SSD 53. Crayfish and Wristbands

With the final points match approaching, practice sessions had become more frequent. Even at ten at night, the sound of basketballs pounding against the floor still echoed in the gym.

The team had split into two groups: He Jiang, Zhu Xuyao, and Wen Qin on one side, and Fang Ruihan, Xu Fanming, and a backup player on the other. The two sides had been running 3-on-3 drills for hours. By the end, Xu Fanming was so exhausted he collapsed flat on the floor, completely drained. Fang Ruihan and Wen Qin were also guzzling down water, soaked in sweat from the intensity.

After all that exercise and sweat, hunger started to creep in. He Jiang pulled out his phone and casually suggested to the group behind him, “I’ll order takeout. You guys want something for supper?”

“Supper?” Zhu Xuyao perked up instantly. “Hell yes! I’ll eat anything, not picky.”

He Jiang opened the delivery app. “How about crayfish?”

Everyone said they were good with that. He Jiang glanced toward the limp Xu Fanming on the floor. Xu Fanming lazily shifted a hand in response, which counted as a yes.

He Jiang didn’t dwell on it. He picked the first place at the top of the rankings and placed the order. Once it was done, he set the phone back down on the bench and walked straight toward Xu Fanming.

Xu Fanming was lying there staring at the gym ceiling, lost in thought. He Jiang slowly walked up to him and said, “Fan dad… What are you thinking about?”

When Xu Fanming didn’t reply, He Jiang started guessing on his own. “Thinking about the game? Thinking about swishes? Thinking about me?”

Xu Fanming frowned at the last option, rolled over without bothering to respond, and ended up lying on his side on the mat, resting his head on his arm. He Jiang’s gaze lingered on the tip of his sweaty nose for a moment, then suddenly reached out his hand.

Xu Fanming’s reflexes kicked in as he smacked He Jiang’s hand away. “What the hell?”

He Jiang rubbed his palm with an aggrieved expression. “I was reaching for the ball.”

Xu Fanming looked behind him and finally noticed the perfectly round basketball sitting behind his head. He Jiang reached for the ball again, but this time Xu Fanming didn’t stop him and quietly settled back down on the mat.

He Jiang’s fingers paused on the ball’s surface for a second, then suddenly switched direction and landed right on Xu Fanming’s face, pinching his cheek with a tug.

“Fuck!”

Xu Fanming snapped upright, grabbed the ball above his head, and hurled it at He Jiang, who was now clutching his shoulders and grinning like an idiot. Zhu Xuyao had just finished drinking water and, seeing what was about to unfold, dropped his bottle in alarm and rushed over to break up the fight.

“Can’t do that, can’t do that! Fan Dad, think this through, analyze calmly. Our game is coming up soon, we need internal unity right now…” Zhu Xuyao rambled on, then started murmuring Buddhist scripture right by Xu Fanming’s ear. “To grow angry over trifles is to invite regret. When others are enraged, remain unmoved. Illness born of anger, none will bear in one’s place…”

The rest of the Qinghuo team looked over at the ridiculous scene and instantly burst out laughing like idiots, clutching their stomachs. Even the usually composed captain couldn’t stop himself from shaking with laughter.

Before long, the phone on the bench started ringing. He Jiang walked over and bent down to pick it up. It was the delivery guy calling, they had to pick it up at the gym entrance.

Zhu Xuyao was still holding onto Xu Fanming when Wen Qin stood up and offered, “I’ll go.”

He Jiang naturally planned to go with him, but before he could take a step, Xu Fanming suddenly shot up like an arrow loosed from a bow. Zhu Xuyao didn’t hold on in time and nearly stumbled from the jolt.

He shouted after him in protest, “Fan Dad, what the hell?!”

“Following him!” Xu Fanming’s voice was already getting distant. “I’m not letting that bastard poison me!”

If he could, He Jiang really would’ve poured a few pounds of liquor over the crayfish and forced Fan Dad to eat them. Drunken shrimp to soak a drunken dragon. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to pull it off.

When they reached the gym entrance, a tall, dark silhouette stood beside a delivery scooter, red helmet glowing ominously in the moonlight.

But the delivery guy’s voice immediately pulled the three of them back into something oddly familiar. “Order ending in 8970?”

Xu Fanming stepped forward, squinting under the dim glow of the streetlamp. After a moment of staring, he asked hesitantly, “Are you… the guy who delivered the fruit bowl last time—”

The delivery guy paused, then pulled off his helmet, revealing a head of dazzling blond hair. He gave a surprised smile and nodded. “Yeah, that was me. Small world, huh?”

Under the light, his features came into view. He had a tied-up ponytail and a tall frame. Though his appearance was intimidating at first glance, his manner was calm and polite, with no trace of aggression. Xu Fanming immediately warmed up to him and joked, “Are you a waiter or a delivery guy?”

The tall guy bent down and started pulling items from the thermal box while laughing and shaking his head. “Neither.”

Wen Qin took the bags from him, which included three large bags of crayfish, two boxes of clams, one of snails, and a six-pack of beer. He checked the receipt briefly, then softly thanked the man. Xu Fanming raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Then what, you just do odd jobs?”

“Well,” the tall guy thought for a second, “I guess you could say that. I do whatever’s needed when we’re short-staffed. Part-time gigs, pocket money.”

“Oh.” Xu Fanming responded naturally, “So are you a student too? How much can you make doing this?”

The tall guy paused, then raised his eyebrows with a grin. “…You thinking of doing part-time too?”

He Jiang, sensing that the vibe was getting weirder by the second, furrowed his brow slightly and nudged Xu Fanming with his elbow. “Why are you chatting him up now?”

“Mm, I was just saying whatever,” Xu Fanming only now realized how abrupt the question had sounded. He scratched his head and explained awkwardly, “I didn’t mean anything by it.”

He had just found the guy’s vibe really approachable and ended up blurting things out, like he was talking to someone he already knew. But the tall guy didn’t seem to mind. Instead, he smiled and said, “No worries. I’m a student, fourth year. If you’re interested, we can add each other on WeChat and chat more later.”

Xu Fanming wasn’t actually planning to pick up any part-time jobs, but since the guy put it so naturally, he had no reason to turn him down. He took out his phone and nodded. “Sure.”

He Jiang suddenly felt a sour little sting in his chest.

Back when he’d tried to add Fan Dad on WeChat, it had taken coaxing, trickery, and persistence, and he’d still nearly gotten blocked on the spot just for being annoying.

Truly a bitter memory.

But of course, He Jiang knew that whatever reason this tall guy had for adding Fan Dad, it definitely wasn’t the same as the reason he’d wanted Little Raptor’s WeChat back then.

And after they added each other, Xu Fanming’s opinion of the tall guy instantly shot up a few notches. Who would’ve thought someone who looked so fierce could actually be so patient and down-to-earth. This was a real man. Worth learning from.

When the three of them returned with the crayfish and beer, the pack of hungry jocks in the gym were already raring to go. Zhu Xuyao grabbed one of the huge bags and nearly went cross-eyed with excitement. “Whoa! This has gotta be six or seven pounds! And there’s clams and snails too!”

He Jiang grinned. “I got three flavors. Take what you like. This one’s on me.”

Cheers broke out on all sides as the group took the food outside to a pavilion and sat down in neat rows, lifting their beers solemnly like some ancient ritual. “Thanks to God He for blessing us with shrimp!”

The bottles clinked together, and the sharp tang of beer set their well-worked nerves alight, sparking laughter and shouts that lit up the crisp autumn night.

Eventually the gathering broke up and everyone went their separate ways. He Jiang bought a cup of milk tea and decided to stroll back to campus. Zhu Xuyao walked with Xu Fanming, leaving just Fang Ruihan and Wen Qin behind.

The two exchanged a glance, then decided to share a cab back.

After saying goodbye to their teammates, Fang Ruihan naturally opened the back door of the taxi. Wen Qin followed him in.

The driver was quiet, not the chatty type. As the car rolled down the street, Fang Ruihan stared at the rearview mirror, a little lost in thought, then shifted his gaze to Wen Qin sitting quietly beside him.

After a moment of hesitation, he suddenly asked, “We’ve already played four matches now. Do you… have anything you want to say?”

Wen Qin was, in a way, someone Fang Ruihan had personally brought up. It was Fang Ruihan who had recruited him into the campus basketball team, and it was also Fang Ruihan who had taught him how to play and accompanied him through practice. Watching him grow from a total novice into a solid player who could now hold his own beside him on the court, Fang Ruihan couldn’t help but feel a wave of emotion.

There was pride, but even more than that, there was care.

Wen Qin’s lips moved slightly. He looked away, then glanced down at his legs and gave a soft smile. “Mm… my shooting touch has gotten better, I think.”

Fang Ruihan smiled too.

“Yeah? That’s good to hear.”

“But,” Wen Qin added, “I’m still a little nervous.”

Fang Ruihan paused. “Nervous about what?”

“The next game.” Wen Qin lifted his gaze. “The one against Kongxin. I’m a little worried…”

His concern was understandable. As someone still new to basketball, it was natural to feel unsure going up against real high-level opponents. And more than that, he was painfully aware of how important this match was to Fang Ruihan. What if he underperformed and ended up letting his senior down? That thought had been looping in his mind throughout practice today, gradually pulling his mood down.

Thinking about it, Wen Qin quietly glanced in Fang Ruihan’s direction again. Maybe his senior had noticed his off mood, and that was why he’d come to talk to him alone—to cheer him up?

At that moment, Fang Ruihan suddenly reached out and, under the glow of the car’s interior light, stared at his own wrist. Wen Qin followed his gaze and realized Fang Ruihan was looking at his wristband.

It was a piece made of leather and chain links, with a few letters engraved in the center. Chicago Bulls.

Fang Ruihan looked at it for a moment longer, then reached over and took it off. Wen Qin froze. The next second, Fang Ruihan was holding it out in front of him.

Fang Ruihan’s smile was gentle, his eyes full of sincerity. “I bought this a year ago. It has the name of my favorite team on it. Back when I was still new to the game, I used to get really nervous before every match too. But whenever I wore this, it felt like I was carrying a blessing from the team I loved. Gave me a little mental boost, I guess.”

Wen Qin’s heart thumped wildly.

“This wristband…” Fang Ruihan reached out and gently placed it in Wen Qin’s palm. “I’ll lend it to you for a few days.”

The warm hand left behind a cool weight in his palm, and Wen Qin sat frozen in place.

Fang Ruihan looked at his dazed expression and couldn’t help laughing. “…Didn’t I say before? You’re the shooting guard I brought onto this team. Just believe in yourself.” Then he added softly, “If you still feel nervous, just think of this wristband as my encouragement. Keep your mindset steady. Just play your game.”

The sound of wind swept past the car windows, and inside Wen Qin’s chest, waves were surging just as wildly. He clenched the wristband tightly in his palm, his face flushed red as he gave a solemn nod.

“Mm!”