Basketball game controversy
Xu Ying buried her face in "3500 College Entrance Examination English Vocabulary Words," her fingertips unconsciously tracing the edges of the pages. The air conditioning in the library of Lincheng No. 1 High School was too strong; a cold draft blew in from the back of her neck, making her involuntarily hunch her shoulders.
She didn't actually need to review—she could already recite those words from memory. But she preferred the quiet here to the noisy classroom. At least here, no one would deliberately kick over her chair or cough exaggeratedly as she passed by.
A cheer erupted outside the window. Xu Ying looked up and saw a crowd gathered in the direction of the basketball court. The blue and white school uniforms swayed in the sunlight, like a surging sea. She vaguely heard the headmaster's voice over the loudspeaker: "...The Grade 11 basketball tournament, all participating players, please assemble at the gymnasium..."
Xu Ying looked away and continued reading her book.
"Xu Ying! I've finally found you!"
Chen Yue's voice was like a pebble thrown into still water. Before Xu Ying could react, she was yanked up, and her English vocabulary book fell to the ground with a "thud."
"Hurry up! The competition is about to start!" Chen Yue hurriedly dragged her outside, and Xu Ying stumbled, almost stepping on her own shoelaces.
"Wait... what competition?" Xu Ying tried to break free, but Chen Yue's hand was as firm as an iron clamp.
"It's a basketball game! Our class is playing against Class (4)!" Chen Yue turned around and winked at her. "Our cheerleading team is short-handed, can you join us?"
Xu Ying opened her mouth, but before she could refuse, a blue ribbon was stuffed into her arms.
"Tie it to your head!" Chen Yue ordered, then shoved a bottle of mineral water into her hand. "Remember to bring water to the team later!"
Xu Ying looked down at the ribbon—bright blue, with a few cheap little stars at the end that glittered in the sunlight. She pursed her lips, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the edge of the ribbon.
"I...I can't dance," she said softly.
"Hey, you don't need to jump!" Chen Yue waved her hand. "Just stand on the sidelines, wave your hand, and cheer me on!"
Before Xu Ying could say anything more, a sneer suddenly came from behind her.
"Good students come to watch the game too?"
The deep voice carried a familiar sarcasm, and Xu Ying stiffened. She slowly turned around and saw Zong Heng leaning lazily against the corridor wall, his school uniform jacket casually draped over his shoulders, revealing a black T-shirt underneath. He had one hand in his pocket, and in the other, he was spinning a basketball, the ball spinning steadily on his index finger.
Several girls nearby immediately blushed and whispered among themselves.
Xu Ying didn't say anything, and lowered her head to try to put the ribbon back into Chen Yue's hand. But Zong Heng suddenly reached out, hooked his fingertip, and snatched the ribbon from her hand.
"Tie it to your head." He repeated Chen Yue's words, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Xu Ying looked up at him. Zong Heng was more than half a head taller than her, so she had to tilt her head back slightly. Sunlight shone from behind him, gilding his features but obscuring his expression in shadow.
"I don't……"
"Xu Ying!" Chen Yue interrupted her, snatching the ribbon from Zong Heng's hand and tying it directly to her ponytail. "Stop dawdling, the competition is about to start!"
The tail of the ribbon dangled beside her ear, swaying gently with her movements, tickling her so much that she couldn't help but reach out and brush it away.
Zong Heng stared at her for two seconds, then suddenly reached out, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe, and straightened the ribbon.
"Don't move," he said in a low voice.
Xu Ying froze. His fingers were burning hot; the moment they touched her, her earlobe felt like it had been scorched by a spark, and she abruptly took half a step back.
Zong Heng withdrew his hand, his smile deepening. He said nothing more, turned and walked towards the court, his back as straight as a poplar tree.
The girls around them made a series of ambiguous teasing noises.
The referee's whistle pierced the sweltering air, and the basketball was tossed high into the air. Zong Heng leaped faster than the opposing center, flicking the ball with his fingertips, and it landed securely in his teammate's hands.
"Report back!" His voice was deep, yet carried an undeniable air of command.
As soon as he got the ball, Zong Heng shot towards the opponent's half like an arrow. Two players from Class 4 immediately surrounded him, but he didn't even change direction. He accelerated and passed through the gap between the two players, and the wind he created lifted the hem of his open school uniform. Screams erupted from the sidelines.
Xu Ying stood at the very edge of the cheerleading squad, unconsciously holding her breath. She didn't understand basketball, but she was instinctively drawn to that figure—Zong Heng's every sprint was like a bowstring taut with full power, taut and dangerous.
(4) The defensive formation of Class 4 quickly contracted, with three players forming a triangle. Just as Zong Heng was about to collide with the wall, he abruptly stopped, took a step back, and jumped—
"Swish!" The basketball went through the net cleanly.
"Holy crap! Just one step beyond the three-point line!" The boys on the sidelines erupted in cheers.
When Zong Heng landed, he didn't look at the scoreboard, but instead glanced at the cheerleaders. Xu Ying wasn't sure if he was looking at her, and subconsciously tightened her grip on the water bottle in her hand.
(4) Class was clearly enraged. Their center, Zhao Lei—a key player on the school team, nearly 1.9 meters tall—sticked tightly to Zong Heng in the next round, constantly resorting to dirty tricks.
"I heard you've been quite arrogant lately?" Zhao Lei lowered his voice, subtly nudging Zong Heng's ribs with his elbow.
Zong Heng grunted, but the referee didn't blow the whistle. He licked his lips and suddenly smiled.
In the next possession, Zong Heng called for the ball. Zhao Lei immediately closed in, this time aiming his knee directly at Zong Heng's thigh. But Zong Heng seemed to have anticipated this, dodging with a behind-the-back dribble while lowering his voice: "Is that all you've got?
Zhao Lei's face turned ashen. Zong Heng dribbled forward, then suddenly stopped at the free-throw line. Zhao Lei, still propelled forward, missed his target and fell to his knees. Zong Heng, however, had already calmly jumped and pressed his wrist down—
"Bang!" As the ball slammed into the basket, the sight of Zhao Lei awkwardly scrambling to his feet was captured by the entire arena.
"Ahhh, Zong Heng!!" The girls' screams almost lifted the roof off.
When Xu Ying saw Zong Heng turn around, she whispered something to Zhao Lei. Zhao Lei immediately sprang into action, but was stopped by the referee. Zong Heng walked towards his half of the court without looking back, and as he passed the cheerleaders, he suddenly reached out and tugged at his sweaty collar.
The beads of sweat on his collarbone gleamed brightly in the sunlight.
The referee's final whistle pierced the air, and the score was fixed at 72:58. The students of Class 7, Grade 11, swarmed down from the stands, their cheers almost lifting the roof off the gymnasium.
Xu Ying stood at the very edge of the cheerleading squad, clutching the bottle of mineral water she hadn't given away, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. She looked at Zong Heng, who was surrounded by his teammates in the center of the court—he was tilting his head back and chugging a sports drink someone had handed him, his Adam's apple bobbing, sweat trickling down his neck and soaking a large patch of fabric in his shirt.
"Zong Heng! Awesome!" The boys punched his shoulders, but he just smirked, casually crushed the empty bottle, and accurately threw it into the trash can five meters away.
The girls were already itching to get started, crowding towards the sidelines in twos and threes with water and towels. Xu Ying instinctively took a half-step back, but Chen Yue shoved her forward: "Hurry up! Aren't you in charge of delivering water?"
She stumbled from the push, nearly bumping into someone. When she looked up, she met Zong Heng's gaze.
—He was standing across half the court, his gaze fixed directly on her.
Xu Ying froze on the spot, her heart suddenly pounding. She could even feel the probing gazes from the girls around her, like fine needles pricking her skin.
Zong Heng had already pushed through the crowd and strode toward her.
His heat enveloped her as the distance closed, a mixture of sweat, sunlight, and a hint of minty deodorant. Xu Ying unconsciously held her breath, watching him stop in front of her, and lowered her head slightly.
“Water,” he said simply.
Xu Ying hurriedly handed over the bottled water in her hand. Zong Heng didn't take it, but simply raised an eyebrow: "Not this one."
She was taken aback.
"It's in the side pocket of your backpack." He said confidently, as if he had seen it a long time ago.
Xu Ying then remembered that she had indeed stuffed a bottle of peach-flavored sparkling water into her schoolbag that morning. She frantically rummaged through it, her ears burning—how could he have noticed such a detail?
By the time she finally pulled out the pink-packaged drink, Zong Heng had already unbuttoned the collar of his school uniform with one hand. Beads of sweat on his neck glistened in the sunlight, rising and falling slightly with his breath.
"I can't open it," he suddenly said.
The surroundings were silent for a few seconds, then erupted into a commotion.
Xu Ying's eyes widened in disbelief. This person who had just dunked with one hand on the court was now telling her he couldn't open a bottle cap?
Zong Heng's gaze was so frank it was almost provocative.
Xu Ying bit her lower lip and twisted the bottle cap open forcefully. Just as she was about to hand the water over, Zong Heng suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist.
His palms were burning hot and still damp with sweat, holding her slender wrist tightly. Xu Ying was so startled that she almost let go, but he pulled her to bring the bottle to her lips.
“Hey…” she protested softly, but saw that Zong Heng had already taken her hand and tilted his head back to drink.
The sparkling water made a soft "sizzling" sound, and his Adam's apple bobbed with each swallow. A few drops of liquid spilled from the corners of his lips, slid down his chin, and finally disappeared into the hollow of his collarbone.
Xu Ying was stunned.
It wasn't until Zong Heng finished most of the bottle and let go of her hand that she snapped out of her daze and took a step back. The noise of the stadium suddenly flooded her ears again, and she realized that almost everyone in the arena was watching them.
"It's sweet?" Zong Heng licked his lips, looking at her meaningfully.
Xu Ying then realized she had grabbed the wrong drink—it was her favorite peach flavor, and it was way too sweet. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out; she could only feel her cheeks burning hot.
"There's a math quiz next week." Zong Heng suddenly leaned closer, his voice extremely low, his warm breath brushing against her ear. "Can I borrow your notes?"
The distance was excessively close. Xu Ying could see the undried beads of sweat on his eyelashes and smell the lingering sweet scent of peaches in his breath. She nodded hurriedly, the blue ribbon from her ponytail brushing against her cheek, making her shrink back in ticklishness.
Zong Heng straightened up, a roguish smile playing on his lips. He casually shoved the remaining third of the sparkling water back into her hand: "It's too sweet, you finish it."
The gymnasium corridor was dimly lit. Xu Ying leaned against the wall, waiting for Chen Yue to pack up the cheerleading equipment. She heard the sounds of girls laughing and joking in the distance, and instinctively retreated into the shadows, not wanting to attract attention.
"Did you see that? Her face turned bright red when Zong Heng drank her water just now!" A shrill female voice came from around the corner, clearly mocking. "What are you pretending to be innocent for?"
Xu Ying unconsciously tightened her grip on her backpack strap, her breath coming in short gasps. She recognized the voice—Lin Qian from Class 4, the captain of the cheerleading team, who was said to have been pursuing Zong Heng since junior high school.
"Exactly, she always acts so high and mighty, but she still gets ahead by clinging to the school bully." Another girl chimed in, "I heard she transferred here because of her dad—"
Xu Ying bit her lower lip hard. She knew she should turn and leave, but her legs felt like lead, and she couldn't move an inch.
Just then, the locker room door was suddenly kicked open with a bang, and the metal door frame slammed against the wall with a deafening sound.
Lin Qian's mockery came to an abrupt halt.
Zong Heng walked out carrying his school uniform jacket, his hair still dripping wet, clearly having just taken a shower. His T-shirt collar was slightly open, revealing a faint scar on his collarbone, and he exuded a lingering aura of hostility.
The air froze instantly.
"Zong...Zong Heng?" Lin Qian's expression instantly switched from harsh to sweet, "Congratulations on your win—"
"Was it you who poured water on her chair just now?" Zong Heng interrupted her directly, his voice as cold as ice.
Xu Ying was stunned. Only then did she realize that when she returned to her seat before the competition, she found that the chair was wet, and she thought that some classmate had accidentally spilled a drink.
Lin Qian's face turned deathly pale: "I...I didn't..."
Zong Heng didn't speak, he just stared at her. His gaze was so sharp that Lin Qian unconsciously took a half step back.
"I saw it," a boy from Class 7 standing at the back suddenly said. "During halftime, she was walking towards the Class 7 seating area with a water bottle."
Lin Qian suddenly turned her head and glared at the boy, her lips trembling.
Zong Heng suddenly laughed.
That smile sent chills down Xu Ying's spine—she had seen that expression before; it was the same smile he had given before he pinned the boy from the next class who had been provoking her to the ground.
"You like pouring water so much?"
He unscrewed the half-empty bottle of mineral water in his hand, and before anyone could react, he raised it above his head and poured it over himself.
Water droplets rolled down his sharp brow bone, soaking the collar of his T-shirt. Lin Qian screamed and backed away, but her skirt was still splashed with water.
Zong Heng squeezed the empty bottle so hard it made a "crackling" sound, then casually tossed it into the trash can.
"It slipped." He flicked his hair, water droplets splashing everywhere. "If I see you touching her things again..."
He didn't finish speaking, but everyone understood what he meant.
Lin Qian's eyes were red, but she didn't dare to argue. She grabbed her companion and turned to run away. The crowd of onlookers quickly dispersed, and in the blink of an eye, only Xu Ying and Zong Heng remained in the corridor.
Xu Ying remained standing there, her heart pounding wildly. She watched Zong Heng bend down to pick up his coat, water droplets dripping from his hair onto the floor with a soft "plop" sound.
"What are you standing there for?" He frowned and looked over. "Go home."
Xu Ying opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say. Thank you? Or should she question why she did this?
Zong Heng seemed to see through her hesitation and chuckled, "Don't overthink it. I just hate it when people do things behind my back."
He turned to leave, but Xu Ying suddenly spoke up: "...Why did you help me?"
Zong Heng paused.
The setting sun shone through the window at the end of the corridor, casting a long shadow that stretched all the way to Xu Ying's feet.
"Who knows?" He didn't turn around, his voice carrying its usual languidness. "Maybe it's because your water is indeed quite sweet."
Xu Ying's face flushed red.
The campus gradually quieted down after the basketball game. The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them onto the asphalt road, one in front of the other. Xu Ying walked with her head down, the blue ribbon on her ponytail quietly untied and clutched in her hand.
Zong Heng walked half a step ahead of her, his school uniform casually draped over his shoulders, the back of his neck still damp with sweat. He walked slowly, as if deliberately waiting for her, yet he didn't say a word.
Xu Ying stared at his shadow on the ground—the shadow swayed slightly with each step, occasionally overlapping with hers before quickly separating again. She remembered the way he drank water earlier; her Adam's apple bobbed, and water droplets slid down her chin…
"Watch where you're going."
Zong Heng suddenly spoke, and Xu Ying snapped back to reality, realizing she had almost bumped into a telephone pole. She hurriedly took a step back, her ears burning.
Zong Heng turned his head to look at her, the setting sun gilding his features, his eyelashes casting dappled shadows beneath his eyes. A slight smile played on his lips: "You like looking at me that much?"
"Who's looking at you!" Xu Ying retorted immediately, her voice eight octaves higher than usual. She quickened her pace to overtake him, but heard a low laugh behind her.
As they passed a convenience store, Zong Heng suddenly turned around and said, "Wait here."
Before Xu Ying could react, he had already pushed the door open and gone inside. Through the glass window, she saw him standing in front of the freezer, picking and choosing, and finally taking out two cartons of milk and a bar of mints.
At the cashier, the shop owner smiled and struck up a conversation with him: "Buying milk again? Didn't you say it was too sweet last time?"
Zong Heng tossed the change into the donation box: "Someone likes to drink it."
Xu Ying was taken aback. She did drink this brand of milk every morning for breakfast, but how did he notice?
The doorbell rang, and Zong Heng came out, stuffing milk and sugar into the side pocket of her backpack: "Grow taller."
"I'm already 165cm tall."
"So you're short." Zong Heng casually ruffled her hair, the movement so natural that Xu Ying froze on the spot. By the time she came to her senses and tried to dodge, he had already withdrawn his hand, put his hands in his pockets, and continued walking forward.
The condensation on the milk carton slowly soaked the fabric of her backpack, the coolness seeping through and clinging to her waist. Xu Ying jogged a few steps to catch up with him: "How much? I..."
"Shut up." Zong Heng didn't even turn his head. "If you keep nagging, give me back my candy."
As Zong Heng turned into a quiet alley, he suddenly stopped.
Why not refute it?
Xu Ying didn't react for a moment: "What?"
"When they were spreading rumors," he turned around, his expression obscured by the backlight, "you could have easily retorted."
Xu Ying gripped her backpack strap tightly. The alley was so quiet that she could even hear her own heart pounding.
"I'm used to it," she finally said softly.
Zong Heng's brows furrowed even more. He took a step forward, and Xu Ying unconsciously stepped back, her back gently pressing against the brick wall.
"Used to what? Being bullied?" His voice was low, carrying an emotion she couldn't understand. "Xu Ying, you fucking..."
Before he could finish speaking, the roar of a motorcycle suddenly came from afar. Several teenagers in leather jackets stopped at the alley entrance, and the red-haired boy in the lead whistled: "Heng-ge! Let's go to Old Zhang's BBQ?"
Zong Heng didn't even turn his head: "Get lost."
"Hey, isn't that the cheerleader?" the red-haired man grinned mischievously. "No wonder Heng-ge played so well today—"
An empty soda can landed squarely on his helmet. Zong Heng finally turned around, his eyes chillingly cold: "Say another word, and you're paying for yourselves tonight."
The motorcycle convoy drove off dejectedly. The alley fell silent again, save for the sound of their breathing.
Xu Ying found her hands trembling slightly. It wasn't fear, but some more complex emotion—no one had ever protected her like this before.
Zong Heng suddenly threw his school uniform jacket at her head. In the instant her vision was blocked, Xu Ying smelled a faint scent of tobacco and mint.
"You won't have to get used to it." His voice came through the fabric, somewhat muffled. "My men, they have no right to complain."
As Xu Ying frantically pulled off her coat, Zong Heng had already walked several meters away. The setting sun cast a long shadow that stretched all the way to her toes.
She jogged after him and handed him back the coat: "Yours..."
"Here you go." Zong Heng didn't take it. "Give it back to me on Monday."
The roar of a motorcycle came from afar again, this time closer. Zong Heng clicked his tongue and suddenly pulled the box of mints from the side pocket of her backpack.
"The reward." He shook the candy box and backed away towards the alley entrance. "Don't forget the notes."
Xu Ying stood there, watching his figure gradually disappear into the sunset. Amidst the roar of the motorcycle, she vaguely heard the red-haired man shouting, "Brother Heng! Want to join us with your girl—"
Then came Zong Heng's cursing and the crowd's laughter.
As dusk settled, the streetlights began to illuminate the scene. Xu Ying carefully folded Zong Heng's school uniform and placed it inside his schoolbag.
The box of mints that was taken away was her favorite flavor.
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