Chapter 19
Unlike what He Xi thought, Bai Shu did not avoid suspicion or distance himself from her. However, after that day, Wei Mo and Lin Shenshen would appear from time to time when the two of them were together.
He Xi could feel that this change came from Bai Shu. He was protecting her in his own way.
But when she asked him, he refused to admit it.
“…Wh-How could that be?!”
"It's just... Wei Mo recently lost to me in basketball and wanted to treat me to a month's meal in the cafeteria."
"As for Lin Shenshen, he probably cares about you, but it has nothing to do with me."
He Xi looked at the boy's blushing face and stammering, and wisely didn't ask any further questions.
Wei Mo chuckled, "Did he tell you that?" He shook his head and refused to continue. "If that guy finds out, I'll be snapped to pieces."
"Did Wei Mo say that?"
He Xi shook his head. Lin Shenshen looked embarrassed and took a deep breath. "He Xi, I didn't promise Bai Shu to keep this a secret, but I've learned something recently: when someone comes to me to confirm something, they often already have the answer in their mind."
"So He Xi, what's your answer?"
"Or, what do you want the answer to be?"
He Xi was choked. Lin Shenyuan was right. The person who really had to answer this question was herself.
She couldn't analyze her own heart at this time, analyze what Bai Shu meant to her, and how she felt about Bai Shu, so she could only ask again and again.
Because she knew that Bai Shu had his own ideals and she would also have her own goals. Their lives had just begun, and it was too early to figure out this problem now.
So, in the end, she wrote down this intuition that needed to be questioned and locked it in a brown leather box on her study desk. She believed that when she looked back at this thought a few years later, He Xi would easily find the answer she was looking for.
High school classes are busy, and there are more interesting things happening in this world every day than just the one about Bai Shu and He Xi.
People were distracted by the things that were about to happen every day, including He Xi herself. Later on, this incident became just a small episode in the flood of things that were happening.
There are always more important things in life to pay attention to.
As the end of their second year of high school approached, they were divided into arts and science majors.
After much hesitation, Chen Linlin and Lu Xiaoyue decided to major in arts and science respectively. Chen Linlin said arts was easier to learn, while Lu Xiaoyue said science would help them get into university.
Lin Shenyuan likes painting and plans to take the art college entrance examination, preferring the liberal arts.
Wei Mo wrote two pieces of paper and drew lots for either liberal arts or science. He Xi was in the same situation as him, with similar scores in both. She didn't have any clear goals and was rather uncertain about her future. Growing up, she'd always gone with the flow, and when she couldn't figure out which to choose, she'd just join the crowd. But this time, she wanted to hear her own voice.
Unlike queuing up to eat at a restaurant, or looking at which of the two clothes in your hands to pay for, the choices you face in life are not always so easy.
"So you chose liberal arts." The boy's voice sounded above his head, his lazy tone mixed with a teasing smile.
Bai Shu's appearance was so sudden that He Xi quickly covered the note with her hand. She had nothing to hide. It was just that his appearance was so sudden. "...Yeah, and you... chose science, right?"
He Xi looked up and found Bai Shu's head resting on the stacked textbooks on the table. His gaze lingered on her covered hands. When he heard her words, he raised his eyelashes and looked up. A pair of blazing, uninhibited eyes met He Xi's. When their eyes met, He Xi couldn't help but blink.
Bai Shu smiled but said nothing.
"You'll know when the time comes."
-
"Come and watch my game tomorrow afternoon." Bai Shu said quickly in a low voice as he passed by He Xi after school on Friday, carrying his schoolbag.
He Xi stopped and looked up, and saw the tall and strong young man stretching out his long arms and waving at her. He did not look back, leaving her with a handsome back view.
But news about him came through WeChat on my mobile phone.
【Sun Tree】: You will come, right?
There is no period and no question mark.
【Runaway Tianxi】: Yes
A brief "OK" came back quickly, and He Xi couldn't see the corners of the boy's mouth raised behind the mask.
[Sun Tree]: Shooting training will continue tomorrow.
He Xi tapped the keyboard on the screen with his fingers but did not send it.
[Sun Tree]: Don’t try to hide. No matter how busy I am, I will be responsible for you.
He Xi's face turned red when she saw the word "responsible". Fortunately, it was through a screen. She imitated Bai Shu and replied with a short "OK".
The stadium was already packed with spectators before the game started. He Xi found a seat and sat down, and someone patted his shoulder gently.
"He Xi." It was Lu Xiaoyue. She said with a squinting look, "You came to watch the basketball game too."
"Lu Xiaoyue." He Xi looked at Lu Xiaoyue. They were not wearing school uniforms today because it was a holiday. Lu Xiaoyue was wearing a bright yellow slim-fitting A-line skirt and light makeup on her face. "Very beautiful."
"Thank you——" He Xi was halfway through saying the word when the words he said to Lu Xiaoyue last time, "I'm jealous of him but I like you," automatically played in his mind.
I'm jealous of him but I like you.
I'm jealous of him, but I like you.
I'm so jealous of him but, I like you.
I like you...
Like...you!
Lu Xiaoyue took a deep breath. Could she be serious? Her large eyes, wary and alert, sized He Xi up from head to toe.
Today, He Xi wore a thin white top and light blue jeans. The style was simple and the cut was disastrous, but it surprisingly suited her. Her delicate features were hidden under a large sky-blue baseball cap. A thin layer of lipstick covered her lips. She usually didn't notice it, but now she looked much better than when Lu Xiaoyue first met her.
"Have you gained some weight?"
He Xi nodded, giving a small, shy smile. "I was only 60 pounds at the beginning of the school year, and now I'm 72." If someone had asked her this before, she would have thought she was gaining weight again. Now, her reaction to the question was much calmer.
"No wonder!" Lu Xiaoyue was stunned by He Xi's smile. The changes brought about by weight were more than just physical changes. "You are becoming more and more beautiful. Not bad."
"Keep going, and find a state that makes you feel comfortable both physically and mentally."
Lu Xiaoyue gently touched He Xi with her shoulder.
"Okay... I'll do my best." He Xi rubbed his shoulder and was about to say something else when Lu Xiaoyue beside him pointed at the contestants entering the arena and shouted excitedly, "Ah, the competition is about to begin!"
As soon as the whistle blew, the battle was about to begin. The red team, Anshan High School, reacted quickly and moved swiftly, while the blue team, Linshui High School, attacked swiftly and aggressively.
He Xi nervously watched the exciting and intense competition on the field, and was worried about Bai Shu and the others. Lu Xiaoyue was excited the whole time, "Come on, Li Youyang—Come on, Li Youyang—"
He Xi turned around and glanced at Lu Xiaoyue. Li Youyang was a member of the Linshui High School team. He wore a blue shirt and was probably number 3.
Lu Xiaoyue leaned over and whispered in He Xi's ear, "Li Youyang is so handsome, look, look, so handsome, I don't care if he is our school competitor or not."
Li Youyang, number 3 from Linshui High School on the blue team, was pale and thin-skinned. Though not particularly impressive among the tall, stocky athletes, his aura was unique. His clear, gentle features and the boy-next-door look made him easily noticeable on the court. He Xi stroked his chin. He was indeed handsome, and with a striking contrast, he must be the type to be very popular with the girls.
Li Youyang's basketball skills were average, and he finally managed to score a goal. Lu Xiaoyue cheered him on with all her might, "Brother is the most handsome. It's my heart that's not with you playing badly!"
He Xi was also attracted to Li Youyang. Bai Shu and the others were fighting like gods to the death, but Li Youyang was obviously following the novice's counterattack script and didn't want him to win... It was very difficult.
Lu Xiaoyue continued to promote him to He Xi, "He's very handsome, isn't he? I came here today just to get his WeChat. If we can't have a relationship, it's good to put him on WeChat Moments and see his updates. It gives me more energy to study."
He Xi said "oh" and nodded in understanding, his attention drawn to Li Youyang on the field.
It was no surprise that Bai Shu and his team won. If Li Youyang could win, who knows how exciting and full of twists and turns this game would be.
Bai Shu, with the help of Wei Mo and other teammates, scored another beautiful shot, which shocked the entire stadium. The score between the red and blue teams had completely widened. He finally found the strength to glance at the audience from the corner of his eye.
One unfamiliar and indifferent face after another was filtered out of his sight, and finally stopped at He Xi who unscrewed the bottle cap, picked up the water and took a sip. Bai Shu's heart was like a flying butterfly, and it jumped a little for joy.
He Xi put down the water, and Bai Shu returned to the game. He played with all his might, looking toward the audience as if begging for a reward every time he made a shot. But gradually, he noticed something was amiss...
Why isn't her attention on herself?!
Bai Shu followed He Xi's direction and fixed his gaze on Li Youyang from the blue team. He glanced at his own thin, wheat-colored palms, then at Li Youyang's pale, pinkish-white forearm, and laughed in anger.
You like him, right?! I'm gonna knock him down today! The sharp-eyed young man hunched over, dribbled the ball, and rushed out like a cheetah.
"Ha! Ha, ha..." Lu Xiaoyue's bright smile froze on her face, and with a sound that was even more unpleasant than crying, it became uglier and uglier. "I know Bai Shu is a good player, but what happened to him today?"
He Xi was also puzzled. Li Youyang was beaten repeatedly in the competition. He knew that Li Youyang's skills were average, but why did he feel lost when his expectations were dashed?
Lu Xiaoyue looked at He Xi with a faint smile, "...Don't tell me it's because of you."
"Impossible!" He Xi responded quickly, "Absolutely impossible!"
"Heh..." Lu Xiaoyue didn't know whether she was mocking He Xi's naivety or the childishness of a certain boy on the field. She then looked up and sighed, "Brother, my male god, you are so miserable——"
But I heard that she finally got Li Youyang's WeChat.
Anshan High School won the match without a doubt. Li Youyang accepted the result, but couldn't accept the unilateral targeting of Team Red's No. 5 player. As soon as the match was over, he ran to Bai Shu to demand to know why. The carefree Lu Xiaoyue also insisted on getting to the bottom of it. To their surprise, Bai Shu's attitude was unusually sincere, offering apologies, explanations, and compensation. Lu Xiaoyue even managed to get her idol's WeChat account by accident.
She left happily. Bai Shu looked at Li Youyang in front of him, pursed his lips and asked, "Do you know a girl named He Xi?"
"Who is she?" Li Youyang scratched the back of his head and smiled gently. "I'm a little confused when you say that. Is she from Linshui High School or from Anshan? Do you have a photo of her? Let me see it."
Bai Shu shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I apologize to you again. I'm sorry."
Li Youyang was puzzled, but still smiled, "It's okay, even though your play is a bit intense, your technique is really great, I quite admire it."
_
When He Xi reported to school for the second year of high school, he saw Bai Shu's name on his class roster. He also chose liberal arts.
She sat down in her seat, and the chair next to her was pulled away. The boy put his schoolbag on the table and sat down carelessly. He caught He Xi's peripheral vision with his eyes, and greeted her with a soft smile, "Hello, classmate."
When he entered the second year of high school, Bai Shu's seat next to He Xi was often empty.
He poured all his energy into training for the competition. He was busy with team and individual practice every day, attending invitational tournaments and warm-up matches every week, and traveling for at least one official competition each month. For major events, he would even travel for ten days or even half a month in advance for intensive training. The entire semester was either spent preparing for competitions or competing, keeping him busy all day.
But when it was time for dinner, he would always rush to He Xi like a gust of wind and say, "Let's go eat."
"How much did you weigh this morning?"
He Xi reported formally, "I've lost 76 catties, and my BMI is 14.2. Maybe..." She paused, "It might be related to the recent cold weather and frequent diarrhea."
Bai Shu silently pushed the bowl of kelp and tofu noodle soup in front of him to He Xi, "Then have some with soup."
Then he went to the cafeteria and got another meal. On the plate was a serving of garlic lettuce and a serving of beef stew with potatoes. He transferred the potatoes from the two servings of beef stew to his own plate.
The beef on the plate was piled up like a small mountain. How could He Xi feel embarrassed? Bai Shu sighed, reached out to hold down the plate, and smiled, "Auntie, wait until you gain weight, then push it to me. Then I will definitely accept it, okay?"
He Xi lost his temper when he heard the tone of his voice coaxing a child.
After thinking about it, he couldn't help but speak, "...Bai Shu, you are so busy now, but you still squeeze out time to have dinner with me. I can't just ignore your hard work. Otherwise... let's just forget about it in the future."
When he was out training for competitions and it was time for meals, he would video chat with her to monitor her eating and check in on her mealtimes. This sacrifice was truly too great.
"I'm happy to do that, but this isn't a sacrifice." Bai Shu wiped the corner of his mouth with a tissue. "Supervising your eating and exercise is actually my parallel task."
"Every time I open my eyes, your affairs are already in my plan. So He Xi, this is not only my mission, but also yours."
"You have to keep working hard. I want to see you satisfied with yourself for a day."
"Okay, enough talking. I still have to go to lunch practice. Today is Friday. Meet me at the bus stop in front of the school after school. We'll go to the gym together for training."
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