Chapter 115: Happy New Year

After all, Lu Xiaoyu was still a child. She hadn’t stayed up until midnight at last night’s New Year’s gathering. Or rather, she only heard everyone counting down with the voices from the television—shouting “10, 9, 8, 7...” marking the last moments of 2004—before she fell asleep in Lu Suo’s arms.

When she woke up the next morning, the warmth of happiness still surrounded her.

She lay in her own bed, surrounded by numerous gift boxes—some from Lu Suo, some from Juno, others from Tian Shiwei, and Zheng Ni among them. Although everyone was usually busy with training and rarely had time to accompany her, there was no doubt that Lu Xiaoyu was the little princess of the entire sprint team, even of the entire Sports Institute. Wherever she went within the institute, everyone knew who she was.

And with Lu Suo’s achievements improving steadily, Lu Xiaoyu’s fame grew as well. Now, she had reached the point where she could dine in the cafeteria without swiping a card—just a quick facial scan would suffice.

Today was a holiday—no school.

Lu Xiaoyu was about to unwrap her gifts when she suddenly heard footsteps outside her room. She quickly jumped off the bed and opened the door, expecting to see Lu Suo, but instead, Juno appeared, dressed in pajamas.

Juno’s hair was tousled, somewhat abstract in style, but her face remained small and pretty. She wore an oversized T-shirt belonging to Lu Suo as sleepwear, revealing a pair of long, slender legs that gave her a faint runway model vibe.

“Good morning...” Juno rubbed her eyes and greeted Lu Xiaoyu.

“Good, good morning...” Lu Xiaoyu stammered in response. She was undeniably shocked—had things really progressed this fast?

Juno went to the bathroom.

Lu Xiaoyu couldn’t help but stand at the door and peek inside. At that moment, her heart was filled with a strange mixture of loss and panic. The good mood she had just felt vanished, replaced by a flutter of anxiety she couldn’t quite explain.

But when Lu Xiaoyu saw that bedroom, usually treated as a guest room but never actually hosting guests, and the graceful figure lying there as if in a springtime slumber, her panic suddenly dissipated.

Sharing the bed with Juno wasn’t Lu Suo—it was Zheng Ni.

What was she thinking? Lu Xiaoyu tapped her head, trying to knock away those inappropriate thoughts. Even if Lu Suo and Juno had confirmed their relationship, there was no way they’d jump straight to sharing a bed. Both of them were too slow to act like that.

Obviously, it had been too late last night, so Juno simply stayed over.

The room was big enough, after all.

In their new home, Lu Xiaoyu and Lu Suo had three bedrooms: one for Lu Xiaoyu, one for Juno and Zheng Ni, and naturally, Lu Suo shared with Tian Shiwei, who was Lu Suo’s “professional sleep companion.”

Thinking of that, Lu Xiaoyu chuckled softly.

“Happy New Year~”

After freshening up in the bathroom, Juno looked much more energized, greeting Lu Xiaoyu with a bright smile.

“Happy New Year, Juno! What do you want for breakfast this morning?” Lu Xiaoyu asked.

“It feels strange being asked like that...” Juno pondered, then said, “Let’s prepare breakfast together. I promise I won’t be a bother.”

“Sure!” Lu Xiaoyu replied. “Then you go buy some barbecue pork buns, and I’ll cook porridge and prepare some side dishes.”

...

Breakfast was simple: barbecue pork buns, millet porridge, and a few refreshing cold dishes.

By then, Zheng Ni was already awake, but the two boys were still missing. The three girls discussed and decided to send Zheng Ni to check on them—Lu Xiaoyu was too young to witness anything inappropriate, and Juno was worried about getting a stye in her eye, so only Zheng Ni’s bold spirit was suitable for the task.

When Zheng Ni pulled Tian Shiwei out of the room, everyone realized something strange: Lu Suo was nowhere to be found.

“Where’s your brother?” they all asked Lu Xiaoyu.

She looked innocent, clueless.

...

Calling Lu Suo went unanswered.

This added a hint of mystery—the first “New Year’s mystery case,” perhaps.

But no one was overly worried. Lu Suo was known for doing things his own way.

“Maybe he went to train,” Tian Shiwei said as he ate a barbecue pork bun. “The National Games are just two weeks away. This guy’s aiming for three titles.”

“100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters?” Zheng Ni asked. “Going for a grand slam?”

News of Lu Suo clinching the sprint grand slam at the last event in Fengtian had already spread by the end of yesterday’s competition. When Tian Shiwei received the news, he announced it while cooking dinner for the New Year’s feast, and everyone cheered.

Tian Shiwei especially pointed out that Li Yan from the national team wouldn’t be having an easy year.

As for the grand slam at the National Games...

“That’s not quite right. If Lu Suo wants the grand slam in the sprint events, he has to overcome an obstacle that’s almost impossible for him—he especially has to rely on me,” Tian Shiwei shook his head.

“What obstacle?” Lu Xiaoyu asked curiously.

“Don’t ask him. It’s the 4x100 relay,” Zheng Ni said.

“Oh, right. There’s also the 4x100 relay in sprinting, which is quite challenging for Lu Suo,” Juno added.

Lu Xiaoyu nodded but frowned. She hadn’t counted that event among the “Hexagon Warriors.” Adding one more? But “Heptagon Warrior” didn’t sound as nice.

“There’s still hope,” Tian Shiwei said. “Currently, each provincial team has only a limited number of national-level sprinters—usually just one. For example, Zhang Zhen from Hubei Province, Pan Kai from the capital, Zhao Liren from Hainan... but our Southern Guangdong Province has two.”

“Two? Who are the two? I only know Lu Suo,” Zheng Ni asked.

“If I throw my 10.40-second 100-meter record in your face, you’ll see!” Tian Shiwei snapped fiercely.

“Lu Suo doesn’t really need to chase the grand slam. After all, there’s someone in the team who can run 10.40 seconds even he can’t keep up with,” Zheng Ni told Juno.

“If it were me, I’d definitely go for it,” Juno said. “Every grand slam is the highest honor—I want them all.”

Tian Shiwei bit fiercely into his barbecue pork bun at Zheng Ni.

...

By ten in the morning, after a lively breakfast, Lu Suo finally returned the call.

Sure enough, he had gone to train.

Everyone’s guess about this training fanatic was spot on: after finishing the competition in Fengtian late last night, he was already back at it this morning without rest. No wonder his achievements were so remarkable.

“Come back right now to join the group event, or we’ll kidnap Lu Xiaoyu!” Tian Shiwei threatened Lu Suo over the phone.

Lu Xiaoyu giggled nearby.

While everyone was deciding where to spend this rare holiday, Lu Suo returned.

By then, a plan was already in place: to go to an amusement park—a place a bit childish for Lu Xiaoyu but just right for these eighteen-year-olds—and then watch a movie together.

Naturally, Lu Suo was going too.

And there was no room for objections.

What could Lu Suo say? The minority always yields to the majority.

However, as Lu Suo changed clothes, Lu Xiaoyu held his discarded sports jacket, puzzled.

She caught a faint scent of perfume she had never noticed before.