Chapter 12: Afternoon Rain at the Stadium
Chapter 12: Afternoon Rain at the Stadium
It was still slightly cool in the morning and the sky was scorching hot in the afternoon, but suddenly it rained heavily when people were not paying attention.
Heavy raindrops slammed onto the concrete floor.
The rain had accumulated in small shallows on the playing field, reflecting only the gray shadow of the sky and the sunlight that shone through the dark clouds.
Therefore, a basketball final that should have been in full swing was temporarily brought to an end that day.
The event that was still pending at the time was once again put on the agenda on this sunny summer afternoon.
As a result, the crowd outside the basketball court today was shoulder to shoulder, the noise was deafening, and the tall camphor trees on both sides rustled amid the cheers, as if they were also cheering for the fierce game.
The players on the field were in strong posture, sweating profusely, and ready for a fierce competition.
Feng Yichen and his teammates worked together to frequently control the basketball within their own tactical camp on the court.
Not only that, Feng Yichen and his best friend Xu Tongshang are now in perfect harmony. They are at the two sides of the court respectively, running at high speed while throwing the basketball to each other, drawing perfect arcs above the court, and finally making a three-pointer in the basket that makes everyone exclaim.
But their opponents were not willing to fall behind, and this time they defended them man-to-man, cooperated with each other and tried their best to coordinate in screens, passes and cuts. One of them made a key "three-step layup" that instantly changed the rhythm of the game and boosted the morale of their own team.
…
The relevant content of the game was also recorded one by one in the manual by Chi Shu and several other members who were at the scoring table.
But at this moment, due to an error by an unknown team or player, the basketball instantly flew out of the court and rushed towards the scoring table. Everyone was about to avoid it in panic, but they saw Feng Yichen rushing over with great strides, turning around perfectly, raising his hand to block the ball, and then letting the ball return steadily to the center of the court.
Feng Yichen turned his head and saw that Chi Shu was fine, so he immediately ran back to the court and returned to combat form.
He rushed to the basket quickly, accurately intercepted the falling basketball among many waving arms, then quickly turned around and dribbled forward, accurately throwing the ball into the basket from outside the three-point line. The atmosphere in the entire stadium was once again filled with cheers.
At this moment, Chi Shu lowered her head and recorded this wonderful three-pointer in the scorebook. The golden light of the sun shining through the leaves was cast on the paper and reflected into her eyes, making her eyes flash with tiny lights. Moreover, it was clearly an extremely light and breathable blue sportswear, but at this moment, she felt inexplicably hot.
The increasingly close score on the scoreboard gripped the hearts and nerves of everyone present.
The first half of the game has come to an end, but the game is still very close and it seems difficult to determine the winner.
During halftime, the basketball players headed to the scorer's table to replenish their energy. A long table next to the scorer's table was filled with supplies, ready for any player's immediate needs. On the court, there was no distinction between "friend and foe."
Feng Yichen also walked to the scoring table and was about to bend down to get a bottle of water to drink.
Chi Shu, however, handed him a bottle of mineral water and asked, "Would you like some water?"
Feng Yichen paused for a moment and looked at Chi Shu. He turned his strong arm and took the water from her. The frown on his face, which had been slightly furrowed due to the stalemate on the court, also relaxed at the same time: "Okay, thank you."
Looking at Feng Yichen who was discussing the second-half tactics with his teammates not far away, Chi Shu felt extremely complicated.
This long basketball game, after many confrontations, has now become a contest between the School of Arts and the School of Economics and Management in the final.
As a member of the Faculty of Arts, Chi Shu naturally hopes that the Faculty will win the first place;
But if we talk about selfishness, Chi Shu seems to hope that Feng Yichen can come first.
Time passed by minute by minute, and the second half of the game officially started with gusts of gentle breeze, making the atmosphere in the entire stadium tense.
But even though the scores were close, the basketball players did not lose their composure.
Feng Yichen commanded the team with confidence on the court, leading them to break through the situation efficiently by combining tactics.
The opposing team also combined offense and defense, constantly creating shooting space in an attempt to narrow the score.
…
However, just as the finals were drawing to a close and the outcome was becoming clear—
A foul by a member of the opposing team not only caused the game to be suspended, but also prevented Feng Yichen from avoiding the foul and causing him to sprain his ankle. He had to go to the infirmary for emergency treatment.
Seeing that he was accidentally injured, Chi Shu was extremely worried. She wanted to go with him to see what was happening, but the current situation did not allow her to do so.
First, Feng Yichen was already surrounded by people who cared for him;
Second, she also had to help organize the scoring table.
Unfortunately, the captain's injury caused the School of Economics and Management team to lose morale. Even though they had the opportunity for "overtime" due to the draw, they were unable to secure victory. In the end, the final ended with a difference of only one point.
Originally, the event should have been a cause for celebration regardless of win or loss, but because of this sudden accident, the mood of the spectators became inexplicably depressed.
...Fragments of golden sunlight danced between the swaying leaves, heralding the end of the match. It was as if it were watching the crowds inside and outside the stadium gradually disperse, stepping on the bright and dim light and shadows...
A long time later, after being treated by the school doctor and confirmed to be "all right", Feng Yichen, accompanied by Xu Tongshang, came to the basketball court. The two sat on the steps outside the court and chatted. Occasionally, when they were silent, it was as if they were recalling something.
Maybe there is a sense of loss and regret.
The silent air was dispelled by the urging of a bell.
When Feng Yichen saw the caller's name, his features softened, and he answered the phone with a smile on his face. When he heard the familiar voice's concerned inquiry, his heart was silent for a moment. He wanted to say "nothing", but when he opened his mouth, he changed his tone to:
"It still hurts, but I can still bear it. Now... do you want to come over and see me?"
The voice on the other end of the phone had fallen silent, but the person on the other end of the phone appeared silently within Feng Yichen's sight.
The sunlight spread across the earth, casting a scorching temperature on the ground, and also rendering a beautiful halo behind her, as if building a colorful rainbow bridge in his heart.
At the same time, Xu Tongshang saw Chi Shu walking towards them not far away, and immediately began to rack his brains to write a reason to leave.
But it was not until Chi Shu walked in front of Feng Yichen that Xu Tongshang was finally able to stand up and said:
"Chi Shu, well, I suddenly feel a little...thirsty. Yes, it's so hot and I'm thirsty. I want to go to the store to buy a bottle of water. Could you please take care of Feng Yichen?"
Chi Shu: “…?”
Feng Yichen: “……!”
Xu Tongshang himself: “…Uh.”
Fortunately, he came up with such a lame excuse. The three people present suddenly felt like crows were flying around in the sky above their heads.
Fortunately, Chi Shu really had no reason or idea to refuse.
After Xu Tongshang left, Chi Shu touched the pocket of her sportswear and was about to sit down on the steps, but unfortunately, the pack of tissues she brought with her today had been lent to others at the stadium.
When she looked around and was about to stand, Feng Yichen had already taken out a pack of tissues and took out two sheets to spread beside her, smiling at her gently:
"Sit down."
"...Thank you." Chi Shu knew that he had always been a careful person, so he didn't say much.
After sitting down, he handed him an unopened box of Yunnan Baiyao and said:
"This is for you. Remember to follow the doctor's orders."
Feng Yichen took the medicine from her hand and looked at her, inevitably a little moved: "Did you go to the infirmary to see me just now?"
"Yeah." Chi Shu did not deny it.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you would come looking for me, so I didn't tell you I was here. But how did you think of looking for you here?" Feng Yichen felt sorry but a little surprised.
"Because, I guessed that you might need to relax, and sure enough, I met you." Chi Shu said frankly.
Feng Yichen raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this and nodded. He didn't say anything for a while, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Chi Shu looked at him thoughtfully and said politely:
"That student is from another class in the department. I heard he's not usually like this, but today he was probably too eager to win, so he got criticized by the counselor. He probably guessed I knew you, so he asked me to convey his apologies and say, 'Please don't blame him.'"
Feng Yichen was not prepared for what she was going to say. After thinking about her words carefully, he asked softly:
"Is that so? Then do you think I should blame him?"
This question stumped Chi Shu. It seemed that no answer would be appropriate. She stared into Feng Yichen's eyes and paused for a long moment before slowly saying:
"I think his behavior is understandable, but it doesn't deserve recognition. After all, his competitive spirit shouldn't be paid for by others. Besides, if you hadn't reacted quickly just now, I wouldn't be able to downplay this matter now."
There was nothing wrong with this answer, but Feng Yichen inexplicably felt that he was still a little concerned, so he asked again gently:
"So now, you're not only here to bring me medicine, but also to help him pass on a message?"
Chi Shu lowered his eyes and looked at Feng Yichen's injured ankle. His mind was filled with complicated thoughts. He pursed his lips and said:
"I was asked to deliver the message. I came because I was worried about your injury."
That little bit of emotion that might have been called "jealousy" vanished in an instant, and a smile gently appeared on the corner of Feng Yichen's mouth again: "Well, I'm fine."
He said it was okay in a different sense, but Chi Shu was really worried about his injury and asked with concern:
"Are you really okay? What are you going to do now? Do you need me to take you home?"
Feng Yichen was touched, knowing that she was confused because of her concern, and explained in a gentle voice:
"No...it's nothing serious, but you might not be able to support me. That boy just now is my friend. He will be back soon, don't worry."
thus--
On one side, they were chatting and waiting for someone in the playground;
On the other side, Xu Tongshang was also chatting and waiting for someone not far away.
Until the setting sun gently spread among the mountains, they also returned home accompanied by the fiery red clouds in the sky.
Time is so magical that it constantly connects people with each other, and also causes subtle changes in the relationships between people in some unnoticed media.
It’s just that maybe the people involved haven’t noticed it themselves.
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