SPDO Chapter 55.1

When Qin Cheng stood up, he reflected for a second. He was so handsome that even Lao Xu noticed it. Indeed, he was deeply in love with his boyfriend.

“What do you want to take?” Lao Xu asked him.

“I want to take——” Qin Cheng was about to say ‘squatting at home university’, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Director Zhao peering through the glass of the back door. He quickly changed his words, his expression full of deep emotion, his voice even louder than Tan Qi’s, “I want to go to the place where my deskmate is going, to accompany him to college. My deskmate is my goal; I can’t live without him.”

The whole class fell silent for a few seconds, then erupted into a chorus of jeers and laughter.

Director Zhao’s face turned red, then white, then green. Having learned from the past, he didn’t dare to do anything to Qin Cheng, and just stood there with a pig liver-colored face.

Lao Xu couldn’t stand it anymore and waved his hand: “Then work hard, sit down.”

Qin Cheng, having achieved his goal, sat down.

***

When class was over, Qin Cheng followed Lao Xu out. After entering the office, he locked the door.

Lao Xu glanced at him and snorted: “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were going to kill someone to keep them quiet.”

“How could that be,” Qin Cheng said with a smile, pulling out a chair to sit down. He first poured a cup of tea for her, then, feeling at home, poured a cup for himself, “Please, have a seat.”

Lao Xu glared at him: “Spit it out, what’s the matter?”

“There is one spot left in our school’s physical education class. Last time, Teacher Li said he would reserve it for me until the end of this semester,” Qin Cheng’s expression became serious, “I want to sign up.”

Lao Xu paused in her tea-drinking motion: “You want to go for sports specialization?”

“Yeah,” Qin Cheng smiled. “The National Sports University next to Medical University. I want to go there.”

Lao Xu looked at him for a while, then shook her head, unable to hold back: “I think the school’s ban on puppy love is a wrong decision. No matter how much Lao Li and I talk, it doesn’t work. One word from Jian Heng, and you’re off.”

“Taking off is still a bit difficult,” Qin Cheng said with a particularly good attitude, buttering her up: “I need your help.”

“Stop being coy with me, did you talk to your mom about it?” Lao Xu asked.

“I did,” Qin Cheng said.

“It would have been better if you had done this earlier, I should have let you go last semester,” Lao Xu said while contacting the physical education teacher and scolding him, frustrated by his lack of ambition. “They’ve already been training for at least a semester, and you’ll be exhausted trying to catch up.”

“I’m not afraid of getting tired,” Qin Cheng said nonchalantly. “The score for the sports specialty is already low. If it weren’t tiring, would there be any justice in the world?”

“That’s not the point. Who was it that told Lao Li you couldn’t handle hardship and wouldn’t go to college?” Just thinking about his previous lackadaisical attitude made Lao Xu furious.

“Hey, I was wrong,” Qin Cheng sighed deeply, “Please don’t bring up the past. Just praise my determination to turn over a new leaf, and I’ll definitely shed a tear for you.”

“Go cry somewhere else,” Lao Xu glanced at WeChat. “Your spot is still reserved. Don’t go to class for now, go to Teacher Li’s office to get the registration form first.”

“Got it!” Qin Cheng rushed out in a hurry, leaving a distant remark: “You really are getting younger by the day!”

Lao Xu cursed with a smile and shook her head.

When Qin Cheng ran to Lao Li’s office, he received another round of scolding, but Qin Cheng was all smiles: “I’m here now, so calm down, calm down.”

Holding the registration form like it was a sacred decree, he returned to class with a spring in his step, so light he could almost fly. The English teacher glared at him several times but he couldn’t be bothered.

As soon as he sat down, Jian Heng asked him: “Where have you been?”

“Look at this,” Qin Cheng mysteriously pulled out the registration form and placed it on his desk, presenting it like a treasure: “Ta-da~”

Jian Heng picked up the registration form, glanced over it, and paused when he saw the words ‘Physical Education Specialty’.

“Qin-ge said he would find a way to be with you,” Qin Cheng leaned on the desk, looking at him with a smile, “A promise is a promise. Even if I can’t get into the Medical University, I can still go with you.”

Jian Heng read it word by word, and his eyes gradually lit up.

He wasn’t afraid that Qin Cheng couldn’t keep up with him; he was only afraid that Qin Cheng’s planned future didn’t include him. As long as Qin Cheng was willing to pursue, he could wait.

***

The academic requirements for Physical Education Students weren’t that high, so a lot of time would be used for training instead of academic classes. After receiving Qin Cheng’s registration form, Lao Li took the person to the training ground in the afternoon.

Li Liguo gave him a warning: “I know that you are uncompromising at school, but these under my command are also hard to manage. I warn you——”

“I’ll help you manage them well,” Qin Cheng said with a heartbroken look on his face, hating that iron for not being steel, “You have such a great opportunity and you’re not training? Who do you think you’re fooling? It’s unacceptable!”

Li Liguo originally wanted to say don’t take the lead in making trouble, but seeing Qin Cheng, full of righteousness and disappointment, scolding those people, he almost believed that this was a kid who had respected his teachers and studied hard since childhood.

“Don’t talk back to me, I’m not your Teacher Xu.” Li Liguo had a naturally stern face, with deep-set lines, rarely smiled, and was strict in teaching. The students secretly called him Li DaLao¹大佬 (dà lǎo): (Cantonese) elder brother; big brother; old buddy; triad boss; boss; magnate; (Mandarin, neologism, slang) someone experienced or influential; big shot (leading some field or group); godfather; refers to someone with seniority, high seniority and whose words are influential. In daily life, it is also often used to express admiration or respect for people who are capable in certain fields., fearing him more than the principal or the director.

Qin Cheng wasn’t afraid, but sometimes he couldn’t help but argue with him. Hearing this, he obediently shut up.

Better to avoid trouble than to seek it, especially since he was genuinely trying to turn over a new leaf now.

***

At Fifth High School, sports students were basically synonymous with ‘hard to manage’. They were all hot-blooded Alphas, at an age where they were impulsive and irritable. Just standing there, they looked like they were about to start a fight.

Hearing that a newcomer was coming, Lu Ping kicked the sandpit, looking dissatisfied: “Laozi had to beg and plead to get this spot. Who has the face to have DaLao personally approve it? Fuck, isn’t this a slap in my face?”

Qian Yuhui was stretching against the cold northern wind. Upon hearing this, he straightened up and glanced over at the playground: “I don’t know, never heard of this person.”

Someone nearby started to stir up trouble: “Once they arrive, you’ll know. If we don’t show them who’s boss, they won’t know how tough it is in our sports class. We’ll beat him up so bad their own mother won’t recognize them.”

“Stop bragging,” Lu Ping cut in, “If you dare to cause trouble, Qin-ge will slap you so hard that your parents won’t even recognize you.”

Upon hearing Qin Cheng’s name, the previously arrogant sports students fell silent.

“Say, it would be great if Qin-ge could come,” a gust of cold wind blew over, and Lu Ping tightened his clothes. “Back then, DaLao invited him so many times but couldn’t get him to come. Alas… it would be great if Qin-ge could come.”

“Qin-ge’s family situation is different from ours,” Qian Yuhui said, “It’s all because of circumstances. If I had the same family environment as Qin-ge, I might have dropped out of school long ago.”

The small group that was still burning with anger was instantly deflated by this topic, each person going back to their own practice, no one saying another word.

“Didn’t you all eat? With this kind of state, do you still want to go to college?!” Li Liguo, seeing a group of students looking like frostbitten eggplants from a distance, moving listlessly, got angry and shouted, “Gather up!”

The group of people looked up at Li Liguo with drooping heads. When they saw the person behind him, they all stopped in their tracks. After a few seconds, the small group erupted into a huge cheer.

“Qin-ge!”

“Qin-ge, did you sign up for the sports class?”

“Qin-ge, can you practice with us?”

“Qin-ge, I miss you so much!”

“Qin-ge…”

“Qin-ge…”

Qin Cheng raised his hand and smiled, saying: “Yes, I’m practicing with you all. The new guy is me, so go easy on me.”

Li Liguo was about to speak, but a group of people had already surrounded him, chattering away.

“Qin-ge, you definitely won’t have any problem with this training!”

“Don’t worry, Ge, I’ll help you get your meals!”

“Qin-ge, you’re not leaving this time, right?”

“Ge, I’ll help you train!”

…..

Li Liguo: “…”

This kind of attitude, Li Liguo didn’t even see it on the first day of training. The more he looked, the angrier he got, especially when someone even had the audacity to say ‘help train’ right in front of him.

“All of you roll back! Were you meeting the leader here?!”

A group of people flinched, reluctantly saying goodbye to Qin Cheng and running to stand in line.

Li Liguo stood in front of them, frowning and scanning the group with a cold face, sternly reprimanding: “One by one, all look so lazy. Go look in the mirror; even the birds on the branches are more energetic than you! And you’re still Alphas! I could randomly call over any Omega and they would train harder than you!”

“Omegas being serious doesn’t help,” Lu Ping said nonchalantly, “the grades won’t go up.”

“Lu Ping!” Li Liguo frowned. Sure enough, as soon as Qin Cheng arrived, these little brats seemed to have found a backer and started to act up.

Lu Ping glanced at Qin Cheng, stood up straight, and puffed out his chest: “Here!”

“Fifteen thousand, no food until you finish!”

Lu Ping was taken aback; he had never seen DaLao this fierce before. Today, he must have eaten gunpowder. He instinctively looked at Qin Cheng.

Qin Cheng sighed: “Say, Lao Li——”

“Get over there and run with him!” Li Liguo was furious, ready to burn these little brats who were about to jump high into ashes. “Look at you, just full of hot air! Didn’t come last semester, wasted so much time! Can’t keep up with the physical training! Didn’t learn the techniques! What are you doing!”

Qin Cheng hadn’t done anything yet and was already getting a scolding. Good-naturedly, he turned and started running on the track, saying: “You’re right, give me extra, I need to catch up quickly.”

Li Liguo snorted coldly: “As if I need you to tell me.”

Feeling guilty for getting Qin-ge punished too, Lu Ping said: “Qin-ge, I’m sorry, DaLao must have eaten gunpowder today, I didn’t mean——”

“It’s fine,” Qin Cheng adjusted his breathing. For someone like him who had been slumped in an esports chair for several years, fifteen thousand wasn’t a joke. If he wasn’t careful, he might not even make it to the end of Jian Hengs class, which would be too embarrassing. “It’s a warning to others. Now that I’m here, don’t get cocky. Train well and let’s all get into a good university together.”

Lu Ping nodded: “You’re right, Ge.”

“Sixteen thousand!” Li Guo shouted from across half the playground, “Still have the energy to chat? One thousand per chat. If you have the energy to chat, then chat!”

Qin Cheng almost stumbled. Lao Li was going through his midlife crisis; there was no way he was getting off easy today.

List of Idiom in Chapter 55.1

功成身退 (gōng chéng shēn tuì): retire after winning merit; retire after having made one’s mark; retire after being covered with glories; withdraw from public life after accomplishing a task or achieving success; Refers to retiring on their own and not coming back again after the accomplishment.

長吁短嘆 (cháng xū duǎn tàn): to utter sighs and groans; to moan and groan; long moan and short gasp (idiom); continually moaning and groaning in pain; sigh deeply; heave deep sighs; sigh in despair; lament with long and short sighs; to express a worried look.

說話算話 (shuō huà suàn huà): to be as good as one’s word; to be true to one’s word; to keep one’s word; to do as promised; to honor one’s word; to mean what one says; fit one’s deeds to one’s words; act up to one’s promise.

說一不二 (shuō yī bù èr): to mean what one says; to stand by one’s word; to say one and mean just that (idiom); to keep one’s word; be as good as one’s word; be resolute; be decisive; be unwavering; to keep one’s word and not change it.

痛心疾首 (tòng xīn jí shǒu): to be deeply sorrowful and intensely grieve for or abhor something; bitter and hateful (idiom); to grieve and lament (over sth); with bitter hatred/resentment; with deep hatred and resentment; resent/hate deeply; deplore greatly; an idiom that comes from a historical story. It refers to hatred for a person or thing, or regret for one’s own mistakes.

不苟言笑 (bù gǒu yán xiào): serious in speech and manner; not frivolous in talking and joking; never speak or joke in vain—be serious in speech and manner; be reserved/reticent/taciturn; stern and unsmiling; describe a solemn attitude.

改邪歸正 (gǎi xié guī zhèng): lit. to give up (one’s) evil and return to good; to reform; to rehabilitate; to turn over a new leaf; to stop committing evil acts and stay on the straight and narrow; to mend one’s ways (idiom); clean up your act; go straight; reform and start anew; abandon evil for good; to return from the evil path to the right path and stop doing bad things.

求爺爺告奶奶 (qiú yé yé gào nǎi nǎi): lit. to beg grandpa and call on grandma (idiom); fig. to go about begging for help; beg the grandpa and entreat the grandma―go about begging for help; begging everyone; imploring all around; pleading desperately; asking for help from everyone; seeking assistance from all possible sources; to ask for help from others everywhere.

依依不舍 (yī yī bù shě): reluctant to part (idiom); to feel broken-hearted at having to leave; to linger; cannot bear to part.

昂首挺胸 (áng shǒu tǐng xiōng): head high, chest out (idiom); hold up one’s head and throw out one’s chest; chin up and chest out; square one’s shoulders and throw back one’s head; to keep up one’s spirits; in fine mettle (of animal); Describes high spirit and high morale.

劈頭蓋臉 (pī tóu gài liǎn): lit. splitting the head and covering the face (idiom); fig. pelting (with rain etc); showering down; to one’s face; directly towards someone; overwhelmingly; headon; all over; with full force; straight in the face; right in the face; (a blow, impact, criticism, etc.) is fierce and violent.

殺雞儆猴 (shā jī jǐng hóu): lit. to kill the chicken to warn the monkey (idiom); to punish an individual as an example to others; (figurative) to make a public demonstration of punishing a wrongdoer in order to deter innocents who might mimic the example of the wrongdoer; to punish one person as a warning to others; pour encourager les autres.

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  大佬 (dà lǎo): (Cantonese) elder brother; big brother; old buddy; triad boss; boss; magnate; (Mandarin, neologism, slang) someone experienced or influential; big shot (leading some field or group); godfather; refers to someone with seniority, high seniority and whose words are influential. In daily life, it is also often used to express admiration or respect for people who are capable in certain fields.