CHAPTER 36: THE 3000 METER CHALLENGE

The boy clenched his fists in excitement, then turned around and ran toward the group of classmates waiting for him in the distance.

As soon as he arrived, they surrounded him with laughter and chatter, their voices echoing across the field as they left together.

A gentle breeze lifted the hem of his shirt and from where he stood, Ding Yixin watched the boy run into the wind.

After a long silence, a quiet smile touched his lips.

That afternoon, the most anticipated event among the Qibao Dwith School students was about to begin.

This time, the students of Qibao Dwith School High were especially excited because, finally, one of their own was competing in the event.

And that student representing Qibao Dwith School was none other than Rong Xingyu, the boy who had recently won first place in the 200 meter sprint.

Many people still remembered that breathtaking figure from the morning race and the moment he had crossed the finish line like a flash of light.

Now, Rong Xingyu was getting ready for his final preparation before the next event.

He looked at the concerned faces of his classmates in front of him and smiled politely.

"Thank you, everyone. I’ll do my best." Then he added helplessly, "Qian Zhijun, really, I’m not hot. You don’t have to keep fanning me."

Qian Zhijun nodded and put the fan away. Then, as if remembering something, he quickly pulled out a large thermos from his bag, opened it, and poured some warm water into the lid.

"Xingyu, are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you want some more water?" he asked with the worried tone of an old father fussing over his child.

The other classmates joined in immediately.

"Yes, yes! Drink some water first!"

"Don’t get nervous later, okay? No pressure. Just do your best!"

"Yeah, relax! Don’t be nervous!"

Rong Xingyu was speechless.

Why did it feel like they were the ones more nervous than him?

Just then, two athletes from another school walked over from not far away.

They were about the same height, one of them a little slimmer and the other more muscular both of them wearing the same school badge on their uniforms.

As they passed by the Qibao Dwith School team, they both let out a short, mocking laugh.

Then they casually walked to the track and began their warm-up stretches, clearly dismissive.

The Qibao Dwith School students heard that pointed, arrogant snicker, and their expressions immediately turned sour.

"Hey, are you kidding me? You think we’re just going to let that slide?"

"Who the hell are these guys? Acting so cocky on our turf?"

Someone recognized their school badge and rolled their eyes.

"They’re from Ninth High School. Every year, in the 3000 meter race, two of the top three are usually from their school. They probably think the championship already belongs to them."

"They haven’t even started running yet, but they’re already celebrating."

"Yeah, let’s see where they’ll put their faces if they lose later!"

Rong Xingyu didn’t say anything.

But when the two athletes passed by earlier, he had clearly felt their gazes linger on him for a few seconds. It was sharp and deliberate.

It made him feel... a little uneasy.

When he finally took his place on the track, he realized that the muscular boy of the two runners from Ninth High School happened to be right beside him.

The guy crossed his arms while looking Rong Xingyu up and down with a mocking smirk.

"So Qibao Dwith School actually had the guts to sign up for this event this year? And they sent someone like you who only have skinny arms and legs? Really?"

Rong Xingyu bent down to stretch calmly, not even bothering to look at him.

The other boy mistook his silence for fear and his tone grew even more arrogant.

"You better be careful. Don’t collapse before you even hit the first kilometer. That would be embarrassing for your whole school."

For convenience, Rong Xingyu had tied up his bangs with a plain black hairband.

Without the fringe covering his forehead, his full smooth skin and sharp handsome features were completely revealed.

His whole aura changed and that soft beauty took on a faint cutting edge.

He lifted a finger toward himself and said coldly while glancing at the boy from the corner of his eye.

"First place... it’s mine."

The audience went wild.

The crowd screamed, they feel enchanted by that confident dominating look.

The boy from Ninth High School instantly lost his smile. Surrounded by cheers and screams for Rong Xingyu, his face darkened.

He exchanged a look with his teammate in the distance and the other boy gave him a short nod.

A flash of hostility passed through his eyes.

Unlike the short distance sprints that rely on explosive power, the long distance running was a sport built on rhythm.

The size of each stride, the frequency of steps, and the coordination of breathing all mattered greatly.

Rong Xingyu had trained for this.

After weeks of practice, he had found the pace and rhythm that suited him best.

So he was feeling confident about this race.

The final began.

After the start, Rong Xingyu quickly adjusted his running posture and breathing.

All the runners merged into the inner lanes, but as the race went on, the differences in strategy and endurance caused them to spread out into groups.

Rong Xingyu was in the first group.

Leading the front was the muscular boy runner from Ninth High School.

Maybe he was overconfident in his ability, or maybe he wanted to provoke the others, so instead of conserving energy, he chose to sprint ahead, taking the lead position that drained stamina quickly.

Rong Xingyu stayed close behind, currently in fourth place.

But his pace was steady, his breathing smooth, and his expression relaxed.

He was keeping a tight distance from the front runners, clearly still conserving strength.

His effortless rhythm and calm focus made it clear, Rong Xingyu was the dark horse to watch, the one most likely to take the crown.