Exploded with anger

"Hey, which department are you from, classmate?"

"The Literature Department!"

"What?"

The coach was stunned.

A student from the Literature Department? Weren't they all supposed to be bookworms? How could someone like that dominate a group of athletic powerhouses in a professional track event? It sounded almost like something out of a fantasy novel. Was this guy just showing off?

"Chen Yuan? You again?"

Li Yang's expression suddenly darkened. He had fought with Chen Yuan before, and the two had been at odds for a long time. In Li Yang's eyes, Chen Yuan was nothing more than an irritating "simp."

Back in high school, Li Yang had wanted to pursue Xiao Ruoyu, but Chen Yuan kept getting in the way. Seriously?

Chen didn't even have the guts to go after her himself, but he wouldn't let anyone else get close either. What was wrong with him?

At one point, Li Yang had even set up a fake "hero saves the damsel" situation. He arranged for two of his friends from outside of school to pretend to harass Xiao Ruoyu on her way home, so he could swoop in and "rescue" her, hoping it would win her heart.

But Chen Yuan ruined it all. He had been secretly following Xiao Ruoyu, and when the moment came, he jumped in front of the two "actors" and got beaten up instead of letting Li Yang play the hero.

And after that, instead of backing off, Chen Yuan followed Xiao Ruoyu home every single day.

Thanks to Chen's interference, Li Yang's perfect plan fell apart, and he never did win Xiao Ruoyu over before graduation.

That failure remained one of Li Yang's biggest regrets to this day, fueling his deep disdain for Chen Yuan.

This guy, a pathetic simp, dared to act as a protector?

"Li Yang, you know this student?"

"Perfect, although he's from the Literature Department, there's no rule that says a literature student can't join the track team, right? Chen Yuan, if you agree to join, I'll give you the only provincial recommendation slot our school has!"

The coach's eyes were shining with excitement as he continued. "You can represent our school in the provincial track meet, and with your talent, you'll easily rise to the top and qualify for the national team.

With that kind of ability, you might even compete in the Olympics, and who knows? You might become a world champion, bringing honor to our country!"

The excitement in the coach's voice was palpable. Chen Yuan's explosive speed just now was nothing short of extraordinary.

He hadn't even undergone any professional training and was already running at a pace that defied expectations. If Chen received proper training, the possibilities were limitless.

"Coach, weren't you going to give me that provincial slot?" Li Yang asked, dumbfounded.

"Li Yang, I understand how you feel, and you are indeed very talented. But let's be honest—even if you take that slot, you might not win at the provincial level. But this guy… well, you saw it yourself. His speed and explosive power are on a completely different level than yours. I'm certain that if he competes, he'll not only win the provincial championship but will also become a national-level athlete!"

National-level athlete?

Li Yang's heart sank. A national-level athlete was one rank above a first-tier athlete, a level far beyond what today's competition—meant to select second-tier athletes—was aiming for. The difference between them was like night and day, almost unimaginable.

If this track and field genius had been anyone else, Li Yang might have swallowed his pride and accepted it. But this genius was none other than Chen Yuan—the very person he had always despised and looked down on.

A guy he had written off as nothing but a pathetic simp, someone unworthy of respect. And yet, now, Chen Yuan had not only beaten him but also completely obliterated him in the one area Li Yang had always prided himself on.

The humiliation was unbearable.

At this moment, He Zhiying, who had been watching the race from the sidelines, walked over with a bottle of mineral water.

She had come to give it to Li Yang, but her attention was clearly on Chen Yuan. With an astonished look, she said, "Wow, you're really amazing! You were even faster than my Li Yang!"

He Zhiying: Favorability +5

He Zhiying: Favorability +5

He Zhiying: Favorability +5

Thanks to Chen Yuan's impressive performance, He Zhiying's opinion of him shot up from -5 to 10. After all, a truly talented person naturally earns admiration, and it's in a woman's nature to be drawn to strength!

But hearing this, Li Yang almost exploded with rage.

The coach wanted Chen Yuan to join the track team, replacing Li Yang's spot to represent the school at the provincial competition. Fine.

That was something beyond Li Yang's control, and he could only swallow his pride.

But He Zhiying was his girlfriend! How could she praise Chen Yuan right in front of him?

And this was Chen Yuan—someone Li Yang had always considered a worthless loser! How could he possibly be better?

Track and field was Li Yang's pride, and his sprinting championship was the one thing he had always been confident in.

He could handle criticism in other areas, but being told that he wasn't the best at sprinting? That was unacceptable!

And now, his own girlfriend was praising Chen Yuan—right in front of everyone. To suggest that this "simp" was better than him? No way!

Li Yang's mind was in complete turmoil.

"He Zhiying, what do you mean by that? Saying he's better than me? In what way is he better? Am I really that worthless in your eyes? If you think he's so great, why don't you just go be with him?" Li Yang shouted angrily.

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them.

"You're yelling at me? You weren't like this when you were chasing me! Has it only been a month, and now your true nature is showing? I didn't expect you to be like this. Chen Yuan is your old classmate, and he was even complimenting you just now, saying you were the sprinting champion at school. And you're slower than him—so why are you taking your anger out on me?"

Tears welled up in He Zhiying's eyes as she pointed at Li Yang, looking wronged. Though she appeared gentle and sweet, her personality had a bit of a spoiled edge.

And in this day and age, girls like her—pretty and with a great figure—held a lot of sway. She wasn't the type to just take being yelled at without pushing back.

There were plenty of guys out there who would treat her better!

Li Yang was already regretting his outburst, but instead of calming down, He Zhiying only fanned the flames.

She kept bringing up how Chen Yuan was faster and had even "complimented" him for being a sprinting champion.

Compliment? That was clearly sarcasm!

And since when had Chen Yuan said that? Have they been talking privately?

"He Zhiying, don't push me too far! I've had enough of you!"

"Wow, Li Yang, you're really something! I come to give you water out of kindness, and instead of being grateful, you lose a race and take it out on me? Are you even a man? If you were really a man, go beat Chen Yuan! Prove yourself! I can't believe I was so blind to fall for someone like you."

He Zhiying was just as angry now, her emotions flaring up.

"Alright, alright! No need to argue over such a small matter, you two! Li Yang, you should learn to be more mature." The coach tried to mediate casually before turning back to Chen Yuan. "So, Chen Yuan, have you decided whether you'll join the track team?"

"No, thanks. I'll pass on the track team. I've got something to do, so I'll be heading off!"

With that, Chen Yuan walked off the field without looking back. He came quickly, and now he left just as quickly, leaving behind only a mysterious silhouette that people could only look up to.

"We can't let someone this talented go to waste! Not joining the track team would be a huge loss for Chinese sprinting. I'm going to have to talk him into it!"

"Coach Sun, why don't you talk to the school leaders? I'll reach out to his advisor to learn more about this student!"

"Good idea, let's do that!"

As the two coaches were making plans, the relationship between Li Yang and He Zhiying had already developed a serious crack.

Meanwhile, on the spectator stands, two other girls had been filming the entire race. They edited the video for Douyin and posted it with a caption:

"During the school's track meet, a guy accidentally wandered onto the track and showcased devilish speed!"