Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the clouds.
After several gloomy days, South City finally cleared up on this day.
3:00 PM.
The No. 2 Middle School, which had been quiet for a while during the winter break, seemed to regain some liveliness. On the third court of the first row of the outdoor basketball courts, boys in blue and white school uniforms were running freely.
The sound of basketballs hitting the ground and laughter mixed with playful insults rose and fell.
“Damn, haha, Rui Rui, are you even trying? Another air ball,” Huang Shujie mocked as he ran.
Tang Jianrui rolled his eyes at him. “You’re one to talk. I don’t even want to mention how many times you’ve traveled today. It’s a good thing we don’t have a referee, or you’d be whistled out of the game with all your violations.”
The basketball that didn’t even touch the rim fell right into the hands of Bao Kun, who was on Tang Jianrui’s team. But before Bao Kun could get a good grip on it, someone stole the ball.
“Luo-ge! Bro!” Bao Kun wailed, “Why did you steal our ball again? Can’t you let us have it for once?”
Six boys had shown up this time, perfect for a 3v3 game.
3v3 is played on half-court, with both teams attacking the same basket, meaning they could immediately start their offense wherever they got the ball.
Zhu Ran, who was on the same team as Tang Jianrui, complained while trying to defend against Chen Luobai: “Zhou An’ran is watching from the side. Someone’s showing off like a peacock, how could he possibly let you have the ball? Dream on.”
“Exactly,” Chen Luobai said as he shook off Zhu Ran, stepped back and took a three-pointer. “My girlfriend is watching. How could I do something as unsportsmanlike as cheating?”
Under the sunlight, the orange-red basketball drew a beautiful parabola, landing perfectly in the basket.
Huang Shujie cheered, “My Luo-ge’s step-back three is still as beautiful as a painting and as accurate as a god!!!”
Although 3v3 is only played on half-court, the ball rotates quickly, and neither defense nor offense can relax for a moment. It’s not much easier than playing full-court.
They were playing casually without keeping strict scores or time, so they didn’t know how long they had been at it.
Zhu Ran, who had just been shaken off by that dog Chen, was a bit tired. He simply gave up struggling and lay down on the ground after falling, not getting up.
Chen Luobai kicked him lightly, his tone mocking: “Can’t keep up? We’ve barely started.”
“Is it about time?” Zhu Ran rolled his eyes at him from the ground. “Don’t you know how hard it is to defend against you? I’ve been running non-stop since I got on the court. Go cuddle with your girlfriend. I’ll lie here for two minutes before continuing.”
At the mention of “girlfriend,” the usually sharp-tongued and cold-hearted guy became very agreeable.
Chen Luobai’s lips curled slightly. “Alright, take your time lying there.”
Zhou An’ran stood at the edge of the court holding a cup of milk tea, watching as the boy walked towards her, still wearing No. 2 Middle School’s blue and white autumn uniform.
Perhaps it was because the familiar faces on the court were all wearing the familiar No. 2 Middle School uniforms, or because his earlier words “Zhou An’ran from Class 2, Grade 2” were still ringing in her ears, and the love letter he wrote her was still in her bag.
Or maybe it was because where she was standing now was almost the same spot where she used to watch his games in her first year of high school.
Zhou An’ran had a momentary feeling that it was the high school Chen Luobai walking towards the high school her.
But she was no longer just a passerby he wouldn’t notice.
She was now his destination and direction.
Someone lightly flicked her forehead.
Zhou An’ran came back to her senses and saw Chen Luobai standing in front of her. “What are you thinking about?” Chen Luobai’s hand slid down and pinched her fair cheek. “You didn’t even notice when I got here.”
Zhou An’ran shook her head. “Nothing just feels like we’re back in high school.”
Chen Luobai’s eyebrows lifted slightly, his lips curling. “If I can make you feel that way, then wearing these school uniforms today wasn’t in vain.”
Zhou An’ran’s lips also curved up. She took out the tissue she had purposely put in her pocket earlier and wiped the sweat from his face and neck. Then she asked softly, “Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?”
The school’s small supermarket was closed for the winter break, so when they ordered milk tea earlier, they also had some water and drinks delivered to the school gate from an off-campus supermarket.
Chen Luobai nodded.
Just as Zhou An’ran was about to bend down to get water for him, he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
?
Zhou An’ran stopped her movement and blinked at him in confusion.
The next second, she saw the boy suddenly bend down and put his mouth on the straw of her milk tea that she had just been drinking from.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Sheng Xiaowen, standing next to her, pretended to be dissatisfied but was teasing, “There are still several of us living people standing here.”
Yan Xingqian: “Exactly, are you treating us like air?”
Zhou An’ran’s ears turned red.
Tang Jianrui and the others who came over to drink water also joined in the teasing.
“Luo-ge, this is too much. We came to drink water, not to be fed dog food.”
“Too much.”
“Yeah, don’t casually torture single people in public. Be mindful of the impact.”
Chen Luobai straightened up, still holding onto that slender white wrist, turned his head, and gave those people a cool glance. “Too much, is it? I was going to say I’d treat everyone to dinner tonight, no need to split the bill. Looks like that’s not necessary now.”
Tang Jianrui immediately turned to look at Huang Shujie: “It was you who said Luo-ge was too much just now, right?”
Huang Shujie looked at Bao Kun: “It wasn’t me, Lao Bao said it.”
Bao Kun pointed at Shao Zilin: “He said it.”
Shao Zilin turned his head back, continuing to pass the buck: “Lao Zhu, how could you say our Luo-ge is too much?”
Zhu Ran was still lying on the ground, either because he had rested enough or was angered, he shouted with full force: “You bastards, have you no shame?”
Tang Jianrui pretended not to hear, bent down, and casually took a bottle of water: “Well, Luo-ge, you and sister-in-law continue. We’ll go rest somewhere else.”
Huang Shujie also took a bottle of water: “Right, we promise not to disturb you.”
“Disturb my ass.” Chen Luobai cursed with a laugh, “If you’ve rested enough, let’s continue. We still need to go see Old Gao later, don’t delay until dinnertime.”
Shao Zilin: “Alright, then we’ll go rest on the other side first.”
The group walked arm in arm-to the other side.
Chen Luobai couldn’t be bothered with these jokers. He had been playing basketball for a while, and while he wasn’t exactly tired, he was feeling quite hot.
He let go of her hand and unzipped his school uniform jacket, taking it off: “Zhou An’ran from Class 2, Grade 1, can you help hold my jacket?”
Zhou An’ran: “?”
“Why am I back to being from Class 2, Grade 1?”
Chen Luobai stuffed the jacket into her arms.
With his school uniform jacket off, the boy was left wearing only the summer short-sleeved uniform. The wildness and youthfulness in his eyes were just like in those days.
“Didn’t you watch me play basketball in your first year?”
Zhou An’ran’s heart softened again, her lips curving up once more. After a few seconds, she asked softly while holding his school uniform: “Won’t you be cold wearing just a short-sleeved shirt?”
Chen Luobai looked down at her.
The girl’s dimples were shallow, her ear tips flushed red, still looking as obedient, beautiful, and easy to bully as before.
Chen Luobai suddenly leaned towards her, his voice extremely low: “Cold? Do you know how hot I am right now?”
Zhou An’ran blinked.
The boy paused, his voice dropping even lower, his tone seemingly filled with a heart-stirring smile. Due to just having played basketball, his breath was scorching hot.
“It’s about the same as the night before we returned to South City.”
Zhou An’ran: “?!”
Although Sheng Xiaowen and the others had walked away earlier, Zhou An’ran’s face still turned red in an instant.
“Hurry back and play your basketball.”
*
The basketball game finally ended at 3:25 PM.
It was just for fun anyway, and towards the end, Tang Jianrui and the others started cheating and playing wildly, so there wasn’t a clear winner or loser.
After it ended, the boys went to change back into their clothes, and then the group walked along the school’s tree-lined path toward the exit.
By then, the last cloud in the sky had dispersed, and the winter sun shone down unobstructed, warming everyone’s bodies and hearts.
Zhou An’ran and Chen Luobai fell behind.
The tall boy had his hand on her shoulder, loosely embracing her as they walked forward.
The person she had fallen in love with at first sight on the day she reported for her first year of high school was finally accompanying her on this path she used to take to school every day.
Their shadows cast by the sunlight intertwined intimately behind them.
“Next time, let’s come again, just the two of us,” Chen Luobai suddenly said.
Zhou An’ran turned to look at him: “Why?”
Chen Luobai’s gaze lingered on her lips for two seconds: “I’ll tell you when we come next time.”
Zhou An’ran wrinkled her nose: “Why are you being mysterious again?”
“Isn’t it because—” Chen Luobai dragged out the last syllable, looking at her with a smile, “I’m afraid you’ll abandon me? I need to keep some suspense to keep my girlfriend interested.”
Zhou An’ran: “?”
“How would I abandon you?”
What nonsense was this person saying again?
Chen Luobai suddenly leaned close to her ear again.
Perhaps because they knew this place held special meaning for them, whether it was her friends or his friends walking ahead, they were all laughing and chatting among themselves, and not a single one looked back, giving them plenty of space.
The boy was almost touching her ear, his lowered voice and hot breath going straight into her ear.
“Who was it that slept with me and then pretended not to remember, already starting to find me annoying?”
Zhou An’ran: “?!”
After saying this, Chen Luobai saw her earlobe turn from white to red in an instant, small and cute. He couldn’t help but reach out and gently pinch it.
Zhou An’ran’s ears were sensitive to touch. She trembled slightly, remembering they were still at school, and that the people in front might accidentally look back at any moment. She hurriedly pushed him away.
“Chen Luobai!”
Seeing her face also turn red, Chen Luobai knew that if he teased her anymore, she might get angry. He laughed and stepped back to a normal distance: “Which Chen Luobai are you calling?”
Zhou An’ran was slightly stunned: “What do you mean which Chen Luobai?”
Chen Luobai: “Chen Luobai from Class 2, Grade 1; Chen Luobai from Class 2, Grade 2; or the current Chen Luobai. Which one do you want to call?”
Zhou An’ran blinked: “Is there any difference?”
“Of course there is. The Chen Luobai from the first year was a bit blind, the Chen Luobai from the second year already wanted to be your boyfriend, and the current Chen Luobai has realized his wish—” Chen Luobai paused, looking at her with a smile, “But no matter which one you want to call, they can all help you realize a wish.”
Zhou An’ran’s lips curved up.
He always seemed to be like this, stopping just before he pushed her to the point of anger, but always finding a way to cheer her up again.
Her earlobe seemed to still retain the sensation from when he had touched it earlier. Zhou An’ran wanted to touch it but felt too embarrassed. Her face was still red: “Then I hope the current Chen Luobai will bully me a little less.”
“That’s not possible.”
Zhou An’ran turned her head to glare at him: “You’re already going back on your word?”
Chen Luobai: “Because I’m already trying my best to hold back.”
Zhou An’ran: “…?”