When The Snow Falls In Autumn Chapter 51

Chapter 51

As a result of the physical education course selection system, Ye Qiulan and Ling Xueqing were assigned to the same section – badminton on the second floor of the gymnasium on Thursday afternoon in the third and fourth sections.

When the notification email was sent to his mobile phone, Ye Qiulan was sitting in his usual place in the library, staring at a paper on the computer screen about local temples in the Tang Dynasty.When she saw the words “Ling Xuaqing” listed alongside her own name in the course list, she was startled, and her fingertips curled up unconsciously.This probability… is a bit too small.Ling Xueqing’s graduate courses were almost all in the morning and evening. She had probably finished the physical education class, which is a compulsory course for undergraduates.

She subconsciously looked up and looked across.Ling Xueqing was wearing a dark green round-neck sweater today, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She was looking down at a thick hardcover foreign book, her face was calm, and her fingertips occasionally turned over a page, making a very light rustling sound.The afternoon sun shines through the tall glass windows, casting a faint shadow on her thick eyelashes and straight bridge of nose.

As if aware of her gaze, Ling Xueqing raised her eyes.

Ye Qiulan hurriedly lowered his head and stared at the dense words on the screen, but his heart beat two beats faster.Do you want to…ask her?Maybe she got it wrong, or maybe she can apply for a course transfer?

The phone screen lit up again, and it was a reminder from the sports committee member in the class group: “Remember to bring your own rackets and sportswear for badminton class. The teacher is strict, so don’t be late.”

Forget it.Ye Qiulan turned off the screen.It’s troublesome to adjust classes, and…it doesn’t seem necessary.Isn’t it just to take a class together?

Thursday afternoon, the weather was sweltering.Thick clouds were pressing down, not allowing a breath of wind, and the air was so thick that it seemed like water could be squeezed out.The second floor of the gymnasium is even more like a steamer. Even if several high windows are opened, the sweltering heat still lingers, mixed with the unique smell of plastic flooring, sweat and old sports equipment.

Ye Qiulan put on a simple white short-sleeved T-shirt and dark blue sports shorts, revealing a fair and slender calf.She was not very good at sports. She stood on the edge of the field with her old racket that she bought in middle school, which had some paint peeling off, and watched helplessly as other students warmed up and played against each other in twos and twos. Her sneakers made a sharp squeaking sound when they rubbed against the floor.

The teacher was a lean middle-aged man with a loud voice. He blew a whistle to gather, briefly explained the rules and warm-up requirements, and then began to practice in groups.Probably because he noticed their names were next to each other when he was looking at the list, the teacher casually put her and Ling Xuequing in a group for basic multi-ball exercises.

Ye Qiulan held the racket, his palms a little sweaty.She looked at Ling Xueqing coming from the direction of the locker room.

Ling Xueqing also changed her clothes.She wore pure black sports short-sleeves and shorts. The fabric looked soft and sweat-absorbent, making her bare arms and calves whiter and slender. Her muscle lines were smooth and clear, not exaggerated, but full of a restrained sense of strength.Her hair was tied into a high ponytail, revealing her smooth forehead and clear eyebrows. She looked a little more energetic than usual, but her expression was still calm and uncomplicated.The racket she holds in her hand is made of professional carbon fiber, dark gray, and has a simple style.

She walked to the half court opposite Ye Qiulan, stood still, and looked over calmly.”You serve first.” She said, her voice clear and steady in the noisy gymnasium.

“Oh, okay.” Ye Qiulan responded, taking a deep breath and trying to recall the basic serving movements taught by the teacher just now.She held the badminton, threw it up, and swung the racket——

The ball flew softly over the net. It was not high enough and the line was ridiculously crooked. It went directly to the court next to it.

Ling Xueqing barely moved her steps. She just raised her wrist and flicked her racket, sending the skewed ball back steadily. Its trajectory was straight and it landed just one step in front of Ye Qiulan.

“Use your wrists, don’t use your big arms.” Ling Xueqing’s voice came, still in the calm and instructive tone, “Throw the ball higher.”

Ye Qiulan’s cheeks felt a little warm and he nodded.She picked up the ball and tried again.This time it was better, the ball went over the net, but still had no power.Ling Xueqing still came back easily. The ball speed was not fast and the landing point was very comfortable. It was obvious that she was feeding the ball to let her adapt.

After a few back and forths, Ye Qiulan found a little bit of a feeling, and gradually focused on the flying badminton, temporarily ignoring the surrounding environment and Ling Xueqing opposite him.Sweat slid down her forehead and into her eyes, stinging a little.She raised her hand and wiped it.

Ling Xueqing has been returning the ball steadily from the opposite side. His movements are standard and efficient, with almost no unnecessary movements.Her eyes followed the trajectory of the ball intently. Occasionally when Ye Qiulan’s movements were obviously deformed, she would give a brief reminder: “Keep up with the footwork.” “Take the racket a little more straight.”

Her guidance was practical and her tone was calm, without any impatience.But for some reason, Ye Qiulan felt slightly awkward in his heart.Ling Xueqing is so at ease. Whether it is academics or sports, she always seems to be able to firmly control the situation and be in the position of a mentor.And I am always the one who is corrected and led.

At this moment, a powerful ball flew over from the nearby court at a tricky angle, heading straight for Ye Qiulan’s boundary.Ye Qiulan subconsciously took a step back, trying to avoid it, but he happened to step on a small puddle of water stained by someone.

“Be careful!”

Ling Xueqing’s voice sounded almost simultaneously with her movements, faster than usual.

Ye Qiulan felt his feet slip and his body instantly lost balance, falling backwards.In panic, she waved her arms in vain, and the racket flew out of her hand, hitting the ground with a crisp “pop” sound.She closed her eyes in resignation, preparing herself for the pain of her back hitting the hard plastic floor.

The expected impact never came.A strong arm firmly supported her waist, and the other hand quickly grabbed her waving wrist.The force was extremely strong, and with irresistible strength, it stopped her tendency to fall backwards and brought her forward.

Ye Qiulan stood still in shock, and his back ran into a warm and solid embrace.The familiar, refreshing smell of cedar, mixed with the slightly steaming heat after exercise and the faint smell of sweat, instantly enveloped her tightly.The hand on the back of her waist, through the thin cotton T-shirt, she could clearly feel the scorching temperature of the other’s palm and the instant tension of the arm muscles.The fingers that grasped her wrist were tightened very tightly, and the knuckles pressed against her wrist bones, causing some pain.

Time seemed to stand still for half a second.The noise around him—the sound of sneakers scuffing, the sound of hitting balls, the shouts and laughter of classmates—all faded away in an instant, becoming distant and blurry.Only the body temperature coming from the back, the clear touch on the waist and wrist, and the slightly rapid breathing in the ears were so real that it made people dizzy.

Ye Qiulan froze in place, his heart beating wildly, his blood seemed to rush to the touched area, and his cheeks and ears were burning hot.She could feel Ling Xueqing’s chest rising and falling slightly with her breathing, and could smell the salty breath of very light sweat seeping out from her neck.

Almost in the next second, the strength on the back of the waist and wrists were released at the same time.It was as fast as an instinctive reaction after being electrocuted.

Ling Xueqing took a step back and distanced herself.Her breathing had returned to steady, and there was no expression on her face. Only a very faint red that appeared quickly at the base of her ears revealed that she was not completely calm at that moment.

“Are you okay?” she asked, her voice lower than before. Her eyes fell on Ye Qiulan’s somewhat pale face, and then quickly moved away to look at the place where she had just stepped on the water stain.

“No, it’s okay.” Ye Qiulan heard her voice shaking a little. She hurriedly squatted down and picked up the racket that fell on the ground to cover up her panic.The fingertips were cold and still trembling slightly.

The classmates next to me noticed the movement here and cast curious eyes.Ling Xueqing had turned around, took out a pack of tissues from the side pocket of her sports backpack, pulled out a few sheets, squatted down, and silently wiped away the small water stains on the ground.His movements were serious, as if he was dealing with something important.

Ye Qiulan stood up holding the racket and looked at Ling Xueqing’s bent back.The black sportswear clung to her back, outlining clear and flexible shoulders and back lines.The moment of contact was like a brief but violent storm, leaving clear traces in her heart.The burning palm warmth seemed to still remain on his waist, and there were still slightly painful finger marks on his wrists.

Ling Xueqing wiped the floor clean, balled up the dirty paper towels, held them in her hands, and stood up.She didn’t look at Ye Qiulan anymore, but walked to the sidelines, picked up her water bottle, opened it and took a sip.When you raise your head, the line of your neck draws out a graceful arc, and your Adam’s apple slides gently.

“Take a rest,” she said, looking into the distance.

“Yeah.” Ye Qiulan responded in a low voice, walked to the sidelines and picked up his own water glass.The cold water slid down my dry throat, but it couldn’t extinguish the heat on my face and heart.

During the next exercise, both of them seemed a little absent-minded.Ling Xueching’s rhythm in returning the ball is no longer so precise, and she occasionally makes simple mistakes.Ye Qiulan frequently missed or missed.When the PE teacher blew the whistle to gather for the next exercise, both of them breathed a silent sigh of relief.

The second half of the class is a group competition.Ye Qiulan and Ling Xueqing were not assigned to a group.Ye Qiulan partnered with another girl he was not familiar with and faced off against two boys.She tried her best to concentrate, but her movements were always slow and her reactions were slow.In his mind, he kept replaying the moment he was caught by Ling Xueqing when he fell, the body temperature, the breath, and the fleeting thin red on Ling Xueqing’s ears after he quickly retreated.

If you play a stumbling match, you will naturally lose.She wiped the sweat from her forehead and walked to the sidelines in frustration.But his eyes unconsciously drifted to the nearby field.

Ling Xueqing is cooperating with her partner, an Alpha boy from the physical education department.Her movements have returned to their previous crispness, she moves quickly, her shots are decisive and powerful, and she handles clean and beautiful saves in front of the net and high and long balls in the backcourt.The Alpha boy obviously focused on her and matched her rhythm.When Ling Xueqing ran on the field, her ponytail was flying, and her black figure was agile and full of power, attracting many eyes from around her.

Ye Qiulan watched quietly.The Ling Xueqing who was sweating on the court, with sharp eyes, and tacit cooperation with her teammates, and the Ling Xueqing who caught her instantly, with a burning body temperature and red ears, and the Ling Xueqing who was quietly flipping through books in the library, rigorously operating in the laboratory, and silently holding an umbrella in the rainy night… overlapped and split into countless blurry images, making her even more unclear and unable to touch.

The whistle blows for the end of class.The crowd roared and dispersed, rushing toward the locker room.Ye Qiulan packed his things slowly and put on his sports bag.When I walked out of the gym, the sky outside was getting darker, clouds were gathering, thunder was rolling faintly, and a heavy rain was brewing.

She walked to the door and glanced back subconsciously.

Ling Xueqing was coming out from the other direction. She had changed back into her regular clothes, a simple white shirt and khaki trousers. Her hair was still a little wet and stuck to her neck.She also saw Ye Qiulan and paused.

The two were several meters apart, with students leaving one after another in the middle.The hot and humid air enveloped them thickly.

Ling Xueqing’s lips moved, as if she wanted to say something.But in the end, she just nodded almost imperceptibly to Ye Qiulan, then turned around and walked towards the graduate student apartment.The pace was fast, and the figure quickly disappeared into the growing dusk and the imminent rain.

Ye Qiulan stood there until he could no longer see the figure.The sports bag on his shoulder was a little heavy, containing the old racket and a mood that had just been stirred by an accident and became even more chaotic and unspeakable.

The first cold raindrop hit her forehead.She raised her head, and the gray sky became heavy.

She tightened the strap of her backpack and stepped into the thinning rain.On the waist and wrists, the touch and temperature that had long since dissipated were like two hidden brands, faintly hot in the humid air.