Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

Chapter 94 One Kiss

The referee glanced at Xie Wang, who was covered in sweat, and prepared to sign the score sheet:

"Xie Wang, this is already the best result this year, and it's only 3 centimeters below the school record. Do you want to continue? If you don't jump anymore, then I'll..."

"Teacher, wait a minute."

Xie Wang supported himself on his knees, panting heavily to calm his breathing, and then straightened up.

He glanced back at the record board, which read: [Men's high school jump record: 1.91 meters].

"Since we're here..."

Xie Wang curled the corners of his lips, his voice radiating confidence:

"Let's change that name."

"The pole has been raised to 1.92 meters."

These words caused an uproar in the room!

"Holy crap! 1.92?! He's going to break the record?!"

"Are you crazy?! 1.88 was already the limit!"

"Quiet down! Look!"

The referee paused for a moment, then a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes, and he shouted, "Good! Raise the stake! Challenge 1.92 meters!"

The crossbar was slowly raised, and visually, this difference of only a few centimeters seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

First attempt jump.

Xie Wang's take-off point was a little too far, and the back of his thigh rubbed against the bar.

"Thud." Failure.

Second attempt.

The rhythm was good, but at the moment of clearing the bar, my core strength relaxed slightly, and the corner of my clothes slipped off the bar.

"Thud." Failed again.

There's only one chance left.

The entire stadium was deathly silent, with thousands of eyes fixed on the boy standing at the starting line.

Xie Wang closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and adjusted his breathing rhythm.

Just then, someone started it, though it's unclear who did it first.

"Smack."

A crisp clapping sound.

Then came the second and third tones.

"Slap, slap, slap..."

As if by telepathy, thousands of students across the school spontaneously began clapping along to the rhythm.

The rhythm went from slow to fast, perfectly synchronized, each clapping sounding like the booming of war drums, sending shivers down one's spine.

Amidst the surging rhythm, Xie Wang suddenly opened his eyes.

At that moment, the world seemed to consist only of that horizontal bar in his eyes.

approach!

accelerate!

At the very moment when the highly anticipated beat reached its climax—

Jump!

The boy's body was stretched into an extreme bow in the air, his back muscles clearly defined, like a black dragon soaring into the abyss, and with an almost unbelievable flexibility, he flipped over the bar!

Straighten your back and raise both legs!

In that instant, time seemed to stand still for the entire audience.

Then came the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.

And that unmoving horizontal bar.

"Passed!!!"

"Record broken!! 1.92 meters!! A new school record!!"

Before the referee's excited voice had even faded, the entire playground was instantly overturned!

The highest point of the stands, a corner away from the noisy crowd.

Lu Yi held the camera, his slender fingers steadily pressing the shutter button, pressing it at the very moment when the young body soared to its highest point and the back arched to its most extreme curve.

"Click."

The image freezes.

The boy soaring into the air, the horizontal bar below remaining perfectly still, and the sea of people in the background boiling over for him.

Lu Yi pushed up his glasses, glanced down at the masterpiece on the camera screen, and remained expressionless.

"good."

Xie Wang stepped off the foam mat and immediately spotted Su Qinghe, who was running back from the broadcasting station.

She stopped in front of him, her chest still rising and falling slightly. Ignoring the stares of those around her, she naturally raised her hand and gently smoothed the stray hairs damp with sweat from his forehead, her eyes sparkling.

"That jump was really cool."

After saying that, she handed over the water bottle that she had already unscrewed.

Xie Wang took the water, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful. His Adam's apple bobbed, and then he looked down at her.

"Absolutely! After all, it was Teacher Su who personally encouraged me, how could I not give it my all?"

As the crowd gradually dispersed, other activities resumed.

The rope skipping competition reached a fever pitch.

Xu You was wearing loose sportswear and had her hair in a bun; her hands were trembling with nervousness.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid! You're so cute!"

Shen Hao stood outside the safety line, looking even more nervous than if he were on the field himself. He held two bottles of water and a towel, acting as the most dedicated cheerleader captain.

"Just treat those referees like me! Jump the way you always practiced! You can do it!"

"Ready—Go!"

As soon as the whistle blew, Xu You took a deep breath, and the jump rope in her hand instantly became a blur.

Once she got into the zone, the usually shy and timid girl seemed to transform completely. She moved as lightly as a swallow, her feet tapping the ground alternately at an astonishing speed.

"160...170...180..."

The referee's counting grew faster and faster.

Shen Hao, standing nearby, was so anxious he kept stamping his feet and muttering, "Hang in there! Ten more seconds! Go, Youyou!"

"stop!"

The whistle blew again.

"Xu You from Class 1, Grade 12, 208 reps in one minute! Second place!"

"ah!!!"

When Xu You heard the results, her eyes widened in disbelief, and then a bright smile spread across her face.

Before she could react, a dark figure broke through the cordon and pounced on her.

"I knew you could do it! Second place! Silver medal, Yoyo!!"

Shen Hao was so excited that he was incoherent. He rushed over and, without thinking, gave Xu You a big bear hug.

Xu You froze, her face instantly turning as red as a ripe apple, her nose filled with the sun-kissed scent of the boy.

The surrounding classmates made a good-natured commotion.

……

16:00 PM

After receiving the record-breaking award, Xie Wang changed into a dry set of clothes.

He and Su Qinghe walked side by side under the shade of trees at the edge of the playground, enjoying the rare tranquility after the competition.

Suddenly, I saw the equipment storage area not far ahead, where Lin Lu was resting on a pile of mineral water boxes.

Beside Lin Lu was a tall "referee".

The "referee" would fan Lin Lu with a fan for a while, and then suddenly produce a pack of wet wipes from somewhere and hand it to her. He even bent down, seemingly asking Lin Lu if she was tired.

"That referee..."

Su Qinghe narrowed his eyes, feeling that the figure looked increasingly familiar. He asked hesitantly, "Are there any referees at our school who look like Lu Wen?"

Xie Wang stopped, looked closely, then raised an eyebrow and let out a soft chuckle:

"Ha, I knew it! That back view looked like a husky."

After saying that, he pulled Su Qinghe and walked straight over.

Walking behind the "referee," Xie Wang raised his hand and lightly patted him on the shoulder, his tone cool:

"This referee seems quite busy. Which organization are you from?"

The "referee" was startled and turned around abruptly, almost dropping the fan in his hand.

Seeing that it was Xie Wang and Su Qinghe, Lu Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief, quickly pulled his hat brim down, and guiltily raised his finger:

"Shh—! Keep your voice down! Don't attract the real teacher!"

Xie Wang crossed his arms and looked him up and down—the red volunteer vest was obviously too big, hanging loosely on his body, a brand new whistle around his neck, and he was wearing his usual sweatpants and sneakers, which looked extremely mismatched.

"Not bad, Lu Wen." Xie Wang tugged at Lu Wen's slightly frayed red vest with a half-smile. "How did you manage to sneak in again?"

Lu Wen chuckled and flicked the word "Referee" on his chest with a smug look on his face.

"You just don't understand."

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and shared his experience:

"Bought online, 19.9 yuan including shipping."

"I put on this outfit, a whistle around my neck, and a folder in my hand. When I walked in, I walked with a confident stride, acting like a real leader. The security guard saw that I was walking around like I didn't recognize anyone, so he didn't dare to stop me and just let me through."

Lin Lu, standing next to him, covered her face, giving him an expression that said, "I don't know this idiot," but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up in a crazy smile.

Xie Wang was amused and gave a thumbs up:

"You're really something, watch out or you'll get kicked out by security."

Lu Wen scoffed, then turned around and cheerfully went back to fanning Lin Lu.

"Have you laughed enough?"

Su Qinghe looked at Xie Wang, who was still laughing heartily beside her, and helplessly squeezed his palm:

"Don't just watch the show; tomorrow it'll be our turn to suffer."

Xie Wang suppressed his laughter, sighed deeply, and looked up at the sky:

"Yes, tomorrow will be the toughest day."

He turned his head and looked at Su Qinghe:

"Your women's 800-meter race is tomorrow morning at 10:00, right? Are you nervous, Ms. Su?"

"Don't be nervous, you're here."

"Good luck with your 3000m this afternoon too, there's a reward for finishing it (˃ ⌑ ˂ഃ )."