CY – Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

“Your momentum lately has been pretty good, huh?” After another training session ended, the captain walked up to Lu Bai and asked him mysteriously, “Don’t tell me you’re planning to make a big splash in the competition and use it as an opportunity to find a girlfriend?”

“No,” Lu Bai quickly packed his things and slung them over his shoulder. “I’m not that superficial, Captain.”

“Then you’ve been like a different person recently.” The captain leaned against a locker door. “Speaking of which, I just remembered, on the day of the competition, ask the classmates who are free to come watch, okay? Our department’s events always have few spectators.”

“It’s no use telling me about this,” Lu Bai said.

“Then tell someone in your class who can get things done. In short, help me figure something out.” The captain looked troubled. “You don’t want to be on the court yourself with no one cheering you on or handing you water, do you?”

Hearing this, Lu Bai shook his head mysteriously.

“I’ll go tell our class monitor and ask him to get a few spectators.” He showed the captain his phone. “As for me, I don’t need to look specifically. There will be people who come specifically to cheer me on and hand me water.”

“I swapped with someone else,” Zhang Xiaotian said softly to Lu Bai during evening study. “Consider it me going to watch you play for him. Next time there’s an event with my student ID number, he’ll go for me.”

“That sounds great,” Lu Bai nodded.

After writing the final period, Zhang Xiaotian stopped writing and asked, “Is this competition very important? I see you’ve been busy training lately.”

“It’s not that important.” Lu Bai took Zhang Xiaotian’s homework and opened the notebook, about to copy it. Hearing this, he stopped copying. He leaned his head onto Zhang Xiaotian’s shoulder like a boneless creature.

“Why are you asking me? Don’t tell me you miss me because I haven’t picked you up recently due to training?” Lu Bai rubbed Zhang Xiaotian’s face with his hair. “How can you be so clingy?”

“Stop messing around,” Zhang Xiaotian pushed away his fluffy head.

Lu Bai had indeed been spending less time alone with him lately, but the less time they had, the more he seemed to want to make up for it whenever they were alone, as if he wanted to tie Zhang Xiaotian’s arms and legs to himself. Zhang Xiaotian enjoyed it to some extent but was afraid he would one day get used to such frequent physical contact.

“Xu Yan and Zhou Bin both said they’d come to support you,” Zhang Xiaotian put the pen into Lu Bai’s hand, telling him to obediently do his homework.

“Did they swap with someone too?” Lu Bai asked.

“I don’t know. Anyway, they don’t have classes then, so if they want to go, they can.”

“Then why did you swap?” Lu Bai asked again.

“It’s just missing out on one event,” Zhang Xiaotian said. “If I have time, I might as well find a high-paying part-time job.”

Lu Bai was silent for a long time after hearing this.

After a while, Zhang Xiaotian felt that fluffy head press against him again. He was about to push it away when he heard Lu Bai’s muffled voice, “Deskmate.”

“Hmm?” Zhang Xiaotian’s hand movement paused.

“Don’t work too hard,” Lu Bai said. “I’m still here.”

Zhang Xiaotian looked at Lu Bai leaning on his shoulder, unsure of what to say. Lu Bai was always so wholeheartedly good to his friends; he had always known this about him. The hand that was about to push him away now couldn’t move at all. Zhang Xiaotian opened his mouth, then closed it, only saying, “Don’t be so cheesy.”

On the day of the competition, Zhou Bin even brought his girlfriend. The girl wore a mask, and after a brief greeting to Zhang Xiaotian and Xu Yan, she sat quietly to the side. Zhou Bin was busy fanning her, opening her bottle caps, and so on.

“Binzi said his girlfriend is a year older than us,” Xu Yan leaned over and said to Zhang Xiaotian.

“Is she from our department?” Zhang Xiaotian also looked towards Zhou Bin. He had wondered what Zhou Bin’s girlfriend would be like, given his outgoing personality. Now, it seemed the two, one dynamic and one quiet, were quite a match.

If Lu Bai had a girlfriend someday, what would she be like?

Zhang Xiaotian looked at Lu Bai, who was preparing on the court. Most of the collective activities in the School of Medicine were rather casual; there wasn’t even a unified uniform for the departmental team. Lu Bai was wearing ordinary sportswear. Under his dark blue jersey, faint muscle lines could be seen, making him stand out from the crowd.

“You’d think Lu Bai would be popular, but there’s no movement from him,” Xu Yan said. “He just clings to you all day.”

When he finds someone he likes, he won’t cling to me anymore, Zhang Xiaotian thought, feeling his mouth dry and bitter. He twisted open the water bottle beside him, and after a few sips, he choked, covering his mouth and coughing.

“See? Drink slowly,” Xu Yan quickly patted his back.

“It’s okay,” Zhang Xiaotian’s face was red from coughing, and it took him a while to stop. “Auntie Xu, you’re so thoughtful.”

“Don’t learn from Binzi,” Xu Yan said. “Have another sip of water to calm down.”

“Are you okay?” Lu Bai saw Zhang Xiaotian coughing and ran over.

“I’m fine now.” Zhang Xiaotian coughed a few more times before stopping. He looked up and asked him, “When does the game start?”

“Five minutes,” Lu Bai ambled a few steps beside him, then picked up the water bottle beside him and took several gulps.

“Hey! The one I bought for you is here!” Zhang Xiaotian was caught off guard. “Why are you drinking mine?”

“What, you dislike me, Tian’er?” Lu Bai exaggeratedly clutched his chest. “Have you already forgotten our year of being deskmates? You heartless man!”

“Stop fooling around, go back quickly.” Zhang Xiaotian held his forehead and waved him back to the team.

“He’s so clingy,” Xu Yan sighed, watching Lu Bai’s retreating back. “He’s watching so closely, like he’s watching his own wife.”

“Even you are making fun of me.” Zhang Xiaotian was speechless. Xu Yan smiled without saying anything.

Zhang Xiaotian had never seen Lu Bai play basketball before. He didn’t understand the rules of basketball well and didn’t pay much attention to sports, but that didn’t stop him from being captivated by Lu Bai on the court.

The basketball seemed to be firmly controlled by Lu Bai. It was skillfully caught and passed in his hands, and then, amidst waves of applause and cheers, it was thrown into the basket. Zhang Xiaotian had seen the childish side of Lu Bai many times, but this serious and charming Lu Bai was something he saw for the first time. With another score, Lu Bai lifted his jersey to wipe off sweat, and screams erupted from the stands.

“He’s really showing off now,” Xu Yan clicked his tongue in amazement and nudged Zhang Xiaotian with his shoulder. “Who do you think he’s doing this for?”

Zhang Xiaotian was confused. “He’s just wiping sweat, isn’t he?”

“Didn’t you see him deliberately showing off just now?” Xu Yan said. “Oh, it’s really making me anxious.”

Zhang Xiaotian didn’t understand. He looked at Lu Bai on the court again. The passing movements made the lines of his arms look fluid. When he raised his hand to wipe his sweat, his clear forehead was exposed. Even his simple back-and-forth running on the court looked very different from his usual self. Zhang Xiaotian had known Lu Bai was popular before, but he only truly felt it at this moment.

“There are students from more than just the School of Medicine and School of Chemical Engineering in the stands. Lu Bai is going to be busy later,” Xu Yan said meaningfully. “But don’t feel lonely, Xiaotian. If Lu Bai gets a girlfriend, you’ll still have me, a single dog, to keep you company.”

Zhang Xiaotian laughed with Xu Yan for a while, and when he looked at Lu Bai again, a hint of melancholy crept into his heart.

Perhaps he should be busier, so busy that he wouldn’t have time to think about other things, and then he wouldn’t be sad in the future.

After the game, Zhang Xiaotian felt uncomfortable, and Lu Bai didn’t seem particularly happy either. The team members were of mixed quality, and because of their heavy coursework and limited training time, their coordination was lacking. Although everyone tried their best, passing the ball with extra effort, they still couldn’t turn the tide. Fortunately, although the School of Medicine lost the game in the end, they played with great spirit, and the defeat wasn’t too embarrassing. After leaving the court, Lu Bai, without stopping to talk to his teammates, headed straight towards Zhang Xiaotian, but he was blocked by many men and women who had gathered around.

“See? I told you he’d be busy,” Xu Yan said with an expression of “as expected,” and he didn’t forget to nudge Zhang Xiaotian beside him with his shoulder. Zhang Xiaotian held his water bottle, his mind a blank slate.

“Was he this popular in high school too?”

High school? In that brief yet long year, Zhang Xiaotian’s gaze had been almost entirely fixed on this person, and he hadn’t noticed how many people around him held the same expectations for him.

“Maybe,” Zhang Xiaotian murmured. “I don’t remember.”

“Tsk,” Xu Yan glanced at the dazed Zhang Xiaotian. “It’s really making me anxious.”

Anxious? What was Xu Yan anxious about?

Zhang Xiaotian could no longer distinguish between bitterness and sadness. He only thought about when he would truly be able to accept and let go.

While he was still in a daze, he heard Xu Yan call him.

“Lu Bai’s coming out.”

Zhang Xiaotian snapped back to attention and looked over. Lu Bai was still steaming, walking quickly. He reached them in a few steps. Zhang Xiaotian looked at him, wanting to say something, but for some reason, he couldn’t speak. Lu Bai also remained silent. Neither of them spoke first.

“There’s no evening study tonight. Zhou Bin is out on a date with a senior. I’m going back to the dorm. Are you two coming?” Xu Yan asked. Neither of them objected, and the three of them walked towards the dorm together. Xu Yan and Zhang Xiaotian walked side by side, with Lu Bai slightly behind them.

“Zhou Bin asked me to bring his things back, so I’m going to find him,” Xu Yan said after looking at his phone, gesturing for them to go ahead. Zhang Xiaotian wanted to follow him, but Lu Bai stepped up to his side first. The two of them stood at the entrance of the gymnasium like they were being punished.

“You guys on the team haven’t known each other for long, and you don’t play together often. Losing isn’t something to be ashamed of,” Zhang Xiaotian said after hesitating for a moment, thinking Lu Bai was unhappy because they lost the game.

“We lost, and I don’t care,” Lu Bai said, rubbing his hair irritably. “When I was playing, you weren’t watching me; you were talking to Xu Yan the whole time.”

Zhang Xiaotian hadn’t expected him to be angry about this. “I wasn’t not watching you. We only talked a few times occasionally, and you saw that?”

“You two… you were clearly talking the whole time,” Lu Bai said, hesitating and looking wronged. “You don’t talk that much when you’re with me.”

Zhang Xiaotian found his expression both amusing and helpless. “Xu Yan and I have been together day and night. Isn’t it normal for me to have things to say to him?”

“Then what were you two talking about just now?” Lu Bai persisted.

“We were talking about how well-matched Zhou Bin and that senior are,” Zhang Xiaotian said. “We were also guessing when you’ll start dating too.”

“I’m not dating anyone,” Lu Bai interrupted him very stiffly.

“I didn’t say you definitely will,” Zhang Xiaotian sighed, and then said, “But wouldn’t it be good to have a relationship if you have the chance? I saw people asking for your WeChat today too.”

“What about you? Will you date someone?” Lu Bai suddenly asked him. “If you start dating, will you always be with your partner?”

“Why are you suddenly bringing me into this?” Zhang Xiaotian was already in a bad mood, and he was a little angry now. “Lu Bai, you’ve been acting strange since just now. What are you unhappy about?”

“You have so many people around you now, Zhang Xiaotian. Xu Yan, Zhou Bin, you’re good to everyone, but you promised me you’d be the best to me.” Lu Bai reached out and tightly grabbed Zhang Xiaotian’s arm. “Zhang Xiaotian, don’t be so good to others, and don’t start dating.”

“What is this all about?” Zhang Xiaotian tried to shake him off, but Lu Bai was holding on too tightly. “Let go of me, Lu Bai, my hand hurts!”

“You promised me you wouldn’t date!” Lu Bai stubbornly refused to let go.

“I promise, okay? Let go, my blood is going to stop flowing!” Zhang Xiaotian couldn’t help but yell at him.

But Lu Bai acted as if he hadn’t heard. “You don’t keep your word. I don’t believe you.”

“When did I not keep my word?” Zhang Xiaotian asked him.

“In the second year of high school, you said we would take the college entrance exam together. Why did you transfer schools without telling me?” Lu Bai suddenly said loudly.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaotian froze.

Lu Bai seemed to have been suppressing it for too long, and suddenly found an outlet. His voice became hoarse. “What did those questions you asked me before you left mean? Zhang Xiaotian, why did you leave without saying goodbye, not even leaving me your contact information? What did I do wrong?”

He actually remembered!

Under his questioning, Zhang Xiaotian’s head ached terribly. In a daze, he heard the jarring sound of the school bell from Fourth High School.