Chapter 60 The Moment You Arrived, Even the Rain Stopped

Xia Chiyi chuckled, finding it just as he had anticipated.

"You..." Zhou Rong was at a loss for words for a moment.

"With my ability, I could start immediately upon arriving at Bainbridge University; I don't need your sponsorship. You underestimate me. But given Bainbridge University's strength, they cannot provide me with enough nourishment to grow—that platform is simply too low."

Zhou Rong paused. He had never expected Zhou哲骁 to utter such words with such a calm and rational tone.

He had contacted Bainbridge University simply because he felt that the reputation of Ningchang University was a terrible waste of the money and effort he had invested in Zhou哲骁 over all these years, as if someone were throwing away a winning hand.

Bainbridge University, at least, sounded much more prestigious.

"The domestic Collegiate Basketball League may not be as glamorous as the NCAA, but I've encountered evenly matched opponents here. I want to become a sharp blade, but the NCAA's bias against Asians is about the same as your bias against me—such bias would only force me into a scabbard. I have already found the hilt of my sword here. I will climb step by step, all the way to a position you wouldn't even dare to imagine."

"A position I wouldn't dare to imagine? What position?" Zhou Rong sneered.

His son was once again slipping beyond his control.

"Then listen well. Ningchang University will win the championship of the Collegiate Basketball League, and with that glory, my partner and I will apply to elite NCAA schools—maybe Duke, maybe North Carolina. Then we'll enter the draft and join the professional basketball world. Of course, it's also possible we'll be scouted by a youth training team after the tournament, but even if that happens, I still hope to go out into the wider world with him and endure harsher tempering."

Zhou Rong looked at Zhou哲骁 as if looking at a fool. "You've lost your mind! Do you have any idea of your own weight? Do you really think that just because Ningchang University's coach has changed to Ling Huanzhen, you can become another Ling Huanzhen? Is the Collegiate Basketball League championship that easy to win? Do you know how many teams are ranked ahead of Ningchang University? Tsinghua, Southwest Jiaotong, Qincheng University, Southeast University of Mining and Technology! Any one of them could crush Ningchang University into dust!"

"I know my own weight; it's a pity you don't. By the way, we already played a scrimmage against Qincheng University this morning, and the difference was only two points."

"You... you..." Zhou Rong wanted to assert his authority as a father, but it didn't work against this version of Zhou哲骁. He couldn't even find a logical argument to refute him.

"Time's up. You should head to the airport for your flight to Shanghai," Zhou哲骁 said. "If tomorrow really is my birthday, please pay the bill on your way out."

Zhou Rong took a deep breath, stood up, and looked down at Zhou哲骁. "Fine. Let me see just how far you can get with your so-called step-by-step approach."

"Oh, let me ask—is the living expense money in my card provided by you?"

Zhou Rong frowned and sneered, "Aren't you determined to walk your own path? Do you still need me to give you living expenses?"

"Oh." Zhou哲骁 nodded knowingly. "I know who I should be filial to from now on. Mother really is the best in the world."

Zhou Rong's face turned livid. He scanned the QR code to pay the bill and strode away rapidly.

As he passed Xia Chiyi's table, the gust of cold air he stirred up almost made Xia Chiyi sneeze.

Once Zhou Rong got into the black sedan parked by the road, Zhou哲骁 patted the back of his seat. "Come over here and eat all of this."

Like a happy rabbit, Xia Chiyi brought his pretentious textbook and that cup of coffee that looked like traditional Chinese medicine over to sit opposite Zhou哲骁.

"Oh my god, you ordered all this and didn't even take a single bite?"

"Because the person sitting opposite me just now ruined my appetite."

"What about now?" Xia Chiyi picked up a fork. Today's morning match had been intense, so this was his cheat day.

The sight of these desserts made saliva flood the sides of Xia Chiyi's cheeks.

"My appetite is super good." Zhou哲骁 scooped up a spoonful of pistachio Basque cheesecake with his fork and extended it toward Xia Chiyi.

Is he feeding me?

Zhou哲骁 is actually going to feed me?

It seems the greatest joy of any unfilial son is driving his father to exasperation.

Xia Chiyi opened his mouth with some uncertainty, and Zhou哲骁 really fed it right into his mouth.

"Not used to drinking hot Americanos?" Zhou哲骁 asked again.

"Yeah, tastes like herbal medicine," Xia Chiyi replied honestly without thinking.

"Then drink this." Zhou哲骁 pushed his own cup of caramel macchiato across the table.

"Your double-sugar drink is going to send me straight to heaven."

Xia Chiyi raised his eyes and paused slightly.

Before him, Zhou哲骁 held a white porcelain coffee cup, glancing sideways out the window. His neck formed a graceful, slender line, and as he lowered his head, his bangs gently brushed against his brow. He took a leisurely, unhurried sip.

This image overlapped with a childhood memory of Xia Chiyi's, reminding him of a milk commercial starring Sheng Xingming that he had watched when he was little.

Sheng Xingming had sat by the window in the exact same way, except he was holding a transparent glass filled with pure white milk—the same posture, the same angle of lowered head, the same lazy gentleness.

The smoke of the basketball court had dispersed, their jerseys removed, their stubbornness set aside to enjoy the momentary peace granted by time. And the spot on the rim of the cup that Zhou哲骁 was gently sipping from seemed to be the exact place Xia Chiyi had just drunk from.

He was about to speak up and remind him, but thinking of Zhou哲骁's frantic bedsheet-washing session in the restroom, the guy was somewhat of a germaphobe. Xia Chiyi decided it was better not to say anything.

The lazy sunlight bathed Zhou哲骁's profile and shoulders. He possessed a maturity and composure that didn't belong to their age, making it hard for Xia Chiyi to look away.

"Is tomorrow really your birthday?" Xia Chiyi asked.

"I don't know. I don't care."

"You might not care, but do the rest of us in the dorm care or not? We at least have to treat you to a big dinner and go singing at a KTV."

"Just like how your high school monitor treated everyone?" Zhou哲骁 turned his head to look at him.

Why did he have to bring up the high school monitor again?

"For your birthday... I might as well just play basketball with you for a whole day, from the early hours of today until the early hours of tomorrow," Xia Chiyi said half-jokingly.

That way, you and I could stay together all the time.

When this thought popped into Xia Chiyi's head, it felt both amusing and slightly dangerous—could his physical stamina really hold up playing basketball with Zhou哲骁 for that long?

"That wouldn't be bad either," Zhou哲骁 said softly, adding in a very low voice, "Time passes so quickly, even you have grown up this much."

"Huh?" Xia Chiyi frowned. "You sound just like my grandfather."

"I remembered something and have to go out for a while. Once you finish eating, head back to the dorm. I might not make it back in time tomorrow."

"Where are you going? I'll go with you."

"It's someone I want to see on my own, and I might not even get to see them."

Although they had been virtually inseparable since Xia Chiyi picked Zhou哲骁 up from the airport, Xia Chiyi understood that they were still separate individuals.

Everyone had their own secrets and things they needed to do alone.

Moreover, Zhou哲骁 was certainly not a giant baby; he didn't need someone to take care of him 24/7.

"Alright, be careful on the way. Call me if you need anything." Xia Chiyi shook his wrist, reminding Zhou哲骁 to charge his smart watch.

To ensure this, Xia Chiyi even handed him a power bank.

This was Zhou哲骁's first individual, solo excursion since arriving in Ningchang. Of course, Xia Chiyi could see his entire travel route on his phone, so there was nothing to worry about.

The remaining time was spent by Xia Chiyi making up for lost sleep.

He slept deeply, waking up only at dusk when his stomach began to rumble loudly.

Fumbling for his phone to check the time, he gasped—he had actually slept until five-thirty.

Xia Chiyi opened Zhou哲骁's location tracker and was surprised to find that his current location was the high-speed railway station.

Xia Chiyi didn't ask where he was going; he simply sent him a text message: [Keep your wallet close to you when riding the train.]

Other young people kept their phones glued to their hands while traveling, storing almost all their wealth in mobile apps, but Zhou哲骁 didn't use a smartphone. He had quite a bit of cash in his wallet, yet he never took it seriously, casually stuffing it into his pocket with a corner sticking out, as if tempting thieves to covet his cash.

Before long, he heard Zhou哲骁's voice reply: [Okay.]

Xia Chiyi put on his earphones and listened to that single word several times. Although it lacked any emotional inflection, Xia Chiyi could vividly picture him sitting quietly by the train window with lowered eyes.

After finishing dinner, Xia Chiyi checked Zhou哲骁's location again. He had already arrived in Chengjiang County, but seemed to still be moving, heading toward one of the rural townships.

Across the table, Ye Chaoying smiled and tapped the tabletop. "Xia Chiyi, do you know what you look like right now? You look like a parent who can't focus on work and keeps checking the nursery's live camera feeds, terrified that their little darling might come to any harm."

Xia Chiyi also felt he was being a bit exaggerated, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Zhou Rong's appearance today had left some lingering impact on Zhou哲骁.

Even though in Xia Chiyi's mind, Zhou哲骁 was mentally resilient and strong, never easily shaken, free of internal friction, and devoid of self-doubt.

By around nine in the evening, Zhou哲骁's location stopped in Chengjiang County at what appeared to be a guesthouse or farmhouse-style lodging.

Xia Chiyi sent a message asking: [Is the place you're staying okay? Remember to lock your door tonight and stay safe.]

Zhou哲骁's voice message replied almost instantly: [Found a place to stay, but the quilts and things aren't very clean.]

Wearing his earphones, Xia Chiyi listened to that sentence over and over. He could faintly sense the grievance and unhappiness in his tone. It seemed the accommodation conditions were rather poor. Xia Chiyi found it both amusing and heart-wrenching.

[You could prepare a disposable sleeping bag next time.]

Zhou哲骁's voice reply came again: [Doesn't matter. I can't sleep anyway.]

Xia Chiyi's heart fluttered in a very subtle way, because he remembered Zhou哲骁 once saying that he could only fall asleep by listening to Xia Chiyi's sleeping breaths.

What are you thinking about, Xia Chiyi... Zhou哲骁 must be unable to sleep simply because the bedsheets aren't clean enough.

Having slept too much in the afternoon left Xia Chiyi wide awake at night. Lying in bed, he began scrolling through his phone, searching for news about Chengjiang County.

Who would have known that Chengjiang County had produced quite a few historical figures? Famous poets, outstanding ancient thinkers—they occupied at least a fifth of high school Chinese literature textbooks.

As he scrolled, Xia Chiyi froze.

Among the prominent figures from Chengjiang County was also Sheng Xingming.

As a seasoned fan of Sheng Xingming, Xia Chiyi naturally knew this, though as time passed, he hadn't deliberately kept it on his mind.

Xia Chiyi pulled up a documentary about Sheng Xingming, which mentioned his father, Sheng Mo.