Yan was stunned by her series of actions, and it took him a while to find his voice. He clicked his tongue lightly, then flicked her smooth forehead with his finger, amused, “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
Lin Tiao looked up at him, her eyes slightly red at the corners, her voice thick with grievance and accusation, “Yes, you are an idiot.”
Jiang Yan was momentarily taken aback, realizing the issue might not be as simple as he thought. He reached out and touched the corner of her eye, his fingertip dampened by her burning tears, his heart clenching as if pricked by a needle, both sour and stinging.
He stepped forward and, regardless of whether anyone was around, gently hugged her, murmuring, “What’s wrong?”
Lin Tiao didn’t move, her forehead resting on his shoulder, calling his name softly, “Jiang Yan.”
“Mm?” He lifted his hand to stroke her head. “I’m here.”
“I just saw something.” Lin Tiao looked up at him, her voice choked with emotion, “Something… very unpleasant.”
Jiang Yan paused, his eyelid twitching as he quickly grasped the situation. “Was it… about me?”
Lin Tiao pressed her lips together, saying nothing—a silent acknowledgment.
Jiang Yan glanced at her, uncertain whether to feel relieved or otherwise, then held her fingers, explaining in a low voice, “Don’t believe it. It’s all false.”
“I haven’t cheated, nor have I flirted with any other girl. You’re my only girl.”
Lin Tiao stared at him, a mix of astonishment and puzzlement in her eyes, as if to say, What are you even talking about?
Jiang Yan looked back, slightly confused himself. “Wasn’t someone spreading rumors that I cheated?”
For a moment, Lin Tiao didn’t know how to respond. After hesitating briefly, she decided to be honest. “No, it’s about something from your middle school years.”
Jiang Yan was stunned.
Before coming to Xicheng for middle school, he had actually attended another school up to the second year. Back then, influenced by Yu Fengyan, he was a delinquent—skipping classes, failing grades miserably. Then, after some unfortunate events, he took a two-year hiatus before transferring to Xicheng.
During those two years, Jiang Yan hadn’t wasted time; Yu Fengyan hired tutors to help him catch up on everything he’d missed.
So, after transferring, Jiang Yan was seen as a model student by teachers and classmates, with no hint of past troubles.
Thinking more deeply, he seemed to understand and asked, “Was it something about my previous middle school?”
“Yes,” she answered softly.
He asked again, “About me injuring someone with a knife?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan sighed in relief, gently stroking her hand with his thumb. “The injury had nothing to do with me.”
He paused before continuing, “But the fact he got hurt was indeed because of me.”
In middle school, Jiang Yan was a rebellious teenager—skipping school, smoking, hanging out at internet cafes, fighting. Everything a good student shouldn’t do, he did.
Brash and hot-tempered, he knew nothing about discretion or backing down, constantly causing trouble outside.
During the first semester of his second year, Jiang Yan and his friends got into a conflict with some vocational school students over a computer at an internet cafe. The two groups clashed repeatedly. Disliking the trouble, Jiang Yan eventually arranged a showdown, agreeing that the loser would give way and both sides would mind their own business afterward.
But that showdown didn’t go as planned.
The vocational school kids didn’t play fair. One of them secretly brought a knife and, amidst the chaos, ended up stabbing one of their own.
Usually, it was just some rowdy behavior—hardly ever any bloodshed. Seeing someone genuinely hurt threw everyone into a panic, and the two groups quickly scattered.
Jiang Yan didn’t know what had happened at first, as he was dragged away by a friend, but he turned back to look and saw the injured boy lying in the alley. After hesitating briefly, he shook off his friend’s hand and ran back.
His friend shouted after him, “If you go back, you’ll just get yourself killed!”
Jiang Yan stopped, pointing to the injured boy with anger clear on his young face, “If I don’t go back, he’ll die.”
The friend froze, then hearing the distant sound of police sirens, his legs went weak as he ran toward the alley’s entrance. But after a few steps, he cursed under his breath, turned around, and ran back after Jiang Yan, muttering angrily, “I must be insane.”
Neither of them knew first aid; they were just kids. They called an ambulance, and Jiang Yan gripped the knife handle, intending to pull it out. But seeing blood pouring out, he instead pressed on the wound, anxiously trying to stop the bleeding.
Fortunately, the police and ambulance arrived in time.
The injured boy was rushed to the hospital, and Jiang Yan and his friend were taken to the police station for investigation.
Later, Yu Fengyan managed to get Jiang Yan out, but the injured boy remained in a coma, his future uncertain. Due to the Jiang family’s influence, Jiang Yan wasn’t expelled, but rumors about him injuring someone spread everywhere.
Someone had even secretly taken and leaked a photo of him at the police station.
Jiang Yan didn’t bother investigating, as shortly afterward, Fang Hai passed away, and he took a leave of absence, drifting aimlessly for a long time.
Lin Tiao was silent for a long time after hearing the full story.
She wasn’t particularly concerned about the incident itself because she had an innate trust in him, certain he wouldn’t do such a thing.
But hearing about his family and his late father left her feeling lost and overwhelmed, unsure where to begin.
Jiang Yan, having recounted everything, felt quite calm. He didn’t regret his choices—they were his own, and thankfully he had corrected his path in time.
However, he was uncertain about her reaction. Seeing her silence made him nervous.
“You—”
Just as he was about to speak, Hu Hang’s voice called him back, “Yan-ge!”
Lin Tiao snapped out of her thoughts, meeting his slightly anxious gaze. Feeling a surge of affection, she said, “It’s not that I don’t believe you. I just wonder how many secrets you still have that I don’t know.”
“You once told me I could share anything that bothers me with you.” She took his hand. “I hope you’ll share things with me too.”
“I want to be a girlfriend who can help bear your burdens—not just someone who hides behind you, knowing nothing.”
“No matter what happens in the future, I’ll always be by your side.”
Jiang Yan hadn’t expected her to say that.
No blame, no accusations, no emotional outbursts. Instead, she assured him that no matter what, she’d stay with him.
Jiang Yan had always thought his heart was hard. Otherwise, he wouldn’t still hold such deep resentment toward Yu Fengyan’s actions after all these years.
But in this moment, he felt an emptiness in his heart begin to fill, as if something warm was seeping in, softening his long-held bitterness and bringing him a sense of comfort and warmth.
He tightened his hold on her hand, closing his eyes briefly to quell the emotions swirling inside, his long eyelashes trembling slightly.
After a long pause, he swallowed and replied, “Alright.”
The two of them lingered in the hallway for a while, and by the time they joined the others on the track, only a few people remained.
They lined up with six boys in total, Jiang Yan standing on the far left.
He was wearing a plain white long-sleeve T-shirt and black pants. As he crouched, the thin fabric hugged his back, accentuating the fluid lines of his spine.
The whistle blew, and six figures took off, with Jiang Yan’s white silhouette leading the way.
Lin Tiao watched him run forward, light shining behind him as if he were outrunning it.
—
After the 50-meter test was over, the bell rang. Within one class period, all three classes had completed their tests.
However, a small group who didn’t pass on the first try stayed behind for a retest. Meng Xin, the sports committee member, had been helping Zhou Li record the scores and also stayed until the end before starting her own test.
Lin Tiao, who had performed exceptionally well in the 50-meter test, was asked by Zhou Li to stay and help record the remaining students' scores. Jiang Yan stayed as well, standing by her side.
Most of the students who hadn’t passed the first 50-meter test were girls. They were lined up in groups of four, with six or seven rows waiting for their turn.
Lin Tiao and Zhou Li stood at the finish line with some distance between them, while Jiang Yan sat on the nearby equipment rack behind Lin Tiao. The area within three meters around him was completely empty.
When the first group finished, four girls came over to report their scores to Lin Tiao. They noticed Jiang Yan sitting behind her, playing with his phone, and their voices trembled with excitement.
At first, Lin Tiao didn’t notice, but by the time the second group of girls came over, she started sensing something unusual.
After recording the last girl’s score, she stopped one of the shorter girls, curiously asking, “Are you all afraid of me?”
“Oh, no… no, we’re not,” the girl replied, though her gaze drifted toward the space behind Lin Tiao.
Realizing the situation, Lin Tiao pointed her pen backward. “Are you scared of him?”
The short girl shook her head even more vigorously, her voice trembling, “No, no, not at all!”
Saying that, she turned and ran off.
“…”
Lin Tiao moved a step to the side, watching the track before glancing over at Jiang Yan. “Maybe you should step away for a bit?”
Jiang Yan raised his eyes slightly and looked at her, “Why?”
Holding the score sheet, Lin Tiao flipped through it casually, “Haven’t you noticed? Since you’ve been sitting here, no one dares to come near us.”
"..."
Jiang Yan hadn't paid much attention at first, but when he noticed someone across from him secretly taking photos with their phone, he put his own phone away, stood up, and jumped off the rack, blocking most of the light in front of Lin Tiao. He said calmly, "I'll go to the court."
"Alright."
Lin Tiao didn’t look at him at all, clearly keeping her distance. After hearing him chuckle softly, she finally stopped what she was doing, raised her clipboard to cover her face, and sneaked a wink at him.
Jiang Yan felt a twinge in his chest, thinking he was doomed. Even a casual wink from his girlfriend felt like a temptation.
He left without saying another word.
Lin Tiao felt slightly puzzled, but soon more classmates approached her to report their scores. After finishing the records, Zhou Li, standing nearby, asked with a smile, “Starting young, are we?”
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lin Tiao touched her nose and took a small step to the side, mumbling, “Mr. Zhou, don’t you think you’re being a bit nosy?”
Zhou Li just laughed heartily and didn’t say anything more.
Soon, it was Meng Xin’s turn.
Running wasn’t Meng Xin’s strength. She could just barely scrape by on the 800 meters, but shorter, more explosive sprints like the 50 or 100 meters? She’d hardly ever passed.
In her first year, she’d begged the teacher to change her grade.
This time, however…
Zhou Li glanced at the stopwatch and then at Meng Xin, chuckling lightly, “With a time like that, people might think you walked it.”
Meng Xin: "..."
Lin Tiao couldn’t hold back a laugh either.
Without another word, Zhou Li simply said, “Run it again.”
Meng Xin ran back and forth three or four times, and as dusk fell, she still hadn’t reached a passing time.
Everyone else had finished by now; only Meng Xin remained. Lin Tiao, holding the clipboard, suggested, “Mr. Zhou, short sprints really aren’t Meng Xin’s thing. How about I run in her place?”
“No,” Zhou Li said, looking at the person stumbling toward him. “Keep running next week.”
Meng Xin was on the verge of cursing but held her tongue, trying to be diplomatic, “Mr. Zhou, please have mercy on me. I really can’t do it.”
Zhou Li took the clipboard and scanned it, casually asking, “How’d you pass the physical tests in your first year?”
Meng Xin paused, lying with a straight face, “By running, of course.”
He chuckled, “Then you can pass again. Keep running next week.”
Meng Xin: "..."
Unbelievable.
Once Zhou Li left, Meng Xin cursed him under her breath, “Is he crazy? It’s just a physical test. Why does he have to be so strict?”
Lin Tiao, typing a message to Jiang Yan, laughed, “Maybe Mr. Zhou holds you in high regard.”
Meng Xin was stunned. “Isn’t he just targeting me?”
As dusk settled, the sky was filled with wispy clouds, and sunlight filtered through, casting a soft glow over the campus.
As Lin Tiao and Meng Xin walked near the basketball court, they spotted Hu Hanghang and a few others, clothes slung over their shoulders, leaving with an excited look on their faces.
Jiang Yan was at the back, looking down at his phone.
A moment later, Lin Tiao’s phone buzzed with a reply from him.
“It’s over.”
Instead of replying, she called out, “Jiang Yan.”
Several of the boys looked up as she and Meng Xin approached.
Hu Hanghang’s grin hadn’t faded completely.
“Why so happy, chubby?” Lin Tiao asked.
“We just lost a game.”
She was taken aback, double-checking to confirm he’d said “lost” and not “won.”
Hu Hanghang grinned, finishing his sentence, “Next month, there’s a school tournament. Yan-ge has set up a game to get revenge for us.”
It seemed out of character for Jiang Yan, who wasn’t the type to seek attention.
Later, over dinner, her curiosity was satisfied.
“You said they were kind of scared of me,” Jiang Yan said, pulling out his wallet to pay. With two coins left over, he picked up two lollipops from the table and told the server, “Keep the change.”
He turned and handed both lollipops to Lin Tiao, explaining, “I figured joining a basketball game might help my image a bit.”
He looked at her, serious, “Positive and team-oriented, you know?”
She hadn’t expected that, and, holding the candy, was momentarily speechless, “Are you serious?”
Jiang Yan’s lips curved into a slight smile, “Half serious, half not, I guess.”
Those boys he’d played basketball with tonight? He’d fought with them in the past, back in middle school. He and Guan Che were popular with the girls then—Guan Che, especially, had a crowd of admirers, as he was outgoing and called everyone “sister” or “brother.” Jiang Yan, on the other hand, was more reserved, rarely getting confessions, and if he did, they were just letters in his desk.
In the third year, Guan Che turned down a girl’s confession. The next day, he was ambushed by her brother and his friends, who beat him up over it.
Of course, Guan Che wasn’t one to take it lying down, so he rallied Jiang Yan and other boys to confront them the following day.
Jiang Yan’s buzzcut was a result of an injury from that fight.
Running into those same guys on the court tonight, they still seemed hung up on it. But now, they were past the age where fighting seemed like an option. And with the basketball tournament next month, it turned into a game challenge instead.
Jiang Yan hadn’t planned on accepting, but then he figured he’d never joined any school events since arriving, aside from topping two major exams. Joining a basketball game wouldn’t hurt his image.
After listening to his explanation, Lin Tiao looked him over a few times and couldn’t help but laugh, “Honestly, I don’t think you’ll change people’s minds that quickly.”
“The rumor of you taking on a whole class of boys by yourself is pretty much etched in everyone’s minds.”
Jiang Yan: "..."
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