How lonely

The two leaned against the roots of the banyan tree for a while, neither of them speaking. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, warming her shoulders. Lin Xiyan squinted slightly, feeling the long-lost, lazy warmth, and her tense nerves gradually relaxed. Jiang Yibai's presence was too strong beside her. Even though he didn't speak, just sitting there quietly, he was like a magnet, firmly attracting Lin Xiyan's attention.

He stole a glance at Jiang Yibai from the corner of his eye. He leaned against a thick tree trunk, his eyes closed, his Adam's apple rising and falling slightly with his breathing. The lines of his face seemed slightly softer in the mottled light and shadow. The hand that had just tightly grasped his wrist now rested casually on his bent knee, its fingers long and slender, their joints distinct.

Lin Xiyan's heartbeat was still a little rapid, and the skin around his wrist was still faintly hot. His mind was replaying the previous conversation chaotically—"The definition of love," "The answer might be right here"... Every word was like a stone dropped into the center of a lake, spreading ripples he had never experienced before.

Just as he was lost in thought and almost fell asleep due to the warm sun and the breath of the people around him, a burst of loud shouting came from far away.

"Brother Jiang! Jiang Yibai! What are you doing here?"

Lu Panji rushed over like a cannonball, sweat dripping from his forehead, the basketball spinning between his fingertips. "I've been looking for you for ages! We're short one, hurry up! I'm waiting over there!"

Jiang Yibai didn't even raise his eyelids, and hummed lazily: "No."

"Don't, brother!" Lu Panji grabbed his arm directly, "We agreed that you can't forget your friends for the sake of beauty... Ouch!" Jiang Yibai impatiently shook his hand away.

"Noisy." Jiang Yibai finally opened his eyes. There was no emotion in his purple pupils, but Lu Panji subconsciously shrank his neck.

"You're the only one missing," Lu Panji said in a lower voice, but he still didn't give up. He glanced at Lin Xiyan, who was as quiet as if he didn't exist, and lowered his voice, "...What are you doing here?"

"Soak in the sun." Jiang Yibai said concisely and closed his eyes again, clearly refusing to be disturbed.

Lu Panji looked at this, then that, scratching his head. The court was still urging him to play, so he had no choice but to pull Jiang Yibai back: "Come on, let's go, just play for a while! Why are you basking in the sun? You're like an old man..."

Jiang Yibai was so annoyed by him that his brows knitted together. He turned his head and glanced at Lin Xiyan beside him.

The moment he looked at her, Lin Xiyan lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously scratching the bark, like a little animal afraid of being driven away.

Jiang Yibai's impatience was instantly replaced by something else. He really didn't want to move, he just wanted to stay put, and it would be best if this PE class never ended. But Lu Panji was clearly not going to give up.

He tutted his words and finally stood up slowly. His movement brought a breeze that ruffled Lin Xiyan's hair.

Lin Xiyan raised her head and her eyes followed him subconsciously.

"Wait here." Jiang Yibai looked at him with his eyes downcast. His voice was not loud, but it carried a natural and unquestionable meaning. "Don't run around."

Lin Xiyan nodded blankly.

Jiang Yibai then turned around and followed Lu Panji, who kept looking back, towards the court. He took long steps, but deliberately slowed down his pace.

Halfway through the walk, Lu Panji couldn't help but come over and wink: "Brother Jiang, you and Lin Xiyan just now... when did you two become so familiar with each other? You even... you even touched her head?" He just saw that before Jiang Yibai stood up, his fingers seemed to touch the tip of Lin Xiyan's hair very quickly!

Jiang Yibai glanced at him sideways, neither admitting nor denying, and said coldly: "Shut up. Play ball."

"Oh..." Lu Panji shivered at the chill of his gaze and didn't dare to ask any more questions, but her heart was filled with curiosity like a cat scratching.

Many people were already waiting on the court, and when they saw Jiang Yibai coming, they all greeted him. Jiang Yibai blended in with them, taking the basketball thrown to him and patting it twice, his movements smooth and natural.

The game begins. Running, jumping, stealing, passing. Sweat quickly seeps out, and sneakers scrape against the ground with a sharp sound. From the sidelines, girls quietly scream and cheer.

Jiang Yibai was playing absent-mindedly.

While shooting, my eyes would subconsciously glance towards the giant banyan tree on the south side of the playground. Across half the playground, I could only see a blurry figure, a tiny dot, sitting quietly beneath the tree.

My wife is so good. A thought popped up without warning, like a stone dropped into the lake of my heart, sending out tiny ripples with a thud. She waited, and so she waited, without moving.

The ball was passed to him, but he lost focus and was almost intercepted by the opponent. Lu Panji shouted from the side: "Brother Jiang! Watch the ball!"

Jiang Yibai withdrew his gaze, dribbled past the opponent, jumped, pressed his wrist, and the basketball drew an arc and went into the net.

"nice shot!"

Cheers rang out, but he felt nothing, his mind still on the shadow under the banyan tree.

She's so thin, sitting there like a little mushroom. A bit of sun would be good, her face would look rosier. He thought, "My wrist is still too thin after I pinched it just now. I need to nourish it."

The opponent attacked and he defended, but his eyes involuntarily drifted in that direction.

I wonder what he's thinking, all by himself? Is he dwelling on something else? Those words I just said...were they too blunt? Did they scare him?

"Brother Jiang! Guard him!" His teammates' shouts pulled him back. He took a step forward, extended his arms, and blocked the opponent's shot. The ball didn't go in.

Grabbing the rebound and quickly counterattacking, he dribbled the ball through the air, the wind whistling past his ears.

Probably not. His ears turned red, but he didn't hide. Jiang Yibai thought of Lin Xiyan's stunned and shy look at that time, and couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth very slightly. Quite cute.

"Pass the ball!" Lu Panji waved in the open space.

Jiang Yibai flicked his wrist and passed the ball accurately. Lu Panji scored the shot.

"Handsome Brother Jiang!" Lu Panji ran over and wanted to high-five him.

Jiang Yibai patted the camera perfunctorily and his eyes drifted away again.

I really want to go back. The thought is getting stronger and stronger. What's the point of playing ball? It's boring. I might as well go back and tease him. Seeing him blush is much more interesting than scoring a goal.

My wife is sitting there alone, feeling so lonely.

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't stay. He felt like a jerk of a pet owner who left it alone.

Another round ended. The score was a bit too close. Jiang Yibai took a breath, sweat dripping down his jawline. He raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his eyes fixed on the figure under the banyan tree.

No more fighting.

He made up his mind and threw the ball to the people next to him: "You guys play, I'll take a break."

"Ah? How long has Brother Jiang been fighting?" Lu Panji wailed.

Jiang Yibai ignored him and turned around to leave. His pace was much faster than when he came, and he almost couldn't wait to walk in that direction.

He walked through the bustling playground, the noise and clatter of balls colliding becoming a blur in the background. His goal was crystal clear—the banyan tree, and the person quietly waiting for him beneath it.

Hurry up, he thought, don't let my wife wait anxiously.