Chapter 55: Hidden Sprinter

Xie Bingran looked up, her expression still cold and gloomy.

She raised an arm and gave a casual wave toward the edge of the athletic field.

The group of boys seemed to have received an “order,” falling silent but still peering in excited curiosity.

Meanwhile…

A roar of applause and cheers echoed from the field.

Xie Bingran froze, realization dawning.

All those cheers and that applause—they were for her…

Xu Chen still sat cross-legged on the track, watching Xie Bingran from afar.

He recalled Bing Ge from his last life, seen on television.

No wonder.

Bingran’s running deserved every bit of worship and applause…

She’d easily crushed the track athletes in lanes one through five, leaving them in her dust.

Now, those five stood at the finish line, gasping, eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at Xie Bingran.

Suddenly they remembered what the boy beside Bing Ge had said at the start:

“Take it easy, leave some face for these track athletes…”

Right.

That hadn’t been a taunt.

It was good-hearted advice.

On a nearby lane, Tian Chaorui’s freckled, sun-darkened face wore an indescribable look.

Her thick, tanned arms twitched awkwardly, unsure where to rest, before dropping to her sides.

Lu Qiang, Chen Ming, and the other PE teachers couldn’t hide their excitement, their expressions still incredulous as they stared at Xie Bingran…

But Xie Bingran paid no mind. Her gaze cut across the hundred-meter straight, fixed on the starting line.

By then, Xu Chen had stood up.

From a distance, Xie Bingran saw him raise both arms high and give her two thumbs up.

At last, a faint smile flickered across her cold, gloomy face.

…

…

Referee Lu Qiang tapped Chen Ming on the shoulder, excitement in his voice:

“Chen Ming, this is why First High School isn’t playing fair!”

“Why hide a secret weapon and not register her officially?!”

“Were you planning to stun everyone at the city games? Make us look bad?”

Chen Ming blinked, embarrassment coloring his face.

He turned to Xie Bingran:

“Which grade and class are you in? What’s your name?”

Lu Qiang: “??!”

He paused, sensing something was off.

Xie Bingran spoke up: “Senior three, Xie Bingran.”

She gave her name but didn’t mention a class.

She’d been expelled and didn’t belong to any class now.

“Xie Bingran…”

Chen Ming muttered her name, it sounded familiar.

Lu Qiang finally spoke: “So she’s not from your school’s roster?”

Chen Ming admitted: “Embarrassing to admit, our PE department had no idea this powerhouse existed…”

Lu Qiang shook his head: “A talent like that almost got buried!”

Chen Ming asked Xie Bingran: “You’re in senior three—why haven’t you ever entered the sports meet or joined the team before?”

She answered truthfully: “I didn’t know I could run.”

Chen Ming: “Then how did you find out?”

Xie Bingran looked up as Xu Chen and Chen Dahai approached from afar.

She lifted a hand and pointed at Xu Chen:

“He told me.”

Chen Ming and Lu Qiang glanced over, realizing he was the boy who told her to take it easy.

Only now did they grasp that his words weren’t a joke.

Lu Qiang finally caught his breath and asked: “Child, you’ve never trained?”

Xie Bingran: “I started running last week, just for fun.”

…

Lu Qiang drew in a lungful of air: “Do you even know how far you just ran?”

She shook her head again.

Lu Qiang’s face grew serious: “The national second-class standard for women’s 100 meters is 13.04 seconds.

The first-class standard is 12.33…

Your school’s fastest, Tian Chaorui—current city champion—clocked 12.31…

Chen Ming looked at Xie Bingran: “You just ran 12.20…”

Xie Bingran remained silent, seemingly unmoved.

Chen Ming added: “Even if that’s just hand-timed and maybe not perfectly accurate, your level is clear.”

He paused, speaking earnestly: “Do you know what this means?”

Xie Bingran shook her head once more.

Chen Ming: “Without any formal training, you’ve already reached national first-class level!

And you weren’t even wearing spikes—instead you ran in wind-resistant gear.

It just rained, the track’s in average condition…”

His voice trembled with excitement.

“The country and province are desperate for sprinting talents.

Listen up: right now you could join the Provincial Team at will!

If you improve your times even more, the National Team is within reach!

And if you go to university, every top school in the country will fight over you!”

Xie Bingran stared, realization hitting her.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

She felt dizzy as Xu Chen’s words echoed in her mind:

“Next Wednesday, if you don’t show up I’ll come to your class and drag you out to the field…”

“Try it once—it won’t kill you…”

“With good athletic results many top universities waive entrance exams…”

“Trust me, everything will get better…”

“You’ll get into a great university, make good money, live a good life…”

So he’d known all along.

That was what he meant.

Those words weren’t just to make me feel better…

Xie Bingran’s cold, gloomy eyes fluttered in the breeze.

She’d been expelled this morning.

She’d already given up on academics.

She’d even lined up a job at an electronics factory in the south and planned to buy her train ticket today…

Xie Bingran fell silent, her throat tight as if something blocked it.

She looked up to find Xu Chen standing before her, a gentle smile on his face.

Xie Bingran glanced at him and softly said: “You…”

Xu Chen paused, then stepped closer to her.

Chen Ming and Lu Qiang—now realizing this boy had “discovered” Xie Bingran—looked at him with complex expressions.

Xie Bingran turned to Chen Ming and said: “Teacher…could you repeat what you said earlier?”

Chen Ming: “Which part?”

Xie Bingran: “About the Provincial Team…”

Chen Ming smiled, glanced at Xu Chen, and said:

“Right now you could join the Provincial Team at will!

If you improve your times further, you can make the National Team!

And every good university will fight over you!”

Xie Bingran said nothing but stole a glance at Xu Chen.

Xu Chen looked at Xie Bingran and smiled:

“Congratulations…”