Each according to their own ability
Shen Muwei only remembered to send a message to Xiang Zhixing while sitting on the bus, telling him that there would be another person there that night, someone he had met before named Song Yuanbai.
Xiang Zhixing replied with composure and grace: "Of course! It's more fun with more people, and I got along quite well with him last time."
She was a little nervous before arriving at the location, after all, the two had had a conflict before and their interactions didn't seem very harmonious.
Thinking about this gave her a headache. She had already told Song Yuanbai beforehand to keep his temper in check, as she didn't want to waste time trying to mediate a fight.
When the bus arrived at the stop, the two got off through the back door. Suddenly, Song Yuanbai asked, "If we really had a fight, whose side would you take?"
I knew this guy was still holding a grudge. Why can't he be more magnanimous like Xiang Zhixing? People don't even mind his meanness.
She frowned, clicked her tongue, and was about to speak.
Song Yuanbai chuckled and ruffled her hair, saying, "Alright, I was just kidding. I won't cause trouble. I was just asking hypothetically."
Shen Muwei broke free from his touch on her hair and punched him twice on the shoulder.
Song Yuanbai cried out in exaggerated pain, and Shen Muwei raised his fist and said, "I'll teach you a lesson."
His smile held a hint of bitterness: "Alright, alright..."
Shen Muwei pursed her lips and remained silent, but the question he had just asked inexplicably came to mind.
If they really had to help, Xiang Zhixing seemed to be at a slight disadvantage in terms of strength, especially since he was gentle and probably couldn't beat Song Yuanbai.
She might still help Xiang Zhixing.
It's only about 50 meters from the bus stop to the main entrance of the riverside park, and the two of them, after just a short while of playful fighting, had already reached the main entrance.
Xiang Zhixing stood there waiting, dressed in sportswear.
More than half a month has passed, and his eyes have almost fully recovered. The eye patch has been removed, but his right eye may still need some time to heal.
Seeing his frail appearance, Shen Muwei wondered why Song Yuanbai insisted on asking her that question. Why was he arguing with a patient like that?
Song Yuanbai walked up to Xiang Zhixing, generously extended his hand to shake his, and said "Hello" in a very formal and polite manner.
Shen Muwei raised an eyebrow in surprise. She thought Song Yuanbai would just nod at most, but she didn't expect him to shake hands. That's really nice.
The fact that the two got along peacefully made her feel at ease.
Upon hearing that Xiang Zhixing had injured his eye while on the train, Song Yuanbai pointed to his own eye and asked, "Are your eyes alright?"
Xiang Zhixing smiled, but his expression remained distant: "Much better, thank you for your concern."
Noticing the atmosphere was getting a bit tense, Shen Muwei quickly said, "Let's go, don't just stand there, let's go for a run."
The three of them did a quick warm-up and then went their separate ways.
As October progressed, it got dark much faster. Wearing headphones and listening to music, Shen Muwei pondered whether to stop running here for the rest of the time, as the weather was getting too cold.
She didn't run fast; she jogged at a steady pace.
She was originally running in front, but for some reason, two boys suddenly rushed in front of her.
First it was Song Yuanbai, then Xiang Zhixing, and finally the two ran faster and faster until they disappeared in a flash.
Shen Muwei watched the two figures gradually disappear into the night, bewildered but respectful. She ignored them and continued running at her own pace until she reached the supermarket where they had met earlier.
When she arrived, the two boys had already bought water and were each sitting at a table. Song Yuanbai had the water he bought for Shen Muwei next to him.
She took off her headphones, catching her breath, and asked, "Why were you two running so fast?"
Song Yuanbai: "Nothing much, I just wanted to run faster, but he followed me, and somehow we started running faster and faster."
Shen Muwei casually picked up the new bottle of water on Song Yuanbai's table, unscrewed the cap, and drank.
To be honest, she had no interest in knowing why the two of them suddenly started running. Maybe they had a fight ahead of them.
She came to terms with it; as long as they didn't fight in front of her, they could fight wherever they wanted, it was none of her business.
After finishing the water and resting for a while, I prepared to continue running.
This time, the two of them didn't run very fast, with one person on each side following her, like her bodyguards.
I hadn't run far when I came across another basketball court, but it wasn't the same one as last time.
The riverside park covers an area of 130 hectares, and there are basketball courts at both ends.
The basketball court was deserted, with only a lone basketball on one side, casting a long oval shadow under the court lights.
Song Yuanbai suddenly asked, "How about we go play a game?"
These words were spoken to Shen Muwei.
There was no one around, and Shen Muwei hadn't played basketball in a long time, so she was tempted to play.
But Xiang Zhixing doesn't know how to play.
Xiang Zhixing seemed to see through her thoughts and said directly, "It's okay, I've run enough, I'll sit here and watch you guys play for a while."
Song Yuanbai frowned in surprise: "Come at me all at once, let's fight together."
Xiang Zhixing shook his head: "I don't know how to fight."
Song Yuanbai stared into his eyes, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "You can't fight?"
Xiang Zhixing didn't understand what this meant, and said firmly, "Yes, I don't know how to fight."
He looked at him for a while, then nodded: "Okay, then you can sit over there and rest."
He and Shen Muwei then ran towards the court. Xiang Zhixing sat on a nearby bench and watched.
The two of them simply stole the ball from each other and shot it into their own basket. Shen Muwei was clearly no match for Song Yuanbai. After all, Song Yuanbai was once a star player at his school and a promising player who had the opportunity to join the provincial team. However, basketball was just a personal hobby for him. It would be too much of a burden for him to make it a professional career.
Besides, basketball isn't the only path he can take; he clearly distinguishes between his interests and the professional path he truly wants to pursue.
He always liked to let Shen Muwei win when they played ball, but Shen Muwei was stubborn and would never allow him to let her win. She wanted to win the ball based on her own strength.
When Song Yuanbai plays against her, he can't really unleash his full strength, especially since it's just playing casually, not a competition, so why take it so seriously? Therefore, when he plays with Shen Muwei, he just plays along, not holding back when it comes to stealing the ball, but occasionally letting Shen Muwei shoot when she's about to shoot and he still has a chance to steal it.
A few minutes later, Shen Muwei scored three goals, and Song Yuanbai scored eight.
Shen Muwei raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead with the wristband on her wrist, swallowed hard and said, "I feel like you're even more amazing than before."
Song Yuanbai said, "I practice at school, you forgot I joined the school basketball team?"
Yes, yes, Shen Muwei remembered that he participated in CUBAL every year[1]. Song Yuanbai's school team often won awards and even won the championship.
Last June, their school won the championship, defeating Shi Yue's school.
Shen Muwei stood there with her hands on her hips, panting. Her physical fitness seemed to have declined recently. She had been slacking off since she stopped going to the club. In addition, Song Yuanbai was tall and had long legs, so she had to run two steps for every one step he took.
Song Yuanbai didn't feel tired at all. He spun the ball around and said, "Do you want to take a break?"
Shen Muwei didn't have a penchant for showing off for the time being, so she nodded and said, "I'll just catch my breath."
"OK."
He dribbled the basketball a couple of times, then slammed it home. As he jumped, he caught a glimpse of Xiang Zhixing sitting on a bench in the corner.
He sat there so inconspicuously, neither cheering nor speaking, making no sound at all, that he almost forgot there was someone sitting there.
Song Yuanbai found it a bit funny. While dribbling the ball, he glanced at the boy in the corner of his eye and threw the basketball.
The ball traced a beautiful parabola in the air. Shen Muwei's eyes followed the ball. Due to the angle of her position, she thought the ball would go in. However, the ball not only missed the goal but also bounced off the rim and flew straight towards the angle where Xiang Zhixing was sitting.
Song Yuanbai stood there, calmly watching the other side with his arms crossed. He wanted to see what Xiang Zhixing would do.
The ball hurtled straight towards him, and Xiang Zhixing didn't have time to dodge. He only managed to raise his hand to block it. The ball bounced off his arm, landed on the ground, rolled a few times, and stopped two meters in front of Song Yuanbai.
Xiang Zhixing's eyes were lowered, his gaze fixed downwards, as he saw the ball roll to Song Yuanbai. His eyes darkened, filled with surging anger.
But when he lowered his hand, his eyes were calm, with a hint of fear.
Shen Muwei ran over: "How are you? Are you alright?"
"fine."
"Let me take a look."
Shen Muwei pulled his hand over to examine it carefully. Apart from his skin being dirty from rolling up his sleeves, he looked perfectly fine.
Xiang Zhixing felt a gaze fall upon him.
He looked up and saw Song Yuanbai standing in the center of the court, a faint sneer on his lips, as if he were watching him make a fool of himself.
Shen Muwei let go of his hand: "It's alright."
After saying that, she turned and walked towards the court, saying to Song Yuanbai, "I'm all rested."
"OK!"
Taking advantage of the moment when the two weren't paying attention, Xiang Zhixing twisted his right wrist. Just now, he almost instinctively used his right hand to catch it...
Thirty minutes after the basketball game ended, Shen Muwei was covered in sweat.
She ran over to Xiang Zhixing to get some water, and Song Yuanbai followed slowly behind her, leaving the basketball at a distance.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, when he took a drink of water from one side of the bench, he subtly touched the back of his hand with the water bottle.
Xiang Zhixing immediately withdrew his hand, frowned and looked up, only to see that the other person's entire face was filled with contempt. When he looked up and met his gaze, a mocking smile appeared on his lips.
At the same time, he casually put his arm around Shen Muwei's shoulder and pulled her behind him, while he took a step forward and stood where Shen Muwei had just been standing, his intention to protect her was obvious.
Xiang Zhixing almost subconsciously realized that the other party must know everything.
Their hearts suddenly tightened, pounding twice, and a surge of nervous heat, a sign of their secret being exposed, coursed through their bodies. Those who weren't even playing basketball had their cheeks flushed slightly.
But he quickly adjusted his mindset, breathed calmly, and looked back with the same gaze, without backing down at all.
Shen Muwei was unaware of what was happening. She was extremely thirsty and was still drinking water. When Song Yuanbai pulled her back, she followed him, thinking that she had blocked his way from getting his things.
It was getting late, so the group packed up their things, threw their empty water bottles into the trash can, and prepared to go home.
Under the cover of night, on the spacious greenway outside, Shen Muwei walked at the front, followed by two tall figures. One had his hands in his pockets and looked extremely smug, while the other had his arms crossed and followed lazily behind.
The streetlights stretched the three people's shadows long, intertwining and swaying behind them.
Instead of turning back, the group walked a little further and reached another exit of the park.
Wait at the bus stop here.
Shen Muwei noticed something was off about the atmosphere as soon as the game ended. Although things weren't much better when they first met, she could clearly sense that the atmosphere had become subtle after the game.
But as long as there's no arguing, it's alright.
The moon shines brightly tonight, coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Shen Muwei looked up at the moon, the faint scent of osmanthus wafting from the park filling her nostrils. She didn't notice that the other two were watching her as she gazed at the moon.
Suddenly, Song Yuanbai's voice rang in my ears.
"Xiang Zhixing, let's exchange contact information."
Shen Muwei stared blankly at Song Yuanbai, who smiled a friendly smile and gestured to her not to worry.
Xiang Zhixing did not refuse, showed his QR code, and the two quickly became friends.
The bus arrived on time at the stop as scheduled.
Shen Muwei is going home today, and she's going the same way as Song Yuanbai.
After getting off the bus at the school, the three walked a short distance together. At a fork in the road, Shen Muwei and Song Yuanbai said goodbye to Xiang Zhixing.
They went back to their family quarters, while Xiang Zhixing went back to the student dormitory.
On the way back, Shen Muwei and Song Yuanbai didn't speak. They were always like this; they never felt awkward not talking.
But just as they were getting close to the building where he was going home, Song Yuanbai suddenly said, "I just remembered that Grandpa asked me to buy something at the supermarket. I forgot. I'll go to the supermarket now."
Shen Muwei: "What is it? I'll go with you to buy it."
"No need, you go back first. It's not a big item, just his daily necessities. He told me to buy them before he left, but I forgot. Go buy them now, otherwise he'll definitely scold me when I get back."
"Alright. Take care of yourself then."
Song Yuanbai chuckled and ruffled her hair: "Okay, you should go back and take a shower, your hair is all sticky."
"Damn..." Upon hearing this, Shen Muwei touched her head with both hands, but there was no sticky feeling at all. She had washed her hair last night, and the sweat from exercising today had long been dried by the wind. There was no stickiness at all; it was actually quite smooth.
"You scared me to death!" she cursed at him, and was about to kick him, but he easily dodged it.
The moment Song Yuanbai touched her hair, she immediately wanted him to stop, but his extra kiss quickly shifted her focus.
Shen Muwei missed him and ignored him, telling him to go home early before entering the apartment building.
Song Yuanbai gradually stopped smiling and turned to walk back.
The moonlight was growing brighter, and he walked at a leisurely pace. The campus streetlights stretched his shadow one by one in the late night, and there were few pedestrians on the sidewalk, with only the occasional food delivery driver speeding past on an electric bike.
He seemed to be guarding something, and walked all the way to the fork in the road.
Before they even arrived, they could see a figure in the distance. He was leaning against a streetlamp, his hands in his pockets, gazing in the direction of Song Yuanbai, as if he had been waiting for him for a long time.
The distance between the two grew shorter and shorter until Song Yuanbai also stood under the streetlight, one person's distance away from him.
Without realizing it, his expression turned serious.
"Xiang Zhixing, I must admit, your acting skills are quite good."
Xiang Zhixing remained expressionless and nodded slightly.
"Thanks."
Song Yuanbai smirked and said, "You really are shameless."
"Thanks."
His half-hearted reply infuriated Song Yuanbai, but Xiang Zhixing remained leaning against the telephone pole, his eyes languid, showing no sign of backing down.
Song Yuanbai took a deep breath: "Shen Muwei hates liars the most. You'd better not seek your own death."
At this point, Xiang Zhixing's face showed a slight ripple, his expression no longer so calm. But it only lasted for two seconds before his expression returned to normal.
"I was still scared after all."
Xiang Zhixing gritted his teeth and remained silent.
"I'll give you some time. Either you go and talk to Shen Muwei yourself, or I'll speak for you. What do you think?"
Xiang Zhixing's throat gradually swelled, as if he were choking on something, and he clenched his hands in his pockets to relieve his tension.
He swallowed twice, then finally said, "Don't meddle in other people's business."
Song Yuanbai smiled. He could tell that Xiang Zhixing's throat was a little hoarse, which proved that he was nervous.
Xiang Zhixing knew he had little standing here; he was a complete loser, a complete bastard, and he didn't deserve to speak to Shen Muwei at all.
But even rats in the gutter yearn to see the sunlight and feel warmth.
But Song Yuanbai had no right to judge any of this, a fact he was well aware of.
Stubbornness is both his strength and his weakness; once he gets stubborn, nothing can change his mind unless he gives up completely.
At this moment, he was indeed guilty and afraid, but he never thought of giving up on Shen Muwei, even though he was not worthy of her.
Still stubbornly insisting: "The fact that you came back to say these things to me proves you feel threatened, right?"
He turned around and didn't miss the fleeting rage that was about to erupt on Song Yuanbai's face.
A dangerous atmosphere quickly gathered around the streetlights, and a silent battle was about to erupt. Even the streetlights flickered inexplicably, as if sensing the fluctuating air pressure between the two.
The two stood there motionless, while the school's orange-white senior cat calmly walked by, even digging in the nearby grass to leave its pheromones, before licking its fur and lying down to watch the commotion from a short distance away.
Xiang Zhixing laughed: "It seems it really has an impact. Am I that much of a headache for you?"
He stopped leaning against the streetlamp and stood up straight: "Song Yuanbai, who's the bad guy here? You and she have been childhood sweethearts for so many years, you have plenty of time to confess your feelings. Why don't you confess to her instead of advising the men around her to leave her? What role are you playing for her? Acting as a brother in place of a father? Or do you want to waste her youth forever? You know what kind of person Xiaowei is. She's simple-minded and doesn't understand emotions. Do you want to wait for her to understand? Or do you want to wait for her to fall in love with you and confess to you one day? Someone as arrogant as you might actually be planning to get the girl to confess to you."
Song Yuanbai's chest heaved twice: "If you don't know, don't make wild guesses. Our relationship won't be so easily swayed by your few words. Also, don't call her Xiao Wei, do you even deserve to?"
Xiang Zhixing: "I'm not worthy, but are you? Why are you in such a hurry? Have you lost your temper? Have you already confessed?"
Song Yuanbai fell silent, and the prolonged silence made Xiang Zhixing's brow twitch.
"Did you really confess?"
Song Yuanbai was speechless, but in his mind, a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind.
"Could it be that he was rejected?"
Grass……
Song Yuanbai's anger was successfully provoked by Xiang Zhixing, and before Xiang Zhixing could even chuckle, his fist landed on Xiang Zhixing's face.
You shouldn't hit someone in the face, but Song Yuanbai specifically chose to hit his face.
Xiang Zhixing also realized what was happening and, not intending to be outdone, struck with precision and ruthlessness.
Before long, the two started fighting.
Seeing that the two were about to fight it, the senior student transformed into airplane ears, tucked its tail, and immediately darted into the bushes.
Both of them soon ended up with bruises and swelling on their faces.
The school's patrol car happened to be driving nearby with its red lights flashing, and with its high beams on, it could see the two people fighting from a distance.
The patrol car sped up to the two men, and security guards in uniform pulled them apart with stun batons.
Finally, they received criticism from the security department.
The fifty-year-old man patiently persuaded, "You're all classmates, why are you fighting? Can't you talk things out?"
Two men with bruises on their faces were staring blankly at the air conditioner in the security room while one scratched his head. The other was looking at the ground in a daze.
They were similar in this respect; neither of them seemed to want to make a big fuss. They bowed their heads and admitted their mistakes in front of outsiders, promising not to repeat them. They made up a reason for the fight, and then reluctantly shook hands in front of outsiders before coming out of the security room in the moonlight.
It's already very late; the dormitory doors won't be open until this late.
Song Yuanbai touched the wound on the corner of his mouth: "How do you sleep?"
Xiang Zhixing rubbed his temples: "I'll go to the hotel."
They walked forward in perfect unison, and Xiang Zhixing ignored him, heading out of the school to check into a nearby hotel.
Both of them knew perfectly well that they would never tell Shen Muwei about this, nor would they tell her; she had no need to know.
Song Yuanbai: "I will still tell her that you lied to her."
Xiang Zhixing: "Whatever."
What kind of attitude is that...?
Song Yuanbai added, "Xiang Zhixing, don't be too confident. I won't keep your secret just because we had a fight."
"Even if you keep my secret, I will never be grateful to you, so say whatever you want, but don't threaten me. I will not leave Xiaowei because of your few words. As for the rest, do as you please."
He suspected that Song Yuanbai might try to slander him in front of Shen Muwei.
Song Yuanbai nodded. There was no winner or loser in this fight, and he was not willing to give up. He had already said what he needed to say.
He left with the words, "Then let's each rely on our own abilities," and turned to leave.
-
Xiang Zhixing strolled leisurely outside the school and went to a pharmacy to buy some medicine to treat his wounds.
It was quite late when we arrived at the hotel.
He sat exhausted on the edge of the bed, his elbows propped on his knees, his fingers drooping, forming a listless line.
His phone chimed, and at the same time, a vibration came from his pants pocket. He had specifically set it up today so he wouldn't miss any messages from Shen Muwei.
Same old routine: ask him if he got to his dorm, and ask him how his day was.
He truly loathed himself, despising himself from the bottom of his heart every time he told a lie.
After replying to the message, he went to the bathroom to take a shower.
The warm water flowing onto the wound caused a slight stinging sensation, and finally, when the shower gel was applied, it brought a needle-like pain.
He gasped for breath, his voice trembling, and looked at the large abrasions on his joints, cursing Song Yuanbai for being so ruthless.
In the steamy bathroom, the heat evoked memories of the past.
He still remembers the first time he noticed Song Yuanbai.
During the National Middle School Basketball League, the two represented their respective schools in the league, but Song Yuanbai was accompanied by a tall peer.
The girl seemed to be a support staff member of their team, but not quite. She was sitting on the sidelines with a black coat over her legs, quietly watching them play.
During halftime, she wasn't responsible for things like handing out water; she just sat there, and most of the team members knew her and would chat with her for a bit.
But Song Yuanbai was an exception. He played relatively easily throughout the match. The first thing he did when he got to the rest area was to rub the girl's head, then take a towel from next to her to wipe his sweat, and then take the water bottle next to her to drink water.
The girl tacitly approved of his actions, except when he rubbed her head, she kicked him mercilessly, her eyes wide and fierce.
Song Yuanbai didn't stay with her for long. After finishing his water, he went to the coach with a smile on his face.
The classmate next to Xiang Zhixing said to him, "Damn, no wonder number 3 was so fierce, his girlfriend came."
But Xiang Zhixing didn't feel like she was his girlfriend. He didn't know why, it was just a feeling.
The school won the ball game, but he kept looking at the girl on the other side. Whenever he saw her smile, he would inexplicably smile too.
It's a really strange feeling.
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