Chapter 0113: Want to Kiss?

Class ended. Xia Chiyi leaned close to Zhou Zhexiao’s ear and said, “You really can’t tell just by looking. Zhuo Zheng looks so fierce and seems a bit thick-headed, but his playstyle is actually the agile type, and his basketball IQ is pretty high.”

“Mhm.”

“You can handle him, right?”

“I can,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

“Sigh… We almost had to sit in the front row for English class…”

The other students turned their heads, looking at them with amusement.

“Sitting in the front row is great. That way, the entire department can admire the affectionate view of your backs,” Ye Chaoying teased with a laugh.

Xia Chiyi immediately shoved Ye Chaoying’s head into his chest.

“Little Shadow, aren’t you the one who is most affectionate with me? Come on, I’ll sacrifice myself to accompany a gentleman. Let’s sit in the front row together!”

“Get lost!”

Just as English class ended, Xia Chiyi’s phone began to vibrate. It was an unknown number.

Assuming it was a delivery courier, Xia Chiyi answered, only to hear a middle-aged man’s voice. It was deep and carried an air of arrogant superiority. More importantly, the timbre was inexplicably similar to Zhou Zhexiao’s, just lacking his clear, pristine quality.

“Hello, is this Xia Chiyi?”

“Yeah, speaking.”

“Is Zhou Zhexiao with you? I am his father.”

Xia Chiyi paused for a second. Zhou Zhexiao’s father? Which father… Did Sheng Mo call him from another world to send his love?

Oh, right, that Zhou Rong?

“Hold on.” Xia Chiyi tugged on Zhou Zhexiao and handed the phone over. “It’s your dad.”

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t move. He looked at Xia Chiyi with a very hollow gaze.

To Zhou Zhexiao, his father had passed away many years ago.

“Um… Zhou Rong,” Xia Chiyi clarified.

Only then did Zhou Zhexiao take the phone, uttering a single word: “Hmm?”

Zhou Rong asked unceremoniously, “What is going on with your phone? I’ve been calling and calling, and it won’t go through! Did you change your number?”

“It’s out of battery.”

“Out of battery? Then why didn’t you charge it?”

It made sense. Ever since he got the smartwatch, Zhou Zhexiao had barely touched that old Nokia, so naturally, he didn’t remember to charge it.

Most importantly, he didn’t even remember where it was.

“There’s no need. The person I want to contact is right beside me.” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was remarkably calm.

The calmer he was, the more it seemed to stoke Zhou Rong’s anger, because he could neither figure out nor control Zhou Zhexiao.

But remembering his objective, Zhou Rong quickly reined in his temper.

“I know people your age want to prove themselves and don’t want to be planned out by their parents. Fine. Your performance in the Southeast Regionals has been very good, so I can understand why you rejected my previous arrangements. I heard that CBA clubs will draft standout players from the Division 1 League. I am currently collaborating with the Northwest Haohan Industrial Group. Their chairman watched your games and greatly admires you. He hopes you can join their club.”

Xia Chiyi tilted his head, searching through his memory. The club sponsored by Northwest Haohan Industrial Group… didn’t they finish dead last in the league last year?

“Is there anything else?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“What kind of attitude is that? They specifically said that with your physical appearance, they can definitely build you up into a superstar. The various endorsements and commercial value would be limitless!”

Zhou Zhexiao slowly retorted, “And what do you get? A smooth collaboration with Haohan Industrial Group?”

Zhou Rong gripped his phone tighter, lowering his voice. “Is there anything wrong with that? It’s a win-win for both father and son! You’re only eighteen, young and handsome. Since someone is thinking highly of you, why don’t you take the out? If you wait a few more years until younger players with even more commercial value appear, how much value will you have left?”

Standing in the hallway and looking out at the glaring sunlight, something in Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes slowly dimmed.

“A basketball player’s value lies in how many games they can win, not how good they look.”

To put it bluntly, Zhou Rong didn’t think winning the Southeast Regional Championship was that big of a deal. In his mind, it was probably no different from a university sports meet.

He had no idea how many CBA clubs were currently eyeing Zhou Zhexiao, nor how much anticipation industry insiders, including Xie Huai, held for him.

Zhou Zhexiao deserved better, and he could rely on his own strength to get into the best clubs.

Zhou Rong continued, “If your team fails to make the Final Four at Nationals, all this attention you have right now will vanish like passing smoke and clouds.”

“If it’s just smoke and clouds, then let it scatter.”

“Zhou Zhexiao—”

“Oh, and I don’t use a cellphone, so you don’t need to waste your energy looking for me. Also, stop calling my classmate. It’s wasting his phone bill.”

With that, Zhou Zhexiao hung up the phone.

Xia Chiyi was leaning against the hallway wall right beside him. As the sunlight fell over his head and shoulders, Zhou Zhexiao gently patted him.

“Zhou Rong is definitely going to be pissed to death.”

“Mhm.”

Zhou Zhexiao slipped the phone back into Xia Chiyi’s pocket, turned, and started walking forward.

“Let me impart some common knowledge to you: receiving calls doesn’t cost money,” Xia Chiyi said, catching up to him.

“If it doesn’t waste money, it still wastes time.”

---

What Xia Chiyi didn’t expect, however, was that Zhou Rong would actually show up at their basketball arena the very next day, demanding to speak with Zhou Zhexiao’s coach.

Cheng Qing was the one who received him.

Dressed in a sharp suit and leather shoes, Zhou Rong sat in Ling Huanzhen’s office.

When Cheng Qing placed a paper cup filled with steeped tea leaves in front of him, Zhou Rong’s brows furrowed as he adjusted his necktie.

If it wasn’t premium tea, he simply wouldn’t drink it. Let alone from a paper cup—with hot water poured in, who knows, the printed words “Ningchang University” might just melt right into the drink.

“Um, please wait a moment. Coach Ling will be here shortly.”

“Please hurry. I have other matters to attend to.”

“Oh, alright.”

Upon learning of Zhou Rong’s arrival, Ling Huanzhen went to the basketball court first. He threw an arm around Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulders like they were old pals. “Say, your father is here. What does he want?”

Zhou Zhexiao replied flatly, “He wants to use me as a favor.”

“A favor? What kind of favor…” Ling Huanzhen circled Zhou Zhexiao and laughed. “I get it, he wants to gift you to some rich older woman? Honestly, with your face and figure, you appeal to both men and women!”

Just then, Xia Chiyi, who had dribbled to the three-point line, executed a sudden stop, released the ball quickly, and sank another shot.

Zhou Zhexiao stared at Xia Chiyi for a long time. “I don’t need to appeal to men and women.”

Being able to eat him up is enough.

Ling Huanzhen grumbled under his breath, “You’re really no fun.”

Whatever. The Nationals were coming up, and Ling Huanzhen didn’t want any messy distractions interfering with Zhou Zhexiao’s games.

This Zhou Rong better prepare himself to take a critical hit from the Chief Power Forward.

…Even if he was a retired one.

Carrying his thermos cup, Ling Huanzhen strolled casually into the office. Upon seeing Zhou Rong, he flashed a massive smile. “Oh, Zhou Zhexiao’s dad? Sorry for the wait.”

Although Zhou Rong was always insufferably arrogant, Ling Huanzhen’s two-meter-tall stature still carried an immense sense of oppression.

Zhou Rong subconsciously leaned back.

“Coach Ling, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m here today for Zhexiao.”

“Well, you definitely didn’t come here for me,” Ling Huanzhen joked.

“Coach Ling, I’m not here to joke around…”

“I have no intention of joking with you either. Because I’ve always found it quite strange. The parents of my other players have all approached me to some degree, whether to ask me to introduce resources or plan out future directions. Zhou Zhexiao’s parents, however, are exceptionally peculiar. You clearly sent your son to Oak Hill Academy, which means you intended for him to pursue the path of basketball. Yet, from the start of the school year until now, through the Jin Province preliminaries all the way to the Southeast Regionals, this is my very first time meeting you.”

Zhou Rong heard the underlying meaning in Ling Huanzhen’s words—he was criticizing him for not caring enough about Zhou Zhexiao. A surge of displeasure rose within him, and he lost any desire to be polite to this retired, uncultured, uneducated, empty-headed brute.

“I have always had a clear plan for Zhou Zhexiao’s future. I applied to American universities for him. He could have played in the NCAA, but he stubbornly chose an unconventional path and insisted on returning to China. After he returned, I arranged for him to study abroad in the US again, giving him another chance to gold-plate his resume in the NCAA. Even being a benchwarmer there is more meaningful than some Division 1 University League, right? But he still refused to go. Now, the club sponsored by Haohan Industrial is willing to take him, and he’s playing the rebel with me again. I’d really like to ask you—the self-proclaimed Chief Power Forward of Asia—what kind of future can you give my son?”

Zhou Rong’s tone and expression dripped with arrogance.

In his view, what he had provided for Zhou Zhexiao was already the absolute best any parent could give.

Ling Huanzhen chuckled. The expression on his face looked exactly like he was watching a kindergarten kid throwing a tantrum after losing a toy.

“It seems, Mr. Zhou, that you don’t have the slightest understanding of Zhou Zhexiao’s abilities, his strength, or the hopes the basketball world has placed on him,” Ling Huanzhen laughed. “That basketball club under Haohan Industrial is dead last in the CBA. Sending Zhou Zhexiao there would literally be mounting a cannon on a mosquito. What a waste.”

“What?”

“Let’s lay our cards on the table. With the end of the Southeast Regionals, six CBA clubs have already asked me what year of college Zhou Zhexiao plans to enter the draft. And these six clubs include last year’s CBA champions, Fusheng Aviation Manufacturing Men’s Basketball, and the champions from the year prior, Shenghai Pharmaceutical Men’s Basketball. To put it bluntly, this Haohan Industrial you’re talking about… they’re just trying to pick up a bargain. They don’t even rank in Zhou Zhexiao’s future.”

Zhou Rong froze.

“Furthermore, I’ve kept this news from Zhou Zhexiao because I was worried that if the kid found out, it would go to his head and affect his performance in the Nationals. But I’m telling you in advance now, so you don’t go throwing punches in the dark and messing things up.”

Ling Huanzhen rested one hand on his knee and leaned in close. His eyes locked dead onto Zhou Rong, looking as if he were ready to dunk on his head at any moment.

“Zhou Zhexiao has already been selected for the National Youth Team roster. Head Coach Xie Huai is closely monitoring his training progress. From now on, I have to report all of Zhou Zhexiao’s stat lines and training details to him every single week.”

“Are… are you talking about Zhou Zhexiao?” Zhou Rong stared at Ling Huanzhen in disbelief.

Ling Huanzhen pulled up his voice chat history with Xie Huai.

[His post-up turnaround fadeaway jumper is absolutely phenomenal. Once he enters the National Youth Training Camp, you must have him properly pass on that experience.]

Ling Huanzhen then opened another chat, this one from Coach Du Luan of Fusheng Aviation: [Huanzhen, I truly believe our club is the best choice for Zhou Zhexiao. After he makes a name for himself here, we guarantee to recommend him to professional teams in the US to train. We will definitely give him a broad world to conquer!]

Shenghai Tianyuan Pharmaceutical Men’s Basketball: [Ling Huanzhen, stop keeping us in suspense. When exactly is Zhou Zhexiao participating in the CBA draft? When you played for us back in the day, we treated you exceptionally well, right? Have a good talk with Zhou Zhexiao. Don’t let him go to Fusheng Aviation easily!]

Zhou Rong’s throat bobbed slightly. It seemed he had vastly underestimated the influence of the Division 1 University League.

He had never imagined that the Zhou Zhexiao who once gave countless people endless headaches would suddenly become so highly sought after.

“Additionally, you mentioned arranging for him to study in the US and play in the NCAA? May I ask what university it was?” Ling Huanzhen leaned back, looking at him with a smile.

“B… Bency University.”

“Oh, does it rank in the top 100 in the NCAA?” Ling Huanzhen asked.

“In the nineties.”

Ling Huanzhen nodded and smiled: “Is that so? Then it seems that rather than relying on your abilities, Zhou Zhexiao is better off relying on himself.”

“What do you mean?”

Ling Huanzhen opened his phone’s email app and pushed it in front of Zhou Rong. “This is an email from the head coach of the Duke University Blue Devils. They are very willing to take Zhou Zhexiao on as an international exchange student and have promised him a starting position. Duke is Sheng Xingming’s alma mater… Do you know who Sheng Xingming is?”

“Of course I know.” A thin layer of sweat broke out on Zhou Rong’s back.

“Good. They believe Zhou Zhexiao can absolutely become the next Sheng Xingming. Many coaches refer to him as an offensive and defensive kaleidoscope. Of course, you probably don’t understand that analogy either. All I can say is… his future is higher and broader than you could ever imagine, reaching far beyond your scope of vision.”

Ling Huanzhen smiled at Zhou Rong, looking at him like a fool who knew nothing yet remained obstinate and self-opinionated.

Zhou Rong suddenly realized that Zhou Zhexiao had already reached a height far outside his expectations.

His life was no longer something he, as a father, could plan out.

“If there’s nothing else, the team still has practice.”

Ling Huanzhen gave a polite nod, stood up, and left.

Only after walking out the office door did Ling Huanzhen clutch his chest… Thank goodness. Thank goodness Zhou Zhexiao is already eighteen. What team he goes to and where he develops no longer requires anyone’s signature.

Zhou Rong’s first feeling was one of humiliation at being shamed by Ling Huanzhen.

His resources, his vision, his education—all of it had been completely outclassed by Ling Huanzhen.

But gradually, another bizarre feeling welled up in his heart.

Zhou Zhexiao… this son whom he always believed started with a great hand but ruined it carelessly… was perhaps far more outstanding than he ever imagined.

Was this even possible?

Zhou Rong walked out of Ling Huanzhen’s office.

Passing by the basketball arena, he heard the thud, thud, thud of basketballs hitting the floor from behind the door.

Curiosity drove him step by step toward it. By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already pushed the door open.

The basketball team was in the middle of a scrimmage.

Zhou Zhexiao dribbled forcefully. With a hesitation dribble and a hip turn, he faked out Shuai Bei. The basketball was then passed lightly and casually into Xia Chiyi’s hands.

Xia Chiyi caught the ball and shot a spot-up jumper.

After the ball went in, Zhou Zhexiao jogged over to high-five Xia Chiyi.

Zhou Rong’s brows furrowed. In the past, he had never seen Zhou Zhexiao pass the ball so exquisitely.

Pampered by his parents since childhood and given whatever he wanted, Zhou Zhexiao was used to being the center of the world.

Even when the Oak Hill coach spoke to Zhou Rong multiple times, telling him that Zhou Zhexiao’s selfishness and ego would ruin his talent—leading to massive father-son arguments at home where tables were flipped and doors were slammed—Zhou Zhexiao had remained completely unchanged.

Yes, the current Zhou Zhexiao was truly a stranger.

So unfamiliar that Zhou Rong didn’t know what words would anger him, what things he cared about, or what kind of effort he had put in.

His teammate Fu Chenxue went for a steal, and the ball flew out of bounds.

Zhou Zhexiao turned and dove out of bounds alongside Du He. Even though he had completely lost his balance, he still managed to flick the ball back in.

He stumbled two steps, nearly crashing into Zhou Rong.

Zhou Rong instinctively reached out to steady him, but Zhou Zhexiao caught his own footing.

The game was still ongoing. There was no so-called “father-son communication”; Zhou Zhexiao simply turned and ran back onto the court to continue playing.

Only after the scrimmage ended did Zhou Zhexiao walk over to Zhou Rong. He didn’t speak; he just observed him with a scrutinizing gaze.

Under that stare, Zhou Rong felt he couldn’t stay much longer.

“I admit, I have always wanted to control you. Because you were always impulsive, willful, and only cared about the present, I always wanted to keep you on the right track in life. But it seemed you constantly wanted to derail from the path I planned for you, even at the cost of your own talent.”

Zhou Rong’s gaze was ice-cold. He didn’t look like he was staring at his son, but rather, as if he were looking through Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes at a soul that didn’t belong to this shell.

“You also always wanted to gain a sense of achievement, glory, and profit from me. To you, having a son has some meaning, but not much. Because you could always have a second, or even a third son.” Zhou Zhexiao glanced at Zhou Rong’s pocket.

The screensaver on the phone in that pocket was a picture of the child he had with his current wife.

His love for that child far exceeded his love for Zhou Zhexiao, because he could no longer control Zhou Zhexiao, but he could still keep that child on his perfectly planned track.

“Heh.” Zhou Rong let out a cold sneer. “You probably will never learn how to make people like you.”

“I live for myself. I don’t need to read other people’s faces.”

“Let’s hope so. I will reject the Haohan Industrial club, and I won’t demand you give up your life here to go to America anymore. Since you’ve rejected all the paths I planned for you, then at least bring me some glory. Whether it’s the World Youth Championship, the CBA, or the NBA, let me look forward to seeing how far you can go.”

“And if I do, will you apologize?” Zhou Zhexiao stated.

Hearing the word “apologize,” Zhou Rong’s eyes widened so much they almost popped out of his skull.

“What did you say?”

Zhou Rong’s voice was deep and cold. He was used to having the final say. Saying he would temporarily stop interfering was only because Zhou Zhexiao was currently walking a proper path in life.

And basketball was indeed a domain he did not master.

“What’s wrong? Don’t dare to bet?” From his expression to his voice, Zhou Zhexiao remained perfectly calm.

That feeling of punching cotton returned.

Zhou Rong forced himself to suppress his anger. The rest of the basketball team had stopped playing, pretending to drink water and wipe sweat, but the gym was devoid of any other sounds. Whatever the father and son said could be heard clearly.

Especially Xia Chiyi, whose eyes were shining brightly as he sucked on an energy jelly. His gaze was virtually glued to Zhou Zhexiao, his face practically screaming, ‘Here for the drama!’

In these people’s eyes, Zhou Rong could see their absolute trust in Zhou Zhexiao, while the way they looked at him, the father, was like looking at an ignorant old man.

“Bet on what?”

“Where do you think my ceiling is in the realm of basketball?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

Zhou Rong stared at him for a long time. Ceiling… He honestly didn’t know where Zhou Zhexiao’s ceiling was anymore.

In the past, he thought he knew.

But now, he couldn’t see through him.

“You’ve always believed that getting me into the NCAA, even as a benchwarmer in a Division II league, was enough. As long as I scraped by until graduation, you could use your connections to bring me back to China, find a professional CBA club, and have me manage the water cooler. That way, when you brought it up, you could still say you had a professional basketball player for a son. Because anything higher than that was a realm beyond your reach.”

“Wasn’t that your ceiling in the past?” Zhou Rong retorted.

“Alright then.” Zhou Zhexiao stepped closer to Zhou Rong. He was now more than half a head taller than Zhou Rong, and when he looked down, his shadow almost completely enveloped Zhou Rong’s face.

Zhou Rong instinctively took a step back.

“When we win the Division 1 League Championship, please say ‘I’m sorry’ to Zhou Zhexiao.”

“What?”

Aside from the words “I’m sorry,” Zhou Rong completely failed to understand this sentence.

What did he mean, say ‘I’m sorry’ to Zhou Zhexiao?

“Or do you feel the collegiate Division 1 League isn’t enough to satisfy your sense of glory? Would a CBA Championship, an Olympic gold medal, or the Larry O’Brien Trophy make you… occasionally want to say sorry to the ‘me’ from the past?”

Only in this moment did Zhou Rong seemingly catch a glimpse of the willful, rebellious Zhou Zhexiao of the past.

Zhou Zhexiao’s world was supposed to revolve around himself. His choices and his future should belong entirely to him.

“There’s no need to aim that high. Let’s see you win a Division 1 League Championship first.”

With that, Zhou Rong turned and walked away.

Xia Chiyi put his water cup down, sidled up to Zhou Zhexiao, and poked his head out. “Zhou Rong’s words were pretty short today? He didn’t give you an endless lecture?”

“Probably because Ling Huanzhen’s aura suppression shut him up.”

“What did you say to him? Severing ties as father and son?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“More like issuing a challenge and a provocation.”

“Huh?”

“To see if I can do better after breaking free from his planning and control.”

Xia Chiyi frowned, doing that little pouty thing again. It seemed he was pondering the completely love-less, mutually destructive father-son dynamic between Zhou Zhexiao and Zhou Rong.

“Alright then. Let’s win the National Championship first and slap him in the face with it.”

“Mhm.” Zhou Zhexiao nodded silently.

“Sometimes I wonder if there’s anything that can be done for the Zhou Zhexiao from the past. He fought back so hard just to prove to Zhou Rong that his life didn’t need Zhou Rong’s control, right?” Xia Chiyi said softly.

“Yes. I will make Zhou Rong apologize to him,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

---

Having left the school, Zhou Rong sat in the back of his car, passing by rows upon rows of roll-up banners and life-sized cardboard standees.

It was laughable.

Competitive sports were brutal, yet these kids managed to turn it into something resembling school idol worship.

Did they know that once they stepped out of this ivory tower, the idols they cheered so fervently for were actually nothing worth mentioning?

As he passed by a standee of Zhou Zhexiao, his gaze was drawn to it.

It was a pose of a fadeaway jumper, elegantly and effortlessly defying gravity.

Quite a few people were still clustered around the standee, taking photos.

“Stop… pull over for a moment,” Zhou Rong instructed.

He got out of the car and stood in front of the standee.

He had seen this exact same pose while watching a game during Zhou Zhexiao’s high school years.

Back then, the coach had screamed, asking why he forced the shot instead of passing the ball.

Zhou Zhexiao had looked disdainful, and the coach benched him for the next two games.

Zhou Rong had scolded Zhou Zhexiao thoroughly too, because he never understood how to assess the situation.

But now, that very scene had been turned into a cardboard standee.

“Excuse me, could you help take a picture of me?” A boy wearing a cap handed his phone to a taller guy.

The tall boy took the phone.

“Are you a fan of Zhou Zhexiao too?”

“Yeah! The way he plays tough under the basket is so badass! But my favorite is his post-up turnaround fadeaway jumper!”

“Ha! You’re just like me, I love this bro’s fadeaway too! As soon as I see him post up, I’m mentally anticipating if he’s gonna pull the fadeaway!”

“If this bro enters the draft this year, he’s definitely making it into the CBA!”

“Not just the CBA! I feel like he’s destined for the NBA in the future!”

They were father and son, yet these unrelated students—teammates who had spent less than a year with Zhou Zhexiao—held expectations and understanding of him that vastly exceeded what he, his own father, possessed.

Zhou Rong returned to his car. He unlocked his phone and, for the very first time, searched the three characters “Zhou Zhexiao” on the web.

He had assumed the most he would find was some wiki page listing his height and weight, but the sheer volume of search results surpassed his imagination.

Zhou Zhexiao had his own dedicated forums and Super Topics.

There were even numerous technical breakdown videos analyzing his skills.

Divorced from him as a father, the name “Zhou Zhexiao” had suddenly become blindingly radiant.

---

Today’s internal scrimmage ended, and everyone was stretching and cooling down by the side of the court.

Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao’s mats were side-by-side, both sitting in a hurdler’s stretch (shape of a 9). When Xia Chiyi turned his head, he saw the back of Zhou Zhexiao’s head.

Although he knew the oppression and stress Zhou Rong had inflicted on the past Zhou Zhexiao as a father was immense, to the current Zhou Zhexiao… there was no emotional expectation, so he couldn’t be hurt.

But Xia Chiyi still wanted to offer him some comfort, even if Zhou Zhexiao didn’t strictly need it.

He gently scratched the center of Zhou Zhexiao’s palm.

The other slowly turned his head to look at him.

Black strands of hair slipped down, seemingly brushing against the tip of Xia Chiyi’s heart, causing an itch.

Is this guy a succubus?

“Want to kiss?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

His lips had a glossy sheen, and Xia Chiyi really wanted to lean in and take a hard bite.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t say anything else, just quietly watched him.

The quieter he was, the more powerful his gaze felt, as if it were trying to hook Xia Chiyi’s soul.

“In your dreams,” Xia Chiyi replied, returning the exact words Zhou Zhexiao had used before.

Xia Chiyi turned his head away, refusing to look at him anymore, but his heart was pounding wildly.

He was just about to pull his hand back when Zhou Zhexiao gripped it tightly.

“But I want to.”

Xia Chiyi’s blood pressure nearly exploded.

He forcefully yanked his hand back and switched to stretching his other side, praying inwardly that nobody had seen him.

Ever since they returned to campus, they were surrounded by crowds during daytime practices and classes, and monitored by Pang Shuai and Ye Chaoying in the dorm at night. Let alone kissing, they hadn’t even been able to hold hands.

In the locker room, as they packed their things, everyone kept their voices low. Even Du He, who originally intended to video call home, quietly slipped outside to do so.

When Zhou Rong had visited earlier, the aura surrounding Zhou Zhexiao was perfectly calm.

Yet now that practice was over, he was so gloomy that no one dared to approach him.

Even the usually heartless and carefree Ye Chaoying didn’t dare crack a joke.

Chen Chuan leaned into He Bin’s ear and whispered, “I thought Zhou Zhexiao didn’t care about anything! I didn’t expect he’d still be in a bad mood after confronting his own dad!”

He Bin sighed. “Zhou Zhexiao might talk little and have a cold face, but his inner world is probably very rich and sensitive. We just can’t perceive it.”

Only Xia Chiyi knew that Zhou Zhexiao was sulking because he hadn’t let him kiss him.

The two of them slung their bags over their shoulders and left the basketball arena.

Zhou Zhexiao walked in front alone.

It was dinnertime, and many students were heading toward the cafeteria in droves.

With his height, Zhou Zhexiao stood out conspicuously among the coming and going crowds. Both guys and girls would cast extra glances his way.

But even after walking a dozen meters ahead, he still didn’t hear Xia Chiyi’s voice, nor did he feel the familiar tug on his bag strap.

Zhou Zhexiao stopped. Turning his head, he saw Xia Chiyi chatting animatedly with several classmates. He was smiling so widely that the stray bangs on his forehead trembled slightly.

Right after, Xia Chiyi pulled out his phone, and the classmates did the same, scanning each other.

Zhou Zhexiao knew they were probably exchanging WeChat contacts.

He didn’t walk over, because even if he did, he didn’t know what he would say. So, he stood at a moderate distance and waited.

Xia Chiyi’s laughter was bright and pleasant, as if it could gather all the happiness in the air, tinged with a pure, clear sexiness. Soon, more passing students joined in, and they chatted for a good while before finally dispersing.

Once the students scattered, Xia Chiyi ran past him. “Zhou Zhexiao, we’re not going to the cafeteria.”

“Where are we going?”

“To study.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s bag strap was given a tug. Xia Chiyi, who had been trailing behind earlier, was now jogging ahead.

Zhou Zhexiao revealed a look of confusion. It was only the end of March—there were no midterms, nor final exams.

“This isn’t the direction to the study hall.”

Xia Chiyi didn’t answer him, only giving a sly smile.

The two left through the school gates and got on a public bus.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t say anything, simply staying right by Xia Chiyi’s side.

At this time, there were many schoolmates on the bus heading to the supermarket or going out to eat.

As soon as the two of them stepped on, they became the focal point of the entire bus.

Wearing matching sports jackets, holding onto the bus straps, and standing at a distance where a slight sway would bring them touching—they were the most pleasing scenery in the crowded carriage.

Zhou Zhexiao looked at Xia Chiyi. The other had an innocent yet handsome side profile.

When he bumped into familiar faces, Xia Chiyi would smile at them. He could easily make friends with anyone and blend into any circle. It was destined that he would live his future bathed in the gazes of many.

He would never belong solely to just one person.

After a few stops, Xia Chiyi patted Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder. “We’re here. Let’s get off.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked around. Xia Chiyi had practically taken him to every restaurant, mall, movie theater, and karaoke joint within a ten-stop radius of the school, but they rarely got off at this particular stop.

Xia Chiyi stood by the road, pulled out his phone for navigation, and they walked onward. Zhou Zhexiao had no idea what the destination was.

The GPS led them into a commercial office building. The two entered and took the elevator up to a fairly high floor.

When the elevator doors opened, a few large characters came into view: Cloud Study Room.

—Enjoy a peaceful, independent space.

The interior decor was extremely modern. Small individual booths were arranged like matchboxes, each containing a desk, a sofa chair, fluffy pillows, and a bookshelf.

The outer walls and doors of the study booths were made of frosted glass. You could faintly see the silhouette of a person inside, but it was impossible to tell what they were actually doing.

Xia Chiyi scanned the QR code at the front desk, grabbed the Wi-Fi password, and dragged Zhou Zhexiao all the way to the mini study booth at the very end.

Unlike the other booths, this one had a window. Outside was a view of the city streets, the setting sun, and weary birds returning to their nests.

A code of conduct hung on the wall. The gist of it was to remain quiet, refrain from chatting or taking phone calls, put phones on silent, and use headphones if watching movies or consuming entertainment; playing audio aloud was strictly prohibited.

Xia Chiyi sat down, leaning his back against the sofa and spreading his limbs out arrogantly like a star starfish.

His legs were very long, almost impossible to stretch out fully in the cramped space.

The afterglow of the sunset fell on his face, making one’s heart race uncontrollably.

“Are you just going to stand there? Sit!”

Xia Chiyi patted the empty space beside him.

Zhou Zhexiao walked over and sat down, but he placed his messenger bag vertically between himself and Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi looked at him sideways and whispered, “You really have no sense of romance.”

“Mhm.” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, implicitly agreeing with the statement.

He lacked romance. That was an acknowledged fact from his past life to his current one.

Xia Chiyi suddenly leaned over. He unclasped the buckles on both sides of the messenger bag, tossed the obstructing bag onto the study desk, and pressed himself snugly against Zhou Zhexiao.

At that moment, Zhou Zhexiao finally realized that Xia Chiyi hadn’t brought him here to study, but just so the two of them could be together.

In the past, Zhou Zhexiao never understood why so many couples specifically went out of their way to watch the sunrise or sunset together. He didn’t even understand what was so romantic about it.

But as Xia Chiyi rested his head on his shoulder, his stray hairs gently poking at the side of Zhou Zhexiao’s neck, and his body heat constantly radiating over, Zhou Zhexiao had to admit that watching the sunset with the person you like was a deeply comfortable and blissful experience.

It wasn’t until the sun had completely vanished and the streetlights flickered on, forming ribbons of light interlaced with shadows, while the distant mall lights sparkled, that their tiny study booth suddenly became the dimmest place around.

“Where’s the light?” Zhou Zhexiao said softly. He remembered the switch seemed to be on the wall on Xia Chiyi’s side.

But just as he reached his hand over, Xia Chiyi caught it and held it tight.

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【Author’s Note】
Xia Chiyi: Zhou Zhexiao is definitely better at playing basketball, but when it comes to dating, he still has to rely on me.
Zhou Zhexiao: Can we kiss now?
Wishing everyone a happy reading!