[He won without integrity!]
[He’s cunning and deceitful!]
[He’s afraid of losing!]
[He can’t handle it!!!]
Li Yan sent messages to Yun Ci while eating in the cafeteria.
After a while, Yun Ci replied: [Send more.]
Li Yan: [My liberal arts are not good; I’m out of words. I’m at my wit’s end.]
Li Yan was eating in the cafeteria. Their squad was watching the football match when the instructor called them to regroup halfway through the game. He hurriedly stuffed food into his mouth and continued typing: [Where are you now? Why didn’t I see you in the cafeteria? By the way, the food here is damn awful……]
During military training, they had to eat boxed meals provided by the school and couldn’t buy food in the cafeteria without permission. He looked around the cafeteria but didn’t see Yun Ci.
[You wouldn’t have gotten the message early, would you?]
While sending the message, Li Yan thought back to high school, when Yun Ci was always the class monitor and had good relationships with teachers and classmates. Whenever something happened at school, he was always prepared ahead of time. [Did you prepare instant noodles early and now you’re eating alone in the dormitory???]
Instant noodles again.
He was starving now, almost starving to death.
Yun Ci was sitting on the bed in the infirmary with one leg stretched out.
The infirmary teacher pinched his ankle, made a quick assessment of the injury, then suddenly exerted force, and with a “click,” said, “It’s nothing serious. It’s just dislocated. We’ll set it back in place.”
This sudden action caught Yun Ci off guard, and he almost couldn’t bear it.
After pausing for a moment, he said, “……Can I leave after it’s set?”
The female doctor: “No.”
After saying that, she glanced at the time and said, “Rest here for an hour before you leave, and avoid strenuous exercise for the next few days.”
The temporary infirmary set up for military training was very small. Besides the desk and chairs for the doctor, there was only a simple bed. People had to line up to see the doctor.
Besides him and the female doctor, there was one more person in the infirmary.
Yu Xun was “in line,” leaning against the wall, his eyes following the movements of the female doctor, landing on Yun Ci’s ankle.
Why was he everywhere?
Yun Ci subconsciously wanted to pull his leg back.
But even if he wanted to hide, it was useless now that the other party had already seen.
After thinking for two seconds, since he couldn’t leave anyway, he decided to just relax.
“Feeling better?” Yu Xun asked.
Yun Ci didn’t respond to his question and said to himself, “The ground was slippery; it was an accident.”
Yu Xun uttered an acknowledgment.
Yun Ci emphasized, “The ground was indeed slippery.”
Yu Xun remarked, “Are you sure it wasn’t because the opponent’s strength was too—”
Yun Ci interrupted him with a cold laugh, “Are you talking about the opponent who called for a break?”
“……”
“That was at mealtime.”
“Doctor,” Yun Ci turned his head, “he’s mentally ill, and it’s too late to treat him.”
The female doctor’s focus was solely on the patient, and she couldn’t spare attention for personal grievances between patients, asking, “Where do you feel uncomfortable?”
Yun Ci was also pondering this question.
Logically, Yu Xun shouldn’t have appeared in the infirmary.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed quite agile, with no signs of injury anywhere.
It seemed as if he had coincidentally known Yun Ci would be there and had come over for that reason.
Yu Xun took off his military training jacket, casually holding it in his hand. He wore a thin T-shirt, and his posture was nonchalant. Upon hearing the question, he turned his head slightly, thought for a moment, and then said, “Dizzy.”
Yun Ci evaluated him in his mind: delicate.
“Any fever?”
“No.”
“Feel like vomiting?”
“No.”
“Just dizzy?”
“Yeah.”
The female doctor set down the thermometer and spoke impatiently, “So you don’t have any problems except feeling dizzy? Why did you come to the infirmary for just dizziness? It’s not even a heat stroke! What do you expect me to prescribe for you?”
Yu Xun’s attitude remained calm, “Just give me a bottle of Huoxiang Zhengqi water for prevention.”
The female doctor, eager to go eat, wasn’t keen on entertaining a male classmate who came to her for medicine at lunchtime: “The medicine is on the table. You can only drink one bottle. I have to go to the cafeteria.” She glanced sharply at Yun Ci, who was attempting to sit up, “Wait an hour before leaving. I have surveillance here. Not even a minute less.”
Yun Ci immediately laid back down.
After the female doctor left, the cramped infirmary was left with only him and Yu Xun.
There was no curtain to pull around his bed. Yun Ci felt utterly hopeless, staring at the ceiling, counting the time to pass.
He counted to fifty, and the person beside him was still drinking the medicine.
By the time he reached one hundred, he noticed that the person showed no intention of finishing the medicine.
He felt agitated and uncomfortable all over: “How long are you going to take to finish that medicine?”
Yu Xun sat comfortably on the small stool beside him, stretching his long legs. The cramped space seemed unable to contain him entirely. “It depends on my mood.”
“?”
“If I want to finish it quickly, I can do it quickly. If I want to take my time, I can take my time.”
“…”
Yun Ci knew well that dealing with Yu Xun’s inexplicable stubbornness was something he’d never win at. Yu Xun was always more adept at it. Grinding his teeth, Yun Ci said, “Then drink the damn thing faster.”
“Not really,” Yu Xun said, pinching the bottle of medicine that could have been finished in one gulp, “I’m in a complicated mood today, especially after finishing the game with you. I plan to take the full hour to drink it.”
Fcking insane.
Yun Ci decided to remain silent.
The air in the infirmary seemed to move slowly, with the air conditioning blowing constantly, washing away the heat from the field. The temperature became comfortable. Military training was too intense. After lying down for a while, Yun Ci’s body relaxed, and he felt a bit drowsy.
But because the person beside him was Yu Xun, and with him refusing to leave, Yun Ci remained tense.
It felt eerie.
The person beside him was Yu Xun.
He had his pride. Even during the game, when he wasn’t feeling well, he refused to show any discomfort, but unfortunately, Yu Xun noticed.
He closed his eyes, expecting Yu Xun to continue “hassling” him relentlessly for the next hour. However, after that insane remark, Yu Xun unexpectedly quieted down and didn’t say another word. The atmosphere in the infirmary became unexpectedly tranquil and peaceful.
Yun Ci couldn’t remember when he fell asleep. He only remembered that before falling asleep, he couldn’t hold it in anymore and shouted at Yu Xun, “Hey.”
“What’s up?” Yu Xun’s tone remained casual.
“……”
Although he didn’t want to engage, if he didn’t clarify this, he felt like he wouldn’t be able to sleep. Yun Ci emphasized, “Today’s game isn’t over yet. The score doesn’t count.”
Yu Xun pondered for two seconds, “Can I understand that you’re eager to invite me to play again next time?”
Yun Ci: “…………”
What kind of understanding was this?
Yu Xun: “After all, it’s been a long time since you played with me. It’s normal to want more.”
Yun Ci stared at the ceiling.
He didn’t know why he had initiated this topic.
The next second, he pulled the blanket over his head.
Might as well sleep it off.
***
He slept deeply this time.
He dreamt of the basketball court, but it was the court of West High.
The court at West High was distinctive. The white walls were covered in imprints. Initially, they were just marks left by basketballs and shoes, but eventually, someone started writing messages, turning the wall into a message board.
—xxx, I like you.
—xx, you must get into Jiang University!
……
The messages kept increasing.
So much so that every graduation season, Yan Yue, the director who was strict with himself, had to find someone to repaint the wall.
During his final repainting, Yan Yue unexpectedly discovered his son’s name on the wall.
But it wasn’t a declaration of love. Because after Yun Ci’s name, there was the name of another of his “proud” students.
Yun Ci: Yu Xun.
134 games (won): 136 games (won).
“You even recorded scores on the wall,” Yan Yue roared at home. “I’ve said it countless times, scribbling on the walls is not allowed. And deliberately recording the score, is that something to be proud of?”
At that time, Yun Ci was studying for the college entrance exam.
He was also angry, but his way of expressing anger had a strange calmness to it: “Dad.”
“You also know that I’m the one who’s two games short.” He took a deep breath and said, “If you think about it, you should also know who orchestrated this.”
Yan Yue: “……”
The scenes in dreams are always illogical, with no head or tail, drifting like a gust of wind. Suddenly, the scene shifted, as if time were flowing, moving to another event.
He and Yu Xun’s winning rates had always been neck and neck. As they continued playing, they lost control, their blood boiling. They began making all sorts of bets, such as whoever lost not only couldn’t use the court but also had to shout “X-ge, I’m not as good as you” in front of everyone.
That day, he won.
He received a “Ci-ge, I’m not as good as you” from Yu Xun.
Even though Yu Xun didn’t sound particularly serious when he said it.
However, he still recorded it on his phone and repeatedly played it to anyone who would listen for the next week. He even wished he could broadcast it on a loudspeaker.
Unfortunately, good times didn’t last long.
A week later, he lost, and Yu Xun’s bet was a sentence: “Then you have to meet me on the court every day.”
Yun Ci’s nightmare began.
He remembered how, back then, before school ended every day, he would dawdle while packing up, even snatching tasks from the committee members to do, earning himself the praise “Monitor, you’re truly the best monitor in our class” from the committee members every day.
However, even with his dawdling, his speed in tidying up and cleaning was quite fast.
He could finish most of his homework during his spare time in class, leaving his school bag empty every day with only a book of wrong questions and a few sets of competition papers inside.
Yun Ci carried his empty school bag on one shoulder to the basketball court for the appointment.
The basketball court was full of people from Yu Xun’s class. One of them whistled as soon as he saw Yun Ci, “Play the recording, Ci-ge. Why aren’t you playing it? Don’t you love playing it? Play one more for me to listen.”
Yun Ci: “….Are you sick?”
“This spot is specially reserved for you,” Yu Xun said, holding his discarded school uniform jacket and pointing to the flower bed nearby, “It’s the closest to the court. I suggest squatting there. When you’re tired, you can sit for a while. After carefully selecting for half a day, I still think this angle is the most convenient for you to appreciate my wonderful basketball skills, Ci-ge.”
Yun Ci: “…You’re not well either.”
Yu Xun acted as if he hadn’t heard and threw his school uniform jacket to Yun Ci before going onto the court.
“Stay here. Till we finish our game, you’ll have to stay here.”
Don’t go too far.
Yun Ci couldn’t utter that sentence.
Because the whistle blew—the game began.
At first, he looked at the sky, the clouds, and the grass, refusing to look at Yu Xun.
But after squatting by the flower bed for a long time, he eventually got bored and glanced at the court.
Reluctantly. Just a glance.
At that glance, he happened to see Yu Xun score a goal.
The slightly seductive features of the youth were highlighted by the sunlight, and his eyebrows were raised with a hint of pride. He lifted his hand to wipe the sweat from his jawline. As a teammate ran past him, they exchanged a tactical high-five.
There were some girls near the flower bed secretly watching Yu Xun play, timidly cheering him on: “Yu Xun, go for it!”
…
Although it was begrudging, Yun Ci had to admit that this person did have some charm.
The dream ended with Yu Xun taking a break in the middle of the game and him seeing his school uniform jacket, which should have been in Yun Ci’s hands, casually hung on the edge of the flower bed.
“That wasn’t part of the bet.”
Yun Ci felt no guilt, “Not throwing it in the toilet already counts as me being civilized.”
The dream abruptly ended here.
Outside the window, the sounds from the playground grew louder, along with the whistle of the instructors gathering. This whistle was different from the one in the dream, immediately bringing him back to reality.
Yun Ci woke up and opened his eyes. The school doctor had already finished eating and returned, sitting at the desk and sorting out some documents.
The school doctor asked, “You slept for over an hour. Is your ankle still bothering you?”
Yun Ci moved his ankle and said, “It’s much better.”
As he spoke, he glanced at the stool next to him.
Empty. The person who had been sitting there was gone, leaving only a small bottle of medicine.
The school doctor noticed his gaze and said, “Your friend just left not long ago. They’ve gone to assemble. If you’re feeling okay, you should hurry and go. You still have time to grab a bite to eat at the cafeteria.”
“He’s not…”
Yun Ci subconsciously wanted to explain, but halfway through, he felt it wasn’t necessary to explain his relationship with Yu Xun.
The word “friend” didn’t even remotely apply to their relationship; it felt abrupt and unfamiliar. Even if the sky fell, Yun Ci and Yu Xun couldn’t become friends.
But just as he opened the door, the school doctor stopped him again and said, “Your friend.”
“A bottle of medicine this small,” the school doctor looked puzzled, “took him an hour to drink? How did he manage that?”
Yun Ci stood there in silence.
This question should be directed to the person with the ‘issues.’
***
The day’s training quickly came to an end.
After dispersing, some classmates headed straight to the cafeteria, while others went back to the dormitory to shower and change clothes. Yun Ci belonged to the latter group, unable to stand the stickiness on his body, so he returned to the dormitory first.
After he finished showering and came out, leaning against the balcony door to catch some fresh air, he replied to a message from Yan Yue.
Yan Yue: [Take a look at the course materials I sent you. Pre-study during the military training period. If you don’t understand anything, ask the instructor.]
Yun Ci replied: [Busy with training, didn’t check my phone.]
An hour later, his roommates started coming back after finishing their meals.
Some played games, some rested on their beds, and some made phone calls to their families.
As it neared lights-out time, these sounds became intermittent and eventually ceased altogether.
Under the intense physical training, the dormitory night talks never got off the ground.
But Yun Ci still couldn’t fall asleep.
He even went through the course materials Yan Yue sent him, identified a few questions, and in the dead of night, reached out to the instructor.
Naturally, the instructor wasn’t available at that hour. Yun Ci resorted to browsing through Baidu and flipping through the course textbooks, resolving the issues by himself. He then messaged the instructor, telling him not to bother addressing the questions he’d raised earlier.
…
After all these efforts, sleep still eluded him.
He felt a bit melancholic. After all, studying was supposed to be the best way to induce sleep.
Just as Yun Ci was about to turn off his phone, a red notification dot appeared in his message app.
Li Yan: [Share link: Help a friend out, only thirteen more people needed to unlock, come and give me a hand~]
A minute later.
Li Yan: [I thought you wouldn’t click on these kinds of links, but you actually helped me out.]
Li Yan: [But why are you still awake?]
Yun Ci: [I’m young]
Li Yan: [……]
Li Yan hit the nail on the head: [You never used to stay up late during your senior year.]
Yun Ci was indeed quite disciplined. He always finished his homework early, was faster than others in completing practice papers, and had the earliest bedtime in the class. Even when playing games with them, he rarely got too involved and would usually withdraw after playing for a while.
Yun Ci: [Want to hear the truth?]
Li Yan: [Sure.]
The phone screen emitted a faint glow as Yun Ci’s fingers tapped on the cold screen: [26:27]
Li Yan took a moment to react, realizing it was the score between his uncle and Yu Xun during the day: […………]
Li Yan: [Got it.]
Li Yan: [Makes sense.]
Li Yan: [Don’t worry, uncle, this grudge will be avenged!]
Li Yan: [But speaking of this, why did both of you end up in the infirmary today?]
Yun Ci: [?]
Li Yan: [You two were closely watched after the basketball game, and the rumor that came out was that you both played basketball and ended up in the infirmary.]
Yun Ci didn’t know what expression to make. This rumor could be said to be quite absurd. But between him and Yu Xun, there were already too many of these absurd rumors.
Li Yan, being someone close to Yun Ci, knew more about his and Yu Xun’s specific situation than others: [But speaking of it, why is it that every time you have something going on, this guy is there? He’s everywhere; it’s like he’s accompanying you in the infirmary.]
Li Yan: [Obviously, he used to be very repulsed by you at the beginning.]
Li Yan felt more and more that something wasn’t right: [I always felt that you two, at the beginning… when you went to find Yu Xun to get to know him, his reaction was quite odd. It’s not like he would hate you right off the bat. And at the beginning, he told you not to get close to him, but later on, it seemed like he was the one constantly getting closer to you.]
Yun Ci’s gaze fell on this paragraph.
For the first half, he didn’t know.
Li Yan asked him, but who should he ask?
As for the second half.
Yun Ci typed word by word: [He changed tactics.]
[This is his new strategy.]
Li Yan, who received the message: ……
Still tactics.
The position you two have given each other in your life cannot be separated from fighting, right?
