Yu Yingying had amnesia and couldn’t remember whether there was such a person in her class or what their relationship was, so she looked at Yu Qing for guidance. Yu Qing shrugged.
Yu Yingying looked at Wang Wei politely and declined: “Sorry, I prefer quiet. I want to read alone.”
“Th-then… can we walk to the library together? Once we’re inside, I-I promise not to disturb you. I’ll sit far away,” Wang Wei quickly said.
Yu Yingying nodded. There was only one path from here to the library, so she couldn’t exactly stop him from walking. Waving to Yu Qing, she headed toward the library.
Wang Wei walked beside her, occasionally speaking a few words. She remained mostly quiet, replying occasionally with one or two words.
The path to the library was a lush tree-lined avenue, with sunlight streaming through the leaves, casting poetic patterns on the ground. The dappled light fell on Yu Yingying, making her fair skin look almost translucent. Her almond-shaped eyes were sharp and clear, her eyelashes long and dense. She wore a faded moon-white blouse and straight blue jeans, with her long, jet-black hair draped over her shoulders, looking like an orchid growing quietly in a secluded valley—fresh, elegant, and serene.
Compared to her composure, Wang Wei’s face was red, stammering, unable to hide his admiration, which was glaringly obvious.
They walked side by side. Occasionally, someone would greet Wang Wei with a smile, winking and grinning, clearly gossiping.
Directly opposite the Third Cafeteria was a basketball court. Jiang He was in a good mood and wanted to work up a sweat, so he invited a few sports department guys to play basketball. A smile tugged at his lips as he walked toward the court, one finger hooked on the net.
Jiangang suddenly called out: “Jiang Ge, isn’t that Yu Yingying and Wang Wei? What’s Wang Wei doing, putting in so much effort?!”
What? Jiang He followed Jiangang’s line of sight and saw Wang Wei’s flushed face, eagerly trying to be close to Yu Yingying. His brows immediately furrowed.
Jiangang thought Wang Wei was playing his role of “contacting” Yu Yingying on his behalf and was overdoing it by being so attentive in person—but Jiang He had clearly canceled the arrangement with Wang Wei.
“I’ll go pull that brat Wang Wei over and give him a beating so he knows better!” Jiangang turned, ready to intervene.
“Back off!” Jiang He said sternly.
“But—”
“Basketball!” Jiang He calmly tore open the net, took out the basketball, and suddenly leapt up, slamming it into the hoop with explosive force, sparks flying, radiating sheer intensity.
Jiangang froze. He thought maybe hitting Wang Wei would be easier! Just as he hesitated to ask Jiang He what was going on, the sports department guys arrived.
“Jiang Ge, Da Yu!”
“Haven’t played together for half a month. How about some dinner and beer afterward?”
“Beer? Let’s go to the internet café for ranked matches instead.”
“What’s wrong, Jiang Ge? You don’t look good—someone upset you?”
“Enough, enough,” Jiangang laughed awkwardly. “Let’s play!”
Jiang He scowled, slapped the ball, and leapt again, sinking a three-pointer.
The sports guys exchanged glances, slowly sobering. Some things just aren’t to be mentioned—they’re serious, and Jiang He’s temper isn’t small!
He played intensely, using his superior stamina and skill, not giving an inch to the sports guys. His relentless style had them quietly struggling inside.
Jiangang couldn’t keep up either, knowing his limits, and early on surrendered, sitting exhausted on the sidelines.
After over an hour of high-intensity play, a sports guy named Zhou Qiang also couldn’t keep up. Sweating and panting, he raised his hands:
“Bro, Jiang Ge, I can’t take it anymore! You guys keep playing, I’ll rest on the sidelines or I’ll die here.”
Jiang He nodded lightly, signaling him to leave. Zhou Qiang went to Jiangang, grabbed a bottle of water, drank half, and poured the rest over his head.
“Phew…” he exhaled deeply. “Finally survived.”
Jiangang clicked his tongue. Zhou Qiang, curious, asked: “Da Yu, what’s up with Jiang Ge today? He’s like he ate a barrel of explosives.”
“Women,” Jiangang said mysteriously.
“Oh, say that earlier!” Zhou Qiang slapped his thigh. “Tell me exactly what’s going on, brother, I’ll advise.”
Jiangang embellished a little: “Jiang Ge has a friend, you know?”
“I know, I know,” Zhou Qiang replied.
Jiangang: “Jiang Ge’s friend is dating a girl. She’s indifferent to him and often doesn’t reply to messages. Once, he saw her with another guy and got upset. He was fine before, even humming, but suddenly he wasn’t.”
Zhou Qiang slapped his thigh again: “Say that earlier, easy fix!”
“How?” Jiangang asked quickly.
“Act pitifully!”
“…?” Jiangang’s eyes lit up. “Come on, tell me exactly how.”
…
The library was quiet. The fans whirred, sending cool breezes. Yu Yingying arrived early, found a seat by the window, opened her textbooks, and quickly immersed herself in study.
After some time, her phone vibrated. She saw an unfamiliar number—probably spam—and hung up. The caller persisted, calling several times.
Yu Yingying stepped out of the study room to answer: “Hello, who is this?”
“Yu Yingying? This is Jiang He’s friend, Jiangang. Jiang Ge twisted his ankle playing basketball and is getting it treated in the school clinic. Can you come check on him?”
Yu Yingying looked at the time: “I won’t be able to help much. Isn’t it enough that you’re there with him?”
“I have an urgent matter and need to leave soon. I can only rely on you.” Jiangang sighed. “You don’t have to publicly date Jiang Ge if you don’t want to. But he’s injured now—if his girlfriend doesn’t show up, that’s a bit much, right? He helped you when you were hurt, and now you don’t even appear when he’s injured. Fair?”
Yu Yingying: “…”
[At the school clinic]
Jiangang hung up. Jiang He kicked him lightly: “What’s going on?”
“Heh!” Jiangang smiled smugly. “She’s coming soon.”
“Mm.” Jiang He raised an eyebrow, leaned casually against the bed, feeling satisfied. “Guess she knows her place.”