Chapter 209: Your Stamina Depends on Me

Jiang Muye had originally assumed that Leng Ruoli had fallen far behind. He had never imagined that she would actually catch up on the final lap.

Of course, he could tell she was running with great difficulty.

Her little bunny bounced with every step, unable to bear the weight, and her whole body swayed slightly along with it, her footsteps labored.

Yet a spring flush bloomed on her pink cheeks, her hair lifted faintly, and when she looked at him, she wore a fresh, sweet smile. Despite her exhaustion, she faced the sun and grew toward it, giving Jiang Muye a refreshing feeling.

It was like peach blossoms brushing his face, like a clear stream babbling softly. Jiang Muye's whole world burst into bloom.

"Leng Ruoli, keep going—" Jiang Muye, his face flushed red, bellowed in her direction.

His entire heart was beating in time with her footsteps.

Leng Ruoli's smile blossomed wide.

Even though her breathing was already terribly labored now, her footsteps incredibly clumsy, she was still doing her utmost to hold on.

Jiang Muye could not help but run forward.

He reached his hand out toward her.

She was closer and closer to him.

She tried so hard, so very hard, straining to reach him.

But there was still distance between them.

Frantic with worry, Jiang Muye was beside himself. Under everyone's astonished gazes, he ran forward a bit more.

He grabbed her hand. It was so soft.

The instant his fingers touched her, it was as if electricity coursed through him, leaving Jiang Muye's whole body numb and tingly.

But he didn't care how thrilling the sensation was. With all his might, he wished there were reins to force Leng Ruoli forward.

If she couldn't run, then he would carry her along.

No matter how hard it was, he wouldn't let go of her hand. Even in a moment of crisis, he would charge forward with her.

"Clang—" Jiang Muye pulled Leng Ruoli across the starting line.

The teacher's excited voice rang out: "Leng Ruoli, three minutes fifty seconds! Twenty seconds faster than last time! Never done before!"

The moment the teacher's words fell, momentum carried Leng Ruoli forward. She toppled and immediately collapsed onto Jiang Muye, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Huff, huff, huff, huff." Her frantic breathing echoed without pause.

Jiang Muye trembled. He could feel Leng Ruoli, her cheeks flushed red beyond reason, her breathing ragged, pressing her whole body against him.

A soft, warm jade in his embrace—naturally, Jiang Muye's adrenaline surged.

His heart swelled several times over, about to explode, especially since his chest could feel the burning heat of Leng Ruoli's cheek against his skin.

It was so hot, so very hot.

But it also brought him to the peak of bliss.

He saw the azure blue sky, breathed in the scent of the grass, and inhaled the faint fragrance clinging to Leng Ruoli's body.

The corners of Jiang Muye's mouth curved up despite himself.

He lowered his head and found that Leng Ruoli's eyes were squeezed tightly shut, her breathing still rapid and ragged, in great discomfort.

Jiang Muye's heart, like raindrops pattering down on a jade plate, grew anxious and flustered again.

"Are you okay? Have some water." Jiang Muye was deeply worried. He wanted to hand Leng Ruoli some water, but tears had already welled up in her eyes.

Jiang Muye understood how miserable a girl could feel after running so hard. Just looking at the other girls beside them who were about to throw up told him how intense it had been.

Watching Leng Ruoli endure it, Jiang Muye thought of the Stamina Recovery Potion still left in his System Shop.

Jiang Muye immediately called out to the System: System, I want to use a Stamina Recovery Potion on Ruoli.

System: 【Please pay one hundred Grit Points.】

Jiang Muye: You trash System, now you're price-gouging?

System: 【Host, I'm about to be drained dry. The merchandise was a gift from me, and now you want to transfer it to an outsider. Surely I should recoup some of the cost.】

What a treacherous System.

But Jiang Muye doted on his girlfriend and didn't care about those hundred Grit Points.

He immediately exchanged the Grit Points and used the Stamina Recovery Potion on Leng Ruoli.

Very quickly, Leng Ruoli, who had just been struggling to breathe, gradually returned to calm.

Her cheeks were still a little flushed, but her color had improved considerably.

"Feeling better?" Jiang Muye asked with concern.

"So amazing, I suddenly feel so much better." Leng Ruoli was astonished.

"Maybe you just hadn't recovered earlier, and now you have. Here, have some water." Jiang Muye handed Leng Ruoli water, and she immediately picked up the bottle and gulped it down.

Water still trickled down along Leng Ruoli's jawline.

When she instinctively went to wipe away the droplets, a gentle hand was already there, wiping them away.

Jiang Muye gazed at Leng Ruoli with bright eyes and teased, "Your feat of tackling me to the ground just now really scared me. My darling is so forward, daring to be so shameless in broad daylight."

His teasing made Leng Ruoli's skin burn hot.

She shook her head vigorously and immediately explained to Jiang Muye, "I was just too tired just now and couldn't stand steady, so I lost my balance. It wasn't on purpose."

"Hey, I actually quite like your initiative. I hope from now on you'll treat this as the baseline standard and carry it out, and never fob me off." Jiang Muye leaned close to Leng Ruoli's ear and gently teased her.

His lips deliberately brushed past her round, pert ear.

Leng Ruoli's ear turned bright red in an instant. She glared at Jiang Muye and gave him a light push with her palm. Jiang Muye laughed and tilted his body to lean against Leng Ruoli's soft form.

Leng Ruoli couldn't help but smile faintly. Looking at Jiang Muye, who was so full of dependence on her, she felt as free and easy as if she had drunk sweet dew.

The teacher also sought Leng Ruoli out to praise her: "You've improved a lot. I thought you'd run out of stamina this time, but the result surpassed my expectations."

Jiang Muye leaned in, rested his chin on Leng Ruoli's shoulder, and replied smugly, "Teacher, rest assured, her stamina is under my supervision."

After feeling the hot breath Jiang Muye exhaled, Leng Ruoli's face turned crimson. Then, hearing Jiang Muye's meaningful words, her mind spun with all sorts of evocative images.

Leng Ruoli instinctively pointed a finger at Jiang Muye.

Jiang Muye, like a corgi, blissfully rubbed his face against her neck, making Leng Ruoli's skin even redder.

After class ended, on the dark, quiet stairwell of the back building.

Two intertwined figures, pressed against the cold wall, kissed each other.

It set the imagination racing.