Chapter 0119: Journey to the Northeast Division

Zhou Zhexiao’s brows furrowed. He silently placed his milk tea back on the small tray table, and with a look of disappointment in his eyes, he turned to Xia Chiyi and said, “It’s not as good as the freshly made ones. The artificial flavoring is too strong.”

Yang Huaiyu nodded. “I can see the delicate part of Zhou Zhexiao now—he won’t drink milk tea if it’s not made with fresh milk.”

“Haha, exactly! He’s incredibly delicate when it comes to this kind of stuff!” Xia Chiyi pointed behind him. “Look who I brought?”

Yang Huaiyu tilted his head. Lu Yingnan had been standing in the aisle against the light, so Yang Huaiyu genuinely hadn’t recognized him.

“Oh my god, Lu Yingnan, you actually came? I thought your team would be lying flat like corpses on your bunks like you were doing military training until it was time to get off the train!”

Lu Yingnan answered, “The bunks are too narrow. It’s uncomfortable to lie down.”

“Mm,” Zhou Zhexiao actually nodded in strong agreement.

“Come on, come on, let’s keep playing ‘Believe It or Not’!” Xia Chiyi patted the bottom bunk, inviting Lu Yingnan to sit down.

Lu Yingnan took a seat, shocking Yang Huaiyu once again.

“You’re actually willing to play cards with us?” Yang Huaiyu looked at Xia Chiyi. “Do you have any idea how disciplined this guy is? He doesn’t play mahjong, doesn’t play cards, doesn’t play online games, doesn’t binge-watch shows, and doesn’t scroll through social media!”

Xia Chiyi nonchalantly nudged Zhou Zhexiao. “So what? Zhou Zhexiao used to be like that too! Now he shops online endlessly, binge-watches TV shows and anime, and is even better at playing CS than I am.”

Yang Huaiyu jutted his chin toward Lu Yingnan. “Hear that? Getting close to Xia Chiyi is the beginning of corruption. You still have a chance now; turn back before it’s too late!”

Lu Yingnan’s expression didn’t change at all. “Tell me, what are the rules?”

Yang Huaiyu briefly explained them. Simply put, the Big Joker, Little Joker, and Jacks could substitute for any card face.
Everyone played their cards face down.
If the next person believed the previous person’s declared cards, they could follow and play their own cards.
If they didn’t believe them, they had to flip the cards over. If the previous person hadn’t lied, then all the cards on the table went to the person who challenged them.
But if the previous person had lied, all the cards went to the liar.
Whoever got rid of all the cards in their hand first won.

Lu Yingnan was truly incredibly smart. After playing just one round, he understood all the tricks, defeated Xia Chiyi in the final showdown, and successfully got out.

The last person left holding cards had to accept a punishment.
Everyone else got to ask him to do one thing.

Yang Huaiyu was very wicked. He made Xia Chiyi run over to the Southwest Air carriage and shout a classic line from Peppa Pig.

Having lost many rounds already, Xia Chiyi’s skin was thicker than a castle wall. “What’s the big deal? It’s just Peppa Pig!”

Xia Chiyi arrived at the entrance of their carriage, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Peppa Pig, magic transform! The airplane is here, hurry up and open your mouth wide!”

After shouting, he immediately turned and ran back.

Southwest Air’s territory was extremely quiet, which made Xia Chiyi’s shout sound exceptionally clear.

“What? Why should I open my mouth wide just because an airplane is coming?” Mo Chuang turned his head to look at his teammates.
“So you can swallow the airplane?”
“Holy god, did that voice sound a bit familiar?” Zhuo Zheng leaned half his body out of his bunk, but failed to catch a glimpse of Xia Chiyi.
“Has anyone seen Captain Lu? He went to get hot water, how come he isn’t back yet?”
“Maybe the water boiler isn’t hot yet?”

Xia Chiyi walked back, hands on his hips, watching Yang Huaiyu clutching his stomach in laughter.

It was Zhou Zhexiao’s turn to make a request.
Lowering his eyes, he said calmly, “Put it on my tab.”

“Putting it on a tab is no fun,” Yang Huaiyu said.

“Say one more word and I’ll take off my sock right now and stuff it in your mouth.” Xia Chiyi’s fist hardened, hinting for Yang Huaiyu to shut up.

Yang Huaiyu put on a look of sudden realization. “Oh, Zhou Zhexiao, are you asking him to wash your socks for you? Then you definitely have to put it on a tab!”

“Zhou Zhexiao wouldn’t ask me to wash his socks!”
“Because you can’t wash them clean,” Zhou Zhexiao said faintly.

“Then what about you, Lu Yingnan? What do you want him to do for you?”

Lu Yingnan unscrewed the cap of his thermos. “I want to drink water, but it’s too hot. Blow on it to cool it down for me.”

Xia Chiyi immediately put on a “You’re such a great guy” expression. He was just about to take the cup and blow on it when Zhou Zhexiao’s hand hovered over it, perfectly blocking Xia Chiyi’s mouth.

“Use this travel brochure to fan it.” Zhou Zhexiao handed Xia Chiyi the capital city travel brochure handed out by the train attendants.

“Oh, right. It would be bad if my spit got in.”
Lu Yingnan fell silent for a moment, then gave a faint nod.
The middle bunk blocked the light, casting his side profile in shadow, making it seem as if even his emotions were hidden deeper.

Xia Chiyi acted like a hardworking little bee, fanning the water continuously. Then he tilted his head and asked, “Why do I feel like, compared to you guys, I’m just a fool?”

Yang Huaiyu lowered his head and chuckled softly. Lu Yingnan didn’t answer, seemingly defaulting to agreement. Zhou Zhexiao picked up his milk tea and took a big gulp.

Xia Chiyi glared at Zhou Zhexiao in annoyance. “You’re the worst! You’re drinking the milk tea I made you, and you still wouldn’t go easy on me.”

“I helped you put on your quilt cover and pillowcase,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Yang Huaiyu shook his head. “Alright, next round I’ll protect you. I’ll make sure you get to go out first.”

“You better do what you say.” Xia Chiyi pouted slightly.

Lu Yingnan glanced at Xia Chiyi, his gaze lingering on his lips. “You pout when you’re thinking.”

“How did you know?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“It’s not just him; everyone on our Qincheng University basketball team knows.” Yang Huaiyu tugged at the corner of his mouth and smiled.

“Is it that obvious?” Xia Chiyi looked at Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhou Zhexiao nodded slightly. “Mm, so when your cards don’t match, you do that. You’re thinking about how to trick us into believing you.”

Yang Huaiyu covered his eyes. “Why did you tell him!”

Xia Chiyi hadn’t expected that the reason he kept coming in dead last over these past few rounds was because of a habitual little tic.

Lu Yingnan gathered all the cards together and began to shuffle.

While waiting for the cards to be dealt, Xia Chiyi wondered: Did Lu Yingnan intentionally remind me just now?
Actually, this guy is pretty nice.
Unlike Yang Huaiyu, who looks chummy with everyone but is actually full of dirty tricks.
Hmph.

Another round went by. Lu Yingnan placed four cards face down on the table.
A mechanical voice sounded, “Four Fives.”

Although Xia Chiyi was suspicious, he didn’t call him out. Instead, he casually played a pair and lied, “Two Fives.”

Next in line, Yang Huaiyu rested his chin on his hand, carefully observing Xia Chiyi’s expression. “Should I flip your cards, or should I not flip your cards?”

Xia Chiyi flashed a wicked grin. “Flip ’em. If you do, they’re all yours.”
He was smiling wickedly, but inside, he was nervous.
Oh heavens, please let my scam succeed just this once!

Yang Huaiyu’s fingertips tapped on the table, pondering whether to challenge.

Zhou Zhexiao lifted his chin. “Are you flipping them or not? If you are, hurry up.”

Hearing this, Yang Huaiyu immediately put down three cards and said, “I’ll play three Fives too.”

There weren’t that many Fives. Even if you counted the Big Joker, Little Joker, and four Jacks that could sub for any card, there were at most ten Fives possible.
Yang Huaiyu was very likely lying, or he could be telling the truth just to bait Zhou Zhexiao into flipping his cards.

Zhou Zhexiao tossed down a single card with a look of indifference. “I’ll play one Five.”

Lu Yingnan didn’t challenge it, dropping another pair of Fives.

Xia Chiyi was genuinely hesitating now. Were these real or fake? Was this Lu Yingnan playing psychological warfare?
Lu Yingnan and Zhou Zhexiao both belonged to the entirely expressionless category. Of course, the veteran scammer Yang Huaiyu had been smiling the whole time, which wasn’t much better.
If he flipped the cards now, and Lu Yingnan really had a pair of Fives, he would have to pick up a massive pile of cards!

“I’m not lying to you this time.” Lu Yingnan raised those dark, heavy eyes and looked at Xia Chiyi.

“I… I believe you.”
Xia Chiyi swallowed hard and played two cards. “A pair of Fives!”

“Mm, this time…” Yang Huaiyu looked up with those eyes that looked deeply affectionate even when looking at a dog, and leaned close to Xia Chiyi. “I don’t believe you.”

“Why? I really played a pair of Fives this time.”

“Because you swallowed.”
Yang Huaiyu smiled as he flipped Xia Chiyi’s cards over.
Unexpectedly, it really was a pair of Fives.

After playing for so long, Xia Chiyi finally revealed a happy smile.
“Finally tricked you! Hahaha, all these cards are yours now. Good thing your hands are big enough to hold so many without breaking a sweat!”
Xia Chiyi proactively gathered the pile of cards on the table and handed them to Yang Huaiyu.

Yang Huaiyu was still mulling it over. “If you were really playing a pair of Fives, why did you swallow?”

Zhou Zhexiao replied faintly, “He can trick you with fake moves on the court; he can do the same at the card table.”

Yang Huaiyu pinched the bridge of his nose. The deck of cards in his hands had suddenly grown very thick.

Xia Chiyi’s acting skills had apparently been refined to perfection. In the next round, he audaciously tested Lu Yingnan.

“Are those really three Kings?”

Lu Yingnan’s expression remained as unruffled as an ancient well.
“I won’t lie to you.”
It was the same phrase, peaceful and calm, sounding highly credible.

Xia Chiyi tugged at the corner of his mouth, showing a sly look. “I don’t believe you!”
Saying that, he flipped the cards over.
It was a Three, a Six, and a Queen.
Absolutely nothing to do with Kings.

“Lu Yingnan, you really tried fishing in muddy waters, but not only did you not catch a fish, you flipped your boat,” Yang Huaiyu gloated.

“I thought you said you wouldn’t lie to me?” Xia Chiyi put on a hurt expression.

“Is an opponent telling you they won’t lie to you worth believing?”
Lu Yingnan calmly scooped up all the cards from that round.

After a few more rounds, Xia Chiyi was surprisingly the first to get rid of all his cards.

“Oh my god, the day has finally come where I can actually win this game!”

Yang Huaiyu smiled. “That’s only because of our completely irrational indulgence toward you.”

“Hehe, then please indulge me even more fiercely!”
Xia Chiyi excitedly watched the three big bosses peck at each other.

Zhou Zhexiao was the second person to finish his cards.
Unexpectedly, it was left down to Lu Yingnan and Yang Huaiyu in a final PK.

Xia Chiyi leaned toward Yang Huaiyu to peek at his cards, but Yang Huaiyu covered them up, laughing, “No peeking.”
He then leaned over to glimpse Lu Yingnan’s cards, and Lu Yingnan completely opened his hand to let him see.

Xia Chiyi scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

This card game was the most anxiety-inducing when only two players remained. Xia Chiyi couldn’t fully comprehend the psychological warfare between the two, but he could feel the turbulent undercurrents in the air.

It was like on the court, where Yang Huaiyu tried to break through but was stolen from by Lu Yingnan.
Lu Yingnan tried to go for a layup but was blocked by Yang Huaiyu.
Back and forth, back and forth. Xia Chiyi felt like his brain was going to short-circuit.

When it came down to the final turn, Lu Yingnan placed his last few cards face down on the table.

Yang Huaiyu let out a cold laugh. At this point, it was do or die. Even if he didn’t want to flip the cards, he had to.

Xia Chiyi grew nervous. “I feel like I’m watching the finals of the Nationals.”

Lu Yingnan tapped his finger on the back of the cards. “Let’s place a bet first.”

“Fine. You name it.”

Lu Yingnan stated, “If you lose, you have to call Liu Suchen right now.”

“What the hell? You’re not going to make me confess my love to him, are you? I’d rather jump off this bullet train!” Yang Huaiyu put on an expression of facing death with equanimity.

“I’m not that cruel. Call him and wish Yan Capital University a victorious start tomorrow.”

Xia Chiyi looked at Lu Yingnan in shock. How was he able to make such a request with a completely straight face?
Tomorrow, Liu Suchen’s opponent was Yan Capital University. Calling him to wish his opponent a victorious start was truly… too vicious.

“Fine. I’ve had my rabies shot, I’m not afraid of him biting me.” Yang Huaiyu smiled. “If I win, you’re making the call.”

“Sure.” Lu Yingnan moved his finger away. “Flip them.”

Yang Huaiyu flipped the cards. Unexpectedly, Lu Yingnan had actually won.

Xia Chiyi was beyond excited, clapping his hands and chanting: “Make the call! Make the call! Make the call!”

The carriage was filled with an aura of schadenfreude.

Yang Huaiyu closed his eyes and covered his face. “Xia Chiyi, am I not usually good to you? Why are you so happy to kick me when I’m down?”

Zhou Zhexiao, who had been silent the whole time, surprisingly used his superior wingspan to grab Yang Huaiyu’s phone from the corner and handed it over.
“Call.”

Yang Huaiyu made one final struggle. “It’s already 10 PM. Liu Suchen is definitely asleep. If I call him and put him in a bad mood, isn’t that incredibly immoral?”

Lu Yingnan said coolly, “Last year during the Southeast Division finals, when he pinched his throat and called you to say you were a fuckboy, a scumbag, and a fish pond owner, he didn’t consider if it was moral or not.”

“How did you know about that?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

Lu Yingnan drove the knife deeper: “Since then, your reputation rotted away, and to this day, no one wants you.”

Xia Chiyi wanted to say something, but swallowed it down. One should be kind to others.

But Zhou Zhexiao drove in another knife: “Isn’t the reason no one wants Yang Huaiyu because he looks like a scumbag?”

Yang Huaiyu’s heart took a massive critical hit. He opened his contacts, found Liu Suchen’s number, and dialed.

Despite him praying ten thousand times in his heart for the call not to connect, Liu Suchen answered on the first ring.

“Are you still holding your phone at ten o’clock at night?”

Liu Suchen’s voice came through: “Because I’m too nervous, so I can’t sleep.”

“You get nervous?”

Liu Suchen replied, “Of course. Knowing that my sworn enemies are all coming to watch my game, I obviously have to mentally inventory how to shock the entire arena and make your legs go weak.”

“I suddenly feel like my earlier attempt at being kind was purely unrequited affection.” Yang Huaiyu sank his breath into his belly and rapidly recited the lines he had prepared all at once: “I hereby wish Yan Capital University a victorious start! Invincible power! Crush Qinghua! Become the Kings of the Northeast!”

“Hah? What did you say? Yang Huaiyu, are you—”

Before Liu Suchen could finish his sentence, Yang Huaiyu hung up on him.

“Felt like it lacked momentum,” Zhou Zhexiao commented.

“What else do you want?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

“If it were me, I would have said—’You actually think we’re coming to see you? Don’t misunderstand, we don’t even see you at all,'” Zhou Zhexiao said in a very calm tone.

Lu Yingnan added, “Or, ‘We came to watch you drop to your knees.'”

Xia Chiyi and Yang Huaiyu looked at each other, reaching a mutual understanding.
“Next time I get called a noob in a game…”
“I’m definitely hiring you two to argue for me.”

Yang Huaiyu originally wanted to play another round, but Zhou Zhexiao tapped his shoe with the tip of his foot.

Yang Huaiyu initially thought Zhou Zhexiao’s legs were just too long and bumped into him accidentally, so he shifted to the side. Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao tapped him again.

“Are my shoes an eyesore to you?”

Lu Yingnan stood up and tugged on the back of Yang Huaiyu’s collar. “It’s not your shoes that are an eyesore, it’s you as a person. Let’s go, time to sleep.”

Only then did Yang Huaiyu notice that Zhou Zhexiao’s eyelids were drooping, and he didn’t look nearly as energetic as when they first started.
“So this is what this guy looks like when he’s sleepy?”

Seeing that Zhou Zhexiao was about to step on him, Yang Huaiyu immediately got up, dodged out of the way, and headed back to his own carriage with Lu Yingnan.

As soon as Lu Yingnan returned to his berth, Mo Chuang poked his head out from the middle bunk.

“Old Lu, where did you go? You didn’t reply to my WeChats?”

“I was playing a card game with Yang Huaiyu and the others.”
Lu Yingnan sat down and took off his shoes.

Mo Chuang, however, was completely stunned. He hung half his body off the middle bunk, wanting to clearly see Lu Yingnan’s expression.
“Did I hear you right? You… played a card game?”

“It wasn’t gambling, just a pure game.”
After saying that, Lu Yingnan lay down and closed his eyes, looking like he didn’t plan on speaking again.

“It’s going to rain red! Yang Huaiyu actually has that much charm? Even Liu Suchen couldn’t lead you astray, but Yang Huaiyu managed it?”

“It wasn’t Yang Huaiyu; Xia Chiyi invited me. Also, I haven’t been led astray; our game was a pure battle of wits.”

Since Lu Yingnan spoke so seriously, Mo Chuang had no choice but to pull his head back.

After lying down for a while, Mo Chuang suddenly thought of something.
“The guy who ran into our carriage shouting ‘Peppa Pig magic transform’ was… who?”

But this time, there was no reply from the bottom bunk.
Mo Chuang sighed and went back to sleep.

After a while, Lu Yingnan’s stern face gradually softened.
Probably thinking of how Xia Chiyi looked with his hands on his hips shouting “Peppa Pig,” he turned his face to the side and smiled very softly.

So this is what having a cheerful friend feels like.

---

Zhou Zhexiao went to quickly wash up, then climbed into his middle bunk.
Before he was fully inside, his head bumped against the bedboard of the upper bunk.

“Nngh…” He stopped moving, stuck in a comical pose cosplaying Catwoman, his shoulder still pressed against the upper bedboard.

Xia Chiyi quickly rubbed his head for him. “Maybe you should sleep on the bottom bunk? I have experience climbing into the middle one.”

“I’m already halfway up. I don’t want to come back out.”
Zhou Zhexiao inched forward bit by bit like a sorrowful caterpillar, successfully flopping onto his pillow.

“Then be careful not to bump your head if you get up to use the restroom at night,” Xia Chiyi kindly reminded him.

“I don’t get up at night.”
That was true.

The lights in the train had already been turned out. Zhou Zhexiao lay inside, his slightly curly hair and features shrouded in shadow. The night seemed to temper his handsomeness, making this half-hidden appearance even more seductive.

Ye Chaoying and the others were still playing cards in the next compartment. They had their flashlights on and lowered their voices, saying they would go to sleep after this round.

Xia Chiyi’s heartbeat echoed with the rumbling sound of the train carriage. He walked up to the railing of the middle bunk and leaned half his body against the bed, looking at Zhou Zhexiao.

“Hey, I lost the game. Are you really going to make me wash your socks?” Xia Chiyi lightly poked Zhou Zhexiao’s waist.

Zhou Zhexiao’s muscles tensed briefly before slowly relaxing. He opened his eyes, looked at Xia Chiyi, formed a circle with his thumb and index finger, and gestured by his cheek.

Despite having a completely blank expression, his eyes seemed to hold endless, bottomless desire.

“You… you’re so wicked…”
Xia Chiyi’s face flushed bright red. He had no idea where Zhou Zhexiao learned that.
But thinking about it, in his past life, his teammates definitely made plenty of dirty jokes in the locker room.
Except, Zhou Zhexiao was being completely serious.

“You, using the ice pop, are even worse.”
His clear, cool voice struck Xia Chiyi’s heart. As the train passed a station, lights swept across Zhou Zhexiao’s face, illuminating his eyes, his nose bridge, and his lips frame by frame.

If someone took his blood pressure right now, Xia Chiyi suspected the meter would explode.

The sound of cards being gathered came from the next compartment. Xia Chiyi immediately leaned in, grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s collar, and kissed him.
As their warm lips met, he sucked on his lip as fast and as hard as he could. The tip of Zhou Zhexiao’s tongue had just touched him, and he closed his eyes, reaching around to cup the back of Xia Chiyi’s head. But Xia Chiyi had already pulled away, sitting back down on his bottom bunk with the speed of a rocket.

With a thud, Zhou Zhexiao felt the bedboard vibrate upwards—Xia Chiyi had hit his head.

Then came Ye Chaoying’s voice.
“No need, Xia Chiyi. Are you greeting me with your head? Did you miss me that much?”

“Miss you, my foot! I’m tired, I’m going to sleep!”
Saying that, Xia Chiyi lay down, pulled the blanket over himself, and gave Ye Chaoying nothing but the back of his head.

He seemed quiet on the outside, but inside, he was clawing at the walls a thousand times over.
Why did Zhou Zhexiao have to make that gesture? Why did he have to say ‘You, using the ice pop, are even worse’?
Great, now he couldn’t sleep at all. Xia Chiyi’s head was entirely full of Zhou Zhexiao.

Ye Chaoying’s berth was on the middle bunk. He took out his toiletry bag, turned around, and discovered Zhou Zhexiao lying in bed with his eyes wide open. His gaze was so gloomy it looked like he wanted to murder the entire carriage, scaring Ye Chaoying into sharply inhaling.

“What… what time is it? You’re actually not asleep?” Ye Chaoying picked up his phone to check the time.
It was 11:15 PM. According to Zhou Zhexiao’s biological clock, shouldn’t he be fast asleep by now?

Zhou Zhexiao gave Ye Chaoying a sidelong glance, turned on his side, and assumed the exact same posture as Xia Chiyi—resting his head on one arm, ignoring everyone.

---

All the teammates returned to their bunks. Even though they loved to play, they knew they needed to rest well so they could energetically study Qinghua University and Yan Capital University the next day.

In less than fifteen minutes, the sounds of breathing rose and fell around them.

What Xia Chiyi hadn’t expected was that, while Du He on the opposite bottom bunk was very quiet, Fu Chenxue on the opposite top bunk actually snored, and it was loud!
The entire carriage seemed to vibrate faintly with his snores.

This completely stripped away any sleepiness Xia Chiyi had left.
If it weren’t for Zhou Zhexiao’s teasing, these snores wouldn’t have been enough to disturb his sleep.
But right now, Fu Chenxue’s snores felt like demonic noise echoing around him. Xia Chiyi rolled over and raised his hand to touch the bedboard above him, as if he could feel Zhou Zhexiao’s body heat through it.

Right at that moment, Zhou Zhexiao’s arm hung down from the edge of the bed.
Backlit by the faint light, Xia Chiyi could only see the slender silhouette of his wrist and fingers.
Is the bed too narrow so he can’t stretch out?

Xia Chiyi sat up and gently held onto his fingers.
The moment he touched them, he was firmly grabbed in return.

His heart tightened. Xia Chiyi looked across and found that everyone was still fast asleep, which allowed him to relax slightly.
But Zhou Zhexiao forcefully pulled him upward.

Oh god, what time is it? Is Zhou Zhexiao really not asleep either?
Is it because of Fu Chenxue’s snoring, or because of… that bet?

Xia Chiyi climbed out from the bottom bunk. Sure enough, Zhou Zhexiao was lying on his stomach in the middle bunk. The cramped space gave his face a highly depressed look, and his gaze was somewhat resentful.

Xia Chiyi leaned close. Zhou Zhexiao stretched out his arm, pulled him in, and this time accurately locked onto the back of his head.

It was a long, lingering kiss. Xia Chiyi gripped the middle bunk’s railing tightly with one hand, his other hand having nowhere to rest—first gripping the edge of the bed, then bracing against the train window.
His blood felt as if it was surging toward Zhou Zhexiao through this kiss.

Time and space flowed forward alongside the train as they kissed each other.
Their hidden affection was recklessly unleashed, secretive yet blatantly audacious.

Xia Chiyi thought, many, many years from now, they would definitely look back fondly on this kiss.
Cautious, yet wildly unrestrained.

From the upper bunk right above Zhou Zhexiao’s head came the sound of someone rolling over. Xia Chiyi abruptly pulled back, his breath caught in his throat.
Then he froze. It was the first time he had ever seen Zhou Zhexiao with such an intoxicated, out-of-control expression.

As if he hadn’t had enough, Zhou Zhexiao turned his face and rapidly closed in on Xia Chiyi, but failed to capture his lips again.
He slowly opened his eyes and saw Xia Chiyi trying hard to look composed.

There were no other sounds in the carriage.
Zhou Zhexiao extended his arm, his fingertips lightly brushing against Xia Chiyi’s eyes, then tapping against his lips.

His tongue was completely numb. For a moment, Xia Chiyi didn’t know what to do and just stood there blankly.
Zhou Zhexiao’s lips parted and closed, mouthing the words, “Closer.”

Xia Chiyi leaned in. Zhou Zhexiao hugged him tightly with one arm, buried his nose into the crook of Xia Chiyi’s neck, nuzzled him, and took a deep breath of his scent.

“Today, did Ningchang’s ‘Bro-Collector’ successfully tame Lu Yingnan?”

Xia Chiyi chuckled and patted the back of his neck. “Because after you played 1-on-1 with him, I felt he wasn’t that scary anymore.”

Zhou Zhexiao said softly, “Don’t be careless. He is still very terrifying. If he were in a powerhouse NCAA team, his level would be enough to be a starter.”

“Mm.”
After hugging for a while longer, Zhou Zhexiao truly became sleepy. He finally let go of Xia Chiyi and listlessly lay back down on his pillow.

Xia Chiyi checked his phone, only to realize Liu Suchen had sent him a WeChat an hour ago: [Are you taking the same train as Yang Huaiyu? Tell that piece of shit, if he has the guts, don’t show his face in front of me! Otherwise I’m definitely turning him into hotpot!]

Xia Chiyi wanted to reply with an emoji, but afraid of waking Liu Suchen up, he put his phone down and went to sleep.

---

The next morning, He Bin shook them awake one by one, telling them to hurry and wash up.

Zhou Zhexiao slowly sat up. Before his back was fully straight, his skull had an intimate encounter with the upper bunk again.

“Oh dear lord. Zhou Zhexiao is our offensive ace, don’t bash your brains into stupidity!” Ye Chaoying gloated while climbing out.

Zhou Zhexiao looked utterly dazed, rubbing his eyes as if still trying to recognize where he was.
He had slightly naturally curly hair to begin with. Slowly climbing out sporting a completely deranged bird’s nest hairstyle, he drew extra stares from everyone—whether they were lining up to wash or just walking by.

Xia Chiyi stood in front holding both of their collapsible travel cups and toothbrushes. Zhou Zhexiao rested his chin on top of Xia Chiyi’s head, continuing to catch up on sleep like a human pendant.

The minty taste of toothpaste woke Zhou Zhexiao up quite a bit.

By the time he returned to the compartment, Fu Chenxue looked like he wanted to stare at him but didn’t dare, Du He looked like he had something to say but swallowed it, and Ye Chaoying just straight up picked up his phone and snapped several pictures.

Finally, Xia Chiyi couldn’t take it anymore. He sat on the aisle seat, spread his legs, and waved Zhou Zhexiao over.

Seeing this setup, Zhou Zhexiao froze, his throat bobbing.

“Do you really want to arrive in the capital with that bird’s nest on your head? Or are you hoping a little bird will make a home up there?”

“Oh.” Zhou Zhexiao responded listlessly, the depths of his eyes filled with absolute disappointment.
Although Xia Chiyi had no idea why he suddenly acted like that.

Ye Chaoying suddenly dropped a very cheeky comment: “Zhou Zhexiao, your expression looks like you thought you received an early morning cuddle invitation from your wife, only to realize it was purely unrequited love! You must be dying of heartbreak!”

Xia Chiyi paused for a second. By this time, Zhou Zhexiao was already standing in front of him, obediently lowering his head like a large dog waiting to be pet.

“It’s not true, is it?” Xia Chiyi asked softly.

“It’s true. Heartbroken,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Xia Chiyi sighed, took out a small folding plastic travel comb, and brushed Zhou Zhexiao’s hair smooth.

“Zhou Zhexiao, next time do you want to try a buzz cut? It suits your aura better,” Shuai Bei mentioned casually as he walked by with his toiletry bag.

Zhou Zhexiao shook his head. “No.”

“Why not? I think you should give it a try. It would be absolutely peak alpha—full aura, overflowing testosterone,” Ye Chaoying asked curiously.

“Doesn’t feel good to touch.” Zhou Zhexiao glanced at Xia Chiyi.
Because Xia Chiyi liked to lie on his back and rub his chin against the back of his head. If he got a buzz cut, it would definitely prickle him.

Xia Chiyi felt a billion tiny specks of sweetness bloom in his heart.

---

This time, the Northeast Division matches were hosted at the Capital Youth Sports Center. Ningchang University, Qincheng University, and Southwest Aviation had all coincidentally booked the same hotel. It was very close to the venue, but there were barely any amenities nearby. Even ordering takeout took an hour and a half to arrive.

Coach Ling rented a bus, big enough to transport the players from all three universities to the hotel together.
This earned him constant thanks from the coaches of the other two schools.

As they walked out of the high-speed rail station, Du He was practically in tears.
“My legs can finally walk freely!”

Chen Chuan added, “To us, those train sleeper bunks are literally like matchboxes. I felt like I would fall out just by turning over!”

Zhou Zhexiao, who rarely participated in team chatter, nodded very vigorously at this.
Because his head had slammed into the upper bedboard countless times.

Just after sitting down on the bus, Xia Chiyi remembered something. He patted Yang Huaiyu in the seat ahead of him and articulated clearly, “Bro.”

“You actually took the initiative to call me ‘Bro’. I feel like you’re up to no good,” Yang Huaiyu said with a smile.

“Liu Suchen said, if you have the guts to show up in front of him, he’ll turn you into hotpot. Oh, and one more thing—you’re a piece of shit.”

Unfazed, Yang Huaiyu turned his head back around. “It’s fine. It’s not the first or second time he’s wanted to boil me.”

Sitting next to him, Ke Yan turned around and said, “Sending a big bouquet of flowers will solve it. It’s just bad luck for his wallet, don’t worry.”

Suddenly remembering Zhou Zhexiao giving him flowers, Xia Chiyi couldn’t resist asking, “What kind of flowers does Yang Huaiyu usually send?”

Yang Huaiyu thought about it very seriously for a moment. “If it was for you, I’d willingly send roses. For Liu Suchen… chrysanthemums.”

Hearing the word “roses,” the half-asleep Zhou Zhexiao suddenly lifted his eyelids.

Xia Chiyi ruffled Yang Huaiyu’s hair. “I wouldn’t take a single rose from you. But I’m really looking forward to you sending chrysanthemums to Liu Suchen. You probably won’t be dropped into a hotpot, but a deep fryer.”

Their bus had to pass through a commercial district. As they drove past a mall called Haina Baichuan, Ye Chaoying let out a gasp.

“Look—look—is that Liu Suchen?”

Liu Suchen? Shouldn’t he already be at the Youth Gymnasium right now?

Xia Chiyi looked out the window. Playing on the massive LED screen of the Baichuan Mall was actually a highlight reel of Liu Suchen playing basketball!

An intensely fast dribble crossover, charging into the paint ahead of everyone else, pulling up for a fadeaway jumper over three defenders…
The cinematography of the edit was incredible. In 4K resolution, it fully showcased the speed and power of basketball, every frame brimming with explosive energy.

“I thought it was a sports brand commercial… Broadcasting a video here must cost a fortune per minute, right?” Ke Yan felt his eyes had been opened. He hadn’t realized Liu Suchen’s fans loved him this much.

“If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was already in the CBA.” Yang Huaiyu rested his head on his hand and muttered to himself, “I feel so sour right now, as if I’m jealous of him.”

“Jealous that he’s great at basketball? Jealous of Qinghua’s National Championship? Jealous he has more fans than you?” Xia Chiyi asked with a smile.

“Can I just be jealous that he’s more handsome than me?”

Traffic in the capital was as congested as always. The bus drove for a long time, and everyone’s stomachs were growling.

By the time they reached the hotel, everyone dropped their bags. Completely disregarding calories, they charged straight into the fast-food restaurant across the street.

Du He could eat five burgers by himself. Shuai Bei ordered a family bucket—but not for the team to share, it was just for him.

Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao sat by the window. Stacked on their trays were several burgers and spicy chicken wings, and they slurped their colas loudly.

“How come no one from Southwest Air has come in?” Ye Chaoying asked curiously.

“They’ve always been under semi-militarized management and are extremely strict about discipline. Burgers, fries, and large colas aren’t on the menus provided by their nutritionist, so they have to endure,” Ke Yan explained.

“Playing basketball is already hard enough. Why do they have to make it feel like ascetic monk training?” Ye Chaoying took a deep breath. “Good thing I’m not at Southwest Air…”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi almost spat out his burger. “Southwest Air’s admission scores are incredibly high! You wouldn’t be able to get in even if you wanted to!”

Turning his head back to the window, Xia Chiyi noticed Zhuo Zheng standing outside the glass with his hands in his pockets. Who knows how long he had been watching them.

Xia Chiyi picked up a burger and made a gesture of offering it to Zhuo Zheng. The other boy put on an arrogant expression of ‘I will not eat handouts’ and turned his head away.

By the time Xia Chiyi had eaten more than half the burger, he looked up and saw Zhuo Zheng was actually still staring at him.

Xia Chiyi grabbed a chicken wing from his tray and offered it to him through the window.

Zhuo Zheng huffed and turned away again.

Xia Chiyi burst out laughing.

“What are you laughing at?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Just laughing at how he looks like he really wants to eat but doesn’t dare to come.” Xia Chiyi leaned in and whispered, “He looks exactly like a big dog craving a meaty bone.”

Zhou Zhexiao also grabbed a chicken wing and waved it at Zhuo Zheng.

What the hell… are these two guys trying to be as annoying as humanly possible?
Zhuo Zheng turned around and walked away from their window, his face turning green with anger.

The Southwest Air group searched the surrounding area, but at this hour, no other restaurants were open. The only option was KFC.

Coach Gu patted Lu Yingnan’s shoulder and smiled. “We’re already out here, there’s no need to be so strict. Let’s just treat today as a cheat day.”

“Mm.” Lu Yingnan nodded.

The players’ eyes sparkled with excitement. Burgers, fries, large colas—this was their youth!
Especially Zhuo Zheng. He hadn’t eaten the ‘three-piece calorie combo’ in forever!
Being shown off to by Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao earlier had truly pissed him off!

As the Southwest Air players pushed the door open and walked in, the fast-food restaurant was almost completely overrun by this massive group of student athletes.

Everyone found seats first, sitting down to order on their phones.

Lu Yingnan stood in the open space for a moment, ultimately walking over to Xia Chiyi.

“Excuse me.”

He was so polite that Xia Chiyi wasn’t used to it.
“Not at all… welcome.”
Xia Chiyi moved his tray aside to make room for Lu Yingnan.

Lu Yingnan scanned the QR code, sat down, and stared at it for a long time, seemingly unable to decide what to eat.

Xia Chiyi looked at his side profile. His serious expression made it seem like he wasn’t ordering food, but reading a thesis assigned by a professor.

“You better order quickly. The match starts at 2:30,” Xia Chiyi kindly reminded him.

Lu Yingnan handed his phone to Xia Chiyi. “I don’t know what’s good to eat either.”

“Hm? Do you want me to order for you?” Xia Chiyi asked.

Lu Yingnan replied, “I don’t know what’s good to eat either.”

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[Author’s Note]
Liu Suchen: I’m so pissed! I’m preparing for battle, and these dog couples are out here eating burgers!