Chapter 36: First, "My princess."

Despite Shang Zui's insistent persuasion, Gu Ci, though he felt something was amiss, agreed to his plan: his medium-sized doll costume and Shang Zui's medium-sized knight costume would go to the two girls, while he and Shang Zui would wear small-sized princess costumes.

Gu Ci wasn't doubting the rationale for the two boys wearing princess dresses, but rather wondering... could they really fit into such small dresses?

Shang Zui glanced at Gu Ci's slender waist, outlined by her school uniform shirt, and said confidently, "I've danced for so many years, I can't be wrong. Just try it and you'll know."

Gu Ci looked at the other students in the classroom. After the costumes were distributed, everyone was eager to try them on. Gu Ci, clutching his bag, couldn't make up his mind.

Now he knew what was wrong: two boys in princess dresses, parading around the playground in full view of everyone. Oh my god...

There was a commotion all around, and looking back, Shang Zui had already excitedly put on the dress on the spot, drawing a crowd of astonished glances. Because of her tall and slender figure, Shang Zui could actually fit into the smallest size. Hearing the cheers and jeers from the crowd, Shang Zui even spun around in her skirt with her skirt lifted.

Gu Ci couldn't quite contain his laughter.

Changing her skirt right in the middle of the classroom was a bit embarrassing. Thinking of this, he looked to Huo Wenyuan for help.

"Brother Wenyuan..." He stretched out his delicate fingers and poked Huo Wenyuan's forearm. "Can you come with me to the bathroom to change?"

Huo Wenyuan looked up at him, his eyes gentle. "Okay."

Gu Ci walked with his head down, escaping to the bathroom. Huo Wenyuan followed leisurely, his bag in hand. Anxiously, Gu Ci couldn't help but turn back to urge him.

"Hurry up, Brother Wenyuan,"

Huo Wenyuan curled his lips. "Coming."

Arriving in the bathroom, Gu Ci breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no other classmates. He quickly waved Huo Wenyuan over.

Closing the stall door, Gu Ci noticed something was amiss.

...He and Huo Wenyuan were in the same stall?

In the cramped space, Gu Ci and Huo Wenyuan stood facing each other, their chests pressed together, just enough for a hand to reach.

Gu Ci tilted his head back, brushing Huo Wenyuan's chin, his eyes flashing with obvious panic.

Oh my god… He began to back out, whispering to Huo Wenyuan, "It's too crowded. Why don't you leave first?"

Huo Wenyuan raised his eyes slightly, but before he could say anything, the voices of three or two boys from the same class echoed outside the cubicle.

"Oh, Qu Zhi, that doll costume of yours is killing me! It's so ugly!"

Qu Zhi said nonchalantly, "What's wrong with that? It's just one word: play! Look at Shang Zui, he's even wearing women's clothes, hahahaha!"

Gu Ci hung his head in defiance, feeling worried at the thought.

"Oh no, I need to go to the bathroom!" As he spoke, a boy from outside ran closer, heading straight for their cubicle and pushing the door.

The door swung, and Gu Ci stared in horror at the shadow beneath it. He inched forward, his steps overlapping Huo Wenyuan's.

Finding one person inside wouldn't be a big deal, but finding two would be strange. Gu Ci silently pleaded, hoping the classmate would give up on them and quickly find the cubicle they wanted.

Fortunately, the classmate wasn't insistent, mumbling a few words before heading across. Gu Ci broke out in a cold sweat, looking up with lingering fear. Huo Wenyuan was still laughing unrestrainedly.

Gu Ci: "?"

He was truly angry, glaring at him furiously, but his lips parted as if he were about to speak.

"!" Gu Ci quickly covered his mouth, raising his other hand to his own lips as a gesture for silence.

Huo Wenyuan nodded, his breath wafting freely into Gu Ci's palm, causing his wrist to tremble, and he was gradually losing his grip. He held this position for several minutes, finally waiting for the boys in the bathroom to leave.

Gu Ci breathed a sigh of relief, feeling no longer any desire to change.

Coming out of the bathroom, Gu Ci's face flushed with embarrassment. Even though the temperature had dropped, it felt hotter than in the summer. Even after washing his hands, his palms still burned.

Huo Wenyuan followed him casually, looking at Gu Ci in the mirror. "Aren't you going to change?"

Gu Ci stared at her reddened cheeks and the tips of her ears, refusing to change no matter what.

Huo Wenyuan then said, as if after the fact, "Why don't you go to my lounge to change?"

Gu Ci: "..."

How could I have forgotten this place! Then why was I so embarrassed just now?

A chuckle veiled in Huo Wenyuan's eyes. He took Gu Ci's hand and led him to his own lounge.

Turning on the lights and locking the door, Huo Wenyuan folded his arms and said, "You can change now."

Gu Ci took the dress and said to Huo Wenyuan in a low, cautious voice, "Brother Wenyuan, you can..."

Before he could finish, Huo Wenyuan had already turned away.

Gu Ci softly thanked him and put on the princess dress.

"..." Shang Zui was right; it was still manageable.

Gu Ci gritted his teeth and said to Huo Wenyuan, whose back was turned, "That's enough, Brother Wenyuan."

Huo Wenyuan turned and glanced casually, only to be stunned by the sight of Gu Ci.

Gu Ci stood blushing under the light, her skin as white as snow. She wore a pearly pink, medieval-style princess dress, resembling a delicate, alluring rose.

Huo Wenyuan remained silent, his Adam's apple tightening as he stared at Gu Ci.

Gu Ci's lack of response only deepened his embarrassment. He looked down at the puffed-up skirt and lace sleeves, "How is it... isn't it strange?"

"How about I wear my regular clothes, like you?"

Due to health reasons, Huo Wenyuan couldn't wear these rental clothes. Furthermore, he had been invited by the Student Union to judge certain events, and Teacher Xie had been coaxing him into holding a sign, so he had no need for such things.

Huo Wenyuan shook his head: "Not weird."

Gu Ci always felt that Huo Wenyuan was comforting him, and muttered softly: "I always feel like a weirdo."

The back of his neck relaxed, and Huo Wenyuan came over to straighten his collar, and casually whispered in his ear: "Not like a weirdo, but like a princess."

Gu Ci: "..."

He wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

After changing his clothes, on the way back to the classroom, Gu Ci kept staring at the floor, and never dared to look up at Huo Wenyuan again.

Huo Wenyuan smiled deliberately and asked: "What's wrong, my princess?"

Gu Ci knew that he was deliberately teasing her, raised his misty eyes, and after a long time, he finally uttered: "...Huo Wenyuan, you're annoying!"

Then he quickly walked back to the classroom, letting Huo Wenyuan follow behind with his clothes.

Returning to his seat, Shang Zui immediately called his name: "Where have you been, little Gu Ci? I've been looking for you for a long time. Have you changed your clothes? I didn't even see you change clothes."

Seeing that Gu Ci's face looked a little strange, he asked again: "What did you do? Why is your face so red?"

Gu Ci shook his head and whispered: "I just changed my clothes... and I can wear them."

Shang Zui said with a smile, "I knew it. It's no problem. We'll be the coolest kids on the playground!"

Gu Ci sighed deeply, and then Shang Zui said, "Huo Gou, aren't you wearing casual clothes? Whose clothes are you holding?"

Huo Wenyuan sat down and said simply, "Don't meddle in the princess's business."

Shang Zui: "?"

Then he looked at Gu Ci and knew who "princess" he was referring to.

...We had a great time .

After rehearsals the day before, the sports meet finally began. Amidst the impassioned announcements, the student groups from each grade and class entered the venue in an orderly manner.

The male host on stage said in a standard broadcasting voice, "Next up is the star group from Class 1, Grade 2! Ah! They're so strong because they make up forty of the top fifty in the grade! They're not only talented, but they've also got the skills to win first place! They have the strength and the skills to win first place! Go for it, young people! The road to research and study is just around the corner!"

"..." Gu Ci, panicked by the introduction, tugged at her skirt and nearly tripped.

Shang Zui was quick to catch him, his lips twitching. "Who wrote this press release? Did we agree?"

Qu Zhi lost all confidence for the first time. "...I suspect it was Crab Bro, and I have evidence."

Embarrassing as it was, the entire playground erupted in excitement when Class 1, Grade 2, entered the arena. Almost all the students stood up in unison, swarming the front row on tiptoe to get a glimpse.

"Ahhhhh, it's Huo Wenyuan holding the sign this year! So handsome! Help! I'm going to faint!"

"Oh my god, he's actually at the sports meet! My youth is complete!"

"Why are these academic elites dressed so haphazardly? Have they gone crazy studying? Hahahahaha..."

"I'm dying of laughter, Senior Qu. Finally, they can get away from their school uniforms and wear ugly doll costumes to get back at society, huh?"

"My idol and my secret crush are in the same frame! Who knows how it feels?"

"Hey, why don't I see Senior Gu Ci? Where's our sweetheart, Ah Ci?"

Soon, someone spotted Gu Ci in a princess dress.

"Help! Our senior Gu Ci is wearing a princess dress! Oh my god, so cute! I want to kiss him!"

"Senior Shang is wearing one too?? Are these two best friends being princesses together?"

"Ahhh, baby Gu Ci's face is as red as an apple, so energetic, I'm clapping, clapping, clapping!"

Meanwhile, countless sports meet photo galleries had been created on the Xichen Gua Forum.

[Click to see HD photos of Huo Shen looking cool and handsome!]

[Ci Mama, come in! Latest HD princess wallpapers!]

[Two-person photo! A cool-faced white knight x a pink and delicate princess, you might like this!]

Gu Ci, upon seeing this, was devastated.

He looked at Shang Zui in disbelief: "So many posts... all of them are our photos?"

And what's with that "two-person photo" thing? Even

as the instigator of the whole thing, Shang Zui showed no guilt. He playfully patted Gu Ci's shoulder and said, "Congratulations, little Gu Ci, for having the most photos on Tieba after Huo Wenyuan!"

Gu Ci closed his eyes, seemingly overcome by a crushing blow.

Now that things had come to this, let's race first. He was trying to use the intensity of the race to mask the painful memories of dressing like a woman in front of so many people, his criminal record visible from every angle.

In the afternoon, the 3000-meter race for the sophomore boys finally began. Hearing his name called, Gu Ci exchanged a glance with Shang Zui. As he stood up, he heard cheers from behind him.

"Go Gu Ci! We love you!"

"Do your best, Gu Ci! You're the best!"

"Gu Ci! Go! Gu Ci! Go!"

Gu Ci paused, turned to face his classmates, and suddenly felt confident. "Thank you everyone, I'll try my best!"

"Don't be afraid, Gu Ci." Shang Zui accompanied him to the starting line, encouraging him. "Just run, and you'll be done. If you can't keep going, we'll be there for you!"

He pointed at Huo Wenyuan, who was sitting in the independent judging area, and Qu Zhi, who had just finished the long jump competition and was looking over his shoulder. "See? We're all waiting for you at the finish line."

Gu Ci looked over to see Qu Zhi waving frantically at him. Huo Wenyuan smiled back and gave him a thumbs-up.

Gu Ci nodded, exhaled slowly, and calmed his heartbeat.

"Number seven, Gu Ci." A volunteer came over to put a number tag on him. "Senior Gu Ci, you're in lane seven."

Gu Ci walked over cooperatively, "Thank you."

The race was about to begin. He carefully stretched his wrists and ankles, finished warming up, and at the referee's instruction, stepped onto lane seven. He

lowered his eyes: running shoes, red plastic, white lines.

"Everyone on your marks—" the referee raised the signal gun. "3, 2, 1, bang!"

As the signal rang out, Gu Ci rushed out quickly, his ears filled with a chorus of cheers. At first, he wasn't in first place, ranking somewhere around fourth or fifth. Passing his class's area, Shang Zui, waving a whistle and clapper he'd gotten from nowhere, led his classmates in a chaotic and frantic cheer.

"Gu Ci, I say—"

"Come on!"

"Gu Ci—"

"Come on!"

Gu Ci frowned, his feet moving quickly.

On the podium, Liu Zhihe and Shi Fei from the radio station were reading the cheers that had been submitted in real time.

"My little cutie Gu Ci from Class 1, Senior 2, I want to tell you: the moment you stepped onto the track, you were number one in my heart! I like your eyes, they are big and bright, I like your mouth, and..." The more Liu Zhihe read, the more he doubted his life, "My cell phone number is..."

"What is this!" Liu Zhihe quickly stopped and threw the cheering words aside. Seeing Gu Ci running from the stage, he quickly grabbed the microphone, "Gu Ci, come on! Come on, Gu Ci!"

Gu Ci still ran forward, 400 meters, 800 meters, 1000 meters... Gradually, his feet felt as heavy as if filled with lead, his breathing became rapid, and his waving arms were no longer strong. He dropped from fourth to eighth, and was left a considerable distance behind the players in front.

Shang Zui got anxious when he saw this. He threw down the clapper and rushed to the rostrum. He snatched the microphone from Liu Zhihe and whistled loudly: "Dudu - come on, little Gu Ci! Keep going! You are the best! Dudu -"

Gu Ci couldn't believe his ears when he heard it. He endured the soreness in his eyes and the dryness in his throat. Everything in front of him suddenly disappeared, leaving only a winding runway.

Nothing else matters, just have to stretch your legs and run forward.

"Third place! Third place!" Shang Zui jumped up on the rostrum with Liu Zhihe in his arms, but was immediately expelled by the chief referee waving a colorful flagpole.

"Which class are you from! If you are not from the radio station, you are not allowed to come up! If you don't go down, your class will be deducted points!"

Shang Zui ran away with his head in his hands. The moment he jumped off the rostrum, he found that Gu Ci had run into second place.

"Damn..." He took a breath.

Got it.

In truth, Gu Ci felt like he was about to collapse. The air in his lungs grew thinner, as if it were about to explode. His face flushed from the breathlessness. The cheers of encouragement echoed in his ears, and he tried to push himself, but he simply didn't have the strength.

Two runners had already chosen to walk, but Gu Ci gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep running. He knew Huo Wenyuan and the others were waiting for him at the finish line, and he had to persevere.

Looking at the people cheering him on, their faces flushed, he suddenly felt like he was back at that street corner, shaded by trees and crowded with people. His father led him, telling him that the meaning of running is that no matter how difficult it is, once you get through it, you will reach a bright future, with the wind under your feet, because that is where you are closest to the light.

His memory flashed back to when he had just transferred to another school and was being punished to run alongside Shang Zui in the playground.

Gu Ci closed his eyes and ran with all his might, even though he couldn't see anything clearly and the wind in his ears grew louder and louder. But inside, he only had one voice:

Keep running, Gu Ci, keep running.

He opened his eyes in a daze and threw himself at the red stripe with all his might.

"Ahhhhh! Gu Ci!!! Oh my god!" Liu Zhihe clutched the microphone, at a loss for words to express his shock and admiration. "Xiao Fei, Gu Ci is first!"

"Yes," Shi Fei nodded and smiled. "Congratulations to Gu Ci from Class 1, Grade 2, for winning the men's 3000m championship!"

Liu Zhihe's eyes welled with tears. He wanted to run off the stage, but stopped. The playground had already erupted in waves of cheers—Shang Zui, Qu Zhi... Many people, both familiar and unfamiliar, were running in the same direction.

Gu Ci blinked tiredly, letting the red stripe slide down his body. With no more strength left, his feet gave way and he fell weakly forward.

Surprised cries echoed from all around him. Gu Ci vaguely saw many people coming towards him, but he couldn't hold on even a moment longer and could only fall uncontrollably, driven by inertia.

But he wasn't afraid.

Because a second later, he fell into a warm embrace filled with the scent of vetiver and cedar.