Xiaobai Is Also Troubled Today

I'll just have to go alone later...

 
"We have a physical fitness test in a bit. After the test, you'll have free time. We're staggered with the other classes, so today, we're doing the 1000-meter run."
 

The P.E. teacher had reached that age where he was starting to get pudgy, but his eyes were still sharp.
 
When he said those words, Bai Tingzhi's heart nearly stopped.

 
The truth was, there was no avoiding it. When she stood on the track with the rest of the boys, her time was the least of her worries...
 

"Ready... Go!"
 
A whistle blew, and with the command, the students around her shot forward.

 
Bai Tingzhi did her best to stay behind the long line of runners. At the very front, leading the pack, was Lin Yunian, of all people!
 

Although she should have expected it, she still felt a sense of injustice.
 
Who ever heard of turning into a girl just from not exercising for a while?

 
After just one lap, Bai Tingzhi was already too tired to keep up with the group, slowly falling to the back.
 
She remembered her last test, not long ago, and she hadn't been this weak. Not so "feeble" that she'd be in this state now.

 
This couldn't just be a physical change. Her fitness had weakened, too. If she ran into someone with bad intentions, she probably wouldn't even be able to get away.
 

Bai Tingzhi gritted her teeth and pushed on. There were many things she wasn't good at, but she rarely gave up.
 
Sweat soaked through her shirt. Time and again she wanted to stop, but she kept running, just managing to cross the finish line right at the passing mark.

 
Bai Tingzhi leaned over, hands on her knees, gasping for breath.
 

Lin Yunian had finished long ago and walked over to her, not looking winded at all.
 
"Can you walk? Go sit over there for a bit."

 
"Hah... hah... I haven't reported my time yet..."
 

"You go sit down. I'll report it for you." Lin Yunian pulled Bai Tingzhi over to the steps on the side, then went to report their times himself.
 
He had been right there, watching her run, so he remembered her time clearly.

 
She sat for a long while before her breathing finally slowed. Only then did Lin Yunian walk back from a distance.
 

"Here."
 
He handed her a bottle of mineral water, probably bought from the old woman with the cart outside the fence. He had taken so long after reporting their times because he had to double back.

 
"Drink some. You'll feel better." Lin Yunian leaned down, still having to look down to see Bai Tingzhi's face.
 

Bai Tingzhi reached for it without a second thought. Their hands brushed against each other, and it felt like an electric shock.
 
She snatched the water bottle, quickly pulling her hand back and curling up on the steps.

 
Lin Yunian wasn't tired and would probably play some more later. His gaze traveled from the mouth of the water bottle, past Bai Tingzhi's face, and slid down. Her sweat-soaked shirt was now half-dry and clinging to her body, clearly outlining her figure.
 

"You've got..." Lin Yunian started, then hesitated.
 
Bai Tingzhi tilted her head back to drink, not immediately understanding until she followed his gaze downward.

 
The semi-transparent white shirt was plastered to her chest, tracing the perfect curve of her frame, along with a subtle, delicate bulge.
 

"What's there to look at!" Bai Tingzhi panicked, raising the water bottle as if to throw it.
 
Lin Yunian took a step back, looking embarrassed. A truly decent person wouldn't have anything to feel guilty about.

 
"When did you secretly start working out? You've even got chest muscles..."
 

"Wh-what... You could tell!" Bai Tingzhi had wanted to deny it, but the words came out all wrong.
 
"You don't seem like the type to work out on your own, do you?"

 
Lin Yunian remembered that Bai Tingzhi had barely managed to finish the 1000-meter run. Did that count as working out?
 

"I... I... why can't I work out on my own? I happen to love sports, okay? I just don't get the chance!" Bai Tingzhi stammered in a helpless rebuttal.
 
"Oh?"

 
Lin Yunian raised a single eyebrow. Though he said nothing, his expression was one of clear disbelief.
 

Bai Tingzhi was so embarrassed she couldn't stand it, trying her best not to pointedly cover her chest with her hands.
 
Once she had completely cooled down, she felt the uncomfortable wet, sticky feeling on her chest and back.

 
The atmosphere was strangely awkward. Neither of them spoke, and the only sound was the gulping of water.
 

Fortunately, someone called Lin Yunian away to play basketball, giving Bai Tingzhi a chance to take a deep breath and relax.
 
"What was that about..." she muttered, pouting and reaching out to tentatively touch the area.

 
To be honest, it was just the feeling of friction; it wasn't as titillating as she'd imagined.
 

What am I even thinking, at a time like this?!
 
Bai Tingzhi hurriedly stood up, found a corner where no one was passing, and shook out her shirt, pulling the fabric away from her skin.

 
This was the downside of being a day student. If you didn't keep a spare change of clothes in the classroom, it was a real hassle when they got dirty.
 

She couldn't exactly go ask a girl to borrow clothes.
 
A breeze blew down the path, and a chill ran through her. Bai Tingzhi realized her thinking was flawed. Her body was a little different now, but their short-sleeved school uniforms were the same. Couldn't she just borrow one from Lin Yunian?

 
But he probably didn't have one...
 

Bai Tingzhi thought about it. Even if he did, it would be a spare he kept for after playing basketball. If she wore it, wouldn't he be left without a shirt? But shouldn't you take a shower after playing, anyway?
 
The sun dried her clothes quickly, and the dampness wasn't very noticeable anymore.

 
Her chest wasn't very prominent now, just different from its former flatness. If you weren't looking closely, you probably wouldn't notice.
 

She told herself this, but she didn't go looking for him on the court, instead heading straight back to the classroom to avoid being noticed by other students.
 
She searched through Lin Yunian's desk and his personal little locker for a long time but found nothing.

 
I'm screwed.
 

Still half a day to get through.
 
And summer had only just begun.

 
Thinking of the endless hot season ahead, Bai Tingzhi really wanted to just bang her head against a wall.
 

Just a moment ago, she was thinking this wouldn't affect her life much, and now she could barely stand it.
 
This body really was too frail...

 
She didn't have to worry about being called for assembly; the teacher had already announced it before the test. Students who returned early to the classroom had already turned on the fans.
 

The large fans whirred, swaying as if they might fall at any moment.
 
The hair stuck to her forehead came loose as she sat at her desk, fanning herself with a book.

 
Having rested early, Bai Tingzhi no longer felt hot, but now she felt a little cold.
 

To avoid catching a cold from the draft, she had to leave the classroom again.
 
Under the cool shade of the osmanthus tree, Bai Tingzhi pulled up her pant legs and sat cross-legged on the lawn.

 
Her smooth, pale calves had a faint bluish tint, without a single hair or flaw, like a carefully carved work of art.
 

The fluid curve of her ankle revealed a clear outline in the dappled light filtering through the leaves, the slight hollow a natural, elegant, and perfect feature.
 
Even without the blossoms, Bai Tingzhi could still smell that clean fragrance.

 
Shaded from the sun, her gaze rested on the emerald leaves.
 

Beams of light occasionally fell on her eyes, but mostly drifted away.
 
The thick, sturdy tree trunk felt like a steady presence, supporting the girl's back, supporting her exhausted frame.

 
Bai Tingzhi wanted to sleep, right now, immediately. But unfortunately, there were still two or three uninteresting classes to get through before the lunch break.