The next morning.
Chen Luo got up, washed up, changed clothes, and quietly headed off to class by himself.
To avoid drawing Gu Qing and Meng Yue’s attention, Chen Luo left half an hour earlier than usual today. Normally he got up at 8:30, but today he was up at 8:00.
He stepped out of the small courtyard.
Chen Luo went to the breakfast shop across the road, bought two fried dough sticks and a cup of soy milk, then packed them up and ate while walking to class.
By the time he arrived, it was about 8:20. Chen Luo had almost finished breakfast, so he took out a basketball and happily started playing.
Time flew by.
Soon it was 9:00 exactly, time for class. Sure enough, Meng Yue arrived with Duoduo. After Chen Luo lined the kids up, led them through warm-up exercises, and let them begin practicing.
Chen Luo stood off to the side keeping watch, stealing a glance at Meng Yue from the corner of his eye. Today she was wearing another sports outfit.
On the lower half, she wore a pair of highly elastic tight athletic pants that fit her long legs perfectly, along with every inch of the skin below.
On the upper half, she wore a loose long-sleeve top that concealed her ample chest.
Meng Yue had also brought her notebook today and seemed to be handling work. Seeing that, Chen Luo could not help but breathe a quiet sigh of relief.
Teacher Meng probably would not have time to exercise today. He could finally teach a normal class.
But just then.
Out of the corner of his eye, Chen Luo looked toward the corridor outside the venue and caught sight of Gu Qing walking past with Langlang.
For an instant.
Chen Luo’s eyes widened, and a trace of panic appeared in them.
“What is going on? Did I see that wrong? Was that just now… Gu Qing?”
A strong sense of foreboding rose in Chen Luo’s heart.
Everything seemed to match his guess from yesterday.
A few minutes later.
Gu Qing had finished Langlang’s paperwork. Zhang Chao led them into the court, and Chen Luo turned his head to look at Gu Qing as she came in…
The knot in his chest finally loosened!
He had really guessed right. Gu Qing really did bring her younger male cousin to sign up. Could he still happily slack off at work now?
Chen Luo truly had bitterness he could not voice.
“Chen Luo, this is Langlang, the new child in the training class, and this is his older female cousin, Gu Qing.”
Zhang Chao said.
“Okay, Brother Zhang.” Chen Luo nodded in response.
“Miss Gu, let me introduce our Coach Chen Luo. Back in college, he was a starter on their department team…”
Zhang Chao then tried to introduce Chen Luo, but before he could finish, Gu Qing cut him off.
“No need to introduce him. We know each other.”
Gu Qing replied politely.
“…You know each other?” Zhang Chao asked, somewhat surprised.
“Yes.”
Gu Qing nodded and said, “He was my boyfriend when we were in college.”
“…”
Zhang Chao paused for a few seconds after hearing that, then put on an awkward but still polite smile and said to Chen Luo,
“Well then, you two chat. I won’t disturb you.”
After saying that.
Zhang Chao left the gym in a daze, leaving only the troubled Chen Luo behind, staring at Gu Qing and not knowing what to say.
“Why are you looking at me? Go teach class.”
Gu Qing said with a perfectly natural expression. “From now on, my younger male cousin is your student. You’d better teach him basketball properly.”
After saying that.
Gu Qing turned and walked to the seating area beside the court.
She deliberately sat down next to Meng Yue. Meng Yue also noticed Gu Qing, and the two women looked at each other across the air.
The atmosphere was thick with a barely concealed tension.
Chen Luo glanced at the two of them, helplessly looked away, then put on an unconcerned expression, steadied himself, and continued his daily training.
Meanwhile.
Gu Qing sat beside Meng Yue, put on a look of great surprise, tilted her head, and said,
“Teacher Meng, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect you to be here too!”
“You even brought your notebook to work. Being a counselor must keep you pretty busy, right? Actually, you could go to the school and work in peace. Since we’re neighbors, after Duoduo’s training ends I can take him back for you!”
The way she said that…
Meng Yue smiled faintly, casually closed the Word file she was working on, then shut the notebook screen with one hand and said in a very relaxed tone,
“No need to trouble you with that. I can handle this amount of work when I get back. The main thing is accompanying Duoduo while he exercises. After all, he is the child of my best friend, so I’d rather bring him myself.”
“…Fair enough.”
Gu Qing did not say much more. She knew that after spending several years as a counselor, Meng Yue was better with words than she was. Rather than arguing with her further, it was better to let actions do the talking.
Today she was also wearing a basketball uniform, a light blue sports set that showed off her pair of fair, flawless long legs, as well as her slender, even arms and her impeccable face.
She was determined to prove herself.
Before long.
The 40-minute training period was over, and it was Chen Luo’s break time. At that moment, he saw Gu Qing and Meng Yue off to the side…
He wisely did not play basketball. Instead, he sat on the sidelines and played with his phone. But even so, he could not escape his fate.
Gu Qing stood up and walked over to him. She came to his side, picked up his basketball, and said,
“Chen Luo, can you teach me how to play basketball?”
“I got up too early today, so I’m a little too sleepy. Let’s do it another day,” Chen Luo replied.
“Sure.”
Gu Qing answered very casually, then changed the subject. “Then I’ll share the love letters you wrote me when you were pursuing me back then with Teacher Meng, so she can see what kind of man you are.”
“Hey, don’t!”
Hearing that, Chen Luo hurriedly replied, “I’ll teach you basketball!”
He really had not expected that after a few years, Gu Qing would no longer be the simple-minded girl she had once been.
She had even learned how to threaten him.
If Teacher Meng found out what he had written in those love letters to Gu Qing, Meng Yue would probably be furious enough to explode.
Then he would really be in trouble.
“Come on!”
Seeing Chen Luo agree, Gu Qing’s face showed the smile of a successful scheme.
Meanwhile.
Seeing Chen Luo pulled away by Gu Qing, Meng Yue’s eyes also flashed with a bit of coldness. She immediately closed her computer, stood up, and walked toward the court.
When she reached Chen Luo’s side, she said, “Chen Luo, I didn’t really learn much yesterday. Can you teach me today too?”
“Sure.”
Chen Luo gave a bitter smile and replied, “We’re all neighbors, after all.”
“Come on!”
Gu Qing nodded in response.
Then the three of them began exercising on the court. The atmosphere was so cold that even while dribbling, Chen Luo felt his body stiffen. With Meng Yue on his left and Gu Qing on his right, he felt he simply could not keep up.
He could not afford to offend the one on the left.
He could not afford to offend the one on the right.
Only then did Chen Luo finally understand what it meant to be caught between a rock and a hard place.