Chapter 0082: Love Hidden in the Sun

The bangs on Zhou Zhexiao’s forehead were slightly damp, likely from Xia Chiyi’s sweat. This made Xia Chiyi a bit worried that he might be angry, so he quickly grabbed his own towel to wipe Zhou Zhexiao’s forehead.

Zhou Zhexiao caught his wrist and said softly, “It’s fine.”

They were surrounded by all sorts of noisy sounds, but Xia Chiyi could clearly make out what Zhou Zhexiao had said.

Xia Chiyi raised his hand to brush Zhou Zhexiao’s bangs upward. Seeing his smooth forehead and eyes exposed, Xia Chiyi suddenly couldn’t distinguish whether the look in those eyes was deep affection or expectation.

He only knew his heart was beating very fast, because Zhou Zhexiao didn’t mind him touching his hair at all.

“You smell entirely like oranges,” Zhou Zhexiao said softly, looking down at him.

Those words were meant only for him to hear.

Xia Chiyi felt like he was going crazy, because right before they came here, he had been joking with Ye Zhaoying, discussing why Zhou Zhexiao had such a special liking for orange-scented body wash.

Ye Zhaoying had said that when a person falls in love with someone, under the influence of dopamine, they even become infatuated with the smell of the other person’s sweat. The brain automatically transforms the scent of sweat into the smell of oranges, which then produces even more dopamine.

Xia Chiyi, he likes the smell of your orange body wash, perhaps because it makes him want to fall in love.

Ningchang University’s alumni waved their flags and shouted. The class monitor, the student union members, Zhang Xiulin, and his bros were all hugging each other.

Chen Chuan wiped his tears forcefully. “We won three games, so… so we’ve secured our qualification to advance, right?”

“Yes, exactly.” He Bin hugged Chen Chuan and patted his back. “This is a good thing. Don’t cry, whatever you do, don’t cry!”

“From now on, whoever says all our efforts were in vain, I’ll make them walk down the street balancing a bamboo basket on their head!” Shuai Bei stood with his hands on his hips, his head held high. The cheers coming from all directions finally made up for his regrets from last year.

The other members of the team also couldn’t hold back their tears.

The commentator announced, “Ningchang University has won three out of their four group stage matches, meaning they have basically secured their qualification to advance! Let’s congratulate Ningchang University in advance!”

The players from Tanjiang Sports Academy walked quietly back to their bench. Their coach could only offer silent comfort.

“You guys played very well.”

Their players hung their heads. A single Xia Chiyi had slaughtered them until they had nothing left, while Zhou Zhexiao had sat on the bench the entire time. Could that really be called “playing well”?

Before the Ningchang University team had even left the tunnel, they were surrounded by students wanting photos and sports bloggers seeking interviews.

Xia Chiyi was in the restroom, while Zhou Zhexiao stood bored by the door with his hands in his pockets, two sports bags slung over his shoulder—his own on the left, Xia Chiyi’s on the right.

Unexpectedly, he bumped into a middle-aged man wearing glasses and a sports jacket.

The man stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Zhou Zhexiao and asked half-jokingly, “Was it boring not being able to play in today’s match?”

Zhou Zhexiao glanced at him. “No.”

The man lowered his eyes, completely unoffended by Zhou Zhexiao’s coldness. On the contrary, he seemed very accustomed to Zhou Zhexiao’s social style.

“I thought your team’s positioning for Xia Chiyi was as a perimeter scorer, but clearly, he is lethal in the paint as well. His performance today was spectacular; it dropped a lot of jaws.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked at the man and replied, “On the court, whether you are a forward or a guard, there shouldn’t be a strict definition. When the game starts, the opponent, the situation, and the tactics determine what a person does. Whether it’s playing as a swingman or a combo guard, it should be decided by the player himself, not defined by others.”

The man smiled. “The way you talk and your tone of voice reminds me of someone.”

Most people would ask, “Who?”, but Zhou Zhexiao just looked at the man indifferently, wearing an expression of tell me or don’t, I don’t care.

“You’re like Sheng Xingming. He also said that he should be the one to decide his own position.”

“Oh,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded faintly.

“My name is Xu Run, I’m…” The man reached out his hand.

“The assistant coach of the National Youth Team.” Zhou Zhexiao shook his hand.

Xu Run looked flattered. He thought Zhou Zhexiao was going to play the cool card to the very end.

“You… know me?” Xu Run wondered if Ling Huanzhen had mentioned him.

“Your physical attributes are average, but your basketball IQ is very high. Being a coach suits you better than sitting on the bench for a CBA club,” Zhou Zhexiao said, letting go of his hand.

Looking into Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes, the familiar feeling in Xu Run’s heart grew stronger and stronger. “You really are more and more like him… This feeling is truly absurd…”

“It’s not that absurd,” Zhou Zhexiao said. “If you are here for preliminary scouting and assessment, please don’t let him know.”

“Hm? Wouldn’t this be an incentive and encouragement for him?” Xu Run asked curiously.

“It would limit his imagination of his own future,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Xu Run’s heart thumped repeatedly. He had always thought an eighteen or nineteen-year-old player would feel incredibly honored to be noticed by the National Youth Team, but the future Zhou Zhexiao wanted was clearly much bigger and vastly broader.

At that moment, Xia Chiyi walked out. Xu Run nodded to Zhou Zhexiao and left.

“Hm? Who was that guy?”

“Just a coach,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

“Oh.”

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to grab his own bag, Zhou Zhexiao shook his head and said, “It’s fine, I’ve got it.”

As the two walked out, the phone in Xia Chiyi’s pocket continuously vibrated.

He took it out and saw congratulatory messages from his classmates; even his mom and dad had sent WeChat messages.

Xia Chiyi tugged at his bag strap. “Did you know? My mom and dad were watching the livestream on Cool Surf!”

“Mm,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Holding his phone out at arm’s length, Xia Chiyi suddenly leaned close to Zhou Zhexiao. His warmth transferred through the narrow sliver of air between them. Zhou Zhexiao turned his face, sensing the other’s lips right in front of him, as if waiting for something to draw near.

Just as a certain impulse was about to break out of its cocoon, a click sounded. Xia Chiyi laughed, “Got it! What’s with that surprised expression on your face?”

Then, he sent the photo to his mom.

His heart plummeted from a great height. Unable to tell whether it was disappointment or reluctance, Zhou Zhexiao followed silently behind Xia Chiyi, staring at the back of his head… He really kind of wanted to hit him.

But he couldn’t bear to.

As they walked out of the exit, Xia Chiyi was still scrolling through his phone with one hand, replying to WeChat messages at lightning speed. He didn’t even notice the dozen or so fans waiting for him outside the tunnel, having been converted into his fans by today’s game.

While walking down the stairs, Xia Chiyi missed a step and nearly tumbled down. The people around them gasped in shock, but with a sweep of his long arm, Zhou Zhexiao hauled him right back up.

Never mind the bystanders—even Xia Chiyi’s own little heart nearly jumped out of his chest.

He sucked in a breath and stared blankly at Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhou Zhexiao set him down on the final step. “Careful not to let extreme joy turn into sorrow.”

“I haven’t even reached extreme joy yet!”

Right now, Ling Huanzhen’s phone was ringing off the hook. Various clubs, and even his former team, were calling to ask if Xia Chiyi would participate in this year’s draft. He could only give a unified response: The kid is still young. Giving him too much of a halo now will only lead to arrogance and defeat. Let’s talk after the tournament is over.

Even Cool Surf sent staff over personally to discuss with him. They wanted to do a special program featuring Ling Huanzhen talking about how Ningchang University rose from adversity.

Ling Huanzhen politely declined, stating that Ningchang University hadn’t even made it to the top eight of the Southeast Division yet, so they really didn’t have the capital to accept interviews.

Cool Surf settled for the next best thing, asking if they could invite Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi to their chat room after the group stages concluded entirely.

Ling Huanzhen scratched the back of his head. He honestly felt that declining time and time again would leave the other party unable to save face.

But a decline was a decline.

“Well, the two of them aren’t exactly players who excel at chatting. If you really want a chat, let’s wait until all the Southeast Division matches are over. Because before the tournament ends, they can’t speak freely. It would add to their psychological pressure and ruin the program’s effect.”

After hanging up the phone, Ling Huanzhen sent a WeChat message to Jiao Yingfeng: [Jiao Jiao, I feel like not only am I the ultimate chief power forward, but I’m also the ultimate chief coach!]

Jiao Yingfeng: [Looks like you’ve been eating too well at the hotel buffet; it’s swelled your ego to this extent.]

In the Cool Surf livestream room, many viewers were demanding the officials hurry up and release a highlight reel of Xia Chiyi’s scoring from this match.

When the highlight reel dropped, both the people who had watched the livestream and those who hadn’t were immensely satisfied.

Even the video title was: “Xia Chiyi: Shattering Your Definitions of Me.”

Not long after the video was posted, viewers who had been eagerly waiting flooded in.

[Tanjiang Sports Academy tried to pull an extreme one-for-one trade, and Ningchang’s Xia Chiyi directly taught them how to behave as humans!]

[Seeing the elbow of that Tanjiang power forward was giving me breast lumps! The moment Xia Chiyi showed up, my entire body felt refreshed!]

[This match completely refreshed my understanding of Xia Chiyi! Who said he can only score from the perimeter?]

The daily match results digest on the official Weibo also featured Xia Chiyi’s three layups.

The major university teams, which had originally finalized their tactical research on Ningchang University, were now suffering from headaches again.

If Xia Chiyi possessed such sharp interior breakthrough abilities, they couldn’t just treat him as a perimeter scorer anymore.

That night, the players from the Mining University were watching the match between Tanjiang and Ningchang, some on laptops, others on their phones.

Sitting in the front row, Ma Tao clicked his tongue.

The teammate next to him asked, “You look very serious.”

“Of course I’m serious. I previously talked big about crushing Xia Chiyi, but looking at it now, it seems he won’t be that easy to crush.”

“Hahaha, so see? When someone politely calls you ‘Brother Ma’, you should just smile and accept it!”

“Exactly, now look at you. Careful you don’t get stuck without a way to step down!”

Ma Tao’s gaze swept over his group of karma-delivering teammates. “Listen up. If we run into Ningchang University, whoever drags me down, I’ll give them a headbutt! Help them crack their shell and be reborn!”

That night, after taking a shower, Xia Chiyi sat cross-legged on the sofa watching other teams’ matches. Unexpectedly, the room phone rang. It was the hotel lobby.

“Hello, is this Mr. Xia Chiyi?”

“This is Xia Chiyi.”

“It’s like this: someone delivered a bouquet of flowers for you to the lobby. Is it convenient for our staff to bring it up to you?”

Xia Chiyi was stunned. Someone actually sent flowers to him?

That was too unbelievable, right?

Not long after, the flowers were brought up. It was a massive bouquet of golden sunflowers, vibrant and bright.

Xia Chiyi placed it on the table. A card was pinned to it, which read: The you of the past looked up to legends; the you of the present is about to become a legend.

The handwriting was neat and orderly, but there was no signature. It was likely written by a florist.

It felt like an arrow had pierced through an entire universe to strike his heart.

His fingertips touched the petals of the sunflowers. There were nine sunflowers in total. As he counted, Xia Chiyi discovered a blooming rose hidden among them. Perhaps the florist had randomly added it in.

But Xia Chiyi searched for a long time and couldn’t find a second rose.

The bathroom door opened, and Zhou Zhexiao walked in, bringing a cloud of steam with him. He had a towel draped over his head and was drying his hair. Seeing the huge bouquet of sunflowers on the table, he showed absolutely no curiosity. He sat on the edge of the bed, plugged in the hair dryer, and started drying his hair.

Xia Chiyi walked over and poked the top of his head. “Hey, someone sent me flowers! A huge bouquet of sunflowers!”

“I’m not deaf. The hotel staff said they were for you,” Zhou Zhexiao swatted Xia Chiyi’s finger away and continued drying his hair.

But Xia Chiyi leaned in close to Zhou Zhexiao’s ear and said, “Who do you think sent me these flowers?”

“Ask the front desk.” Zhou Zhexiao shifted positions and continued drying his hair.

Xia Chiyi pulled out his phone, pretending to scroll through WeChat, and spoke into the microphone: “Pang Shuai, did you send me flowers?”

Zhou Zhexiao remained expressionless. After his hair was dry, he put the hairdryer away and returned it to the bathroom drawer.

When he came out, Xia Chiyi was holding his phone, sending a voice message to someone else: “Yang Huaiyu, did you send me flowers?”

Zhou Zhexiao sat leaning against the headboard, his brow furrowing as his expression turned foul.

Yang Huaiyu must have replied, because Xia Chiyi put on his Bluetooth earphones, shoved them in his ears, and started chuckling ‘hehehe’.

“It wasn’t him,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

Xia Chiyi acted as if he hadn’t heard, nodding one moment and smiling the next.

It wasn’t until Zhou Zhexiao picked up an unwashed wristband Xia Chiyi had casually tossed on the nightstand and threw it at him. Just as it was about to hit him, Xia Chiyi raised a hand and caught it accurately.

“I know,” Xia Chiyi looked up, grinning mischievously at Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhou Zhexiao stared at Xia Chiyi. Two seconds later, he spoke: “You lied to me.”

“Hahaha.” Xia Chiyi sat where he was, laughing so hard his shoulders shook. “Hey, this is the first time in my life I’ve received flowers! How could you not tell me they were from you!”

“How did you know I sent them?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Because anyone else wouldn’t have said, ‘The you of the present is about to become a legend,'” Xia Chiyi answered, looking into Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes.

“Oh.”

“I really love them.” Xia Chiyi hugged the bouquet of sunflowers and rubbed his cheek against them.

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, the line of his lips curving up very slightly.

“You’ll receive flowers from many people in the future.”

“Really? The kind where they need a truck to haul them away after every match?”

“Mm,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

“But, I’ll probably always love this bouquet the most.”

“Because it’s the first one?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Because there’s a rose hidden inside the sunflowers, just like love hidden in the sun!”

Xia Chiyi didn’t care if the rose was just coincidentally there; he only knew that Zhou Zhexiao had given him a rose.

He also didn’t care if the other understood the implication of “love hidden in the sun.” He was just going to output his feelings anyway.

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his head and picked up that melancholic poetry book again, looking as if he didn’t want to pay any attention to Xia Chiyi.

“Hey, you’re holding the poetry book upside down. Can you read it like that?” Xia Chiyi rested his chin on his hand, looking at Zhou Zhexiao.

“Stop trying to trick me,” Zhou Zhexiao remained unmoved.

Xia Chiyi walked over, sat on the edge of his bed, and bumped his shoulder against him.

“Don’t be stingy, let’s read it together. Which page are you on?”

Zhou Zhexiao turned his face slightly, his gaze remaining on the page. “A rose is tirelessly becoming another rose.”

That was Borges’ “Clouds I”.

But what Xia Chiyi saw was the line: “You are also every you that you have ever lost.”

Zhou Zhexiao thought Xia Chiyi would leave soon; after all, how could a poetry book be more fun than a smartphone?

But instead, Xia Chiyi rested his chin on his shoulder and watched quietly. Only he himself knew that what he was looking at were Zhou Zhexiao’s fingers.

“In every lost Xia Chiyi, there is a Zhou Zhexiao.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulders stiffened ever so slightly. Xia Chiyi’s warm breath brushed against the side of his neck layer by layer, every throb of his pulse seeming to be wrapped in Xia Chiyi’s scent.

Zhou Zhexiao stealthily took a deep breath, slowly drew his knees up, and tented the blanket.

Xia Chiyi’s cheek rubbed against his shoulder as he whispered, “Next page, next page.”

“You can go back and read it on your phone.”

Only after speaking did Zhou Zhexiao realize his voice was hoarse, as if something was grating against his vocal cords.

“I don’t want to,” Xia Chiyi said, imitating Zhou Zhexiao’s tone.

Seeing that Zhou Zhexiao hadn’t flipped the page for a long time, Xia Chiyi reached his hand over, flipped to the next page for him, and tucked the corner of the page under Zhou Zhexiao’s thumb.

As Xia Chiyi withdrew his hand, it swept over his blanket. The heartstrings were pulled taut, much like the final shot in a championship game… It was practically murdering his heart.

“Play by yourself.”

With that, Zhou Zhexiao pressed the hardcover book right against Xia Chiyi’s face.

While Xia Chiyi couldn’t see anything, Zhou Zhexiao had already thrown off the covers and headed into the bathroom.

“Hey, aren’t you going a bit too far? I let you use me as a human support stand, would it kill you to let me lean on you for a bit!”

Zhou Zhexiao pressed his back tightly against the bathroom door. He lowered his head stiffly as a flush of red spread from his neck to his cheeks, not even waiting to travel further.

His breath caught in his throat. One end of his heart felt like it was tied to a thin string, hurting with every inhalation and exhalation, while the other end of the string rested in Xia Chiyi’s hands.

He tugged at that string so innocently and naively—sometimes close, sometimes distant, always hovering on the edge—yet he could always deliver the most fatal strike in the most inadvertent moments.

Xia Chiyi stood in front of the door, holding the hardcover book.

Today was his happiest day. Not because he performed outstandingly, but because… Zhou Zhexiao had given him flowers.

This made him feel like he could be a little more audacious—to provoke him, to test him.

Just like the page he held in his hand.

The profound rose, hidden and without end.
(Borges, “The Deep Rose”)

On the other side of the door, Zhou Zhexiao struggled fiercely. Every perception he had of this world was being dragged away; even his breathing was running hot.

A gentle tapping sound came from the door, and Zhou Zhexiao’s chest trembled.

He knew it was Xia Chiyi leaning against the other side. His brain began a boundless flight of imagination—Xia Chiyi lightly bumping his forehead against the door, his fingers perhaps picking at a small dent in the wood out of boredom.

Zhou Zhexiao hoped he would softly call his name, pulling him out of this quagmire.

“Zhou Zhexiao—why aren’t you coming out yet?”

Xia Chiyi’s muffled voice sounded, dragging out the last syllable. Perhaps even he didn’t realize how much his voice sounded like he was acting spoiled.

His blood felt like it had defied gravity, rushing straight into the clouds. Never before had Zhou Zhexiao perceived it so clearly as he did in this moment: the seed named “Xia Chiyi” in his heart had long since taken deep root, its branches flourishing, arrogantly and tyrannically infiltrating everything about him.

Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head back, no sound escaping his throat.

It wasn’t until Xia Chiyi began lightly drumming on the door panels out of boredom that Zhou Zhexiao washed his hands at the sink. He lowered his head, splashed cold water on his face, looked at himself in the mirror, pulled a towel over to wipe his face vigorously, and pushed the door open.

“Do you need to use the restroom?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“No, can’t I just be purely bored?”

“Then your boredom is quite thorough.”

Xia Chiyi handed his phone to Zhou Zhexiao. “I want to take a photo.”

“Of what?”

“Me and the sunflowers. Don’t take it from a death angle!” Xia Chiyi instructed.

Zhou Zhexiao: “You aren’t dead yet, where does the death angle come from?”

“The ‘death angle’ means taking it from a low angle where I look like I have a double chin and giant nostrils.”

“Oh.”

Although Zhou Zhexiao nodded, who knew if he actually understood.

Xia Chiyi sat cross-legged on the chair, hugging the flowers, and popped his head out from the side, smiling like a gummy bear.

Zhou Zhexiao casually snapped two pictures and handed the phone back.

“Are you done taking them?”

“You and the flowers are both in it.”

Xia Chiyi: This answer sounds so familiar. I think this is exactly what dad says when he takes photos of mom, except every time he finishes taking them, there’s a risk of divorce.

He took it back and looked. Surprisingly, it was quite good—at least there weren’t any weird expressions like closed eyes or a crooked mouth.

Xia Chiyi brightened the photo a bit and posted it to his WeChat Moments with the caption: [The person I admire most gave me lots of little suns!]

Sure enough, not long after posting it, the likes and comments poured in.

Ye Zhaoying: [Isn’t the person you admire most me?]
Jiao Yingfeng: [Are you hinting that I didn’t send you flowers?]
Ling Huanzhen: [Posting a Moment like this and you don’t even know how to block your coach from seeing it? You’re benched tomorrow!]
Yang Huaiyu: [Is it too late for me to send you some now?]
Liu Suchen: [Excuse me, am I on your admiration list?]
…

Then, everyone privately messaged him: Who exactly is the person you admire most?

Xia Chiyi gave a unified response: When we win the National Championship, you’ll know!

Excitedly, Xia Chiyi showed Zhou Zhexiao the comments under his Moments post. “Hahaha, maybe next time we win, I really will receive a truckload of flowers!”

Looking at the phrase “the person I admire most,” Zhou Zhexiao let out a very faint sigh.

Right now, he wasn’t content with just being admired.

Because admiration inherently implies a vast, bottom-to-top distance.

Xia Chiyi had played a game today, so his stamina was depleted. Lying in bed, he fell asleep shortly after playing on his phone.

Zhou Zhexiao walked over and gently touched Xia Chiyi’s forehead. He was sleeping very soundly, letting out soft snores.

Zhou Zhexiao took his phone, leaned against the headboard, and opened Cool Surf.

Cool Surf had already released the video compilation of Xia Chiyi’s match against Tanjiang Sports Academy. The group stage wasn’t even over yet, and he was already the star player of this year’s Southeast Division.

Even when clashing hard in the paint, Xia Chiyi’s techniques were incredibly strong. He understood perfectly well when to avoid conflict and when to forge ahead bravely, grasping that balance flawlessly to fully utilize his own advantages.

Zhou Zhexiao watched Xia Chiyi’s video over and over again. The whole room was silent, and the sound of Xia Chiyi’s breathing felt like it was tickling his heart.

Zhou Zhexiao turned his face to look at him.

That rose wasn’t a random addition by the florist; it was a special request he had made when calling to order the flowers.

—Please wrap a large bouquet of sunflowers for me. Make sure they are the freshest and brightest. Place a single rose among them. It doesn’t need to be conspicuous; the smallest one will do.

It was best if it was hidden, so that when he received it, he wouldn’t pay too much attention to it.

Yet Xia Chiyi had discovered it. He said it was “love hidden in the sun.”

Zhou Zhexiao placed his phone on the table, turned his head, and quietly watched Xia Chiyi.

Do you really understand that it is love?

---

Next up was their final match of the group stage. Everyone hoped for a perfect finish.

Binhai Post and Telecommunications University fielded their starting lineup, but Ling Huanzhen still favored giving the other players more practice.

In the starting lineup, Fu Chenxue acted as the point guard. After playing so many matches, Ye Zhaoying finally got to watch a game from the bench.

Du He and Shuai Bei also rotated in, primarily giving Deng Bin and the other reserves a chance to practice.

With the prior experience from playing against Fugong University, Chen Chuan was playing better and better as a small forward. His technique had grown more refined, and he was more daring, even becoming the scoring hub of this match.

Ye Zhaoying bumped his shoulder against Du He beside him. “Did you ever think there would come a day when our Ningchang University would use another school as a training ground for our reserves?”

“No… I really didn’t,” Du He covered his face. “It feels so unreal.”

Binhai Post and Telecommunications played fiercely. It was obvious that last year, they could crush Ningchang University without letting them lift their heads. Yet this year, even without fielding their full main roster, Ningchang made it an incredibly difficult fight for Binhai.

Because it was the final group match, Ling Huanzhen’s mindset was quite relaxed. He genuinely let everyone on the team get on the court to experience the Southeast Division arena.

This left Chen Chuan overwhelmed with emotion, secretly rejoicing that the school team’s coach had been changed to Ling Huanzhen.

If it were still Ma Wenhua, let alone making it out of the group stage, Ma Wenhua wouldn’t have cared about the growth of each individual player at all.

Under the premise of guaranteeing a win, Ling Huanzhen tried his best to let everyone play, ensuring their efforts in joining the Ningchang University team weren’t in vain.

In the third quarter, Du He and Shuai Bei took the court. They struck preemptively right at the start, forming a triangle formation with Chen Chuan, practically setting up camp under the opponent’s basket.

Ye Zhaoying coordinated with He Bin, constantly looking for mid-to-long-range scoring opportunities.

Under this inside-and-out pincer attack, Binhai Post adjusted their strategy, also sending out two perimeter scorers. They chased back eight points in three minutes. The audience began chanting Xia Chiyi’s name, anticipating his appearance.

However, Ling Huanzhen didn’t sub out He Bin. Instead, he had Zhou Zhexiao replace Fu Chenxue as the point guard. This substitution left the other teams at the venue completely bewildered.

“Isn’t Zhou Zhexiao a forward? He can play guard too?”

The audience erupted in cheers. For them, just being able to see Zhou Zhexiao was enough to make them jump for joy.

Zhou Zhexiao stepped onto the court, sweeping his bangs up to reveal his sharp facial features.

Xia Chiyi could faintly hear the cheers coming from the stands and couldn’t help but look back. He could make out Zhou Zhexiao’s name amidst the crowd’s discussions.

This guy was just that conspicuous. Even without saying a word, even with a stinky expression on his face, he couldn’t lower his presence.

But what everyone didn’t expect was that Zhou Zhexiao played a very low-key game. When Binhai Post’s players came to defend him, he didn’t force a breakthrough or go for layups; instead, he continuously passed the ball to the other players.

Despite having the physique of a forward, his dribbling was sharp and agile. He put on countless 1-on-3 highlights, leaving the audience extremely satisfied.

Most importantly, his passing perfectly understood Ling Huanzhen’s intentions. When he passed to Shuai Bei, the angle and position were just right so Shuai Bei could turn and shoot immediately.

When Zhou Zhexiao passed to Du He, Du He got a chance to practice dribbling past defenders. Even if the ball was stolen, Zhou Zhexiao would immediately chase it down and snatch it back, then pass it to Du He again until he successfully drove into the paint.

The comments in the Cool Surf livestream skyrocketed.

[Damn, Zhou Zhexiao is basically an on-court coach! The kind that guarantees you learn!]

[Binhai Post has turned into a sparring partner. Zhou Zhexiao hasn’t even unleashed his offensive damage, yet the insult level is nearing max capacity!]

[Holy crap, Zhou Zhexiao is a master at controlling the floor!]
…

In the end, Ningchang University wiped away their previous humiliation, defeating Binhai Post and Telecommunications University 88 to 62.

When the two teams shook hands, Binhai Post’s captain gave Chen Chuan a hug.

“You guys really are different from last year.”

Chen Chuan froze. He knew they would win this match, but he didn’t expect such affirmation from their opponent.

“Thank you!”

With this loss, Binhai Post and Telecommunications University had lost three matches, meaning they were eliminated from the Southeast Division tournament.

But competitive sports were just like this: winning was only temporary; losing was the norm.

The official Weibo’s match results digest was quickly published: [Ningchang University 88-62 Binhai Post and Telecommunications]

Ningchang University’s alumni were thrilled, and the comments on the official Weibo quickly broke a thousand.

The sports brand Boiling Point (Feidian) changed their pinned Weibo post to: Congratulations to Ningchang University for making a comeback in the Southeast Division and taking first place in their group!

The accompanying photos featured a close-up of Zhou Zhexiao catching an alley-oop and Xia Chiyi hovering in the air for his fadeaway jumper. Both of them were wearing Boiling Point basketball shoes.

The aesthetic combining power and hangtime space was captivating enough that even laymen would stop for a second look.

Miraculously, the comments that had previously mocked Boiling Point’s official account for desperately clinging to their popularity completely vanished.

Pang Shuai generously retweeted the post. By now, the people following Pang Shuai weren’t just Ningchang University alumni, but also quite a few basketball fans.

Sharp-eyed fans noticed the highlight in Boiling Point’s Weibo post.

[Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao are wearing the exact same basketball shoes!]

[You only just noticed? They’ve been wearing the same shoes since the preliminary matches!]

[I’ve been looking for these for so long! Xia Chiyi is constantly doing sudden stops and fast breaks on the court. The grip and ankle protection of those shoes are insanely good!]

[After grabbing a rebound, Zhou Zhexiao immediately turns and launches a fast break. If the shoe’s performance was bad, the soles would have blown out long ago!]

[I didn’t expect them to be a niche brand’s shoes! The design is really nice!]
…

Since it was only the group stage, Boiling Point’s marketing team had planned to focus their efforts after Ningchang University made it to the top four of the Southeast Division. They hadn’t expected the college students’ eyes to be so sharp. Even a certain sneaker-review content creator noticed Boiling Point and announced he would buy the exact same pair to test their quality for his viewers.

In a single night, people flocked to Boiling Point’s official flagship store, and sales of that exact model of basketball shoes broke five hundred overnight.

They had sought out so many marketing channels, even livestream influencers, without managing to build brand awareness. Yet Ningchang University storming into the knockout stage as the top of their group had single-handedly brought a wave of attention to their shoes.

---

The team gathered in Ling Huanzhen’s room. Ling Huanzhen smiled and said, “A complete sweep in the group stage. The time has come to distribute your rewards!”

Du He asked blankly, “We actually get rewards?”

Ye Zhaoying narrowed his eyes and retreated behind Shuai Bei.

“I don’t know why, but I have a feeling Coach Ling’s rewards are unreliable.”

Shuai Bei whispered, “If you retreat that fast, where am I supposed to retreat?”

Ling Huanzhen put on a dramatic sigh. “You kids, how can you hold such a skeptical attitude toward your coach?”

Du He kept his head down and muttered, “Because it’s inherently unreliable…”

Xia Chiyi crossed his arms and said bluntly, “Let me reiterate: if it’s an autographed photo of you, I don’t want it.”

Zhou Zhexiao stood right behind Xia Chiyi, lazily resting his chin on top of Xia Chiyi’s head.

Ling Huanzhen was just about to knock Xia Chiyi on the head, but realizing Zhou Zhexiao was resting on it, he couldn’t bring himself to do it and had to give up.

At that moment, Cheng Qing walked in carrying a massive takeout bag.

“It’s here, it’s here! Everyone’s reward has arrived!”

Although the bag hadn’t been opened yet, the rich smell of cheese seemed to explode in the room, making everyone drool.

“Oh my god, it’s actually pizza!” Ye Zhaoying cried out in surprise.

“Carb bombs. Truly something that brings people joy.” Although Shuai Bei had very strong self-control regarding his diet, he really wanted to binge eat right now.

Cheng Qing took out the pizza boxes. There were six in total, each a different flavor.

Just as everyone was swarming forward, Ling Huanzhen shouted, “Wash your hands! Wash your hands! Can you guys be a little hygienic?”

“A little dirt won’t hurt!”

“If I go wash my hands, I’ll only have the box left to eat when I get back!”

Speechless, Ling Huanzhen pinched the bridge of his nose.

Cheng Qing walked over to him and whispered, “Will it be enough?”

“Growing boys really will eat their fathers into poverty!”

Xia Chiyi held a slice of bacon and sausage pizza in his left hand and a slice of Hawaiian in his right. He took a bite of the pointed tip of a slice, pulling out a very, very long string of cheese that hung heavily and dribbled down onto his chin.

“Wow, Old Ling, you’re finally generous for once! This is double cheese, right!” Stars lit up in Xia Chiyi’s eyes.

Ling Huanzhen frowned. “You’d better hurry up and wipe off the cheese hanging on your chin! If a photo of you looking like that gets posted online, the tiny bit of fans you finally managed to gather will all run away!”

Xia Chiyi didn’t care. “Do fans dictate whether I can eat pizza?”

He turned around and noticed that Zhou Zhexiao was holding a slice of pizza in both his left and right hands, but hadn’t taken a bite.

Xia Chiyi asked, “Why aren’t you eating?”

Zhou Zhexiao replied, “They’re snatching it too fast. If I eat, by the time you want a third slice, there won’t be any left.”

Xia Chiyi turned his head to look at the six boxes… Good lord, he had only spoken a few words to Ling Huanzhen, and they were empty? That was truly clearing away food like a whirlwind scattering clouds!

“You eat. My cravings are satisfied.” Xia Chiyi bumped his half-eaten pizza against the one in Zhou Zhexiao’s hand. “The flavor of the one in your hand is super Chinese. Old Beijing Roast Duck flavor. You definitely can’t get that in America.”

Zhou Zhexiao still didn’t move.

Ye Zhaoying teased, “Can’t you tell? He wants you to feed him!”

“Feed him! Feed him! Feed him!” Chen Chuan joined in the teasing from the side.

“You two are the ace duo of our team, completely unique. Let us take a picture of you!” Shuai Bei pulled out his phone with a totally serious expression.

A massive smile broke across Xia Chiyi’s face. Right now, he really wanted to say how grateful he was to his teammates for being such great wingmen, allowing him to feed Zhou Zhexiao openly and fairly.

“Come on, let me feed you. Do you prefer Beijing Roast Duck or Seafood Medley?”

Zhou Zhexiao handed the Seafood Medley to Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi smiled, took it, and was just about to bring the tip of the pizza to Zhou Zhexiao’s lips when Zhou Zhexiao reached his hand over, gently pinched Xia Chiyi’s chin, and hooked the string of cheese hanging there.

The skin on his chin instantly became incredibly sensitive, as if his heart was also being pulled along with it, stretching thinner and thinner.

“Now that’s a true cheese pull—” Shuai Bei exclaimed.

Xia Chiyi had originally armed his thick skin, planning to flirt with the other, but at this moment, his face flushed so red it almost bled.

The cheese wrapped around Zhou Zhexiao’s finger—one loop, two loops, three loops—and then Zhou Zhexiao put it into his mouth.

“That was mine… from my chin…”

How could you eat it in front of so many people?

Zhou Zhexiao’s classic response followed: “Do you want me to feed it back to you?”

“Oh oh oh! Zhou Zhexiao, look at you! Usually so cold, but the moment you speak, you’re such a tease~” Ye Zhaoying laughed.

The other teammates surprisingly joined in on the hooting.

“No need, just eat your pizza!” Xia Chiyi shoved the slice of pizza right into Zhou Zhexiao’s mouth.

__

[Author’s Note]
Zhou Zhexiao: Accepting my flowers means tacitly agreeing to date me.
Xia Chiyi: What?
Zhou Zhexiao: What does that surprised expression mean?
Xia Chiyi: I thought that by accepting your flowers, you became my person? It’s only dating?
Zhou Zhexiao: …