Chapter 0091: Xia Chiyi’s Style of Turning Enemies into Friends (Second Update)

When Xia Chiyi and the others hurried to their reserved seats, they realized that people from several other universities had also come to watch the match.

The uniforms of Southwest Aviation University were very conspicuous. At a glance, Xia Chiyi locked onto Zhuo Zheng. This guy who looked like a debt collection agency’s thug was actually still here.

Diagonally across from them, Liu Suchen was waving at him. Xia Chiyi had just grinned back when the other party actually stood up, carrying a bag, and walked over to him.

“You played wonderfully in the match just now. My treat.”

Xia Chiyi opened it to look: wafer cookies, chocolate balls, milk pudding, potato chips, nuts… basically, nothing low in calories.

It really gave off the vibe of an elementary schooler going on a spring field trip.

Xia Chiyi glanced at Ling Huanzhen, who nodded, meaning it was fine to accept.

Anyway, no matter how much they ate, they would probably burn it all off in the upcoming matches.

“Thanks.” Xia Chiyi smiled at Liu Suchen.

Sitting to Xia Chiyi’s right was an older Uncle with slightly graying temples. When he saw Liu Suchen, the two smiled at each other as if they were acquainted, but Liu Suchen left without speaking to him.

The match was about to start. The referee had already walked to the center line, drawing Xia Chiyi’s attention.

The two teams were evenly matched in the opening three minutes, the score rising alternately, until Li Shunchuan shook off his defender with a left-and-right sway and sank two consecutive three-pointers.

When Li Shunchuan went for his third shot, Xia Chiyi grew anxious. “Don’t go… it’s a fake move…”

The Uncle beside him looked at Xia Chiyi’s face-palming expression and asked with interest, “Li Shunchuan’s fake move was so natural. You could tell?”

“Because of the positioning. If Li Shunchuan really stepped back, he would bump into the point guard from Water Conservancy University. So this definitely had to be a fake move, which successfully tricked both of Water Conservancy’s players.”

The Uncle smiled and nodded.

Under Li Shunchuan’s continuous targeted shooting, Water Conservancy University’s formation fell into disarray, ending three consecutive attacks in failure.

Xia Chiyi originally wanted to say a few words to Zhou Zhexiao, but when he turned his head, he found this guy sitting with his arms crossed and head bowed, his chin barely lifting for a moment before dropping back down again.

“What the hell? You can actually fall asleep watching Qincheng University’s match?” He grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder and shook him.

Zhou Zhexiao rubbed his eyes and let out a very faint sigh.

Xia Chiyi understood. To Zhou Zhexiao, Water Conservancy University’s performance was too weak, making the match a bit boring.

“Then go to sleep. If Southeast Water Conservancy rises up later, I’ll wake you.”

“Mn,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded, his eyelids drooping as he completely shut down.

Sigh, this guy looks so well-behaved when he’s asleep.

On the court, Yang Huaiyu drove the ball into the opponent’s camp, directly facing a double-team defense. Just as he jumped, Xia Chiyi clicked his tongue again and leaned back against his chair.

Sure enough, Yang Huaiyu played a time-lag, releasing the ball a half-beat late.

Seeing Xia Chiyi’s disappointed expression of ‘hating iron for not becoming steel’, the Uncle chuckled and asked, “What’s wrong this time? Yang Huaiyu handled this ball with high-level technique. It’s completely normal that Southeast Water Conservancy couldn’t defend against it.”

“They didn’t even try their best to defend. Southeast Water Conservancy’s No. 8 had already rushed to the side of the basketball hoop; why didn’t he jump? If he jumped, he’d have a chance to interfere with Yang Huaiyu’s floater. Anyone who has studied Yang Huaiyu knows that this guy is best at playing time-lags or double clutches under the basket, so…”

Xia Chiyi suddenly realized that this Uncle was just a spectator. The way he was talking probably made him sound like an annoying armchair expert to the other party.

“N-nothing, I was just imagining how to deal with Yang Huaiyu in my head, so I got a bit excited. Sorry for disturbing you watching the game.” Xia Chiyi offered the bag of snacks to the man.

Unexpectedly, the Uncle smiled and waved his hand. “You think very well, and you have a great view of the big picture. I believe if you were Water Conservancy University’s No. 8, you definitely would have jumped to intercept.”

“Th… thank you…”

Being affirmed by someone he didn’t know made Xia Chiyi a little embarrassed.

In the second quarter, Water Conservancy University finally began to counterattack. Their small forward fired up to go head-to-head against Yang Huaiyu, sinking three consecutive shots and pulling up a small peak of a counter-offensive.

The Uncle beside Xia Chiyi kindly reminded him, “Water Conservancy University is rising up. Aren’t you going to wake your teammate to watch the match?”

Xia Chiyi shook his head. “I’m afraid it’ll be difficult for them. Water Conservancy University’s zone defense hasn’t been effective. Look—Ke Yan has carried the ball past the three-point line again. Ahead of him are Meng Ting and He Zhan. This forms a scoring triangle…”

Before he even finished speaking, Meng Ting caught Ke Yan’s pass and charged straight for the basket. Seeing that he was about to brutally dunk on Water Conservancy’s hoop, the defenders frantically jumped to block him. However, Meng Ting didn’t risk the violent dunk; instead, he passed the ball to He Zhan, who scored easily while completely unguarded.

The Uncle stroked his chin and smiled. “I think I can understand your so-called scoring triangle.”

“Right. Additionally, Ke Yan, Li Shunchuan, and Yang Huaiyu form another offensive triangle, constantly moving and changing.”

The Uncle turned his head, looking at Xia Chiyi’s focused side profile, and gave a very faint smile.

“If Water Conservancy University doesn’t figure out a way to dismantle Qincheng University’s two scoring triangles, their players will run themselves ragged, and their exhaustion will multiply. It’s highly likely that this match will enter garbage time by the second half,” Xia Chiyi sighed.

Southeast Water Conservancy University was the other dark horse besides Ningchang University. Although Xia Chiyi strongly hoped they could deal a heavy blow to Qincheng Uni… they lacked a stable shooter on the perimeter, and their inside players were two freshmen who were simply too green against Meng Ting and He Zhan. The only small forward who was good at scoring was currently clashing head-on with Yang Huaiyu, giving off a vibe of fighting purely for pride.

If he didn’t pay attention to his stamina distribution, he would very soon experience the cruelty of the game.

By the time the first half ended, Qincheng University was already leading by 18 points.

During halftime, Xia Chiyi received a WeChat message from Liu Suchen: [I’m heading back first. Do your best in your match against Southeast Mining University tomorrow!]

Xia Chiyi replied: [Thank you.]

Liu Suchen: [You’re welcome. I sent the exact same WeChat to Ma Tao.]

Xia Chiyi: …

The Uncle spoke up, “Actually, I also suggest you go back to the hotel now. Either study Southeast Mining University a bit more, or get some good rest and sleep longer. This match doesn’t hold much significance for you anymore.”

Xia Chiyi rubbed the back of his head. Beside him, Zhou Zhexiao was already making kitten-like breathing sounds, his eyelashes drooping low.

The outcome of this match was already predictable at this point. Just as the Uncle said, it would be better to go back to the room and rest properly—plus, he’d be able to unscrupulously admire Zhou Zhexiao’s sleeping face. How nice.

Xia Chiyi looked back at Ling Huanzhen, then pointed at Zhou Zhexiao.

Ling Huanzhen nodded and texted in the group chat: [Anyone who feels tired can head back to the hotel first.]

Xia Chiyi looked at the Uncle and said apologetically, “Then I’ll head back for the second half.”

“Let’s add each other on WeChat.” The Uncle waved his phone. “I really enjoyed listening to you analyze the game. Maybe next time we can arrange to sit together again.”

“Sure.” Xia Chiyi could sense the other party’s goodwill, so he took out his phone and scanned the code.

After accepting the friend request, he froze for a moment, because the other party’s avatar was the logo of the Fusheng Hangzao Men’s Basketball team.

Could it be… he’s a scout?

Too embarrassed to ask further, Xia Chiyi tugged at Zhou Zhexiao’s ear. “Hey, get up. If you’re going to sleep, go back to the hotel to sleep.”

Zhou Zhexiao slowly lifted his head, slightly opening one eye. He raised a hand to rub it, stood up, and looked around in a slight daze. It took his brain about two seconds to resume functioning. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he glanced at Xia Chiyi, meaning: Why aren’t you getting up yet?

Xia Chiyi inhaled, grabbed Zhou Zhexiao by the shoulders, and pushed him out of the spectator area.

The hotel was only a few minutes’ walk from the stadium. Xia Chiyi pushed Zhou Zhexiao forward the whole way, trying his best to dodge utility poles and pedestrians.

Because Zhou Zhexiao was walking while sleeping and moving too slowly, the other teammates had already walked far ahead of them.

Not long after they started walking, Xia Chiyi received a WeChat message from Ling Huanzhen: [You’ve made it big, kid. Bypassing me to directly contact people from the pro clubs?]

Xia Chiyi quickly sent a voice reply: [When that Uncle added me, he didn’t say he was from a club!]

Ling Huanzhen replied: [What Uncle? That’s the head coach of Fusheng Hangzao!]

Xia Chiyi blanked. What? The head coach of a professional men’s basketball team added my WeChat?

Who am I?
Where am I?

In the next second, he heard a muffled groan from ahead. Xia Chiyi looked up to see the sleepwalking Zhou Zhexiao walking right into a utility pole.

“Hey, are you okay? Let me see!” Xia Chiyi hurriedly rushed over to check.

Zhou Zhexiao’s brows were furrowed tightly, and the tip of his nose was red.

Xia Chiyi really wanted to laugh; this was probably the drawback of having a tall nose bridge.

Zhou Zhexiao opened his eyes, seeing the schadenfreude in Xia Chiyi’s expression. His eyes filled with condemnation.

“It’s this utility pole’s fault. How could it bump into our Zhou Zhexiao?”

After saying that, Xia Chiyi pretentiously punched the pole twice.

Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head, watching Xia Chiyi’s performance, and then pinched the tip of Xia Chiyi’s nose, pulling him forward.

“Ouch, that hurts! Let go, Zhou Zhexiao, it hurts!”

When they arrived at the hotel and were waiting for the elevator, Zhou Zhexiao started dozing off again. If this guy didn’t get a full sleep, he would constantly remain in a half-asleep, half-awake state.

Standing in front of the elevator doors was a tall guy, probably a player from some basketball team.

Xia Chiyi turned his head to look, and his shoulders instantly stiffened.

Isn’t this that debt-collector face from Southwest Aviation University?!

Although he only caught a glimpse, that guy’s broken eyebrow and upturned sanpaku eyes… really looked incredibly arrogant and aggressive.

Zhou Zhexiao stood right behind Xia Chiyi, his chin resting crookedly on top of Xia Chiyi’s head. With his even breaths, he occasionally blew the hair whorl on Xia Chiyi’s head apart.

Now is not the time to sleep!
Your ex is here! Don’t leave me to face him alone!
He was staring at you for a long time during halftime!

Xia Chiyi wiggled the top of his head, thinking he could shake Zhou Zhexiao awake. Who knew this guy would just clamp his palm directly down onto the top of Xia Chiyi’s head, forbidding him from moving.

The elevator doors opened with a “Ding—”.

Xia Chiyi hesitated slightly over whether or not to take the same elevator as Zhuo Zheng.

Unexpectedly, Zhuo Zheng shoved his hands in his pockets and stepped in first, holding down the ‘Open’ button while waiting for him.

He felt like if he didn’t go in, it would be admitting defeat!

So, Xia Chiyi took a deep breath and dragged Zhou Zhexiao inside.

Inside the elevator, Xia Chiyi pressed his floor button. Noticing that Zhuo Zheng was getting off earlier than him, he felt a little more at ease.

Zhou Zhexiao had also sobered up a bit. Hands in his pockets, he silently watched the elevator floor numbers rise.

This quiet atmosphere made Xia Chiyi feel a profound sense of awkwardness.

But wasn’t Zhuo Zheng Zhou Zhexiao’s high school alumni? He was staring at Zhou Zhexiao for so long earlier, they obviously knew each other. So why weren’t they saying hello?

Just as the elevator was about to reach Zhuo Zheng’s floor, it suddenly gave a violent lurch downwards. Images from various news reports, movies, and TV shows flooded into Xia Chiyi’s mind. Is the elevator falling?!

At a time like this, the most important survival tip was to press every single floor button!

Xia Chiyi’s hand shot out with extreme speed, instantly lighting up all the buttons on the panel.

Zhuo Zheng, hands in his pockets: “…”
Zhou Zhexiao: “…”

The elevator had stopped, but the doors didn’t open. The intercom crackled with the voice of the security room, telling them not to worry and that the elevator would be back to normal shortly.

Xia Chiyi quietly let out a breath, his palms slick with sweat.

“Are you pretending not to know me, or do you just disdain greeting me?” Zhuo Zheng let out a light scoff, his broken eyebrow ticking upwards as he looked at Zhou Zhexiao.

Xia Chiyi took a half-step back, so as not to block Zhuo Zheng’s line of sight.

Zhou Zhexiao lifted his eyes, looked at Zhuo Zheng, and said, “I don’t know you.”

This was the complete truth, but to Zhuo Zheng’s ears, it definitely sounded like a provocation.

Xia Chiyi tilted his head, praying these two wouldn’t start a brawl inside the elevator car.

“Fair enough. A person capable of being remembered in Young Master Zhou’s heart probably hasn’t been born yet.” Zhuo Zheng’s gaze shifted from Zhou Zhexiao to Xia Chiyi.

“Little Loach, you’ve got quite the skills. Getting Young Master Zhou to set screens and pass the ball for you. That’s something that probably hasn’t happened in his entire past eighteen years of life.”

“Oh…” Xia Chiyi replied faintly.

Zhuo Zheng smiled. He took a half-step toward Xia Chiyi, leaning in closer to observe his expression: “It seems you really treat Zhou Zhexiao’s passes and assists as a regular, everyday occurrence?”

It was only then that Xia Chiyi sensed there was no malice in those eyes; he was just stubbornly seeking confirmation.

“Hey, what was Zhou Zhexiao like in high school? How awful was he? Tell me about it,” Xia Chiyi asked, looking directly into Zhuo Zheng’s eyes.

“You really want to know?”

“Black history is still history. Let’s hear it.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s brows furrowed. Just as he raised his hand to shove Zhuo Zheng’s face away, Zhuo Zheng straightened his back on his own. “You’re pretty interesting, Little Loach.”

Asking someone to speak ill of Zhou Zhexiao right in front of him… in the past, that would have instantly earned a death glare from Zhou Zhexiao.
Or worse, he might have grabbed you by the hair, slammed you against the wall, and asked if you still wanted to keep listening.

But at this moment, Zhou Zhexiao merely frowned and asked in return, “Is there a point?”

Xia Chiyi answered, “Yes, there is. This guy is also an Oak Hill graduate, his skills must be really formidable. He sees you as a rival but is using his past experiences to anticipate the current you. That’s not fair to him either.”

Hearing this, Zhuo Zheng felt a contradictory sensation of being looked down upon, yet simultaneously not being looked down upon.

“Oh.” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, adopting a ‘whatever you want’ attitude.

Who would have guessed that at this exact moment, the elevator was fixed, and the doors slid open.

Why was this situation so awkward?
Because Xia Chiyi had pressed so many floor buttons earlier, the elevator was now stopping on every single floor, opening and closing its doors repeatedly.

Zhuo Zheng let out a breath, seemingly having nothing left to say either.

“Better to settle it on the court…”

It’s better to see the results on the court. Talking too much is useless anyway.

“Come to our room. I’ll treat you to pizza,” Xia Chiyi tilted his chin at him.

“Hah?” Zhuo Zheng frowned, wondering if he had misheard.
Is there something wrong with Zhou Zhexiao’s teammate’s brain? Can’t he tell I don’t like Zhou Zhexiao?
Zhuo Zheng even began to doubt if there was a problem with his own intimidating aura.
When they first got into the elevator, this Xia Chiyi was clearly a bit afraid of him.

Xia Chiyi smiled, a sly glint flashing in his eyes: “Don’t be scared, we won’t beat you up.”

“What the hell?”
Zhuo Zheng felt like he must have been poisoned; otherwise, why would he actually follow Xia Chiyi into their room?

“Have a seat, don’t be polite. Do you want mineral water? I ordered cola,” Xia Chiyi said.

“Cola, then.”

As soon as Zhuo Zheng sat down, he couldn’t help but notice the large bouquet of sunflowers on the small coffee table.

“Couldn’t tell. It’s only the division matches and you already have fans?”

Xia Chiyi was currently messaging Shuai Bei on WeChat to ask what flavor of pizza he wanted. “Ah, that was a gift from Zhou Zhexiao to me.”

Zhuo Zheng looked at Zhou Zhexiao as if looking at a monster. At this moment, Zhou Zhexiao was sitting at the foot of the bed, his head drooping.

“Zhou Zhexiao, if you’re sleepy, just sleep.”

“Not sleeping. I want to watch the replay of Southeast Mining University’s match.” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was muffled and heavy.

“Then wait a second until I finish ordering the pizza.” Xia Chiyi’s fingers tapped rapidly on the screen, and then he tossed his phone to Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhou Zhexiao pulled out a pair of Bluetooth earbuds, put them in his ears, fell backward onto the bed, and started watching the match, completely ignoring Zhuo Zheng’s existence.

At this moment, Zhou Zhexiao had absolutely zero offensive power. His two calves hung off the end of the bed, feet planted on the floor, slightly curly hair scattered across the pristine white bedsheets. Holding the phone single-handedly, he looked completely defenseless.

And the watch he was wearing on his wrist…
Zhuo Zheng stared at it for a long time but couldn’t recognize the brand. Didn’t this guy always show off by wearing high-end sports watches?

Xia Chiyi leisurely walked past the foot of Zhou Zhexiao’s bed. He tapped the toe of Zhou Zhexiao’s shoe with his foot. “Long-legs monster, please retract them, you’re blocking the way.”

Zhou Zhexiao hitched himself a short distance toward the headboard and pulled in his knees, actually obediently making way for Xia Chiyi.

This guy really seemed to have lost his temper. In the past, only others made way for him; on American turf, he dared to walk sideways like a crab.

Xia Chiyi sat down next to Zhuo Zheng. “Come on, let’s chat about the differences in technical traits between the past and present Zhou Zhexiao.”

“Technical traits?”

“Yeah. Did you think I invited you over just to complain about how obnoxious his past personality was? Even if Zhou Zhexiao were made of hundred-yuan bills, he still couldn’t be liked by everybody,” Xia Chiyi said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Zhuo Zheng found himself feeling somewhat led by the nose by Xia Chiyi.
Inexplicably ending up in their room, and inexplicably discussing the differences between the old and new Zhou Zhexiao with him.

“I’m going back. I don’t want to play ‘turning enemies into friends’ house with you.”

Just as Zhuo Zheng was about to get up, Xia Chiyi spoke: “I’m talking to you exactly because I don’t want you treating the match like playing house.”

“Hah?” Zhuo Zheng looked at Xia Chiyi, feeling that this guy’s brain circuits were very strange.
Not only that, the Zhou Zhexiao who hung out with him had also become strange—changing from a fragile-hearted guy who’d explode at the slightest spark, into someone so incredibly chill that he let others discuss him however they pleased.

“Because if you don’t update your database, when you actually get on the court, you will definitely suffer a crushing defeat,” Xia Chiyi stated.

“Xia Chiyi, you’re crazy. When it comes to arrogance, I can’t compare to Zhou Zhexiao. Southwest Aviation University doesn’t even need me to play to beat your Ningchang University, so what I think of Zhou Zhexiao isn’t important.”

“Arrogance?” Xia Chiyi turned toward Zhou Zhexiao, raising his foot as if to kick his knee. Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao rolled over and dodged it.

“Just changed my pants.”
Meaning: They’re clean, no kicking allowed.

Yet Xia Chiyi bumped him right below the knee anyway: “Your ex says you’re very arrogant. Come on, let us see just how arrogant you are—could we beat Southeast Mining tomorrow without you?”

“If you think you can beat Southeast Mining without me, then you’re the arrogant one, not me.”

After saying that, Zhou Zhexiao rolled over again, seemingly a bit displeased. That view of his back seemed to say, ‘Stop provoking me.’

Zhuo Zheng stood frozen in place. Although Zhou Zhexiao’s words were still quite arrogant, he genuinely wasn’t as insufferable as before…

Xia Chiyi asked again, “What about me? Without me, do you think Ningchang University can beat Southeast Mining?”

“Don’t know.”

“Can we win without Ye Chaoying?”

“You’d have to score on the perimeter and also organize the offense. You probably wouldn’t last the whole game,” Zhou Zhexiao replied very calmly.

“You could organize the offense.”

“I don’t want to.”

This childish answer was beyond Zhuo Zheng’s expectations. Shouldn’t Zhou Zhexiao have said, “Why should I?”

“Why don’t you want to?”

“If Zhao Lingcong and Ma Tao join forces, they’ll be very hard to deal with. I might not have the spare energy to organize the offense,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

“Oh, okay then. Then do you think we can win against Mining University without Shuai Bei and Du He?”

“Are you dreaming about eating farts?”

Both Xia Chiyi and Zhuo Zheng were stunned.

“How am I dreaming about eating farts?”

“If you miss your shot, who’s going to grab the rebound for you?”

“Du He and Shuai Bei, duh.”

“When we cut to the basket and both of us are defended, who can withstand the pressure under the net to make a mid-range jumper?”

“Shuai Bei, duh.”

“Who can dribble and maneuver around the paint area?”

“Du He, duh.”

“Without Shuai Bei and Du He, can we win against Mining University?” This time, it was Zhou Zhexiao asking in return.

Zhuo Zheng was flabbergasted. He didn’t misinterpret Zhou Zhexiao’s meaning, right? Was this guy actually praising his teammates for being useful?!

“…No, we can’t.” Xia Chiyi paused for two seconds, then asked again, “Who taught you ‘dreaming about eating farts’?”

“You did,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

Xia Chiyi was left speechless. He really did seem to have said that when joking around with Ye Chaoying.

“Are you a little kid, Zhou Zhexiao? Copying the way I speak.”

Xia Chiyi looked at Zhuo Zheng. “Are you really leaving? Don’t you want to understand the present Zhou Zhexiao before heading back? Besides, the pizza I ordered will be here in a few minutes.”

In Zhuo Zheng’s view, understanding someone’s true level by just sitting around chatting definitely wasn’t enough; watching them play was much more practical.
During the match that ended this afternoon, Zhuo Zheng had already seen Zhou Zhexiao’s change… a massive change.
It was like a kitten’s claws scratching at his heart. Deep down, he really wanted to know what other unseen sides there were to Zhou Zhexiao.

Maybe listening to Xia Chiyi spout nonsense like this wouldn’t be so bad.

“Then I’ll leave after eating the pizza,” Zhuo Zheng said.

But Zhou Zhexiao suddenly spoke up: “Even if you leave now, I won’t stop you.”

Staring at Zhou Zhexiao’s back, Zhuo Zheng began, “A few days ago, our team had a practice match with Yandu University, and unexpectedly bumped into Dai Qun. Dai Qun said you forgot a lot of things, and your personality changed drastically. He suspected you reincarnated a second time and underwent a personality overhaul.”

Xia Chiyi remembered him. Dai Qun was that guy they met at the high-speed rail station, an old acquaintance of Zhou Zhexiao. If it hadn’t been for him, Zhou Zhexiao might not have gotten into that car crash.

“You don’t even seem curious about what Dai Qun said about you?”

Zhou Zhexiao remained silent for a long while. It was unclear if he was too engrossed in watching the match, or if he simply hadn’t heard Zhuo Zheng’s voice.

Xia Chiyi raised his hand. “I’m curious! You can tell me. What did that Dai Qun say?”
After parting at the high-speed rail station, Xia Chiyi also really wanted to know if Dai Qun had let it go.

“Dai Qun said that the old Zhou Zhexiao didn’t cherish his talent, but instead used it as a bargaining chip to act willfully. But the current Zhou Zhexiao has abandoned the past and truly loves basketball. I find it pretty hilarious. If just getting into a car crash lets you abandon the past, and amnesia is this convenient, then everyone ought to give it a try.”

Zhuo Zheng stared at Zhou Zhexiao’s back. He intentionally used a slightly provocative tone, wanting to incite Zhou Zhexiao’s anger.

More than a dozen seconds passed, and Zhou Zhexiao didn’t react at all.

This guy didn’t care about him. Zhuo Zheng felt a sense of unrequited defeat.

Instead, it was Xia Chiyi who asked, “Zhou Zhexiao, do you still remember who Dai Qun is?”

“No.”

This answer gave Zhuo Zheng that feeling of punching cotton again.

When I speak to you, you brush me off!
But when Xia Chiyi speaks to you, you’re obedient as hell!
Zhou Zhexiao, you double-standard hypocrite!

Xia Chiyi smiled and spread his hands. “So you see, treating him like the old Zhou Zhexiao—whether trying to anger him or test him—is entirely useless.”

Zhuo Zheng looked at Xia Chiyi. “And what about you? You know I dislike this guy, yet you invited me in… What exactly is your goal?”

Xia Chiyi replied, “Because I don’t want you taking your anger onto the court when you play against Zhou Zhexiao. When that time comes, you won’t be able to anger Zhou Zhexiao, but you will likely be continuously angered by him. Whatever dissatisfaction you have with him, it’s better to spit it all out right now. If it’s a grudge from the court, resolve it on the court. But I feel like your anger toward Zhou Zhexiao isn’t limited just to the basketball court.”

Zhuo Zheng’s brows knit tightly together, enough to pinch an ant to death. “I finally understand what you mean. You’re worried I’ll maliciously collide or commit a flagrant foul on the court. You’re worried Zhou Zhexiao will get hurt.”

Xia Chiyi nodded. “Yeah.”

Zhuo Zheng revealed a ferocious expression. “I really want to strangle you right now. Who do you think I am?! Even though I look fierce, my emotional control has always been very strong!”

“You actually know you look fierce?” Xia Chiyi looked surprised.

At this moment, Zhou Zhexiao—who had had his back to them this whole time—suddenly turned around, put down his phone, and sat straight up.
An icy gaze swept across Zhuo Zheng’s face.

“Try saying that again.”

“Say what?” Zhuo Zheng was completely confused.

“Who do you want to strangle?” Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes glinted with a cold light.

Zhuo Zheng wasn’t intimidated in the slightest; instead, his eyes widened with excitement: “Hah, interesting. So it’s fine if I talk about you, but talk about your teammate and you actually react?”

Xia Chiyi quickly steered the topic back: “So, what exactly is the beef between you and Zhou Zhexiao?”

“Oh, there’s a lot of beef. In our game against Peddie High School, the coach put him at small forward and told him to focus on driving and scoring. But when he went for a layup, he got blocked by their power forward, so his stubborn temper flared up and he insisted on competing against that guy. He kept getting blocked, and he kept forcing it. When I grabbed the ball he bricked off the backboard and went for a putback dunk, this guy ended up hating me too. During the critical moments of the match, even when he was locked down, he refused to pass to me.”

“And the result of the match?”

“We won, but only because this guy got subbed out in the second half.”

Xia Chiyi looked at Zhou Zhexiao and raised his voice: “Did you hear that? Kept getting blocked and kept forcing it! Locked down and still wouldn’t pass!”

“If I kept getting blocked, why didn’t I shoot from the perimeter? Was my floater not beautiful, or were my double clutches not sweet enough?” Zhou Zhexiao asked in return.

Zhuo Zheng choked on his words, taking two seconds to process them. “You should be asking yourself that question! Why did you keep forcing it?!”

Xia Chiyi asked again, “What else? Just this isn’t enough to warrant that… gaze of deep-seated hatred you have.”

“Me? A gaze of deep-seated hatred?” Zhuo Zheng pointed at himself, recalling how when he first entered Southwest Aviation University, people also said he looked like a vicious bandit. “Can you stop being so ridiculous with your judging a book by its cover?! I rarely foul on the court!”

Xia Chiyi let out a breath. “That’s good then. Let’s continue. What else did Zhou Zhexiao do?”

“When it comes to vindictiveness on the court, he ranks first. In the entire high school league, probably no one would dare claim second place.”

“You’ve got it backward. He ranks second, and no one dares claim first,” Xia Chiyi corrected.

“Whatever! At the time, we were competing with Sierra Canyon School for a spot in the Final Four. When this guy was dribbling, an opponent hacked his arm, but the referee didn’t call it.”

Xia Chiyi spoke up: “Things like that happen even in the NBA. After all, referees aren’t Hawkeye… and sometimes prejudice and discrimination also bring unfairness. To overturn that prejudice, you have to win with absolute strength.”

“Yeah.” Zhuo Zheng shot a chilly glare at Zhou Zhexiao. “But this guy was very brave. Whoever fouled his arm, he targeted that specific person and fouled them non-stop. When that guy shot the ball, he’d hack his arm. When that guy dribbled, he’d chase after him and hack his arm. When the referee blew the whistle, he’d ask the ref, ‘How come when he fouls my arm you don’t blow the whistle, but when I foul his arm, you catch it every time?’ The referee almost ejected him, so the coach had no choice but to sub him out. That was the Elite Eight match! If he felt any indignation, he could have appealed after the game, or crushed the opponent with his skills. Why use fouls to retaliate?”

Such behavior undeniably lacked team spirit and sportsmanship, and could very well have ruined the team’s chances of reaching the Final Four.
Xia Chiyi could imagine how deep the teammates’ resentment toward Zhou Zhexiao had been back then.

“Why go out of my way to foul? So stupid,” Zhou Zhexiao frowned.

“Now you know it was stupid?” Zhuo Zheng retorted.

“I obviously could have drawn a foul instead,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

“Yo, you even know about drawing fouls? Do you even know how?”

“I can teach you during the official match,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

This was definitely a civilized version of trash talk, even though Zhou Zhexiao was just stating facts.

“You can teach me first,” Xia Chiyi patted his chest, a look of anticipation on his face.

Zhou Zhexiao said lazily, “Forget it for you. You don’t have the talent for flop-baiting. Pump fakes are the absolute limit of your acting skills.”

“Fine, a match is coming up soon, so I forgive you.” Xia Chiyi looked at Zhuo Zheng. “What about the rest? Wasn’t Oak Hill Academy the champion last year? So what new disaster did this guy cause during the Final Four? He acted like this, and the coach still wouldn’t bench him for good? He was practically a ticking time bomb on the court.”

Xia Chiyi’s evaluation quite satisfied Zhuo Zheng. Now that he had an audience, Zhuo Zheng felt the desire to keep talking.

“During the Final Four, the coach ordered Zhou Zhexiao and me to set screens for the team’s shooters. But I was the only one running the plays. This guy refused to execute the coach’s strategy, insisting on taking the ball and clashing head-on, getting constantly double-teamed by the opponent.”

“Did he break through? Or did he turn the ball over? If he could score it’s one thing, but if he couldn’t, then it really would make people want to hit him.”

“In a match like that, every second counts. Even if he could break through and drive inside, wasn’t letting the shooter score far more efficient? But making this guy set screens? He was never willing to play second fiddle to anyone else. The coach called a timeout, and I simply stated a hard truth—the time he spent breaking through double-teams was enough for the shooter to sink two three-pointers. Then, he threw a punch at me.” Zhuo Zheng pointed to the edge of his eyebrow. “This scar right here was scratched by his fingernail.”

Xia Chiyi looked at Zhou Zhexiao.
Zhou Zhexiao looked back at Xia Chiyi with a ‘What are you looking at?’ gaze.

“And then? Did you go get a tetanus and rabies shot…”

Sensing the warning glare from Zhou Zhexiao, Xia Chiyi quickly shut his mouth.

“That punch made the coach completely lose patience with him, leaving him to warm the bench for the entire rest of the league. Thanks to him, I didn’t get to play again either.”

“You didn’t play in the finals either?”

“No. He used to rely on his high talent, so the coach tolerated his capriciousness and going-his-own-way time and time again. But all tolerance has its limits. The coach once said that Zhou Zhexiao possessed a talent similar to Sheng Xingming’s, and originally held infinite expectations for him. He thought Zhou could be like Sheng Xingming—entering a prestigious school like Duke, then using the NCAA as a starting point to carve out a place in professional basketball. But he only had Sheng Xingming’s talent, without Sheng Xingming’s vision and broad-mindedness. No matter how high the talent, it was just a waste. But the most important thing was…”

Zhuo Zheng ground his back molars, wanting to say something, but seemingly unable to find the right words.

“Was it that the students at Oak Hill originally really admired Sheng Xingming, but that window he worked so hard to open, the tiny bit of equality he fought for… was all squandered by Zhou Zhexiao’s willfulness and arrogance?” Xia Chiyi asked.

Zhuo Zheng froze for a moment, raising his eyes to look at the other boy.
This was clearly the first time they had spoken, yet Xia Chiyi could understand his state of mind perfectly.

Zhuo Zheng’s displeasure with Zhou Zhexiao wasn’t just a personal grudge. Not to mention that because Zhuo Zheng didn’t participate in the finals, it was highly likely he lost out on a university quota as well.

“Then, since you got into Southwest Aviation University, you can rightfully teach me a lesson now,” Zhou Zhexiao answered. “It’s just that I don’t only excel at scoring under the basket; I’m also good at shooting from the perimeter.”

“Is that so? In less than a year, your three-pointers have improved?”

“Not only can I set screens, but I can also assist.”

This much was true. Zhuo Zheng had just witnessed it today, making it feel as if the dictatorial Zhou Zhexiao of the past was nothing but an illusion.

“Neither Yang Huaiyu nor Liu Suchen could block my shots time and time again. Can you?” Zhou Zhexiao asked in return.

Zhuo Zheng originally wanted to say this guy was being too arrogant, but Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze made Zhuo Zheng realize that this was likely the truth.

“Also, I am very satisfied with my current teammates. The lineup can be called a King’s core.”

Hearing Zhou Zhexiao praise his teammates felt as absurd to Zhuo Zheng as a strong wind blowing a pig into the sky.

“I am also very satisfied with my teammates at Southwest Aviation,” Zhuo Zheng replied.

“Then please, before the official match, stop looking at us with the expression of a debt collection agency thug. My partner is very timid; he’s afraid you’re going to splash paint on him.”

Xia Chiyi burst into a violent fit of coughing.

Good on you, Zhou Zhexiao. Is this how you throw someone under the bus?!

“Debt collection agency? Thug?!” Zhuo Zheng’s hair practically stood on end. “How do I look like one?!”

Right at this moment, a knock sounded on the door, and the delivery guy’s voice rang out: “Is anyone there? The takeout locker couldn’t fit five pizzas and a large bucket of cola, so I brought them up for you!”

Thank you, Delivery Bro! You really saved my little life!

Xia Chiyi hurried to open the door, taking the five heavy pizzas. He closed the door, turned around, and smiled at Zhuo Zheng: “The past is in the past, and now is a brand new day! Come, eat a pizza, drink some cola, and digest this brand-new Zhou Zhexiao!”

Zhuo Zheng stared blankly as Xia Chiyi took out the pizzas. “Are you in the wholesale pizza business? Can you finish all of this?”

Xia Chiyi smiled. “Aren’t you here? Otherwise, with Zhou Zhexiao’s self-control, he probably wouldn’t eat more than one slice.”

“Zhou Zhexiao? Self-control?”
Why is it that after returning to the country, every evaluation of Zhou Zhexiao he encountered from others made him doubt life itself?
It was as if the high school he attended was a fake one.

Xia Chiyi cheerfully popped open the cola and poured Zhuo Zheng a large cup. “Come on, drink up!”
Then he opened the first pizza box. The rich smell of cheese mixed with the sweet and sour aroma of tropical fruits filled the air.

Xia Chiyi carried the box over to Zhuo Zheng. “Don’t be polite, have a slice. Once you go back to Southwest Aviation, your nutritionist will definitely put you on a strict diet, right?”

__

[Author’s Note]
Zhuo Zheng: Everything is a setup! The sour stench of romance!