Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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The swimming pool was bustling with noise.
Besides the free atmosphere of swimming class— where there was no studying and everyone could chat freely— it was also because today was swimming class day for the “school bully” couple, Class 2-10.
Yan Han said he wanted to have a race with Lin Jianlu, and so he really did.
This was his first time wearing a men’s swimsuit in swimming class, so he was understandably excited.
Once in the water, letting the water splash against his skin, Yan Han swam his arms, creating bursts of splashing water.
He swam a lap freely, then returned to meet up with Lin Jianlu. They would start from the deep end, swimming halfway before turning back, using any stroke they could. Whoever returned to shore first won.
“Ready?” Yan Han asked, floating on the surface of the water.
“Yeah,” Lin Jianlu replied.
Yan Han waved his arms a couple of times. “There’s no referee here… How about I count to three, and we all start together on three?”
Lin Jianlu had no objection: “Okay.”
So it was decided. Yan Han started the countdown, and when he counted to “three,” he suddenly swung his body forward. He was prepared; as he flattened his body, he stepped onto the edge of the pool, pushed off with his foot, and stretched his arms forward to minimize resistance, shooting out like an arrow.
He avoided the shallow end because it was crowded, and Yan Han was used to avoiding crowded areas during swimming lessons.
Before, he was afraid of getting too close to people and accidentally losing his composure; now, it was because he wanted to consider Lin Jianlu’s feelings.
Of course, too many people also made it difficult to swim, which would seriously affect the swimming experience.
In fact, this was indeed the case. Although some people didn’t like going into the water, most people still chose to swim a couple of laps in the pool, although fewer people went to the deep end, but some did.
However, perhaps because they knew the two were racing, some classmates on the shore had already started clearing the course for them, so the first half lap went quite smoothly.
At the start, Yan Han pulled a trick, as this would give him a significant boost and conserve his energy.
But Lin Jianlu’s swimming skills were superior, and although he had an initial advantage, he didn’t dare to let his guard down, swimming with all his might after taking off.
Lin Jianlu was indeed at a disadvantage at the start, and with Yan Han swimming at full speed, it was unlikely he could catch up.
But there was still a chance to turn things around: when they reached the middle of the pool and made a turn, Yan Han always swam to the edge of the pool and used the pool wall to push off, not turning in place.
Lin Jianlu knew this and seized the opportunity, making up for the distance he had fallen behind at this turn.
In the final half-lap, as they raced each other, their bodies remained almost parallel, like two dolphins performing acrobatic feats, enveloped in the splashing water, reaching the shore nearly simultaneously.
Throughout this process, people ran back and forth on the shore, cheering them on.
Whether it was the students from Class 10 or other classmates who took swimming lessons together, they couldn’t resist coming over to watch the spectacle when they heard that the two campus celebrities were racing.
They didn’t notice it at the start, but after Yan Han and Lin Jianlu reached the finish line, the surrounding shore was already crowded with people, some standing and some squatting, all discussing it.
One person exclaimed, “…What kind of speed is that? Are they dolphins?”
Another said, “…I even tried to record it in the second half to see just how fast they were.”
The others around them asked, “And then? How fast were they?”
The person looked helplessly at their watch, “…I didn’t even have time to set up the stopwatch.”
Everyone: “…”
But compared to the few people who noticed the speed, Yan Han and Lin Jianlu’s arrival at the finish line, at the edge of the pool, was clearly more captivating.
After both hands touched the wall simultaneously, marking the end of the race, Yan Han’s head, which had been half-submerged in the water, suddenly emerged with a splash. Almost instinctively, he immediately took off his goggles, revealing a handsome face.
His skin, whether from being soaked in water or from the cold, looked slightly pale, which further accentuated his flawless, exquisite features.
Beneath his completely unadorned face, his lips were a vibrant red, his peach blossom eyes glistened with a hint of water, his handsome brows and refined features radiated a captivating charm.
Even a picture of a beauty emerging from a bath couldn’t compare.
The people on the shore, especially those on the outermost edge facing Yan Han, didn’t want to overdo their fangirl or infatuation, so they forcibly held back their gasps, not wanting to appear too cowardly.
Those inside, however, didn’t care; they exclaimed and screamed as they pleased…
Yan Han hadn’t expected such a strong reaction after simply wiping water off his face and doing nothing else.
He politely waved to the people on the shore, revealing a smile he thought was humble, but which was actually overly flamboyant due to his striking good looks.
….
Now, even the students in the front row couldn’t help but exclaim, “So handsome!”
“So cute!”
Yan Han: “…”
He caused a series of unusual reactions, and Lin Jianlu was no less enthusiastic.
Amid the murmurs, Yan Han wiped his face and returned to the main topic seriously, asking Lin Jianlu, “So, who got here first?”
There were too many people around, and Lin Jianlu’s expression was not good at the moment. He shook his head and said, “I don’t know.”
The two of them arrived almost at the same time, and whoever touched the wall with both hands first would win.
But the school swimming pool obviously didn’t have sensors, and the students watching on the shore obviously didn’t care who won or lost, so unless one of them was significantly slower than the other, this problem was unsolvable.
However, Yan Han wouldn’t take his brother Lin seriously. Seeing that the competition had attracted too many people, and guessing that his brother Lin would feel unwell soon, he quickly coughed and changed the subject, saying, “Let’s go over there. You can check if my butterfly stroke form is correct.”
“Okay.”
Lin Jianlu readily agreed. At this moment, everyone had gathered in the deep end, and the middle and shallow ends were noticeably less crowded. The two prepared to swim towards the less crowded areas.
Seeing that they were no longer on the shore, the others also dispersed a bit. While there were many fans, there were also those who were completely indifferent to Yan Han or Lin Jianlu. This group was mostly boys, and from other classes at that.
Because they didn’t understand why the two were so popular— a half-lap race could attract so many people, filling the arena with cheers and excitement…—a boy from another class stepped forward before they swam away and said, “Seniors, can I have a match with you?”
The speaker was a first-year boy, tall and muscular, with a well-built physique, though not having prominent abs, and a somewhat rebellious hairstyle.
Before Yan Han or Lin Jianlu could answer, he had already jumped into the water with a splash.
…Regardless of the grade, from the day they entered high school, the selection of the top ten most popular students automatically began.
This was partly based on seniority, because senior students would automatically step down from the selection process after reaching their final year, and first-year students often lacked the necessary experience. Therefore, the spots were usually concentrated in the second year.
But in the past, there had been some exceptionally promising new students.
Like Lin Jianlu’s class, Lin Jianlu became famous in the first semester of his freshman year for defeating all other high school students in a math Olympiad competition. His outstanding appearance, demeanor, and family background also earned him a place among the top ten most popular students.
Wei Ningxin, who had already transferred, received the same treatment due to his outstanding athletic performance.
Perhaps because the previous year’s seniors were so exceptional, many of the new students, still in their freshman year, were already eager to make a name for themselves.
This big guy was one of them.
He was also recruited by Luze High School at a high price as a sports student, having won numerous awards in junior high, and was already quite arrogant.
He had heard about an anonymous forum that selected the city’s top ten most popular students every year, and he was eager to participate, thinking he would be selected after enrolling. However, the previous year’s seniors were so dazzling that the entire anonymous forum wasn’t very enthusiastic about selecting newcomers.
Although he was also named a popular student in the first semester, his popularity remained low.
Compared to these two senior students, he was practically insignificant.
The big guy had always been resentful. He wasn’t bad-looking, and while his grades were average, he was definitely good at sports. Yet, he received no attention…
Even though the senior student who used to excel in sports had transferred, leaving him as the only one at Luze High School known for his athleticism, everyone’s attention was focused on these two academically gifted seniors; nobody even considered him a threat!
This frustrated the big guy, but since they were seniors and he rarely had the chance to interact with them, he could only bottle it up.
Unexpectedly, at the start of the second semester, he was going to have swimming lessons with these two renowned seniors…
He’d better give them a good lesson.
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