HCILH Ch. 113

Chapter 113: The Grueling Winter Training

When Ran Shu and Sang Xian dragged their luggage into the dorm, they saw Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing each occupying a desk, busily writing something.

Ran Shu put down his luggage and curiously asked: “W-What’s going on? I thought athletes don’t have winter homework?”

Deng Yiheng replied first: “We’re writing dorm transfer applications.”

Shen Junjing chimed in: “Exactly, we can’t stay in this dorm anymore!”

Ran Shu, puzzled, looked at Sui Houyu.

Sui Houyu gestured towards Hou Mo and himself, then towards Ran Shu and Sang Xian. Ran Shu immediately understood.

Leaning against the bed rail beside Deng Yiheng, Ran Shu remarked: “Why are you in such a rush to leave? What, are you afraid of catching the ‘gay’? You’ve lived with top students for so long, but I haven’t seen your grades improve by much for finals.”

Deng Yiheng looked at Ran Shu with a mix of grievance and awe, marveling at how Ran Shu could scold someone so fluently without stuttering.

Deng Yiheng tried to explain: “It’s not that, we’re just afraid of being third wheels.”

“Being a third wheel to whom? What, do you think any couple can’t resist being overly affectionate in public? Even in a relationship, there’s a time and place for things. Keep your silly ideas to yourself. I ordered grilled fish, it’ll be here soon. Get ready to eat.”

Deng Yiheng immediately perked up, abandoning the application and joining the others in tidying up the dorm. He even brought over an extra desk, saying: “This is a study desk borrowed from the international class genius. It’ll be easier for us to sit around.”

“Studying in the dorm?” Ran Shu asked as he grabbed a chair.

Hou Mo brought a chair for Sui Houyu and answered Ran Shu’s question, “Actually, after passing the TOEFL and IELTS, the international class has it easier, but they still need to work hard to get into better schools.”

Ran Shu fell silent for a moment after sitting down: “Actually, I just realized… do I even have any goals for the college entrance exams? Do all of you have plans except me?”

In their dorm, Sui Houyu and Hou Mo were aiming for Tsinghua or Peking University.

Sang Xian was also planning on taking the Beijing entrance exams.

Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing had their sights set on Eastern Sports University.

Ran Shu was the only one without a specific target.

Sang Xian, usually indifferent, turned to Ran Shu at this and asked: “Is there a school you’re particularly interested in?”

Ran Shu answered candidly: “Yeah, but I-I stutter, so I can’t go.”

“Why not try to fix the stutter?”

“D-Do you think I haven’t tried?”

Just then, Ran Shu’s phone rang, and he pulled Sui Houyu along to go downstairs and get the food.

Once they were gone, Hou Mo leaned back in his chair and asked Sang Xian: “Which school does he want to go to?”

Sang Xian exhaled: “An arts school for performing arts. He seems to really like acting. He practiced Chinese dance with Sui Houyu a while back but stopped in recent years.”

Deng Yiheng nodded: “No kidding, Ran Shu’s dancing is amazing, and he’s good-looking too. It’s a shame… he’s become an aimless slacker.”

Sang Xian thought for a moment before saying to Hou Mo: “Can you ask Sui Houyu if he knows why Ran Shu stutters? I heard it’s something he developed later in life.”

“It probably has to do with his family.” Hou Mo said offhandedly. “They’ve hinted at it in bits and pieces. I’ll ask, but if he doesn’t want to talk about it, I won’t push.”

“Okay.”

When they heard Ran Shu and Sui Houyu returning with their chatter, they dropped the subject.

As the two entered with the grilled fish, Deng Yiheng was surprised: “They even provide a pot with the grilled fish? That’s extravagant!”

“Of course!” Ran Shu said proudly: “O-One of Houyu’s and my favorites. You’re in for a treat.”

The aroma filled the room as they opened the packaging, the dish looking as appealing as if it were freshly made, with careful packaging maintaining its quality.

Deng Yiheng, almost drooling, asked: “I remember you two like it really spicy. Why did you order a savory flavor this time?”

Before the question finished, Hou Mo burst into laughter, understanding immediately.

Sang Xian’s expression turned awkward for a moment, being the cause of it.

Ran Shu rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Realizing the reason, Deng Yiheng quickly apologized: “I’m an idiot, I deserve to be hit!”

Ran Shu shot back: “What are you laughing at, Hou Mo? Acting all smug for what? You’re just a couple of underage kids! Being in a relationship—what does it get you? Just a minor upgrade in your status, and you’re still both untouched!”

Hou Mo glared, pointing at Ran Shu: “Brother Yu, look!”

Sui Houyu lightly patted the back of Ran Shu’s head, reminding him that Hou Mo was off-limits.

Ran Shu complained: “W-Why are you taking his side? I’m hurt! How am I supposed to face you as a shattered version of myself?”

“What, are we both in pieces now?”

“…”

“Was that even human speech?”

“I was wrong…”

Just then, someone knocked at the door. Sui Houyu, nearest to it, opened it and asked: “Who is it?”

“Hey, sister-in-law!” someone greeted, grinning.

Sui Houyu’s expression immediately darkened. “…”

“Since you’re here, the Senior Brother must be here too. I brought some fruit from home for you guys,” the person continued obliviously, missing Sui Houyu’s displeasure. After all, he never showed a friendly face to anyone, so they didn’t notice the change.

Before Sui Houyu could react, Hou Mo stepped in, took the fruit with a smile, and thanked him, “Thanks a lot.”

The guy winked at Hou Mo: “Congrats! You were fast. You snagged the school’s hardest-to-get gem. How’d you do it? Hey… don’t push me…”

Hou Mo nudged him out: “Shut up. If you keep talking, neither of us will live long.”

Students in the hallway who had just returned turned to watch: “It’s true! His partner is his teammate?”

“Wow… they really are together…”

Hou Mo returned to the dorm and reassured Sui Houyu with a smile: “Don’t take them seriously.”

Sui Houyu fumed: “Why?!”

“Huh?”

“Why does no one think I’m the husband?!”

Hou Mo was taken aback, wanting to laugh but holding back, struggling to keep a straight face.

The rest of the dorm stayed silent, wary of setting off another round of anger.

Ran Shu, however, spoke up: “Yeah, they really lack perception.”

Too bad he didn’t stutter.

Sui Houyu got even angrier.

*

Training resumed gradually and progressively.

The first few days were relatively easy, but after that, the grueling training began.

Once the intense training phase was over, they would have two days to rest before the regular students returned to school.

On the first day of morning drills, Sui Houyu and Hou Mo became the center of attention among the student athletes.

Although they didn’t have many contacts on WeChat, word spread quickly after school resumed. Soon, everyone knew that the two were in a relationship.

Even though they hadn’t officially announced it, there was no doubt who it was. They were inseparable, leaving little room for speculation.

Sui Houyu felt uncomfortable under all the staring.

Hou Mo, on the other hand, remained unfazed, already used to being thick-skinned.

After organizing the teams, Hou Mo walked to the center of the field and signaled to the other captains to come over.

Standing in the middle, Hou Mo said: “Warn your team members not to keep staring at my partner. He’s feeling uneasy.”

The captain of the heavy athletics team explained: “It’s just the first few days. They’ll get used to it soon.”

Hou Mo shook his head: “No, they can’t wait a few days. If my partner is even a little unhappy, I’ll make sure your team members are too. And that would be awkward for you, wouldn’t it?”

The other captains nodded, acknowledging his influence and promising to relay the message.

Hou Mo didn’t like causing trouble, especially with his scholarship at stake.

But when it came to Sui Houyu, he made no concessions, a fact that was well known.

After the warning, Hou Mo casually returned to his team and organized the tennis team lineup.

He waited for the other teams to start before leading the run. One teammate reminded him: “Senior Brother, captains are supposed to lead the run.”

Hou Mo paused: “Why?”

“If you take the lead, it’ll be hard for others not to stare.”

Hou Mo had no choice but to step back and let Sui Houyu lead.

The result was that their team kept overtaking others and ended up running nearly two extra laps by the end.

Sui Houyu’s philosophy: never lose, even if it’s just a morning drill.

The teammate who reminded Hou Mo regretted it, smacking himself mentally.

*

On the last afternoon of intense training, the tennis team members were pushing through their final efforts.

In the indoor gym, they wore shorts and short-sleeved shirts, drenched in sweat.

Sui Houyu gritted his teeth to persist, feeling the sweat trickle down his body with each movement.

His shirt clung to his slender frame, soaked through with sweat.

Some teammates had taken off their shirts, ruffling their hair and wringing out sweat with their hands.

The gym was filled with the heady scent of testosterone.

If it were a normal day, Ran Shu would be disgusted. But now, even standing was a challenge as his legs trembled from exhaustion.

He noticed Sang Xian glancing at him repeatedly but didn’t have the energy to respond.

At that moment, someone opened the gym door, letting in a gust of cold air that made everyone shiver.

Fortunately, the door soon closed.

Everyone turned to see Su Anyi, who had changed to a princess-cut hairstyle. Already exuding an aloof aura, the new hairstyle made her seem even more untouchable.

Still, the boys were excited by her presence, captivated by her demeanor.

She walked in, opened a toolbox, and took out a massage gun, scanning the room.

She had returned to school three days early just to be there for the last day of intense training.

Holding the massage gun, she spoke in a cool, detached tone: “I’ll help you all with muscle recovery later. Tomorrow, you’ll help me carry my bedding outside to air it out.”

The tennis team erupted in cheers.

Some of them, barely able to stand, managed to say: “She’s my goddess…”

Sui Houyu smiled at Su Anyi and heard Hou Mo say: “I’ll help you with recovery later.”

“Okay…”

“Why do you sound disappointed?”

“It’s nothing.”

After the training was dismissed, the team members swarmed Su Anyi, suddenly rejuvenated from their “crippled” state.

Sui Houyu and Ran Shu didn’t bother to join the crowd.

Sui Houyu slumped on the floor, unwilling to move, wanting to rest for a while.

Unexpectedly, Hou Mo walked over and wrung out his shirt over Sui Houyu’s head, drenching him with sweat.

The sudden move made Sui Houyu jump up in fury, chasing Hou Mo around the gym with all fatigue forgotten.

Deng Yiheng sat cross-legged nearby, watching them with a sigh: “Youth is great; they still have the energy to run.”

Sang Xian, massaging Ran Shu’s legs, heard Ran Shu mutter: “Some are like Baili Tusu^[1], but my Brother Yu is like Baili Butcher.”

Sang Xian laughed.

Sui Houyu chased Hou Mo into the locker room, which was still empty.

Hou Mo pinned Sui Houyu against the door and asked: “Why were you smiling at others like that?”

“I was just greeting them.”

“Not acceptable!” Hou Mo leaned closer, “Come and smell. This is the scent of your man.”

“Ugh… you’re disgusting… mmph…”

The rest of the words were swallowed by a kiss.