Mark Me, Okay? - Chapter 9

After morning reading, students from each class lined up to head to the playground for the sports meet. Qi Xiangxing swiftly barged into Class Three’s queue, pushing past several people as she made her determined way toward Luan Li. Though her expression remained calm, the faint redness at the tips of her ears betrayed her.

“Hey! Who’s shoving like that?” Some Class Three students turned around in annoyance but immediately fell silent upon recognizing Qi Xiangxing. The Class Four monitor had always been a fearless little troublemaker, and even though she’d now presented as an omega, no one expected her to suddenly become docile.

“Luan Li!” Qi Xiangxing squeezed through the crowd, nearly reaching her target when someone jostled her away again. She shouted, “I need to talk to you!”

Luan Li turned in confusion, spotted Qi Xiangxing, and fought her way through the crowd to grab her arm. “Let’s talk outside.”

Just like that, the formidable alpha Luan Li pulled Qi Xiangxing out of the throng.

Catching her breath, Luan Li looked at Qi Xiangxing with exasperation. “Couldn’t this wait? What if you got hurt in that crowd?”

Qi Xiangxing crossed her arms, undiminished in her defiance. She snorted through her nose, “Since when are you so strong? What—worried about your classmates?”

Luan Li: …

I was clearly worried about you. Why are you being so unreasonable?

“I came for something important.” Qi Xiangxing glanced at the nearby crowd and spoke just loud enough to be heard. “Where’s my medal from yesterday?”

Luan Li arched an eyebrow. “Who was it that promised before the race to give her medal to me?”

“But you can’t just keep it!” Qi Xiangxing pouted, her voice tinged with grievance. “That’s my honor! Besides—” She suddenly faltered, shooting Luan Li a bashful look before mumbling,

“…I was going to give that medal to my future wife with my own hands.”

So hurry up and give it back—how else am I supposed to give it to you?!

Luan Li’s eyes sparkled, though her expression remained neutral. Feigning incomprehension, she asked, “What was that?” After a pause, she added, “Are you discriminating against alphas?”

Qi Xiangxing’s eyes widened. “That’s slander!”

Luan Li kept a straight face. “You promised that medal to me.”

Unable to win the argument, Qi Xiangxing huffed, “Fine, keep it then!” Ugh, Luan Li was so infuriating!

Back at her class’s seating area on the bleachers, Qi Xiangxing remained visibly sulky. Du Ziheng, sitting beside her, asked curiously, “Monitor, didn’t you go to ask your wife for the medal back?”

Qi Xiangxing snorted. “I gave it to her.”

Du Ziheng’s eyes lit up—had his ship already progressed to exchanging tokens of love? Wait, shouldn’t that involve mutual gifts? He remembered Luan Li had a shot put competition today…

His gaze drifted toward the shot put field beside the bleachers.

“Monitor, monitor, do you think your wife wants to win a medal today to give to you too?” Du Ziheng stroked his chin. Now that made sense! That would truly count as love tokens!

Qi Xiangxing turned to him, her eyes bright with unconscious hope. “Really?”

Du Ziheng nodded emphatically.

Qi Xiangxing broke into a radiant smile, her little canine teeth peeking out. “Du Ziheng, if you’re lying, you’re dead meat!”

Du Ziheng: ??? All I did was ship a couple! What did I do wrong?!

Before heading to the shot put field, Luan Li specifically came to find Qi Xiangxing. From a distance, she spotted Qi Xiangxing sitting listlessly at the front of the class, her school jacket draped over her head, wearing a light-colored short-sleeved shirt underneath.

Luan Li squeezed in next to Qi Xiangxing: “Qi Xiangxing!”

Qi Xiangxing lifted her eyelids, glanced at her, and responded weakly.

“I have a shot put competition later!”

Qi Xiangxing gave an indifferent “Oh,” her eyes wandering everywhere except on Luan Li.

“I’ll give you the medal.”

Hearing Luan Li’s words, Qi Xiangxing finally looked up at her.

Luan Li was tall, just one centimeter shorter than her. Maybe it was because she had developed into an alpha, but Qi Xiangxing vaguely felt that Luan Li seemed much taller now.

Qi Xiangxing knew Luan Li had never participated in a sports meet before. She glanced at Luan Li’s slender arms—they lacked the muscular definition of her own! Where was the alpha physique in that?!

“All students participating in the high school second-year shot put competition, please report to the registration desk immediately.”

Luan Li’s beautiful eyes locked onto Qi Xiangxing, full of expectation, as if waiting for a response. Her eyes were stunning, like the brightest star in the night sky, yet at times, they seemed as fragile as a rare treasure.

Qi Xiangxing felt her face grow slightly warm. No matter the situation, she could never meet Luan Li’s gaze directly—as if one more look would pull her in completely.

When those eyes looked at her with such anticipation, Qi Xiangxing knew she couldn’t refuse.

“All students participating in the high school second-year shot put competition, please report to the registration desk immediately.”

The second announcement urged them, but Luan Li remained rooted in place, staring at her as if she wouldn’t leave until Qi Xiangxing agreed.

Qi Xiangxing turned away, stealing a glance at Luan Li before mumbling, “Fine.”

A sudden spark of joy lit up Luan Li’s eyes. She reached out and ruffled Qi Xiangxing’s soft hair before turning to leave in a hurry.

Qi Xiangxing jerked her head up, glaring fiercely at Luan Li’s retreating back—

Luan Li!!!

You jerk! Why did you touch my head?! Don’t you know it stunts growth?!

“Ah, youth is wonderful!” Qin Qing sighed, sitting at the back of the class with Yue Qiu, watching the lively students.

Yue Qiu huffed, “Back when I was in sports meets, I never saw you this enthusiastic.” She pursed her lips, her tone full of accusation. “No matter how much I begged, you never cheered for me!”

Qin Qing chuckled softly. “I wasn’t your teacher back then.”

Yue Qiu gritted her teeth. “Teacher Qin!”

Qin Qing patted her shoulder reassuringly. “Alright, there’s a teachers’ competition later. I’ll cheer for you then.”

Yue Qiu’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

Qin Qing smiled. “When have I ever gone back on my word?”

“No take-backs!”

Luan Li arrived at the shot put field and glanced back at the heads peeking out from the bleachers.

“Go, Luan Li!”

“Class president, you got this!”

Luan Li smiled and waved at them, squinting as she scanned the crowd for Qi Xiangxing, but she didn’t spot that familiar face. She sighed inwardly—well, there would be other opportunities. No need to rush things and scare Xingxing away.

“Contestant number nine, Luan Li, get ready.”

The PE teacher acting as referee called out, and Luan Li nodded. Before stepping onto the field, she instinctively glanced back at the stands—just in case. What if Qi Xiangxing was watching her now?

She turned back, still seeing nothing. Just as she was about to turn away in disappointment, she caught sight of a head suddenly popping up at the very edge of the stands.

Squinting against the sunlight, Luan Li locked onto Qi Xiangxing’s figure. A smile instantly curved her lips as she took the shot put from the staff member.

Qi Xiangxing flinched under her gaze, reflexively shrinking her neck.

Luan Li weighed the shot put in her hand as waves of cheers surged from behind her.

“Class president! Go for it!”

“Luan Li, you can do it!”

Amid the chants, Luan Li distinctly picked out Qi Xiangxing’s voice. Warmth flooded her chest, softening her expression.

Xingxing.

After an eerie silence, the crowd erupted in gasps.

“Contestant number nine, Luan Li, four-kilogram shot put result…” The referee PE teacher glanced at Luan Li’s slender frame, then at the shot put on the ground, before announcing with a complicated expression, “10.6 meters.”

“Holy sh1t!”

“No way!”

“Damn! If I remember right, Luan Li just broke the school record, didn’t she?”

“Yeah! The record was 10.1 meters… That’s national third-tier athlete level, right?”

The record had stood for five years. The last senior who broke it had been specially recruited by a prestigious university—and now Luan Li had surpassed her by another 0.5 meters.

As Luan Li stood on the podium to receive her medal, Qi Xiangxing sat hunched in her seat with her school jacket draped over her head, lost in thought.

Fvck.

How was Luan Li so strong?

She looked so delicate! Where did those skinny arms get that kind of explosive power?

What if they ended up together someday? Wouldn’t Luan Li be able to princess-carry her effortlessly?

…If Luan Li was this strong, then what about their future…?

Qi Xiangxing’s face burned crimson.

“Class president? Hey, class president? Why’s your face so red?” Du Ziheng asked beside her, puzzled.

Flushing even deeper, Qi Xiangxing shot him a glare. “None of your business!”