Chapter 19 My Deskmate [VIP]
Chapter Summary: Fu Xianyin, you're using me as a shield while you watch others play ball!
Fu Xianyin was holding her coat and scrolling through her phone, completely unaware of the three familiar figures in the next half of the court.
On the other side of the court, Lin Anxu kept urging Gu Linzhao to go over and say hello: "Brother Zhao, come on, it's not easy to run into each other, go say hello."
Gu Linzhao spun the basketball in his hands countless times, but he didn't take a single step towards the affiliated high school.
Cheng Zhaozhao finally realized something was wrong and kept tugging at Lin Anxu's clothes.
Unfortunately, Lin Anxu was completely clueless when it came to this. He was utterly bewildered: "Wait, why are you pulling me along? Don't you want to go over and say hello?"
Cheng Zhaozhao sighed, finally giving up on trying to persuade that idiot Lin Anxu. She shoved the water into Lin Anxu's arms and left, grumbling.
Lin Anxu was completely bewildered: "No, you guys..."
"Time is almost up."
Gu Linzhao finally spoke: "Let's go say hello during the break."
Lin Anxu: "Oh."
The basketball spun in Gu Linzhao's hands, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed it beautifully into the basket.
Lin Anxu showered her with compliments, eliciting bursts of exclamations from many young girls in the stands.
But Gu Linzhao's gaze still occasionally drifted towards the affiliated high school.
I feel inexplicably annoyed.
Gu Linzhao didn't even know what was bothering him.
The referee blew his whistle, a sharp and piercing sound. Gu Linzhao threw the ball, exhaled, and headed towards the center line.
Another person was brought back to reality by the sharp whistle.
Fu Xianyin was frantically reviewing basic basketball knowledge in the stands when a sharp whistle pierced his head.
She frowned and rubbed her ears, somewhat regretting sitting in the front row. Just as she was about to sneakily move to the back, she suddenly caught sight of two familiar figures in the opposite half of the field.
Memories are awakened:
"Sis, we've arranged a basketball game for tomorrow. Are you interested? Or maybe we can grab some food after the game."
"Tomorrow won't work. I have an appointment with someone tomorrow, so I don't have time."
She clicked her tongue.
If she had known it would be such a coincidence, she wouldn't have rejected Lin Anxu yesterday.
She was hesitating whether to go over to the opposite half of the field to say hello and bring them water, but she was afraid she wouldn't find a suitable opportunity. Suddenly, she saw Cheng Zhaozhao in the stands.
Fu Xianyin sent a WeChat message to Cheng Zhaozhao:
[Zhaozhao, you're on the court too!]
Cheng Zhaozhao replied instantly:
[You saw me! I saw you when I was bringing water to Lin Anxu and the others. We were going to say hello, but the competition started, so we didn't.]
[You know people from the affiliated high school?]
Fu Xianyin hesitated for a moment about her relationship with Fu Yeyang, and finally chose the general term "friends" to encompass it:
[Yeah, I have a friend who goes to the affiliated high school, and he dragged me over to watch him play basketball today.]
Cheng Zhaozhao:
[Oh, so Yinyin, you really enjoy watching sports.]
Fu Xianyin: ...
To be honest, she didn't even really understand the rules.
Just as I was organizing my thoughts, the sharp whistle rang out again.
Fu Xianyin looked up and saw Lin Anxu stepping out from the crowd and placing his hand on the ball first.
The crowd suddenly stirred.
Someone from the affiliated high school tried to steal the ball, but Lin Anxu passed it to Gu Linzhao first. The boy jumped the moment he received the ball and shot it from a distance, some distance from the three-point line.
Fu Xianyin's gaze followed the ball intently.
The brick-red basketball drew an arc across the azure sky and landed precisely in the hoop.
A burst of screams erupted from the stands.
Fu Xianyin could even hear Lin Anxu's incredibly penetrating voice shouting, "Holy crap, Brother Zhao is awesome!"
The basketball fell from the hoop, and a student from the affiliated high school grabbed the rebound.
The person was very fast, and Lin Anxu couldn't defend against him. He quickly dribbled the ball to the basket of No. 1 Middle School.
Just as he jumped to dunk, the ball was knocked down by Lin Anxu.
However, the next second, another player from the affiliated high school grabbed the ball and threw it to Fu Yeyang on the perimeter. Fu Yeyang jumped up and made a beautiful three-pointer.
The bright yellow figure waved his arm at Fu Xianyin, and Fu Xianyin smiled and waved back.
Throughout the first quarter, even Lin Anxu noticed that Gu Linzhao was playing more aggressively than usual.
This guy gets the ball and shoots, making two out of three shots. By the end of the first quarter, Gu Linzhao had already scored 13 points.
The affiliated high school was temporarily behind, but whether it was only the first period or Fu Yeyang just had a good attitude, he was still smiling and saying to Fu Xianyin when he came off the court for a break:
"Sister Xianyin, how was it? Did I play well?"
"Good."
Fu Xianyin unscrewed the water bottle and handed it to Fu Yeyang.
Fu Yeyang feigned surprise: "Wow, Sister Xianyin even bought me water."
Fu Xianyin: "...That's over the top. Your team bought them, and I just grabbed two bottles."
Fu Yeyang gulped down several mouthfuls: "Speaking of which, Sister Xianyin, the person playing basketball on the other side seems to be from the same school as you."
Fu Xianyin thought to herself that it wasn't just from one school; the guy who was shooting hoops like crazy was her deskmate.
She told Fu Yeyang what she said, and Fu Yeyang stopped drinking water and stared at Gu Linzhao, not even looking away when Gu Linzhao turned his head.
Unable to stand it any longer, Fu Xianyin grabbed Fu Yeyang's chin and turned it around, saying with barely suppressed anger, "Could you be any more blatant?"
She walked past Fu Yeyang and met Gu Linzhao's gaze in the distance. Just as she was about to reach out to greet him, she saw Gu Linzhao turn his head away as if he hadn't seen her at all.
Fu Xianyin was stunned, and then became a little annoyed.
What's wrong with this person?
She had even considered offering the other person some water, but the person wouldn't even glance at her.
Fu Xianyin didn't understand. Gu Linzhao was hostile towards her because he was playing against the Affiliated High School and she was sitting in the audience.
Petty.
She cursed inwardly.
She turned her head away and didn't look at Gu Linzhao again.
Two minutes passed quickly, and the second quarter began again.
The rules of basketball are not actually that complicated; at least the last-minute cramming Fu Xianyin did before the game was enough for her to understand them.
The two best players were Gu Linzhao from No. 1 Middle School and Fu Yeyang from Affiliated Middle School.
However, Gu Linzhao and Lin Anxu cooperated well. They had known each other for a long time and had a good understanding. In contrast, Fu Yeyang's teammates were a bit of a drag on him.
At the end of the second quarter, the affiliated high school was thirteen points behind the first high school.
The affiliated high school made an emergency tactical adjustment, so Fu Yeyang didn't have time to find her. He just came over to get some water and went over.
Fu Xianyin hesitated for two seconds, but still took the two bottles of water to No. 1 Middle School.
Considering that Gu Linzhao helped her with chemistry, she decided to just lower her head.
"Yinyin! Come quick!"
Cheng Zhaozhao waved to her, and Fu Xianyin jogged a few steps and sat down next to Cheng Zhaozhao.
Lin Anxu, with his sharp eyes, noticed the two bottles of water in Fu Xianyin's hand and spread his hands with a grin: "Beautiful sister, you came especially to bring us water, thank you."
Fu Xianyin smiled and handed him the water.
Gu Linzhao watched for a long time, but still couldn't help but ask, "Isn't there one for me?"
Fu Xianyin snorted coldly and was about to hand over another bottle of water when a stuttering female voice rang out: "Gu... Gu Linzhao, I just went to buy some water, here you go."
Song Yaoge carried a bottle of sports drink, a bottle of mineral water, and a cup of mango pomelo sago.
She looked at Gu Linzhao and handed all three bottles to him.
Fu Xianyin's hand, which was handing over water, froze in mid-air.
The sound of hurried footsteps grew louder as Fu Yeyang's boisterous voice filled her ears: "Sister Xianyin, my water!"
Fu Xianyin immediately tried to pull her arm back, but the boy in front of her was several seconds faster than her.
Gu Linzhao reached out and grabbed her wrist, stopping her from pulling away.
Then, with his other hand, he gripped the bottle of water tightly under her fingers.
Fu Xianyin's palm was forced to cover the back of his hand.
The plastic water bottle creaked as it was squeezed, and Gu Linzhao took it from her hand.
He unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and then looked at Song Yaoge, his voice flat: "Thank you, but no need."
Song Yaoge bit her lower lip, holding the three bottles of water like that, unsure whether to give them away or accept them.
Her eyes welled up with tears, and then she looked up at Fu Xianyin.
Fu Xianyin felt uneasy under that pitiful gaze.
She frowned, but then Song Yaoge's lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but then she turned and ran away.
She was a little confused and glanced at the person standing next to her with displeasure.
Gu Linzhao remained nonchalant, leisurely sipping the water he had snatched from her. Noticing her gaze, the boy lowered his eyes and chuckled softly, "Why are you glaring at me?"
Fu Xianyin rolled her eyes at him: "What do you think?"
The culprit still has the nerve to talk.
Gu Linzhao screwed the bottle cap on, saw Fu Yeyang gradually approaching, and said slowly, "Didn't you say you were vengeful?"
Her words seemed nonsensical, but Fu Xianyin understood them perfectly.
Just as she was about to say something, someone patted her on the shoulder. Fu Xianyin turned around and saw Fu Yeyang.
He grinned and asked, "Sister Xianyin, where's my water?"
Fu Xianyin pointed to the high school stands: "There, I didn't bring it over."
Fu Yeyang said "Oh", then suddenly extended his hand to Gu Linzhao and said, "Hello, my name is Yeyang, and I am a friend of Sister Xianyin."
Gu Linzhao reached out and touched hands with him, saying, "My name is Gu Linzhao, and I'm Fu Xianyin's... deskmate."
One is a friend, the other is just a classmate.
Gu Linzhao lowered his eyes, suddenly feeling a little annoyed.
The whistle blew, signaling the end of halftime. Fu Xianyin greeted Cheng Zhaozhao and then returned to the Affiliated High School stands with Fu Yeyang.
The newly adjusted tactics of the affiliated high school were effective; by the end of the third quarter, they had narrowed the gap to 7 points.
The two teams are now only 6 points apart.
The two-minute break is over, and the fourth quarter begins.
No. 1 Middle School took the initiative first. Lin Anxu won the jump ball and dribbled past several players, directly reaching the Affiliated Middle School's half of the court.
He passed the ball to Gu Linzhao, who flicked his wrist to receive the pass from Lin Anxu. He had barely straightened up when the person in front of him hurriedly raised his hand to block.
However, the next second, Gu Linzhao nimbly bypassed him and threw the ball to Lin Anxu, who had already run to the basket.
Lin Anxu slammed the ball over the rim with a thud.
After playing for more than half an hour, the players' foreheads were covered in sweat from the high-intensity exercise.
Gu Linzhao's bangs were damp with sweat. He lifted his jersey to wipe them, and a corner of his T-shirt underneath was pulled up, revealing a glimpse of his abdominal muscles.
A small cheer erupted from the stands, but Gu Linzhao remained completely oblivious, his attention unaffected. He kept his eyes on the rebound the Affiliated High School had secured, seizing the opportunity to intercept it.
The blue jersey fluttered in the wind, highlighting the boy's lean and athletic physique.
Sweat dripped from his forehead, and the basketball in his hands seemed to obey him with a life of its own.
Fu Xianyin never imagined that she would enjoy watching football games so much.
The field was filled with energetic teenagers, running and leaping in the setting sun. Their yellow and blue figures seemed to blend seamlessly with the wind, their vitality overflowing the entire field.
The fourth quarter ended with No. 1 Middle School leading by 8 points.
The match ended, and the players shook hands. Fu Xianyin helped Fu Yeyang put away his bag, when she suddenly felt the bag's inner compartment vibrating incessantly.
She had a bad feeling.
As Fu Yeyang ran towards her with the setting sun behind him, Fu Xianyin handed him her schoolbag.
Fu Yeyang's eyes sparkled: "Sister Xianyin, your deskmate is amazing! I just added Lin Anxu on WeChat and we made plans to play ball together sometime."
He took the backpack, and while taking out his phone, he said, "Let's have Sister Xianyin come too, since everyone recognizes her anyway."
Fu Yeyang stared at the words flashing on his phone, his voice choked with emotion.
Fu Xianyin caught a glimpse of the name "Li Chan" out of the corner of her eye.
She didn't know what to say, so she just reached out and patted Fu Yeyang on the shoulder.
Fu Yeyang looked up and forced a smile: "Sister Xianyin, I might..."
"It's okay." Fu Xianyin smiled. "I know, it's okay. I really enjoy watching you guys play basketball. I think it's very interesting. Let me know next time we arrange a game."
"Then I'll be going now." Fu Xianyin slung her bag over her shoulder and waved to Fu Yeyang: "See you next time."
Fu Yeyang forced a smile, waved to Fu Xianyin, then slung his backpack over his shoulder and ran away.
Fu Xianyin is not a very empathetic person, but at this moment she felt that no one understood Fu Yeyang better than her.
Li Chan was like Chen Huimei; that phone call was the tether that pulled them from heaven back to hell.
Fu Yeyang's figure disappeared into the distance. Fu Xianyin blinked and suddenly felt a little sad.
"Stop looking."
A voice sounded from above. Gu Linzhao looked down at her and said, "They've all disappeared. Why are you still looking?"
A strange feeling began to grow in his heart.
After Ye Yang left, Fu Xianyin's eyes seemed glued to him, as if she didn't want to blink.
friend.
Would this happen between ordinary friends?
Fu Xianyin withdrew her gaze and looked up at Gu Linzhao.
She didn't speak, and neither did Gu Linzhao.
The sun shone warmly behind the girl, and a gentle breeze ruffled the stray hairs by her ears, causing her blue jersey to flutter lightly.
The two of them just stared at each other in silence.
It seemed as if the noise and commotion of the stadium had nothing to do with them.
After a long pause, Fu Xianyin said in a low voice, "Congratulations, class monitor, you won the competition."
Gu Linzhao scoffed, "Why do you say that so insincerely? If you don't want to congratulate me, you don't have to."
Fu Xianyin clicked her tongue and finally couldn't help but say, "Didn't I say you took the wrong medicine today? Why are you being so petty?"
Gu Linzhao twitched the corner of his mouth.
Fu Xianyin didn't see it.
Because her handbag on her lap suddenly started vibrating, Fu Xianyin took out her phone and saw that another Li Chan had called her.
The name Chen Huimei was enlarged on the phone screen, and the black screen resembled a vortex, sucking Fu Xianyin into the hole named Chen Huimei.
Fu Xianyin took a deep breath and answered the phone.
On the other end of the phone, Chen Huimei's voice was cold: "You're not at school, you didn't even come home for the National Day holiday, Fu Xianyin, instead of staying home and studying, where have you been?"
Fu Xianyin: "I just finished my exam yesterday, and I'm meeting up with my friends today."
"Out playing?!" Chen Huimei's voice suddenly turned sharp, like a blade piercing Fu Xianyin's head: "Fu Xianyin, you're already a senior in high school, and you're still out playing?! Did I send you to No. 1 High School to repeat the year so you could hang out with hooligans? Isn't your deskmate the class monitor? Instead of hanging out with the good students, you're always hanging out with a bunch of shady characters! Do you even want to take the college entrance exam? Don't you know how you did this year? You think you can compete with Fu Yeyang next year with this score? What do you have to compete with him on?!"
Chen Huimei became more and more agitated as she spoke: "Give your phone to your friend, I want to see what kind of shady people are leading you astray!"
Fu Xianyin: "They're gone."
Chen Huimei: "Liar! Fu Xianyin, where are you? I'm asking you where you are right now. I'm coming to find you right now, and I want to see for myself!"
Chen Huimei's voice stopped abruptly.
No, it didn't end abruptly. Chen Huimei's fragmented screams could still be heard in the wind.
Her phone was suddenly taken away, and Chen Huimei's voice suddenly left her ears.
Fu Xianyin looked up blankly.
Gu Linzhao held her phone with his slender fingers, his voice calm and gentle: "Hello, Auntie, my name is Gu Linzhao, and I am Fu Xianyin's deskmate."
"I asked Fu Xianyin to come out and play. Well, it wasn't just me, there was also a boy and a girl. We just finished our monthly exams yesterday, so we came out to relax."
"Fu Xianyin studies very hard and has made great progress. Auntie, you don't need to worry, Fu Xianyin is a very outstanding student."
"It's true, she's very talented, we all think so."
Chen Huimei's anger seemed to gradually subside, and Fu Xianyin could no longer hear Chen Huimei's roars.
Gu Linzhao's expression and tone remained as gentle as ever.
He was still talking to Chen Huimei, but Fu Xianyin could no longer hear anything.
She looked up at him.
How did this person do that?
In this world.
How could that be?
Such a kind person.
It seems like I can hear again.
Fu Xianyin blinked and saw Gu Linzhao holding her phone and handing it to her.
She took the phone and suddenly heard the boy above her chuckle, then teased:
"Fu Xianyin, you're using me as a shield when you see other people playing ball."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com