Chapter 21 Part 1
The sky before a heavy rain is always a dull, colorless gray.
When Jian Wu and the others arrived at the playground, He Yong’s students were already waiting under the basket. They were all very familiar with Jian Wu and even more enthusiastic towards him than He Yong. They waved from afar: “Jian Ge!” Hearing this, Song Shuci chuckled, a hint of jealousy in his voice: “Teacher Jian, you have so many little brothers.” Jian Wu put on a fake smile: “Haha.”
“You brats,” He Yong put his hands on his hips, also feeling a bit jealous, “Who’s your teacher? Why isn’t anyone calling me?” The boys, who had just been acting like monkeys, instantly became well-behaved, standing obediently in place.
He Yong held the ball, put on a serious face, paced back and forth in front of the three students standing in a row, and then asked: “Have you finished your warm-up exercises?” He Yong always seemed cheerful in front of Jian Wu and the others, but now, his smile gone, standing in front of a group of middle school students who were slightly shorter and thinner than him, he had an imposing air.
The three boisterous students now replied in unison: “Yes, we have!” Seeing this, Song Shuci glanced at Jian Wu, who almost instantly understood what he was thinking.
He put down his water bottle, looked at He Yong lecturing in the distance, and lowered his voice to explain to Song Shuci: “As teachers, we have to put on an act sometimes, otherwise we can’t control them, especially boys of this age, they’re very mischievous.”
“Then why don’t you put on an act?”
“These aren’t my students.”
“Do you also pretend to be fierce with your students?”
“Yes.”
Jian Wu looked at He Yong, not noticing Song Shuci’s gaze on his profile.
“What do you look like when you pretend to be fierce? Do you scold them? Or slam the table, slam books?”
“I don’t like talking too much, it’s easy to expose myself,” Jian Wu said, “I usually just look at them, don’t say anything, just scan the room with my eyes. If there are a few troublemakers, I’ll make eye contact with them.”
He suddenly looked at Song Shuci: “Like this, usually no one can last more than five seconds.”
Song Shuci was originally looking at him but didn’t expect Jian Wu to turn his head. Their eyes met unexpectedly, and Song Shuci’s breath hitched.
“Why did you switch to playing point guard?” Jian Wu suddenly asked.
His eyes were cold and deep.
This was a look Song Shuci was unfamiliar with.
Even when they broke up, when they argued, Jian Wu had never looked at him like this.
He admitted Jian Wu’s tactic was very effective. Being looked at like this, he really did feel like confessing everything. But in the end, his reason suppressed this urge.
“Do you think of me as your student?” He used a joking tone to diffuse the atmosphere between them.
Jian Wu chuckled and said with certainty: “It must be because your height isn’t considered tall abroad, you can’t play center anymore.”
Song Shuci defended himself: “Not all foreigners are 1.9 meters tall.”
“Then why?”
Song Shuci didn’t expect Jian Wu to ask again, catching him off guard.
Seeing the momentary pause on Song Shuci’s face, Jian Wu suddenly smiled, his mood improving.
“Stop chatting, you two!” He Yong shouted from afar, throwing a ball over.
“Get ready to start!”
Jian Wu caught the ball and switched to holding it with one hand, then nudged Song Shuci’s back with the ball, smoothly changing the subject: “Let’s go, time to play.”
The players took to the court. He Yong’s three students seemed particularly motivated, as if they had been injected with chicken blood. Although they were only ninth-graders, perhaps because of good nutrition, they were already the height of adults. Standing in front of Jian Wu and the others, it was almost impossible to tell who were the teachers and who were the students.
“Let me introduce you,” He Yong gestured towards Song Shuci, “This is Professor Song from B Medical University.”
“Hello, Professor Song!” The boys were very enthusiastic.
“Professor Song has a PhD,” He Yong said to them, “You should all learn from him.”
“Oh right,” He Yong suddenly remembered, “Song Ge, are you from City B?”
“Yes,” Song Shuci said.
“Which middle school did you go to?”
“No. 6 Middle School.”
“What a coincidence, Jian Ge also went to No. 6. Too bad I didn’t have your grades, I didn’t get into No. 4 or No. 6,” He Yong sighed, then said to his students, “Did you hear that? Professor Song graduated from No. 6, and your favorite Teacher Jian also graduated from No. 6. So you have to work hard and get into No. 6, understand?”
“Yes!!!”
The friendly match officially began with the three teenagers’ passionate shouts. Jian Wu smiled and gradually stepped back.
Following the fine tradition of respecting the elderly and cherishing the young, the three adults unanimously agreed to let the teenagers start with the ball. He Yong’s three students, as athletes, were quite skilled. Their movements were smooth and fluid, and coupled with their youthful energy, they were quite a sight to behold.
He Yong smiled at his two teammates: “Don’t lose, that would be too embarrassing.”
As soon as he said this, one of the boys, who was supposed to be defended by He Yong, took a shot. Unfortunately, the shot was too hasty. The ball circled the rim a few times before falling.
He Yong shook his head and commented: “Haste makes waste, remember to reflect on this later.”
The boy pouted, wanting to say something but not daring to.
Before he could turn around, Song Shuci had already grabbed the rebound. He dribbled the ball out beyond the three-point line, then broke through towards the basket, seemingly preparing for a layup. The remaining two players from the teenage team, determined to avenge their teammate, quickly double-teamed him. Unexpectedly, Song Shuci turned around and, with a flick of his wrist, passed the ball to Jian Wu, who was wide open, as if he had been waiting there all along. Jian Wu caught the ball and took a jump shot.
In a flash, with a “swish,” the ball arced through the air and went through the net, a beautiful three-pointer.
“Holy crap! Your positioning and coordination are amazing!” He Yong praised, “Almost as good as mine and Jian Ge’s.”
Jian Wu looked at Song Shuci, but Song Shuci, who had been looking at him, casually looked away.
Jian Wu: “…”
He could only smile at He Yong, thanking him for the compliment.
This successful start annoyed the teenage team but also calmed them down, no longer as impulsive as they were at the beginning. Since the adults were mainly playing for fun and didn’t really want to crush the kids’ spirits, they held back a bit. The two sides went back and forth.
Soon, the score was tied.
The teenage team, young and full of spirit, after scoring two points in a row, the player who finally got the ball, ignoring his unfavorable position, passed the ball directly to the center near the basket, hoping to score another point and surpass the adult team.
The center of the teenage team was their captain and tallest player, so the tallest player on the court, Song Shuci, was assigned to defend him.
He had been tightly guarded by Song Shuci throughout the game. The few opportunities he had gotten always felt like the opponent was going easy on him. This realization made him unhappy, so now, in a moment of impulsiveness, even though Song Shuci was nearby, he decided to try a fake move and a jump shot.
Jian Wu saw his intention and subconsciously shouted: “Song Shuci!”
The young player’s heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, despite Jian Wu’s warning, his fake move still managed to fool Song Shuci. The basket was getting closer and closer, his heart racing.
The wind whipped his sweat-drenched face, the basket finally within reach. There was no one in front of him, and he almost ecstatically shot the ball, but he seemed to catch a glimpse of a hand’s shadow in his peripheral vision.
The teenager’s expression changed slightly.
“Thump–”
Before he could react, a loud sound came from above. The ball, which should have been flying towards the basket, was swatted down by a force from above, its trajectory forcefully reversed, then quickly and heavily falling in front of the teenager, rolling further and further away.
The teenager’s face paled. He abruptly turned around, glaring angrily at Song Shuci, who had blocked his shot from the side, his teeth gritted.
Song Shuci coughed twice, pretending not to see.
Seeing the young center’s dejected look, He Yong quickly called a timeout, instructing and comforting him: “Underestimating your opponent is a big taboo, remember to reflect on this later.”
Seeing the teenage team’s increasingly frustrated expressions, Jian Wu silently glared at Song Shuci, walked over to him, and muttered in a low voice: “Why are you bullying a child?”
Song Shuci: “? Didn’t you call me?”
“You blocked his shot just because I called you?”
Song Shuci blurted out: “What else?”
To be honest, he hadn’t intended to block that shot. He was just a kid, clearly the most skilled player on the opposing team, and wanting to show off was understandable. Having been that age himself, Song Shuci naturally wouldn’t ruin his chance to shine.
But Jian Wu had called him.
Actually, even if Jian Wu hadn’t called him, he had anticipated the kid’s fake move. But Jian Wu’s call had distracted him, causing him to miss the block.
Since Jian Wu had called him… even if he had missed the block, he still had to swat the ball down, right?
Jian Wu pursed his lips, lost in thought, and after a while, just said: “Oh.”
It seemed the opposing team’s captain had regained his composure and confidence. When he returned to the court, his expression was clear, only his gaze towards Song Shuci carried a hint of resentment.
Song Shuci silently turned his head away, refusing to meet his resentful gaze.
And the true “culprit” in the distance raised his chin slightly and gave him a look: Comfort him.
Song Shuci held back his annoyance and finally managed to say to the kid: “You played well.”
“Tch.” The unappreciative captain turned his head away, only showing him his rebellious profile.
Song Shuci looked at Jian Wu helplessly, as if to say he had tried his best, but he just happened to meet Jian Wu’s amused smile.
Song Shuci mouthed: “He’s just like you when you were young.”
Someone happened to walk between them as they exchanged glances, so Jian Wu didn’t see clearly, only seeing Song Shuci seemingly say “you when you were young.”
He asked: “What did you say?”
This time, it was Song Shuci’s turn to act aloof. He turned his head away, pretending not to hear. Jian Wu chuckled and made a punching motion at him.
With the whistle blown by He Yong, who was both a player and referee, the game resumed.
The ball passed between the players several times. The teenage team, having learned their lesson, became more cautious, attacking less frequently but defending more tightly.
The adult team tried several times but were blocked. He Yong grabbed the ball, dribbled it out beyond the three-point line, and passed it to Jian Wu, who was wide open. Before Jian Wu could take a few steps, he was tightly guarded again. He quickly assessed the situation on the court and seemed to find it a bit tricky.
Subconsciously, his gaze swept past Song Shuci.
And Song Shuci, as if anticipating this moment, gestured to him in the opponent’s blind spot.
Jian Wu understood and looked towards He Yong, the defenders also shifting their focus.
Taking advantage of this momentary lapse, he passed the ball to Song Shuci, then made a fake run, drawing the defender away. As the defender followed him, he quickly changed direction and ran back, smoothly catching the ball passed back by Song Shuci. He dribbled forward two steps, then, just as the defender near the basket approached, he suddenly stopped, changed direction, stepped back, jumped, and shot the ball.
Beautiful footwork, excellent coordination.
Unfortunately, it missed.
“Cough.”
Jian Wu just cleared his throat, preparing to mask his embarrassment, when he saw Song Shuci, with familiar ease, grab the rebound under the basket and say to him: “Shoot again.”
Before he could agree, Song Shuci had already tossed the ball to him.
Jian Wu: “…Fine.”
Dribbling the ball from outside the three-point line to under the basket was a long distance.
Faced with the opponent’s blocking, Jian Wu broke through from the sideline, passing the ball behind his back and entering the three-point zone.
Without him having to say anything, Song Shuci had already set a screen on his left, blocking the other defender. He easily bypassed the second defender and got closer to the basket.
He dribbled, jumped, and his right hand, holding the ball, approached the basket.
The last defender was the center who had just been “bullied” by Song Shuci. He approached from Jian Wu’s right, jumped, and reached out to block the shot, having learned Song Shuci’s tactics and preparing for revenge.
In that instant, Jian Wu briefly considered letting him have his moment, but his body had already instinctively switched hands and made a reverse layup, smoothly avoiding the block.
So the center of the teenage team, watching the ball go into the basket from Jian Wu’s left hand, was once again heartbroken.
“Holy crap!” A reverse layup was a difficult move, requiring strong core strength. He Yong, witnessing the smooth execution, was stunned, forgetting to comfort his heartbroken student, and just praised Jian Wu: “You’re amazing!”
“Wait, Jian Ge, you–” He Yong said excitedly, “You don’t usually play like this.”
“I usually just play for fun,” Jian Wu looked up at the sky.
He Yong was puzzled: “Aren’t we playing for fun today?”
This question was difficult to answer. Jian Wu subconsciously glanced at Song Shuci. Mr. Rebound King was watching the show with amusement, spinning the basketball on his index finger under the white backboard.
“Maybe it’s muscle memory,” Jian Wu said.
“What muscle memory?”
“If the first shot misses, the second one will definitely go in.”
“Huh?” The surprised expression on He Yong’s face was replaced by confusion. “Jian Ge, although I love you very much, I still want to say… do you know how arrogant that sounds?”
Jian Wu thought for a moment and agreed: “Mm, gotta show off sometimes.”
He Yong: “No, I can’t stand it–”
“Hey, do you guys want milk tea? My treat.”
Just as He Yong was about to criticize Jian Wu’s behavior, the latter preempted him. As expected, with this one command, all the boys gathered around, leaving He Yong no room to speak.
He Yong, his words stuck in his throat, could only take a step back, pull Song Shuci aside, and complain about Jian Wu: “Look, he’s corrupting my students again.”
“They’re just spoiled by Jian Ge,” He Yong said, “They haven’t even played for that long, and they’ve already had so much milk tea. No wonder they always love playing with him.”
“Didn’t you have any?” Jian Wu turned his head and retorted.
“…” He Yong quickly backpedaled, “I’ll shut up.”
Seeing him join the students to discuss what to drink, Jian Wu glanced at Song Shuci, who was still spinning the ball. Song Shuci happened to be looking at him as well.
As if sharing a special understanding, the two knew what to do with just a look on the court.
Jian Wu quickly moved to intercept his ball from the left. Song Shuci faked right, then dribbled left and down. Jian Wu didn’t fall for it, lowered his body, stole the ball from the left, turned around, and shot the ball into the basket.
Song Shuci clapped his hands: “Nice shot!”
Noisy but indistinct voices came from the side. Occasional rumbles of thunder echoed from the increasingly dark sky.
Jian Wu bounced the ball that had fallen from the basket, and as the ball bounced up, he turned his head and asked him: “Aren’t you going to order?”
“Do I have one too?”
“You don’t have to have one if you don’t want it.”
Song Shuci looked at He Yong and the others, then at Jian Wu: “I’ll go later.”
“Speaking of which… how long has it been since we last played basketball together?” he suddenly asked.
“Quite a while,” Jian Wu calculated in his mind, “It should be seven or eight years. The last time was when you were a junior in university.”
“Your shots are still accurate,” Song Shuci said, “Haven’t changed much.”
“You’re not bad either.”
Song Shuci was silent for a while, then suddenly asked: “Who plays better, me or He Yong?”
“…”
Seriously, Jian Wu didn’t expect that after a polite compliment, Song Shuci would start competing again. He highly suspected that even lions in the animal kingdom weren’t as competitive as this guy.
He glared at Song Shuci and stuffed the ball into his arms: “I play the best.” Perhaps because the milk tea shop was busy on weekends, they played for a while longer before the delivery finally arrived.
The air before a rainstorm was exceptionally hot and humid, making playing basketball even more demanding on one’s stamina. As soon as the delivery driver called, the young players’ minds immediately wandered. Before Jian Wu could speak, they eagerly said: “Teacher Jian, we’ll go get it!” They ran off faster than they had on the court, rushing towards the small gate at the edge of the track, almost making the delivery driver think they were being robbed.
“Hey, hey, hey,” He Yong saw them grab the teachers’ milk tea and prepare to run off, and quickly called out to them, “Where are you going?”
The kids, who thought they could finally rest, wilted like eggplants hit by frost.
With the students’ tests approaching, He Yong was also a little anxious.
“Don’t always think about playing,” he said, “I think there are still some major problems in a few areas, you need to practice more, don’t be careless. How about we practice some more?”
“Alright, alright, take a break,” Jian Wu pulled him away, handed him his milk tea, and comforted him, “Your students have already improved a lot, much better than the last time we played together.”
“That’s true,” He Yong was happy to hear his students being praised, “They have indeed improved.” He thought for a moment and said, “Okay, then you guys rest for twenty minutes.”
The three students finally smiled in relief and cheered: “Thank you, Teacher He, thank you, Teacher Jian!”
“You can thank me, but don’t thank him,” He Yong pointed at Jian Wu, “Always spoiling you guys.”
Jian Wu had heard He Yong’s complaints so many times that he was used to it. He pretended not to hear and looked down, searching for his milk tea in the bag.
“Here.” Song Shuci handed him an ice-cold drink, pressing it against his face.
Jian Wu was startled by the cold and glared at Song Shuci.
