LTM - 6☆, The Flag

Lin Zhan asked: “What?”

Sun Hong: “...Shot put.”

Lin Zhan immediately turned back.

“Don’t even think about it! That’s something only professional athletes do!”

“That’s exactly why!” Sun Hong countered. “No one signs up for it, so they usually just let heavier girls fill the spots. With your strength, you’ll crush everyone and become the center of attention! Superstar status guaranteed!”

Lin Zhan: “Thanks. I’d rather throw the shot put at you first and make you the center of attention.”

Sun Hong persisted: “Don’t be so stubborn. Why don’t we try it during PE class? You’ll know if you’re good at it once you give it a shot.”

///

The first period was PE class.

Before class, there was always a warm-up—800 meters for the girls and 1,000 meters for the boys.

In the past, Lin Zhan had always struggled with the 800 meters, but this time, she ran as if fueled by adrenaline.

After finishing, Zheng Yi Mian, panting heavily, asked her: “Why are you so energetic today?”

Lin Zhan shared her secret: “I discovered a trick. If I imagine Shen Xi waiting for me at the finish line, I suddenly feel much stronger.”

Zheng Yi Mian: “...”

“Zhan Zhan, you’re beyond help.”

The PE teacher led everyone through some stretching exercises, then clapped his hands to get back to the main topic.

“The sports meet is coming up soon! Everyone should participate actively. For the rest of today, you can practice freely. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me.”

Sun Hong immediately dragged Lin Zhan over to the teacher.

Sun Hong: “Teacher, isn’t it true that very few students sign up for shot put in our school?”

“Yes, we rarely fill all the spots and often have to push people to join. Why, are you interested in shot put?”

“No, no, not me—it’s Lin Zhan,” Sun Hong pushed Lin Zhan forward. “She’s incredibly strong. I think she has a great chance of winning first place. We just wanted to ask, do you think she can do it?”

The teacher looked at the tall, slender girl who had been pushed forward and couldn’t help but laugh.

“She’s so skinny? I’m afraid lifting the shot put might break her in half.”

Lin Zhan: “It won’t. I’m really strong. I change the water cooler bottles in our classroom all the time—it’s easy for me.”

Teacher: “Alright, let’s find a spot and I’ll teach you how to practice.”

The PE teacher fetched a shot put from the equipment room and took Lin Zhan to the grassy area to practice.

After practicing a few rounds using the teacher’s technique, Lin Zhan started to get the hang of it.

The teacher praised her: “Hmm, not bad at all. I didn’t expect you to be so strong.”

She was getting into the groove.

Later, when the teacher went to instruct other students, Lin Zhan continued practicing on her own until the end of class.

///

As soon as class ended, Zhang Ze eagerly patted Shen Xi on the back.

“Your old flame is practicing shot put. Want to go watch?”

Shen Xi’s expression showed mild fatigue: “Who said she’s my old flame?”

Thinking about last night’s dream, he felt a headache coming on.

Zhang Ze couldn’t hide his schadenfreude: “Seriously, go check it out. I heard she throws the shot put with elegant form, like a gymnast. Just like you.”

Unable to resist him, Shen Xi reluctantly followed Zhang Ze outside to take a look.

There, they saw Lin Zhan hurl the shot put into the air, creating a perfect parabolic arc. Then, to Shen Xi’s horror, the endpoint of that arc landed squarely on his bicycle.

A loud “BANG” echoed across the campus.

…Why had he even come out here?

///

Sun Hong and Qi Lijie stood before Lin Zhan, heads bowed.

“We were wrong.”

Lin Zhan was speechless: “Whose bike was moved over earlier?”

She had been practicing fine until she took a short break to chat with Zheng Yi Mian. When she resumed her original trajectory and threw again, she ended up smashing someone’s bike.

…What were the odds of this happening? It was rarer than winning the lottery.

…How did she end up with these two troublemakers as friends?

Sun Hong kept his head down, continuing to apologize: “Qi Lijie came, and we got carried away playing around. It was hot, so we moved the bike to make more space.”

Lin Zhan: “...So you could have more shade to mess around in, right?”

“I was wrong…”

“It’s not about being wrong or not,” Lin Zhan said. “We need to figure out whose bike this is and at least get it repaired. I don’t recognize the brand—do you guys?”

Qi Lijie: “I do. Actually, this bike doesn’t have many standout features except one.”

Lin Zhan: “What?”

Qi Lijie: “...Expensive.”

...

……

Lin Zhan examined the damaged bike: “I only broke the pedal and a bit of the frame above it. How much do you think it’ll cost to repair?”

Qi Lijie: “Not sure, but conservatively speaking... probably four digits. If we split it three ways, it won’t be too bad.”

“That’s manageable,” Lin Zhan said. “Now we need to figure out whose bike it is and apologize first.”

Both boys fell silent.

Lin Zhan: “Aren’t you two supposed to be the gossip king and queen of Chonggao? Don’t tell me you don’t know about this small matter?”

“We know,” Qi Lijie said. “We’re just afraid telling you will give you a heart attack.”

In all of Chonggao, there was only one person capable of giving her a heart attack.

Lin Zhan fell into deep thought.

Lin Zhan: “All the effort I put into building my image is gone. Now, in his eyes, I must look like a gorilla with superhuman strength.”

Sun Hong: “Don’t say that. Even if you were a gorilla, our Sister Zhan would still be the most beautiful one!”

Qi Lijie pulled him: “Stop talking. Can’t you see she’s upset?”

///

“Is it funny?” Shen Xi looked at Zhang Ze, who had been laughing for a full minute.

Zhang Ze caught his breath: “Not funny? Hahaha, I can’t handle it anymore... Where did you find such a treasure? She’s hilarious!”

Shen Xi pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation: “Didn’t I say she’s a plague spirit? She really is.”

Zhang Ze laughed and asked: “Are you mad?”

Mad?

He wasn’t particularly angry. He had long since grown accustomed to situations like this.

Shen Xi didn’t respond and turned to walk back to the classroom: “Let’s go. Class is about to start.”

“Are you really that indulgent?” Zhang Ze teased. “You’re not even going to pursue this?”

Shen Xi: “Would pursuing it make a difference?”

Zhang Ze: “Hey, don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for her? Is that why you’re letting her get away with everything?”

Even Zhang Ze knew that was unlikely, as Shen Xi had always been this way—rarely angered because few dared to provoke him.

But for some reason, he instinctively wanted to tease Shen Xi.

Perhaps it was because Lin Zhan was the first of her kind to appear, making her feel refreshingly new.

Friends always joked around with each other.

They had only met a few times and exchanged a few words—how could he possibly like her?

Without hesitation, Shen Xi denied it: “I don’t like her.”

“Impossible,” Zhang Ze pressed, seeing that Shen Xi was responding. He couldn’t resist teasing further to see how Shen Xi would react. Firmly, he added, “I think you do like her.”

Shen Xi thought about the poor night’s sleep he had and how Ye Qian had laughed about that incident practically his entire childhood…

Almost every moment he found himself “speechless” was somehow related to her.

How could he like someone who brought him trouble?

A subtle emotion welled up inside him. It seemed that only one response could silence Zhang Ze.

Whether to stop this headache-inducing conversation or to preserve his dignity, he decided to say something more decisive.

Without stopping, Shen Xi turned his head slightly and said coolly: “If I liked her, I’d write my name backward.”

///

After discussing, Lin Zhan decided to adopt a “strike first, explain later” approach.

First, she would take Shen Xi’s bike to get repaired, then wait for another opportunity to apologize.

If Shen Xi didn’t notice, it would be a happy ending for everyone.

However, after one class, when she was about to implement her plan, she discovered that the expensive bike had already disappeared.

Lin Zhan looked at Sun Hong, who looked at Qi Lijie, and Qi Lijie, having nowhere else to look, quietly played with the sand underfoot.

Sun Hong: “I saw the bike locked securely. It shouldn’t have been stolen, right? Maybe Shen Xi...”

Qi Lijie pulled him: “If you figured it out, don’t you think Lin Zhan knows too? Shut up unless you want her to punch you.”

Lin Zhan crossed her arms, frowning deeply: “Now that he’s taken it to get repaired himself, what do we do?”

Sun Hong tentatively suggested: “Give him money?”

Qi Lijie immediately dismissed the idea: “He’s rich—he doesn’t need our money.”

“Buy him an equivalent gift,” Lin Zhan rubbed her temples. “I don’t have the face to ask him if he took the broken bike to get repaired.”

Think about it—a girl who had never lacked admirers, on her first attempt at pursuing someone, ended up smashing their bike.

…What would he think of her?

…A Herculean female warrior.

///

Though she felt too embarrassed to ask, she at least owed him an apology.

Even though Sun Hong had moved the bike, she hadn’t paid attention to what was in front of her, and this accident happened partly because of her negligence.

After school, Lin Zhan waited for Shen Xi at the school gate.

Sure enough, he soon emerged alone—this time without Zhang Ze.

Unable to think of a good opening line, Lin Zhan simply followed him while contemplating.

The evening in W City was still hot, the residual heat lingering as the golden-yellow sunset spread across the sky.

As she walked, Lin Zhan became lost in thought, gradually drawing closer to Shen Xi.

Eventually, she stepped directly onto his shadow.

Shen Xi was tall, and standing behind him felt, as expected, like being sheltered.

Suddenly, the person in front stopped.

?

Lin Zhan braked just in time, narrowly avoiding a collision, and bounced back slightly.

Shen Xi’s voice betrayed no emotion: “Following me?”

Lin Zhan’s prepared apology—”I’m here to apologize”—got stuck in her throat upon hearing that question.

The way he phrased it made it sound like admitting would confirm she was a stalker.

Her eyes darted, and she used the oldest excuse in the book: “I’m just passing by...”

This time, his voice seemed tinged with amusement: “Passing by here?”

Lin Zhan straightened her back, speaking with confidence: “Yes!”

Shen Xi turned around and gestured for her to look ahead.

Right in front of them was unmistakably the men’s restroom.

Lin Zhan: “...”

“You planned this, didn’t you?!”

Shen Xi: “I didn’t.”

Lowering her head in frustration, she admitted with rare shame: “I wasn’t trying to follow you—I wanted to apologize.

“I smashed your bike today. You must have noticed, otherwise it wouldn’t have disappeared.”

“Sorry. I’ll pay for the repairs.”

“But I have to say, the bike was moved there by my friend. I didn’t see it before throwing and didn’t mean to target you specifically.”

“Mm,” he said. “It’s fine.”

“I had some free time this afternoon, so I sent it for repairs already.”

Lin Zhan did the math and realized it was Tuesday.

During the first period on Tuesday afternoons, he didn’t have class.

That meant, when she noticed the bike was gone during the second period in the morning, he must have already moved it elsewhere.

Thinking about it made her chest tighten.

Lin Zhan: “I’ll pay for the repairs.”

Shen Xi strode forward, replying: “No need.”

Lin Zhan followed persistently: “But I’ll feel guilty if I don’t.”

“It was my fault for parking it there in the first place,” Shen Xi said. “That spot wasn’t meant for parking anyway. I share the blame.”

Lin Zhan paused, then said: “Then the four of us should split it equally. We all made mistakes.”

Shen Xi sighed, as if persuaded or simply unable to escape her relentless chatter.

He nodded, slowed his pace, and attempted to walk alongside her.

“So, how do you plan to make it up to me?”

“Let me compensate you with something of equal value,” Lin Zhan said, inspiration striking. “Perfume?”

Without hesitation, he nodded: “Sure.”

But then she thought of the soft, sun-soaked scent that lingered on him—the kind that captivated her and couldn’t possibly be replicated by perfume.

Lin Zhan self-corrected: “Perfume is too cliché. Forget it.”

Shen Xi: “...”

As Lin Zhan was thinking, she looked up and saw Shen Xi pointing to a nearby milk tea shop.

“Buy me a drink, and we’ll call it even.”

At the entrance of Wuyin Liangpin , a preview for a new product was playing.

“Lemonade has arrived—come taste it!”

As they observed, a couple walked out holding a cup of the new product—one cup, two straws.

A mischievous smile crept onto her face, and she said softly:

“Alright.”