Chapter 007: I’m Different from “Them”

Zhou Zhexiao looked into Xia Chiyi’s eyes and began, “Sheng Xingming’s mother passed away five years after his death. Before that, his younger brother had been serving as his assistant, managing his life. Everything revolved around the older brother; no one noticed his existence.”

Xia Chiyi’s bright eyes reflected Zhou Zhexiao’s image. In his world, everything was clean and beautiful.

“After Sheng Xingming’s death, Sheng Qiming started managing the charitable foundation his brother left behind. He sponsored many talents to study in the US and proved to be an excellent manager. Now, he has finally stepped out of Sheng Xingming’s shadow and gained recognition that belongs to him.”

Zhou Zhexiao slowly took out his Nokia from his pocket and handed it to Xia Chiyi. “You can try calling him. Tell him his brother is still alive… Do you think he would be happy, or afraid of losing himself again?”

Xia Chiyi’s heart felt as if it had been pricked by a tiny needle.

“Then… then there’s the team owner! After Sheng Xingming died, the team’s performance got worse year by year, and now it’s completely reduced to a third-rate team. If Sheng Xingming were still alive, the team owner would wake up laughing from his dreams,” Xia Chiyi said.

Zhou Zhexiao’s expression remained indifferent. “If you told the team owner that Sheng Xingming was reborn, he would helplessly say to you, ‘Buddy, stop joking. We’ve already launched the Sheng Xingming 10th Anniversary Commemorative Basketball Shoes with a famous sports brand. Instead of telling me Sheng Xingming is alive, you might as well pre-order a pair online.'”

The owner of a third-rate team could only continue to make money by exploiting Sheng Xingming’s legacy. If Sheng Xingming were alive, he would be at retirement age and long past his commercial prime.

Only a dead legend could make people pay for nostalgia.

For some reason, the calmer Zhou Zhexiao appeared, the more Xia Chiyi’s heart ached.

“Teammates! What about his teammate Mobist! Twelve years ago, Mobist was about to be traded to a terrible team because his performance wasn’t impressive enough. Back then, Sheng Xingming fed him so many balls that he became the MVP for three consecutive games. He would surely hope Sheng Xingming was still alive!”

Zhou Zhexiao gave a very faint smile. If possible, he hoped Xia Chiyi’s world would always remain simple and never be hurt by “human nature.”

“If it were the current Mobist, he should be enjoying the unrestrained pleasure brought by alcohol, then drunkenly say, ‘Sheng Xingming only became a legend because he died. Look at the league now; there are countless guards stronger than him. Do you want me to live looking at his face even after I retire?'”

Xia Chiyi clenched his fists. He had seen interviews with Mobist later on—arrogant, extravagant, and never mentioning Sheng Xingming.

Sometimes, favors are also handouts.

The beneficiary might not feel gratitude, but rather a different kind of heavy burden.

Sheng Xingming was a legend.

A legend recognized by everyone as dead, frozen in time, with the final verdict already delivered.

Perhaps as Sheng Xingming, he received a lot of love, and people pursued him as a symbol. But the meaning of his existence belonged to the past, not the present.

The subway car entered a dark tunnel again. Light and shadow interlaced, and Zhou Zhexiao’s profile seemed to overlap with the Sheng Xingming in Xia Chiyi’s memory.

Not knowing whether it was to tell Sheng Xingming or to convince Zhou Zhexiao, Xia Chiyi spoke with a very firm tone, “I’m different from ‘them’.”

“How so?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was gentle, carrying a rare smile, tolerant and reserved, making Xia Chiyi repeatedly recall the person he couldn’t catch up to.

“He was my coach at the youth basketball camp. When I was little, I told him, ‘Can you wait for me? When I grow up, I’m going to your court to play basketball with you.'”

Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze seemed hooked by something, suddenly wavering.

“Unless time stops, by the time you step onto his court, he would have already retired.”

“But I won’t stop. Whether I’m eliminated by the provincial team, or enter the hopeless Ningchang University, or if my parents tell me to study hard and stop thinking about basketball, it doesn’t matter. I will continue. I want to become the best combo guard.”

Xia Chiyi looked at the pitch blackness outside the window, his gaze so determined it seemed capable of piercing through all chasms and obstacles.

Zhou Zhexiao raised his hand, wanting to touch him, to tell him that the road was very hard and most people couldn’t reach the end.

“Because Sheng Xingming was a combo guard, you want to become him?”

“No. If I become the best combo guard, he can pursue his own ideal.”

“What was his ideal?”

Perhaps even Sheng Xingming himself had forgotten what his ideal was.

“—Of course, to be the strongest small forward in the league.”

Zhou Zhexiao froze for a moment, turning back to look into Xia Chiyi’s eyes. “How… how did you know he wanted to play small forward?”

“Just look at his most classic shot in the finals! Sheng Xingming dribbled past two people in a row, went straight to the basket, faced a twin-tower block, and double-clutched in mid-air to score. He was always proving to everyone that he wasn’t just a hub for organizing offense; he could also be a blade that snatches victory from desperate situations.”

Even though it was pitch black outside the window, Xia Chiyi’s gaze held a scalding temperature. The faded black-and-white world around them seemed to be wiped clean, shiny and brand new.

“I want Sheng Xingming to become an unbreakable blade. If his gaze is on the basket, I will send him straight to the opponent’s throat. When he passes, I will be the extension of his vision, always in the position he needs, hitting the mark every time. We will both become the people we want to be.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked at him motionless. His cooled blood surged upward bit by bit, gathering into a mighty army with no exit, making his heart swell until it hurt.

“Then this time, you just focus on working hard,” Zhou Zhexiao said softly.

“You want to say leave the rest to time?” Xia Chiyi swung his legs and looked over.

“No, leave the rest to me.”

The subway arrived at the station, and the doors opened. No passengers got on or off, as if this was a one-way trip belonging only to them.

“Hahaha, I’m already arrogant enough! How come you’re even more arrogant than me!” Xia Chiyi bumped his knee against the other’s several times.

Zhou Zhexiao smiled very faintly. Perhaps now he had found another kind of invincible strength.

Terminal 1 arrived. The broadcast announcement brought them back from the ideal world to reality.

Zhou Zhexiao followed Xia Chiyi to the baggage service desk and showed his ID card. After Xia Chiyi helped fill out the form, they finally saw the legendary suitcase.

It was a very ordinary pure black style, without even decorations like stickers. No wonder it was taken by mistake.

Most importantly, Zhou Zhexiao had returned from abroad. Was his suitcase really this small? What could it hold?

Seeming to notice Xia Chiyi’s question, Zhou Zhexiao replied, “The other things will be packed and sent to the school.”

“Oh.” Xia Chiyi nodded.

The service desk asked Zhou Zhexiao to check if any luggage was missing. Xia Chiyi stood curiously on the side, wanting to see what was inside.

This guy was really something, leaving his wallet in the suitcase.

The contents were also very minimalist: a white towel, a sports jacket, solid-colored T-shirts, and a few changes of underwear.

It was as if he were just going for an away game and would return home soon.

“What… is this?” Xia Chiyi pulled out a green, curved neck pillow from the side of his suitcase.

The neck pillow had rows of triangles on it. One end was round, and the other was tapered, resembling an animal’s tail.

Stretching it out, Xia Chiyi realized it was actually a little dinosaur.

“Hahaha, you really have a childlike heart!”

As he spoke, Xia Chiyi wrapped the dinosaur around his own neck.

Zhou Zhexiao looked at him, and after a long time, said a sentence: “It looks good.”

Xia Chiyi had intended to mock his childishness, but hit by the sincere “It looks good,” he couldn’t say another word.

Zhou Zhexiao pushed his suitcase away, and Xia Chiyi hurriedly chased after him, afraid this big shot with a dead phone would accidentally get lost.

“Hey, slow down! You haven’t packed your neck pillow yet—”

Zhou Zhexiao showed no intention of taking the little dinosaur back, so Xia Chiyi could only carry it.

The subway ride back wasn’t as lucky; it was somewhat crowded. Fortunately, both were tall, so hanging onto the handrails was relatively easy.

At first, Xia Chiyi felt embarrassed and held the little dinosaur in his hand. Later, finding the subway’s overhead AC blowing cold air onto his neck, and carrying it being inconvenient, Xia Chiyi chose to wear it, instantly skyrocketing his eye-catching rate.

His handsome face paired with the little dinosaur neck pillow created a perfect “gap moe.” Added to his tall stature, basically anyone entering the carriage couldn’t help but take a second look. Through the reflection in the window, Xia Chiyi even noticed people pretending to play on their phones while actually taking photos of him and Zhou Zhexiao.

After sitting bored like this for three or four stops, Xia Chiyi couldn’t hold back anymore and leaned towards Zhou Zhexiao next to him.

“I just went on the Ningchang University forum and specifically searched for posts about the school basketball team. Do you know what they say?”

“Mm?” Zhou Zhexiao turned his face, finding Xia Chiyi very close. His chin was buried in the neck pillow, making his eyes look exceptionally round.

“Like a broken cart pulled by an old ox—the wheels have fallen off, can’t go on the highway.”

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t react much. Xia Chiyi suspected he didn’t understand the metaphor, so he had to explain more plainly.

“It’s said that our school team didn’t win a single game in the Southeast Division group stage. They lost every game by twenty or thirty points. Opponents even called up their benchwarmers to farm experience points.” Xia Chiyi blinked, hinting that “reality is grim.”

“Shows the coach is trash,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Xia Chiyi nodded vigorously. “Exactly. Do you know who the school team coach is? Ma Wenhua! He’s the cousin of the provincial team head coach Ma Hongming! When Ma Hongming rises, his dogs and chickens ascend to heaven too. Ma Wenhua has zero skill, relying entirely on his cousin’s connections to play musical chairs as a coach in universities within the province. Our Ningchang University is considered the last stop.”

“So Ningchang University’s team became the trash can?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Ah… I guess…”

“If you can’t throw it out, then dump it in the toilet and flush it away,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Xia Chiyi froze. He didn’t know what method Zhou Zhexiao had, or even where his confidence came from, but a strong premonition surged in his heart.

—Nothing could become an obstacle on his path forward, unless he gave up himself.