Chapter 9

"You've been doing pretty well lately, haven't you?" After another day of training, the captain walked up to Lu Bai and asked him mysteriously, "Are you hoping to shine during the competition and use that opportunity to find a partner?"

"No." Lu Bai quickly packed up his things and threw them over his shoulder. "I'm not such a superficial person, Captain."

"You've become a completely different person lately." The captain leaned against the cabinet door. "Speaking of which, it reminds me. On the day of the competition, why not invite the students in your class who have nothing to do to watch the game? There are usually not many people watching these kinds of events in our school."

"It's no use talking to me about this." Lu Bai said.

"Then talk to the person in your class who's good at talking to you. Tell them to help me find a solution." The captain looked embarrassed. "You don't want to play in the game by yourself, and there's no one to cheer you on or give you water."

When Lu Bai heard this, he shook his head mysteriously.

"I'll go talk to our squad leader and ask him to give me some spectators." He waved his phone at the captain. "As for me, I don't have to go out of my way to look for them. There are people who will come to cheer me up and give me water."

"I'll go find someone else to switch." During evening study, Zhang Xiaotian whispered to Lu Bai while doing his homework, "Just think of it as me going to watch you play in his place. The next time there's an event and it's my turn, he'll go in my place."

"That's great." Lu Bai nodded.

After writing the last period, Zhang Xiaotian stopped writing and asked, "Is this game important? I see you've been busy training lately."

"It's not that important." Lu Bai took Zhang Xiaotian's homework, opened the notebook and was about to copy it, but when he heard this, he stopped copying the homework and leaned his head on Zhang Xiaotian's shoulder like a boneless person.

"Why are you asking me this? You missed me, didn't you? I was training recently and I didn't pick you up?" Lu Bai rubbed Zhang Xiaotian's face with his hair. "Why are you so inseparable from me?"

"Stop it." Zhang Xiaotian pushed his furry head away.

Lu Bai had indeed been spending less time alone with him lately, but the less time they had, the more desperate Lu Bai felt to recoup their losses, wishing he could tie his arms and legs to hers. Zhang Xiaotian enjoyed it somewhat, but he feared he would one day become accustomed to such frequent physical contact.

"Xu Yan and Zhou Bin both said they would come to support you." Zhang Xiaotian stuffed the pen into Lu Bai's hand and told him to do his homework honestly.

"Were they also exchanged with others?" Lu Bai asked.

"I don't know. Anyway, there are no classes during that time, so they can go if they want."

"Then why did you switch with others?" Lu Bai asked again.

"This means I don't have to attend one event," Zhang Xiaotian said. "If I have the time, I might as well find a part-time job with a high hourly wage."

Lu Bai didn't say anything for a long time after listening.

After a while, Zhang Xiaotian felt the hairy head approaching again. He wanted to reach out and pull it away, but he heard Lu Bai's muffled voice: "Classmate."

"Hmm?" Zhang Xiaotian paused.

"Don't work too hard." Lu Bai said, "I'm here."

Zhang Xiaotian looked at Lu Bai leaning on his shoulder, not knowing what to say. Lu Bai was always so sincere and kind to his friends, and he had always known this about Lu Bai. He had wanted to push his hand away, but now he couldn't. Zhang Xiaotian opened his mouth and closed it again, saying only one sentence: "Don't be so cheesy."

On the day of the competition, Zhou Bin brought his girlfriend along. The girl, wearing a mask, briefly greeted Zhang Xiaotian and Xu Yan before sitting quietly to the side while Zhou Bin busied himself with holding an umbrella and unscrewing bottle caps.

"Binzi said his girlfriend is a year older than us." Xu Yan came over and said to Zhang Xiaotian.

"From our college?" Zhang Xiaotian also looked over at Zhou Bin. He had originally wondered what kind of girlfriend Zhou Bin, with his eccentric personality, would have. Now it seemed the two of them, one active and the other quiet, were quite a good match.

What would it be like if Lu Bai had a girlfriend one day?

Zhang Xiaotian looked back at Lu Bai, who was preparing on the court. Most of the group activities at the medical school were pretty frivolous; none of the teams had uniforms. Lu Bai was wearing ordinary sportswear, his muscles faintly visible beneath his dark blue jersey, making him stand out from the crowd.

"You said Lu Bai seemed quite popular, but there wasn't any movement," Xu Yan said. "He just kept pestering you all day long."

When he has someone he likes, he will naturally stop bothering me. Zhang Xiaotian thought to himself, feeling his mouth dry and bitter. He unscrewed the water beside him, took a few sips, choked, and coughed, covering his mouth.

"Look at you, drink slowly." Xu Yan quickly patted him on the back.

"It's okay." Zhang Xiaotian's face flushed from coughing, and it took him a long time to stop. "Xu Ma, you're so thoughtful."

"Don't try to imitate Binzi." Xu Yan said, "Drink some more water and relax."

"Are you okay?" Lu Bai ran over when he saw Zhang Xiaotian coughing.

"It's okay." Zhang Xiaotian coughed a few more times before stopping. He looked up and asked him, "When does the game start?"

"Five more minutes." Lu Bai walked beside him for a few steps, then picked up the water beside him and took a few gulps.

"Hey! Here's what I bought for you!" Zhang Xiaotian was caught off guard. "Why do you have to drink something I've already had?"

"Why, you still dislike me, Tian'er?" Lu Bai exaggeratedly covered his chest with his hands. "You've forgotten the friendship we've had as deskmates for a whole year so quickly? You're such a heartless man!"

"You are so unruly. Go back now." Zhang Xiaotian held his forehead and waved his hand to send him back to the team.

"So clingy." Xu Yan sighed as he looked at Lu Bai's back. "He's watching so closely, like he's watching his own wife."

"Even you're making fun of me." Zhang Xiaotian was speechless. Xu Yan smiled but said nothing.

Zhang Xiaotian had never seen Lu Bai play before. He didn't know much about the rules of basketball, and he didn't often follow sports, but that didn't stop him from being drawn to Lu Bai on the court.

The basketball seemed firmly under Lu Bai's control, nimbly catching and passing it, before being hurled into the basket amidst a wave of applause and screams. Zhang Xiaotian had seen many childish Lu Bais, but this serious and charming Lu Bai was new. After another goal, Lu Bai lifted his shirt to wipe his sweat, and the screams of girls echoed from the stands.

"It's showing its tail." Xu Yan exclaimed in amazement, bumping his shoulder against Zhang Xiaotian. "Who do you think he's showing this to?"

Zhang Xiaotian was puzzled. "Isn't it just wiping the sweat off my face?"

"Didn't you notice he was showing off just now?" Xu Yan said, "Oh, that's really frustrating."

Zhang Xiaotian was puzzled. He looked back at Lu Bai on the court. His arms were sleek as he passed the ball, and his forehead was smooth as he wiped his sweat. Even just running back and forth on the court, he looked different than usual. Zhang Xiaotian had known Lu Bai was popular before, but only now had he truly felt it.

"There are more than just students from the School of Medicine and Chemical Engineering in the stands around here. Lu Bai will have a lot to do soon," Xu Yan said, hinting at something. "But don't feel lonely, Xiaotian. If Lu Bai is looking for someone, I'm a single guy in our dorm to keep you company."

Zhang Xiaotian laughed with Xu Yan for a while, and when he looked at Lu Bai again, he felt a little more sad.

Maybe I should be busier so that I don’t have time to think about other things, so that I won’t be sad in the future.

After the match, Zhang Xiaotian felt uneasy, and Lu Bai didn't look particularly pleased either. The team was a mixed bag, and due to heavy schoolwork and little practice time, their coordination wasn't up to par. Although everyone tried their best, and even seemed to use a bit more force when passing the ball, they still couldn't turn the tide. Fortunately, even though they ultimately lost, the Medical School played with such a strong spirit that the loss wasn't a disgrace. After leaving the court, Lu Bai didn't bother to talk to his teammates and headed straight for Zhang Xiaotian, but was stopped by the crowd of onlookers, both men and women.

"See, I told you he's busy." Xu Yan had a look of "as expected," and he didn't forget to nudge Zhang Xiaotian next to him with his shoulder. Zhang Xiaotian held the water bottle, his mind blank.

"Was he this popular in high school?"

High school? During that short yet long year, Zhang Xiaotian's eyes were almost always on this person, and he didn't notice how many people around him had the same expectations of him.

"Maybe." Zhang Xiaotian murmured, "I don't remember."

"Tsk." Xu Yan glanced at Zhang Xiaotian who was lost in thought. "It's really worrying."

Anxious? What was there for Xu Yan to be anxious about?

Zhang Xiaotian could no longer taste the bitterness or sadness, and was only wondering when he would be able to truly accept and let go.

He was still in a daze when he heard Xu Yan calling him.

"Lu Bai is out."

Zhang Xiaotian came back to his senses and looked over. Lu Bai was still steaming, and he walked quickly, reaching the two of them in a few steps. Zhang Xiaotian looked at him, wanting to say something, but somehow he couldn't. Lu Bai didn't say anything either, and neither of them spoke first.

"I'm not going to evening study today. Zhou Bin is out on a date with a senior. I'm going back to the dorm. Do you two want to join me?" Xu Yan asked. No one objected, and the three of them walked toward the dorm together. Xu Yan and Zhang Xiaotian walked side by side, while Lu Bai walked a little slower behind.

"Zhou Bin asked me to take his stuff back. I'll go back and look for him," Xu Yan said, checking his phone and motioning for them to go ahead. Zhang Xiaotian wanted to follow him, but Lu Bai got there first. The two of them stood at the gym entrance, like they were being punished.

"You guys haven't known each other for long, and you don't often play together. It's not shameful to lose." Zhang Xiaotian hesitated for a while, thinking that Lu Bai was unhappy because he lost the game, so he started to comfort him.

"I lost, so I lost. I don't care." Lu Bai rubbed his hair irritably. "When I was playing basketball, you didn't even look at me. You kept talking to Xu Yan."

Zhang Xiaotian didn't think that was why he was angry. "I didn't ignore you. We just exchanged a few words occasionally. Did you see all this?"

"You two...you've been talking the whole time." Lu Bai hesitated, looking aggrieved, "You don't talk so much when you're with me."

Zhang Xiaotian found his expression both amusing and helpless. "Xu Yan, we spend every day together. Isn't it normal for me to have something to say to him?"

"So what did you two say just now?" Lu Bai insisted.

"We both said that Zhou Bin and that senior student were a good match," Zhang Xiaotian said. "We both also wondered when you'd start dating."

"I'm not dating." Lu Bai interrupted him abruptly.

"I didn't say you would definitely date me." Zhang Xiaotian sighed and added, "But wouldn't it be nice to have a chance to date me? I saw someone asking for your WeChat today."

"What about you? Would you ever fall in love?" Lu Bai suddenly asked him. "If you were in a relationship, would you always be with your partner?"

"Why are you suddenly dragging me into this?" Zhang Xiaotian was already in a bad mood, and now he was a little angry. "Lu Bai, you've been acting strangely since a while ago. What are you upset about?"

"You have so many people around you now, Zhang Xiaotian. Xu Yan, Zhou Bin. You are nice to everyone, but you promised me that you would be the best with me." Lu Bai reached out and grabbed Zhang Xiaotian tightly, "Zhang Xiaotian, don't be so nice to others, and don't fall in love."

"What's going on here?" Zhang Xiaotian tried to shake him off, but Lu Bai's grip was too tight. "Let me go, Lu Bai! My hand hurts!"

"Promise me you won't fall in love!" Lu Bai stubbornly refused to let go.

"I promise you, let go quickly, or your blood won't recover!" Zhang Xiaotian couldn't help but shouted at him.

But Lu Bai acted as if he didn't hear anything. "You don't keep your word. I don't believe you."

"When did I break my promise?" Zhang Xiaotian asked him.

"In our second year of high school, we agreed to take the college entrance examination together. Why did you transfer to another school without saying a word?" Lu Bai suddenly said loudly.

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaotian was stunned.

Lu Bai seemed to have been suppressed for too long, and suddenly a breakthrough came. His voice became much hoarser: "What exactly did you mean by those questions you asked me before you left? Zhang Xiaotian, why did you leave without saying goodbye and without even leaving me your contact information? What did I say wrong?"

He didn't forget!

Zhang Xiaotian had a splitting headache due to his questioning, and in a trance he heard the shrill bell of No. 4 Middle School.