Chapter 354: Childhood Friends Must Be Cultivated from a Young Age (37)

Cold sweat continued to bead on Li Li’s forehead as he held his breath, mustering all his strength for the final sprint.

As it turned out, human explosiveness was boundless. When there were just five meters left, Li Li surged past An Ziyu.

The urgent screams of the girls on the sidelines echoed around him.

Victory was within reach. Li Li gathered all his energy for a final push but then saw a faster figure dart past him, crossing the finish line first.

The feeling was indescribable. Li Li’s chest filled with unspeakable anger and helplessness. When someone believes they have victory within their grasp only to fail at the last critical moment, it’s a feeling far more bitter than knowing from the start that they would lose.

The girls’ excited screams nearly overturned the entire field.

An Ziyu walked towards the crowd step by step, many girls already covering their mouths in surprise and delight.

Before they could react, he leaned against a girl, leaving everyone staring in shock.

An Ziyu hugged the obviously stunned girl, resting his chin on her shoulder and lightly gasping, “Luoluo, I’m so tired.”

His soft voice carried a hint of spoiled affection, sending a tingling sensation through the air.

Shen Mubai snapped back to reality and helped him to a nearby seat.

An Ziyu lazily held onto her, with sweat trickling down his forehead and low gasps escaping his thin lips.

Shen Mubai picked up a towel and said, “Wipe off your sweat first.”

An Ziyu looked up, a weak but gentle smile on his face, “What should I do? I think I overexerted myself a bit earlier.”

Shen Mubai, suspecting nothing, replied, “Then let me help you.”

With a faint smile, An Ziyu looked at the girl before him and softly said, “Thanks, Luoluo.”

After wiping the sweat from his forehead, Shen Mubai hesitated, “Don’t push yourself in the next event.”

Feeling her words might have sounded wrong, she quickly added, “Two first-place finishes are already amazing, really!”

An Ziyu smiled at her, “Okay.”

Shen Mubai unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to him, “Drink some water first, then rest for a while.”

She glanced at her watch and said, “There are ten minutes until the next event.”

An Ziyu enjoyed the concern from the girl, his smile deepening and his voice becoming even softer, “I know.”

…

The sound of running water echoed in the restroom as Li Li splashed cold water on his face.

A nearby boy tried to comfort him, “Hey, don’t feel too bad. After all, that kid is in the track and field club. Maybe he’s trained for this specifically.”

Li Li stared at his reflection in the mirror, his eyes filled with intense frustration.

The boy continued, “Besides, you’ve got height, build, and looks. Why get hung up on Jiang Luoluo? She has that childhood friend; she might not even be interested in you.”

Li Li said in a low voice, “I want to be alone.”

The boy patted his shoulder and said, “There are plenty of fish in the sea. There is no need to focus on just one flower. There are lots of pretty girls in this school. Don’t be so single-minded. It’s not worth it.”

Li Li’s eyes darkened as he looked at him.

“I said, I want to be alone. Don’t you understand?”