In November, the weather grew increasingly cold. While most people felt reluctant to move during such chilly days, Song Zhiyuan and his classmates’ passion for basketball remained undiminished.
Fortunately, they played indoors.
As the temperature dropped, the gymnasium became more crowded. Since court space was limited, a few boys from another department approached Song Zhiyuan and his group to ask if they could play together.
Song Zhiyuan and his teammates had no objections. Basketball was all about having fun, and the more players there were, the more exciting it became. Adhering to the principle of “friendship first, competition second,” the boys from the two departments began their match.
Because the game was put together on the spot, everyone was a bit stiff at first. However, after a few minutes, they all became fully immersed. Basketball truly is a magical sport.
As everyone got more involved, the game grew intense. During a scramble for the ball, a tall boy accidentally collided with Song Zhiyuan.
The boy was taller and more heavily built than Song Zhiyuan, easily knocking him back. Song Zhiyuan stumbled a few steps, a piercing pain suddenly shooting through his foot.
Collisions like this were common during games, but the boy immediately realized something was wrong. Tossing the ball aside, he rushed to Song Zhiyuan’s side. “Are you alright?”
Song Zhiyuan frowned. “I’m fine.”
Song Zhiyuan was exceptionally beautiful, and when he frowned, he took on the air of a “sickly beauty,” making people instinctively want to protect him.
The boy saw his expression and knew he wasn’t okay. “Are you really sure?”
He reached out to touch Song Zhiyuan’s foot. Song Zhiyuan hissed in pain—this was definitely not the reaction of someone who was “fine.”
“Did you sprain your ankle?” the boy asked. “I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
Song Zhiyuan replied, “No need.”
Song Zhiyuan’s classmates also gathered around to check on him.
“You have to go,” the boy insisted. Without another word, he scooped Song Zhiyuan up in his arms and headed straight for the infirmary. He didn’t forget to call back to his own teammates: “You guys keep playing, I’m taking him to the infirmary.”
With that, he carried Song Zhiyuan away.
Xu Huai’s classmates watched his retreating back in surprise. They had known Xu Huai for a long time and always thought of him as a cold, aloof person—certainly not someone who would get this close to others.
Even if he had accidentally caused Song Zhiyuan’s injury, based on Xu Huai’s usual personality, he would have at most supported him by the arm to the infirmary. He certainly wouldn’t have carried him in his arms.
Song Zhiyuan had sprained the top of his foot, which was already beginning to swell. The infirmary was out of ice, so the moment Xu Huai heard this, he ran to a nearby convenience store to buy popsicles.
He returned quickly with several popsicles in hand. Not knowing how many would be needed, he had simply bought a bunch.
When Song Zhiyuan reached out to take them while saying thank you, Xu Huai said, “Let me do it.”
“Really, you don’t need to worry about me,” Song Zhiyuan said. “Go back and play.”
The game hadn’t finished when they left, and he didn’t want to keep the boy from his basketball match.
Xu Huai didn’t leave. Instead, he supported Song Zhiyuan’s foot, resting it on his own lap. He carefully applied the cold popsicles to the swelling on the top of the foot and the ankle. “It was I who caused your injury.”
As the icy popsicles pressed against his skin, Song Zhiyuan felt the throbbing in his swollen foot subside significantly.
Xu Huai looked up at him. “Does it feel better? Does it still hurt?”
Song Zhiyuan nodded. “Much better, thank you.”
“I should be the one apologizing,” Xu Huai said. “I’m the reason you’re hurt.”
While applying the cold compress, the boy introduced himself as Xu Huai. Like Song Zhiyuan, he was a freshman, though they were in different departments.
Song Zhiyuan’s left foot rested on Xu Huai’s lap, his sock half-removed, revealing a fair, delicate instep and a slender ankle.
Xu Huai held Song Zhiyuan’s calf with one hand. While switching to a new popsicle, he looked up. “Student Song Zhiyuan, do you really not remember me?”
Song Zhiyuan quickly searched his memory but couldn’t recall anyone named Xu Huai.
Xu Huai had expected this. “During military training, I stood right behind you.”
Song Zhiyuan thought for a moment. He remembered the boy behind him during training, and it hadn’t been Xu Huai.
Xu Huai smiled. “I was behind the person behind the person who was behind you.”
Song Zhiyuan: “…” Who could possibly remember that?
After using two popsicles as a compress, Song Zhiyuan felt the pain in his ankle dull, but Xu Huai insisted on taking him back to his dormitory.
Xu Huai claimed he had to take responsibility since he caused the injury, and he would continue to do so until the ankle was fully healed.
Song Zhiyuan thought: That’s really not necessary.
However, a sprain was still an injury, and it hurt to walk. The infirmary was quite a distance from the dorms. Xu Huai scanned a campus shared bike and gave Song Zhiyuan a ride back.
By the time they reached the dormitory, it was dinner time.
Xu Huai went to the cafeteria to get food for him. Despite Song Zhiyuan’s protests, Xu Huai insisted on seeing his “responsibility” through and headed straight for the canteen.
He returned shortly after, having bought Song Zhiyuan’s favorites: minced pork with tofu, sweet and sour pork ribs, and pumpkin porridge.
Since Xu Huai had bought the food, Song Zhiyuan invited him to eat together in the dorm.
While they were eating, Sui Tang returned. He was surprised to see a handsome stranger in the room, but he was even more shocked by Song Zhiyuan’s foot, which was red and swollen like a steamed bun.
Sui Tang rushed forward. “Song Zhiyuan! What happened to your foot? Why is it so red?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Song Zhiyuan explained. “I just accidentally twisted it.”
Knowing that Song Zhiyuan had seen the school doctor and confirmed it was just a sprain, Sui Tang relaxed, then immediately began to “diss” the guy who had caused the injury.
Song Zhiyuan was about to speak when Xu Huai interjected from the side: “I’m the person who caused his injury.”
Sui Tang: “…”
Sui Tang stammered, “Uh, well… I need to go to the cafeteria. I’m starving!” He scrambled out the door, mortified at having gossiped about someone right to their face.
After dinner, Xu Huai added Song Zhiyuan on WeChat, telling him to message him if he needed anything and promising to rush over.
That evening, when the other roommates returned, they all expressed concern for his swollen ankle.
Xu Huai messaged him that night, reminding him not to forget his anti-inflammatory medicine and suggesting painkillers if it hurt too much. He told him to reach out if he felt worse so they could go to the hospital.
Song Zhiyuan repeatedly assured him he was fine.
Truthfully, Song Zhiyuan wished his ankle would heal immediately just to stop the fuss.
Perhaps out of guilt, when Xu Huai found out Song Zhiyuan’s group was one player short for an online game, he volunteered to join them.
That was when Song Zhiyuan and his friends learned the meaning of “carrying the team.” Xu Huai was incredibly skilled at gaming.
With him around, Song Zhiyuan was always safe; no one could get near him. Xu Huai was like a perfect bodyguard. Not only that, but Xu Huai gave all the best equipment he found to Song Zhiyuan.
Song Zhiyuan messaged: 【You should keep it. The high-magnification scope is more useful in your hands.】
Xu Huai replied: 【It’s fine. Someone will be along to “deliver” more gear soon.】
Seeing that Song Zhiyuan only had a Level 2 helmet and vest, Xu Huai stripped off his own Level 3 gear and gave it to him.
After looting the houses, the group began to move out. They could only find motorcycles nearby; Zhi Chenyu took Sui Tang.
As soon as Song Zhiyuan stepped out of a building, Xu Huai pulled up right in front of him on a motorcycle. Song Zhiyuan hopped on. Xu Huai’s driving skills were also top-tier—fast yet stable.
The “Blue Zone” (poison circle) had been shrinking for a while, and many players were camping the edges to ambush others.
Two teams were blocking the road ahead. Zhi Chenyu and Sui Tang were ambushed and killed. By the time Xu Huai and Song Zhiyuan arrived, it was too late to save them.
Facing eight players from two teams hiding in buildings, Song Zhiyuan figured they were done for. He tried to give his gear to Xu Huai, hoping Xu Huai could break out alone so he wouldn’t be dragged down.
To his utter amazement, Xu Huai managed to weave through the chaos with Song Zhiyuan in tow. Not only did they escape, but Xu Huai wiped out both teams. With only a sliver of health left, Xu Huai calmly used a large medkit.
Zhi Chenyu and Sui Tang, who were spectating, were stunned.
【Incredible!】 【That positioning and awareness… that’s insane!】
Song Zhiyuan felt the same, but Xu Huai insisted that Song Zhiyuan was the great one. He claimed that without Song Zhiyuan’s smoke and flash grenades, he couldn’t have wiped the enemy teams.
However, Song Zhiyuan knew he had just been following orders. Xu Huai had told him exactly where to throw the smoke, where to toss the grenades, and which room to hit with a Molotov.
Thanks to their coordination, the two of them secured the “Winner Winner Chicken Dinner.”
Zhi Chenyu and Sui Tang had watched the whole thing from Xu Huai’s perspective, finding it exhilarating. They considered themselves long-time players, but Xu Huai was on an entirely different level pro-player level.
Under Xu Huai’s lead, they won almost every game that night.
Sui Tang shouted that he hadn’t had this much fun in ages. Song Zhiyuan agreed; gaming together was an easy way to close the distance between people.
Zhi Chenyu and Sui Tang both added Xu Huai as a friend, making plans to play together again.
Before logging off, Xu Huai suddenly asked Song Zhiyuan, “What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?”
Song Zhiyuan didn’t react at first. “Huh?” He rarely ate breakfast; more accurately, he didn’t have the habit of eating it at all.
“No need,” Song Zhiyuan said.
“If you don’t tell me,” Xu Huai replied, “I’ll just buy a variety tomorrow. Surely I’ll get something you like.”
Given how persistent Xu Huai had been today, Song Zhiyuan genuinely worried he would show up with an armful of different breakfasts. He conceded and said he wanted soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks (Youtiao).
On the other end, Xu Huai seemed to chuckle softly. “Okay. I’ll bring you soy milk and dough sticks tomorrow. Goodnight.”
After exchanging goodnights, everyone logged off to rest.
Song Zhiyuan lay in bed browsing his phone for a bit and received another WeChat message from Xu Huai saying goodnight. He replied with a “goodnight” as well.
Just as he was about to exit the app, Song Zhiyuan glanced at his chat history with Fu Hangnian. Their last conversation was from a week ago.
As the head of the Fu family, Fu Hangnian was very busy. He was often away from City H, sometimes abroad or in Hong Kong.
However, Song Zhiyuan actually quite liked this way of getting along with Fu Hangnian.