This chapter can be skipped if desired. It was originally written to supplement the word count of the main text with a high school side story, which doesn’t affect the main content. You can skip it directly.

It covers events that happened within the first month of the freshman year, including what occurred before the sports meeting and how the two characters got together, from both perspectives.

(Lu Huaizheng)

Lu Huaizheng’s first encounter with Yu Hao wasn’t during military training, but much earlier.

In middle school, he represented his school in a history knowledge competition where he met Zhou Siyue. Among the group of students who were desperately cramming every second, even while using the bathroom, the two of them were noticeably too calm and leisurely.

After returning from the bathroom, Lu Huaizheng found Zhou Siyue sitting in a chair with his legs crossed, casually flipping through a basketball magazine. He also bought every issue of that magazine, and that particular issue featured his favorite basketball star McGrady on the cover. Unable to resist, he dragged a chair over, sat down backward with his arms crossed over the backrest, and initiated a conversation: “You like playing basketball too?”

Zhou Siyue glanced at him and replied candidly: “I do.”

“What position?” Lu Huaizheng was interested.

“Just casual play. Whatever position needs filling,” Zhou Siyue leisurely flipped through the magazine. “What’s up, you play professionally?”

Lu Huaizheng was only 1.75 meters in middle school, and by freshman year had barely reached 1.80 meters. While not considered short in daily life, this height was somewhat inadequate for professional play. He smiled, showing good self-awareness: “How could I? I just play for fun. Maybe we could compete sometime?”

“Sure.” Zhou Siyue readily agreed and introduced himself: “Yan San Affiliated Middle School, Class 2, Zhou Siyue.”

Lu Huaizheng smiled brightly, “Chaohui Foreign Language School, Class 3, Lu Huaizheng.”

After introducing themselves, they continued chatting comfortably and found they had more and more in common. Besides both being fans of McGrady, they both collected Jordan series sneakers, played similar positions, and even supported the same football teams. It felt like finding another version of themselves in the world. They couldn’t stop talking until the competition was about to start, reluctantly pausing their conversation.

Afterward, they became basketball buddies. Zhou Siyue would often go to Chaohui to play basketball with Lu Huaizheng, where he discovered that although Lu Huaizheng wasn’t exceptionally tall, his skills were genuinely good. Through these interactions, they became familiar and good friends.

In the third year of middle school, Zhou Siyue joined a math olympiad training camp and realized he might have left some practice books at Lu Huaizheng’s school while playing basketball. The training camp was fully enclosed, so he couldn’t leave, and could only text Lu Huaizheng.

Lu Huaizheng received the text during class and without hesitation asked for leave from the teacher, ran to the basketball court to help search, and found the books in a nearby prickly shrub. He immediately delivered them.

Zhou Siyue waited for him at the side gate inside the railing. The raven-blue gate railing had been corroded into dim patterns, giving it an aged feeling. The protective fence had spear-tops, standing upright and sharp, designed to prevent students from escaping.

Lu Huaizheng, accustomed to a free-spirited lifestyle, felt the place was like a student “prison.” He passed the books through the railings and joked: “Look, isn’t this like a prison visit?”

Just as he spoke, he noticed a girl and a tall, thin boy standing under an old locust tree outside the fence.

Sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, passing through the gaps, with sparse rays falling on the girl, casting dappled light and shadows on her clear, bright face, making her skin appear even more delicately white, with the back of her neck gleaming with white light.

The boy in front of her smiled and handed her a cake.

Lu Huaizheng curiously asked: “Are they also from your competition class?”

Zhou Siyue took the notebooks, looked over in their direction, and said: “The girl is, the boy isn’t.”

Lu Huaizheng grinned with an expression of watching a good show: “Even good students have early romances—”

The next second, he saw the girl take the cake with one hand and without hesitation flip it directly onto the boy’s face, not missing the target at all. She dropped a “stop bothering me” and then walked into the school gate in an imposing manner. The boy, face covered in cake, instinctively wiped it, only to spread the cream more evenly across his entire face. Watching the slender figure quickly and steadily enter the school gate, the boy finally exploded in anger: “Yu Hao! Come back here! What are you acting so proud of? Like I want you!”

The girl ignored him completely, her figure firmly disappearing in the sunlight.

Zhou Siyue tapped the notebook against the railing: “Alright, I’m going in. Don’t you have class this afternoon?”

Lu Huaizheng nodded and put his hands in his pockets: “Contact me when you get out. I’m off.”

On the bus, he encountered that same boy again, who still had cream on his face and hair, looking like a clown who had just finished a performance. No one dared to sit in the seat beside him, but Lu Huaizheng didn’t mind and went to sit next to him.

The boy looked at him suspiciously, then turned away to look out the window.

Five minutes later, the boy asked him: “Buddy, do you have any tissues?”

What guy carries tissues around? Lu Huaizheng smiled and asked: “Do I look like someone who carries tissues?”

The boy didn’t speak again.

A moment later, a female passenger suddenly handed over a tissue, “I have some.”

The boy took it and said thanks with a stiff expression.

Lu Huaizheng crossed his arms, leaned back in the seat, turned to look at him, and asked with a relaxed expression: “Is it your birthday? What grudge was that to be smeared like this?”

“No,” the boy said while wiping. “It was my crush’s birthday.”

Lu Huaizheng didn’t reply.

The boy, perhaps due to his emotional state, or perhaps thinking that someone who looked like Lu Huaizheng must be surrounded by many girls, plus the fact that they would never see each other again after getting off the bus, couldn’t help but ask one more question: “Buddy, do you understand girls?”

Lu Huaizheng shook his head.

The boy persisted: “Have you ever liked a girl? Do you know what they’re thinking?”

Lu Huaizheng shook his head again.

“No way, are you joking?”

Even their class monitor, who was as handsome as him, changed girlfriends faster than changing clothes!

Lu Huaizheng chuckled: “Although I’m not a good student, I don’t have ‘love guru’ written on my forehead, right? Besides, I’ve never pursued anyone, so I can’t give you any advice.”

“Are there many who pursue you then?”

“Not many.”

“That’s fine as long as there are some. Has anyone made a particularly strong impression on you?”

Lu Huaizheng put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, quite sincerely: “Buddy there’s none. I think you’re pretty good, honestly.”

The boy suddenly became speechless, and even after Lu Huaizheng got off the bus, the phrase “I think you’re pretty good” was still echoing in his mind, making him involuntarily shudder.

(Yu Hao)

Yu Hao’s second encounter with Lu Huaizheng was at the school store. During break time, Yu Hao went downstairs to buy an exercise book, but that week the store owner had gone back to his hometown for his mother’s funeral, and his youngest son Aqi was watching the store for a week. Everything had sold out and he hadn’t had time to restock. There was only one exercise book left.

Lu Huaizheng had picked up that last book and was paying for it when Yu Hao looked wistfully at the item without saying anything.

Aqi asked Yu Hao: “Are you buying an exercise book?”

Yu Hao nodded.

Aqi regretfully said: “They’re all gone. You’ll have to wait until next week when my dad comes back to restock.” Then, as if remembering something, he said to Lu Huaizheng: “Brother Huaizheng, since you don’t do homework anyway, why not give this book to this young lady?”

Lu Huaizheng had already pulled out a hundred-yuan note halfway from his wallet when he heard this. He closed his wallet, knocked Aqi on the head, and hissed: “If I don’t do homework, am I buying an exercise book to eat?”

Aqi scratched his head, looking pitiful, “Fine then.”

Only then did Lu Huaizheng turn his gaze to Yu Hao, and smiled politely, “What a coincidence.”

Yu Hao also nodded, economical with words: “Coincidence.”

Lu Huaizheng pouted, and handed the money to Aqi, “Normally, I definitely wouldn’t compete with you for it, but today I urgently need it, sorry about that.”

That day, Yu Hao didn’t look closely at his appearance. Under the store’s lights, the first thing she noticed was his clean, slender hands—even his nail beds were clean, unlike her desk mate who had dirt everywhere and liked to pick his nose, and then stick the boogers under the desk.

She responded with an “Oh,” and then walked out with her head down.

But just a few steps out, someone caught up from behind.

It was Aqi.

The little boy scratched his head and said, “Sister Yu Hao, Brother Huaizheng said to give this to you first.”

Yu Hao turned around and saw the young man leaning against the store’s doorframe, backlit, with his hands in his pockets, smiling at her. Without waiting for her response, he straightened up and walked away, leaving her with only his tall, slender silhouette.

(Lu Huaizheng)

That day, Lu Huaizheng returned to the classroom empty-handed. The boy sitting in front of him found it strange, “Didn’t you go to buy an exercise book?”

“Sold out.”

The boy in front gloated as he looked at him: “Then you’re in trouble. The old witch is checking homework soon. Without even an exercise book, be prepared for her Nine Yin White Bone Claw.”

Lu Huaizheng lowered his head, playing with a Game Boy he had “borrowed” from next door, scratched his eyebrow, and said carelessly: “Whatever.”

The boy in front pushed his shoulder.

“Don’t just focus on playing! The old witch meant it! She’s targeting you! Quickly go next door and borrow a book from any girl.”

“Don’t be the anxious eunuch when the emperor isn’t worried—” the young man concentrated on his game, refusing again, “Not going.” He gave the boy a sideways glance, “Who would know you well enough to lend you anything?”

The boy in front snorted, and imitated a eunuch’s voice: “Your Majesty, with your popularity, I bet if I post on the forum, people will line up at the door of your Palace of Heavenly Purity to deliver books.”

The boy in front really could do such a thing, there was precedent. Lu Huaizheng put down his game console, turned around and held the front desk boy’s head, looked at him seriously with a forced smile, and said:

“To be honest, I bought the last book just now, but there was also a girl who wanted to buy it. As a model among men, how could I compete with a girl for something?”

The “eunuch” in front widened his eyes, “May I ask which noble lady this is? What’s her name? I should have the Ministry of Internal Affairs make a nameplate right away.”

Lu Huaizheng ignored him. Hu Siqi always got annoyed when she saw them acting like this. She picked up a book from Lu Huaizheng’s desk and threw it at them, “How pleased with yourselves! Watched too much Wei Xiaobao, huh?”

The book hit Little Li’s shoulder, who yelped in pain, feeling particularly indignant: “That’s not fair! You can’t bear to hit your deskmate, so you hit me?” This provoked Lu Huaizheng to kick him, “Why drag me into this!”

The boy in front secretly leaned over and whispered in his ear: “Don’t you feel that Hu Siqi likes you?”

Lu Huaizheng was pretty good with emotional intelligence, especially with girls. He could tell at a glance who liked him and who didn’t. At that time, school had only been in session for a few weeks, and he genuinely hadn’t felt that Hu Siqi liked him. Hu Siqi just liked to play with boys, especially those who could give her various feelings of superiority.

That’s why she changed boyfriends faster than changing clothes. Just four weeks and she had changed four boyfriends.

“I don’t feel it.”

The boy in front exclaimed “Wow!” but out of respect for Hu Siqi’s face, he decided to continue the conversation after class.

As soon as Hu Siqi ran to another class after the bell.

He sat in Hu Siqi’s seat, gossiping: “I feel like every boyfriend she finds is a composite of you.”

After hearing this, Lu Huaizheng felt both creepy and disgusted. He shifted to the side, keeping half a meter away from the boy, “Can your thought process not be so bizarre? Stay away from me, it’s too gross. Also, don’t be so gossipy, you’re like a woman.”

His words had no other meaning and weren’t meant to discriminate against women. He just felt that since there’s a distinction between men and women in this world, there should be clear boundaries, but without discrimination.

The boy in front raised his pinky finger, acting effeminate: “What’s wrong with being like a woman? I’d quite like to be a woman because then I could marry you.”

Then he winked flirtatiously.

Lu Huaizheng felt like he was about to vomit up yesterday’s dinner. He kicked him, “Get lost.”

(Yu Hao)

Yu Hao’s third encounter with Lu Huaizheng was in a small enclosure on the rooftop. During her PE class, she wanted to go up for a smoke and happened to see Lu Huaizheng and Hu Siqi sitting on the rooftop stairs, one with his head down playing games, the other with her head back smoking. The rooftop wind slowly blew the young girl’s hair up, directly into Lu Huaizheng’s face.

He frowned and moved to the side, “Keep away from me, the smell of smoke is almost suffocating me.”

Hu Siqi offered him the cigarette, “Do you want to try? It’s very relaxing after you smoke.”

Lu Huaizheng turned his face away, sitting sideways, far from her, “No smoking.”

Hu Siqi was rebuffed, losing interest, and took back the cigarette, changing the subject:

“Hey, are you familiar with that Yu Hao from Class 5?”

“Not familiar.”

“Then why does she often come to find you? I’ve seen it twice already.” The young girl was somewhat dissatisfied.

“Helping deliver things.”

“Does she like you or something? Otherwise, who in Class 5 could make her deliver things to you? Haven’t you heard? She’s the type who doesn’t even have to sweep the floor in Class 5.”

“Being pretty gets this treatment?” Lu Huaizheng’s attention was focused on his game, very absent-minded.

“Is she pretty?”

Lu Huaizheng said: “Pretty.”

Hu Siqi persisted, “Is she prettier or am I prettier?”

Lu Huaizheng without hesitation: “Her.”

Hu Siqi insisted he said otherwise, snatching his phone and threatening to throw it from the balcony. Lu Huaizheng panicked and changed his answer.

“You, you, you—satisfied?”

Only then did Hu Siqi hand his phone back, satisfied. Then, as he was engrossed in his game again, she suddenly said:

“Lu Huaizheng, let me ask you something.”

“You’ve already occupied my territory for fifteen minutes, can I have some peace to play for a while?”

“I’ll leave after I ask.”

The young man held back his annoyance, “Ask!”

“Have you ever been with a woman?”

As teenagers in puberty, most men would be curious about this and probably have secretly watched videos on their phones. He just hadn’t expected Hu Siqi to ask so directly.

“Is it the meaning I’m thinking of?”

Hu Siqi nodded.

“What’s wrong with you, discussing this with me?”

“Last night, I was drugged by my boyfriend, and then…” Hu Siqi gritted her teeth and said angrily: “Damn it, he gave me drugs…”

Only then did Lu Huaizheng stop playing his game, take out a bottle of water, twist it open, take two sips, then say:

“I had Jia Mian warn you before, right? Your boyfriend and his group… indeed, their methods aren’t very clean.”

(Lu Huaizheng)

Lu Huaizheng’s third encounter with Yu Hao was also in that rooftop enclosure.

He found it quite amazing that his secret base after being tracked by Hu Siqi, was discovered by a second person.

He was somewhat bewildered because Yu Hao was smoking.

He thought smoking was something bad students like Hu Siqi did, but he hadn’t expected a good student like Yu Hao to be so melancholic.

Lu Huaizheng put away his game console, hands in his pockets, walked over and sat on the step beside her. He stretched his long legs, rested his elbows on his knees, hunched over, and turned his head to look at her, smiling brightly, “Is the study pressure that heavy?”

Yu Hao was very small and thin. Lu Huaizheng guessed she was at most 1.60 meters, with a round face and round eyes that looked particularly innocent.

Hu Siqi smoked purely to look cool.

Her smoking, he could tell, was to liberate her nature.

Yu Hao wasn’t embarrassed, nor did she show any displeasure at being disturbed. Instead, she looked at him sideways and said, “We’re not very acquainted, are we?”

“You’re a classic example of forgetting kindness after crossing the bridge, abandoning the mill after using it.”

Yu Hao took a drag of her cigarette and smiled: “Even if there’s abandoning to be done, it’s not my turn. Even Shang Qing hasn’t said anything.”

After speaking, she stubbed out the cigarette on the ground, stood up, took out a piece of gum from her pocket, and chewed it, “I’m leaving donkey.”

Lu Huaizheng took out his game console and, without looking back, waved at her.

“Don’t come empty-handed next time.”

During summer, that small enclosure usually had no visitors because it was too hot and stuffy. But they didn’t mind at all. From initially one person smoking and one person playing games, they evolved to two people smoking and playing games together.

Almost all the records on Lu Huaizheng’s game console were set by Yu Hao.

To thank her.

Lu Huaizheng specially prepared a surprise for her on September 20th.

It was his first time buying a gift for a girl, and he specifically took Jia Mian and scoured the entire mall, finally selecting a necklace after careful consideration. On the way back, Jia Mian saw a cake shop and wanted to go down to buy a cake, saying that birthdays need cakes, and enthusiastically started to rush down.

But he was pulled back by a black-faced Lu Huaizheng.

Absolutely no cake.

Never buy a cake.

On the 20th, he put the necklace in his backpack, and then for some reason, he felt that day like his backpack was a time bomb, glancing at it occasionally. He had never felt himself to be so timid before.

During the lunch break, he darted up to the rooftop. While running up the stairs, he felt like he was becoming Usain Bolt, but mindful of his image, he changed his style as he approached, stopped, slung his bag over his shoulder, hands in pockets, leisurely walking in.

“Ahem, ahem.”

He deliberately coughed twice, casually and unintentionally: “Got something for you.”

And then.

That girl, with a bewildered face, asked him.

What for?

Huh?

Isn’t it your birthday?

Who said that?