Chapter 0115: Checking in at the Southwest Region

Seeing that his two roommates were completely unfazed by the situation, Xia Chiyi slowly bent down, leaned close to Zhou Zhexiao’s ear, and asked, “Should I go buy you an ice-cold cola now?”

“Get lost,” Zhou Zhexiao said, his voice low.

Xia Chiyi froze, even touching his own ear. “Did I hear that right? Did you tell me to get lost? Well, then I won’t be polite. I’m rolling out!”

Sensing Zhou Zhexiao’s back and shoulders tense up—a prelude to him exerting force—Xia Chiyi ran far away before he could be flipped over.

Exuding a gloomy aura, Zhou Zhexiao climbed to his feet and walked briskly toward the bathroom. As he passed Xia Chiyi, he ruthlessly pressed down hard on the top of Xia Chiyi’s head.

As the door was shutting, Xia Chiyi wanted to step forward, but Zhou Zhexiao only left him with a single sentence: “Put the mat away.”

Xia Chiyi’s ears were flushed red. When his hand touched the yoga mat, he realized the residual heat left on it was shockingly warm.

After rolling up the mat, Xia Chiyi really wanted to know what Zhou Zhexiao was doing in there, what kind of expression he had, and how long it would take him to come out.

“Xia Chiyi! Xia Chiyi, are you lovesick?!”

Ye Chaoying’s shout startled Xia Chiyi. He had been sitting at his desk and nearly knocked his phone onto the floor.

“Love… lovesick over what?”

“So you really didn’t hear a single word I’ve been saying to you all this time, huh?” Ye Chaoying massaged his temples.

“He just asked you if taking the 2:00 PM bullet train to Rongzhou on Friday works for you,” Pang Shuai helplessly repeated the question for Xia Chiyi.

“Going to Rongzhou? Oh, right, to watch the Southwest Regional Finals?”

“Yeah! What exactly were you spacing out thinking about?”

Thinking about Zhou Zhexiao, obviously.

The Southwest Regional tournament was coming to a close, and Ling Huanzhen intended to take the team members to Rongzhou together.

The players were all thrilled. Rongzhou was a famous tourist city with beautiful scenery and countless street foods; most importantly, it was very cheap.

A high school classmate of Xia Chiyi’s had tested into a university in Rongzhou. He posted pictures of delicious food on his WeChat Moments every single day. After just one semester, when he returned to their hometown for winter break, he had gained a full 30 pounds. Walking down the street, Xia Chiyi almost didn’t recognize him.

Xia Chiyi had asked him if his daily living expenses just on food were incredibly high.

That classmate confidently held up three fingers. Xia Chiyi gasped, thinking 300 RMB a day was way too much.

But the guy said he ate until he was bursting every day for just 30 RMB.

From that day on, Xia Chiyi had been filled with yearning for Rongzhou.

“The Friday afternoon bullet train is no problem!” Xia Chiyi replied to Ye Chaoying.

The basketball team members all checked in on the group chat, and Ling Huanzhen quickly booked the tickets.

Principal Feng also generously approved the budget for food and accommodation. Furthermore, because the Ningchang University basketball team planned to continue wearing ‘Boiling Point’ basketball shoes for the Nationals, Boiling Point generously provided an indoor basketball court in Rongzhou for the team to use as an off-site practice facility.

Ever since they won the Southeast Regional Championship, the team’s treatment had genuinely seen a significant upgrade.

Xia Chiyi’s heart grew tense, because the person he was thinking about was Lu Yingnan—the only guard among the Big Three star players of the Division 1 League.

He might not possess the overwhelming offensive firepower of Yang Huaiyu and Liu Suchen, but he was a renowned defensive lockdown specialist. He was best at disrupting opponents’ rhythms and was known as the top-tier “metronome” of the Division 1 League.

After thinking about it, Xia Chiyi sent a WeChat message to Yang Huaiyu: [Are you guys going to watch the Southwest Regional Finals in person?]

Yang Huaiyu replied instantly: [Yeah. After watching the Southwest Finals, we’re heading to the capital to watch the Northeast Regional Finals.]

Xia Chiyi sent him a smiley face, and Yang Huaiyu replied with a little rose emoji.

What the hell, why is this guy acting so flirtatious? I have a boyfriend, okay!

Xia Chiyi guiltily glanced at the bathroom. Zhou Zhexiao still hadn’t come out. Sure enough, young people have too much energy.

[Why are you sending little flowers, doing all this empty stuff? If you’re going to send something, send a red envelope (money)!]

To his surprise, Yang Huaiyu instantly sent him a red envelope. He tapped it open—one cent.

Damn it, isn’t this just wasting my time?

But with Qincheng University there, he would have people to discuss the game and exchange pointers with.

How could he forget Brother Cong?

Xia Chiyi sent another message to ask Zhao Lingcong. Sure enough, the players from Southeast Mining University were also going to watch the game.

This way, the trip to Rongzhou was going to be very lively.

The bathroom door finally opened, and Zhou Zhexiao came out.

Ye Chaoying spoke up with a breezy tone: “Oh my, Master, you have finally emerged from your seclusion!”

Pang Shuai actually played along with the joke: “During your five hundred years of isolated cultivation, the person your little junior martial brother admires has already changed several times over.”

“Little junior martial brother? Who?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Who else could it be but you?” Ye Chaoying laughed.

Zhou Zhexiao walked over and glanced at Xia Chiyi’s phone, which happened to be paused on the chat screen with Zhao Lingcong.

Xia Chiyi had just sent a sticker of two cartoon bunnies hugging, and Zhao Lingcong had replied with a winking kitten.

Zhou Zhexiao’s eyebrow arched upwards. “Seems it’s true.”

“What do you mean true or false? They’re just stickers.”

“Heh.” Zhou Zhexiao turned around, sat down in his chair, opened a textbook for his major, and started reading.

His expression was exceptionally calm, his eyelashes slightly lowered. His back alone managed to project an atmosphere of profound loneliness.

Xia Chiyi stood there dumbly, suddenly not knowing what to do.

The phone in his pocket vibrated. Xia Chiyi pulled it out and saw that Pang Shuai and Ye Chaoying were messaging him on WeChat.

Ye Chaoying: [Scumbag, hurry up and coax him! He’s gone emo, can’t you tell?]

Pang Shuai: [Having a sticker war with men outside the dorm while neglecting the one inside—even I can’t stand watching this!]

Xia Chiyi made the “subway old man looking at phone” meme face. What do these two mean? Could they have realized he was dating Zhou Zhexiao?

Whoosh, swoosh, whoosh! Ye Chaoying and Pang Shuai bombarded him with countless stickers. Xia Chiyi took a deep breath. These stickers are totally devoid of conscience!

Xia Chiyi suspected that if he dared to send them, his WeChat account would explode.

After careful consideration, he sent a slightly cheeky sticker: Why aren’t you talking, are you dead?

Zhou Zhexiao’s smartwatch vibrated. He glanced at it. Xia Chiyi thought his blatant provocation would at least draw a little anger, but unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao ignored him and kept reading his book.

Xia Chiyi took a deep breath and sent a second sticker: Old cow, old cow, the tender grass misses you!

Zhou Zhexiao cast a faint glance at it and turned his textbook to the next page.

What the hell? Is this guy really going to study hard? I refuse to believe I can’t get a reaction out of you!

Xia Chiyi launched a full-scale assault of flirtatious stickers.

Things like “If you dare give me the cold shoulder, I’ll kiss your mouth right off”, “I’m poisoned, I need intimacy to cure me”, “The reason I didn’t put you in my eyes is because I hid you in my bed”… all the trendy, cheesy internet pickup lines were there.

These stickers couldn’t bear close scrutiny. Xia Chiyi himself felt they were incredibly greasy.

Yet Zhou Zhexiao merely offered cold, brief glances, acting like an emperor who hadn’t read a memorial that pleased him.

This guy had pushed the “atmosphere” to the absolute limit. He had even changed his posture, propping up his chin, his back looking desolate and forlorn.

Ye Chaoying threw his hands up and looked at Xia Chiyi, mouthing: What’s wrong with you? You can’t even coax a single Zhou Zhexiao?

Is coaxing Zhou Zhexiao an easy thing to do?! Why don’t you come try it?!

Xia Chiyi gritted his teeth and rapidly fired off a text: [If you don’t reply right now, I’m going to send all of these to someone else!]

Zhou Zhexiao finally turned his head. Looking into Xia Chiyi’s eyes, he said, “I want a full-sugar bubble tea. Double boba.”

Taking a deep breath, every pore in Xia Chiyi’s body felt instantly cleared. He flashed a finger heart at Zhou Zhexiao. “No problem!”

Pang Shuai inhaled deeply. “What stickers couldn’t achieve, bubble tea did.”

Ye Chaoying felt regretful. “I still have dozens of stickers I haven’t sent you yet!”

Xia Chiyi turned around and said coldly, “I don’t need your garbage!”

---

The days from Tuesday to Friday felt like years. Xia Chiyi and the others were physically in the classroom, but their minds had already flown to Rongzhou.

Finally, Friday morning classes ended. The basketball team packed their luggage, and the school bus dropped them off at the high-speed rail station.

From Ningchang to Rongzhou was an eight-hour journey. They had to sit from 2 PM all the way to 10 PM. Thankfully, they had booked sleeper tickets; if they had gotten hard seats, their backs would have snapped in half.

Ling Huanzhen, Chen Chuan, and a few others started playing cards. Ye Chaoying originally wanted to lie in bed and play video games, but unfortunately, the signal was spotty, so he eventually had to join the card-playing army.

This seemed to be Zhou Zhexiao’s first time on a train sleeper car.

Or perhaps he had taken one before, but the interior “decor” was quite different back then.

The carriage was filled with a mix of heavy odors. Someone had used the bathroom and neglected to close the door, so the smell of the toilet mingled with the scent of instant noodles and braised snacks. Furthermore, some unknown uncle nearby had taken his shoes off. The combination of all these smells was absolutely soul-destroying.

Zhou Zhexiao’s face was expressionless, but his throat bobbed continuously. He was very likely about to throw up.

“Are you okay?” Xia Chiyi leaned over and asked.

Zhou Zhexiao shook his head. It looked like he was suffering terribly.

Xia Chiyi quickly went over to shut the open bathroom door.

But the smell lingered. The two of them moved to the end of the train car. Xia Chiyi leaned against the wall, while Zhou Zhexiao buried his nose into the side of Xia Chiyi’s neck, remaining completely silent.

“Feeling any better?”

“You smell really good.”

As Zhou Zhexiao spoke, his breath brushed against Xia Chiyi’s neck, causing Xia Chiyi’s shoulders to hunch up.

“But the other smells are awful.”

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

Because passengers were constantly walking past, and almost every single one cast a glance at them—after all, two such handsome young men leaning against each other so intimately made it hard for people to suppress their curiosity—Xia Chiyi patted Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder and led him back to their hard sleeper bunks.

Xia Chiyi folded the blanket back into a makeshift cushion. Zhou Zhexiao nestled sickly against his shoulder. Xia Chiyi then dug out his freshly washed sports jacket and draped it over Zhou Zhexiao’s head.

Ye Chaoying walked over biting a spicy gluten stick (latiao). Seeing Zhou Zhexiao sitting motionless, he was stunned. “What’s wrong with this guy? Don’t tell me he doesn’t get motion sickness on hard seats, but the moment he upgrades to a hard sleeper, he gets motion sickness?”

“It’s the smell. The aromas in this carriage are too rich.”

Ye Chaoying quickly swallowed his spicy stick to avoid making the smells around Zhou Zhexiao even more complicated.

“Should I go ask the attendant for some air purifying spray or something?”

“No need, that stuff is too fragrant, it might make him feel even worse.”

“Alright. We’ll be stopping at Chengjiang Station in about an hour. He can stand by the door and get some fresh air then.”

“Mhm!”

After Ye Chaoying left, Xia Chiyi gently lifted the jacket and peeked at Zhou Zhexiao.

His eyes were closed the entire time. Who knows if it was psychological, but his long eyelashes made him look helpless and fragile.

His lips were very close to Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. It felt like with just a slight movement, they could kiss.

But this guy was currently suffering.

Xia Chiyi had seen carsickness, seasickness, and pendulum ride sickness, but this was his first time seeing someone like Zhou Zhexiao who got “smell-sickness”.

Xia Chiyi pulled out his phone and started chatting with Yang Huaiyu, Zhao Lingcong, and the others. Surprisingly, they were also on high-speed trains.

As they chatted, Liu Suchen unexpectedly sent a WeChat message too. This guy had quite a few funny anecdotes and wasn’t vague at all about roasting Yang Huaiyu, madly exposing all of his embarrassing secrets in the group chat.

Once, Qincheng University and Qinghua University held a joint training camp. Yang Huaiyu overslept on the very first day.

When he finally got up for morning practice, he was actually wearing pajama pants. Coach Ren was so angry he told him to roll back and change his pants before coming out.

But this guy was incredible—he directly fell back into bed and slept all the way until lunch.

Yang Huaiyu didn’t hesitate to expose Liu Suchen’s flaws in return, saying he was also late, and not only was he late, but he was also shameless.

When Coach Li asked him why he didn’t get up, Liu Suchen actually said he had dreamed that the training camp was over, so he just kept sleeping.

This infuriated Li Xiaoran, who asked him, Why don’t you just dream that you died?

Liu Suchen replied directly: Then that would be an eternal sleep, so there’d be even less need to get up!

Xia Chiyi sighed in awe. It seemed that if you couldn’t achieve total shamelessness, you couldn’t join the ranks of the top-tier experts in the Division 1 League.

What Xia Chiyi didn’t know, however, was that the way his eyes crinkled into happy little crescents while chatting was being observed entirely by Zhou Zhexiao.

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to share Ling Huanzhen’s excuse for being late, a sharp pain came from his neck—he had been bitten by Zhou Zhexiao!

Xia Chiyi lifted the jacket covering Zhou Zhexiao’s head, originally intending to condemn him, but upon meeting Zhou Zhexiao’s incredibly deep, dark eyes, his heart instantly softened with ache.

He turned his head and first planted a kiss on the bridge of Zhou Zhexiao’s nose.

Sure enough, Zhou Zhexiao tilted his chin up. One look and it was obvious he was demanding a kiss.

Xia Chiyi chuckled, pressed his lips against his, gave a soft suck, and then pulled the jacket back down to cover him.

He was just about to resume chatting with the others when he heard Zhou Zhexiao mumble darkly, “Are the four of you trying to set up a Mahjong table?”

“So, are you still feeling sick?” Xia Chiyi asked softly.

“Mhm,” Zhou Zhexiao gave a soft grunt and continued to nestle against him.

Xia Chiyi lifted the jacket again and found that this guy didn’t have his eyes closed at all, nor did he look nearly as pitiful as he had at the start.

The discomfort was real, but the acting coquettish was also real.

Xia Chiyi whispered, “Wait until we get to the hotel room, then it’ll just be the two of us.”

Zhou Zhexiao shifted, wrapping one arm entirely around Xia Chiyi.

Du He walked over, his face covered in strips of toilet paper (punishment for losing cards), dug out a power bank from his bag, and went back to play more cards.

Thank goodness it was daytime; otherwise, he could have starred in a horror movie.

“Du He, how many rounds have you lost?” Xia Chiyi asked in amusement.

“I don’t think I’ve won a single one…” Du He noticed Zhou Zhexiao’s arm clinging to Xia Chiyi like a koala and asked with concern, “Is he still feeling sick?”

“Yeah, a little bit. Once the smell of instant noodles dissipates, he’ll be fine.”

“Just now we found the attendant and convinced that uncle to put his shoes back on.” Du He leaned in close to Xia Chiyi and whispered, “Turns out the other passengers had complaints too. Otherwise, going up to say it ourselves would have been pretty awkward.”

Xia Chiyi smiled, thinking to himself that whether the uncle wore shoes or not, it couldn’t stop Zhou Zhexiao’s heart from wanting to act spoiled.

The train pulled into Chengjiang Station. Xia Chiyi dragged Zhou Zhexiao over to the doors to breathe some fresh air.

This guy stood there as steady as a rock; there wasn’t a single thing wrong with his body.

New passengers gradually boarded. A group of passengers who looked like college students, wearing backpacks, walked past Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao. Suddenly, someone let out a shriek.

“Are you Xia Chiyi? Ningchang University’s Xia Chiyi?”

It was a girl with short hair, looking at Xia Chiyi as if she had just dug up a treasure.

Xia Chiyi nodded. “I am.”

“I went to watch the Southeast Regional Finals live! You guys played so well! I was originally a die-hard fan of Yang Huaiyu, but I didn’t expect to become obsessed with you… and Zhou Zhexiao! That no-look behind-the-back pass was simply too cool!”

Xia Chiyi looked at them. “So… you guys are heading to Rongzhou to watch the Southwest Regional Finals?”

“Yes, yes, yes! Um… could we take a photo with you and Zhou Zhexiao?” the girl asked.

Her friend shouted from a distance, “She’s a CP fan (shipper) of you and Zhou Zhexiao!”

“Huh?”

Before Xia Chiyi could process this, Zhou Zhexiao—who hadn’t participated in the conversation at all—suddenly spoke up: “Sure.”

“So… the rumors are true?” the girl mumbled softly.

“What rumors?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Just… a joke. There’s a ‘Zhou Zhexiao Photo Strategy Guide’ in the Division 1 League discussion forums. It says if you want a photo with him, you can’t just say you’re a fan. Zhou Zhexiao will just walk past his fans completely oblivious…”

Xia Chiyi thought to himself, Is that called oblivious? He literally acts like he disowns all his relatives.

“But if you say you are a CP fan of Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao, there’s a high probability he’ll stop and cooperate for a photo.”

Xia Chiyi turned to look at Zhou Zhexiao. “You can do that?”

“Is it illegal for me to ship my own CP?” Zhou Zhexiao retorted.

“Ship… you go ahead and ship… ship however you want.” Xia Chiyi laughed.

Who told you our CP is real anyway?

They chatted a bit longer, and Xia Chiyi learned they were sophomores who had been following the Division 1 League since last year.

They were extremely well-versed in the grudges and histories between Yang Huaiyu, Liu Suchen, and Lu Yingnan.

Curious, Xia Chiyi asked, “Then why do you think Southwest Aviation lost to Qinghua University last year?”

“It probably had to do with their scoring positions. Last year, Southwest Aviation didn’t have a highly threatening scoring machine. Their offensive and defensive levels were both very high, and they had strong team synergy. But when they encountered Liu Suchen’s heaven-defying scoring ability, they just fell a bit short.”

Xia Chiyi nodded. “But this year, they have Zhuo Zheng.”

“Yeah! That player Zhuo Zheng is incredibly strong!”

Xia Chiyi looked at Zhou Zhexiao and raised an eyebrow, meaning: Did you hear that? Zhuo Zheng is very strong, and he’s always wanted to compete with you.

Zhou Zhexiao immediately reverted to his default state: As long as I don’t want to hear it, even if you bring up that person’s name, I can pretend I didn’t hear a thing.

As they continued chatting, Zhou Zhexiao’s head leaned over again, resting heavily on Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. He kept his head lowered and eyes downcast, instantly projecting a sickly, fragile aura.

“Um… is Zhou Zhexiao feeling unwell?” the girl asked with concern.

Xia Chiyi felt Zhou Zhexiao’s forehead and replied, “Sorry about this, this guy gets motion sickness.”

The girl revealed an expression of shock. She never imagined that Zhou Zhexiao, who acted like an unstoppable badass on the court, would actually get motion sickness. Why did it evoke such an inexplicable sense of pity and tenderness?

She dug out a tiny bottle of medicated essential balm (Feng You Jing) from her backpack and handed it to Xia Chiyi. “You can rub a little bit of this under his nose.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!”

Once the girl returned to her seat, Xia Chiyi genuinely intended to dab the essential balm under Zhou Zhexiao’s nose.

“I don’t want it…” Zhou Zhexiao continuously turned his head away to dodge.

“Didn’t you say you hated the smells in the carriage? Just use a little of this, and you won’t smell them anymore.” Xia Chiyi wore a totally serious expression. “This is a miracle cure!”

“I don’t want it.” Zhou Zhexiao shifted from Xia Chiyi’s left side to his right side, pressing his nose hard into his shoulder and keeping his lips tightly sealed against it. In short, he refused to leave any opening for the essential balm to be applied.

“So you were faking it, right? You already got used to the smell on the train, but you still had to pretend to be sick,” Xia Chiyi said in amusement.

Zhou Zhexiao kept his eyelids lowered and didn’t say a word, essentially defaulting to a ‘yes’.

Sigh, what can you do when your boyfriend pretends to be weak just to cuddle?

Cooperate with his performance, of course.

Xia Chiyi shoved the essential balm back into his pocket and just kept him company like that until the train started moving again and they returned to their seats.

At 10:00 PM, they finally arrived at Rongzhou, known as the “Southwest City that Never Sleeps”.

Even before the train pulled into the station, just the city lights they saw upon entering the urban district looked like a sky full of stars. Du He, who rarely traveled, couldn’t help but press his face against the window and let out an amazed, “Wow—”

“Can we go out and do something tonight?” Ye Chaoying asked eagerly.

The next second, his head was smacked by Ling Huanzhen. “What do you want to go do?”

“No… I meant go soak my feet, get a foot massage, relax a bit…”

“Is it really just soaking your feet? Just a pure, simple foot massage?” Ling Huanzhen looked at Ye Chaoying with a highly suspicious gaze.

It was as if he were saying: We’re all men here. At your age, the trash in your brain is definitely more than what’s in mine.

“Old Ling, what kind of person do you take me for? I just want to purely soak my feet and purely get my feet massaged. I have zero dirty intentions!”

Ling Huanzhen laughed. “Where’s the emergency window hammer on the bus? Let’s crack this guy’s skull open and see just how much oil (filth) is in there! Just a foot soak? Just a foot massage? Now that you’re in Rongzhou, of course you have to get the full spa package! A massage from head to toe!”

Ye Chaoying gasped. He really wasn’t used to Ling Huanzhen trying to bait them into saying things. Thank goodness he was very pure and hadn’t fallen for Ling Huanzhen’s trap.

Getting off the train, they excitedly piled onto the bus the school had arranged in advance.

Even though it was past 10 PM, the moment they entered the city center, they got stuck near a commercial street, unable to move an inch.

Although the bus driver didn’t watch basketball, he had heard of Ling Huanzhen’s great name, and the two began chatting.

“Rongzhou is just like this. Wide open roads, but still traffic jams every day, especially at 10 PM. This is when the nightlife is just getting started. Look, to your left and right, everywhere are places to enjoy yourself. Get a foot massage, drift off to sleep, it’s so comfortable. Plus, things aren’t expensive in Rongzhou. This whole bus is full of growing boys—you guys are student-athletes, right?”

“Yes, we’re all on the basketball team.”

“Haha, athletes definitely have an abnormal appetite. Right up ahead is a famous buffet in Rongzhou called ‘Victorious General’. It’s only 80 RMB, and they’ve got everything from things that fly in the sky to things that burrow underground! It’ll definitely make you athletes eat until you have to hold onto the walls to walk out!”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi was filled with deep yearning.

“Is there really still a buffet these days that lets you stuff yourself full for just 80 RMB?”

“Will we walk in and just find high-carb foods like various fried rices and fried noodles?”

“Didn’t you hear the driver’s introduction? Everything from things that fly to things that burrow!”

Xia Chiyi was just about to ask Zhou Zhexiao when he noticed the guy’s eyes were drooping. Realizing Xia Chiyi wanted to talk to him, Zhou Zhexiao immediately rubbed his eyes, leaned his ear over, and put on an incredibly obedient look.

Chen Chuan, sitting across from them, started laughing. “I have to say… the way Zhou Zhexiao leans over looks exactly like he’s waiting for you to kiss him.”

Xia Chiyi paused. Just as he was about to defend himself, Chen Chuan added, “Zhou Zhexiao only lacks lethal force when he’s half-asleep.”

It was true. This guy’s biological clock was deadly accurate; he could shut his eyes and fall asleep right at 11 PM. If they were in the dorm, he would have been asleep long ago.

Plus, he had been pretending to be a sick invalid on the high-speed rail from 2 PM to 10 PM. Now that he didn’t have to pretend anymore, he was genuinely exhausted.

Xia Chiyi reached up and guided the other’s head down onto his shoulder.

“Go to sleep. The driver said Rongzhou is very congested at night. We won’t get to the hotel that quickly.”

“Mhm.” Zhou Zhexiao let out a soft murmur, completely surrendering his consciousness and leaning heavily onto Xia Chiyi’s shoulder.

Honestly… he really was very cute.

Ten years ago, Xia Chiyi could only look up to him, feeling that he was tall, reliable, an unstoppable force, and entirely unique.

But looking at him now, aside from matters related to basketball, this guy was just a kid.

He no longer insisted on eating strictly chicken breasts and broccoli; he would join Xia Chiyi in sneaking late-night snacks.

He would get addicted to coin-operated arcade games and refuse to go back to the dorm. He would stay up late watching cartoons and TV dramas. When he saw limited-edition jerseys and sneakers, he wouldn’t be able to walk away, madly buying them all, and he would show unhappy little expressions when Xia Chiyi forced him to return them.

Xia Chiyi felt very lucky to be able to see all the different sides of Zhou Zhexiao.

The entire team was still looking forward to tonight’s nightlife, but ultimately, they were defeated by the congested traffic.

The bus stopped and started. The first to fall asleep was Zhou Zhexiao, followed by Du He and Shuai Bei. By the end, even Ye Chaoying and Ling Huanzhen were asleep.

Xia Chiyi’s head rested against the bus window, the vibrant neon lights slowly washing over his face.

Leaning on his shoulder, Zhou Zhexiao slowly opened his eyes. While the whole world slept, he planted a kiss on Xia Chiyi’s cheek.

---

At this time, the basketball players of Southwest Aviation University were already mostly washed up and asleep. After all, the very next day was the final battle to decide the King of the Southwest.

Lu Yingnan sat leaned against his headboard, the desk lamp turned to its dimmest setting. He held a tablet in his hands and wore earbuds. The light from the video flickered dimly over his face.

It was an official Coolang highlight reel of three-pointers.

Xia Chiyi stood at the three-point line, stepping back from various angles, and released the ball.

Lu Yingnan had seen many people’s shooting forms and had blocked countless players on the court, but Xia Chiyi was the one he anticipated the most, and also the one he felt the most reluctant to shut down.

Whether it was his physical posture or the arc of the ball, both were beautiful. It evoked an inexplicable protective urge, making one hope that elegant parabola would soar forever.

“Still watching Rongzhou Polytech’s game videos?” His roommate and teammate, Mo Chuang, walked over.

He was the tallest center in the entire Southwest Region. He could easily peer over the bedframe and look at Lu Yingnan’s tablet screen.

“You’re watching Xia Chiyi? Tomorrow our finals opponent is Rongzhou Polytech! Are you not taking Rongzhou Polytech seriously, or do you just favor Xia Chiyi too much?”

Mo Chuang leaned on the edge of Lu Yingnan’s bed, propping up his chin to observe his captain.

“A shooter like him, whether placed in Qinghua University or our Southwest Aviation, is a ‘King Bomb’ (game changer). When the inside and outside link up, the tactical arrangements become much richer. In critical moments with a long-range buzzer-beater, the moment he releases the ball, the opponent will feel a sense of absolute despair.”

Lu Yingnan raised his eyes. His voice was calm, and his face showed little expression.

But as his teammate, Mo Chuang knew that making their captain refer to someone as a “King Bomb” was truly a top-tier compliment.

Even Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu hadn’t enjoyed that treatment.

Mo Chuang scratched the back of his head and said, “Sigh, the other day I overheard our coach chatting with Qinghua’s Coach Li Xiaoran. They said Xia Chiyi was a hidden pearl in the vast ocean. Ma Hongming kept throwing shovelfuls of dirt over him, terrified that he would shine and be seen by others. In the end, Ling Huanzhen got a massive steal. Thank goodness Ningchang University has few players this year but possesses high-level teammates at every position; otherwise, Xia Chiyi really would have been buried.”

Lu Yingnan didn’t speak. With a swipe on the tablet, he started watching the next video.

It was a highlight reel of Xia Chiyi’s inside scoring.

Compared to three-pointers, Mo Chuang was much more interested in inside scoring techniques. He tilted his head, leaning over Lu Yingnan’s bed, but his captain showed absolutely no intention of shifting the tablet over to share the view.

He could only shamelessly drag the tablet a bit closer to himself.

“You can go back to your own bed and watch it slowly,” Lu Yingnan shot him a glance.

“Sigh, shooting guards are always better when they belong to another team, and tablets always look best when they belong to someone else,” Mo Chuang said shamelessly.

The video happened to play the clip of Xia Chiyi weaving through the air like a butterfly, nearly dunking right on Yang Huaiyu’s face.

Although he failed, that powerful hang-time and mid-air balance had still conquered the eyes of many industry professionals.

Lu Yingnan spoke: “If Li Shunchuan leans toward being a 3-and-D player, then Xia Chiyi is much more well-rounded. He possesses both the physical stamina and technique to duel under the basket.”

Mo Chuang rubbed his chin. “Actually, I’ve wanted to say this for a while. This Xia Chiyi… does he practice with Zhou Zhexiao every single day? I’ve noticed that when it comes to inside techniques—whether it’s double-clutches, hand-switches, hook shots, or floaters—he’s proficient in almost all of them, and they heavily carry Zhou Zhexiao’s distinct style.”

“Because he is an exceptionally good learner with incredibly strong absorption abilities. So he rises to meet strong opponents. Zhao Lingcong’s pump fakes, Yang Huaiyu’s double-clutch layups, Zhou Zhexiao’s turnaround fadeaways… they have all become a part of him. If we run into him at the Nationals, maybe you and I will also become nutrients for his growth.”

Mo Chuang laughed out loud. “My skills rely very heavily on my height. Even if he learns my dunks and huge blocks, he won’t be able to do them to my level. But you, Captain… don’t let him steal your one-on-one defensive abilities.”

Lu Yingnan’s gaze darkened. The screen was currently displaying the spectacular moment when Xia Chiyi attacked Yang Huaiyu’s lead foot with a dribble and nearly sent him crashing to the floor. “If he can learn it, I would gladly offer it to him with both hands.”

As Mo Chuang watched, he suddenly blurted out, “This kid is pretty good-looking, right?”

Lu Yingnan didn’t speak.

Mo Chuang was about to say something else when Lu Yingnan’s palm reached out, clamped over his face, and shoved him away from his bed.

“Tomorrow is the finals. Go to sleep.”

Mo Chuang walked back to his side with a wicked grin, hopped up onto his bed in two or three moves, and pulled up his covers while saying, “Is it so hard to admit he looks good? For a man, being handsome is part of one’s strength too!”

“Right. And in terms of looks, you fall into the category of lacking strength.”

Mo Chuang: “…”

---

By the time the Ningchang University group arrived at the chain hotel, it was already 11:30 PM.

Xia Chiyi grabbed their room card and pushed a drowsy Zhou Zhexiao to their room.

This hotel was only a fifteen-minute walk from the Rongzhou Gymnasium, which was hosting the Southwest Regional games. Downstairs was a bustling downtown area. Even with the windows closed, you could still hear a cacophony of sounds.

Barring any surprises, these sounds would continue all night long.

Zhou Zhexiao took a very quick shower, blow-dried his hair with his eyes closed, tossed the hairdryer down, pulled up the covers, and curled into a ball.

Xia Chiyi shook him in amusement. “Hey, back on the high-speed rail, weren’t you bursting with energy and showing off invincible acting skills? Now that it’s just the two of us, you’re actually going to sleep? Do you just lack stamina?”

It was a rare chance to have a world to themselves! No teammates as background props, no roommates watching and providing commentary. Shouldn’t they be like dry wood and blazing fire, fierce as wolves and tigers?

Zhou Zhexiao mumbled with a furrowed brow. He probably wanted to pull Xia Chiyi into his arms, but his hands grabbed at the air twice and missed as Xia Chiyi dodged. Zhou Zhexiao simply hugged his blanket and went back to sleep.

Xia Chiyi wanted to know what would happen to this guy if his sleep kept getting interrupted.

Would he lose his temper?

What did he look like when he was mad?

Xia Chiyi kicked off his shoes, stepped onto Zhou Zhexiao’s bed, and started bouncing.

The mattress let out loud creak, creak sounds, sounding highly inappropriate.

Thank goodness the people staying in the rooms to the left and right were his teammates; otherwise, with this noise, other guests might have called the cops to do a room check.

Zhou Zhexiao’s arm slipped out from under the covers. He patted the top of Xia Chiyi’s foot, as if saying “Stop messing around,” and then closed his eyes again.

“Haha, this is so fun.”

Xia Chiyi unceremoniously sat down on him right over the blanket, pinched his ear, and was just about to tickle his waist when his phone vibrated.

He tapped it open. It was a WeChat message from Yang Huaiyu: [Have you arrived in Rongzhou? Come out and play!]

Xia Chiyi: [Just got to the hotel and dropped my luggage. What is there to play in the middle of the night?]

Yang Huaiyu: [Foot soak, full spa package, Big Bro can even take you to a bar!]

Xia Chiyi stroked his chin. Why does this guy sound like a scumbag playboy who stays out all night?

Xia Chiyi was just about to reply when, unexpectedly, a message from Zhao Lingcong came in too: [Are you staying at the Golden Years Hotel too? Wanna come out for a full spa package tonight?]

Wow, am I really this popular?

Xia Chiyi directly pulled both of them into a group chat: [You’re both inviting me out for a full package. I don’t know who to go with, so why don’t the three of us go together.]

Yang Huaiyu: [Why do I get the feeling this sounds like three guys doing something dirty?]

Zhao Lingcong: [You’ve only been in college for a few months and you’ve already learned how to spread your favors around?]

Before leaving, Xia Chiyi leaned over Zhou Zhexiao, nuzzled the top of his head, and whispered softly, “I’m going to get a full spa package with Yang Huaiyu and Zhao Lingcong!”

“Mhm…” Zhou Zhexiao’s brows knitted together, then relaxed again.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Xia Chiyi kissed Zhou Zhexiao’s cheek and left.

And so, the three college guys found a spot near the hotel, paid their money, changed their clothes, and entered a private room.

Xia Chiyi squinted his eyes, taking a huge gulp of iced watermelon juice, and thought to himself… Is this the joy of staying out all night?

“Where’s your imperial sword-wielding bodyguard?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

“Yeah, being somewhere with you but no Zhou Zhexiao feels a bit unnatural to me,” Zhao Lingcong teased.

“He’s a man with a very structured lifestyle. Once it’s past 11 PM, he gets sleepy.”

“By the way, are the ones giving us the full package going to be pretty young ladies?” Yang Huaiyu pulled out his phone, wanting to look up the shop’s reviews.

“You want a young lady to try and massage that block of muscle of yours? Don’t you feel bad?” Zhao Lingcong laughed.

Xia Chiyi put down his watermelon juice and asked Zhao Lingcong, “Why didn’t you come with Ma Tao? Since you’re out playing with us, won’t Ma Tao get upset again and say he wants to strangle me or something?”

Zhao Lingcong chuckled. “That guy is a strict observer of ‘male virtue’. Without his girlfriend’s permission, he would never come out for wellness treatments.”

“But the Rongzhou ‘full spa package’ is a famous local industry here. It’s very strictly regulated. Ma Tao is overthinking things, right?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

“He says that ten minutes of foot massage means spending a whole day explaining it when he gets back, so he’d rather just sleep early.”

Xia Chiyi thoughtfully ate a piece of fruit. He thought about how he was also someone with a boyfriend now… but Zhou Zhexiao probably wasn’t that petty.

Just then, three middle-aged uncles carrying toolboxes and lugging large wooden tubs walked into the room.

Well… my boyfriend definitely won’t misunderstand this.

To leave ironclad proof of his innocence, Xia Chiyi even took a selfie with the three uncles.

“Oh, which school are you athletes from? Are you here for a competition nearby?”

The uncles were very talkative. After putting down their wooden tubs, they started chatting with them.

“We aren’t here to compete, we’re here to watch the games.” Yang Huaiyu started fishing for information, “Have a lot of college athletes been coming in for the full package recently?”

“Of course! Our shop is super close to the gymnasium, and our techniques are great. We’re very famous in Rongzhou!”

“Then which team’s players have you masters massaged?”

“Too many to count. Like Rong Province Industrial University, Zizhou Polytech, and that one… that university favored to win the championship…”

The uncle next to him chimed in: “The championship favorite, Southwest Aviation University! Before the tournament started, their whole team specifically came to our shop!”

---

【Author’s Note】
Zhuo Zheng: Captain, we’re in danger!
Lu Yingnan: What danger?
Zhuo Zheng: The Ningchang Bro-Harvester is here! You must hold your ground!
Lu Yingnan: …
Zhuo Zheng: Or… have you already been harvested?