Chapter 32: Wait For Me At The Finish Line

The moon curved into a crescent, hanging in the sky, casting dark shadows on the dry grass.

The chirping of insects had vanished, leaving only the faint breeze to whisper through the lonely autumn night.

Warm yellow light filled the bright glass, casting the silhouette of a slender figure.

Wei Qingyu sat on the windowsill, gazing into the distance. The night sky over the commercial district was ablaze with neon lights, reminiscent of the bustling night market she had recently visited with Ji Xiao.

She shouldn't have liked such noisy and chaotic places, but now, recalling it, she still felt that it was quite nice.

The crayfish was delicious, and the drinks were refreshing, especially the grilled squid tentacles.

Thinking of this, Wei Qingyu habitually touched her wrist.

This time, she felt the familiar teeth marks on the peach basket.

Whether it was the memories just now that brought her joy or the joy of recovering the original peach basket, she couldn't tell.

Wei Qingyu's eyes lit up with a joy that she hadn't felt for the past six months.

As the night grew deeper, the bright light to the left of Wei Qingyu's gaze suddenly disappeared.

She blinked lightly and looked towards the dark spot where Ji Xiao's room used to be illuminated.

She was actually sleeping so early.

The breeze sneaking in through the window gently brushed against the girl's cheeks, causing the stray hairs by her temples to flutter slightly.

Perhaps even Wei Qingyu herself hadn't realized it, but as she faced matters concerning Ji Xiao this time, the disgust in the depths of her eyes had quietly faded away, leaving only a gentle calmness tinged with a hint of tenderness in her turquoise eyes.

….

It was Thursday, the sun shining brightly, and the sky was clear.

The school echoed with the march of athletes, and on the rubber track, rows of class representatives slowly moved in formation.

Golden leaves covered the ground behind the chain-link fence of the playground, and a shelter erected startled the sparrows perched on the trees, causing them to flap their wings and fly away.

With lively music playing inside, two tents with the words "Check-in Point One" and "Check-in Point Two" were set up near the entrance of the playground.

The female athletes from the first round of the Alpha group, who were participating in the standing long jump, and the female athletes from the Omega group, who were participating in the 1500-meter run, didn't have time to attend the opening ceremony. They had already arrived at the check-in points with their number tags, ready for registration.

As it was just the beginning, the crowd was still bustling, and there was some disorder in front of the tents where order had not been maintained.

Amidst all the chaos and disorder, there was one area that was exceptionally quiet.

Wei Qingyu held her number tag in her hand, standing alone at the very front of the line.

Her loose cotton jacket covered most of her body, while her pair of straight and slender legs attracted the envy of everyone around.

Even the wind favored her, gently blowing against her cheeks and tousling the stray strands of hair on her forehead.

Compared to the other Omega athletes in the same group, Wei Qingyu, who had always appeared aloof, didn't exude the typical delicate and fragile aura.

The sunlight fell on her pale skin, turning into brushes that depicted her smooth muscle lines without reservation.

"Hey, is that Senior Sister Wei Qingyu?"

"Yes, it's her. I think she's so beautiful."

"Yeah, how can her legs be so long? They're almost up to my chest, wu wu..."

"I admire her so much..."

Junior sisters behind Wei Qingyu expressed their admiration for her without reservation. Amidst the harmonious atmosphere, a cold snort suddenly sounded.

"Tch, what's so special about her?" Liu Meina stood in line at the track check-in point, disdainfully speaking.

Wei Qingyu heard this familiar voice and couldn't help but furrow her brow, casting a few glances at Liu Meina.

The disciplinary punishment of being kept on campus for surveillance had not brought her any reflection. The sharp features on her face were full of arrogance.

"You, little junior sister, as an Omega, shouldn't be blindly fascinated by appearances. Do you know what kind of person she really is? Have you ever seen her at a certain time..."

As she spoke, Liu Meina was about to reach out and touch the slightly attractive Omega standing beside her.

Seeing this, Wei Qingyu quickly reached out and pulled the unsuspecting girl beside her, "What are you trying to do?"

"What? Are you jealous?" Liu Meina looked at Wei Qingyu, who had ruined her plans, and smiled as she was about to place her empty hand on Wei Qingyu's shoulder.

Wei Qingyu hadn't expected Liu Meina to be so brazen. Unable to dodge in time, she watched as Liu Meina's hand was about to fall on her.

At that moment, a sports handbook with various fluorescent markings came flying over, separating Liu Meina's hand from its intended target.

Ji Xiao held a pocket with one hand and the handbook with the other, separating Liu Meina and the Omega girl whom Wei Qingyu had pulled over, appearing in everyone's sight.

She looked at Liu Meina with extremely unfriendly eyes and coldly asked, "What time were you talking about? Tell me."

The golden-orange pupils made the nearby Alpha spectators feel a chill in their hearts.

Liu Meina felt a phantom pain in her wrist as she looked at Ji Xiao, her voice stuck in her throat, unable to make a sound.

Even though she was still arrogant and unrepentant, that incident had left a bad valve in her heart. And the button that could open this valve was called "Ji Xiao."

Seeing Liu Meina unable to respond, Ji Xiao reminded her, "Since it's an unsubstantiated matter, it's better not to spread rumors. If Miss Liu is recorded again for spreading rumors, she could be expelled.

"You already have more records in your file than others. Is it worth it?"

With that said, Ji Xiao looked at Liu Meina and even gave her an unusually friendly smile.

As if a friend was genuinely reminding her.

Liu Meina was struck with pain by Ji Xiao's words, choking on her breath.

She slammed the number plate in her hand onto the table at the check-in point, venting her anger on other students ahead: "Hurry up, I have other things to do!"

The check-in staff was startled by Liu Meina's rude behavior, politely reminding her with a fake smile, "Sorry, student, the check-in is currently for the freshman class. Please go back and queue."

As soon as the words fell, laughter erupted uncontrollably around.

Liu Meina stood in the center of everyone's gaze, her face flushing red. After being embarrassed twice in a row, she angrily squeezed her number bib and dashed off towards the nearby restroom.

Ji Xiao watched Liu Meina's fleeing figure with disdain and chuckled, "She's got no skills at all." Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao, who had just descended like a god, and whispered softly, "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to bring you some paper clips." Ji Xiao said as she took out a bunch of paper clips from her pocket and handed them to Wei Qingyu. Then she walked over to the classmates queuing for check-in on the opposite side and said, "Zhao Han, here you go."

During the distribution of number plates just now, it was chaotic, and the sports committee member responsible for it lost the paper clips. Ji Xiao went to Qi Qi's class to borrow a few for two classmates in their class who were in the first group.

"Thank you." Zhao Han took the paper clips and then asked Ji Xiao, "Ji Xiao, can you help me put it on?"

"Of course." Ji Xiao nodded and stood behind Zhao Han.

The two of them quickly put on the number bibs for the front and back.

Ji Xiao smoothed out the slightly uneven number bib and couldn't help but glance at Wei Qingyu beside her.

She still stood quietly in the queue, gazing into the distance, like a unique scenery in the crowd.

The wind brushed against Wei Qingyu's profile, gently lifting the ponytail hanging down her back. The empty gray space indicated that there was no one to help her put on the number bib.

It seemed like she had always been alone.

Ji Xiao held a few spare paper clips in her hand and walked up to Wei Qingyu in a particularly natural manner, saying, "Come on, let me help you with that too."

Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao, slightly taken aback.

She usually didn't like to trouble others and was planning to take off the clothes she's wearing and put on the bib by herself in the restroom later.

Ji Xiao knew what Wei Qingyu was thinking.

But should she really just keep doing everything by herself if the male protagonist didn't come?

So, without waiting for Wei Qingyu to refuse, Ji Xiao took the number bib from her hand and said, "It's your honor for this Miss to help you. Why are you being coy?"

The slightly larger shadow suddenly fell on Wei Qingyu, blocking the sunlight. She could clearly feel the pressure and the sense of security that the Alpha behind her brought.

Wei Qingyu silently accepted Ji Xiao's gesture and took off her outer coat.

The slightly loose white short-sleeved shirt was tucked into tied shorts, the light and breathable fabric outlining the girl's figure in the hazy light. The butterfly bone that Ji Xiao found beautiful, no matter how many times she saw it, fluttered into her sight.

The faintly cool autumn breeze subtly amplified the faint scent of mint in the air.

Even amidst the other Omega and Alpha pheromones floating around at the registration area, Ji Xiao could effortlessly catch Wei Qingyu's scent.

She licked her lips lightly, focusing on putting on the number bib for Wei Qingyu.

Wei Qingyu could clearly feel the girl behind her delicately handling her clothing.

But what she could distinctly sense was the slow and slightly heavy breath inadvertently spraying warmth on her back.

The soft fingers, separated by fabric, seemed to brush against her skin almost imperceptibly, leaving behind a tingling sensation like an electric current.

As the autumn wind swept by, the leaves hanging on the branches fluttered down.

Wei Qingyu gazed lightly at the two overlapping shadows on the ground, and even time seemed to slow down.

Soon, the fourth paper clip fastened onto the clasp, Ji Xiao stood behind Wei Qingyu, looking at her perfectly fastened number bib with a smile as she clapped her hands. "All done."

The girl's shadow suddenly detached from Wei Qingyu's back, taking away both the sense of oppression and security.

Wei Qingyu blinked lightly, calmly saying to Ji Xiao, "Thank you."

"It's nothing," Ji Xiao waved her hand, smiling.

The girl's eyes curved, her golden-orange pupils sparkling in the sunlight.

Wei Qingyu couldn't help but purse her lips as she watched.

After the registration was over, the group was led to the rubber track.

Wei Qingyu was placed in the first group, with five Omega lined up on their respective lanes, surrounded by spectators.

It was almost the same scene as last year, except this time Wei Qingyu moved from the least advantageous lane five to lane one.

She clenched her hands slightly, assuming her prepared posture, but her eyes subconsciously looked towards the sparsely populated inner lane.

At the dining table at home, a girl had promised to accompany her throughout the race.

In fact, she didn't care much for this assurance that didn't improve her physical abilities, and she reminded herself not to harbor too much hope for Ji Xiao.

But still, she wanted to look up and take a glance.

Her subconscious was already beginning to disbelieve that Ji Xiao would deceive her.

"Wei Qingyu, go for it!"

Before Wei Qingyu could even search, the familiar voice echoed from the crowd in the inner circle.

Ji Xiao, Qi Qi, and Fang Yiming stood on the edge of the crowd near the starting line, waving their arms to cheer her on.

It was truly the first time Wei Qingyu felt comforted and moved by her peers.

She had few friends, almost no close companions.

After that incident, all that remained around her was endless despair and disdain.

Today was one of the few moments of emotion she had felt in the past half year.

It was like a round sun rising in her desolate heart, giving her seemingly infinite strength.

That was enough.

Wei Qingyu glanced at Ji Xiao who was standing aside and said, "Go wait for me at the finish line."

"Huh?"

"Bang!"

The gunshot sounded at the same time as Ji Xiao's confusion. Wei Qingyu quickly got into position and took her second step.

Her pace was fast, and her strides were large, easily overtaking the Omega in front of her.

The Omega she overtook foolishly tried to keep up with her pace, but couldn't match Wei Qingyu's rhythm in less than one lap, even messing up her own pace and slipping to fourth place.

Ji Xiao, Qi Qi, and Fang Yiming, who stood at the finish line with the crowd, were somewhat amazed.

It was like every year's final exam. Wei Qingyu had opened an undeniable gap with the second place, dominating the first with no one able to shake her position, while the others behind her fought for the second and third places.

“Darn, how could she run such an outstanding result, like a final exam ranking?"

"This is the first time I've seen an Omega be so powerful..."

Ji Xiao looked at Wei Qingyu, who was far ahead and couldn't help but feel impressed secretly.

She truly deserved to be called the white moonlight heroine. Not only was she academically excellent, but her athletic abilities were also outstanding.

As the 1500-meter race was about to enter its final lap, the names of various athletes resounded across the playground, among which the calls for Wei Qingyu's name were particularly loud.

The sunlight seemed to favor her, casting all its light on Wei Qingyu.

Sweat glistened on the girl's forehead, her high ponytail swinging gracefully like a horse's tail, each movement forming a beautiful arc.

Her turquoise eyes blinked lightly, gazing steadily ahead.

Her mouth was tightly shut under the straight nose, giving a sense of firmness and resilience from afar.

Having already completed three laps, Wei Qingyu could clearly feel the soreness in her leg muscles and the slight pain in her throat.

Yet she maintained her pace, breathing evenly, moving steadily forward, calmly listening to the distant calls of her name.

Closer and closer.

Beside Wei Qingyu's ears were not only her own heavy panting but also the deafening shouts of her name.

"Wei Qingyu!!! Come on!!"

Just when Wei Qingyu was about a hundred meters away from the finish line, a familiar call pierced her eardrums.

Behind the finish line, many students had excitedly gathered onto the rubber track.

Wei Qingyu could see clearly that Ji Xiao, too, excitedly stepped over that white line, standing at the forefront of the crowd, cheering her name just like everyone else.

Excited only for her.

Wei Qingyu's eyes lit up with a hint of a smile.

It seemed like she had gained infinite strength again, as she accelerated once more despite already pulling away from her opponents, making it impossible for them to catch up.

The crowd became even more excited in an instant. Ji Xiao was pushed by the crowd behind her and stumbled a few steps on the track behind the finish line.

It looked as if she was intentionally going to meet Wei Qingyu.

Under the sunlight, the new red ribbon unfolded in Ji Xiao's sight, and Wei Qingyu crossed the finish line this time.

For a moment, Ji Xiao felt like the world had lost its color. The pale girl was now adorned with red for the first time, dazzling like a blazing fire.

In her daze, Ji Xiao staggered from the heavy impact.

Wei Qingyu, panting heavily, crashed into her arms under everyone's gaze.

Author's Note:

Cold Wei: There is no second update today, so you don’t have to wait.

Coward Ji: Aunt* is painful,  paralyzed.

*period