HGTM CH49
Chapter 49: Kneepads Aren’t Stockings!
“See that? This person calling you ‘baby’ is Zhang Xiulin’s ex-girlfriend from the football team.” Ye Zhaoying paused, then continued, “I’ve never seen a man so unable to let go. His ex has a new crush, and he’s still stewing in jealousy.”
For a moment, Xia Chiyi didn’t know how to respond.
“But why do I even have a fan group?” Xia Chiyi was full of questions. To him, the concept of “fans” felt far away, something that only existed on entertainment trending topics.
“It’s normal. Division I is the most-watched sports event in universities. People like Liu Suchen from Qing University, Yang Huaiyu whom we just played, even Ke Yan—these famous players who have made a name for themselves in national competitions all have fan groups. Not to mention… you’re just that handsome.”
Xia Chiyi scratched the back of his head. Beside him, Zhou Zhexiao was sucking up pearls, making loud slurping sounds.
“Why that reaction? Shouldn’t you be a little happy?”
“How many fans does Yang Huaiyu have?”
“How should I know? I’m not a fan of his.”
“If my fan count exceeds Yang Huaiyu’s, does that guarantee we beat Qincheng University when we meet?”
“Well, definitely not,” Ye Zhaoying replied.
“There you go. Obsessing over fan counts is meaningless.” Xia Chiyi gave Zhou Zhexiao a tug. “Let’s go, finish your drink back at the dorm!”
Looking at Xia Chiyi’s retreating back, Ye Zhaoying couldn’t help but marvel at how this guy remained indifferent to fame or shame. His mindset was incredibly stable.
However, looking at this fan group, it was really just a group founded by basketball enthusiasts on campus. Out of ninety people, only about twenty were girls. Most of the discussions were about Xia Chiyi’s technique; anyone who only discussed his looks would actually be looked down upon. The atmosphere was quite good, and they were even discussing whether to buy tickets to travel to other cities to cheer for the team during the regional qualifiers.
Walking back to the dorm, Xia Chiyi couldn’t help but ask, “It’s one thing for Ye Zhaoying to run over, but why did you come too?”
“I suddenly realized that the title ‘Class Monitor’ might be an irresistible temptation for you.”
“Huh?”
“Like Xiao Yu, your high school monitor, and now your college monitor,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.
Xia Chiyi laughed. “No, no, no, you’ve got it wrong. I just always respect people who serve the community; the monitor has always been that kind of role. Also, what the hell do you mean by ‘irresistible temptation’?”
“It means ‘your type’.”
“…”
Xia Chiyi scratched his ear. Why did that sound so… salty?
During team practice that afternoon, Xia Chiyi showed the rehearsal schedule the monitor had sent to Ling Huanzhen. Ling rubbed his chin in thought.
“I really can’t guarantee you’ll make the rehearsals. Coach Guan mentioned that if the practice matches between our two teams go well, he’ll introduce us to other familiar powerhouses, like Shenghai Jiaotong or Shenghai Polytechnic. Those are heavy hitters in the Southeast region. If we have matches, you three can’t exactly skip them, right?”
“Really?” Xia Chiyi hadn’t expected Coach Guan to have such a broad network.
“Really.” Ling Huanzhen patted his shoulder. “Who told you to perform so well in the practice match?”
Once the team gathered, Ling didn’t start drills immediately. Instead, he had Cheng Qing turn on the projector to play the video of Xia Chiyi being double-teamed by He Zhan and Meng Ting at the community court on Saturday night.
At first, the team cheered for Xia Chiyi’s brilliant plays, but gradually, they fell silent. The forwards, especially Du He and Chen Chuan—the team’s height pillars—grew increasingly quiet. Even the usually arrogant Shuai Bei knit his brows.
Ling Huanzhen gave a faint smile. “This is perhaps our most direct gain from the trip to Qincheng. Meng Ting and He Zhan are Qincheng’s Center and Power Forward. In terms of strength and explosiveness, our Du He and Shuai Bei aren’t inferior. However, if there’s an opponent in the enemy camp like Xia Chiyi who excels at dribbling breakthroughs, is there anyone on our team who can execute a double-team at Qincheng’s level?”
The video continued, showing He Zhan scoring two consecutive long-range shots. Shuai Bei’s expression became even grimmer. Du He tugged at the hem of his shirt; even though the coach didn’t say it explicitly, a sense of unease welled up in his heart.
Ling Huanzhen nodded, satisfied with their reactions. “It seems everyone realizes the problem. Our technique is a bit rough, but luckily we still have over four months until the qualifiers. We have room to improve.”
That afternoon, Xia Chiyi and Ye Zhaoying became the focus of the team’s double-team practice. After being sandwiched by Du He and Shuai Bei, Xia Chiyi was then trapped by Chen Chuan and He Bin. He found that breaking through his teammates was much easier than breaking through the He Zhan/Meng Ting combo, though the physical exertion was no less than the ’21-point’ shooting drill.
Ye Zhaoying was the first to collapse, sitting on the sidelines drinking with Chen Chuan and Fu Chenxue.
“How does Xia Chiyi not get tired?” Fu Chenxue marveled.
Because he was struggling so much under the double-team, Ye Zhaoying hadn’t had time to notice others. But as he watched Xia Chiyi perform a feint followed by a step-back jumper—his posture elegant and effortless—Ye Zhaoying frowned. “This little monster.”
“Do you think if we used Xia Chiyi’s training methods, we’d all improve?” Fu Chenxue asked longingly.
Ye Zhaoying shook his head. “We can’t.”
“How… how do you know?”
“Because I tried it.” Ye Zhaoying’s eyes lowered.
This past weekend, Ye Zhaoying had talked about Xia Chiyi with Gao Jinshu, expressing envy that Xia could receive guidance from Jiao Yingfeng. Gao Jinshu grinned. “I know that training content. Want to try? If you can stick with it, I’ll see it through with you.”
“Isn’t that… Jiao Yingfeng’s exclusive secret?”
Gao Jinshu poked Ye Zhaoying’s forehead with a pudgy finger. “You’re still inexperienced. That training system is public; some NBA stars and youth league players use it. But… if you can’t meet a very high standard, you’re better off not using it at all.”
Ye Zhaoying got excited instantly. “Fine, let’s try it!”
The principle of the training was to exhaust the person first, then complete the 21-point shooting drill in a state of fatigue. By the time Ye Zhaoying finished the endurance, equipment work, and core/lower-body specific training according to Xia Chiyi’s plan, he felt like he was about to ascend to heaven.
Gao Jinshu hauled him up and told him the 21-point drill was officially starting.
“What… we’re only just starting?” Ye Zhaoying thought he had misheard.
Gao Jinshu transformed into a cold execution machine. “Your Xia Chiyi does at least 60 sets of this 21-point drill every day.”
“Monster… that guy is an absolute monster…”
Ye Zhaoying had never cried from training before, but this time, tears were actually welling in his eyes. He thought he just had to shoot from the three-point line, but Gao Jinshu told him he had to complete a half-court sprint before every score. Ye Zhaoying blew up when he heard the rule, saying it was “impossible.”
Gao Jinshu said, “Try it, and you’ll find out where your limit is.”
Thinking of Xia Chiyi’s rapid improvement, it felt like a massive temptation. Ye Zhaoying fought for his life, taking 127 seconds to complete one set of 21-point shooting. He nearly stayed on the floor, unable to get up. That jerk Gao Jinshu squatted beside him, tapping his face with a thermos.
“Disciple, are you dead already?”
“Just consider me dead…” Ye Zhaoying stared blankly at the ceiling.
No wonder Xia Chiyi looked like a dead dog when he first started this training. No wonder he would rush to the toilet to vomit when he smelled Pang Shuai’s takeout—he was truly overextended. At the time, Ye Zhaoying had gloated and joked about him being “pregnant,” but now that joke didn’t seem funny at all.
“Just tell me… how far am I behind Xia Chiyi?”
“Current Xia Chiyi does 1.5 times the equipment volume you just did. And in the past week, his average time for the 21-point drill is 69 seconds. His fastest was 65.”
“And I’m at 127…” Ye Zhaoying covered his eyes with the back of his hand. He cried, but he didn’t want Gao Jinshu to see.
Gao Jinshu sat silently beside him, unhurriedly sipping hot tea from his thermos. Ye Zhaoying never intended to be a professional; he just loved basketball. Most people can’t turn a hobby into a lifelong career, and he knew he likely wouldn’t either. But… why did this feeling of being left further and further behind hurt so much?
“Old Gao… I’m jealous of him. I really am… I wish I could dig out his willpower and talent and install them into myself… He’s my friend, why am I so pathetic…”
Gao Jinshu almost let out a laugh like a honking goose. He sounded so amused that Ye Zhaoying kicked him in anger!
“I need to see a therapist… I don’t want to be a dark person who envies his friend…” Ye Zhaoying kicked his legs in frustration.
Gao Jinshu patted his knee. “Alright, alright! Little ancestor! It’s not a big deal… if you need a therapist for this, I should be locked in an asylum. Think about my era, the ‘Golden Age’ of Chinese basketball. What did that mean? Talents were everywhere, like hidden dragons. Just for the guard position, how many legends were there? Like Li Xiaoran, the head coach at Qing University—do you remember his nickname?”
“Crossover Superman?”
“Exactly! That guy’s handles—he’d pull you this way and that, totally elastic! During my CBA days, I hated guarding him one-on-one. My knees are bad now probably because of guarding him. I’m jealous of him too; I wish I could dig out his knees and ankles and put them on myself.”
“Hahaha…” Ye Zhaoying laughed twice.
“You know Ji Bo, right? His nickname was… very Marvel…”
Ye Zhaoying was weak. “Can’t you even remember your old rival’s nickname? ‘Eagle Eye of the Court’…”
“Right, right! His off-ball movement was incredible. If you lost track of him for a second, he’d have the ball. And once he had it, he’d score in a blink. I’m jealous of him too, I want to dig out his eyes for myself so I could be the god of off-ball movement!”
Ye Zhaoying smiled. “You don’t need his eyes; you need his brain! You won’t be a god; you’re a lunatic, haha… Who else? Jiao Yingfeng?”
“Of course. The three-point king of Asian basketball, who wouldn’t be jealous? But after his ankle injury and comeback, I didn’t envy him anymore—I truly admired him. And Sheng Xingming… once someone becomes strong to a certain point, jealousy becomes redundant.”
Hearing that name, Ye Zhaoying moved his hand. He saw the nostalgic look in Gao Jinshu’s eyes—he had followed these great figures and felt the glory.
“Xiao Ying, I’m telling you this… because we are all mortals. Even if people compare us to gods at our peak, we all have an Achilles’ heel. Like Li Xiaoran’s height, Ji Bo’s speed, my knees, Jiao Yingfeng’s ankle, and… Sheng Xingming’s fall.”
Ye Zhaoying looked at Gao Jinshu—once a legend in the CBA, now just a chubby uncle holding a thermos.
“I let you experience Xia Chiyi’s training because I wanted you to know you’ll never be Xia Chiyi, just as I could never be the #1 Point Guard in the CBA.”
Ye Zhaoying sat up slowly and looked at Gao Jinshu.
“I am the famous Steals King of Asian basketball. I don’t rely on my face for steals.” Gao Jinshu pointed at himself.
Ye Zhaoying laughed. “I like that! Old Gao, this is good! I’m also a Steals King!”
“Start with the Southeast region first.” Gao Jinshu took a sip of water.
“Do you have special training for me then?”
“Shouldn’t you call me ‘Master’ first?” Gao Jinshu said proudly.
“Master? I’m not Sun Wukong, and you don’t want me sending you to the Western Heaven, right?” Ye Zhaoying put on a ‘bro’ expression. “I’ll just call you Old Gao!”
Gao Jinshu truly put effort into Ye Zhaoying, designing a whole system for steals. To train his reaction time, he even custom-ordered an electronic wall for hand-eye coordination. He even simulated various dribbling speeds himself to teach Ye Zhaoying how to steal in various situations.
Now, during the team scrimmage, when Ye Zhaoying saw Xia Chiyi again, he found the jealousy was gone. All that remained was: “Can I steal from him?”
Xia Chiyi performed a between-the-legs pull-back, then suddenly accelerated, breaking through He Bin and Chen Chuan’s double-team to score.
“Man—Xia Chiyi! Is there anyone besides Zhou Zhexiao who can lock him down?”
“It’s impossible to sandwich him, it hurts!”
At this point, Ye Zhaoying stood up and poked Fu Chenxue’s head. “Fu Chenxue, let’s double-team Xia Chiyi.”
Fu Chenxue looked like he was attending a funeral. “I can’t… I don’t want to be abused…”
“With me here, we won’t be.” Ye Zhaoying looked at him. “Believe me… every lock has its key.”
When they stood before Xia Chiyi, Xia smiled. “You two?”
Chen Chuan panted, “Ye Zhaoying… be careful… this guy is legit…”
He Bin sighed, “Our ‘dumpling wrappers’ (defense) are too thin to hold him.”
Ye Zhaoying picked up the ball and spun it on his finger, flashing a confident smile. “A double-team? If we can’t hold him, we’ll squeeze the life out of him when he breaks through.”
The team cheered, egging Ye Zhaoying on to extinguish Xia Chiyi’s arrogance. Xia Chiyi caught the ball thrown by Ye Zhaoying and looked into his eyes. “You’re talking sweet today, ‘squeezing the life out of me’ right off the bat.”
“You’ve gotten inflated since Qincheng. I’ll wake you up today.”
As they traded words, Fu Chenxue, guarding from behind, felt massive pressure. Xia Chiyi adjusted his breathing and heart rate to the optimal state, suddenly performed a shoulder feint, then accelerated his dribble to loop around. Fu Chenxue almost tripped, but Ye Zhaoying was still guarding the drive lane.
The observers marveled—such tight defensive tracking. Xia Chiyi was still accelerating, but a second before he was about to brake, Ye Zhaoying moved like a knife through butter. By the time everyone reacted, Ye Zhaoying had already taken the ball.
“Wait?” Xia Chiyi froze. Ye Zhaoying stole it while his dribble was at its fastest?
Ye Zhaoying smiled, spinning the ball on his finger, and said something others didn’t understand: “You are you, and I am me.“
Old Gao was right. It’s not about becoming someone else; it’s about knowing who you are.
Fu Chenxue rubbed his nose. “That sounds like drawing a line… Xia Chiyi, do you owe him money?”
But Xia Chiyi understood the moment the words were spoken. “Right. You are our only Steals King.”
Ye Zhaoying paused. Just when he had almost forgotten who he was, someone had been remembering for him. He walked over and gave Xia Chiyi a powerful high-five.
Training ended that night with everyone exhausted on the floor. Ling Huanzhen kicked them up one by one. “Alright, boys. Get up. Stretch, shower, don’t play dead here!”
“Coach Ling… don’t be so heartless…” Du He grabbed Ling’s ankle.
“Heartless? Come, I’ll stretch you out myself, and I’ll even provide a scrubbing service in the shower!”
Immediately, Du He’s scream rang out. “No… no coach… I can do it myself…”
“Damn, Du He, your feet stink—” Ling complained loudly.
Xia Chiyi stayed on the floor, peeking with one eye. Ling hadn’t reached him yet, so he’d linger as long as possible. Suddenly, Zhou Zhexiao appeared beside him, lightly tapping Xia’s toes with his own. “Get up. Stretch.”
“A little longer…” Xia Chiyi rolled over, turning his back to Zhou.
Ling Huanzhen snorted. “Playing the ‘dead pig’ (unfazed by hot water), are we? I’ve been too good to you; you’ve learned to act spoiled. Starting with Xia Chiyi—I’ll count to ten. If he’s not up, pull off his shorts and hang them at the gym entrance!”
“Okay,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.
Now everyone was interested. Chen Chuan egged him on: “Xia Chiyi, be a man! Don’t move!”
Ye Zhaoying: “I’ll notify your fan group to pick up your shorts at the gym door!”
Shuai Bei added: “Are you afraid of the shorts being hung up, or are you afraid of Zhou Zhexiao?”
Xia Chiyi felt stuck. You bastards, I wanted to get up, but if I do now, it looks like I’m chickening out!
“Ten! Nine! Eight!” Ling’s countdown was full of amusement.
Xia Chiyi’s heart rate climbed as Zhou Zhexiao moved from his feet to his waist. No way?
“Three! Two! One!”
Xia Chiyi jumped up in a panic, instinctively turning toward Zhou Zhexiao, fearing he really would pull his shorts. He grabbed Zhou first. But Zhou Zhexiao hadn’t even squatted down. Xia Chiyi had grabbed Zhou’s left leg, specifically catching his kneepad.
The elastic black kneepad was pulled by Xia Chiyi’s grip, sliding down Zhou’s leg, past the shin, and falling to his ankle.
Everyone gasped. Crap, Xia Chiyi pulled off Zhou Zhexiao’s kneepad!
Ye Zhaoying added fuel to the fire: “What’s the difference between this and taking off a stocking?”
Shut up! Are kneepads and stockings the same thing?
Ling Huanzhen froze for a second before laughing. “Xia Chiyi, not bad! That defensive counter-attack was efficient!”
Xia Chiyi was staring right at Zhou Zhexiao’s knee. He hadn’t noticed before, but this guy’s knee looked like… this? The lines of the patella were clear, the contours having a just-right hardness, transitioning smoothly into his leg lines… Is it because it looks good that he hides it with a kneepad?
Xia Chiyi looked up and saw Zhou Zhexiao’s lowered lashes and expressionless face. If he surrendered now, wouldn’t he be admitting defeat? Xia Chiyi flashed a mischievous smile. “Hey, I didn’t pull off your stockings, so it’s fine, right?”
Suddenly, everyone went quiet. Is Xia Chiyi not afraid of death? Ye Zhaoying regretted his big mouth.
Zhou Zhexiao looked down at Xia Chiyi’s smile. Moisture still clung to Xia’s lashes; his bright eyes held a lazy, boyish charm, and the dimple at the corner of his mouth was reckless mischief.
“Put it back on,” Zhou Zhexiao said.
A sigh went up around them. “Truly, only Xia Chiyi can ‘play with the tiger’ like this with Zhou Zhexiao,” Ye Zhaoying patted his chest.
“I thought he was a goner this time,” Shuai Bei looked disappointed.
Xia Chiyi quickly picked up the kneepad from Zhou’s ankle. As he bent his head, his fringe brushed against Zhou’s calf. Zhou moved slightly. Xia Chiyi looked up to see him just putting his hands in his pockets, still looking completely unfazed.
Xia Chiyi opened the straps and pulled it up the leg. Even if Zhou Zhexiao didn’t mind, Xia Chiyi felt like he was putting a stocking on him. It was nerve-wracking. And Zhou’s legs were so long; the “pulling” journey felt like it took forever.
Finally, the kneepad was back in place. Xia Chiyi’s fingers withdrew from the edge, flicking upward slightly. Air rushed into the gap. Zhou Zhexiao shivered almost imperceptibly, making Xia Chiyi nervous.
“You… okay?”
“Buckle the straps,” Zhou Zhexiao said.
“Oh.” Xia Chiyi quickly finished the last step.
With that episode, everyone stretched obediently. When Zhou Zhexiao helped Xia Chiyi with leg presses, they were uncharacteristically silent. Xia Chiyi felt a sense of pressure from Zhou’s quiet eyes, as if being trapped in a corner. He didn’t know if Zhou was mad at Ye Zhaoying’s joke or at him.
After dinner, back at the dorm, Zhou Zhexiao was about to go out. Pang Shuai called out: “Zhou Zhexiao, picking up a package? Can you bring up my takeout?”
“Going for a run,” Zhou Zhexiao said, then left.
Ye Zhaoying, wearing a face mask, said, “He didn’t take you?”
Xia Chiyi hit Ye Zhaoying with his Basic Accounting book. Ye covered his face, fearing the mask would fall. “Ow! My Chiyi-ge, what’s wrong with you?”
“Told you not to joke about stockings! Who wears stockings to play ball!”
“The one who pulled it down was you, not me!”
Pang Shuai sighed, moved his heavy frame downstairs to get his takeout, and brought back a package. “Xia Chiyi, this is for you.” He handed over a photo album.
“For me?” Xia Chiyi opened it to find photos of himself playing basketball—shooting threes, driving to the basket, layups, and even him on the bench watching the game intently.
“Am I really this handsome?” Xia Chiyi was stunned. Every brilliant moment seemed to be in this album.
Ye Zhaoying leaned over the bed frame. “I finally get why you have a fan group. Little Fatty made you look too good! He’s biased, making an album just for you…”
The next second, another album hit Ye Zhaoying’s mask. “You have one too,” Pang Shuai said grumpily. “I made one for everyone on the team as a celebration for the provincial championship. I chose the photos, did the post-processing, and the layout.”
“Did you pay for the printing? Little Fatty, are you an angel?” Ye Zhaoying hugged his album.
“Zhou Zhexiao paid for it,” Pang Shuai said.
Xia Chiyi hadn’t expected Zhou Zhexiao to be so thoughtful. Du He would be thrilled; his parents would probably drive around showing it to all their relatives. And Shuai Bei, who gave up modeling for basketball, would surely be happy too.
Pang Shuai walked to Xia Chiyi and whispered, “Only for your photos, Zhou Zhexiao chose every single one personally. I asked him why he picked so many for you. Guess what he said?”
“What?”
“‘Because every single one is handsome,'” Pang Shuai mimicked Zhou’s tone.
Xia Chiyi’s heart felt a light tap. He felt guilty—why didn’t he follow Zhou Zhexiao when he went for a run?
“The shopaholic has bought a lot of stuff again. Want to go pick them up? If they pile up, they’re heavy to carry,” Pang Shuai said wisely.
“I’m going!” Xia Chiyi grabbed his phone and left.
But Xia Chiyi didn’t go for the packages. He rushed to the school track. There were many couples there, but no sign of Zhou Zhexiao. He called, but Zhou didn’t pick up. Did he run off-campus?
He knew Zhou Zhexiao liked the dawn redwoods in the wetland park. At night, the woods had special lighting. Xia Chiyi ran halfway there when his phone rang. It was Zhou Zhexiao.
“Hey, why did you call?” Zhou asked.
“I’m asking where you are running.”
“Miss MOMO.”
Xia Chiyi rolled his eyes. “So you ran there for milk tea?”
“Mmh.”
“And now?”
“Back in the dorm.”
Xia Chiyi felt all those movie scenes about “fated encounters” were lies. His fists tightened; he wanted to hit someone.
“Pick up my packages on your way back,” Zhou Zhexiao added.
“Just take my life instead!” Xia Chiyi hung up and walked back angrily. I must be possessed to come out looking for him at night!
He walked back slowly. Passing a community court, he heard the thump-thump of a basketball. It was nearly 10:00 PM. Who was playing now? There were even people whistling and jeering.
“Bro, you’re not making it. Just give up!”
“Yeah, you take our spot every night and never improve!”
“Hurry up, we’re going home after one game. You can practice until dawn then!”
But the sound of dribbling didn’t stop. The youths on the sidelines kept heckling to interfere with the shooter, hoping to annoy him into leaving.
“My grandma is more accurate throwing out trash!”
“Are you shooting or practicing rebounding?”
Xia Chiyi looked at the youths; they looked like street ballers, dressed rebelliously. One in a bandana couldn’t take it, threw a ball, and knocked the shooter’s ball into the hoop along with his own. “Bro, want me to teach you?” he sneered.
“No need.”
Hearing the voice, Xia Chiyi froze. Wasn’t that… Shuai Bei?
Team practice just ended—why was he out here? Xia Chiyi realized Shuai Bei wasn’t as arrogant as he seemed; he was incredibly hardworking. Because he didn’t want others to see his missed shots, he left the school gym to practice here after late training, yet he still couldn’t make them.
“Then move. You’re wasting our time,” the bandana guy said coldly.
As the tension rose, Xia Chiyi worried Shuai Bei’s temper would lead to a fight.
“I was here first,” Shuai Bei said.
“Fine. I’ll give you ten shots. If you make three from right where you’re standing, we’ll never bother you again. If not, get out.”
Shuai Bei stared at them. The others jeered: “Afraid?” “Just go home!”
After three seconds, Shuai Bei replied: “Fine. Let’s do it.”
The bandana guy whistled. Shuai Bei stood at the free-throw line. His first shot hit the rim. The youths laughed.
Xia Chiyi squinted, watching Shuai Bei’s form. As a recruited athlete, his basics were solid, but shooting isn’t just about form. It’s about the dip, the power transfer, the elbow angle, and even the sightline for his specific height.