Don't Say You're Heartless (Modern Edition)

9 Relay

Shen Qiuhua almost clung to Yang Qiong with both arms, while Yang Qiong held her tightly with one hand. They found a relatively empty spot and began practicing. As they started walking, Shen Qiuhua realized that Yang Qiong was right— she couldn't keep up with Yang Qiong's pace. Yang Qiong was almost carrying her along.

"This is..." Shen Qiuhua felt this was clearly against the rules.

"It's fine. I'm fast enough that they won't notice," Yang Qiong replied with a confident smile.

To be safe, they didn't participate in the first round. They watched the others and Yang Qiong felt more confident about the second round. They stood at the starting line.

"Relax, I've got this," Yang Qiong's voice was steady and confident.

The race began with someone shouting "Start!" and the participants took off.

Shen Qiuhua clung tightly to Yang Qiong's waist, almost being carried to the finish line. When she looked back, some participants had only covered half the distance. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, feeling nervous for the first time in such a situation.

"Are you okay?" Yang Qiong asked as she removed the strap from their legs.

Shen Qiuhua nodded. "I managed to get through it." Being new, they couldn't avoid participating in such collective activities, so she forced herself to join. Human relations and social etiquette are similar in any era.

The race ended with laughter and cheers. Yang Qiong's team secured second place, which was a very satisfactory result. Everyone went back to their classrooms for lunch. After lunch, the students went back to the playground for some activity, and the teachers gathered in groups for a chat.

Yang Qiong found a quiet office and let Shen Qiuhua rest in her arms. "You look exhausted. Take a nap, I'll watch over you."

Shen Qiuhua didn't insist on staying awake. She wasn't used to physical exertion, and after a noisy morning, she was indeed tired. She nestled into Yang Qiong's arms and closed her eyes.

Yang Qiong kissed her forehead softly and then pulled out her phone to play a game.

Shen Qiuhua drifted between sleep and wakefulness, reflecting on many past experiences— her nine years as a favored consort, the intrigues of the imperial palace, the emperor's favor and suspicion, the empress's alliances and scrutinies, and all the memories of Consort Kang in the Longhua Palace.

Why was she thinking about all this again?

She opened her eyes, the room brightly lit by sunlight streaming through the glass window, casting shadows on the desks and chairs.

"What time is it?"

"Almost time to start," Yang Qiong said, gently patting her flushed cheek. "I was just thinking about how to wake you up."

"This classroom has been empty the whole time?" Shen Qiuhua asked incredulously.

"Only two students came back to get something and left quietly when they saw a teacher was here," Yang Qiong explained. She was pleased that the students had left without making any fuss.

The school wasn't very large, so there weren't many students. Most of the events were completed in the morning, and the afternoon schedule was light. Shen Qiuhua's workload had noticeably decreased. There was also a jump rope competition for teachers, which Shen Qiuhua had no interest in and didn't even watch.

By mid-afternoon, Yang Qiong appeared again, looking excited.

"Are the competitions all over? I've been free for a while," Shen Qiuhua asked.