NH chapter 014

Chapter 14: The Match

“Bang, bang, bang.”

Huo Ye could hold an entire basketball with one hand, his broad palm almost wrapping around half of the ball, holding it firmly.

As he skillfully dribbled, he approached the court steadily; the basketball in his hands suddenly appeared docile and obedient, as if the owner commanded it to move without hesitation.

Seeing Huo Ye’s confident figure, the boys from Class A of the second year perked up as if they had regained their backbone. Unconsciously, they spread out behind him in three or four rows, and the leader transitioned from Zhao Jiayan to Huo Ye, following him closely, animatedly.

On the opposite side, the students from Class B sensed trouble, and class leader Liao Zheng shouted over in a grim voice, “What do you mean, bringing in reinforcements if you can’t win? I never noticed you were so cowardly before.”

Zhao Jiayan poked his head out and replied defiantly, “What do you mean by reinforcements? Huo Ye is now one of us in Class A, he doesn’t count as reinforcements!”

Liao Zheng cursed under his breath, realizing he had forgotten about this idea—Huo Ye had gotten into the elite class from being at the bottom, and he had certainly heard the rumors.

However, Liao Zheng pointed at Shen Tingyu next to him and said, “Then where did he come from?”

Shen Tingyu was about to frown, but in the next second, Huo Ye stepped in to block his line of sight and forcefully tossed the basketball in Liao Zheng’s direction. Liao Zheng quickly retracted his index finger, reflexively catching the ball. Huo Ye lazily said, “Our family member is also from Class A and just joined this semester. Got a problem with that?”

Those who knew Huo Ye could tell his tone had changed; he was usually polite first, but if the other side was impolite, there was no need for him to be reasonable or give them good looks.

Liao Zheng’s expression wasn’t pleasant either as he sneered, “Fine.”

As both teams prepared to enter the court, Huo Ye loosened his finger joints and casually asked Shen Tingyu, “Young master, do you know how to play basketball?”

Huo Ye was concerned that someone like Shen Tingyu, a rich kid, might not enjoy such sweat-intensive activities; hadn’t he mentioned having a cleanliness obsession?

Shen Tingyu lifted his hand to unbutton the top button of his collar, turning coldly to look at him. The silence in that second seemed like a silent reprimand, and he countered, “Do you know how to play golf?”

Without missing a beat, Huo Ye shot back, “Did you score 19 points in math?”

Shen Tingyu: “…”

He truly hadn’t.

The ball hit the ground, and the match began. Huo Ye and Shen Tingyu executed an unplanned tacit collaboration, alternating between the false forward and the true defender, dazzling the opposing players with various feints.

When the opponents thought Huo Ye would break through their defenses, he passed the ball behind him to a teammate. Shen Tingyu caught it and made a long-distance shot; when teammates grabbed the rebound, they passed it back to Shen Tingyu. As the opposing team blocked every opening, Shen Tingyu flicked his fingers, sending the ball flying into Huo Ye’s hands, who then turned and made a spectacular dunk, resulting in a resounding “bang.”

Huo Ye hung on the rim for a few seconds before landing. The hem of his short-sleeved uniform fluttered in the breeze, revealing a slim, taut teenage body. His well-defined waistline seemed like a hook that carved an unforgettable arc of youth in the hearts of onlookers.

In the second half, Class A dominated Class B.

Liao Zheng and his group loved playing dirty, and Huo Ye kept them entertained like a cat teasing a dog—responding to violence with violence, to oppression with oppression.

If anyone had dirty hands, he’d make them pay for it, breaking their moves on the spot to ensure they didn’t embarrass themselves. Huo Ye never held a grudge for ten years; if he had a grudge, he’d settle it right there.

After hearing the rumors, the other side finally encountered Huo Ye and recognized the risks of going against the boss of Lanjing No. 2 High School. By halftime, both sides had taken quite a beating, and aside from the cursing Liao Zheng, the others had settled down significantly.

If you want to play dirty with me, I’ll go hard against you; if you’re not afraid of going barefoot, in front of so many people, are you scared or not?

Liao Zheng threatened to find someone to take down Huo Ye, yelling that his dad was a powerful official, but the classmates quickly covered his mouth and dragged him away, faintly hearing them persuade, “Just let it go, Xiao Liao, don’t make things worse for Director Liao. That last incident was just suppressed…”

When the bell rang, A class emerged victorious. The classmates in Class A were tanned from the sun but barely could hide their excitement, praising the flawless coordination they had just executed, even drinking water felt refreshing.

After this match, Huo Ye and Shen Tingyu officially joined Class A of the second year, no longer just strangers who occasionally crossed paths but starting to truly integrate into the collective.

Friendships among adolescent boys often develop unintentionally, so simple and unexpressed. Perhaps I don’t remember your name, but I recall that we played a game together, I slapped your butt, and you laughed and slapped me back. That’s enough. This type of friendship behavior is what they refer to as—”butt buddies.”

The above is sourced from a diary of a certain girl in Class A of the second year, who documented everything that had happened throughout their three years of high school.

This diary would later become proof for the students of this generation at Lanjing No. 2 High School that during that sunny period of youth, there once existed a boy named Huo Ye.

Time passed quickly, and two more months flew by.

The monthly exams at the end of September and October came to an end. Although many were hoping Huo Ye would fail spectacularly, his grades steadily improved in both exams. Though there was still much room for growth, staying in Class A was undoubtedly guaranteed.

Over time, the whispers around him gradually diminished even though Huo Ye didn’t clear any misunderstandings. The emergence of such a dark horse made the “good students” reevaluate the class 18, no longer daring to lightly label them as “bad students,” “troublesome kids,” or “problematic students.”

… What a joke, grade rankings are one slot for one person. What if someone gets provoked and a new dark horse emerges? Would everyone still have the nerve to show their faces?

As some climbed higher, others inevitably fell.

As November approached, the autumn sports meeting was drawing near. Zhao Jiayan, as the sports committee member, scurried about with a list, trying to persuade classmates to contribute their talents in all various sports; he harassed and coaxed them until everyone signed up for at least one event, regardless of whether or not they were skilled, just to participate.

Zhang Li had it the worst. This bespectacled nerd was coaxed into a frenzy, finally signing up for both the 400 meters and the 3000 meters, with the competition times dangerously close. One was held in Beijing, and the other in Nanjing—running back and forth would be a struggle.

Bald Zhang returned, astonished to find the filled-out form; he scratched his head in surprise, exclaiming, “Not bad! My previous classes could never even gather enough participants. Looks like our class has a strong athletic spirit, not bad, not bad!”

“Reporting to the teacher!” Zhao Jiayan stood up suddenly, solemnly saluting, “With me as the sports committee, everyone is very active!”

The whole class erupted in laughter, nearby some were laughing and cursing, “Zhao Jiayan, you dog thief, really have the audacity!”

Wu Zhen, who had dozed off all morning, was roused by the noise. Blinking sleepily, he suddenly saw the list projected on the screen, his name glaringly appearing next to three events. He thought he was still dreaming, stared at it for a while, and after realizing, his eyes widened in shock.

“Who the hell signed me up?!”

Wu Zhen couldn’t believe it, looking closer, and shouted, “Which damn loser signed me up for the shot put? Can’t believe it, I’ve never even touched a shot put in my life! Who’s so wicked?!”

Looking up, he saw Zhao Jiayan sternly standing guard, a sentry at his post. Furious, Wu Zhen yelled, “Zhao Jiayan!!”

Another burst of laughter erupted.

Bald Zhang couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking his head.

Huo Ye signed up for three events: the 100 meters, high jump, and triple jump. When filling out the form, Shen Tingyu asked if he was a rabbit.

“Hmm, let me think.” Huo Ye paused his pen as if seriously contemplating, suddenly saying, “What sound does a rabbit make?”

“…”

Shen Tingyu stared at him expressionlessly.

Alright, rabbits don’t make sounds.

Since those who signed up for events had to practice, they could arrive late for evening study sessions starting from 6:45 to 7:20, giving them ample time to train after school while still leaving room for dinner and showers.

Of course, aside from boarding students, commuters might choose to shower after returning home instead of going to the dorms first.

Shen Tingyu only signed up for the high jump, practicing alongside Huo Ye. If it weren’t for the requirement to sign up for at least one event, he might not have even signed up for this.

Huo Ye thought to himself; perhaps calling Shen Tingyu a cat wasn’t wrong, wanting to just lounge around in cozy places, napping, or basking in the sun.

Notably, recently they had started going to and from school together, especially since Shen Tingyu had run out of money, with his monthly allowance being so limited. He lived far away in a villa, and since his car was broken, taking taxis all the time didn’t work, so he reluctantly rode in Huo Ye’s car, which he disliked.

Actually, the car was repaired soon, but Shen Tingyu stubbornly refused to take it; he loved to boss Huo Ye around, insisting on riding in Huo Ye’s vehicle.

Huo Ye had no complaints; he outfitted the passenger seat of the Wuling Hongguang with a comfortable cushion.

Oh, the pattern is Hello Kitty; he personally chose it.

Fortunately, it hadn’t been thrown out the window by Shen Tingyu.

Though no longer in the same class, Huo Ye still frequently made time to meet with his friends from class 18.

Bai Feiyu and Xiong Ying continued their banter, chattering about their recent bizarre encounters; Xia Zhiyao chimed in with her complaints about scaring away some sweet boy, and he and Wen Shiyi remained the loyal audience in the midst of their whimsical antics.

Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.

Until one day after school, while Huo Ye was helping find a new mat, he passed by the last locked equipment room and heard faint cries of terrified, panicked girls weeping inside.

Huo Ye abruptly stopped in his tracks.

Frowning, he looked toward the door lock.