When Lin Mo put Jiang Yunlu down, the race had already ended.
"12.23 seconds!"
There's always someone better.
That was a female student from the track and field team. For a first-year high schooler, this result was already quite impressive.
Lin Mo patted Jiang Yunlu's head.
"Why are you, a badminton player, competing with a track and field athlete?"
Jiang Yunlu lowered her head and mumbled, "I wasn't..."
"You literally flew through the air—how is that not competing? Come on, let’s go back to the base camp and rest for a bit."
"Mm."
The two walked toward the base camp.
Only after Lin Mo left did the surrounding girls erupt in fangirl squeals.
"Wow~ That was amazing! If a guy rushed over to save me like that, I’d totally fall for him."
"Pfft, you think that girl didn’t? That’s Lin Mo we’re talking about—top grades, knows how to fight—who wouldn’t adore him?"
"But that girl’s really pretty too. Sure, she’s a bit slow, but looks matter."
As for the boys:
"Holy crap, Lin Mo’s insane. He just sprinted over and picked her up without even slowing down."
"By the time I realized what was happening, he’d already lifted her. If not for him, she probably would’ve face-planted."
"Bet you’re imagining how awesome it’d feel if you were the one carrying her, huh?"
"Heh, you got me. That girl’s really cute—isn’t she the class beauty from Class 8?"
Though Lin Mo had already walked away, he heard every word clearly.
Jiang Yunlu, meanwhile, kept her head down the entire time.
Back at the base camp, Lin Mo had her sit down to rest.
Soon, the other girls from Class 8 who had cheered for Jiang Yunlu returned as well.
Wang Qin had wanted to check on Jiang Yunlu earlier by the track but held back when she saw Lin Mo with her, not wanting to interrupt their moment.
So they all headed straight back to the base camp and started fussing over Jiang Yunlu.
......
The day was full of downtime. The school didn’t even bother enforcing rules against openly using phones to take pictures.
Some students used the time to cram, while others gathered in secluded corners to play "Three Kingdoms Kill."
A few even hopped the fence and left campus.
By 5 p.m., the school gates finally opened, and students streamed out.
Lin Mo and Xie Yuling lingered at the back, with Chu Miaomiao trailing behind them.
Chu Miaomiao had to go home late today. Normally, evening self-study would’ve covered it, but the sports day canceled those sessions, so Chu Lintian had entrusted her to Lin Mo’s care.
Chu Miaomiao would have to go home with Lin Mo and wait for Chu Lintian to pick her up later.
By now, Chu Miaomiao had grown somewhat familiar with Xie Yuling, but the two acted like online friends meeting for the first time—barely speaking, keeping a distance, almost like strangers.
Lin Mo led the way.
At the foot of the apartment building, Xie Yuling spoke up.
"Why don’t you both come up for dinner? My mom already made enough for Lin Mo, so adding one more shouldn’t be a problem."
Lin Mo thought it over and nodded, then glanced at Chu Miaomiao, who timidly agreed.
"I’ll grab some roast meat from the street. You take her up first," Lin Mo said before heading toward the inner street.
Xie Yuling nodded. "I’ll check if my mom’s cooked the rice yet. If not, we can make more."
Chu Miaomiao watched Lin Mo’s retreating figure, then turned to Xie Yuling and followed her upstairs.
Zheng Yuan was overjoyed to have a classmate visiting.
How long had it been since her daughter had a friend over—especially a girl?
Though this one seemed shy, she clearly had good manners.
Once home, Xie Yuling relaxed completely.
She sat beside Chu Miaomiao and handed her a freshly washed mangosteen.
"These are in season right now."
Chu Miaomiao blinked. "This is a mangosteen?"
A round, deep-purple fruit sat in her palm.
She rubbed it curiously, then raised it to her mouth for a bite.
"Hey, hey! What are you doing?"
Xie Yuling hadn’t expected Chu Miaomiao to have never eaten one before and quickly stopped her.
She snatched the mangosteen back, cracked it open with a firm twist, and revealed the snow-white flesh inside.
"Oh! The mangosteen I had before looked like this. So it’s hidden inside?"
Clearly, Chu Miaomiao had been sheltered—but that wasn’t unusual. Life experience came from either firsthand exposure or being taught.
Lin Mo, standing at the door, hadn’t expected her to lack such basic knowledge, but then again, it made sense.
The internet was full of "how-to" guides—first time taking a train, first time riding the subway, first time flying, first time on a bus.
Videos like these filled gaps in practical knowledge.
What seemed obvious to many could be completely foreign to others.
At that moment, Lin Mo knocked.
Xie Yuling didn’t rush to answer, first reminding Chu Miaomiao, "There’s a pit inside the flesh—don’t swallow it."
Chu Miaomiao nodded eagerly.
Only then did Xie Yuling go open the door.
Lin Mo walked in with the roast meat and headed straight for the kitchen.
From inside, Zheng Yuan’s voice rang out.
"Oh, there’s plenty of food! You didn’t have to—"
Lin Mo emerged, casually grabbed a mangosteen, and split it open.
Xie Yuling stared at him intently.
"What?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
"Making sure you don’t try to eat it whole."
"Pfft, I’m not an idiot. Who just bites into a mangosteen?"
Then he glanced at Chu Miaomiao, who was staring at the floor.
"Ah, so someone did try to chomp into one. Now who could that be? Hmm, tough question."
Chu Miaomiao’s face burned red as she nibbled on the mangosteen flesh.
After finishing one, she reached for another, determined to try opening it herself.
With a bit of effort, she cracked it open—and beamed with pride.
She held it up for Xie Yuling and Lin Mo to see.
Her message was clear:
Look! I opened it myself. Aren’t I amazing?
"Wow, impressive. Well done."
Lin Mo plucked the mangosteen from her hand and shamelessly devoured it.
"Hey, dinner’s almost ready. Don’t fill up on fruit!"
"It’s just a pre-meal snack," Lin Mo argued.
"Never heard of ‘pre-meal fruit.’ Only post-meal."
Xie Yuling went to set the table while Lin Mo spread out newspapers for easy cleanup.
Chu Miaomiao eyed the remaining mangosteens, wondering if she should practice opening a few more.