There was only one week left until the sports meet when Shen Yuqing found out that Song Wangzhuo hadn’t actually found a replacement runner for him.
Standing in the shade, Shen Yuqing watched as Song Wangzhuo jogged slowly. They say it takes a hundred days to recover from bone and tendon injuries. Though Song Wangzhuo had only sprained his foot, it had taken a long time before he could walk normally again.
It was already early summer in Silino, and the weather was gradually getting hotter. After running several laps, Song Wangzhuo was drenched in sweat. His white T-shirt was casually tied around his waist, while the white tank top he wore on his upper body clung to his skin, damp with sweat, faintly outlining his muscles. His bare arms flexed with each swing, beads of sweat rolling down the defined lines of his muscles.
Shen Yuqing watched as he lifted an arm to wipe the sweat from his face. A small commotion broke out among a group of Omegas who had appeared nearby, stirred by his movements.
Song Wangzhuo ran past them without a change in expression, as if he hadn’t heard anything.
Shen Yuqing found it somewhat amusing. He twisted open the cap of his mineral water bottle and was about to take a sip when Song Wangzhuo stopped right in front of him.
His chest rose and fell heavily, lips slightly parted as he greedily gulped for more air. Those deep-set eyes locked onto him or rather onto the water bottle in his hand.
Shen Yuqing sighed. He screwed the cap back on and tossed it to him. “Seriously, why are you running so much? Do you not care about your foot anymore?”
Song Wangzhuo caught the bottle effortlessly. He unscrewed the cap, tilted his head back, and downed half the bottle in one go before replying, “I have to prepare.”
With the sports meet just days away, he had started running in the neighborhood as soon as his foot felt slightly better, trying to regain his condition. Back then, his foot still ached and swelled slightly, so he hadn’t dared to run for too long. But now that the discomfort had finally faded, he naturally pushed himself harder.
To prepare for the event, Song Wangzhuo didn’t head home immediately after afternoon classes. Instead, he ran several laps around the school.
Shen Yuqing had been held back by a teacher for a brief meeting today. On his way out, he spotted Song Wangzhuo running on the field. He grabbed two bottles of water on a whim, but by the time he finished his own, Song Wangzhuo still hadn’t come over.
Now, just as he was about to start on the second bottle, Song Wangzhuo finally approached.
Untying the white T-shirt from his waist, Song Wangzhuo walked out with Shen Yuqing.
“How’s the job hunt going lately?” Shen Yuqing asked.
“Same as before,” Song Wangzhuo replied, finishing the last half of the water before tossing the empty bottle into a trash bin as they passed.
Shen Yuqing hummed in acknowledgment. Ever since Song Wangzhuo was let go from his delivery job, nothing had gone right for him. Every time he found a suitable part-time job, it would inevitably fall through the next day for one reason or another.
Even the bar where he used to work part-time claimed they were fully staffed now.
The problem was, Shen Yuqing had passed by that bar once and seen a “Help Wanted” sign still posted at the entrance.
It was obvious they just didn’t want Song Wangzhuo.
This whole situation had frustrated Shen Yuqing too. After all this time, the system still hadn’t found any dirt on Song Lejin. It seemed his earlier suspicions were just that suspicions.
Could Song Wangzhuo have offended someone else?
Shen Yuqing had even tried to probe indirectly a couple of times, but given how much time he’d been spending with Song Wangzhuo recently, their relationship had significantly improved. Song Wangzhuo’s daily routine was practically identical, and he interacted with very few people it was impossible to imagine who else he could have offended.
Was this simply the protagonist’s fate?
Moreover, no plot points had emerged recently. The period he was currently experiencing should have been one of those time-skips frequently used in novels.
There was no other choice but to wait patiently.
Song Wangzhuo’s repeated rejections definitely had someone pulling strings behind the scenes.
“Don’t worry,” Shen Yuqing said. “As long as you help improve my grades, I won’t let you down.”
Song Wangzhuo glanced at him but remained silent.
When they reached the school gate, Shen Yuqing spotted Xiao Zhao. Seeing him come out, Xiao Zhao approached and said, “Young Master, President Shen and the others have returned. They asked you to come home tonight.”
Shen Yuqing nodded, then turned to Song Wangzhuo. “I’ll head off first. See you later.”
Xiao Zhao also gave a slight nod to Song Wangzhuo. “Good evening, Teacher Song.”
“Good evening,” Song Wangzhuo greeted before replying to Shen Yuqing, “See you later.”
He walked toward the residential area where he lived, while Shen Yuqing got into the car.
Delayed by some matters, the roads were unusually clear at this hour.
By the time Shen Yuqing arrived home, the sky hadn’t fully darkened yet. As he entered, two little kids were the first to greet him.
Only the servants were busy in the living room.
Shen Yuqing picked up the two children and asked curiously, “Where are the others?”
Just as he spoke, figures appeared at the top of the stairs on the second floor.
Shen Zhen descended, already changed into fresh clothes. “Here we are.”
Shen Zhen came downstairs first. Shen Yuqing set the kids down and sat on the sofa with his brother. “Where’s my sister-in-law?”
“She went to deliver something to her best friend and won’t be back for dinner tonight,” Shen Zhen replied. “Yiyan is upstairs changing he just got back and it’s still hot out.”
Shen Yuqing let out a long “Oh,” then added, “I wasn’t asking about him.” Shen Zhen snorted.
Shen Yuqing continued, “How did things go this trip?”
“Weren’t you just saying you weren’t asking?” Shen Zhen teased. “So why the question now?”
Shen Yuqing rolled his eyes. “Suit yourself, keep it to yourself if you want.”
For the past while, Pei Yiyan hadn’t been home either. Su Geyue’s friend was returning to continue her research studies, but before leaving, she had discussed Pei Yiyan’s case with her team. Intrigued, they invited him to their headquarters for a comprehensive examination.
Their team had the latest and most precise equipment available, but they lacked suitable subjects for observation.
After much persuasion from all sides, Pei Yiyan boarded a starship to another planet. He had been away for nearly half a month now. Shen Yuqing occasionally asked Wu Yi, who had accompanied him, for updates, but the answer was always the same: no results yet.
Coincidentally, Shen Zhen and Su Geyue had also traveled to that planet for work the previous week, and they had returned together today.
Shen Zhen smiled. “Alright, I think it’s better if you ask him yourself.”
Hearing this, Shen Yuqing raised an eyebrow slightly. “Sounds like good news, then.”
Shen Zhen said, “Not entirely.”
Shen Yuqing tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
Shen Zhen explained, “The blood clot pressing against his optic nerve has disappeared. After some more treatment, his vision should fully recover.”
Shen Yuqing raised an eyebrow slightly: “Really?”
Shen Zhen nodded: “But it’s hard to say for sure. He might regain his sight suddenly, or it might take some time for full recovery. What’s certain is that he’ll definitely be able to see again in the future.”
Speaking of this, Shen Zhen couldn’t help but feel emotional: “I’ve told our parents, and they’re both overjoyed.”
This was indeed good news.
As they were talking, some movement came from the staircase again. Shen Yuqing looked up to see Pei Yiyan slowly descending step by step, carefully holding onto the handrail.
