Chapter 0097: Only a Ghost Would Rein in Their Horse at the Cliff’s Edge

There was an aura between these two that only a similar kind of person possessed—I am the strongest in the world, and everyone else is just air.

Xia Chiyi screamed in his head: Why don’t you two just sit next to each other and spare me, the tool man!

Lu Yingnan’s voice was flat, devoid of any fluctuation. “We aren’t ready. At least, our research on you isn’t thorough enough, Zhou Zhexiao.”

“Oh,” Zhou Zhexiao replied faintly.

Sitting on the other side of Lu Yingnan, Zhuo Zheng crossed his arms in displeasure.

Back at the team, he had sworn up and down that he knew Zhou Zhexiao like the back of his hand—from his technical playstyle to his arrogant, team-ignoring, self-centered, rotten temper.

Zhuo Zheng hadn’t expected that after watching a few games, aside from retaining that arrogance, Zhou Zhexiao was completely different from the past.

So Lu Yingnan’s phrase, “our research on you isn’t thorough enough,” essentially negated everything Zhuo Zheng had always believed about Zhou Zhexiao.

After that, Lu Yingnan stared straight ahead and didn’t say another word.

His silence only made his presence feel even more overbearing.

Down on the court, the game was about to start. Fǔgong University’s only loss so far was the group stage match against Ningchang University. Right now, their fighting spirit was boiling; they were set on defeating Qincheng University and then crushing Ningchang in the finals to wipe away their previous humiliation.

Zhuo Zheng lifted his chin and muttered, “I hear Fǔgong University is also a veteran powerhouse in the Southeast region. I wonder what their odds are against Qincheng University.”

Xia Chiyi pricked up his ears. He wanted to hear Lu Yingnan’s assessment, but unfortunately, Lu Yingnan didn’t open his mouth. Instead, their assistant coach answered.

“Regarding that, I think it’s a 30-70 split.”

“Who’s 30? Who’s 70?” Zhuo Zheng turned his head and asked.

“Qincheng University has the higher odds, of course. They were last year’s Kings of the Southeast, after all.”

“Just because they were kings last year doesn’t mean they are this year!” Zhuo Zheng’s broken brow arched high.

Xia Chiyi actually quite liked that statement in his heart.

The throne of competitive sports doesn’t look at pedigree; it only looks at strength.

“But in terms of roster at every position, Qincheng University is maxed out. Especially their backcourt—Ke Yan’s ball-handling ability is probably something only our team’s Lu Yingnan can suppress.”

Good lord, Xia Chiyi thought. If glares could manifest physically, this assistant coach would have had his head cracked open by Ye Chaoying by now.

Ye Chaoying: Who are you looking down on? I’ve gone toe-to-toe with Ke Yan too!

“And their shooting guard, Li Shunchuan. Looking at the entire national college basketball scene, he’s number one. If Xia Chiyi hadn’t suddenly appeared out of nowhere this year, Li Shunchuan probably would have defended his title as the Division I Three-Point King. Right now, the other three regions haven’t started their games yet, so we don’t know if other teams have fierce rookie shooters.”

Just as the assistant coach finished speaking, Ling Huanzhen chimed in. His voice wasn’t too loud or too soft—just enough for Zhuo Zheng and the assistant coach to hear.

“There won’t be another one. I won’t say our Xia Chiyi is a once-in-a-century talent, but you definitely won’t find a second one in the next ten years.”

After all, Xia Chiyi was sparred with by Fan Qingliang, the exclusive trainer for NBA players; hand-polished by the Asian Three-Point King, Jiao Yingfeng; and infused with Sheng Xingming’s level of on-court experience.

Hearing Ling Huanzhen’s praise, Xia Chiyi flushed from the back of his neck to the tips of his ears—especially since he could feel Lu Yingnan shooting him a sidelong glance.

It was a scrutinizing look, as if saying, Oh, are you really that amazing?

The assistant coach of Southwest Aviation smiled and nodded. “Yes, student Xia Chiyi is currently being studied by many teams.”

Before they could hear the assistant coach evaluate Yang Huaiyu, the match officially tipped off.

Both sides’ cheerleading squads yelled their slogans loud enough to shake the heavens. Xia Chiyi had to cover his ears. As a flurry of whistles blew all at once, Xia Chiyi felt like his eardrums were going to rupture, and he unconsciously leaned toward Zhou Zhexiao.

It reminded Xia Chiyi of setting off firecrackers during the New Year—the crackle and pop had shaken him right out of bed, but thankfully Zhou Zhexiao had scooped him back up, pressing him into his chest and covering his ears.

Yang Huaiyu’s fan club dominated an entire section. They held up his nameboards with bright, vivid fonts reading: “Only bows his head for free throws, only bends his back to break through,” “Omnipotent in heaven and earth,” along with photos of Yang Huaiyu that looked as handsome as movie posters.

“Ah, I’m so jealous,” Xia Chiyi muttered.

The sentence was drowned out by the cheering, but Zhou Zhexiao, who was closest to him, still heard it.

“Jealous of what?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice rang in his ear. It wasn’t loud, but Xia Chiyi’s eardrums, connected to his heart, vibrated.

“Look at all those long and short camera lenses just trying to capture Yang Huaiyu’s highlight moments. I’m so jealous… jealous that he’s so handsome. Even though his skills are just okay, he has so many fans just because of that face.”

Zhou Zhexiao smiled very faintly.

As the teams walked onto the court, Ke Yan patted the small of Yang Huaiyu’s back and jutted his chin toward the support signs. “People are actually calling you the ‘King of the Double Clutch.’ Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Yang Huaiyu gave a shallow smile, adjusted his wristband, and retorted, “Am I not?”

He Zhan and Meng Ting walked past him on either side.

“Ningchang University is in the stands right now.”

“You’re calling yourself the King of the Double Clutch in front of Zhou Zhexiao? Have you no shame?”

Yang Huaiyu wasn’t angry at all.

It wasn’t a national championship anyway; whoever wanted the title of “King of the Double Clutch” could have it.

Perhaps sensing Yang Huaiyu’s gaze, Xia Chiyi, who had been leaning on Zhou Zhexiao, suddenly sat bolt upright, pumping his fists up and down like a totally fake fan.

“Hah…” Yang Huaiyu laughed dumbly.

This bad kid, Xia Chiyi, put up a good front, but he didn’t even cheer out loud.

“So shameless,” Zhou Zhexiao cast a cool glance at Xia Chiyi.

“Well, Yang Huaiyu did treat me to seafood.”

In the first quarter, Fǔgong University struck first. Ai Jun and Shao Jin cooperated perfectly, actually baiting Meng Ting into a foul under the basket. With a shot and free throws, they opened with a 7-0 run.

Meng Ting scratched the back of his head, looking frustrated.

Xia Chiyi propped up his chin. “Ai Jun drew that foul on purpose, right?”

“Yeah.” Zhou Zhexiao also leaned forward, hands resting on his knees. “Drawing fouls is a technique on the court too. Frequently drawing fouls against opponents directly damages their momentum and makes them hesitant when defending.”

“Yeah. People who play like this have dirty hearts.”

As soon as Xia Chiyi said that, Yang Huaiyu returned the favor.

When Yang Huaiyu was driving, Ai Jun used his right arm to press against Yang Huaiyu’s body. The two were fiercely colliding.

Yang Huaiyu made a prompt decision, actually using his off-hand to push the opponent’s arm up, followed by a quick shot. The whistle blew immediately. Yang Huaiyu had successfully drawn a foul on Ai Jun.

“Tch.” Ai Jun frowned and had no choice but to raise his hand.

Smiling, Yang Huaiyu walked to the free-throw line and leisurely made both shots.

“Is ‘Brother Huaiyu’s’ heart dirty too?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

Xia Chiyi’s shoulders twitched. He didn’t know if others got goosebumps when he called Yang Huaiyu “Brother,” but it was certainly a choice.

“What did you just call him? That’s so gross…” Halfway through his sentence, Xia Chiyi felt like he was courting death.

Zhou Zhexiao asked chillingly, “Haven’t you drawn fouls yourself?”

“Yeah, my heart isn’t pure either.”

“What about Sheng Xingming? He was a veteran at drawing fouls too.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked over, his amber eyes crystal clear and bright. Xia Chiyi had the sudden urge to kiss his eyes again.

“That was art,” Xia Chiyi said.

Another roar erupted from the crowd; Li Shunchuan had just sunk a three-pointer.

But all Xia Chiyi saw was that trace of a smile on Zhou Zhexiao’s face.

“Double standards dog.”

“Are you cursing me?”

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to flare up, Zhou Zhexiao’s palm cupped the back of his head and rubbed it.

He leaned in a little closer, his upturned eyelashes seemingly about to brush against Xia Chiyi’s eyeballs. “Sheng Xingming was a double standards dog too.”

The words were soft, and even though he was bringing up “Sheng Xingming,” that feeling of being favored surged into Xia Chiyi’s heart once more.

He suddenly realized Lu Yingnan was sitting right next to them, so he quickly shot him a glance from the corner of his eye.

Thankfully, Lu Yingnan was watching the game without turning his head.

A light tap landed on the top of Xia Chiyi’s head, followed by Zhou Zhexiao’s voice: “Focus on the game.”

Huh? You have the nerve to say that to me?

Who was the one who brought up Sheng Xingming and distracted me?

Li Shunchuan maintained his superb touch, bombing Fǔgong University’s perimeter until it was blooming everywhere.

Meanwhile, Fǔgong’s Ai Jun continuously broke through Meng Ting and He Zhan’s double defense, launching heavy assaults under the basket. The two sides were locked in a stalemate.

As expected of the ace, how could Yang Huaiyu tolerate Ai Jun running wild under their basket? When Ai Jun went for another dunk, Yang Huaiyu delivered a ruthless block (hot pot), nearly smashing the ball right back into Ai Jun’s face.

“Hiss…” Xia Chiyi shrank back slightly. “If that were me, I probably would’ve gotten a nosebleed from the basketball hitting my face.”

“If it were you, you wouldn’t choose to dunk, so you wouldn’t risk getting a nosebleed,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

“Mm,” Xia Chiyi nodded.

When the first quarter ended, the point gap between the two teams wasn’t large. After ten tense minutes, the audience could finally relax for a short break.

Xia Chiyi hugged his sports bag and rummaged around inside. He couldn’t find the little bag he used to pack snacks.

Lu Yingnan, who hadn’t made a sound for a while, spoke up. “If it were you, what would you do?”

“Ah? What would I do?”

“If you were Ai Jun, facing Yang Huaiyu’s block, what would happen if you didn’t dunk?”

Xia Chiyi pulled his “claws” out of the bag, raised them high, and mimed a dunking motion, imagining Yang Huaiyu standing right in front of him, about to execute a block.

“I’d take the opportunity to smack it right in his face,” Xia Chiyi said with a look of longing. “Send him back to Qincheng with one ball.”

Lu Yingnan looked at him, his dark eyes devoid of emotion.

On the other side, Zhuo Zheng heard this and got agitated. “That totally fits your style! You’re so insidious, you’d definitely take the chance to foul!”

“Exactly! So be careful when you try to block me, or you might get your head dunked on instead.” Xia Chiyi leaned forward, looking at Zhuo Zheng with utmost seriousness.

Before Zhuo Zheng could retort, Lu Yingnan’s hand clamped down on his head, pressing him back into his seat.

“You would change the dunk into a floater,” Lu Yingnan stated.

This time, it was Xia Chiyi’s turn to freeze. Did this guy Lu Yingnan have mind-reading abilities? He could even see that?

Zhou Zhexiao said calmly, “Most of your under-the-basket scoring techniques were practiced with me. And changing a dunk to a floater is my go-to technique.”

So that was it.

He had spent so much time practicing with Zhou Zhexiao that he had unconsciously been influenced by him.

But being analyzed so thoroughly by a future opponent made him feel incredibly annoyed.

The second quarter resumed. Qincheng University was like the midday sun, blossoming inside and out, widening the gap to 20 points within three minutes. The Fǔgong University coach was forced to call a timeout to adjust his team’s condition.

During those three minutes, point guard Ke Yan contributed immensely. His ball movement and distribution allowed Qincheng University to fire on all cylinders, tearing Fǔgong’s zone defense to pieces.

Ye Chaoying took a deep breath, his knees bouncing continuously. He couldn’t help but repeatedly ask himself: If it were me, could I intercept the offensive wave led by Ke Yan?

Ling Huanzhen couldn’t stand his shaking anymore and pressed down hard on the back of his head. “Stop overthinking and doubting yourself. You have to believe…”

“Besides believing in myself, Old Ling, do you have any fresh chicken soup?”

“I was going to say believe in your teammates. Even if you can’t beat Ke Yan, both Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi have very strong ball-handling skills.”

“…You might as well just say I’m not that important.”

“Exactly. Don’t think of yourself as that important.” Ling Huanzhen’s large hand pressed down on Ye Chaoying’s shoulder. “That way, you’ll get a lot of unexpected surprises.”

After adjusting, Fǔgong University entered catch-up mode. Shao Jin drained consecutive threes, leading a 9-0 run.

However, the reason Yang Huaiyu was treated as Qincheng University’s “ace” was naturally his ace-level attack power. A missed wide-open dunk drew gasps from the crowd, and even Xia Chiyi couldn’t help but stomp his feet in place, praising, “So handsome! Really handsome! Awesome!”

To his left, Zhou Zhexiao crossed his arms with a cold expression, while on his right, Lu Yingnan maintained a placid “this is standard procedure” look, making Xia Chiyi look like a fool in comparison.

Right at the end of the first half, Yang Huaiyu finally unleashed his double-clutch technique. Mid-air, he slipped between two tall, sturdy defenders and sent the ball into the hoop.

It was like a great wind cutting through a canyon, piercing the stars and sun. Xia Chiyi was so excited he nearly lunged right out of the stands.

Fortunately, Zhou Zhexiao had quick eyes and fast hands, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and pressing him back into his seat.

During halftime, people went to use the restroom or buy food.

Ye Chaoying pushed Xia Chiyi from behind. “Going to the bathroom?”

“No. All the water I drank earlier was sweated out.”

“My, what good kidney function you have.”

The truth was, going to the restroom would likely result in being swarmed for photos, and if he bumped into media folks, he’d be chased for interviews. It was better to just sit honestly in the stands.

Xia Chiyi shook his knees, bumping into Zhou Zhexiao beside him. “Hey, you’re not going to the bathroom?”

“My kidney function is also very good.”

Never mind, pretend I didn’t ask.

On the court, the cheerleaders were performing. It was highly rhythmic, and the music was loud.

Ye Chaoying, who had gone to the bathroom, actually hurried back. When Xia Chiyi turned around, he realized the stands, which had mostly emptied out, were suddenly packed again.

“What’s going on?” Xia Chiyi lifted his chin toward Ye Chaoying.

“It’s Mo Xiaojie! She’s the lead dancer today!” Ye Chaoying was already filming with his phone.

“Who’s Mo Xiaojie?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“A very popular aerobics/dance internet celebrity, a student at the Southeast Dance Academy,” Zhou Zhexiao supplied.

Xia Chiyi was shocked. Had the day actually come where Zhou Zhexiao was educating him about an internet celebrity?

“If you play online games all day, you’ll be left behind by the times,” Zhou Zhexiao said, looking right into Xia Chiyi’s eyes.

Good heavens! This guy Zhou Zhexiao, who didn’t even own a smartphone, was telling Xia Chiyi he’d be left behind by the times?

The dance track transitioned from the buildup into its strongest rhythm. Mo Xiaojie’s dance moves fused explosive power with a unique mechanical feel, which was then broken by a sequence of house moves. Her rapid footwork and free, flamboyant arm movements left Xia Chiyi staring in awe.

The short four and a half minutes flew by. When Mo Xiaojie froze in her final pose, applause erupted across the arena.

“Wow, I really want to watch her live streams…” Xia Chiyi sighed in admiration.

Ye Chaoying immediately warned, “Better not. Don’t forget who else is using your phone. The massive data fees will bring you to your knees.”

Xia Chiyi gulped, remembering the time he forgot to connect the dorm Wi-Fi, and Zhou Zhexiao had used data to watch game videos all night… his over-limit phone bill had been a heavy mountain of debt.

“Who knows, maybe after this rich boy Zhou Zhexiao gets obsessed with some streamer, he’ll start tipping like crazy to fight for the number one top-donator spot! And we wouldn’t even be able to claim a refund on the grounds that he’s a minor!”

Xia Chiyi’s imagination ran wild, straight out of a social news headline.

“Heh,” Zhou Zhexiao let out a cold, mocking laugh.

As Mo Xiaojie was about to leave the court, she suddenly looked toward their section of the stands. She gave a sly smile, and Xia Chiyi’s eyes were suddenly covered by Zhou Zhexiao’s hand again.

“What’s wrong?”

By the time Xia Chiyi pulled Zhou Zhexiao’s hand down, all he saw was Mo Xiaojie shrugging and smiling.

“I got it, I filmed it!” Ye Chaoying looked ecstatic.

“What did you film?” Xia Chiyi turned around and pulled Ye Chaoying’s phone over.

It was actually Mo Xiaojie blowing a kiss toward the stands. It wasn’t coquettish or overly seductive at all, but rather like the princess in Roman Holiday—pretty and elegant.

“She’s so pretty,” Xia Chiyi murmured.

“What did you say? Xia Chiyi, the day has come when you actually praise someone other than Zhou Zhexiao for looking good?” Ye Chaoying cupped a hand to his ear and leaned into Xia Chiyi’s face.

“I’m not blind! Plus, her dancing is really good.” Xia Chiyi shoved the phone back into Ye Chaoying’s face.

“Wow. You turn a blind eye to all the admiring glances thrown your way, I was deeply worried about your brain’s emotional bluntness. I’ve always been afraid that after we graduate and you and Zhou Zhexiao go to different teams, you’ll end up dying old and alone! I didn’t expect you to know how to appreciate Mo Xiaojie? A dead tree is finally blooming!”

“You’re the one dying old and alone! Zhou Zhexiao and I won’t go to different teams!”

“Hey, what if one day you and Zhou Zhexiao fall for the same girl? Will you back out? Or will you go one-on-one with him? Winner advances, loser bows out?” Ye Chaoying asked with great interest.

“Have you been watching too many brain-dead idol dramas? Are girls just trophies for whoever wins?”

“What about Zhou Zhexiao? If one day you two really did like the same girl, what would you do?”

A single blown kiss from Mo Xiaojie had actually stimulated Ye Chaoying’s imagination to the point of coming up with such a melodramatic plot.

If Ye Chaoying were a screenwriter, Xia Chiyi would be the first to smash his dog head in.

“He and I could never like the same girl,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

It was clearly a very calm voice, but it carried an inexplicable sense of distance.

Yet, it also sounded like another form of borderline confession—We won’t like the same girl, because I only like you.

Xia Chiyi swallowed and glanced at Zhou Zhexiao. He thought Zhou Zhexiao would be intently watching the game, but unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao was looking right at him.

That deep gaze plucked and dragged at Xia Chiyi’s heartstrings. It was going to kill him.

Halftime passed, and both sides resumed battle.

Li Shunchuan and Shao Jin traded blow for blow at the three-point line. Ai Jun gifted Qincheng University with a vicious slam dunk, and Yang Huaiyu retaliated with a post-up dunk. The two teams engaged in a tug-of-war around a 10-point deficit.

Xia Chiyi watched with fraught nerves. When Yang Huaiyu scored past three defenders, Xia Chiyi’s knees spread apart, toes raised as his heels ground against the floor. In the past, Zhou Zhexiao would have let Xia Chiyi’s knee press tightly against his own. But this time, he crossed his leg, making Xia Chiyi’s knee bump into empty air.

Xia Chiyi shot him a dissatisfied glare, only to see a tiny trace of a smile hooked on the corner of the guy’s mouth.

So mean.

Did you think just because your smile isn’t obvious, I wouldn’t notice?

Meng Ting and He Zhan continuously assaulted Fǔgong’s basket. When they launched a full-scale offensive, Fǔgong clearly began to crumble, their exhaustion fully showing.

It was Yang Huaiyu again—holding the ball with both hands, he faked out two defenders and slammed a one-handed dunk into the basket. Ai Jun was half a beat too slow to keep up and could only watch helplessly as Yang Huaiyu widened the gap to 15 points.

Xia Chiyi let out a breath and said in a low voice, “I feel like the outcome is decided.”

“A major taboo in matches: until the very last second, the outcome is unpredictable.”

This was the first time Zhou Zhexiao had spoken after nearly ten minutes of silence.

Xia Chiyi’s fingertips curled slightly. Regardless of what others said, in his heart, Zhou Zhexiao was someone who seemed distant but was actually very gentle.

But right now, his gentleness seemed to have been locked away inside a nutcracker. Xia Chiyi could only peek through the crack, unable to touch even a bit of it.

What the hell is wrong with this guy?

The final quarter began. Ke Yan threaded the needle, orchestrating the whole court and maximizing the inside-outside scoring threat of Li Shunchuan and Yang Huaiyu. Meanwhile, Meng Ting and He Zhan’s relentless attacks on the rim left Fǔgong completely overwhelmed.

Fǔgong’s interior players kept making mistakes. Although Ai Jun and Shao Jin desperately chased points, Yang Huaiyu responded forcefully, cutting to the basket with a massive mid-air switch that seemed to hang in the air, sending the ball in and dealing a lethal blow to Fǔgong’s confidence.

Keeping the pressure up, Yang Huaiyu drew an unsportsmanlike foul from Ai Jun. Fǔgong completely collapsed in the final minute, unable to reverse the situation.

In the end, Qincheng University defeated Fǔgong University by a 20-point margin.

Xia Chiyi watched the game without even blinking.

“I previously thought Yang Huaiyu was just a deadly weapon under the basket. I didn’t expect his basketball IQ to be this high…”

“Mm,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded faintly. He finally put down his crossed leg.

Xia Chiyi finally found his chance. Just as he was about to bump his knee against him, Zhou Zhexiao unexpectedly shifted his leg sideways.

The guy’s legs were so long that logically, no matter how he shifted, he shouldn’t have been able to avoid the angle of Xia Chiyi’s bump. This meant the guy had actively dodged on purpose.

Before Xia Chiyi could say anything, Zhou Zhexiao had already stood up, slinging his sports bag over his shoulder to leave, without sparing Xia Chiyi a single extra glance.

What’s going on? Weren’t we perfectly fine when we beat Southeast Mining?

Lu Yingnan also stood up. He waited a second, and seeing that Xia Chiyi had no intention of getting up, looked at him with those black-hole-like eyes.

Zhuo Zheng couldn’t wait and blurted, “Xia Chiyi, you sitting here not moving—are you waiting for all of Southwest Aviation to take turns stepping over your dead body?”

“Oh, right away!”

Xia Chiyi stood up immediately. Because he hadn’t zipped his bag properly when digging for snacks earlier, a plastic bag fell out and landed right in front of Lu Yingnan’s toes.

Unaware, Xia Chiyi was only focused on hurrying after Zhou Zhexiao.

Lu Yingnan bent down, pinched the plastic bag between his fingers, and called out, “Xia Chiyi.”

“Ah?”

When Xia Chiyi turned around, a damp plastic bag flew at him, almost hitting him in the face. Suddenly, Zhou Zhexiao, who had been walking ahead, turned back and caught it out of the air.

Holy shit, how did my changed underwear/pants fall out? This is way too embarrassing!

Zhou Zhexiao tossed a “thanks” to Lu Yingnan and threw the bag into Xia Chiyi’s messenger bag.

Xia Chiyi frantically yanked the zipper shut and quickly caught up with Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhuo Zheng crossed his arms, looking completely bewildered. “Why do things feel so weird between Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi?”

Lu Yingnan strolled forward leisurely, dropping one sentence: “You haven’t even seen a CP crematorium before. Ignorant.”

Zhuo Zheng wore a completely dumbfounded expression.

They were just playing basketball, it wasn’t a duel to the death. What did a crematorium have to do with anything?

As the Ningchang University players walked down the exit tunnel, gazes converged on them from all directions.

Xia Chiyi tried to tug at Zhou Zhexiao’s bag strap, but the guy walked straight to the front without looking back.

Dammit.

Xia Chiyi reached out and grabbed him.

Zhou Zhexiao leaned back slightly and stood there obediently, waiting for Xia Chiyi to approach.

At 198 cm tall, this guy was way too conspicuous among ordinary spectators. Almost everyone passing by looked up at him, like they were worshipping an idol.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Xia Chiyi nudged him lightly.

“Nothing.” Zhou Zhexiao continued walking forward.

“The way you’re acting right now is exactly like my junior high desk-mate.”

The exit tunnel was crowded, so Xia Chiyi brazenly stuck close behind Zhou Zhexiao, resting his chin on the other’s shoulder and moving forward lazily.

“How is it similar?”

“Getting upset out of nowhere over nothing. Exactly the same.”

Just as Zhou Zhexiao was about to push his head away, Xia Chiyi leaned in and whispered in his ear, “That person in front just texted on WeChat saying they saw Zhou Zhexiao in person, and he’s ten thousand times more handsome than in the live broadcasts.”

“Liar.” Zhou Zhexiao turned his face away, his hair lightly grazing the corner of Xia Chiyi’s eye, tickling him.

“I’m not lying, my eyesight is great…” Xia Chiyi paused, then added, “That person to your front left is pretending to take a selfie, but they’re actually taking a photo of your side profile.”

Zhou Zhexiao glanced over. It was true. And Xia Chiyi’s shameless, clinging posture was also captured in the frame.

Having experienced an intense battle and then watching the Qincheng vs. Fǔgong match with absolute concentration, Xia Chiyi’s eyelids were feeling heavy.

Suddenly, someone rapped both of them on the back of the head. Ling Huanzhen’s booming voice rang out.

“You two are really something, sleeping while walking together. Any later and you’d have crashed into a car together! What, you want to be a pair of doomed lovebirds?”

Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao opened their eyes at the same time, only to realize there was a row of shared electric bikes right in front of them.

Although they were very grateful to Ling Huanzhen for pulling them back… what the hell was “doomed lovebirds”?

“Coolang just contacted me. They asked if I could send two players to record a short program, about half an hour to an hour…”

Before Ling Huanzhen could finish his sentence, Zhou Zhexiao kept walking without looking back, dropping two words: “No time.”

Xia Chiyi rubbed his eyes as well. “Coach, I’m so sleepy. Plus, we’re playing Qincheng University the day after tomorrow…”

“You know it’s the day after tomorrow? You still have tomorrow to sleep,” Ling Huanzhen said, grabbing Xia Chiyi by the back collar.

If he couldn’t boss Zhou Zhexiao around, couldn’t he at least order Xia Chiyi?

“What I mean is, if we lose to Qincheng University, people will spray us saying we lost because we went to record a show…”

“Spit, spit, spit! The careless words of a child are blown away by the wind!”

In a moment of Ling Huanzhen’s inattention, Xia Chiyi quickly caught up to Zhou Zhexiao and grabbed his bag strap once again.

They were about to cross the street. Zhou Zhexiao, who had lost his “Xia Chiyi navigation system” by his side, suddenly sobered up. Staring at the red light in front of them, he raised his arm and pulled Xia Chiyi behind his back.

A motorcycle zoomed past them, bringing with it a gust of hot air.

Xia Chiyi let go of the bag strap and grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s retracting hand.

When Zhou Zhexiao looked sideways at him, Xia Chiyi’s heart beat violently, like a buzzer-beating shot waiting to reach the end of its arc. The sight of his broad shoulders reminded Xia Chiyi of the feeling of sitting on Sheng Xingming’s shoulders when he was a child.

—An unparalleled sense of security and a high, expansive view.

Zhou Zhexiao originally wanted to shake off Xia Chiyi’s hand, but Xia Chiyi clamped down hard, dragging him across the street.

Shaking him off would have been easy for Zhou Zhexiao.

But at that moment, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly couldn’t bear to do it. The fingers he had opened actually tightened in return, until they reached the other side of the street.

His phone had been buzzing constantly. Xia Chiyi glanced at it and shoved it back into his pocket.

They had already showered at the stadium, so they could go straight to sleep once they got back to the hotel room.

Zhou Zhexiao quietly took off his outer clothes, shoes, and socks, pulled back the covers, and got into bed.

Barring any accidents, he would be asleep in thirty seconds.

Xia Chiyi sat blankly on the edge of his own bed, still finding it hard to understand.

Right after the match, this guy had probably, maybe, kissed the top of his head in the locker room. But after watching one game, he suddenly put up a wall of distance.

What was this?

The four words playing hard to get rushed into Xia Chiyi’s mind.

No way, right? Does Zhou Zhexiao have that kind of emotional intelligence?

Whenever he wanted to, he could make Xia Chiyi’s heart race for a whole day.

Anyway, just like in a game, Zhou Zhexiao was the hoop.

If the long-range shot isn’t falling, attack the rim!

Xia Chiyi sat down on the edge of Zhou Zhexiao’s bed, kicked off his shoes and socks, lifted the blanket, and climbed right in.

Feeling the mattress sink, Zhou Zhexiao was just about to turn around when Xia Chiyi’s chest pressed flat against his back.

“What are you doing…”

“Sleeping.”

“Go back to your own bed.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s brows furrowed. Just as he was about to shove his elbow backward, Xia Chiyi’s hand reached over. The hem of Zhou Zhexiao’s pajamas was wide, and Xia Chiyi ‘accidentally’ slipped his hand inside.

The warm palm, layered with thin calluses from playing basketball, sent a shudder through Zhou Zhexiao. He wanted to swallow, but an invisible force seemed to lodge in his throat, caught halfway up.

“Why should I go back to my own bed? In the dorm, the beds are so narrow, and we still squeeze together all the time. Why is it that now that we’re out here, we suddenly can’t sleep together?”

“Go back.”

“No. I need to bond with you. You kissed the top of my head, so what’s wrong with me hugging you to sleep?”

Zhou Zhexiao was terrible at lying. As long as he retorted with “I didn’t kiss it,” Xia Chiyi would just treat it as his own one-sided delusion.

A second or two passed. The silence made Xia Chiyi so nervous he could barely breathe. Finally, Zhou Zhexiao spoke: “Where are you putting your hand?”

“Where? On… on your heart?”

As Xia Chiyi said this, he suddenly realized his palm seemed to be touching something… and it was a bit bouncy… Oh crap…

“Does your heart grow on the right side?” Zhou Zhexiao asked in return.

His voice was a bit cold, slightly hoarse, as if something was pulling at his vocal cords.

“Oh, then I’ll switch sides?”

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to move his hand, Zhou Zhexiao clamped down on his wrist and yanked it out from under his clothes.

“Xia Chiyi, I advise you to rein in the horse at the cliff’s edge and quit while you’re ahead.”

His voice clearly wasn’t loud, but the gaze he shot over felt like it was plummeting from the clouds, crashing straight into the depths of Xia Chiyi’s heart.

For the first time, Xia Chiyi saw conflict and restraint in Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes.

Xia Chiyi thrust his knee upward, right into Zhou Zhexiao’s side.

The guy’s muscles tensed, and Xia Chiyi’s counterattack seemed completely ineffective, like a missed layup bricking off the backboard.

“Hey, if you don’t know how to use idioms, don’t use them! ‘Reining in the horse at the cliff’s edge’ is used for people doing bad things! I didn’t commit any heinous crimes or break the law, I didn’t even commit a foul!”

Xia Chiyi raised his voice, but he felt somewhat guilty.

His probing just now did seem to cross the line.

But Zhou Zhexiao had also grabbed his ankle, iced him with a cola, and sniffed the top of his head.

They were two of a kind; neither had the right to call out the other.

Zhou Zhexiao just looked at Xia Chiyi, his gaze dark and heavy, like a boundless tide of dark water pressing down from the horizon.

Finally, Zhou Zhexiao let go of Xia Chiyi’s wrist and lifted him up.

“What are you doing? I’m not a little chick, what are you picking me up for…”

Instead of a little chick, it was more like tossing a supermarket trash bag—Zhou Zhexiao simply threw him back over to the other bed.

“Go see more of the world.”

After saying that, Zhou Zhexiao got back under the covers, turning his back to Xia Chiyi.

Except this time, it felt like an invisible wall stood between them, and Xia Chiyi suddenly didn’t know how to step over it.

“Your ‘Uncle Flo’ must be visiting!”

Just as Xia Chiyi said that, his phone started vibrating again. It was a call from Ling Huanzhen; probably about that promotional program organized by the hosts again.

He had originally wanted to sleep in the room, but with Zhou Zhexiao being so moody and inexplicable, how was he supposed to sleep? He might as well go out and film whatever program this was.

He answered the phone, “If you have matters to report, speak now; if not, court is dismissed!”

“Xia Chiyi, are you tired of living?” Ling Huanzhen’s voice carried a thick, exasperated laugh.

“My life has only just set sail.”

I haven’t even bagged the person I want to bag, nor seen that person desperately pining for me, how could I be tired of living?

Xia Chiyi glanced in Zhou Zhexiao’s direction. The guy was perfectly still. He really didn’t believe Zhou could actually fall asleep.

“That program I mentioned before, think of it as a mission. We have to understand the organizers’ intentions. To expand Division I’s influence and get more people watching the tournament, many star players have already gone to film it. You should go too. It’s not like they’re asking you to sing, dance, or perform a comedy routine; at most, they’ll just have you shoot a few hoops.”

“Didn’t you say it’s for star players? Why look for me?”

Ling Huanzhen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Xia Chiyi, what are you thinking? You are a star player now!”

“Oh…” Xia Chiyi rubbed the back of his head. “If it’s shooting hoops, why not call Li Shunchuan?”

“He has social anxiety. Also, do you really have to make me say the cruel truth out loud?”

“What truth?”

“You’re better-looking than Li Shunchuan.”

Xia Chiyi covered his eyes. This world that judges by faces is too real.

“Dress sharply. Mo Xiaojie is the host of the program.”

Ling Huanzhen’s voice broadcasted through the phone.

He didn’t know if it was an illusion, but upon hearing the three syllables “Mo Xiaojie,” Xia Chiyi saw out of the corner of his eye that Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulders seemed to tense up.

His initial reaction was like Columbus discovering the New World—Zhou Zhexiao reacted to the name Mo Xiaojie!

Moreover, even Xia Chiyi didn’t know who Mo Xiaojie was, yet Zhou Zhexiao could clearly name her. Did this mean Zhou Zhexiao had watched Mo Xiaojie’s live streams more than once, and quite appreciated her? Zhou Zhexiao’s memory was very selective; he only remembered necessary people and things, so…

Xia Chiyi immediately unlocked his phone and looked for the video app inside.

Zhou Zhexiao probably hadn’t learned how to delete his viewing history yet. Xia Chiyi scrolled from top to bottom—it was all basketball match videos. The only thing unrelated to matches was Return of the Condor Heroes, and that was from when Xia Chiyi had a fever and Zhou Zhexiao watched it while keeping him company.

Wait, Zhou Zhexiao had actually watched several different adaptations of Return of the Condor Heroes. Did he like Little Dragon Maiden that much?

I’m doomed… Xia Chiyi looked down at himself. From head to toe, whether in aura or appearance, he had absolutely nothing in common with Little Dragon Maiden.

Could it be that it was all his own one-sided delusion, and Zhou Zhexiao’s phrase “rein in the horse at the cliff’s edge” was a tactful rejection?

Does anyone have a block of tofu? I really want to grab it and smash it against my own forehead.

Ling Huanzhen sent the program’s location and the contact person’s phone number. Xia Chiyi took a deep breath to adjust his mood. Right now, he could only go film this baffling program first.

Getting too close to Zhou Zhexiao had made Xia Chiyi float away. He had said he’d take it slow, but just a little rub on his head from Zhou Zhexiao and his heart was fluttering with spring fever.

It’s really going to kill me!

---

[Author’s Note]

Xia Chiyi: Why are you throwing a tantrum at me?
Zhou Zhexiao: Scumbag.
Xia Chiyi: How am I a scumbag?
Zhou Zhexiao: You were staring at Mo Xiaojie without blinking.
Xia Chiyi: Was I looking at Mo Xiaojie? I was appreciating street dance! If Du He went up there and danced, I’d stare unblinking too!
Zhou Zhexiao: Du He is innocent. You are too much of a scumbag.
Xia Chiyi: ……