Chapter 029: Second Update

“If he can find someone to teach him, he should be snickering in secret!” Ling Huanzhen thought for a moment, then clinked glasses with Jiao Yingfeng again. “And He Bin, I still need you to give him some pointers.”

“A 3&D player is crucial for a team. Since you chose He Bin, I suggest finding a real 3&D player to teach him,” Jiao Yingfeng said calmly.

Ling Huanzhen patted his own cheek. “I’ve almost used up all my favors. I can’t pay them, so why would they work for free?”

“It’s a gathering of old friends. Treat them to barbecue and beer. When they’re half-drunk, kidnap them emotionally with your brotherhood.”

“Damn, do you think this is tricking them into playing mahjong?” Ling Huanzhen looked up and sighed deeply. “For the first time, I realized that being broke is such torture. I really hope that after the preliminary rounds, Principal Feng can increase the budget so we can hire a few professional fitness coaches and trainers for the kids.”

After dinner, Jiao Yingfeng was ready to return to his hotel.

Xia Chiyi couldn’t help but ask, “Master, when will I see you next? You won’t just be my master for three hours, right?”

Jiao Yingfeng stopped at the steps. It was the first time he felt such attachment. Although the other person wasn’t a child anymore, the feeling of being needed and trusted made Jiao Yingfeng feel his value for the first time since leaving the court two years ago.

“Stinky brat, what are you thinking? The next time you see me, you’ll be crying.” Jiao Yingfeng patted Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. “I need to discuss your situation with the trainers, fitness coaches, and other friends I know. The training plan must be scientific and targeted so that your sweat and time won’t be wasted.”

“Thank you, Master!”

“Mm, during this time, just follow Zhou Zhexiao closely. He knows how to balance intensity in physical training and has quite a method.”

With that, Jiao Yingfeng went upstairs.

On the way back to school, Ling Huanzhen couldn’t help describing his training plan to the two in the back seat. “Luckily, our team has few people. For example, Du He, Shuai Bei, and Chen Chuan, who mainly play forward, I can teach them personally.”

“Can you handle teaching them all?” Zhou Zhexiao retorted.

“Then add you…” Ling Huanzhen paused. To rationalize his request, he added, “Techniques from Oak Hill Academy shouldn’t be hidden; share them with your teammates! Xia Chiyi goes to Jiao Jiao. He Bin can also be guided by Jiao Jiao. If we’re lucky enough to get Old Ji to teach him a few lessons, it’ll benefit He Bin for a lifetime. Ye Chaoying goes to Gao Daman! As for the others, I’ll pay out of my own pocket to find a trainer for them. Mm, the plan is perfect—”

“Yeah, as long as you have thick skin and specialize in scamming old teammates, any plan is perfect,” Zhou Zhexiao said coolly.

Xia Chiyi thought to himself that “Old Ji” must be Ji Bo, the famous CBA 3&D player with the second-highest three-point shooting percentage. Rumor had it that Ji Bo came from a wealthy family. After retiring, he devoted himself to basic basketball education, founding many children’s basketball schools to popularize basketball knowledge and ignite passion among kids.

Ji Bo’s children’s basketball school was currently the most famous in the country, with abundant teachers and prices affordable for the working class. It was now the top choice for basic children’s basketball education.

Would such a big boss come to teach university students basketball?

“Excuse me, who is Gao Daman?” Xia Chiyi couldn’t help asking.

He couldn’t figure out who this person was.

Ling Huanzhen laughed out loud. “It’s so obvious, and you can’t guess? The famous leavened steamed bun (fa mian man tou)!”

Zhou Zhexiao spoke up. “It’s the one Ye Chaoying mentioned, who played in the CBA relying on his face, but after retiring, didn’t even care about his face anymore and kept expanding—Gao Jinshu.”

Xia Chiyi almost choked on his own saliva.

He suddenly wasn’t sure if this was good or bad news for Ye Chaoying.

After Ling Huanzhen parked the car back at the school, the three parted ways.

Xia Chiyi walked ahead with light steps, humming an out-of-tune song.

Zhou Zhexiao, hands in pockets, followed unhurriedly, watching the boy’s back.

Xia Chiyi’s shoulder blades seemed ready to sprout a pair of wings at any moment; with just a gust of wind, he would soar into the sky.

“Zhou Zhexiao… today really felt like a dream… Jiao Yingfeng actually accepted me as an apprentice! My master is Jiao Yingfeng… the King of Three-Pointers in Asian men’s basketball, the most awesome shooting guard…”

“Mm,” Zhou Zhexiao responded faintly.

The boy suddenly stopped, raising his hand as if to grab the moon in the night sky. “Zhou Zhexiao, you said I’ll have whatever I want as long as I don’t give up. But… my wish to play basketball with Sheng Xingming will never come true.”

“You already have,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

“How?” Xia Chiyi turned around, looking at him with expectant eyes.

That feeling of blood rushing uncontrollably into his heart returned. Zhou Zhexiao walked over calmly, lifted Xia Chiyi’s right hand, and gently interlaced his fingers.

“The star he gave you has always been there, hasn’t it?”

Xia Chiyi’s eyes became round and bright again, as if countless everlasting candle flames were burning endlessly for someone inside them.

“How do you know this star was given by Sheng Xingming?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Of course I know.”

“When I was little, I attended a basketball camp, and Sheng Xingming was my coach for several days.”

“Mm.” Zhou Zhexiao wasn’t surprised.

“He taught me the catch-and-turn jump shot. At that time, I was impatient, so I couldn’t find a focal point after turning around. I kept shooting in a panic and kept failing. Sheng Xingming noticed my problem and drew a star like this between my fingers, giving me an aiming point I could find immediately after turning around. He said this star represented him watching me. If I shot blindly without finding that aiming point after turning, he would know.”

Xia Chiyi, who had walked ahead, turned back and ran to Zhou Zhexiao, tilting his head back to ask, “Guess where the aiming point Sheng Xingming told me is?”

“The net knot on the rim,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

Xia Chiyi paused and immediately pressed, “Which knot?”

“The net under the rim has a circle of knots. No matter which angle you face the rim from, there will be three knots facing you. Just aim for the middle knot.”

Zhou Zhexiao walked forward at a steady pace, his expression unchanged.

Xia Chiyi quickly followed. “How do you know?”

“Because I aim there too. The knot is the most obvious aiming point the eyes can find.”

“But… many people don’t aim at the knot. I asked Ye Chaoying, and he doesn’t!”

Zhou Zhexiao suddenly turned around. Xia Chiyi didn’t react in time and crashed directly into his chest.

“Hiss…”

Luckily he braked fast; otherwise, his nose tip would likely have hit the other’s chin, which would have been a tragedy.

Xia Chiyi looked up, meeting Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze, and saw a hint of a smile on his lips.

“So we are both accurate.”

At that moment, Xia Chiyi had an illusion… he felt like he had plucked the moon from the sky.

Xia Chiyi felt a throb in his heart. Zhou Zhexiao really shouldn’t smile; smiling was simply foul play.

He immediately averted his gaze, bypassed Zhou Zhexiao, walked forward, and hurriedly said something else to distract himself.

“Ahhh, how should I tell Ye Chaoying about this when we get back!”

Zhou Zhexiao said calmly, “You can choose not to tell him. If you want to go pro, you have to spend more money on trainers, fitness coaches, even nutritionists and athletic trainers. No one succeeds solely on talent and hard work. Ye Chaoying knows this better than you, and his financial situation is better than yours. If I’m not mistaken, he has his own trainer too.”

“But I still want to tell him. Because if I don’t say it now, and he finds out later, he might be very angry.” Xia Chiyi took a deep breath. “Although we were opponents for the past three years, I know what kind of person he is.”

“He’s your friend; you decide how to tell him.”

So back in the dorm, Xia Chiyi called Ye Chaoying to the balcony. Ye Chaoying was a bit nervous.

“Xia Chiyi, you looking so serious makes me worry you’re about to tell me… you want to borrow money.”

Xia Chiyi raised his fist, wanting to punch him, but changed it to pulling his ear over, whispering, “Today, I met Jiao Yingfeng!”

Ye Chaoying showed the expected surprised expression. “Where? Did you ask for his autograph? Did he give you pointers on shooting? Ahhh, too much! Why didn’t you call me!”

“We met at the Ningchang Children’s Basketball Training Class. I didn’t ask for his autograph, but I played basketball with him for nearly three hours.”

“Three hours… my god… how much stamina did that take?”

“To be honest, my legs are weak just standing here leaning on the balcony.” Xia Chiyi took a deep breath. “And then, he accepted me as his apprentice.”

After speaking, Xia Chiyi looked at Ye Chaoying cautiously. Surprise and envy alternated in his eyes, followed by unparalleled joy. He thumped Xia Chiyi’s back hard.

“Did you save the galaxy in your past life, kid?! That’s Jiao Yingfeng! He’s famous for being handsome. How is he now? Bald? Greasy? Didn’t turn into Gao Jinshu, right?”

Xia Chiyi swallowed. Bro, the greasy Gao Jinshu you mentioned might become your master.

“No, he’s still a handsome man.”

“My god, my teammate, my roommate, is actually Jiao Yingfeng’s apprentice. It’s over, it’s over. Why do I feel so low-class now?” Ye Chaoying facepalmed with one hand, looking very distressed.

“Hey, you have to believe Coach Ling has special arrangements for you too. Apparently, he found a handsome guy who used to have cheerleaders shouting for him as soon as he appeared to guide you on how to become a top point guard…”

“For real?” Ye Chaoying asked suspiciously. “The most beautiful men in Chinese basketball—one is Jiao Yingfeng, one… is your white moonlight. Is there anyone else?”

“There is, there is. Coach Ling doesn’t look like someone who would lie.” Xia Chiyi shifted the blame against his conscience.

“Hehe, he won’t lie, but he’s super good at painting rosy pictures.” Ye Chaoying rubbed Xia Chiyi’s head and smiled. “Bro, I’m happy for you. Actually, even if Coach Ling didn’t find an expert to be my master, I’ve always had my own trainer. To be honest, when I was cut by Ma Hongming, I felt a sense of relief. Because I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to be an athlete.”

“Mm.” Xia Chiyi responded softly.

“But when you were cut, I completely exploded. During games, I guarded you until I almost had a heart attack, and once I nearly got dehydrated from running too much! A player like you was also cut by Ma Hongming? Then what am I, trash?”

“Ye Chaoying, no… Ma Hongming is…”

Ye Chaoying waved his hand, indicating he knew. “So I’m very happy for you to be taken in by Jiao Yingfeng. Because I don’t know how long I can walk on this path; maybe I’ll go back to inherit the family business after graduation. But I’m sure you will go to higher and further places.”

With that, Ye Chaoying gave Xia Chiyi a tight hug.

“I’m even happier that you told me this so seriously, because you really treat me as a brother!”

Xia Chiyi suddenly felt extremely lucky. He had open-minded brothers, a strong-willed and highly skilled partner in Zhou Zhexiao, a coach like Ling Huanzhen, and Jiao Yingfeng as his master.

That night, he lay in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep, constantly watching highlights of Jiao Yingfeng’s goals with earphones plugged in, occasionally letting out gasps of amazement and nervous breaths.

A hand suddenly reached over from the opposite side and snatched his phone away.

“Hey… hey…” Xia Chiyi turned over onto his pillow, reaching his arm across to get his phone back, but met Zhou Zhexiao’s cold gaze, as if saying, “Are you done yet?”

“I recall you liked Sheng Xingming. Why are you so obsessed with Jiao Yingfeng now that you won’t even sleep?”

“Aiya, Sheng Xingming is the moon at night, the one and only, irreplaceable white moonlight.”

“Then what about Jiao Yingfeng?” Zhou Zhexiao held onto the phone, showing no intention of returning it.

“Jiao Yingfeng is a star. In the star-studded night sky, Jiao Yingfeng is the one I love most among all the stars I fall in love with at first sight!”

Xia Chiyi aimed for the phone and suddenly reached out to grab it, but Zhou Zhexiao moved it away a step faster, and his other hand reached over to pinch Xia Chiyi’s nose.

“You scumbag, philandering carrot. You’re clearly a sea king (playboy), yet you pretend to be deeply affectionate all day.”

Perhaps it was an illusion, but Xia Chiyi felt Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth.

“Stop pinching, it hurts! It really hurts!” Although Xia Chiyi kept his voice down, his desperate struggle to pry open Zhou Zhexiao’s hand made the bed creak.

Suddenly, Ye Chaoying opposite them sat up, grabbed a textbook from his headboard… the thinnest one, and threw it at Xia Chiyi’s bed.

“If you guys want to roll around together, be quick about it. Don’t shake around and keep people from sleeping!”

Zhou Zhexiao finally let go of Xia Chiyi’s nose, but he put the phone under his quilt.

“Morning training at 5:30 tomorrow. If you can’t get up, explain it properly to ‘the one you love most among all the stars you fall in love with’.” Zhou Zhexiao glanced at Xia Chiyi with a warning look. “Ling Huanzhen wasn’t lying; your master breathes fire.”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi immediately pulled up the quilt to sleep.

Ye Chaoying sighed and said to Zhou Zhexiao, “Wouldn’t it have been simpler if you just confiscated his phone before sleep?”

Xia Chiyi heard this. What do you mean? What do you mean, Ye Chaoying? Are you still my brother?

In fact, playing basketball with Jiao Yingfeng for three consecutive hours had consumed a huge amount of Xia Chiyi’s stamina. When the excitement subsided, exhaustion instantly flooded Xia Chiyi’s brain, and he soon fell asleep on his pillow.

Zhou Zhexiao exhaled. Just as he was about to put Xia Chiyi’s phone on the shelf, his finger touched the screen, and it lit up again.

Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze paused. He discovered Xia Chiyi’s lock screen wallpaper had changed. It was a photo Little Fatty took for them during the last intramural game.

The top half was Zhou Zhexiao placing his index finger on his lips, signaling Xia Chiyi: The scoring contest begins.

The bottom half was Xia Chiyi mimicking Zhou Zhexiao, placing his index finger on his lips, telling the other: I’ve already scored the first goal.

With the same gesture, Zhou Zhexiao’s expression was seventy percent cold and thirty percent arrogant. In contrast, Xia Chiyi exuded a bright, flamboyant delight.

This was intentional on Xia Chiyi’s part, as if telling Zhou Zhexiao: My phone is split half-and-half with you.

Even though they were lying head-to-head, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly missed Xia Chiyi’s cheek a little.

He reached over and poked it gently.

The other was already asleep, breathing evenly and deeply.

And Zhou Zhexiao suddenly realized that what he poked wasn’t the cheek, but the indentation at the corner of the lips.

His fingertips felt like they were electrocuted. When Zhou Zhexiao pulled his wrist back, he hit the shelf. It hurt, but he didn’t make a sound.

He rubbed his index finger with his thumb.

This feeling was marvelous. Even though he had done countless training exercises to calm his heartbeat and control his heart rate, they were completely useless at this moment.

At 5:30 the next morning, Zhou Zhexiao woke up punctually. The phone on the shelf kept vibrating, but its owner showed no reaction.

As Zhou Zhexiao expected, Xia Chiyi couldn’t wake up.

Little Fatty and Ye Chaoying were still sleeping. Zhou Zhexiao lowered his voice, rubbing Xia Chiyi’s head through the shelf. “Get up, Xia Chiyi.”

By the time Zhou Zhexiao finished brushing his teeth and washing his face, Xia Chiyi was still motionless in bed.

Zhou Zhexiao stood with one hand on his hip, holding Xia Chiyi’s phone in the other. He found an ancient video of Jiao Yingfeng trash-talking teammates, put the earphones on Xia Chiyi, and hit play.

Jiao Yingfeng’s roar rang in Xia Chiyi’s ears: “Are you trying to sleep forever, damn it?! Did you go watching the sea at night? You pissed your dad off to death and still won’t repent!”

Xia Chiyi gasped, eyes snapping open, and sat up with a whoosh, sporting a bird’s nest hairstyle, looking at Zhou Zhexiao blankly, as if asking: Who am I? Where am I?

“You have five minutes to wash up. Morning training begins.”

This was Xia Chiyi’s first time doing morning training with Zhou Zhexiao, and the first time experiencing his route.

Before leaving, Zhou Zhexiao put a watch on Xia Chiyi’s wrist. It wasn’t the common Fruit brand watch, but a professional sports watch monitoring breathing, heart rate, and various indicators at all times.

“I’m wearing yours. What about you?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m already very stable.”

The two ran out of the school gate at a steady pace, crossing the Chengjiang Bridge, then reaching the Chengjiang Wetland Park. The park had dedicated fitness tracks, and the air carried a slight moisture and the fragrance of green leaves.

Even though the Wetland Park was only just over a kilometer from the school, if not for Zhou Zhexiao, Xia Chiyi probably wouldn’t have come here for the entire semester.

The lake in the Wetland Park was beautiful. Patches of green lotus leaves swayed gently in the wind, looking exactly like graceful dancers in green dresses.

The lotus flowers hadn’t completely withered yet; some pink and white fist-sized buds were still waiting to bloom.

They ran past the lotus pond at a steady speed, and past the metasequoias growing in the wetland. Their even steps made rhythmic sounds on the wooden boardwalk. Xia Chiyi looked at Zhou Zhexiao directly ahead, wondering if he ever thought about sharing these beautiful scenes with someone during his daily morning runs.

Running past the metasequoia boardwalk, it was about five kilometers.

Xia Chiyi didn’t feel very tired. Zhou Zhexiao, who was leading, dropped back, glanced at the data on the watch, and nodded.

It seemed he had deliberately slowed down to accommodate Xia Chiyi.

Remembering the round trip to Mount Mei, this guy was definitely faster then.

On the return trip, Xia Chiyi felt slightly strenuous. He was sure Zhou Zhexiao, leading the run, had picked up the pace, but not by much.

When they ran back to school and reached the gate, Zhou Zhexiao walked with Xia Chiyi back to the cafeteria, recorded his data, and asked him to send it to Jiao Yingfeng.

Jiao Yingfeng replied: [Keep it up.]

Xia Chiyi could vaguely feel that training with Zhou Zhexiao was very scientific and moderate, giving a sensation of bodily functions gradually unfolding.

There were no classes in the afternoon. Zhou Zhexiao took Xia Chiyi to a nearby gym. According to Jiao Yingfeng’s plan, Xia Chiyi needed to start using equipment.

“Doesn’t the basketball hall have equipment? Why aren’t we training there?” Xia Chiyi asked curiously.

“Didn’t Shuai Bei complain? Said that equipment was substandard. Do you want to be hit by a barbell?” Zhou Zhexiao countered.

“Then where did this gym card come from? Oh, oh, oh, you secretly got it behind my back! You…”

Before Xia Chiyi could finish, his nose was pinched by Zhou Zhexiao again.

“Ling Huanzhen gave it.”

“I think you really have no sense of seniority. Every time you see Coach Ling and my master, you call them by their names?” Xia Chiyi kindly reminded him. “Even if you’re too stubborn to call them ‘Coach,’ at least call them ‘Bro’.”

“When they called me ‘Bro,’ you were still playing with mud,” Zhou Zhexiao replied faintly.

Xia Chiyi: “…”

Handing the card to the receptionist for registration, Zhou Zhexiao said in front of the receptionist, “Your Coach Ling is worried this gym will go bust, so he told you to be diligent and use up the sessions.”

The receptionist’s smile stiffened. She patiently explained, “Our fitness center is a national chain; it won’t go bust. Please don’t worry. And just two days ago, the famous basketball player Ling Huanzhen became our honorary member.”

Xia Chiyi lowered his head and remained silent.

Only then did the receptionist notice the card owner displayed in the system was indeed Ling Huanzhen. “Oh, you are from Ningchang University…”

Xia Chiyi flashed a big smile. “We are Ling Huanzhen’s students!”

“Oh, oh, oh, please come in. Mr. Ling arranged it with us; his card is specifically for the school team students. He gave us a student list. Please find your names and sign.”

“Thank you.”

After entering, Xia Chiyi realized there were indeed few people working out.

“I wonder if there are coaches here.” Xia Chiyi peered around the equipment looking for one.

“I am your coach. Do you have any objections?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded behind him.

The low sound waves transmitted to Xia Chiyi’s eardrums, chilling his back instantly.

Damn, how does this guy move like a ghost!

Turning around, Xia Chiyi’s nose tip almost hit the other person again. He covered himself first and complained, “Bro, don’t always stand behind me silently. See, turning around like this causes accidents easily.”

Zhou Zhexiao extended his hand toward Xia Chiyi. Xia Chiyi tacitly pressed his phone into the other’s palm.

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, one hand on his hip, the other tapping open the training schedule. His serious demeanor had a particularly restrained, disciplined feel—what was the word again?

—Abstinent.

Xia Chiyi gulped, feeling he was done for.

Zhou Zhexiao took Xia Chiyi through the equipment one by one according to Jiao Yingfeng’s schedule.

Xia Chiyi had used them before with one-on-one coaching, but what Zhou Zhexiao taught was the most practical.

For example, when Xia Chiyi was doing incline bench presses, Zhou Zhexiao would watch from the side, constantly telling him the key points of the movement, how to adjust breathing, how to exert force, more patient than Xia Chiyi imagined… even very gentle.

This gentleness and patience made Xia Chiyi feel, as he looked up at Zhou Zhexiao, that he was seeing a gentle guide from his childhood again.

“Still not right. Core area not tightened.”

“I did tighten it.” Xia Chiyi was distressed and a little aggrieved.

“Get up. I’ll show you.” Zhou Zhexiao reached out. Xia Chiyi thought he was going to pinch his nose again and scrunched his face into a bun.

But unexpectedly, the other’s knuckles lightly brushed past his brow, wiping away a drop of sweat that almost ran into his eye.

Blood seemed to rush backward from his limbs into his heart. It was the first time Xia Chiyi felt such palpitations.

He quickly made room. Zhou Zhexiao lay down in front of him, then grabbed Xia Chiyi’s hand and placed it on the side of his waist and abdomen.

The muscle lines and strength transmitted through the thin fabric to Xia Chiyi’s palm. He was almost scalded, but as that impactful warmth penetrated his palm, he felt another kind of flat, restrained, and tightened power.

Zhou Zhexiao did five reps smoothly and evenly. Xia Chiyi carefully experienced the transmission of power.

“Can you do it yourself now?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

Xia Chiyi decided to answer honestly: “Your T-shirt has a color-printed logo here; it’s a bit hard… I felt it, but not that clearly.”

After speaking, Xia Chiyi wanted to bash his own head in.

The world is big, but not as big as your lack of brains, Xia Chiyi!

What do you mean? You want to touch directly?

Zhou Zhexiao looked at the ceiling and sighed as expected.

“I can try myself…”

Before Xia Chiyi could finish, Zhou Zhexiao freed a hand and pulled up a corner of the T-shirt hem on the side closer to Xia Chiyi.

“Come in.”

Holy sh—

Bro, you can’t talk like that. It makes people think dirty thoughts, okay?!

“Hurry up.”

Why does this sound more and more like I need to pay for VIP access!

But Xia Chiyi decisively covered it with his hand. Hesitating for one more second would be disrespectful to top-tier abs.

When Zhou Zhexiao started again, Xia Chiyi could feel incredibly clearly how every muscle tightened and exerted force, and even how the power was transmitted.

Zhou Zhexiao’s core strength was immense, giving him strong confrontation ability in the air and allowing him to easily complete difficult moves like double clutches.

With his purlicue pressed against it, the more Xia Chiyi felt, the more envious he became, followed by admiration. He really hoped he could have such a physique too.

Zhou Zhexiao finished five reps as usual and racked the barbell. “Feel it?”

“Mm.” Xia Chiyi nodded. He was reluctant to withdraw his hand, but since Zhou Zhexiao was about to sit up, he had to let go.

Just… couldn’t resist… giving a little pinch.

Zhou Zhexiao froze slightly. Xia Chiyi looked away guiltily, but unexpectedly, before getting up, the other leaned close to his ear.

“You did that on purpose, right?”

“I wasn’t, I didn’t,” Xia Chiyi said with a straight face. “I was just curious if it was pinchable.”

“Oh? Your ears are red.”

Before Xia Chiyi could touch his ears, Zhou Zhexiao had stood up and vacated the spot.

To avoid being caught by Zhou Zhexiao, Xia Chiyi performed the subsequent training with 120% seriousness. Following the other’s method of force exertion—core tightened, release, exert force, transmit to upper limbs.

Zhou Zhexiao protected Xia Chiyi carefully, calling a stop whenever he felt the force exertion was wrong.

His palm remained on Xia Chiyi’s lower abdomen through the T-shirt, confirming his way of using force.

It was like a restriction. Every time Xia Chiyi’s waist and abdomen exerted force correctly, they would press against Zhou Zhexiao’s palm. That brief warmth seemed like a reward for Xia Chiyi, letting him know he did it right.

When Xia Chiyi finished, he realized a foreign couple opposite them was watching, smiling meaningfully.

Doomed. My touching Zhou Zhexiao’s abs just now must have been seen by them.

The woman winked at Xia Chiyi and mouthed: cute.

“Ah, what man in a gym likes being called cute?” Xia Chiyi muttered softly.

Zhou Zhexiao’s ears must be specially made, as he actually heard it. “Then what do you want me to praise you for?”

“Walking hormone? Exploding with alpha energy? Forget it, you definitely wouldn’t understand.”

Just as Xia Chiyi wanted to turn around, Zhou Zhexiao hooked the back of his collar.

“You are a killer.”

“Huh?” Xia Chiyi was about to ask when “killer” became a compliment.

Zhou Zhexiao released his fingers. The collar fell back, touching the skin of Xia Chiyi’s neck, seeming to still carry Zhou Zhexiao’s aura.

“Whether here or on the court.”

With that, Zhou Zhexiao walked past Xia Chiyi.

Damn, this guy’s voice is so deep; it’s like a movie line. Who is the killer here?!

Xia Chiyi threw an uppercut at Zhou Zhexiao’s back.

Looking back, he found the foreign couple smiling again. The girl mouthed “adorable.”

Worse than cute.

Xia Chiyi put away all expressions and walked coolly past the foreign couple.

Besides general equipment, Jiao Yingfeng’s training schedule included battle rope training, mainly for coordinated force exertion of legs and shoulders.

It also had significant effects on endurance and explosive power.

Xia Chiyi hadn’t done much battle rope training before, but Zhou Zhexiao was an expert.

He rolled his T-shirt sleeves up to his shoulders, revealing enviable arm lines.

Xia Chiyi followed him, panting after less than twenty reps.

He remembered Jiao Yingfeng’s lament on the day he left: With your unstructured training, getting to this step really relied entirely on talent.

When Xia Chiyi completed the training plan, he couldn’t even lift his arms.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t force him, letting him rest against the wall while he completed his own unfinished equipment training for the day.

While Zhou Zhexiao was doing crunches, Xia Chiyi noticed two young girls on treadmills in front looking back at them frequently.

The look of appreciation and admiration was too obvious. Zhou Zhexiao’s looks and figure were top-tier even in the gym.

Finishing his crunches, Zhou Zhexiao walked back to check if Xia Chiyi was still alive, nudging his calf with his toe. “What are you daydreaming about again?”

“Didn’t you notice two girls over there looking at you?” Xia Chiyi thought, Is this guy so insensitive to others’ gazes?

“Then I’ll tell them watching is prohibited.”

Zhou Zhexiao was about to get up when Xia Chiyi gasped and quickly grabbed him.

“Don’t go trouble the girls. They only looked at you twice because you’re good-looking!”

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, looking at Xia Chiyi coldly.

Xia Chiyi felt guilty under his gaze. “I was wrong. I’ll just look at you; won’t look at anyone else!”

It took a while for Xia Chiyi to recover.

His three hours in the gym this time felt like the sum of all his previous sessions. He finally understood how important correct force exertion and breathing were.

When they came out of the shower room, Zhou Zhexiao’s hair was still a bit wet, unlike Xia Chiyi’s textured crop which dried with two sweeps of the dryer.

But Xia Chiyi thought his slightly curly hairstyle looked good. He didn’t want this guy to cut it too short; it made his features more three-dimensional and his aura stronger.

Holding a towel, Xia Chiyi mischievously jumped up from behind, wrapped the towel around Zhou Zhexiao’s entire head, and rubbed messily.

However, the bird’s nest he imagined didn’t appear. Instead, Zhou Zhexiao’s hairstyle looked wet and wild.

Especially when he was glared at by the other, Xia Chiyi’s legs almost went weak.