Chapter 64: Wall Pin

Yang Huaiyu wore a rare look of yearning.

"Now, I think that world would be quite interesting. There are probably people like you, like Lu Yingnan, and perhaps even stronger than both of you. I want to learn to enjoy this kind of fun... without caring so much about slumps and failures. Be it your coach Li Xiaoran, or Ling Huanzhen, they have both witnessed the highest-level techniques and tactics in top-tier arenas, and I want to go and see them too."

Liu Shuchen continued to ask, "Was it Xia Chiyi? That made you change your mind?"

"Just a little bit."

Similarly, in this practice match, Liu Shuchen's performance had also stimulated Xia Chiyi.

Constantly studying, continuously simulating the head-to-head match against Liu Shuchen in his mind, caused Xia Chiyi to start talking in his sleep at night.

"Liu Shuchen... block you... massive stuff..."

Zhou Zhexiao, who was sleeping head-to-head with him, took a deep breath, reached his hand across the bedside shelf, and ruffled Xia Chiyi's head.

Xia Chiyi quieted down for about ten minutes, and then started rattling off English again.

"I’ll shoot on your face!"

Zhou Zhexiao's brow furrowed, and he said coldly, "Xia Chiyi, whose face do you want to shoot on?"

"Liu... Shuchen..." Xia Chiyi answered instinctively.

With the exact same tone, the last time Xia Chiyi had called out "Zhou Zhexiao" in his sleep.

"So, among all the stars in your ever-shifting affections, Liu Shuchen is the brightest one now?" Zhou Zhexiao asked coldly.

"Mmm... mm..." Xia Chiyi's sleep-talk gradually became muddled.

After a while, Xia Chiyi started talking trash on the court again, and even plagiarized Zhou Zhexiao.

"Hmph hmph... you're too soft..."

By this time, Zhou Zhexiao had completely lost any sleepiness. He sat up halfway, leaning against the headboard.

"Who are you shouting at?" Zhou Zhexiao asked.

"...Liu Shuchen..."

"What does it matter to you whether he's soft or not?" Zhou Zhexiao asked again.

"Whoosh—" Xia Chiyi started providing his own sound effects, probably dreaming that he was shooting a basket right over Liu Shuchen's head.

Never had any opponent exerted such an influence on Xia Chiyi, dominating his dreams and using aggressive, arrogant basketball skills to fill Xia Chiyi with the urge to fight.

It was just a practice match, and they hadn't even met face-to-face, yet Zhou Zhexiao had seen that anticipation, surprise, and admiration in Xia Chiyi's eyes countless times.

Perhaps there was even adoration.

Clearly, all of that worship used to belong to Sheng Xingming alone, but suddenly it seemed to have been transferred to someone else.

"You're a fake fan." Zhou Zhexiao propped up his pillow with one hand, reached out with the other, and pinched Xia Chiyi's nose.

"Mmph... wuwu... Zhou Zhexiao bad guy... bad guy..."

Ye Chaoying on the opposite bed had woken up at some point and let out a helpless sigh.

"Zhou Zhexiao, you're really something. He's talking in his sleep, and you're actually holding a conversation and Q&A with him?"

Zhou Zhexiao remained silent.

Fearing the world wouldn't be chaotic enough, Ye Chaoying called out, "Hey—Xia Chiyi, do you think Liu Shuchen is super handsome or what!"

Xia Chiyi smacked his lips and actually replied, "Drop-dead gorgeous..."

Ye Chaoying glanced at Zhou Zhexiao. "Hey, I support you choking him to death. You think the opponent is drop-dead gorgeous? Coach Ling won't spare him if he finds out."

"Go to sleep." Zhou Zhexiao lay back down.

Looking at the other's back, Ye Chaoying thought it was ridiculous that he could remain this calm under the circumstances. It completely wasted his midnight awakening by Xia Chiyi's sleep-talking, so naturally, he had to pour some oil on the fire.

"Hey Xia Chiyi, Xia Chiyi, is Liu Shuchen the most handsome man you've ever seen?"

"...No," Xia Chiyi mumbled in reply.

"Oh, then who is the most handsome man in your heart?"

Ye Chaoying was already prepared for the answer to be "Sheng Xingming." At the very least, as long as the most handsome man wasn't Liu Shuchen, Xia Chiyi might still be alive to speak with Zhou Zhexiao tomorrow.

"Mmm... mm-hmm..." Xia Chiyi rolled over, wrapped tightly in the quilt.

Ye Chaoying smiled and asked, "Who is it?"

"...Zhou Zhexiao."

This time, Xia Chiyi's answer was very definite.

Ye Chaoying froze. He had expected Xia Chiyi to scrape a passing grade at best, but he never thought he would answer the bonus question as well.

Simply a genius!

Zhou Zhexiao was lying on his side facing the wall; no one could see the expression on his face at that moment. He stared wide-eyed at the wall, and the moment he heard his name, it felt as though he was resting his pillow against Xia Chiyi's breathing. His usually tough heart softened in an unprecedented way.

He wanted to pull him into his embrace, crush his bones, and punish him for studying another man so intently and seriously over and over again.

Even knowing that his gaze was pure, it was scorching nonetheless.

Even knowing that what he was studying was that person's basketball technique, his heart still felt as though it was caught on barbs, itching with annoyance.

Because... that was a very charming opponent.

Yet, he couldn't bear to watch him keep studying Liu Shuchen.

That opponent's basketball skills flashed with a cold blade; the deeper one studied, the easier it was to hurt oneself, much like Yang Huaiyu back then.

Just look at me, Xia Chiyi.

I will give you all the techniques of that world, and I will not harm you by a fraction.

The next morning, when Xia Chiyi ran into Ye Chaoying after returning from morning practice, the latter said sincerely, "I know Liu Shuchen is amazing, but can you please stop studying him! You can switch to a different male lead... like Lu Yingnan?"

"Isn't he last year's interception king?" Xia Chiyi said nonchalantly. "He should be in your study plan."

Ye Chaoying patted Xia Chiyi's shoulder. "It's fine, you always manage to miraculously snatch victory from the jaws of defeat just like last night."

"Huh? What victory from the jaws of defeat?" Xia Chiyi looked bewildered.

"Remaining completely oblivious is also a kind of bliss."

For several consecutive days, Zhou Zhexiao accompanied Xia Chiyi to practice in the basketball hall.

Zhou Zhexiao used Liu Shuchen's breakthroughs and offensive moves, while Xia Chiyi practiced defense.

There were no unbreakable basketball moves in this world; it all came down to speed and variation.

Zhou Zhexiao watched the burning flame in Xia Chiyi's eyes. After perhaps a hundred rounds of playing defense against another person through him, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly turned, sat down on the sidelines, and remained completely still.

"What's wrong? Are you tired already?" Xia Chiyi tugged at his collar, sensing the low pressure radiating from Zhou Zhexiao.

"I am Zhou Zhexiao, not Liu Shuchen."

Xia Chiyi rubbed the back of his head. So this was a silent protest.

"I know." Xia Chiyi walked in front of Zhou Zhexiao, grabbing his arm to pull him toward the court. "Then play against me using Zhou Zhexiao's style! Let's keep going one-on-one!"

"No."

"Come on! Once we're done, I'll treat you to a movie." Xia Chiyi's eyes sparkled with excitement.

Zhou Zhexiao raised his eyelids. "The one starring your goddess?"

Xia Chiyi nodded.

"Then go ask Ye Chaoying to keep you company." Zhou Zhexiao turned to leave.

"That's a romance film. If I ask him to watch it, he'll start saying all sorts of weird things again. Like how Guan Yu and Zhang Fei wouldn't watch a romance movie together."

"Then you're asking me to watch it?"

"You're very quiet when you watch movies." Xia Chiyi spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

"So my only advantage is being quiet."

With that, Zhou Zhexiao actually headed into the locker room.

Xia Chiyi was completely baffled, but he knew Zhou Zhexiao wasn't willing to go to the movies with him.

Sitting in the corner of the locker room, Xia Chiyi picked up his phone and sent a message to Ling Huanzhen: [I have two tickets for "A Sprig of Bellflower", do you want to go see it with my master?]

Although two grown men going to see a romance art film was even more bizarre than two young guys like Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao going, Jia Yingfeng probably liked art films, and even if Ling Huanzhen was complained about for lacking artistic appreciation, he would tag along.

To his surprise, Ling Huanzhen replied: [Your master and I are already in the theater. Earnest advice: don't come. Even the sex scenes are filmed so sleep-independently boring that they make people want to doze off.]

This answer was profoundly, quintessentially Ling Huanzhen.

Xia Chiyi had no choice but to ask Liang Qin from the student union instead. Surely a girl would like art films, right? [I'll send you two tickets for "A Sprig of Bellflower", do you want to go watch it with your friend?]

Liang Qin sent back a crying face: [I bought tickets too, half an hour earlier than yours. My best friend is already waiting for me.]

Xia Chiyi had to switch to someone else to give the tickets to. He held down the voice message button and said, "Class Monitor, have you seen that movie 'A Sprig of Bellflower'?"

Before the voice message could be sent, Zhou Zhexiao's voice sounded right beside his ear: "Which class monitor? High school or university?"

Xia Chiyi gasped. "How do you always appear and disappear like a ghost? University, of course!"

"I'll go with you," Zhou Zhexiao answered.

"Watch what?"

"A Sprig of Bellflower."

"Why didn't you say so earlier? I just asked the class monitor..."

Zhou Zhexiao turned his head slightly, looked straight into Xia Chiyi's eyes, and said, "You only asked her if she had seen it, you didn't say you were inviting her."

"..."

What you're saying makes so much sense that I am completely powerless to refute it.

Xia Chiyi hurriedly recalled his WeChat message. Half a minute later, the class monitor's delayed message arrived: [What did you send? Why did you recall it?]

Xia Chiyi could only claim he sent the message to the wrong person.

The cinema was nearby—a small theater mostly frequented by students from neighboring universities.

Zhou Zhexiao stood in front of the cinema ticket counter, looking at the popcorn on display.

Xia Chiyi had long understood Zhou Zhexiao's habit: when he liked something, he wouldn't say a word, just stand there silently and stare at it.

As if by looking at it a little longer, it would somehow become his.

Xia Chiyi walked up to his side and said softly, "It's not good."

"Huh?"

The theater lobby was bustling with noise and excitement. Zhou Zhexiao hadn't caught what Xia Chiyi said, so he leaned in toward him, bringing his ear close to Xia Chiyi's lips.

"I said, the popcorn here isn't good. Because it doesn't sell well, it gets stale and soggy very easily, and there's very little milky fragrance or caramel."

"Mmm." Only then did Zhou Zhexiao straighten his back.

A familiar crunching sound came from behind. Xia Chiyi turned his head and saw Pang Shaoting holding a bag of potato chips, eating while looking at them.

Standing right beside Pang Shaoting was Ye Chaoying, with his eyebrows hiked way up.

Ye Chaoying immediately adopted an interrogation tone: "This is our shared goddess, right? Why did you bring Zhou Zhexiao to see it?"

Xia Chiyi chuckled. "Heh, yeah, she's our shared goddess, why did you bring Pang Shaoting to see it?"

"Because I didn't know your training schedule," Ye Chaoying came up with a random excuse on the spot.

Clearly, he just wanted to freeload off Pang Shaoting's popcorn and potato chips.