Chapter 006: I’m Hungry

Xia Chiyi was about to drag Zhou Zhexiao towards the subway station, but who knew this guy would stop after just a few steps?

“What’s wrong?” Xia Chiyi turned back and asked.

Zhou Zhexiao raised a hand to cover his abdomen and said in a low voice, “I’m hungry.”

Xia Chiyi paused for two seconds, then suddenly remembered they had played basketball for ten minutes without eating breakfast. It was sheer luck Zhou Zhexiao hadn’t suffered from low blood sugar.

“Alright! Seeing as you performed well today, I’ll reward you with a Ningchang specialty breakfast!”

Zhou Zhexiao followed Xia Chiyi to a food cart. There was a stove on the cart, and on top of the stove sat a large round iron griddle.

“Boss, two Wang Zhong Wang ham sausages, two eggs, packed separately.”

Zhou Zhexiao watched intently as the vendor spread the batter on the griddle.

This serious expression was a little cute.

When Xia Chiyi handed him the paper bag containing the jianbing (savory Chinese crepe), the rich aroma of the sauce made Zhou Zhexiao instinctively lean back.

He frowned, lowering his eyes as if calculating the calories of the jianbing in his brain.

“Besides boiled chicken breast, there are carbohydrates in this world that bring joy,” Xia Chiyi grinned at him.

Zhou Zhexiao took the paper bag. Like a snail extending its feelers, he took a bite with his brows slightly furrowed.

Xia Chiyi walked to the intersection and looked back to ensure Zhou Zhexiao was keeping up, only to find his paper bag was already flattened.

“Not enough,” Zhou Zhexiao said, looking at Xia Chiyi.

Those eyes shone with pure innocence.

Xia Chiyi laughed and put his arm around Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder. “Wait, I’ll definitely feed you until you’re full.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked at Xia Chiyi’s back. This boy was easy to read; he was sharing everything he thought was delicious with him.

This was a unique experience. The last time he ate whatever he wanted, disregarding the nutritionist’s menu, was many years ago with a little boy who loved to smile and act spoiled.

The slightly warm breath and the vibration of Xia Chiyi’s chest transmitted to Zhou Zhexiao. He was like a piece of candy about to melt under the sunlight. With just a light touch, transparent, warm, and resilient strands of sugar wrapped layer by layer around Zhou Zhexiao’s heart.

Even though he stood in the shadows, those crystal-clear strands of sugar would resiliently connect his heart to another bright and warm world.

Xia Chiyi lifted his chin, leading Zhou Zhexiao across the road to a roadside breakfast cart. “Boss, two baskets of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), two servings of mixed noodles, and two bowls of clay pot meat patty soup!”

“Coming right up!”

There were a few folding tables and chairs behind the breakfast cart. Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao were both tall with long legs. Sitting down on the folding chairs, they subconsciously spread their legs. Accidentally, Xia Chiyi brushed against Zhou Zhexiao’s leg, and the other quietly moved away to the side.

“Tsk, classmate, you eat my food, drink my drinks, and even sleep in my bed, yet you have the nerve to disdain me?” Xia Chiyi pouted slightly to show his dissatisfaction.

Zhou Zhexiao remained silent. This was the human world outside of basketball, where every subtle detail was magnified exponentially—including the boy’s short, dense eyelashes across from him, the curve of his pout, and the warmth of his knee when it touched him.

Xia Chiyi grabbed a pair of disposable chopsticks. Just as he broke them apart to pick up a dumpling, Zhou Zhexiao said, “Wait.”

“What’s wrong?”

Zhou Zhexiao reached out, took the chopsticks, rubbed the splinters off both sticks, and handed them back to Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi smiled. “Huh, can’t tell you’re quite experienced.”

“Your thumb got pricked by a splinter when you were little,” Zhou Zhexiao said, then opened another pair of chopsticks and picked up a xiaolongbao.

Xia Chiyi froze, wondering how Zhou Zhexiao knew these things. Like knowing he couldn’t learn to dip the ball ten years ago, knowing his thumb got pricked by a splinter as a child… There seemed to be no other explanation besides his mom. She must have shared every detail about her son with her best friend.

Across from him, Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, steadily picked up a xiaolongbao with his chopsticks, bit a tiny hole, and blew into it.

This scene suddenly overlapped with ten years ago, and a familiar, warm feeling surged toward Xia Chiyi.

In the youth training camp ten years ago, Sheng Xingming not only taught Xia Chiyi how to dip the ball but also the Euro-step layup. The stars’ time was precious, yet Sheng Xingming stayed the whole morning.

Xia Chiyi’s forehead was covered in glistening sweat. Sheng Xingming draped his towel over his head and rubbed it gently with his large hand. To this day, Xia Chiyi still remembered the sun-baked scent from the towel.

Sheng Xingming’s voice fell from above, “Go eat.”

Young Xia Chiyi wasn’t used to Western food at all. He resisted with all his heart, and the other saw it at a glance, asking, “What do you want to eat?”

“I want Chinese food! Xiaolongbao! Egg fried rice! Beef chow mein! And lots and lots more…” After speaking, Xia Chiyi felt he had gotten carried away. Making such demands to an unfamiliar adult would earn him a scolding.

Moreover, according to the rules, children weren’t allowed to leave the training camp.

“Alright, go wash your hands and face, and wait for me.”

“Wait for you?”

“Yes, wait for me.”

Sheng Xingming drove to Chinatown and bought everything Xia Chiyi mentioned.

In the training camp cafeteria, Xia Chiyi’s eyes widened as he looked at the table full of food. For the first time, he felt infinitely favored.

But Sheng Xingming maintained an expression that said it was only natural from beginning to end.

Joy turned to sorrow; when Xia Chiyi broke the chopsticks to pick up a xiaolongbao, his thumb got pricked by a splinter, making him hiss in pain.

He held back from saying anything, but Sheng Xingming still noticed.

The man brought a first-aid kit, used tweezers to accurately pull out the splinter, applied medicine, and left him a band-aid.

Xia Chiyi still remembered Sheng Xingming’s expression then—eyes lowered, gentle and meticulous.

Just like Zhou Zhexiao sitting opposite him right now.

Zhou Zhexiao’s cheeks gradually turned red, a layer of water rising in his eyes. Those deep, clear eyes looked wronged. He was eagerly drinking soup, and then… got burned by the soup again.

“You can’t eat spicy food?” Xia Chiyi then remembered he forgot to tell the boss not to add spice to the mixed noodles.

“Mm.” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Seeing him about to wipe his eyes with his hand, Xia Chiyi quickly grabbed his wrist, pulled a tissue from the table, and pressed it to the corner of his eye. “Don’t touch with your hand; there’s chili oil.”

Through the tissue, Xia Chiyi could feel the ticklish sensation of the other’s eyelashes brushing against his fingertips.

“Wait here for a bit.”

Xia Chiyi got up, ran across the street, and bought pork floss rolls, egg-filled pancakes, and golden sesame balls, placing them in front of Zhou Zhexiao.

“Eat these.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked at the table full of carbs and didn’t move.

“No way? Do you really listen to your nutritionist that much? Indulgence is for better restraint.”

After speaking, Xia Chiyi smiled and picked up the egg-filled pancake. His eyes seemed to store countless happy seasons; just being looked at by him made one a part of his joy.

Carbs should be restrained; athletes should maintain a high-protein diet.

But Zhou Zhexiao inexplicably opened his lips, allowing the other to stuff the egg-filled pancake into his mouth.

When Xia Chiyi sat down, his knee unwittingly pressed against Zhou Zhexiao’s leg again.

This time, Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes and remained motionless.

That small patch of skin where they touched radiated a gentle warmth, innocently signaling goodwill to Zhou Zhexiao. With every restless, slight movement from Xia Chiyi, one’s nerves inexplicably tightened—hoping he would end this intimacy quickly, yet also hoping he would cross the boundary and extend this intimacy infinitely.

“Full. Let’s get the luggage!” Xia Chiyi stood up.

Zhou Zhexiao looked up at him and said, “You haven’t paid yet.”

Xia Chiyi laughed, lifting the vendor’s QR code sign. “This is the era of electronic payment.”

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, as if trying to understand the relationship between that QR code and electronic payment.

By this time, the subway had passed the peak commuting hours. The airport line was very empty, with only a scattering of passengers carrying suitcases.

As soon as they entered the platform, a poster for a certain sports brand’s Sheng Xingming 10th Anniversary Commemorative Sneakers came into view.

This overwhelming subway advertising was burning too much money. The brand had really invested heavily to sell shoes.

Xia Chiyi took a deep breath and looked nervously at Zhou Zhexiao beside him, afraid this guy would be triggered.

After observing for a while, he found Zhou Zhexiao just standing with his hands in his pockets, his face devoid of any extra expression. Thank goodness.

The poster featured Sheng Xingming during the finals.

Due to high-speed dribbling, his hair flew back from his forehead, his gaze sharp and focused ahead. His brow and eyes were deep, features rugged and handsome. His expression revealed a resilience that broke through all blockades, power and speed surging out through the poster.

Forever legend.

“How long are you going to look?” Zhou Zhexiao spoke up.

Xia Chiyi smiled and asked tentatively, “You’re not claiming to be Sheng Xingming anymore?”

“That would get me treated as a mental patient.”

This guy seemed to have really accepted reality.

“Isn’t he handsome to death?” Xia Chiyi nudged Zhou Zhexiao’s arm.

“A scar under his left cheek is gone.”

“Probably photoshopped out.” Xia Chiyi frowned. “Hey, you even know he has a scar under his left cheek; you must be his fan. Will you buy these commemorative sneakers?”

“No, too ugly,” Zhou Zhexiao commented mercilessly.

“Ha! I think they’re super ugly too! He liked solid colors, like red, black, white. What are these gaudy circles on the upper? The Olympic rings?” Xia Chiyi tilted his head, looking very disdainful.

Zhou Zhexiao looked at him. The boy had a perky nose tip, and when he was thinking about something, his upper lip would subconsciously lift.

“How do you know he liked solid colors?”

“Guessed.” Xia Chiyi smiled.

Zhou Zhexiao: Then, you guessed right.

The subway arrived, doors opened, and the two sat down in the empty carriage. Opposite them was actually a dynamic advertisement for Sheng Xingming.

Frame by frame, static images were spread along the subway tunnel. Once the train started moving, they formed a dynamic movie of Sheng Xingming shooting, looking very dashing.

He was known as the strongest combo guard of his time, capable of organizing offenses and feeding teammates, as well as scoring from long range himself.

Xia Chiyi watched intently, as if this was his way of keeping the other company.

Until the fourth stop, when Zhou Zhexiao raised his hand and blocked his view.

“Stop looking; you’ll get visual fatigue.”

Xia Chiyi leaned back and stretched. “If only Sheng Xingming could really be reborn, how great that would be.”

“Not that great,” Zhou Zhexiao said calmly.

Xia Chiyi sat up straight and looked at him. “How so? At least his mom and his younger brother would definitely be very happy!”

Zhou Zhexiao leaned his back against the subway seat and looked at Xia Chiyi.

In that moment, he was suddenly curious—what exactly made the boy in front of him different from everyone else in this world?