The grilled cold noodles were delicious.
Although Li Jichuan had no idea what they were called, since Su Pu fed them to him, he just opened his mouth and ate.
As far as he could remember, no one had ever fed him like this before.
Or maybe someone had, when he was very, very small—but he couldn’t remember.
Su Pu was like a Doraemon, handing him one snack after another.
Li Jichuan settled into the routine, sitting quietly in his wheelchair, patiently waiting to be fed.
Soon, Ouyang’s team scored a goal.
Su Pu’s attention snapped to the field, and he blew the cheer whistle with all his might.
Ouyang, running across the field, glanced their way and gave Su Pu a salute.
Li Jichuan snorted.
“It’s just a soccer game—what’s the point of showing off?”
But the atmosphere was electric: the thrill of a goal, the tension of penalty kicks.
Caught up in the energy, Li Jichuan leaned against the back of his wheelchair, his mind wandering back…
It was his senior year of high school, the sprint to the finish, and the sports meet had nothing to do with him.
From the classroom, the commotion on the track below stirred every student inside, separated only by glass.
Unexpectedly, Li Jichuan found himself distracted today.
Because he’d caught sight of a familiar figure…
A small shadow on the rubber track sprinted forward at incredible speed.
He ran faster than anyone, explosive as a bullet.
To be honest, this wasn’t a suitable style for a 3000-meter race.
But the small figure started sprinting the moment the gun went off, quickly overtaking second place by a full lap.
Li Jichuan put down his pen, watching with interest.
The little shadow lapped the second-place runner again, then twice more, three times…
That endurance and burst of speed even impressed Li Jichuan.
This kid could probably represent the school in competition…
Soon, the small shadow had completed five laps. On a 400-meter track, he only needed two and a half more laps to finish.
And he would undoubtedly be the champion—there was no doubt.
Li Jichuan snapped back to reality, glancing down at his exercises.
When he looked up again, his eyes suddenly went out of focus…
He couldn’t find the sprinting shadow anywhere.
He thought maybe the runner had slowed down from exhaustion, but after scanning the track thoroughly, there was no sign of him.
Strange…
He hadn’t looked at the exercises for more than half a minute; there was no way the kid had already finished a kilometer.
Curious, Li Jichuan leaned halfway onto the windowsill, expanding his view.
Then he saw it: on the grass near the track, the small shadow lay flat on the ground.
So tiny—any stronger wind could have blown him away.
A medical staff member crouched beside him, taking supplies from a first-aid kit and pressing them to his head.
Li Jichuan’s breath caught—
The little shadow had fallen? Injured?
How careless.
But then, shifting his gaze, he saw a few sneaky boys gathered around.
From a distance, the scene wasn’t entirely clear, but their movements made their intentions obvious—
They were taking photos.
Snapping pictures of the fallen, treated shadow.
Not just of him sprawled on the ground, but a few of them crouched close, making peace signs, posing alongside him.
Li Jichuan suddenly stood up. The medical staff had left the first-aid kit behind and ran off in a small sprint.
Meanwhile, the group of boys jostled each other, closing in on the fallen kid…
“Li Jichuan, what do you think you’re doing?”
A teacher’s stern voice exploded in his ears.
“I’ve been watching you for a long time. Got a bit cocky for being top of the grade, huh?”
His heart was still with the field, and suddenly being addressed, Li Jichuan froze for a few seconds.
Then he realized his lapse.
He sat back down blankly, picked up his pen, and continued working.
But he still couldn’t relax.
After a brief hesitation, Li Jichuan suddenly stood again.
This time, even the teacher was startled.
“I need to use the restroom…”
Li Jichuan lied with a straight face.
“No. Only ten minutes left until class ends. Hold it!”
The teacher, experienced and perceptive, saw through Li Jichuan’s intent and refused mercilessly.
But refusal didn’t matter.
Li Jichuan was already on his feet, striding past the podium and out the door.
“I really do need to go!” he called, the rush of air from the swinging door blowing the teacher’s hair forward.
Li Jichuan had already ridden the wind down, racing onto the field…
…
“Waaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!”
Shouts and cheers erupted around them, unrelenting.
“We won! Our school won!”
The girls standing nearby announced their excitement and joy loudly.
“See? B University might beat us on admission scores, but in competitive sports? These nerds don’t stand a chance!”
“Oh my God, did you see that forward just now? Damn, he’s insanely handsome! A real man’s got to have skills!”
“Oh, that’s Zhang Chengyu from the Art Academy, right? Same school as us. He’s been playing soccer for years, always doing well.”
“You’re alumni? Do you have his contact info, baby…”
“Don’t even think about it, baby, his boyfriend’s on the field too…”
“Wha—???”
Li Jichuan, immersed in eavesdropping, followed the exclamations to the center of the field. Two boys in soccer uniforms were kissing.
Right there, under everyone’s cheers and watchful eyes.
At that moment, the championship title seemed to fade into insignificance—the field was filled with the warmth of young love.
Li Jichuan couldn’t help but glance at Su Pu.
The little mute was blowing the cheer whistle for the couple, cheeks puffed up and lightly flushed.
Pretty cute, actually.
Like a little fighting rooster.
Li Jichuan chuckled at his own imagination. Just then, Su Pu looked over.
Their eyes met—not fleetingly like usual, but quietly, steadily.
They just looked at each other, gazing into one another’s eyes…
Next came the performance segment: the players exited the field, and energetic music filled the stadium.
The warmth on Li Jichuan’s face lingered, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Su Pu performing a little magic trick, producing a bouquet of flowers from his backpack.
“What’s that…?”
Su Pu curved his lips, clutching the flowers, and began typing.
[Ouyang’s going to confess soon, these are his props!]
Li Jichuan smiled. “He’s quite creative.”
[But for a confession, you’ve got to give flowers.]
Su Pu’s expression was matter-of-fact.
Li Jichuan raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got experience, huh…”
Su Pu didn’t understand, his attention quickly drawn to Ouyang sneaking up. He shoved the flowers into Ouyang’s hands and patted his shoulder firmly, like cheering him on.
“Thanks, bro…” Ouyang clenched his fists, pumped up. “This is the moment of truth!”
After Ouyang left with the flowers, Li Jichuan asked Su Pu,
“Who’s he confessing to?”
Su Pu’s eyes went blank.
Ah, he’d forgotten to ask. He’d been too busy worrying for Ouyang!
Li Jichuan: “…”
The performance ended. The host walked to the center of the field and interviewed the core members of the dance team.
The first two questions were routine, but for the next one, the host playfully teased them, asking if they had boyfriends.
The girls shyly shook their heads, saying no.
Spotlights instantly turned pink, and romantic music filled the background.
“Perfect timing. One of the athletes on the field today has something to say to one of you…”
The host gestured to one side of the field.
Ouyang, clutching the flowers, stepped forward and took the microphone.
“Uh, Qiuqiu, do you remember me?”
In that instant, the entire stadium erupted in cheers and screams.
The girls standing beside Li Jichuan and Su Pu eagerly joined the loud, bold confession with their own screams.
Su Pu patted Li Jichuan on the shoulder, silently saying: this is the person Ouyang likes!
Li Jichuan smiled helplessly.
At this point, if he still couldn’t figure it out, there was probably something wrong with him.
But the next second, from nervousness, Su Pu’s hand instinctively rested on Li Jichuan’s shoulder.
Fingertips pressing against his shoulder, through the layer of his shirt, conveying the warmth of his tension…
“Ahem.”
Li Jichuan covered his mouth with a light cough, but the shoulder pressed against him didn’t dare move an inch.
It was like a rare, colorful butterfly frozen in place.
At the center of the field, the outcome of a confession hung in the balance.
Ouyang’s hands trembled as he offered the bouquet, but the girl he liked hesitated to accept it.
The waiting dragged on, and the cheering gradually softened…
The result remained unclear.
Qiuqiu’s furrowed brow smoothed for a fleeting moment, then her pink lips parted, exhaling softly:
“Sorry…”
The bouquet drooped in disappointment. The field quieted significantly.
“Well… you’re a really good person, and I do remember you. If you don’t mind, I’d be happy to be your friend. But as for a romantic relationship… I don’t really feel that way right now.”
Qiuqiu spoke with trepidation, the conflict in her eyes showing her kindness and gentleness.
But love isn’t fair; giving hope to someone who isn’t interested is the cruelest thing.
Time seemed to pause for two seconds.
Ouyang stared at the grass, his eyes burning.
After a moment, he finally accepted reality.
“It’s okay… but thank you for still being willing to be friends with me…”
The flowers weren’t delivered, and for the onlookers at the edge of the field, it was a signal nonetheless.
The host regained control and announced the next event.
The students around cheered again, helping everyone move past the failed confession quickly.
Giving Qiuqiu space and Ouyang understanding.
“All right, the moment everyone’s been waiting for! Next, we’ll turn off all the lights… Now, go to the person you like and give them a kiss!”
The next event was the famous A University specialty—One Minute Confession!
As soon as the host finished, darkness fell over the field.
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Though the lights were said to be off, the nearby academic buildings and dorms still cast enough glow to make out the shapes of those around them—just not their expressions.
Li Jichuan had thought this event didn’t concern him, but his wheelchair suddenly shifted slightly, and he instinctively gripped the brake.
Then, the little mute lunged toward him. Their cheeks drew closer.
Confess… with a kiss…
Li Jichuan repeated it silently in his mind. Su Pu’s lips were now just inches from his.
Really, they were already married—what was a kiss between them?
After all, the atmosphere was perfectly set; in reason and feeling, they should kiss.
They were husband and wife, sharing a bed…
Thinking this, Li Jichuan gently closed his eyes.
A sleeping princess waiting for her prince’s kiss.