For once, the P.E. teacher wasn't sick—nor had he been made sick.
Turns out, the math teacher who was supposed to take over their P.E. period had to leave for an impromptu training session.
However, Chen Cheng would have much rather had math class than be out here, roasting under the sun. The moment she stepped onto the field, all her energy drained away, and she looked completely lifeless.
Luckily, she had the foresight to wear a white tank top under her uniform to prevent her underwear from showing when she sweated.
But that also meant she was even hotter.
"Cheng Cheng~ line up!"
A petite girl, Hu Wei, ran over and grabbed her arm, dragging her toward the queue.
"Ah~ I feel like I'm dying. We don't have to run, do we?"
"Want me to tell the teacher for you?"
Hu Wei, ever the helpful friend, was about to break formation to find the teacher, but Chen Cheng quickly pulled her back.
"Forget it!"
Her cheeks flushed red. Even though periods were a normal bodily function, she still found them embarrassing and didn't want anyone to know.
"But what about running?"
"I'll just take it slow."
The cramps weren't as bad today—nothing like the agony that had her writhing on the floor yesterday. She had taken some painkillers, and now she felt fine.
More importantly, she couldn't let herself fall behind a girl who was barely 150 cm tall!
The class of forty students lined up by height. At around 165 cm, Chen Cheng was slightly above average among southern Chinese girls, though she was still shorter than the few girls who stood at 170 cm—like Li Wanyi.
Which meant… Li Wanyi wasn't too far from her in the lineup.
The vicious woman was glaring daggers at her again, making her scalp tingle.
She had never been this intensely stared at by another girl before…
"P.E. rep, lead the warm-up run."
"P.E. rep?"
It had been so long since their last P.E. class that Gao Dong, An Yuan's new deskmate, was stunned for a full thirty seconds before finally stepping forward to lead the jog.
As soon as they started, the line became a mess, stretching out into a long, wobbly snake.
Taking his time, An Yuan jogged up beside Chen Cheng. "You really aren't going to ask for a break?"
"It doesn't really hurt anymore…"
"You just don't want to say it out loud."
An Yuan didn't even have to run—he just quickened his walking pace to match her slow jog. Casually, he continued chatting.
"Most of the time, after warm-up, we just go back to class."
"Really? I don't even remember anymore," Chen Cheng replied, slightly out of breath. She glanced ahead at Li Wanyi, who kept looking back at them. "Maybe you should just get a girlfriend. Otherwise, she's going to keep thinking I'm after her man."
"And it's only been a few days, yet the whole class is already gossiping about us. Just hearing it makes me sick."
That actually aligned with An Yuan's own thoughts. "Yeah, getting a girlfriend to smooth things over might not be a bad idea."
A teenage body combined with an adult mind that had tasted the pleasures of the flesh made him perpetually restless. And to make things worse, his former best friend kept unknowingly tempting him…
"Smooth things over?" Chen Cheng raised an eyebrow.
She didn't really want to meddle in An Yuan's love life, but since she was already tangled up in the mess, she figured she might as well speak freely. "You're not seriously planning on becoming a playboy just because of Li Wanyi, are you?"
An Yuan smirked. "Every urban fantasy protagonist with a second chance ends up surrounded by beautiful women, right? I missed out last time—why not enjoy it now?"
Then, he met Chen Cheng's incredulous stare.
For some reason, he suddenly felt embarrassed and guilty, quickly averting his eyes. "I was joking."
"I thought so…"
Chen Cheng's family had never been particularly strict about dating. Back when she was still a guy, her mom had even encouraged her to get a girlfriend in high school.
But she had always been a firm believer in pure love. So much so that even at twenty-seven, she had still been a virgin. It wasn't like she'd never had a girlfriend—she'd had chances to go further.
It wasn't that she expected all her friends to be devoted to pure love too. But if someone was overly promiscuous, treating women like disposable clothes and even boasting about it, she would usually keep her distance.
"Just because you ran into a bad woman doesn't mean you won't meet a good one in the future. Don't give up on yourself~"
Chen Cheng could sense her old friend teetering on the edge of becoming a full-fledged playboy and tried to talk some sense into him.
"I told you," An Yuan said with an awkward chuckle. "I was just joking."
"Oh~"
After half a lap, Chen Cheng realized that the P.E. teacher wasn't even paying attention to the students. So, she turned her jog into a leisurely stroll, occasionally using the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead and the back of her neck.
Her short, ear-length hair was soaked, strands sticking uncomfortably to her face and forehead. She still found it too long and too thick—just a bit of movement, and she'd start sweating buckets.
On top of that, the dull ache in her lower abdomen was becoming more pronounced.
So, she smoothly merged into the group of students who had already finished their lap, pretending that she was almost done too.
"Ah!"
A sudden yelp came from nearby.
Chen Cheng turned her head and saw Hu Wei sprawled on the ground, having taken a nasty fall. She had landed face-first, then rolled over and sat up, looking pitiful as she sniffled and whimpered.
Since this was her bestie, Chen Cheng quickly grabbed An Yuan and rushed over.
"Are you okay?"
Hu Wei lifted one foot slightly off the ground, afraid to put weight on it. Tears and snot covered her face as she choked out, "My… my ankle… I think I sprained it..."
The girl was small, with a delicate, baby-faced appearance. Crying like this only made her look even more pitiful.
"Can you stand? I'll help you up."
"No… it hurts..."
Chen Cheng had never been good at comforting people—especially not a girl crying this dramatically. She felt completely at a loss as more and more classmates gathered around with concern.
"I'll take you to the infirmary," An Yuan offered, crouching down and turning his back to Hu Wei. "Get on, hold onto my neck."
The school infirmary wasn't far—just on the first floor of the administrative building beside the field.
An Yuan carried Hu Wei and jogged straight there in minutes, with Chen Cheng and another classmate, Chen Shuting, trailing behind.
"Teacher! She sprained her ankle while running!"
The school nurse, who had been working on a computer, immediately set aside what she was doing and waved An Yuan over. "Set her down on the chair—I'll check it out."
Chen Cheng had nothing to contribute at this point, so she stopped by the infirmary door to avoid getting in the way. She watched An Yuan carefully tending to Hu Wei inside and suddenly thought…
They actually look kinda cute together.
Like a big golden retriever and a tiny kitten—the perfect height difference.
But… Hu Wei was really short, and her body still looked immature. That wasn't An Yuan's type.
Hmm…
Chen Cheng frowned slightly, then had a sudden realization—if An Yuan did get a girlfriend, wouldn't that mean he wouldn't have time to hang out with her anymore?
Forget playing together—if she so much as put an arm around his shoulder or got a little too close, his girlfriend would probably get super jealous…
After all, she was a pretty girl now. No girlfriend would be okay with their boyfriend having a close female best friend. Just like no boyfriend would ever fully trust a male bestie hanging around their girlfriend.
Her frown deepened, an inexplicable sourness bubbling up inside her.
It felt just like when An Yuan would go gaming at an internet café without her. Or when he played basketball and didn't invite her.
A possessiveness over her best friend.
She had felt this way before, but it had been vague—just an underlying irritation.
But ever since she had become a girl, the feeling had become stronger, clearer, undeniable.
To the point where she was now looking at Hu Wei with entirely different eyes.
Like hell they're a good match! Not at all!
She's way too short—there's no way An Yuan would ever go for her!
<+>
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Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 57: Breaktime Exercise[2]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1362427?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/128679946?collection=1362427
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/128679946?collection=1362427
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/1362427?view=condensed