SSD 17. The Stifling Gym

During campus team training, Captain Fang Ruihan was pleasantly surprised to see that He Jiang and Xu Fanming seemed to have made up, or at the very least, they weren’t at each other’s throats anymore, and had stopped deliberately refusing to pass the ball to each other out of spite.

When the team first gathered, Fang Ruihan had still been a bit tense. He was worried they might still be holding grudges from the last game and end up throwing punches the moment something went wrong. But seeing the two of them standing side by side, calm for once, he couldn’t help letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

Before the training officially began, He Jiang suddenly stepped out of line and addressed the team. “Last time, because of some personal issues, I didn’t get along with Fanfan and caused some problems for everyone. I missed the last team dinner too, so today after practice, I’m treating everyone to barbecue as an apology.”

After He Jiang said this, the tension in the gym eased noticeably. Even Zhu Xuyao, who had still been holding a bit of a grudge over He Jiang’s previous attitude, looked much more relaxed. One by one, the team responded with polite goodwill, and He Jiang nodded to each of them. The whole time, though, his eyes were fixed on Xu Fanming.

Xu Fanming raised a middle finger at him. The group around them burst out laughing.

Just like that, the storm that had started because of He Jiang finally settled down.

Training officially began. Fang Ruihan stood on the sidelines, watching the pace and progress. Zhu Xuyao was toweling off sweat nearby. Pan Yuan stood next to him, smiling as she watched the players. “Glad they made up. I was worried they were going to start yelling again.”

Fang Ruihan looked toward the court, where the two of them were facing each other and practicing with full focus. He smiled and rubbed his brow.

“Guys,” Zhu Xuyao shrugged, “whatever’s going on, it’s nothing a talk can’t fix. And if that doesn’t work, just throw hands. That usually gets it out of your system.”

Pan Yuan nodded. “Oh? So you’re saying they fought?”

“That part, I couldn’t say.” Zhu Xuyao turned his head, just in time to catch sight of Pan Yuan’s smiling face. His eyes lit up instantly. “Yuan Yuan, your dress looks amazing today.”

Pan Yuan smiled, then caught sight of Wen Qin walking over behind Fang Ruihan. He was dressed in his jersey. As he approached, Fang Ruihan handed him a basketball and reminded him, “Today we’re working on drop steps and jump stops. Get as comfortable with the movements as you can.”

Wen Qin took the ball and gave a quiet nod before turning and heading toward the court.

Pan Yuan couldn’t help voicing her question. “Captain, lately you’ve mostly been assigning Wen Qin the basic drills…”

“Yes,” Fang Ruihan replied, “Wen Qin had never played basketball before. I happened to notice him and saw something promising. He’s got potential. If things go well, he might even become one of our advantages in a real game.”

He paused for a moment, then made an announcement. “For next month’s tournament, I’m planning to put Wen Qin in the starting lineup.”

Pan Yuan and Zhu Xuyao exchanged a glance. Zhu Xuyao took a step forward. “But… I don’t think Wen Qin has actually played in any of the scrimmages, has he?”

“Back then, his fundamentals still weren’t solid enough,” Fang Ruihan said after thinking for a moment. “And that day during the scrimmage, he asked to stay on the sidelines and watch.”

Pan Yuan and Zhu Xuyao both fell silent. Wen Qin had only joined the team this year. He usually trained quietly on his own and had rarely played in any official matchups. He was the type with low visibility on the team. It was understandable that they still didn’t know him well, and that they were having doubts.

“We’ve got plenty of players with more experience than Wen Qin, don’t we?” Zhu Xuyao asked. “He’s a complete beginner. Putting him on the court for his first real game might be a bit too risky.”

Fang Ruihan shook his head and answered with absolute certainty. “Because our first match is against Shuanglan.”

That afternoon’s training was tough. By evening, everyone was soaked in sweat. As promised, He Jiang paid out of pocket and treated the whole team to a round of barbecue. After everyone had eaten and laughed their fill, they headed back to campus together in a noisy pack. On the walk back, He Jiang came up to Xu Fanming and whispered in his ear, “I got a gym membership. Come try it out with me tomorrow.”

It was Sunday. Xu Fanming had been planning to lie around in the dorm and scroll through his phone, but He Jiang kept at it. “Let’s work on arms and core. Sweaty guys look the best.”

Then he added, “With a solid base, victory is already waving at you.”

What guy didn’t want a set of strong, defined muscles and the ability to dunk hard under the open sky? Besides, He Jiang had a point. On the court, having a stable lower body paired with powerful upper-body strength really did give you an edge.

So in the end, Xu Fanming went to bed early and got up on time. At eight the next morning, just as he opened his eyes, He Jiang pinged him on WeChat.

Wind: Fanfan, I want two boiled eggs, a bowl of veggie porridge, and a can of milk. Make sure it’s warmed up.

Xu Fanming was so pissed he rolled out of bed and splashed cold water on his face in the bathroom. Then he yanked out his phone and furiously typed back:

Xu: Where the hell am I supposed to get that for you

Wind: The cafeteria

He even added a pitiful little emoji.

After he walked out of the cafeteria with a steaming bag of food, Xu Fanming finally realized something. Why did it feel like he was always getting led around by the nose by He Jiang?

He Jiang lived off campus in a rented apartment, just across the street. Xu Fanming didn’t feel like going up to his place, so he called him instead and told him to come down himself.

“Come up and sit for a bit,” He Jiang said like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I already brewed tea for you.”

“Too lazy to climb stairs.” Xu Fanming wasn’t falling for it this time and refused flatly. “You come down.”

“I live in a building with an elevator.”

“I’m too lazy to walk at all.”

He Jiang was about to say more, but Xu Fanming immediately lost patience and barked into the phone, “Get down here and take your stuff already. Or I’m leaving.”

“Got it,” He Jiang said helplessly. He threw on a jacket, grabbed his wallet and keys, and opened the door. “I’m coming down now.”

He might have had all the charm and tricks in the world, but the little raptor was fully on guard and not biting. In the end, the pampered young master had no choice but to stand outside in the cold, eating his breakfast right there on the street.

When he finished, he clapped Xu Fanming on the shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go get a workout in.”

On the basketball court, strong upper and lower body strength was crucial for both defense and driving to the basket. Once they got to the gym, they started with five sets of squats to warm up. After that, Xu Fanming glanced over at the treadmills, which were nearly packed.

He didn’t come to the gym often. Most of the time, he did endurance drills like long runs or shuttle runs at the sports complex. When he did come here, it was usually alone, messing around with the treadmill or exercise bike. Running was good for cardio and stamina, but it didn’t do much when it came to building strength.

As soon as Xu Fanming stepped onto the treadmill, he saw He Jiang lying back on a bench press under the guidance of a personal trainer. He gripped the barbell with both hands and slowly completed a few reps. Bench press was a classic move in the gym world, great for training chest muscles. It had that kind of raw, masculine energy that made it look extra powerful. Compared to the treadmill under his feet, Xu Fanming suddenly felt like he looked pretty weak.

He lost all interest in running. He walked over to the bench press next to He Jiang’s and stood there with a bit of hesitation in his eyes. Just then, the trainer next to him gave an approving nod. “Bro, your form’s really solid.”

He Jiang gave a light smile. “Go take a break. I can handle the next set on my own.”

The trainer nodded. “Alright. Just call me if you need anything.” He turned and walked off.

He Jiang stood at six foot three. His muscles were lean and defined. Watching him lift weights with sweat glistening on his skin was a sight that drew plenty of attention from the women in the gym. After He Jiang finished one full set and sat up, his forehead and neck were covered in a fine sheen of sweat. Xu Fanming gulped quietly and pointed to the bench. “I want to try that too.”

“Sure,” He Jiang said easily, giving the bench a quick pat. “Go for it.”

Xu Fanming gave him a wary look. “I’m calling that trainer back over.”

He Jiang let out a half-laugh, half-sigh and gave him a nudge. “Didn’t you hear the guy say my form was solid? He’s already sitting down to rest. Why bother him again? Having me to help is even better, isn’t it?”

Before Xu Fanming could say anything, He Jiang had already forced him down onto the bench. As soon as he lay down, Xu Fanming felt his whole body tighten. He stared up at the barbell, too stiff to move. Then He Jiang leaned over with a smile and placed a hand on his waist.

“Hey—” Xu Fanming jolted. The spot where He Jiang touched felt strange, sending a wave of tingling heat through his whole body. His abs tensed involuntarily. He Jiang slowly ran his hand over his shoulder and down his side as he gave instructions. “Tighten your shoulder blades. Engage your core. Chest up. Don’t lift your hips. Right, shift up a little more so the bar stays right over your chest.”

“You—” Xu Fanming’s face flushed red. “Don’t touch me.”

He Jiang blinked. “Why not?”

Xu Fanming’s ears were slightly red. “It tickles.”

He Jiang curved his lips into a grin. He hadn’t expected Xu Fanming to be this sensitive. He pulled his hand back and stood up straight. “Alright, I won’t touch you. Start pushing. Slowly.”

He bent over again, watching him carefully. “Exhale as you push up. Inhale as you lower. Keep that rhythm… good.”

“Ugh…”

After two or three reps, Xu Fanming started feeling the pull and strain of the muscles working. Sweat began to form. He Jiang crouched down beside him, smiling as he gently wiped his face with a towel and spoke in a coaxing tone, like talking to a child. “Good boy. Once you get the hang of it, I’ll carry you to victory.”

Xu Fanming’s face went red as he tried to snap back, but He Jiang quickly corrected himself. “Fine, once you’re ready, you’ll be the one carrying me.”

The two of them spent the whole morning at the gym, then found a small restaurant for lunch and split the bill. After that, they each headed home.

On the way past the sports complex, they suddenly noticed a familiar figure under the hoop, practicing footwork and shooting alone. He Jiang narrowed his eyes. Xu Fanming thought for a second, then said it out loud. “Wen Qin?”

His impression of Wen Qin had always been that he was an average player who didn’t talk much. What was he doing here practicing by himself? Xu Fanming walked over and waved. While glancing around, he called out, “Hey. Uh… where’s the captain?”

Since Fang Ruihan and Wen Qin were from the same campus, they usually showed up together. But today, there was no sign of the captain, which made Xu Fanming a little puzzled.

Wen Qin heard his voice and caught the ball as it dropped from the net. He turned his head calmly and looked at Xu Fanming and He Jiang. “I came by myself. I wanted to get in some extra practice.”

“Oh.”

Xu Fanming stuck around out of interest. He watched as Wen Qin made five out of six three-pointers in a row. That kind of accuracy was impressive. Seeing how focused he was, Xu Fanming asked instinctively, “You getting ready for next month’s tournament?”

“Yes.” Wen Qin paused, holding the ball in both hands. A rare smile appeared on his face, a bit shy. “Senior said we’re facing Shuanglan in the first game. Their forwards are really strong, so I have to play a solid game as guard. I don’t want to drag the team down.”

That “senior” was probably referring to Fang Ruihan, the third-year captain. Xu Fanming suddenly noticed that when Wen Qin mentioned him, his whole expression seemed to relax. Even the look in his eyes had softened.

But as long as someone took basketball seriously, Xu Fanming couldn’t help but feel a bit of goodwill toward them. The more he watched Wen Qin, the more pleasant he found him to look at. Feeling unexpectedly relaxed, he asked with genuine interest, “But I feel like your moves are still a little raw. Are you new to this?”

“Yes.” Wen Qin lowered his head slightly, the tips of his ears turning red. “I used to be on the school’s tennis team, but I was never very good at it. Senior lives in the dorm right above mine and has helped me a lot. I had never played basketball before, but I’d seen people play. One time I tried mimicking a few moves, and he happened to see me.”

Xu Fanming chuckled. Why did it feel like the captain was some kind of pro talent scout, always digging up new people?

“He said I had a good shooting touch, and my ball handling wasn’t bad either. He said I had potential. So in the end, I joined the campus team.” Wen Qin’s face was full of seriousness. “I want to train properly and play well in the coming matches. I don’t want to let him down.”

Just picking up basketball not long ago and already getting put on the lineup… it seemed the captain really did value Wen Qin and believed in his talent.

And with the tournament just days away, it made sense for him to start getting nervous and intensify his training. What Wen Qin said struck something in Xu Fanming. He stared at him for a long moment, then gave a small nod and said quietly, “Alright.”

He Jiang raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised. Xu Fanming suddenly pulled out his wallet and cafeteria card from his pocket and shoved them into He Jiang’s arms. Then he turned to Wen Qin, lifted the corner of his mouth, and smiled. “Since you’re this eager to learn, let me show you a few moves. Watch closely. Technically, I’m your senior.”