Chapter 19 How about I confess my feelings?

Anhui University boasts the nation's top quantitative research center, but it advocates that "people shine because they cannot be quantified," and respects students to the greatest extent possible. Ji Tong's leave application for "staying away from home for a month" went through several procedures, but it was approved smoothly.

Ji Tong has been in a good mood this week.

The sky finally cleared up in dormitory 411, and Li Yuan and his friends even ate two extra bowls of rice.

Friday arrived in the blink of an eye.

Ji Tong was huddled on the edge of the bed doing a jigsaw puzzle when her phone received several messages in a row.

[Li Yuan: @JT]

[Li Yuan: Calling, calling.]

[Li Yuan: The student union is organizing a recreational basketball game tonight at 7:30 PM in the gymnasium. The information is reliable. Come quickly. Over, over.]

[JT: photo.jpg]

[JT: Doing a jigsaw puzzle.]

[JT: We can't go there. We're sorry for the inconvenience. How about we compensate you 0 yuan?]

[Li Yuan: ?]

Almost the instant Li Yuan uttered the question mark.

Ji Tong's phone received more than a dozen WeChat messages at the same time.

Tu Jing's group, Duan Pei's group, and various student union groups were all talking about the basketball game.

Before Ji Tong could even look at it, Tu Jing had already sent him a video.

Ji Tong propped his phone up on the stand in front of him and answered the call.

"The game starts at 7:30. Just a friendly reminder, you still have an hour, Ji Tong," Tu Jing said.

Ji Tong tugged at the collar of her pajamas in front of the camera, indicating that she had already taken a shower and didn't really want to go out.

Tu Jing: "We're short-staffed."

How could the student union be short of people for a ball game?

It sounded like a scam, so Ji Tong lowered her head and continued working on the puzzle.

Tu Jing sighed, "They're getting harder and harder to fool. Fine, fine, I'll tell you the truth. Lao Qi and the others want to see Gu Lin."

Ji Tong paused in her jigsaw puzzle work, looking wary: "Why are you looking at Gu Lin?"

Tu Jing: "What else could you be doing? You've disappeared as soon as get out of class is over for the past two weeks. Can't we at least let them be curious?"

Ji Tong: "No, there's no sign of him. I ran into Brother Qi and his department having a meal together in the cafeteria the day before yesterday."

Tu Jing: "Isn't it boring to stay in the apartment all day? Even if you cherish someone, you have to let them out for some fresh air."

Tu Jing cut to the chase: "What is Gu Lin doing right now?"

Ji Tong tilted her head and glanced towards the living room: "Do the test papers."

Tu Jing: "???"

“A couple of days ago, A Yuan told me that you’ve been ‘watching’ Gu Lin as he does his test papers, but I didn’t believe it.”

"Teacher Ji, just a friendly reminder, it's been three months since the college entrance exam ended."

Ji Tong touched his nose.

For the past week, the two of them have basically been doing jigsaw puzzles and work on test papers at the apartment, or doing jigsaw puzzles and work on test papers together.

Even without Tu Jing saying anything, Ji Tong didn't realize that Gu Lin hadn't had any "extracurricular activities" for a long time.

A basketball game, that seems like a good option.

Ji Tong became serious: "Who are they?"

Tu Jing: "I know all of them, the student council group."

Ji Tong: "Gu Lin is not familiar with it."

Tu Jing didn't give him a chance to think: "What, is he such a big guy and he's still shy? He'll be familiar with you after a fight, come on."

As Ji Tong was considering, Tu Jing had already turned the camera to film the basketball court: "Anyway, there are a lot of people, you—"

"Senior, wait a minute, shift the camera a little to the left," Ji Tong suddenly interrupted.

"Huh? The left side? Okay."

"A little further to the left."

A somewhat unfamiliar person appeared in the frame, and Ji Tong immediately stood up from the bedside.

After hanging up Tu Jing's call, Li Yuan was still wailing in the dormitory group chat.

[Li Yuan: Where is he? He's disappeared.]

[Li Yuan: Ji Tong, has anyone ever told you that you've changed?]

[Li Yuan: You're not coming, huh? Fine, whatever. Actually, I didn't really want to invite you anyway, haha, that's hilarious. I have plenty of good fighters around me, you're just average.]

[Li Yuan: Really not coming, Young Master Ji?]

JT: Arriving in 20 minutes.

[Li Yuan: Yes, sir.]

-

Tu Jing hung up the phone and was just about to go find Lao Qi and the others—

"Is Ji Tong coming later?"

Tu Jing turned around and saw Ke Tongguang, the power forward on the school basketball team and also the vice minister of the school's cultural and sports department.

He was still wearing his jersey, as if he had just come from another stadium.

"Didn't you say you weren't coming?" Tu Jing asked.

Ke Tongguang passed the buck to someone nearby: "Old Qi said in the group chat that he wanted to call Ji Tong, so here I am."

Tu Jing: "..."

Tu Jing put down her phone and looked at him speechlessly: "Still having designs on Tongtong?"

Ke Tongguang is one of the most famous people at Anhui University. He is good-looking, has a good physique, is very capable, and knows how to get things done. As a work partner, he is a capable person who makes things easy for you. But along with his "capability" are his open sexual orientation and the speed at which he changes boyfriends.

During my three years of university, I dated more people than I could count on two hands.

Fortunately, despite being a "womanizer," he still has a moral bottom line. He doesn't cheat on his girlfriends, and he doesn't get involved with other people while he has a boyfriend. When his exes talk about him, they only say "we weren't meant to be" and nothing else.

"Sister Jing, I haven't been in a relationship for three months." Ke Tongguang raised his hands in surrender.

That wasn't a lie.

After Ji Tong entered the school in June, Ke Tongguang did indeed act out of character and remained single. Tu Jing initially thought he had changed his ways, until one day, Ke Tongguang messaged her asking for Ji Tong's WeChat, and Tu Jing realized what had happened.

She didn't say anything, but sent a WeChat message directly.

You have no chance, give up now.

After that, he treated Ke Tongguang like a thief, so much so that even now, Ji Tong only knows that Ke Tongguang is a person.

Ke Tongguang was sensible enough not to bother him further.

Tu Jing thought Ke Tongguang had given up, but unexpectedly—

"Didn't I tell you you had no chance?"

"So who has a chance? Duan Pei? Or... that Gu Lin?"

Tu Jing's death stare.

"I thought Ji Tong didn't like boys because you were so wary of me before, so I just let things take their course. But I heard about what happened on the playground that day."

"Ji Tong doesn't seem to treat that guy named 'Gu Lin' as just a friend."

"As you know, I'm always very perceptive about these kinds of things."

Tu Jing: "What do you want to say?"

“Old Qi said it’ll be lively tonight, and Duan Pei is coming too,” Ke Tongguang raised an eyebrow. “What do you think? After we finish playing basketball tonight, while the court is still buzzing, I should confess to my junior classmate, what do you say?”

“Not very good,” Tu Jing said bluntly. “The probability of Tongtong agreeing to your request is this low.”

Tu Jing raised her hand, made a circle with her fingers, and made a "0" sign.

"Stay put." Tu Jing didn't say much and walked towards the equipment room. Ke Tongguang stood there and whistled happily.

-

7 p.m., North Campus Gymnasium.

On Friday, the first night of the holiday, Anjing was shrouded in continuous rain. With all sorts of buffs combined, the stadium should have been the least crowded place. However, due to a last-minute basketball game, the basketball stadium's spectator area was packed to capacity.

"Damn, why are there so many people? Isn't this supposed to be an internal student council entertainment competition?"

“Look over there, and you’ll see why.”

"Isn't that Ke Tongguang? And Duan Pei and Tu Jing are there too?"

"Ji Tong will be coming later, and I heard he's bringing someone with him."

"who?"

"Gu Lin."

"That really cool guy that Ji Tong dragged away from the playground a while ago?"

"...This isn't a place to watch the game, it's a place to watch people."

"Stop talking, or there won't be any seats left."

As the group was talking, a commotion suddenly broke out at one of the basketball court entrances. Everyone looked over and saw Ji Tong standing at the entrance, wearing a white American-style three-stripe hoodie and loose black trousers. Next to him stood a boy a few centimeters taller than him, dressed in a black casual tracksuit, carrying a bag.

It's Ji Tong's bag.

The moment the two appeared, simply by standing there, they attracted the attention of most of the people on the field.

Ji Tong didn't pay much attention to the discussions around her. As soon as she stepped through the door, she turned her head and looked around.

"What are you looking for?" Gu Lin asked, looking at him.

Ji Tong didn't stop what he was doing, and continued looking around. He opened his mouth and said, "People."

Tu Jing, who had just approached, was speechless.

The stadium is now filled with people.

Student Union Vice President Qi Yangcheng, whom Tu Jing referred to as "Old Qi," along with Duan Pei, Ke Tongguang, and Cui Mingying, followed closely behind Tu Jing.

"Tongtong, aren't you going to introduce her?" Qi Yangcheng said, looking at the person helping Ji Tong carry her bag.

“Gu Lin, my best friend,” Ji Tong pointed to Gu Lin and introduced him to Qi Yangcheng and the others. Then she turned to look at Gu Lin and said, “You should know Qi Yangcheng, the vice president of the student council; Ke Tongguang, the vice minister of the school’s cultural and sports department; and Duan Pei.”

Ke Tongguang extended his hand to Gu Lin: "Nice to meet you."

Gu Lin raised his hand, grasped it, and then let go.

Duan Pei looked at Ji Tong.

Ji Tong usually prefers brightly colored clothes and rarely dresses in such a monotonous way. Black and white are more like the style of the person next to him.

The audience erupted in noise again.

"OMG, they're so good-looking!"

"Sisters, come quick! It's worth getting soaked in the rain."

"You still need to look at these things to have the energy to make a living."

"It's an honor for Anhui University to have such authoritative figures in our university."

"Where's the school news agency? Why aren't you taking out your cameras and filming? After you're done, buy me a trending topic immediately, with hashtags like Ankyo University #, 185#, handsome guy # good looks#, please suppress me, quick marketing."

Qi Yangcheng: "Don't stand here, let's go to the locker room first. Tongtong, are you on the same team as Gu Lin or are you on a different team?"

Ji Tong: "I won't fight, Gu Lin will."

Ke Tongguang and Duan Pei paused and looked at Gu Lin at the same time.

"It's just a friendly match, so play only half a game. If your back feels uncomfortable, take it off, okay?" Ji Tong said to Gu Lin.

Gu Lin: "Mm."

Duan Pei and Ke Tongguang had already changed into their jerseys, leaving only Gu Lin.

Ji Tong took his wrist and led him toward the changing room.

Gu Lin's jersey was also black and white. While he was changing, Ji Tong checked the wound on his back again.

"This wheel race is just for fun, to help you relax. Don't get carried away with it. If you feel uncomfortable, let A-Tian and Ming-Ying take over," Ji Tong reminded him again.

Ji Tong and Gu Lin went into the locker room together, but when they came out, only Gu Lin had changed into his jersey.

"Why isn't Tongtong up?" The secretary-general of the school secretariat arrived late and asked Tu Jing.

Tu Jing was also one of the focal points of the crowd, and together with the secretary-general, most of the female students in the student union spontaneously gathered around.

"Yes, tell them to let Gu Lin go."

"Are those 'Gu Lin's' clothes in Tongtong's hand?"

"It seems so."

"Tongtong even helped fold it, are they that close?"

"Not only that, Gu Lin was carrying Tongtong's bag just now."

"Tsk."

"Beep—"

A whistle blew on the field, signaling the start of warm-up.

The players who were going to play in the first round slowly entered the field.

Whether by coincidence or by design, Ke Tongguang, Duan Pei, and Gu Lin stood in a triangle.

The stadium gradually quieted down.

Before the fight even started, a strange "smell of gunpowder" filled the air.

Especially after all three of them glanced toward the rest area.

—This is where Ji Tong is.

Every little movement of the person in the center of attention is magnified infinitely, not to mention that a panoramic screen was turned on. Gradually, whether it was the players in the center of the field, or the staff, referees, and even the audience maintaining order around them, everyone's eyes followed these three people and gradually drifted towards the bench in the rest area.

Only one person craned his neck, looking towards the audience behind him.

It was Ji Tong.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the strikingly handsome faces, and they unconsciously focused on the court. Only Ji Tong didn't look at the center of the court at all, but instead turned his head to search the stands.

Finally, Ji Tong's eyes lit up, as if he had finally found something. He picked up his bag and walked towards a certain spot in the audience.

Everyone: "???"

"Why are they walking towards us?" someone in the North Section 3 audience asked, bewildered.

"Damn, they're really here!"

Who's there?

"Who is Ji Tong looking for?"

Ji Tong crossed the passageway in the North Third District, went through two sets of steps, and stopped in front of a person.

"Hi," Ji Tong greeted the person.

Chen Yongjie: "...Hi."

"Can I sit here?" Ji Tong pointed to the seat next to him.

Chen Yongjie forced a smile and nodded.

Ji Tong took his seat.

All eyes in the room slowly, gradually shifted from Ji Tong to Chen Yongjie.

Who is this person?

Chen Yongjie seemed lost in thought as everyone stared at him.

who I am.