HCILH Ch. 16

Chapter 16: Tennis

At Fengyu High School, classes are taught in large blocks—periods one and two are one course, and periods three and four are another.

During the break between classes, the teacher closed his book and stepped out of the classroom, ready to scold someone. However, upon stepping outside, he saw Sui Houyu leaning against Hou Mo, fast asleep. It made the teacher so angry his nostrils flared.

Other students passing by on their way to the restroom couldn’t help but steal a glance at them.

Amid the bustling hallway, the two boys stood close together, their striking looks and pale skin drawing all eyes toward them as if they radiated light.

A few girls walked by arm in arm, giggling into their hands as they glanced back at the pair.

“Well, aren’t you two sleeping soundly? Your sleep quality is truly something else,” the teacher huffed, books tucked under his arm, clearly annoyed.

Hou Mo nudged Sui Houyu with his elbow.

Sui Houyu groggily opened his eyes. He first looked at the teacher, then straightened himself and glanced over at Hou Mo.

Wait… Did he really fall asleep?

Standing up?

Looking around, it was obvious that class had already ended.

He hadn’t even noticed the bell. How had he fallen into such a deep sleep standing like that?

Shocked, he forgot to blink and looked down at the U-shaped neck pillow he was wearing.

The teacher stared at him and asked, “What’s your name?”

This teacher had transferred from Fenghua and already knew Hou Mo, who had a reputation for being infuriating but also excelled in academics—so the teacher let him be. 

However, Sui Houyu was unfamiliar, so the teacher focused on getting his name.

“Sui Houyu.” he answered softly.

“Sui Houyu?” The teacher tilted his head, then pulled out his phone and checked a saved image. “Were you the top student at Qingyu?”

“Yes.”

“And this is how you study?”

“More or less.”

Unwilling to let them off easily, the teacher quizzed both boys on several questions. To his dismay, they answered everything fluently.

What could he do?

Looking at these two boys, the teacher’s anger dissipated, and in the end, he let them go.

Back in the classroom, Sui Houyu noticed that Ren Shu and Su Anyi had picked up his cards. He sat down, frowning in confusion, and shot a puzzled look at Hou Mo.

What had just happened?

How had he fallen asleep like that?

He was picky about his sleep, needing a familiar environment and waking up at the slightest noise. But this time, he had slept deeply.

Hou Mo noticed the stare and felt a bit uneasy.

In the end, Sui Houyu said nothing and tossed the U-shaped pillow back to Hou Mo.

*

Sports students usually trained in the afternoon.

Sometimes, they attended the fifth and sixth periods, but often by then, half the class was already missing.

When Coach Wang came by to gather the students, he deliberately invited Sui Houyu with a cheerful smile: “Hey you, want to come play with us?”

Hou Mo, packing his things, commented casually: “Even if he trains, he won’t be able to beat me.”

Sui Houyu couldn’t stand being taunted, so he followed along.

Ren Shu had been curious for a while but hadn’t dared to ask until now. He eagerly tagged along with Sui Houyu.

With his towel and water bottle packed, Hou Mo slung his bag over his shoulder and walked behind Sui Houyu, his eyes lingering on the back of Sui’s neck.

Sui Houyu’s skin was fair, and his slender neck looked particularly graceful. His slightly wavy hair bounced with each step, drawing Hou Mo’s attention.

When they arrived at the training field, Coach Wang, intending to show off his students, called over a few team members and said to them, “Hou Mo, Sang Xian, Deng Yiheng, and Shen Junjing, come over and give the prospective members a running demonstration.”

Ren Shu was puzzled: “What’s there to demonstrate about running?”

Coach Wang just smiled and instructed them: “Hou Mo, set the pace.”

The four boys nodded and started running on the track.

After a while, Coach Wang turned to Sui Houyu and Ren Shu: “Record them running with your phones. Pause the video whenever you like, and if you spot any inconsistency in their stride or arm movement, let me know. I’ll make them run an extra lap.”

Ren Shu mumbled: “That’s intense…”

Sui Houyu took out his phone and began recording. The four runners moved in perfect synchronization—their strides, arm swings, and speed were almost identical, making it hard to notice any differences with the naked eye.

Even scrutinizing the video frame by frame, the only differences seemed to be the folds in their clothes.

Ren Shu continued filming but kept pausing the video every 30 seconds, amazed that they were still perfectly in sync.

It was incredible.

While Sui Houyu continued recording, Ran Shu asked, “D-Do you athletes train so much that your legs can no longer stay together?”

“Huh?” Coach Wang was taken aback by the strange question.

“I-it’s just… their walking posture is almost the same—swinging their arms and swaggering as they walk, like their legs can’t even stay together. Especially that Deng Yiheng, it’s like his heels don’t even touch the ground when he walks.”

Coach Wang couldn’t help but laugh.

It was true—the athletes he trained really did walk like old men out for a leisurely stroll.

“You should see them walk down the stairs after strength training—it’s even funnier,” Coach Wang chuckled.

On the other side, Sui Houyu finished recording. The athletes gathered around and overheard the video’s playback.

They exchanged glances before Hou Mo turned to Deng Yiheng: “Walk for me.”

Confused, Deng Yiheng took a few steps.

Hou Mo watched him carefully, then asked Sang Xian: “Do I walk like that too?”

Sang Xian answered quietly: “Better than him.”

Shen Junjing chimed in: “Yeah, Senior Hou’s walk always looks like he’s ready for a fight.”

Coach Wang had to take a call and left them with instructions: “Hou Mo, teach these two reserve players.”

Then he went to answer the phone.

Clearly, Coach Wang wasn’t above using Hou Mo whenever he needed.

Hou Mo grumbled: “Already calling them reserve players?”

He motioned for Sui Houyu and Ren Shu to follow: “Come on, I’ll teach you the basics.”

Since they were already there, Sui Houyu and Ren Shu followed along.

Hou Mo looked reluctant, as if he were being forced into this. He gave a half-hearted introduction. “Do you know the types of courts? There are four: grass, clay, hard, and carpet. Our school has three—just no grass, since we’re in the northeast, and maintaining it is too costly. But having three types of courts is still impressive.”

He pointed to the outdoor court. “That’s clay. Most professional tournaments use this surface.”

As he spoke, he took two tennis balls from the basket and handed them to Sui Houyu and Ran Shu, continuing his explanation: “Use your shoes to feel the surface, or you can toss the ball to test it. This court is rough, which indicates high friction. Higher friction reduces speed…”

He dropped the ball, caught it again, and went on: “This means the ball’s speed decreases after hitting the ground, giving players more room for quick stops and sudden returns. We played our last match here, remember? You’ve experienced it too, right? This court really tests baseline endurance and rally skills.”

Sui Houyu nodded: “Yeah.”

Hou Mo asked: “What kind of court does your training center use?”

“How do you know I go to a training center?”

“Uh…” Hou Mo awkwardly laughed. “Just heard about it.”

“Carpet court.” Sui Houyu pointed to a nearby indoor court.

Hou Mo nodded knowingly. “Those courts are tricky—they can be rubber or nylon, so the ball’s bounce depends on the surface texture. Switching surfaces can be tough, so we have to train on all of them.”

“So, my unfamiliarity with the clay surface affected my last match?” Sui Houyu asked after thinking.

“Probably. Even top players have preferred surfaces. But mostly, it’s because you’re not good enough.”

Ren Shu bristled after hearing his words: “Y-you’re bragging just because you specialize in this? How about a split contest?”

Hou Mo quickly backed down: “I can’t compete with that.”

Ren Shu clicked his tongue in satisfaction.

They continued to the indoor courts, where other athletes were warming up, glancing curiously at the newcomers.

Hou Mo stepped onto the hard court. “This is a hard surface. Feel it—it’s smooth and solid, making the ball bounce faster and more predictably. But we don’t train here often because it puts more strain on the body. This court is just for us to get familiar with the environment.”

Sui Houyu gave a soft “hmm” and asked, “What about grass courts?”

“Less friction, faster bounces. Your playstyle is suited to baseline rallies, which makes grass courts a good fit for you. Plus, you’re as agile as a monkey, moving like the wind—grass courts might just become your favorite surface.”

“Oh…” It was clear Hou Mo had analyzed his playstyle after a few matches.

Hou Mo continued, “In Grand Slams, men play best-of-five sets, but other matches are best-of-three.”

Sui Houyu replied indifferently, “I know.”

Hou Mo rubbed his head in frustration. “What else is there to say?”

After thinking for a moment, he handed his racket to Sui Houyu. “Let me see how you hold it.”

Sui Houyu took the racket and gripped it, showing it to Hou Mo.

Hou Mo took the racket back and demonstrated different grips. “What you’re using is called the Continental grip. This is the Eastern grip, and this here is the Semi-Western grip. When I play against you, I use the Semi-Western grip. See my thumb? It presses against the flat surface of the handle, and the index finger goes here…”

Ran Shu looked completely puzzled after watching. “W-What difference does it make?”

Hou Mo replied: “This grip allows me to add spin and generate power more easily—it gives more flexibility.”

At that moment, Coach Wang finally returned and approached the three of them. “Hou Mo, why don’t you and Sui Houyu try a doubles match? Your opponents will be Deng Yiheng and Shen Junjing.”

Hou Mo didn’t even want to look at the coach—his intentions were already out in the open without any pretense or buildup.

Sui Houyu, on the other hand, was confused: “Doubles?”

Although he had learned tennis, he had only played singles and had never tried doubles before.

Coach Wang gave a sly grin, speaking in an almost intimidating tone. “Yes, doubles. If you want to beat him, first, you have to understand him. Playing doubles with him is the easiest way to grasp his playing style.”

Important notes from the author:

The content of this chapter references Learn Tennis Through Pictures, though the text has been rewritten in my own words. Just like formulas, even if explained differently, the core concepts remain the same—such as the characteristics of each type of court. I hope you can understand this.

If future chapters contain direct quotes from the source, I’ll mark them accordingly, and it will be reflected in the text.

Also, [in men’s matches, the best-of-five format applies, while women’s matches are always best-of-three. Most matches in this story will follow the best-of-three format].