Chapter 134: An Afternoon in Hu City

After stepping out of the hotel, the two of them set off, strolling around in perfect sync.

They had no particular destination in mind—just a casual wander through the streets.

For Xie Bingran, this was her first time in Shanghai. Though her demeanor was cold and distant, she was still a seventeen-year-old girl, curious about everything new.

Unlike the orderly avenues of northern cities, Shanghai’s streets twisted and turned, making it impossible to tell north from south.

Those century-old Western-style villas lining the roads gave off a strong Republic-era vibe.

Xie Bingran’s stamina was impressive—after all, she was now a national-level athlete.

Even having just fought for victory on the track this morning, she could briskly march along without breaking a sweat.

Xu Chen, however, was lagging behind. He promised himself that after the college entrance exams, he’d start training to get in better shape.

Physically he was fine—he hadn’t abused himself with smoking, drinking, or coffee like in his past life—but he still lagged quite a bit behind an athlete like Bing Ge.

They wandered through those old Shanghai lanes until they happened upon a green park nestled in the urban sprawl.

They stepped onto the grass and sat down, sinking into its softness.

Above them, the sky stretched out in pure blue, dotted with huge, solid white clouds.

It was the kind of picture-perfect sky you only saw by the coast—in places like Shanghai.

Back in the northern regions where they’d grown up, skies like this were a rare luxury.

Especially in recent years, when a faint haze had begun to creep across the heavens…

Xie Bingran tilted her head back, staring up at that cartoon-like sky. Then she whispered,

“Xu Chen… I’m not dreaming, am I?”

Xu Chen let out a laugh.

“Not at all. This is real.”

“Oh.”

Xie Bingran wrapped her arms around her knees, her crystal-bright eyes caught in that azure expanse…

Less than two months ago, she’d been expelled from school and was preparing to go work the assembly line in a factory down south.

And yet here she was, fresh off winning a national championship, sitting on a plush lawn in Shanghai with the one person she cared about most…

It felt less like reality and more like a dream.

A wave of melancholy washed over her, and the clouds in her vision suddenly blurred.

She turned her head ever so slightly, afraid Xu Chen might notice the tears shimmering in her eyes.

…

…

After a moment gazing up at the sky, Xu Chen suddenly remembered something.

He reached behind him, grabbed his backpack, and pulled out a small black box.

“Congratulations on your championship. This is for you.”

Xie Bingran looked down and saw it was a watch.

It was the Casio sports watch Xu Chen had bought last night.

She pursed her lips, hesitation flickering across her face.

“Want me to open it for you?” he offered.

“I’d like to do it myself…” she murmured.

Xu Chen smiled and placed the black box gently in front of her on the grass.

Xie Bingran handled it carefully, lifting the lid to reveal a sleek, all-black sports watch.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes.”

“The clerk said it’s packed with sports functions. I wonder if you’ll ever need them…”

Sports watches in this era weren’t exactly feature-rich.

Decades later, Garmin would dominate the field, but in 2006 there wasn’t much competition.

This Casio G series watch was about as good as it got.

Xie Bingran held the watch in her palm and whispered, “Thank you.”

She tried slipping it onto her left wrist but found she couldn’t fasten the strap with one hand.

“Let me help you put it on!”

Xu Chen reached over and secured the watch onto her wrist.

As their hands and arms brushed, Xie Bingran’s pulse fluttered…

She instinctively pulled back, then edged closer again.

“There. Looks great on you!”

Xie Bingran turned her wrist to admire it. “Yes.”

Xu Chen glanced at her hand—no more bandages, no traces of blood…

Still, faint scars remained where she’d been injured.

He opened his mouth to say something, but only managed a smile.

Xie Bingran smiled back.

…

…

After sitting on the grass for a while, they wandered into a nearby bubble-tea shop.

Xie Bingran couldn’t drink most things, so Xu Chen ordered two pure lemon waters after checking what she could have.

Just purified water, ice, and fresh lemon slices.

They sat by the window, watching the traffic flow outside.

Xu Chen said, “I’m thinking of going to university here in Shanghai.”

Xie Bingran paused, then couldn’t help but smile.

“Which university are you aiming for?”

“I’ll have to wait for my exam scores to see what I qualify for.

There are plenty of universities in Shanghai—lots of good ones—so I’m sure I’ll find one!””

“Oh.”

“It won’t affect you,” Xu Chen added. “I already asked Teacher Chen Ming.

He said the city’s top hurdles coach is one of the best in the country and also coaches the national team.”

Xie Bingran nodded.

“They told me the same thing. That coach teaches at two schools, so I can choose either one.”

“Which two?”

“Shanghai Sports University and Huahai Normal University.”

Xu Chen considered this.

“Purely by academic standards, Huahai Normal is the better choice.

Its overall ranking and reputation are stronger…

Plus, having that coach there is all you need—you don’t have to attend a specialized sports school.

That coach and the national team will give you everything a sports university can.

A well-rounded university will broaden your horizons and benefit your future.”

“Oh.”

“And at Huahai Normal, you could even do a combined master’s-PhD program without much difficulty.

After you retire, you could end up as a laid-back college professor.”

Xie Bingran’s icy, reserved expression lit up with disbelief. “Me… a teacher?!”

She looked utterly astonished.

…

…

After leaving the bubble-tea shop, Xu Chen dragged Xie Bingran into an electronics mall.

They passed row after row of LCD TVs lining the walls.

They browsed for a while until they found what they were looking for.

Across from them, dozens of TVs of all sizes hung on the wall.

Each screen displayed the same feed: Five Star Sports Channel’s sports news.

“Young prodigy from Wen Province outpaces Shanghai’s twin stars, shatters the women’s 100m hurdles record…”

“Athletics Association President: Xie Bingran, only seventeen, could make the Asian Games—and beyond…”

On loop, the footage showed Xie Bingran claiming her championship and standing proudly on the podium.

Xie Bingran turned to Xu Chen.

“Why are you showing me this?”

Xu Chen grinned. “Since you just won the title, soak it all in. Enjoy every moment!”

“Once you rack up more titles, people get numb to it…”