HCILH Ch. 103

Chapter 103: Delivering Supplies

While watching He Shibi’s match, Hou Mo finally understood why Sui Houyu held such high regard for He Shibi’s teamwork skills.

Lu Yanxin was evidently inexperienced in doubles matches and lacked the necessary coordination awareness. During the game, she would instinctively move side to side, feeling compelled to hit any ball that came her way instead of leaving it for her partner.

Athletes with quick reflexes often had this issue; their bodies moved faster than their thoughts. They’d realize after the fact—Oh no, this is a doubles match!

In the limited space of the court, one player darting everywhere forced the other to dodge constantly, risking collisions, which were a major taboo in doubles.

Despite his partner’s unpredictability, He Shibi maintained composure and continued to play methodically.

Noticing Lu Yanxin’s struggle with doubles, He Shibi even gave her some pointers.

Over time, Lu Yanxin adapted and began to ask He Shibi questions, like if she was moving too aggressively and whether they should just split responsibilities.

Even with this impromptu pairing, they managed to hold their own against Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing, a duo of lifelong friends.

Lu Yanxin’s solid skills meant she could focus on serving and baseline play without needing to rush the net. Meanwhile, He Shibi handled the net play and volleys.

This strategy covered for Lu Yanxin’s weaknesses while enabling cooperation.

After observing for a while, Sui Houyu remarked: “He Shibi is really fast.”

Though not exceptionally tall at 181 cm, He Shibi’s build was lean and muscular, which contributed to his speed and powerful bursts of movement.

He adeptly avoided collisions with his partner, carving out paths for movement. His glances toward his teammate were minimal but perfectly timed.

He was predicting both the opponent’s plays and his own partner’s actions.

A layered foresight.

Hou Mo nodded: “Check out his footwork.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Sui Houyu said, focusing intently on He Shibi’s feet.

Apart from his physical prowess, He Shibi’s unique footwork was something worth studying.

The match ended with a hard-fought victory for Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing, whose points came solely from Lu Yanxin’s errors.

In doubles, mistakes meant lost points.

Lu Yanxin sighed after the match: “The pace of doubles is too fast, like someone pressed fast forward.”

Deng Yiheng, finally relaxing after the win, clutched Shen Junjing’s arm for support. Still feeling a bit shaken from facing He Shibi, he managed: “You guys were already really strong.”

Lu Yanxin flashed her signature hearty smile: “I need to practice more. Once you get into East Sports University, we could try mixed doubles.”

Deng Yiheng’s eyes lit up instantly: “Sure!”

Lu Yanxin turned to He Shibi and said: “Thanks for partnering with me. Your doubles skills are impressive.”

As a national doubles champion, He Shibi wasn’t one to boast. He simply replied: “I was practicing, too. You were the trickiest partner I’ve ever had.”

Lu Yanxin laughed and apologized: “Haha! Sorry about that. I hope I didn’t scar you for life.”

“It’s fine. See you. I need to get my stuff and prep for afternoon training.”

“Bye-bye!”

As He Shibi walked away, Deng Yiheng looked pitifully at Sui Houyu.

Sui Houyu patted Deng Yiheng on the shoulder and joked: “You sacrificed yourself for valuable intel. Your selflessness is admirable.”

“Brother Yu, stop hanging out with Senior Brother so much. Your speeches are getting too formal.”

He chuckled: “It’s just familiarity. I’m not actually a cold person.”

Sui Houyu wasn’t cold by nature.

Before he was hospitalized, he was cheerful and playful. When he learned that his frequent laughter was a symptom of his illness, he became self-conscious and tried to hide it.

Meeting Hou Mo after their schools merged had helped him improve.

Hou Mo then turned to look across the grounds and, after a moment’s hesitation, said: “I think we should break up that fight.”

Everyone followed his gaze, while Sui Houyu asked: “What’s wrong?”

“When He Shibi was playing doubles with Lu Yanxin, his regular partner was watching from the stands for a long time. When He Shibi went back to the dorms, his partner followed him. I’m worried there might be trouble.” Hou Mo explained.

Sui Houyu and Hou Mo exchanged glances, remembering the tension between the two, and felt concerned.

“Let’s go check.” Sui Houyu suggested as they entered the dorm building.

They checked He Shibi’s third-floor dorm room, peeking inside, but found it empty.

They also searched the shower room, utility room, and restrooms but didn’t spot either player.

Hou Mo asked: “Which room is his partner’s?”

“I don’t know.”

“We don’t have phones to contact anyone. By the time we figure it out, it might be too late.”

“Forget it. Let’s get ready for afternoon training.”

That afternoon, both He Shibi and his partner were absent.

He Shibi reappeared around five, sporting more injuries on his face.

His partner, however, was nowhere to be seen.

With a scowl that discouraged conversation, no one dared to ask what had happened.

Eventually, Sui Houyu heard through the grapevine that He Shibi and his partner had indeed fought again, caught in the act by the coach and made to write reports.

Carrying a pen with him, He Shibi finished his quickly.

His partner, needing to borrow a pen, was refused, nearly sparking another fight.

Rumor had it that his partner worked late into the night on their report, which initially contained phrases like “deserved a beating” and “brainless, willingly providing others with reference material,” leading to a rewrite.

In the end, the matter faded into obscurity.

Curious, Sui Houyu sometimes observed He Shibi and his partner. After their fight, the two never spoke again during training, nor did they make eye contact.

Sui Houyu once asked He Shibi about it, and He Shibi dismissed it. “If you learned just by watching, you’re clever. I’ve seen your training videos; it’s not a big deal. He’s just an idiot, always looking for trouble.”

“Are you really going to keep this up?” Sui Houyu asked, puzzled.

“My coach is all about results. I’ve tried partnering with others, but only with him can I secure national wins. I have to stick with it. Without doubles results, I won’t stay at Nanyun High and get my recommendation. My grades aren’t great; staying here is my best bet until graduation.”

Sui Houyu couldn’t say much after that.

*

Sui Houyu never expected that after just one complaint to Ran Shu over the phone, Ran Shu would fly all the way to the training camp city. He made the long trip just to bring him some daily necessities.

They had to fly to get there and had brought items like hot water bottles and hand warmers, but anything that couldn’t pass through security was left behind.

Once they entered the training camp, they couldn’t leave, so they were missing many essentials.

They didn’t even have a basin for washing their feet before bed.

Without phones, they couldn’t shop online, and the camp wouldn’t help them receive packages.

If they wanted to buy anything, they had to wait for the mid-month break.

Ran Shu, who hadn’t joined the training camp for Fengyu High School’s athletes, was comfortably staying at Sang Xian’s house, occasionally practicing dance at a studio and living quite leisurely.

Knowing that Sui Houyu was struggling and understanding the harsh conditions at the camp, Ran Shu became restless and decided to fly over.

After arriving in the city, Ran Shu visited a local market and bought electric blankets, small space heaters, and even two clothes dryers for the entire team.

Ran Shu then hired a car and confidently went to the security office, asking them to contact his teammates.

The security staff were surprised — it was rare for someone to make a special trip just to deliver items. It was only a month-long temporary training, so buying things that couldn’t be taken back seemed excessive.

Ran Shu smiled and said: “You can check, there are definitely no phones or anything like that. Everything is brand new and unopened. Once my friend leaves, these items won’t be taken back. If you want to keep them, you can.”

The security guard was persuaded. After glancing over the items, he finally agreed to help call them. These weren’t prohibited items, and the climate difference often made northern kids sick, so sending these in made sense.

However, the guard didn’t let Ran Shu enter, so he had to stand outside the iron gate and pass the items through.

When Sui Houyu and the others arrived and saw Ran Shu, they were shocked.

Sui Houyu asked: “Did you come here alone? Are you crazy? What if you run into danger?”

Ran Shu pulled out his ID from his pocket and showed it to Sui Houyu: “See? I-I’m an adult now!”

“What are you going to do next? Stay here by yourself? When are you going back?”

Ran Shu replied offhandedly: “I don’t know. I haven’t bought a return ticket yet. I’m planning to look around the area before heading back.”

Sui Houyu looked at Ran Shu, eyes blazing.

Deng Yiheng’s eyes were red as he said: “Ran Shu, you’re seriously an angel.”

Ran Shu smiled and said: “I also brought something for Lu Yanxin. You can say you asked me to bring it.”

“Brother Shu, I’m so touched I could cry.”

The security guard didn’t let Ran Shu stay long, so he pointed to the side of the fence and began walking in that direction.

Sui Houyu said: “I’ll take the stuff back and then come find you.”

“Okay,” Ran Shu waved.

While waiting by the fence, Ran Shu noticed Sang Xian walking over at a leisurely pace.

The spot Ran Shu chose was fairly secluded, with no one else around. He looked at Sang Xian through the bars and asked: “Why didn’t you help carry things?”

“Sui Houyu was worried a wolf might snatch you, so he asked me to keep an eye on you.”

“Oh…”

The stars were clear and bright, heavy as if they might fall from the sky.

A cool breeze mixed with the forest’s scent, intertwining.

Ran Shu, who initially felt cold, noticed the heat in Sang Xian’s gaze, as if it seared his cheek, making him instinctively turn his head away.

Sang Xian walked up to the fence, stopped, and asked: “When did you get here?”

Ran Shu buried his chin in his upturned collar and answered in a muffled voice: “I got off the plane this morning, wandered around all afternoon, and soon I’ll go find a hotel in the city to stay.”

“Book it now.”

“Huh?” Ran Shu was momentarily taken aback.

“I need to know the license plate of the car you rented and the name of the hotel.” Sang Xian said in a deep voice.

“Oh…” Ran Shu looked down at his phone to book a hotel and casually said, “This one, the Hilton luxury suite, three days, see?”

“Okay.”

“Payment successful.” After completing the process, Ran Shu showed Sang Xian the screen.

Sang Xian took a close look at the hotel name and nodded.

Suddenly, Sang Xian asked: “Didn’t bring anything for me?”

“You’re included in those things! I even found an extra-long electric blanket. It was hard to find; most are only 1.8 meters long, and I searched for ages to find one that’s 2 meters.”

“Nothing else?”

Ran Shu hadn’t prepared anything specifically for Sang Xian, so he asked: “Would you like a kiss?”

Sang Xian actually extended his hand, reaching through the fence to hold the back of Ran Shu’s head, drawing him close.

Sang Xian leaned in and kissed him through the bars.

Ran Shu didn’t resist, quickly glancing around to ensure no one was nearby. He took a small step closer, grabbing Sang Xian’s collar.