SSD 50. Fruit Bowl

The five of them found a Chinese restaurant for lunch. The place was near University Town, and the streets were packed with students, the entire area bustling with noise. He Jiang booked a private room and insisted on footing the bill. He ordered eight or nine dishes in one go, all beautifully presented and delicious, each one carefully chosen to suit everyone’s tastes.

This was probably their first outing together that wasn’t an official team event. Overall, the meal was a pleasant one—aside from the occasional spat between He Jiang and Xu Fanming.

Those two childish troublemakers could stir up a fight over a single bite of food.

As the waitress brought out a plate of red wine braised beef, Xu Fanming’s eyes lit up. He reached out with his chopsticks, only to clash with He Jiang’s. The two of them immediately got into a tug-of-war over that one piece of meat. Xu Fanming refused to back down, and He Jiang was clearly teasing him on purpose.

The poor chunk of beef was caught between their dueling chopsticks, then suddenly shot out from between them. It landed with a splat on Zhu Xuyao’s chest, the oil and red wine leaving a bright, colorful stain across his white T-shirt.

Zhu Xuyao sat frozen in place.

This must be what it felt like to get hit while minding your own business.

Xu Fanming nearly blew up on the spot, but Zhu Xuyao stuffed a soft sticky rice ball into his mouth just in time to shut him up. The others quickly jumped in to smooth things over. Zhu Xuyao grabbed Xu Fanming, who was still chewing the glutinous rice, and muttered, “Come on, help me find the bathroom before it sets in.”

Mouth full of rice, Xu Fanming muttered through clenched teeth, “Where even is the damn bathroom?”

“I know,” said Fang Ruihan, rising to his feet. He glanced at Zhu Xuyao. “I’ll come with you.”

Xu Fanming swallowed the rice ball and started cursing again. Zhu Xuyao gave him a light smack on the head and headed out with Fang Ruihan to look for the restroom.

He Jiang sat there cool and composed. He picked up another piece of braised beef and, right in front of Xu Fanming, popped it into his mouth and slowly savored it. Wen Qin sighed and laughed. Xu Fanming pulled his chopsticks away in fury and grabbed a piece of cold cucumber salad instead.

Just then, He Jiang suddenly frowned. He reached into his mouth with his chopsticks and pulled out a short, yellowish hair.

For a moment, the table went quiet.

He Jiang stared at the hair in disbelief. Wen Qin, seated beside him, looked just as stunned.

Xu Fanming cursed under his breath, “Shit, good thing I didn’t eat that just now.”

He Jiang’s expression darkened as he tossed his chopsticks onto the table. He quickly grabbed a napkin, wrapped it around his mouth, and spit out the rest of the food. Wen Qin cleared his throat, glanced at He Jiang’s reaction, then stood up to call over one of the restaurant staff. This was a fairly well-known chain restaurant, not some hole-in-the-wall, so finding a hair in the food was unexpected. Normally, none of them would have made a fuss. They would have just tossed it aside and moved on. But judging by He Jiang’s reaction, it was clear he had a bit of a cleanliness streak and took hygiene seriously.

The person who came over was a man in a cardigan and shorts. His shoulder-length blond hair was tied back with a leather cord, and though he wore the restaurant uniform, there was no nametag on him. It wasn’t until he got closer that everyone realized just how tall he was. Well over two meters, he stood out from the crowd the moment he stepped into view.

The man approached and gave the table a polite smile.

“Sorry to bother you. I’m the manager here. May I ask what the issue is with the dish?”

Despite his towering frame, the man’s graceful demeanor and courteous manner came as a surprise.

“There was a hair in the dish.”

The man picked up the plate, then pinched the hair between his fingers and examined it closely before giving a sincere bow. “I’m terribly sorry. It must have been the chef’s mistake. Would you like a refund, or should I head to the kitchen and bring out a fresh one?”

He Jiang answered without hesitation. “Refund it.”

Xu Fanming could not help but click his tongue. All that over a single strand of hair? This guy was a perfectionist to the core.

He had not even gotten a bite.

At that moment, the man offered a suggestion. “Actually, I’d recommend trying our ‘Divine Chicken’ instead. It’s a house specialty. If you’d like to switch, I’ll cover the price difference.”

That signature dish cost about seventy yuan more than the wine-braised beef. The service here really was excellent. He Jiang agreed, “Sure, let’s do that.”

A short while later, Fang Ruihan and Zhu Xuyao returned from the restroom. The stains on Zhu Xuyao’s shirt hadn’t come out completely, but at least they were no longer as obvious. The five of them continued chatting and laughing as they finished the rest of their meal.

When it came time to pay, Fang Ruihan and Wen Qin stepped out to hail a cab. Zhu Xuyao noticed He Jiang heading toward the register, and right beside him, Xu Fanming looked like he was about to do the same. Zhu Xuyao chuckled and teased, “What, you trying to race him to the check?”

“Bullshit,” Xu Fanming replied, still clearly thinking about the meal. “That cucumber dish was pretty good. I’m gonna buy a fresh order to take back to the dorm.”

Zhu Xuyao blinked in surprise. Xu Fanming gave him a shove toward the door. “Go on, tell the others not to grab a cab yet. I’ll be out after I pick up the cucumbers.”

After Zhu Xuyao left, Xu Fanming eagerly jogged up to the counter and saw that the one helping He Jiang check out was that same tall server from earlier. Damn, standing next to the guy, he barely reached his shoulders. This man had to be well over two meters tall, maybe even taller than the twins.

Someone that eye-catching was bound to stand out in any crowd. He could probably work as the restaurant’s mascot.

Still, the cucumber came first.

Xu Fanming cleared his throat and said, “That cold cucumber dish you served earlier, could I get one to go? I’ll pay separately.”

He Jiang, still pulling out his wallet, glanced over with a half-smile. “Getting all formal now?”

Xu Fanming ignored him. The tall man glanced between the two, sensed the vibe, and hesitated before asking, “You really liked that dish?”

Xu Fanming nodded. “Yeah. I want to take one back.”

The man blinked, then seemed to have a sudden idea. “Sure, we’ve still got cucumbers. How about this, I’ll have the kitchen pack a fresh one for you. Consider it part of the compensation for the wine-braised beef earlier.”

Xu Fanming’s eyes lit up. A dish replacement and a free side? Now that was service.

Seeing that his offer had landed well, the tall man gave them a quick smile and ducked into the back. A few minutes later, he returned holding a sleek, neatly wrapped takeaway bag.

Inside was not only the cucumber salad and a few other cold dishes, but a bonus box of fruit salad, filled with all the fruits Xu Fanming liked best.

The tall man smiled sincerely. “Hope to see you again.”

Xu Fanming finally got a proper look at him. His features were soft, his golden hair neatly tied back, and his manner gentle and well-spoken. There was a refined, almost artistic air about him that made him unexpectedly likable. The more Xu Fanming looked, the more pleasant the man seemed.

Just for that level of service alone, he felt tempted to leave a five-star review on the spot.

“Exit is to the left. Take care on your way out,” the man said warmly.

He Jiang finished paying, then put his phone and wallet away and started walking toward the door. “When did you start liking cucumbers so much?”

Xu Fanming happily cradled his cold cucumber salad. “None of your damn business.”

He Jiang gave a sharp hum. “One day, I really will fix that filthy mouth of yours.”

The words triggered an immediate shudder from Xu Fanming, as if struck by a sudden memory. A beat later, he realized how embarrassing that reaction had been and quickly turned his face away in defiance.

Back home, He Jiang found himself worrying over whether Xu Fanming would actually wear the new shoes. Eventually, he decided to keep an eye out for the next few days, just in case.

Luckily, at the next team practice, Xu Fanming showed up wearing the new ivory-colored sneakers.

Now that Xu Fanming was wearing the shoes, He Jiang felt like his mood had been lifted completely. All the irritation he had been holding onto vanished. Even while shooting, he found himself getting distracted, eyes trailing after those new sneakers as they moved across the court with quick, agile steps.

They looked so good on him. Just like he had imagined.

He Jiang could not stop staring. His heart felt light. Just knowing that Xu Fanming would keep wearing them, that he would remember him every time he laced them up, made it hard not to smile.

By the time practice ended, he could not hold back any longer. He cornered Xu Fanming and pulled him into the locker room, then planted a kiss on his cheek like it was some sort of prize.

Of course, He Jiang had aimed for more than just a kiss on the cheek. But the moment he wrapped an arm around Xu Fanming’s waist, trying to get close again, he was met with a vicious kick to the gut from the angry little raptor. And that was the end of it.

In the end, He Jiang clutched his stomach and buried his face in the wall. “Fanming, can you go a little easier next time?”

Xu Fanming had acted on instinct. He had not meant to hit that hard, but once the motion started, he had not managed to stop himself. Now, seeing He Jiang wincing in pain with his whole face twisted up, he could not help but feel a little guilty. Turning away awkwardly, he muttered, “Well, you were the one who pounced on me out of nowhere…”

He Jiang sighed and got to his feet, rubbing at his eyes.

“Fine. I’ll let you off this time.” He pointed to the pair of sneakers on Xu Fanming’s feet. “But you better take good care of those.”

Xu Fanming frowned. “None of your business. I’ll do whatever I want with them.”

He Jiang never liked hearing that phrase, “none of your business,” especially when it came from Xu Fanming. But since he was in a good mood today, he let it slide and chose not to argue with a kid over words.

“How is it not my business?” He Jiang’s expression changed as he raised his eyebrows, his eyes gleaming with amusement. He spoke slowly, deliberately stretching out each word as if savoring it, aiming straight for the reaction he knew would drive Xu Fanming mad. “Those shoes are our token of love.”

He lingered on the last four words, adding a mischievous lilt to his tone that sent a shiver straight down Xu Fanming’s spine. The way he said it made Xu Fanming feel like he was about to lose it completely.

Truthfully, when he got home that day and saw the gilded shoe box sitting on the table, Xu Fanming had been caught in a whirlwind of inner conflict. He really did love those shoes to death. But the problem was… they were a gift from He Jiang. A gift. From. He. Jiang.

Then, like a devil’s whisper, that deep and raspy voice suddenly rang in his ears again.

“These sneakers go great with your little white underwear… Baby, I really want to see you in these flashy kicks. Even more, I want to strip off those pants of yours, piece by piece.”

“We could hit the fitting room together, or you could wear my shoes. Pick one, hmm?”

Xu Fanming’s face flushed red, then turned dark. He opened the shoebox, yanked the shoes out, and slapped them down on the counter.

Fuck it. He had already accepted them. Throwing a fit now would just be being petty. Might as well wear them. No reason not to. That damn bastard was such a shameless flirt, always messing with him. Just take it as compensation. Compensation, got it?

In the end, Xu Fanming chose to bow to evil.

So he laced up his brand-new, sparkling sneakers. On day one, the fit was decent. On day two, the number of heads turning on the street was absurd. On day three… okay, why did they feel more and more perfect?

Before he knew it, Xu Fanming had developed quite the attachment to his new treasure.

Setting aside that sneaky bastard, for the record, the shoes were innocent. Ahem.

Just then, while the two of them were still locked in their awkward standoff, Zhu Xuyao happened to pass by and waved excitedly.

“Hey! God He, Fanming!”

He Jiang and Xu Fanming both turned around at the same time. Zhu Xuyao grinned brightly at them.

“What were you two chatting about? Let’s hit the usual court this evening for a game.”

After that weekend trip to buy sneakers, the bond between them all clearly deepened. Outside of team training, they started spending more time together. Zhu Xuyao and Fang Ruihan would often call up He Jiang for casual games, followed by dinner at the campus cafeteria or a nearby restaurant. Their regular spot was the gym just off campus.

With the next round of points-based matches coming up, they had been practicing even harder than usual.

“The schedule’s pretty tight next week. We’ve got two matches lined up,” Zhu Xuyao explained. “Coach wants us to step it up a bit during this stretch.”

He Jiang glanced at Xu Fanming, who shot him a furious middle finger and stomped over to Zhu Xuyao’s side. He Jiang simply shrugged and nodded in agreement.

He had always been the type to go it alone. Whether it was meals, classes, or even bookstore runs, he handled it all by himself. Back then, he never really felt lonely. Maybe he had just gotten used to solitude.

But now, with these people suddenly by his side, there was a strange new feeling stirring in him.

He would not call it unpleasant. Maybe just unfamiliar. But honestly, it did not feel bad at all.

In fact, he was starting to think that a little noise and warmth might not be such a terrible thing.