UI CH 34

When Zhao Jiyu sat back down, Shen Ran could still hear him whispering to the girl beside him.

Shen Ran couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but the way the two leaned in close reminded him of yesterday at the shop—Zhao Jiyu and Xu Tian had seemed just as naturally familiar with each other.

A whistle blew on the court, and Shen Ran turned to watch. The blue team’s center grabbed the ball first, passing it to the small forward for an attack. The yellow team intercepted it, and the ball ended up with the blue team’s shooting guard. He jumped from beyond the three-point line, but the yellow team pressed hard, and when the ball left his hand, it was deflected into a rebound.

Three players under the basket collided as they fought for position. The squeaking of their sneakers on the floor was enough to convey how intense the struggle was. Shen Ran watched with bated breath, suddenly feeling a hand slap his thigh. At that moment, the three players all jumped for the rebound, and he instinctively grabbed the hand, his eyes fixed on the yellow team’s center.

The center had positioned himself well, and as expected, he secured the rebound. Shouting “Fast break!”, the yellow team’s players all sprinted down the court. The ball passed through two players before landing with the yellow team’s shooting guard. He jumped back, not only avoiding the defender’s block but also nailing a perfect three-pointer.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. Shen Ran clenched his fist and exclaimed, “YES!” He quickly turned to Zhao Jiyu,
“Wow, that was a great play! These high schoolers are really on another level!”

“Yeah,” Zhao Jiyu also watched the court,
“That last shot was pretty exciting.”

“The shooting form was perfect,”
Shen Ran said with a hint of admiration, then sighed,
“Our high school captain was really good at three-pointers too.”

Having just heard him talk about his high school days last night, Zhao Jiyu gently squeezed his fingers, comforting him,
“Don’t be upset. Let’s keep watching.”

Shen Ran nodded, about to turn away, when he realized something was wrong. He looked down and froze.

They were holding hands.

Seeing that he finally noticed, Zhao Jiyu said,
“You got so excited when I patted you earlier that you just grabbed my hand and didn’t let go.”

The warmth of another person’s palm wrapped around his own startled Shen Ran—how had he not noticed this entire time? He immediately let go,
“Sorry.”

“It’s fine.”
Zhao Jiyu’s lips curled into a smile, as if nothing Shen Ran did could bother him. Shen Ran turned back to watch the court. The basketball moved swiftly between the two teams, but he could no longer focus.

Especially when he felt thirsty and thought about drinking water—he remembered he had already finished the coffee, leaving only Zhao Jiyu’s cup of cola. When he glanced at Zhao Jiyu, he saw the girl looking at him too.

Their eyes met briefly, and Shen Ran wasn’t sure if he had imagined it. But considering how he and Zhao Jiyu had held hands earlier, if the girl had been watching, she might have noticed. And since she had come back with Zhao Jiyu, if she asked him whether he had a girlfriend, Zhao Jiyu would find out what Shen Ran had said.

From the start, Shen Ran had known Zhao Jiyu and Yu Xuetong only had a superficial connection, yet he had still used that excuse to reject the girl. He didn’t even know what he had been thinking at the time. Now, he felt he shouldn’t have been so hasty. It would be best to let Zhao Jiyu handle these things himself in the future.

The two teams in the center of the court were locked in an intense battle. The score had been stagnant for a while, with neither side managing to score. This stalemate not only increased the pressure on both teams but also left the audience feeling a bit fatigued.

Shen Ran sat for a while, raising his hand to rub his sore neck. The motion reminded him of where Zhao Jiyu had been hit earlier, so he asked,
“How’s your shoulder?”

Zhao Jiyu replied,
“It’s fine, doesn’t feel like anything.”

Shen Ran wanted to say more but noticed the girl looking over again.

Her expression gave nothing away, but since he’d said what he did earlier, he couldn’t shake a bit of guilt. For the next while, he resisted the urge to look back. As the second half approached its end, the game grew increasingly tense. With just three minutes left, he couldn’t help but discuss with Zhao Jiyu the yellow team’s missed shot.

Zhao Jiyu had his body turned toward Shen Ran the whole time, showing his back to the girl. When Shen Ran noticed this, he thought it proved Zhao Jiyu wasn’t interested in her, and it lifted his mood significantly. The two got absorbed in their discussion, and soon Zhao Jiyu reminded him to focus on the court.

The blue team’s power forward, after a series of underwhelming performances earlier, finally stepped up. He scored with a slam dunk against a 1-on-4 situation, drawing a foul from the yellow team’s center and earning a free throw.

The dunk finally broke through the prolonged deadlock. The crowd’s excitement reignited, and Shen Ran joined in with claps and cheers. Zhao Jiyu, seeing how excited he was, leaned close to his ear and asked,
“Which team do you think will win?”

“Hard to say,”
Shen Ran replied, still staring eagerly at the teams on the court.
“These two teams are evenly matched.”

“How about this: we each pick a team, and whoever loses has to grant the winner a wish,”
Zhao Jiyu suggested.

The idea sounded a bit odd, but Shen Ran was too caught up in the game to think much of it. He often bet on match outcomes with Zheng Mingjin, so he readily agreed,
“Sure, you pick first.”

“Yellow team,”
Zhao Jiyu said.

Shen Ran shot him a glance. “Why the yellow team?”

“Just a feeling.”
Zhao Jiyu rested his chin on his left palm, his long lashes casting shadows as he smiled confidently.

Actually, Shen Ran had wanted to pick the yellow team too. Although the blue team had been performing well, and most online predictions favored them, based on the overall play, he felt the yellow team had a chance to make a comeback at any moment.

Since Zhao Jiyu had already chosen, Shen Ran agreed, “Alright, then let’s predict the score difference.”

“It won’t be more than 2 points,” Zhao Jiyu responded immediately, without even thinking.

Shen Ran opened his mouth, but instead of speaking, he burst into laughter. Zhao Jiyu asked what he was laughing at, and he shook his head,
“I was thinking the same thing.”

They shared a smile, then turned back to the game.

In the remaining time, the game stayed as tight as expected. It was a constant back-and-forth—one team scored, the other quickly answered with two points. The point difference hovered around just 1 point. With 1 minute and 25 seconds left, the yellow team’s small forward made a three-pointer, widening the gap to 4 points.

Shen Ran had favored the Yellow Team from the start, and now he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Nice shot!”

Seeing him like this, Zhao Jiyu wondered if he should remind him that cheering for the Yellow Team meant they were going to lose. But watching how fully engrossed he was, Zhao Jiyu didn’t want to disturb him. In the end, his gaze lingered on Shen Ran’s lips. It wasn’t until a sharp whistle pulled Zhao Jiyu’s attention back that he realized the game had taken a turn.

Shen Ran stood up abruptly, and many others around them followed suit as the murmur of discussions grew louder.

Zhao Jiyu turned his eyes to the court. It turned out that the Blue Team’s center had dived out of bounds in an attempt to save the ball. However, he had managed to do so just in time, allowing the Blue Team’s point guard to seize the opportunity, drive forward, and make a swift layup in one seamless motion—all within the few seconds the center had spent crashing outside the court.

The murmurs of the crowd quickly turned into cheers, but the Yellow Team’s fast break immediately disrupted the Blue Team’s momentum. With just 58 seconds left on the clock, the Yellow Team scored another basket.

Shen Ran looked up at the scoreboard. Only one minute remained. The Blue Team needed at least two more baskets to push the game into overtime; otherwise, they would lose. But their center was moving sluggishly after his earlier dive, and Shen Ran, watching his fatigued figure, unconsciously clenched his fists.

“Is the Blue Team’s No. 4 injured?”
Zhao Jiyu stood up and asked.

“Yeah, he probably hurt his back while saving that ball just now.”

An injury in the final minute of the game—yet the Blue Team hadn’t substituted him out. Shen Ran could understand their decision. With so little time left, making a substitution was pointless, and besides, there was no suitable replacement for the center’s physique on the bench. His eyes returned to the scoreboard, but in that brief moment of distraction, the Blue Team’s point guard executed another precise steal and passed the ball to the small forward. With 30 seconds left on the clock, the Blue Team landed a three-pointer.

The stadium erupted. No one had expected a high school championship match to reach such a level. The final minutes had been full of dramatic reversals, making it impossible to look away. Almost no one remained seated—spectators stood up one after another, passionately cheering for their chosen team.

The cheer squads were shouting at the top of their lungs as the Blue Team, energized by their three-pointer, pushed hard for another basket to overtake the lead. Meanwhile, the Yellow Team reinforced their defense, closely marking the Blue Team’s fast-break trio. It wasn’t until the last ten seconds that the Blue Team finally made it into the Yellow Team’s restricted area.

The point guard seized the moment and passed the ball to the small forward. The small forward faked a jump shot, successfully deceiving two defenders, and immediately passed the ball outside to the center.

Only five seconds remained when the center received the ball. Shen Ran’s heart tensed as he watched the player raise his arms for the shot. Unfortunately, due to his earlier injury, the crucial shot veered off target.

Shen Ran couldn’t help but shout, “Rebound!”

The ball bounced off the rim, and two Yellow Team players leaped alongside the Blue Team’s power forward. This time, the Blue Team’s power forward secured the rebound, but before he could attempt another shot, the final buzzer blared.

A mix of sighs, complaints, and celebrations filled the air. The game’s outcome left many spectators unsatisfied, as if they still craved more action. Shen Ran remained frozen in his clenched-fist stance, staring at the Blue Team’s center, who stood in the middle of the court, hands on his hips, breathing heavily. He watched as his teammates approached, checking on his injury with concern. Then, the Blue Team’s center raised his left hand to cover his face, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Shen Ran had played basketball for several years and had experienced the glory and joy of victory. He also knew all too well the frustration and unwillingness that came with losing, so he deeply understood how the Blue Team must be feeling at this moment. Especially in a situation where they had the ability to turn the game around but had the opportunity snatched away—it was something no one could accept easily.

It was as if he was completely empathizing with the crying center player, and a sour, heavy feeling rose from his chest to his throat. Just then, an arm rested on his shoulder, patting him gently. Someone spoke beside his ear:
“They did really well. Holding on until the very last second without giving up—at least in spirit, they didn’t lose.”

These words softened the weight of Shen Ran’s emotions, as if landing on a gentle slope instead of falling into a pit. He looked up at Zhao Jiyu, at the warm gaze behind his glasses, and unconsciously nodded. “Yeah, they didn’t lose in spirit.”

Before leaving the stadium, the two of them sat in the stands for a while, waiting for most of the crowd to disperse before heading out.

The night air outside was still hot and humid. Walking side by side along the road, their shadows stretched long under the streetlights. As they passed under one of the lamps, Shen Ran noticed several mosquitoes hovering over Zhao Jiyu’s head. He lifted his hand and waved them away, then did the same for himself.

Back in the car, Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Want to find a place for a late-night snack?”

Shen Ran was still holding a McDonald’s bag and some barbecue.
“What about these?” he asked.

They had only eaten burgers and drinks, leaving two portions of fries and some Nuggets in the bag. Zhao Jiyu was about to suggest saving them for Lao Wu to reheat the next day, but Shen Ran spoke first.
“Do you mind eating bento?”

“I don’t mind,” Zhao Jiyu replied.

Fastening his seatbelt, Shen Ran smiled.
“Then let’s go sit by the sea for a bit.”

There wasn’t a beach near the stadium, so Zhao Jiyu asked which one he wanted to go to. Shen Ran said Baicheng, so Zhao Jiyu drove in that direction. Near the school, Shen Ran stopped at a convenience store and stayed inside for almost ten minutes before coming out.

He got into the car carrying a large bag. Zhao Jiyu asked what it was, and Shen Ran simply said, “Midnight snack.”

When they arrived at their destination, Zhao Jiyu parked the car and watched as Shen Ran, with practiced ease, found a spot and sat down. He pulled a square picnic cloth from the bag and spread it on the sand.

Zhao Jiyu sat down as well. Shen Ran then took out two bags of chips, two cans of cola, and two bento meals. He also opened the barbecue bag, and the aroma of grilled meat wafted through the air, carried by the sea breeze. Only then did Zhao Jiyu realize that Shen Ran had taken so long in the convenience store because he was heating up the food.

“Let’s eat.”
Shen Ran picked up a bento and handed it to Zhao Jiyu.
“This place’s cheese curry pork cutlet rice is really good.”

Zhao Jiyu opened the lid, and the rich aroma of curry immediately filled the air. He picked up a piece of still-crispy pork cutlet with his chopsticks, just dipping it into the curry sauce when he noticed Shen Ran staring at him intently, his Adam’s apple moving slightly.

Zhao Jiyu gestured with his chin toward Shen Ran’s bento. “What did you get?”

“Curry chicken cutlet rice.”

“Why didn’t you buy two of the same?”

“There was only one pork cutlet left.”
Shen Ran opened his own bento, biting the disposable chopsticks to break them apart before picking up a piece of chicken and dipping it into the curry sauce.
“Hurry up and eat—I bought this one especially for you.”

Just as he was about to eat his chicken, a pair of chopsticks reached over first. The crispy pork cutlet, coated in curry sauce, touched his lips. Zhao Jiyu said,
“Open your mouth.”

Shen Ran’s piece of chicken slipped back into his bento box. In that brief moment of distraction, Zhao Jiyu had already fed him the pork cutlet. “How is it?” he asked.

With the crispy, fragrant cutlet in his mouth, Shen Ran nodded enthusiastically. “Delicious! Now eat yours.”

Zhao Jiyu took a bite as well and commented, m
“It’s really good—completely changes my opinion of bento meals.”

“Right?”
Shen Ran said cheerfully. He then offered his own bento.
“Want to try the chicken? It’s actually really good too.”

Zhao Jiyu took a piece to taste and, in return, gave Shen Ran another piece of pork cutlet. The two of them shared their meals this way, finishing up the bento before moving on to the barbecue.

Drinking cola, eating grilled squid skewers, watching the ocean, and feeling the sea breeze—Shen Ran felt himself completely unwind. He turned to Zhao Jiyu and said,
“Every time Mingjin and I watch a basketball game, we come here afterward to eat.”

Zhao Jiyu took a napkin to wipe his hands.
“You two are close.”

“Yeah.” Shen Ran looked at a couple walking past them in the distance.
“But now that his girlfriend is back, he needs to spend time with her.”

“Good thing you were free tonight. Otherwise, I’d have had to watch the game alone.”
Shen Ran smiled and shifted his gaze toward the vast ocean.

Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Other than Zheng Mingjin, has anyone else ever watched a game with you?”

Shen Ran was silent for a moment before saying, “Actually, Li Ting watched a game with me once.”

It was rare for him to mention Li’s name on his own. Zhao Jiyu turned to look at him, listening quietly.

“But she doesn’t understand basketball, and I could tell she wasn’t interested. I couldn’t really get into the game that time, and we ended up arguing afterward.”

Zhao Jiyu asked,
Why did you argue?”

“I don’t really remember.”
Shen Ran took a sip of his cold cola.
“Probably over something small. Later, I bought a bento and came here to eat before going back to apologize to her.”

“But that day, the team I supported lost too.”

As he got lost in his memories, Shen Ran suddenly felt the urge to talk about it, especially when Zhao Jiyu asked,
“Did you apologize because you were at fault?”

Shen Ran looked at him. “Not entirely. But if I didn’t lower my head first, she wouldn’t either.”

Xu Tian had once described Li’s personality to Zhao Jiyu, saying that when Shen Ran was with her, he was always the one to compromise. Now, it seemed to be true.

“In a relationship, status and background don’t matter as much as whether two people are truly compatible,”
Zhao Jiyu said.

“Exactly,”
Shen Ran clapped his hands forcefully.
“Just like watching the game with you tonight.”

“Whether it’s personality or hobbies, sometimes I really don’t understand what girls are thinking. And they never tell me directly either. If you were a girl…”

Zhao Jiyu was waiting for Shen Ran to finish his sentence, but he suddenly stopped, looking a little startled.

“What is it?”
Zhao Jiyu asked.

Shen Ran turned to look at the vast ocean in front of him, but his heart was racing from the abrupt thought that had just crossed his mind. He glanced at the can of cola by his feet, wondering why such a thought—If Zhao Jiyu were a girl, that would be nice—had suddenly popped into his head when he hadn’t even been drinking.

The person beside him kept his gaze fixed on Shen Ran’s face, quietly observing his reaction. Remembering that Shen Ran had left his previous sentence unfinished, Zhao Jiyu suddenly said,
“By the way, the girl sitting next to me earlier asked if I already had a girlfriend. Did you tell her that?”

Shen Ran rested his arms on his knees and turned his face slightly to the side. Zhao Jiyu looked at the strands of hair on the back of his head, tousled by the sea breeze, and continued, “You’ve known for a while that my relationship with Xuetong is fake, so why use that excuse to help me turn her down?”