No one understands rebirth better than me

Chapter 225 The Embrace Frozen in Time
The next day.

"Sister Qiaoyun, that's enough..."

"Enough? What do you mean by 'enough'? Is it up to you or Mom?"

Guan Qiaoyun frowned and scolded:
"Your wings have really hardened, haven't they?"

"..."

Guan Ren looked at the two fried eggs, two steamed yam and meat patties, a plate of stir-fried chives, and a large glass of milk on the plate, and was truly speechless.

Is this the legendary "There's a kind of hunger called 'Mom thinks you're hungry'"?

……

And to be fair, although this breakfast was very nutritious and could be considered a great source of nutrition.

But first thing in the morning it was yams and chives...

Guan Ren wondered if his mother had misunderstood the direction of the repair...?
……

But faced with his domineering mother, Guan Ren still resorted to a fawning approach, raising his arms as if they were wings and waving them around:
"Mom, you should be happy that I've gotten hard, right? It means I've grown up, isn't that great?"

"Ah!"

Guan Qiaoyun sneered.

This brat, I always feel like he's treating me like a little girl these days. Does he really think his mother is some kind of naive and easily fooled girl?
"Hurry up and eat your food."

She had really wanted to see Guan Ren participate in the sports meet these past two days; she hadn't seen her son speeding across the track yet.

Unfortunately, both winter and summer are busy seasons for the company, so Guan Qiaoyun couldn't find the time to help him. Instead, she could only encourage him through his diet.

However, Guan Ren only ate a fried egg and a meat pie in the end.

"Sister Qiaoyun, my stomach can only hold so much. If I force myself to eat this, what if I throw up while running?"

"Oh... okay then."

Guan Qiaoyun thought about it and agreed.

----------

"...Students participating in the men's 3000 meters, please proceed to the registration area to sign in..."

Around 10 a.m., Guan Ren finally took the stage after a long wait.

Upon hearing the news, the support team rushed over immediately.

"Guan Ren, look this way!"

"?"

The first one to arrive was surprisingly Du Zihan.

These past two days, she's transformed into a war correspondent, running all over the playground every day with Li Min's DSLR camera slung over her shoulder. Guan Ren even felt that she had lost several pounds from all the running, and was about to become a skeleton.

However, just as she was about to take a picture of Guan Ren, Luo Xiaobei suddenly appeared from the side and snatched the camera away:

"I'll take the picture! I'll take the picture!"

"Luo Xiaobei, be careful! I won't pay for it if you break it."

"Don't worry~"

Du Zihan was worried and lovingly taught her:
"You're so clumsy, don't touch here, press here... tsk, never mind, you can just take the picture yourself."

"oops…"

Luo Xiaobei fiddled with it while expressing her disdain:
"You're not as professional as me..."

"I'm not as professional as you?"

Du Zihan laughed in exasperation:

"Luo Xiaobei, do you know what you're saying?"

"Humph~"

Luo Xiaobei certainly knew.

Perhaps, when it comes to taking good photos, she is indeed not as good as Du Zihan, who has been struggling for several days with only a half-baked skill.

But when it comes to taking good photos of the boys she likes, Luo Xiaobei thinks she's probably the most professional person in the world.

"Guan Ren, give me a smile!"

"..."

click-

"Give me a thumbs up!"

"..."

click-

"Open your mouth wider and stick your tongue out!"

"?"

click-

"Roll your eyes again!"

"???"

Guan Ren's lips twitched. Why did the more he filmed, the more off it felt?
What exactly is this thing filming?
Is this a proper photo?

Guan Ren couldn't take it anymore and turned his head away while warming up.

Luo Xiaobei ran over unhappily:

"Turn around, I haven't finished filming yet."

"No more filming."

"why?"

"Sticking out your tongue and rolling your eyes... I suspect you didn't even film it properly."

"Why weren't you filming properly?"

Seriously, does this guy even know how to be more handsome as a childhood friend?
Luo Xiaobei was indignant, then patiently explained to him:
"Look, sticking out your tongue adds a touch of devilish charm and rebelliousness, while rolling your eyes expresses disdain for the other contestants. It'll definitely look really cool in a photo!"

"Luo Xiaobei."

Guan Ren wanted to laugh, but he still seriously reminded her:
"I hereby order you never to touch a camera again."

Luo Xiaobei pouted and stomped her foot while holding the camera:
"Why should I?!"

"Just look at your weird aesthetic sense when it comes to camera shots."

Making a peace sign, sticking out her tongue, and rolling her eyes—who takes a proper photo like that…?

hiss…

Guan Ren suddenly looked up at the sky.

Although she can't take proper photos.

But in the future, just in case, hypothetically speaking, if I have the opportunity to take some inappropriate photos with someone, it wouldn't be bad to have her help out...

"Guan Ren..."

"Ok?"

I have a feeling you're thinking about something bad...

"No way."

Guan Ren shook his head without changing his expression or skipping a beat.

……

Before long, the atmosphere was just as lively as it had been during the 1500-meter race. "Guanren, charge! Charge! Charge! Charge!"

"Go Ren-ge!"

"Ren-ge, this time you should take first place!"

Guan Ren smiled and waved to the crowd on the sidelines.

Of course, the focus is still on Luo Xiaobei and Gu Youli.

However, Guan Ren noticed that compared to before, Xiao Lihua seemed to have more complex emotions in her eyes today, in addition to nervousness and anticipation.

It is soft.

There are also things that Guan Ren cannot understand.

In addition, Guan Ren made an unexpected discovery at the last moment.

That is, behind the students cheering, there seemed to be a tall and voluptuous figure, wearing a sun hat, appearing and disappearing indistinctly.

"?"

As Guan Ren narrowed his eyes and looked closely, the figure lowered its head again and quickly left, walking away towards the teaching building.

Only a single ponytail, tied even higher than Xiao Lihua's, swayed twice in Guan Ren's last glimpse of her.

"..."

This woman…

Guan Ren couldn't help but smile.

Let's cheer her on in the upcoming faculty and staff competitions...

Guan Ren took a deep breath, looked straight ahead, squatted down and stepped firmly onto the running board, his eyes becoming focused.

"On your marks—"

The referee raised the starting pistol:
"Ready—Bang!"

……

Amidst the cheers and shouts of encouragement from the crowds in each class, several contestants rushed out.

3000 meters is a proper long-distance run.

It takes more than eight laps.

Therefore, Guan Ren did not dare to be as arrogant as last time, and honestly ran at the pace that long-distance running should be.

When the runners were halfway through the race, someone handed them water from the side of the track.

"Guan Ren—!"

Guan Ren glanced sideways, and Gu Youli, who was standing there, was also asking him:
Do you want some water?

Guan Ren shook his head directly.

Drinking water midway through the run can disrupt your rhythm, and drinking while running can easily cause stomach problems.

This isn't a marathon; you won't be lacking in water during the race.

……

Soon, four laps had passed.

Some contestants were covered in sweat and looked pale. Perhaps they were not prepared beforehand or overestimated their abilities when they signed up. One of them left the competition venue clutching his stomach and forfeited the competition.

After six laps, the gap widened.

Guan Ren and a few others who were truly capable runners pulled ahead of the rest by half a lap.

Finally, it's time for the sprint lap.

"Go for it, Guan Ren!"

"Keep it up, Ren-ge!"

"Ren-ge, that kid's charging at us again!"

Guan Ren knew that "that kid" was the one from Class 9 who won the 1500-meter race in the school training team.

He also participated in the 3000-meter race this time.

Just like last time, he quickly moved from behind to close the distance with Guan Ren, who was temporarily in first place.

But Guan Ren was different this time.

……

In mainstream manga, the protagonist often unleashes a burst of power by shouting about "bonds" or something similar.

In reality, Guan Ren from his previous life would never have believed it.

But on this day in this life, Guan Ren suddenly realized that belief might actually be useful sometimes.

……

I could hear familiar voices from the sidelines, especially those of people I valued.

Guan Ren felt his energy being fully activated, first rushing to his head and then flowing into his legs. He let out a low growl, which could be considered as a kind of exhalation in martial arts.

Then, in an instant, Guan Ren began to slowly increase the distance between himself and his pursuers.

Five meters…

Three meters...

One meter...

Guan Ren's eyes bulged slightly as he stared at the finish line, and finally he sprinted straight across.

In an instant, the Class 7 support group erupted in deafening shouts.

"Won!"

"Guan Ren! First place! Guan Ren!"

"Ren-ge won the championship!"

……

Completely exhausted, Guan Ren had no strength to resist, but he still couldn't help but force a smile.

"Shui Shui Miao! You didn't forget to bring water again, did you?"

"Here it comes! This time there's plenty!"

"Where's Du Zihan? She's here to take her champion's photo!"

The students from Class 7 cheered and rushed towards Guan Ren, unable to remain calm as they had been last time.

Just when Guan Ren was about to be completely surrounded.

Accompanied by a faint fragrance of a young girl, an exceptionally soft body suddenly bumped into Guan Ren's arms, slightly tiptoeing, and tightly hugged him with a pair of slender arms.

The entire scene fell silent.

click-

Only Du Zihan happened to capture this moment with her camera.

Then, like everyone else, they stared in shock at Gu Youli, who was hugging Guan Ren.

Until a moment later.

He turned around stiffly.

He looked at Luo Xiaobei, who was standing there in a daze, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

(End of this chapter)