The Old Man

"……" Staring at the distant pink unidentified creature, An Shiyu felt instantly pinned under the gaze of the entire crowd. She clenched her fists, veins bulging on her forehead.

"Damn it, this stupid old man… Can’t he embarrass himself alone?"

……

"Uh, she looks really pissed. No wonder your granddaughter hates you," Ye Shuang muttered from the stands, then turned to the pink-clad old man.

"You’re making An Shiyu dislike you even more."

"NONONONO, kid, you just don’t get it." Anshi Yilang waved his folding fan before snapping it open with a flourish, revealing a cartoonish heart-adorned portrait of An Shiyu.

"Can’t you see how my granddaughter’s trembling with joy from my support?"

Ye Shuang: "……"

Your eyesight’s gone.

"Are you sure that’s not a ‘I’m gonna murder you’ expression?" Ye Shuang said dryly.

"Hmph, nonsense!" Anshi Yilang huffed. "No way, no way! I won’t listen to your poisonous words!"

Ye Shuang sighed.

This old man was completely unreachable.

But Ye Shuang was used to it by now and turned his attention back to An Shiyu—standing there expressionless, yet radiating the energy of a ticking time bomb, ready to explode any second.

A voice piped up from the competitor next to An Shiyu, "Pfft—no wonder you looked familiar! So you’re Director Anshi’s granddaughter?"

An Shiyu stayed silent.

"Must be so embarrassing having a grandpa like that, huh? Like, yikes, cringe," the girl continued, acting chummy.

"Oops, sorry, I’m just blunt like that. Don’t mind me~"

An Shiyu glanced at her and said flatly,

"I know you’re straight from the gut, but you don’t have to open your mouth and let it all out."

"……" The girl froze. Did An Shiyu just insult her?

She pressed on, "Aww, must be nice having connections. No wonder you won first prize at the festival. I’m from the track team—wanna let you win a bit later, out of respect for the director?"

An Shiyu sized her up, then suddenly smirked. "You can’t even outrun me. What’s there to let?"

"Oho, getting feisty? Careful, or you’ll eat those words~~~" The girl sneered, already planning to leave An Shiyu in the dust.

Not even wearing proper sportswear. Who was she trying to fool?

"On your marks—" The referee raised the starting pistol.

"BANG!"

The track girl shot forward, instantly taking the lead.

"Ha, enjoy the dust." She glanced back—only to see An Shiyu still standing there, hands in pockets.

Huh?

Giving up already?

What a poser. Probably too scared to finish and embarrass herself.

She turned back, but after a few seconds, she sensed someone on her left.

Wait…

Who—?

Her head whipped around just in time to see An Shiyu keeping pace effortlessly.

"Wh-what?!" Staggered, the girl tripped and face-planted onto the track.

"Oh no! Contestant from Class 3 has fallen!" the announcer cried.

An Shiyu stopped running.

"H-how did you…?" The girl winced in pain, reaching out, expecting help.

But An Shiyu just kept her hands in her pockets and coolly looked down. "Weak."

Girl: "?"

"That old man might be an idiot, but he’s not someone you get to trash-talk, moron." With that, An Shiyu sprinted off.

"Y-you—!"

In the end, An Shiyu took first place, sending Anshi Yilang into a frenzy over the PA system:

"XIAO YU, YOU’RE THE BEST!!!!! BZZZT—"

The mic screeched in protest.

"No wonder An Shiyu hates the sports festival. This grandpa’s definitely a big part of it," Ye Shuang muttered.

Soon after, An Shiyu stormed back, bypassed the podium, vaulted onto the stands, and dragged Anshi Yilang away by the collar.

"Where are you two going?" Ye Shuang asked.

"!" An Shiyu shot him a death glare.

"Never mind." Ye Shuang coughed and wisely chose to look away.

Not his circus, not his monkeys.

"My precious Xiao Yu~ Your dear grandpa can’t breatheee," Anshi Yilang wheezed, arm locked in An Shiyu’s grip—yet somehow still looking blissful.

"Then I’ll bury you right here!"

"yOyOyOyOyOyOyO Such a tsundere, my kind-hearted girl…"

Their bickering faded into the distance.

But Ye Shuang wasn’t too worried. After all, An Shiyu had once mentioned—everything she knew, she’d learned from Anshi Yilang. Meaning the old man was no pushover.

He’d probably survive.

Probably.

……

Meanwhile, Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke returned, a silver medal in hand.

"Silver medal. For you, Ye Shuang." Bai Yuyou held it out, eyes sparkling for praise.

Ye Shuang ruffled her hair.

"We could’ve gotten gold," Tang Keke sighed, staring at the medal.

"It’s fine. There are other events, right?" Ye Shuang patted her head reassuringly.

"Next up—three-legged race! Let’s go!" Tang Keke pumped her fist, reinvigorated. "Rawr!"

The display drew stares from nearby boys, as both Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke were impossible to ignore.

Whispers spread about who Ye Shuang was, cozy with two cute girls at once.

Not that anyone dared ask Bai Yuyou directly.

Otherwise…

Bai Yuyou: [Insert brutally honest answer here].

"Yuyou’s got high jump next. Wanna watch, bro? You can’t see from here," Tang Keke said.

"Sure, let’s go."

Ye Shuang smiled.

The high jump area was quieter, tucked in a corner of the field—far less crowded than the sprint tracks.

"Ever practiced high jump before?" Ye Shuang asked Bai Yuyou.

"No."

"Without even basic form, you might get eliminated fast," he warned.

"It’s okay if I can’t jump," Bai Yuyou nodded. "Keke said if I pretend to sprain my ankle after, then Ye Shuang will—"

Smoosh. Tang Keke lunged to clamp a hand over her mouth, grinning nervously.

"I-I meant, be careful not to sprain your ankle!"

Ye Shuang: "……"

What the hell are you teaching her, Keke?