SSD 31. Teach Me How To Play

By the time He Jiang got Xu Fanming back to the dorm that night, it was nearly one in the morning. Half-carrying and half-dragging him, He Jiang brought him all the way to his own dorm. When the door opened, his roommate was already in pajamas. Upon seeing He Jiang, he stepped aside on his own to let him in.

He Jiang hauled Xu Fanming onto the bed. The moment his head hit the pillow, Xu Fanming was out cold, snoring softly as he slept. Before leaving, He Jiang gave him a long, quiet look, then turned and walked away.

The next day, He Jiang’s mom did get in touch and arranged a time and place to meet. But when He Jiang showed up at the hotel entrance, he didn’t look so great. There were faint shadows under his eyes, like he hadn’t slept well.

His mom casually asked, “Pulled an all-nighter gaming again?”

He Jiang yawned and gave a helpless smile. “Mom, you forgot. I had a game yesterday. By the time the celebration dinner ended, it was already past one.”

“You won, then,” she nodded. “Congrats.”

He Jiang gave her a polite thank-you. Only he knew the real reason he had lost sleep last night.

His mom was in town for work that week, so He Jiang took a few days off to spend time with her. They hit up nearly all the major scenic spots in the area. Though his mom was never one for sightseeing or photos, since her son was around, she carved out the time to keep him company. Before she left, He Jiang even bought her two big bags of local specialties and souvenir gift sets from the attractions, so she could bring them home to share with her colleagues and the housekeeper aunties.

Before He Jiang’s mom flew home, he booked a table at a well-known local Chinese restaurant. Half the table was set with Cantonese dishes, the other half with Beijing fare. Their whole family leaned toward sweeter and saltier flavors.

During the meal, He Jiang’s mom happened to catch a glimpse of his wallet, a black leather Coach billfold. She frowned and said, “Why’d you buy such an ugly wallet?”

She had always cared a great deal about appearance, down to the tiniest accessories. He Jiang glanced at the wallet and replied, “I just picked one up randomly when the semester started.”

“It’s not nice,” she said, still frowning. “Get rid of it.”

Before He Jiang could respond, she continued on her own, “Once I get back, I’ll buy you a new one. Don’t use this anymore.”

He Jiang let out a faint, unfinished smile. He picked up some beef with his chopsticks and placed it in her bowl, then agreed, “Alright. Let’s eat, Mom.”

Midway through the meal, both of them were warming up. After dinner, He Jiang accompanied her on a walk along the river. It was rare for mother and son to have such a quiet moment alone. They drifted through the conversation, asking half-hearted questions about each other’s lives.

“How’s work been, Mom?”

“The same as always. The company’s busy with going public lately, so it’s been hectic.” For once, she let go of her usual weariness and work concerns. The softer side of her surfaced as she smiled at her son. “What about you? Why’d you suddenly want to play basketball again?”

A familiar figure flashed through He Jiang’s mind. “No reason. I just felt like playing.”

“So,” she said evenly, “your injury must be healing well.”

Then she added, “No matter what, you still need to take care of your body.”

He Jiang gave a small smile. “Mm. Thanks, Mom.”

“Playing basketball in your free time, as a hobby, for fitness is a good thing.” As she strolled along, she looked out toward the far bank of the river. The last light of sunset was fading, and the stars were beginning to shine. The night sky was glowing with beautiful twilight hues. She couldn’t help but smile.

“In hindsight, maybe that choice wasn’t so bad after all,” she said, her tone distant. “Like they say, losing a horse might not be misfortune.”

He Jiang drifted into silence for a while, then murmured, “Dad…”

“I’m talking about him,” his mother cut in, abruptly firm. “He’s doing fine in Canada. This way, neither of us has to suffer too much.”

Her body language made it clear she didn’t want to continue the conversation. He Jiang stared at her back, a strange tightness catching in his chest.

Something flickered in his eyes, but in the end, he still didn’t speak.

The next day, she boarded her flight, and He Jiang returned to school.

The next day, He Jiang’s mom boarded her flight, and He Jiang headed back to school.

In his off-campus apartment, He Jiang downed two cans of ice-cold strawberry milk in a row. He only stopped when his stomach started to feel uncomfortable. He stared at Xu Fanming’s meal card and wallet sitting on the table and suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to see their owner.

It had been nearly a week since the end of the competition, and just as long since he last saw Xu Fanming. What was that little raptor up to now?

He Jiang was someone who acted the moment he had a thought. Grabbing the wallet and meal card, he relied on his vague memory to find Xu Fanming’s classroom. Peeking in from the back door, he immediately spotted that familiar fluffy head.

Xu Fanming was fast asleep, slumped over his desk, completely still. He looked the same as always, but something in He Jiang had shifted. He watched the curve of Xu Fanming’s back and smiled. After a moment, his smile faded into something more serious.

To be honest, He Jiang wasn’t sure where things stood. It had been a week. Did Xu Fanming still remember what happened that night?

He Jiang pulled out his phone and sent him a message on WeChat.

Wind: Fanfan

Xu Fanming didn’t respond for a long time. He really was out cold.

He Jiang gathered his nerve and quietly slipped into the large lecture hall, sitting right beside him. He stayed there in silence for the entire class. Xu Fanming had his face buried in the crook of his arm, one eye shut beneath long, curled lashes. He Jiang couldn’t take his eyes off him. Eventually, he reached out and touched them, then couldn’t stop playing with them. He even ended up accidentally tugging out two lashes, which clung to the pad of his finger.

Xu Fanming let out a low, irritated noise, frowning and turning his face the other way.

He Jiang chuckled and reached over to ruffle the back of his neck. His palm pressed against the warmth of Xu Fanming’s skin, and it put him in a damn good mood.

The bell rang.

Xu Fanming jolted awake, rubbing his sore, puffy eyes, and saw a massive figure suddenly sitting beside him.

“Shit—” Xu Fanming flinched so hard he nearly fell off his chair. “You—you! Are you trying to scare me to death?”

He Jiang grabbed his arm and helped him settle back into his seat. Then he looked into Xu Fanming’s eyes and cautiously asked, “So… did Fan dad sleep well that night?”

“You’re the one to talk!” Xu Fanming groaned, rubbing at his stiff neck. “I swear, did you drug me or something? I woke up the next day aching all over!”

He Jiang blinked innocently. “On the way back, you kept saying you were hot. You even threw my jacket.”

Xu Fanming immediately frowned. “Why the hell would I throw your jacket?”

“Your jacket got dirty,” He Jiang explained innocently. “I gave you mine to wear.”

Xu Fanming let out a breath of relief and scratched his head in confusion. “Oh… right. That does sound kind of familiar. Sorry about that.”

He Jiang looked at Xu Fanming’s dazed expression and sighed silently to himself. So… he really had alcohol-induced memory loss. He truly didn’t remember a thing.

He had forgotten how he cried his heart out that night, saying how badly he wanted to get stronger. He had forgotten how docile he’d been, like a little bunny, letting He Jiang hug him and kiss him without even the slightest resistance.

He Jiang couldn’t tell if he was more relieved or disappointed.

While he was zoning out, lost in thought, Xu Fanming waved a hand in front of his face. “What’ve you been up to the past few days? I haven’t seen you at practice.”

He Jiang suddenly perked up. Was Xu Fanming… checking in on him?

“I was with my mom.”

“Oh,” Xu Fanming vaguely remembered hearing something about that. Then he glanced over again and asked, “So why’d you come looking for me today?”

He Jiang grinned and stood up, reaching out to ruffle his hair. “Let’s eat first. We’re going out today. My treat.”

As usual, they picked a barbecue spot. The taste was just as familiar as ever. While they were eating with full enthusiasm, He Jiang pulled out Xu Fanming’s wallet and handed it over.

“Ah,” Xu Fanming’s eyes lit up as he took the wallet and grinned. “Thanks. I totally forgot I left it with you. I’ve been looking for it these past few days.”

Something crossed He Jiang’s mind. “This wallet looks awful. You should replace it. I’ll buy you a new one.”

Xu Fanming froze for a second. Then he gave He Jiang a look that said, Are you out of your mind?

He Jiang immediately realized how strange that sounded. He rubbed his forehead and awkwardly brushed it off. “Just kidding.”

Xu Fanming stared at the wallet for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something. “Wait a second. Isn’t my meal card with you too?”

He Jiang picked up a bite of cabbage with his chopsticks and answered casually, “Yeah, it is.”

Xu Fanming paused. “Then why didn’t you give it back with the wallet?”

He Jiang looked completely unbothered. “I was waiting for you to come to my place and get it.”

Xu Fanming fell silent.

He still could not understand why He Jiang was so persistent about getting him to go over. It was like he had made it his personal mission, using every excuse he could think of. But to be fair, he had handed over the meal card himself and then forgotten to ask for it back.

They both continued eating quietly for a while. During that time, He Jiang noticed that Xu Fanming seemed a little uneasy. He kept hesitating, as if trying to say something but holding it in. He Jiang deliberately said nothing, pretending not to notice. He watched as Xu Fanming struggled with himself for a long time before finally looking at him with a hopeful expression and asking in a tentative voice, “He Jiang, do you want to go practice basketball with me later?”

He Jiang deliberately kept up his act. While popping peanuts into his mouth, he feigned confusion and asked, “Hm? Why?”

“I…” Xu Fanming’s face flushed slightly. Maybe even he felt a little embarrassed. Back when He Jiang had suggested practicing together, he always turned him down. But his mindset had shifted. He had to admit, He Jiang was undeniably strong. And he wanted to get better. Naturally, he wanted to learn from someone who was better than him.

After holding it in for a while, Xu Fanming finally let out a sigh and confessed honestly, “I want to train properly. I don’t want to play like a shut-in again next game.”

He Jiang smiled. Even the sharpness in his eyes softened.

But he still teased, “Buy me a cup of milk tea and I’ll teach you.”

This time, Xu Fanming didn’t call him a dumbass. Instead, he frowned, face red, and looked as if he were deep in thought. Suddenly, he stood up and bolted out the door, vanishing into the street.

He Jiang blinked in confusion.

Five minutes later, Xu Fanming came running back, drenched in sweat, holding a pink cup of strawberry milk tea.

“This is the best one I could find nearby,” he said, placing it on the table as he caught his breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. “If you don’t like it, I can go to that shop we went to last time…” The memory of that ridiculously overpriced milk tea made the poor boy swallow hard, but he still finished the rest of his sentence, “…and get you one from there.”

He Jiang looked at the pink instant milk tea in his hand, and the corners of his lips lifted on their own.

He had never expected Xu Fanming to actually take that joke seriously. But his little small forward always managed to surprise him. Didn’t he?