SSD 6. He Jiang vs. Xu Fanming — A Bet Is a Bet

Xu Fanming came up playing streetball. He always relied on feel. His performance rose and fell with his state of mind. When things went smoothly, his talent showed. When things got tough, he made mistake after mistake.

Today, he was too nervous.

He Jiang was different. He had played in many professional and amateur games and had plenty of experience on the court. Unlike Xu Fanming, the deeper the game went, the better he performed.

The gap between them kept growing.

Xu Fanming dribbled hard, teeth clenched, and broke through He Jiang’s defense. Just as he bent his knees and lifted his upper body for a floater, two large hands appeared in front of him. A strong force slammed into him, and the ball was slapped out of his hands.

He had been blocked.

The moment the ball was taken, the recoil sent him crashing to the floor. His hips hit the ground first. For a split second, he wanted nothing more than to sink into it and disappear.

He refused to lose. He couldn’t accept it. A whole year of effort, and all it amounted to was a bitter realization. He still wasn’t good enough. This was his first official match. Something he had obsessed over in secret. And it had ended in complete disgrace.

Xu Fanming pushed himself up from the floor. He faced He Jiang, who was holding the ball. His eyes still burned with determination.

He Jiang’s gaze shifted slightly. His lips pressed together. In the end, he said nothing.

Zhu Xuyao, standing to the side, finally couldn’t take it anymore. When had he ever seen his friend get wrecked like this? He had always known He Jiang was strong, but seeing it up close was something else entirely. A real monster. Watching Xu Fanming hit the ground that hard, he finally snapped out of it and shouted, “Hey! Fanfan, when the hell did you get so pathetic? Come on! Show them that beast mode you always brag about!”

Xu Fanming cursed him silently. His body still pulled itself together and stood up straight.

One to four. He had one last chance.

Fang Ruihan was holding his breath. Xu Fanming’s win or loss didn’t just affect his own pride. The future of the team was on the line too. Everyone was watching him now, placing their hopes on him.

And in He Jiang’s eyes, all of this stood out even more starkly.

“Fanfan, let’s go! Hold him off!”

He Jiang narrowed his eyes slightly. He watched Xu Fanming lift his head with that same stubborn defiance. His breathing was uneven. His cheeks were flushed with heat. His hands opened again, steady and firm, his entire body tensed and ready to move with the ball.

His mind must have already been stretched past its limit. So why did his eyes still look so steady?

A dark thought suddenly rose in He Jiang’s chest. He hadn’t needed to try this hard. This was just a friendly match. The boy in front of him had clearly hit his breaking point. On any other day, he might have let up a little, passed the ball back, left some room for dignity on both sides.

But today, he didn’t want to.

That dark thought kept swelling and spreading. Something in his chest whispered that he wanted to crush the light in that boy’s eyes. He wanted to shatter every last piece of hope in him.

And the moment the ball hit the ground, he did exactly that.

Bang. Thud. Thud…

Then came silence.

Five to one. He Jiang had completely shut Xu Fanming down.

Xu Fanming stood with his back to the hoop, staring at the basketball lying still on the floor. Shadows fell over his face. His expression was impossible to make out.

He Jiang brushed back the strands of hair the wind had blown loose, smoothed his collar, and turned around. His face had already settled into its usual cool composure.

“I won.”

The words were quiet, but they landed hard against Xu Fanming’s chest.

Fang Ruihan and Zhu Xuyao froze where they stood and drew in a sharp breath. Only now did Fang Ruihan finally understood why He Jiang had agreed to the bet so easily, so cleanly.

He had never once believed he might lose.

According to their deal, the winner had the right to name the stakes. So now that He Jiang had won, what would he ask Xu Fanming to do?

Fang Ruihan suddenly felt nervous. He watched closely for He Jiang’s next move. Zhu Xuyao turned toward Xu Fanming, who stood frozen in silence, and let out a heavy sigh.

He Jiang took a slow step forward and stopped in front of Xu Fanming. Xu Fanming stared at the pale gray sneakers in front of him, then gradually lifted his face.

“My condition,” He Jiang said clearly, “is that you quit the basketball team.”

The air turned cold.

Xu Fanming’s face went white. His expression froze, caught between stiffness and shame. It was like a bucket of cold water had hit him straight on. The sudden drop left him unmoored, something sour rising in his chest.

He Jiang didn’t leave him a way out. His lips were tightly pressed together. His narrowed eyes locked onto Xu Fanming, expression hovering somewhere between coldness and obsession.

Fang Ruihan couldn’t stay silent any longer. He stepped in, voice tense with concern. “He Jiang, it’s just a scrimmage. There’s no need to take it this far, is there?”

He Jiang glanced at him from the side, but said nothing.

Not even the captain could stop him. Zhu Xuyao was starting to get nervous too. He looked over at Xu Fanming. Was the guy really going to quit the team? How had a simple friendly match turned into this?

Xu Fanming bit his lip hard. He could tell He Jiang was serious. Scenes from the match ran through his mind. His arrogance, his frustration, his total collapse. He Jiang had come at him like a predator, closing in step by step, pushing him back to the edge, exposing every weakness without mercy.

The more he thought about it, the more it hurt. The more he played it back, the more unwilling he felt to accept it. Was the gap between them really that wide? His game rose and fell too easily. His mindset held him back. But he loved basketball. He had been playing for years. He had never backed down. He had never admitted defeat. That raw drive was the only reason he had made it this far.

His teeth pressed into his lip. His eyes suddenly went red.

He hated how useless he was during the game. He hated even more that he had lost and was standing here on the verge of tears in front of his opponent like a loser.

He rubbed his eyes hard with the back of his arm, rough enough to redden the skin around his nose. He took a breath, lifted his head, and looked straight into He Jiang’s eyes.

“Fine. A bet is a bet.”

Something shifted in He Jiang’s chest.

Looking into those misty eyes, watching that red nose and the stubborn way he bit his lip, putting up a front even now, He Jiang felt a strange illusion. It was like a little cat’s paw had reached out from somewhere and scratched lightly at his heart.

The moment Xu Fanming gave in, Zhu Xuyao was stunned. He rushed over in a few steps and pulled Xu Fanming aside, shaking him by the shoulders.

“Fanfan, you’re really quitting? Are you out of your mind? The tournament’s in two months!”

His voice dropped as he tried coaxing him. “Come on. If you can’t go head-on, we take the long way around. Let’s work the side route and wear him down. As long as we’re still here, we’ve got options. Let’s go talk to the almighty He Jiang and work something out. It’s not impossible.”

Xu Fanming didn’t respond. He just kept wiping his tears in silence. Even though Zhu Xuyao always messed around with him, calling each other ‘Dad’ and ‘Grandson’ like idiots, Xu Fanming was actually the youngest on the team. Everyone tended to take care of him more. He usually acted carefree and loud, never one to dwell on anything. Seeing him cry like this threw Zhu Xuyao off completely. He had no idea what to say.

After a long pause, Zhu Xuyao could only mutter, “What’s with the cat piss… Damn, this really blew up.”

Fang Ruihan thought it over for a moment, then stepped forward to stand in front of He Jiang, trying to salvage what he could.

“He Jiang, sorry, but I really didn’t expect things to go this far. Fanfan’s been with us for almost two months now. This is all happening too suddenly. Honestly, we’re not ready for this. Would you consider changing the bet? Asking someone to quit the team isn’t something you can treat like a joke.”

He had put it plainly. His tone left no doubt he was serious.

The truth was, He Jiang had only said that out of impulse. He had never truly intended to make Xu Fanming leave the campus team. It had just been a cruel joke, something that came out in the moment.

But now, it felt like it had gone too far.

He Jiang glanced at Xu Fanming. In the end, his heart softened.

Xu Fanming didn’t speak. His red, swollen eyes fixed on He Jiang with deep frustration.

He Jiang bent down, picked up the basketball, and held it out with one hand.

“One more shot. If it goes in, the bet is off.”

It was a step back.

Xu Fanming reached out and snatched the ball. He Jiang took his stance and moved in to guard him. Xu Fanming dribbled twice, eyes locked on He Jiang, emotions pouring out from them.

He feinted with one arm. He Jiang instinctively reached out to block. In the very next second, Xu Fanming released the ball, letting it fly through the space between He Jiang’s elbows.

It went in. A three-pointer.

---

“Yuanyuan, you don’t even know. He Jiang was incredible.” Zhu Xuyao leaned in beside Pan Yuan, visibly excited. “Have you ever seen that brat Xu Fanming cry? I’m telling you, the day he went up against He Jiang, it was tragic. Tears all over his face.”

If Xu Fanming ever found out someone was using his most humiliating moment as dinnertime entertainment to impress a girl, he would probably explode.

Pan Yuan looked skeptical but amused. “Really? I know He Jiang is good, but I don’t think he could have crushed Fanfan that badly.”

Zhu Xuyao raised a finger, face serious. “It was a complete wipeout. Five to one. Fanfan looked cocky at the start, then fell apart completely. By the end, he looked like he didn’t know who he was anymore. Anyway, I’ve got nothing but respect for He Jiang now. No wonder he played in the high school league. He’s the real deal.”

Fang Ruihan arrived from behind, carrying a tray. He had heard Zhu Xuyao’s voice from across the cafeteria and couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Where’s Fanfan? Still not coming out?”

“Yeah. After losing to He Jiang, he shut himself in the dorm and won’t talk to anyone. All our effort coming here seems wasted.”

Pan Yuan sighed. “I’ll go talk to him soon. Try to cheer him up.”

Fang Ruihan smiled and nodded, then picked up his chopsticks. “No need to worry too much. Fanfan’s not the type to stay stuck. He’ll get past this on his own.”

Pan Yuan and Zhu Xuyao exchanged a glance and smiled. The captain was right. They all knew what Xu Fanming was like. Serious, confident, never willing to admit defeat. Give it a few days, and their little raptor would be back in full force, shouting about taking He Jiang down and settling the score.

“Speaking of He Jiang…” Fang Ruihan shifted the topic, lowering his voice slightly. “He really is outstanding. But I don’t think he’s completely uninterested in the team.”

That matched what Pan Yuan had been thinking. She nodded at once. “I thought so too.”

Fang Ruihan gave a small smile. “I believe he still loves basketball. You could see it during the match with Fanfan. He was enjoying himself. Maybe what he needs is just a reason, something that can convince him to join us.”

Zhu Xuyao paused. With how firm He Jiang had been, he had assumed recruiting him was impossible. But now, hearing this from the captain, it felt like something might already be in motion.

If He Jiang really joined the team, their overall strength would instantly shoot up several levels.

Hearing Fang Ruihan’s thoughts, Pan Yuan nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Captain, I think maybe… deep down, He Jiang does want to play with us.”

With Pan Yuan on board, Zhu Xuyao quickly jumped in to take a side. “Yeah, I support you too, boss. No matter what, the provincial tournament is right around the corner. If He Jiang joins, it’ll be a huge morale boost for everyone.”

Fang Ruihan nodded. He looked at their faces, then fell into brief thought.