High Jump

"Alright, next up is number 21, Bai Yuyou from Business Class 1. Is she here?" A student referee standing by the high jump bar called out.

"Here."

Bai Yuyou responded and stepped forward.

"So you're Bai Yuyou, the top-ranked beauty on the school's popularity list... Hey, beautiful, wanna exchange WeChat later?" The referee student couldn't help but scan her up and down, his gaze lingering shamelessly on her snow-white, slender legs.

"Popularity list...?" Bai Yuyou wasn’t entirely sure what that ranking was, but when it came to strangers asking for her contact, she shook her head lightly.

"No, sorry."

Rejections should be firm, not vague out of politeness—that was something Ye Shuang had taught her.

The student hadn’t expected Bai Yuyou to refuse so decisively. "..."

"Uh, I was just asking out of courtesy," the boy chuckled awkwardly, though he silently made a mental note to call her out for improper form during the jump later. How dare she embarrass him like that?

He had plenty of female admirers, after all.

Despite his thoughts, he kept a cheerful tone. "Come on, let’s chat later. Maybe we’ll hit it off."

Bai Yuyou’s cool gaze lowered slightly. "No need, sorry."

"..."

The boy felt like he’d been slapped in the face. Fine, he thought, let’s see if you can clear the bar without touching it even once.

Bai Yuyou took her position and prepared to jump.

"Beeeeep—!" The referee blew his whistle.

She sprinted forward. Her starting height wasn’t high, and she used the simplest scissor technique—just splitting her legs to clear the bar.

But she misjudged the distance. Her knee bumped the bar, sending it tumbling onto the mat.

"Attempt void. Try again," the boy said, unsurprised. He could tell at a glance she was an amateur.

Probably just here for attention. That top spot on the popularity list? Definitely rigged.

Though she was undeniably stunning.

"Mm." Bai Yuyou nodded and reset for her second attempt.

The same thing happened again—the slightest touch sent the bar rolling off.

"Oof, tough luck. One more try," the boy said, grinning. "Want some tips? I can help."

In reality, he’d adjusted the bar to the very edge of its stand, where even the lightest contact would knock it over.

Bai Yuyou didn’t respond, focusing instead on her third attempt.

She glanced back and saw Keke and Ye Shuang standing nearby, giving her encouraging fist pumps. "You got this!"

"Okay." The girl steeled herself. This time, she’d nail it.

On her final sprint, she pushed off hard—

Only to accidentally kick the upright pole.

"DUANG!" The bar smacked the referee square in the face, sending him crashing to the ground with a yelp. "OW!"

Bai Yuyou sat on the mat, blinking at the fallen student.

"..."

"Failed."

Ye Shuang and the others in the distance: "..."

Yeah… high jump wasn’t her thing.

---

After the chaos, Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou back to the spectator stands while the injured student was taken to the infirmary.

"Sorry, Ye Shuang..." Bai Yuyou mumbled an apology.

"Why apologize? Accidents happen in sports." Ye Shuang ruffled her hair.

That seemed to cheer her up a little.

"What’s next?"

"Nothing until this afternoon."

"Bro, Yuyou and I are gonna shower first," Keke said.

"Sure."

Ye Shuang nodded. If there were no more events, a quick rinse would be refreshing.

"Ye Shuang, phone..." Bai Yuyou reached out for her device. Ye Shuang paused, then smiled.

"I’ll hold onto it for now. Go shower first."

"Okay."

Once Keke and Bai Yuyou left, Ye Shuang pulled out her phone. The notification screen was empty. He hesitated, then dialed the contact labeled "Mother" again.

"The number you have dialed is currently unavailable..."

Still turned off.

Ye Shuang had no idea what was keeping Aunt Xian, so he tucked the phone away.

Then, a ringtone went off.

He checked—nothing on Bai Yuyou’s screen.

"Huh?" He pulled out his own phone instead. The caller ID read: "Qin Qin Baby."

"Qin Qin Baby... Wait, what?" Ye Shuang stared. Since when had his contacts been edited like this?

Did Chen Qin sneakily change it when he was taking care of her at the hospital?

"That woman..."

He answered. "Hello?"

"Shuang Shuang~"

"Uh, yeah?"

"You’ve got events at the sports meet today, right?" Chen Qin asked.

Ye Shuang paused. "I do, but... I never told you that?"

As faculty, he was signed up for the staff sprint and three-legged race—mostly because the school had so few nurses that everyone had to participate.

But he definitely hadn’t mentioned it to Chen Qin.

"Perfect."

"Perfect...?"

Before he could ask if she’d somehow shown up, she hung up with a playful, "You’ll see~"

Ye Shuang stared at his phone, then sighed and put it down.

---

A while later, Bai Yuyou and Keke returned, their hair damp and smelling of the school’s free shampoo—a scent Ye Shuang recognized well from students visiting the infirmary post-shower.

"Rest for a bit. There’s more this afternoon."

"Okay."

The stands were packed, but they found two seats in a corner.

"You two sit. I’ll stand," Ye Shuang offered.

"Ye Shuang, sit with me," Bai Yuyou insisted.

"Yeah, bro, just let Yuyou sit on your lap," Keke teased.

"That’s not appropriate."

"Why not? Or should I sit there instead?" Keke grinned mischievously.