Chapter 9: Gym Class

"Nia... I... I..."

Nia's mind went blank, and she felt a little flustered.

Evan seemed to be constantly smiling. His deep eyes were like the crescent moon in the night sky, as if they could draw her in.

His striking features, flawless face, and a subtle masculine aura made it impossible for Nia to think clearly.

Her round eyes remained locked on him, unwilling to look away.

Evan's lips curled into a smile, and as a habit, he reached out to ruffle Nia's hair. But just as his hand extended, he froze halfway through the motion.

There was a brief flicker of hesitation in his eyes, and then he withdrew his hand.

To Nia, he was just a new classmate she'd barely known for two lessons. If he suddenly acted that familiar, it might lead to misunderstandings, labeling him as a flirt. That would be a loss.

"One step at a time..."

Nia snapped out of her daze and blushed, her cheeks faintly pink. "Evan, just call me Nia. We're not that familiar yet." She quickly turned her body, burying her face in her desk.

Evan suppressed a smile, the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.

It seemed his true nature had finally shown.

The girl before him was the real Nia—the same as in his memories.

So cute. So shy.

He sighed. There was still a long road ahead. No rush.

Slow and steady wins the race.

Evan returned to his book, flipping through a calculus text.

"Ten minutes of reading, experience +1."

"Ten minutes of reading, experience +1."

"Ding—"

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Evan closed his book.

Two points of experience wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Little by little, it added up.

As soon as the bell sounded, the students in Class 2 became energized.

At Zhenhua, there was only one PE class a week, and it was one of the few times students could truly relax.

Groups of students gathered, discussing what they'd do during PE.

Roe raised Nia from her desk, surprised to see her face flushed. "Nia, your face is so red. Are you feeling unwell?"

"N-No..."

Nia quickly dodged her gaze, her voice tinged with a hint of panic. "I just... the weather's too hot, yeah, the weather."

Roe didn't notice her friend's unease and eagerly said, "Nia, let's play basketball during PE!"

"Basketball?"

Nia shook her head without hesitation. "Why would girls play basketball? It's a guy's sport."

Nia preferred quiet environments and usually only did morning jogs for exercise. Basketball felt too intense for her. Plus, she wanted Evan to help with solving some physics problems, so her refusal was clear.

"Nia, your thinking is all wrong!"

Roe placed her hands on her hips and gave a stern lecture. "Who said basketball is only for guys? With that mindset, how could there be women's basketball?"

Nia lowered her gaze, speechless.

After a pause, she sighed. "Roe, you go ahead. I want to stay in the classroom and do some problems."

"No way!"

Roe was stubborn, pulling Nia along. "You're always studying! You're already at the top of the class, and in the top five in the grade! What else do you want?"

"Come on, be good. Let's go enjoy PE and relax for a bit."

"I'm not going."

"No negotiation!"

"I…"

Seeing Nia hesitate, Evan couldn't help but smile softly. "Go ahead."

"Huh?"

Both girls turned toward him in surprise.

Evan grinned, his voice casual but firm. "Over-focusing on studies isn't always the best. It's great to want to improve, but burying yourself in books isn't the solution."

"Balance is key."

Roe secretly gave Evan a thumbs-up, nodding enthusiastically. "Exactly! Nia, don't stress yourself so much. Let someone like me, who's hopeless in studies, have a chance!"

Nia looked at Evan, her face full of surprise.

Was he encouraging her to go to PE?

But... wasn't he supposed to help her with physics problems? How could he change his mind so quickly?

She stole a glance at Evan, then quickly turned her gaze away. Her large eyes twinkled as she thought it over.

Finally, she nodded silently.

"Yay!"

Roe laughed softly, winking at Nia.

Then, she couldn't resist teasing, "Hah, I'm your best friend, but it's still Evan's words that have more weight. Guess you've forgotten about me for him... just kidding!"

Before Roe could finish, Nia covered her mouth.

Her face was red, but she was serious. "Roe, don't joke like that!"

"Oops, sorry!"

Roe chuckled and quickly changed the subject. "Let's go. We'll grab a spot first."

"Mm."

Nia nodded, glancing at Evan behind her. She softly asked, "Evan, about that physics problem…"

"You choose the time, I'm available anytime."

Evan squinted, a faint smile on his face.

"Thanks."

Nia let out a quiet sigh of relief.

On the playground.

"Nia."

"Here!"

"Roe."

"Here!"

"…"

"Evan."

"Here!"

Teacher Song Wei Yuan looked at the roll call sheet, surprised. "All of you showed up? That's rare!" Usually, there were always a few missing for PE.

"Ha-ha—"

The students laughed, amused.

Song Wei Yuan waved his hand, grinning. "Alright, everyone. This PE class is free play. Relax and enjoy yourselves."

"Long live the teacher!"

The crowd scattered.

There was only one basketball court, and several boys walked over with basketballs, chatting and laughing. But when they saw others already there, they couldn't help but smile bitterly.

"Late."

However, one tall boy spotted Nia on the left side of the court. His eyes darkened slightly, a subtle heat in his gaze as he walked toward her.

Not far away, Evan, sitting on the grass, snorted softly, his eyes cold for a moment. He slowly stood up and walked toward the basketball court.

The girls—Nia, Roe, and Su Ke (Class 2's class monitor)—were playing basketball, but none of them had much skill.

Still, their lighthearted laughter and playful chatter drew the attention of many boys.

The majority of eyes were on Nia.

Her black hair was tied up with a purple ribbon, a few strands falling onto her shoulders, making her fair skin look even more porcelain-like. She wore no makeup but still radiated a fresh, natural beauty.

Boys couldn't help but feel their hearts race, their gaze glued to her.

As for Evan, he wasn't surprised in the least.

His girl was, of course, outstanding.

Being popular was nothing unusual.

On the court.

"Nia, try shooting."

Roe, catching her breath beneath the hoop, tossed the ball toward Nia, a few meters away.

Seeing the ball flying through the air, Nia panicked. She fumbled awkwardly and missed, not even touching the ball.

Just as she was about to pick it up, a voice from behind made her frown.

"Nia, let me teach you how to play basketball."

您说:转换成英文阅读和语言习惯,一定要符合英语的文化习惯,重新润色一下,让读者读得轻松明白一些,可以适当删除或增加一些内容ChatGPT 说:ChatGPTChapter 9: Gym Class

"Nia... I... I..."

Nia's mind went blank, and she felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Evan seemed to be constantly smiling. His deep, almost hypnotic eyes resembled the crescent moon in a starry sky—mesmerizing and intense, like they could pull her in.

His striking features, perfect face, and subtle, masculine charm made Nia's mind come to a standstill.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from him, even if she wanted to.

Evan, noticing her gaze, smiled and instinctively reached out to ruffle her hair. But just as his hand was halfway there, he froze.

A brief flash of hesitation crossed his face, and he quickly pulled his hand back.

To Nia, he was just a new classmate she'd met a couple of lessons ago. If he suddenly became too familiar, people might think he was flirting. That was something he wanted to avoid.

"I'll take it slow..."

Nia snapped out of her thoughts and blushed even deeper. "Evan, just call me Nia. We're not that close yet," she muttered, quickly turning away and burying her face in her arms on the desk.

Evan couldn't help but smile, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

So, this was the real Nia.

Just like in his memories.

So cute. So shy.

He sighed. There was still a long road ahead, but he wasn't in any rush.

Steady progress was the key.

He turned back to his calculus textbook, flipping through the pages.

"Ten minutes of studying, experience +1."

"Ten minutes of studying, experience +1."

"Ding—"

When the bell rang, signaling the end of class, Evan closed his book.

Two experience points wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Every bit counted!

The students in Class 2 immediately perked up as the bell rang.

At Zhenhua, there was only one PE class a week, and it was one of the few moments students could truly unwind.

Groups of students gathered, discussing what they would do during PE.

Roe, noticing Nia's flushed face, quickly leaned over and nudged her. "Nia, your face is so red. Are you feeling okay?"

"N-No... I'm fine," Nia stammered, her voice flustered. "It's just... really hot today."

Roe didn't suspect anything was wrong and cheerfully said, "Hey, Nia, let's play basketball during PE!"

"Basketball?"

Nia immediately shook her head. "Why would girls play basketball? That's a guy's sport."

Nia preferred quieter activities, and her usual exercise was just a morning jog. Basketball seemed too rough, and she didn't feel comfortable with it. Plus, she had been hoping Evan would help her solve a tricky physics problem. Her refusal was clear.

"Nia, that's such an outdated way of thinking!"

Roe placed her hands on her hips, looking stern but still friendly. "Who says basketball is just for guys? Have you heard of women's basketball?"

Nia fell silent, her gaze dropping.

After a pause, she sighed. "Roe, you go ahead. I want to stay in the classroom and do some problems."

"No way!"

Roe was determined, grabbing Nia's hand and pulling her up. "Come on, you're already top of the class! You don't need to study more. Let's just have fun for once!"

"I really don't want to..."

"No argument!"

"I..."

Seeing Nia hesitate, Evan leaned in, offering a gentle smile. "Go ahead," he said.

"Huh?"

Both girls turned in surprise.

Evan grinned, his expression light but earnest. "It's great to focus on your studies, but overworking isn't the answer. You need balance."

"Sometimes, you need to relax and let your mind rest."

Roe gave Evan an enthusiastic thumbs-up, nodding approvingly. "Exactly! Nia, don't be so hard on yourself. I'm hopeless with studies, but you've got to let me have a chance at being a little carefree too!"

Nia looked at Evan, shocked.

Was he actually encouraging her to go to PE?

But... wasn't he supposed to help her with physics problems? How could he change his mind so quickly?

She sneaked a glance at him, then quickly looked away. Her big eyes were wide with surprise.

Finally, she nodded slowly, as if conceding.

"Yay!"

Roe winked at Nia, a playful smile on her face.

Then she teased, "Hah, look at that! I thought I was your best friend, but it's Evan's words that carry more weight. Guess you've forgotten about me for him..."

Before Roe could finish, Nia quickly covered her mouth, her face turning bright red. "Roe, don't joke like that!"

"Oops, sorry!"

Roe chuckled, changing the subject. "Let's go grab a spot first!"

"Mm."

Nia nodded, glancing back at Evan. She softly asked, "Evan, about that physics problem..."

"You choose the time. I'm free whenever."

Evan smirked, his tone casual yet reassuring.

"Thanks."

Nia exhaled a breath of relief.

On the playground...

"Nia."

"Here!"

"Roe."

"Here!"

"…"

"Evan."

"Here!"

Teacher Song Wei Yuan looked at the roll call sheet, surprised. "You all showed up today? That's a first!"

Usually, someone was missing from the PE class.

"Ha-ha—"

The students laughed, amused by their teacher's surprise.

Song Wei Yuan waved his hand, smiling. "Alright, today's PE is free play. Go and enjoy yourselves."

"Long live the teacher!"

The students scattered in all directions.

There was only one basketball court, and several boys approached with basketballs, laughing and chatting. But when they saw that the court was already occupied, they all let out a collective sigh.

"Late to the game."

However, one tall boy spotted Nia and, with a subtle glimmer in his eyes, made his way toward her.

Not far away, Evan, sitting on the grass, couldn't help but smirk. His eyes darkened for a brief moment before he stood up and walked toward the court.

The girls—Nia, Roe, and Su Ke (the class president from Class 2)—were playing basketball, but their lack of skill didn't stop them from enjoying themselves.

Their playful banter and light laughter quickly drew the attention of several boys.

The majority of the gazes were fixed on Nia.

Her black hair was tied back with a purple ribbon, and a few strands framed her face, making her fair skin appear even more porcelain-like. Without a touch of makeup, her natural beauty was captivating.

Boys couldn't help but feel a rush of warmth in their chests, their eyes glued to her.

Evan, however, didn't seem surprised at all.

His girl was, of course, exceptional.

Her popularity was only natural.

On the court...

"Nia, try shooting!"

Roe, out of breath, passed the ball to Nia, who was a few meters away.

Nia fumbled, trying to catch the ball, but she missed entirely, not even touching it.

As she was about to go pick up the ball, a voice behind her made her freeze.

"Nia, let me show you how to play basketball."