Zhou Yi followed Lu Hesheng’s gaze.
It landed on the quiet girl sitting next to Qin Liangyan.
Only then did he realize the huge misunderstanding he had just caused.
He quickly pulled back his arm, forcing a dry laugh. “Lu… sorry. I just thought you were staring at my girlfriend.”
Lu Hesheng glanced at him. “Such a vivid imagination… a waste if you’re not writing novels.”
Zhou Yi, feeling guilty, urged him, “Lu, you should… go, really!”
At that moment, Lin Ting obediently jogged over.
She stopped in front of him, handing him the bottle of water she had been holding, still warm from her hands.
“Lu Hesheng, here’s some water.”
Then, she gave him a high-five with her other hand. Her voice was soft yet filled with determination:
“Lu Hesheng, you can do it! I believe you’ll win!”
Lu Hesheng lowered his head to look at her.
Her cheeks were flushed from running, and her large eyes sparkled with countless stars, as if at that moment, there was only room for him.
His Adam’s apple moved slightly. He twisted the bottle open, tilted his head, and took a sip. He let out a soft sigh:
“When a junior gives me such fierce encouragement… how could I not listen?”
The entire second half of the game, Lu Hesheng played like he’d been injected with adrenaline.
Every step, every throw was full of explosive confidence. He rarely missed a shot.
Combined with seamless cooperation with his teammates, the Jing University basketball team ultimately won the match.
After the game, most of the audience had left, leaving only a few staff members cleaning up.
The victorious team members were in high spirits, shoulders slung around each other, chatting about where to celebrate that evening.
“Any recommendations? Barbecue? Grill? Or somewhere else…”
“Just eating is boring. We have to have a drink or two, right?”
“Lu played amazingly today! I need to toast him a few extra times!”
The Student Council president, Chen Jiaxu, approached with a smile. “Congratulations, everyone!”
“You’ve all worked hard these past few days. Tonight, all expenses at the celebration are on me. Enjoy yourselves.”
He glanced around warmly, adding, “Bring along friends and family. The more, the merrier.”
The team cheered in unison: “Thank you, President!”
Chen Jiaxu walked past the crowd toward Lu Hesheng, who had already packed his things near the rest area, ready to leave the gym.
He extended his hand for a high-five. “Hesheng, congratulations!”
“You’re still amazing at basketball after all these years.”
Lu Hesheng glanced at him, lips curling into a faint, unreadable smile, and casually tapped his palm.
“Thanks to your recognition, President Chen, I got the chance to play today.”
With that, he picked up his jacket and water bottle, intending to leave the gym.
The chatter around them gradually quieted.
Any observant person could sense the subtle tension between the two.
Chen Jiaxu stepped in front of him, insistence in his tone:
“Hesheng, really not coming to the celebration tonight?”
“You wouldn’t deny me, a friend of over a decade, that face, would you?”
People nearby watched quietly, realizing the two had known each other for years.
Nearby, Zhou Yi ran eagerly to Qin Liangyan, oblivious to everything else.
Qin Liangyan playfully glared at him, stood on tiptoe, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
She then looped her arm around the girl beside her, introducing her: “This is my good friend, Lin Ting.”
Zhou Yi greeted warmly, “Hi! I’m Zhou Yi. Come celebrate with us later, okay?”
Noticing the movement, Lu Hesheng’s gaze casually swept toward the slender figure.
Chen Jiaxu observed the reaction closely.
Lu Hesheng stopped in his tracks, draping his jacket over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I owe President Chen that courtesy.”
Thanks to Chen Jiaxu, the celebration was finally set at a private club.
The club was usually closed to the public, accessible only to members, with private chefs and various entertainment facilities.
As delicate dishes were served, Lin Ting barely touched her food, sipping her water in distraction.
Qin Liangyan leaned closer. “Tingbao, what’s wrong? You looked out of it in the car too.”
She followed Lin Ting’s occasional glances toward the door, already understanding most of it: her thoughts had clearly flown off after someone.
Lin Ting looked at the empty seats Chen Jiaxu and Lu Hesheng had left behind.
Shaking her head, she said, “It’s nothing. I’m just a little puzzled.”
Most people didn’t know the history between Chen Jiaxu and Lu Hesheng.
Lin Ting did—back in high school, they were so close they could have shared the same pair of pants.
For some unknown reason, they drifted apart, and when they met again, it was with this cold, tense dynamic.
Chen Jiaxu and Lu Hesheng stood at the restaurant entrance.
Chen Jiaxu smiled at Lu Hesheng’s sluggish demeanor. “Hesheng, you haven’t changed a bit all these years.”
He glanced meaningfully toward the private room.
“Seems like when you’re near someone you like, nothing else matters.”
Lu Hesheng didn’t hold back: “You’ve changed a lot, President Chen.”
“Truly a product of a privileged upbringing, your ways now are even harder to predict.”
Chen Jiaxu replied calmly: “Take that as a compliment.”
After the lengthy small talk, they finally got to the point.
Chen Jiaxu stepped forward, voice firm: “Hesheng… you still like her, don’t you?”
Lu Hesheng said nothing, but the sudden drop in his aura made it clear—he tacitly acknowledged everything.
Chen Jiaxu felt a mix of emotions.
He spread his hands, a hint of helpless reflection on his face.
“So, because I was an idiot in high school and liked Lin Ting, even pursued her a bit…”
“Hesheng, this was years ago. Do you still hold a grudge?”
“After all these years of friendship, just because of a girl—”
“Chen Jiaxu.” Lu Hesheng cut him off sharply, voice low but with warning.
His eyes narrowed, sharp as a blade. “You should know better than anyone what she means to me.”
“Not just nine years ago… but now as well.”
So, in Lu Hesheng’s eyes, Chen Jiaxu’s past actions were nothing short of betrayal.
From beginning to end, Chen Jiaxu never truly considered him a friend.
Chen Jiaxu said nothing, silently watching his friend’s hardened expression, finding it somewhat amusing.
Even the loftiest man loses his reason when emotions take over.
He smiled calmly: “Hesheng, honestly… in some things, you really aren’t as good as I am.”
“At least when I like someone, I can openly buy flowers, go to her, and clearly tell her my feelings. Even if rejected, I can accept it and walk away.”
He shifted, words precise, analyzing: “And you?”
“In high school, who would have guessed the arrogant, star-coddled Lu Hesheng would be so insecure around someone he truly liked?”
“You feared she wouldn’t like you, would reject you, would distance herself… so you could only show care as a friend, silently, in your own way.”
“The girls around you came and went. Who could tell how much of your feelings were genuine?”
“As your friend for over ten years, I never saw it.”
He looked at Lu Hesheng’s increasingly cold profile, speaking relentlessly:
“Even if Lin Ting had a little interest in you, she probably ran away from your ambiguous attitude.”
“And my insignificant crush… was only a catalyst, not an obstacle.”
After releasing three years’ worth of suppressed words, Chen Jiaxu felt a weight lift from his chest.
He stepped forward, patting Lu Hesheng’s back with the same sincerity as in their youth:
“The one in the middle is always confused, the one watching from the side sees clearly.”
“Like you said before, no one has the God’s-eye view. Things aren’t purely black or white.”
“These old trivial matters between us… should have been settled long ago.”