SSD 54. Go Win It

Time flew by like a white horse passing through a crack. In the blink of an eye, the day before the match had arrived.

By tomorrow afternoon, they would finally face the legendary Kongxin on the court. Xu Fanming was so excited he dragged Zhu Xuyao to practice with him the whole afternoon and refused to let him go even when their stomachs were growling.

Zhu Xuyao was running on fumes by then, and his movements had grown sloppy. He missed shot after shot from the three-point line, not a single one landing. Frustrated, he scratched his head and muttered, “Let’s call it, Fan Dad. My shooting’s off today. Give me a break.”

“Can you show some goddamn ambition?” Xu Fanming barked as he kept practicing his own shots. “The match is tomorrow! Get your ass in the zone for Dad!”

Zhu Xuyao was baffled. He couldn’t figure out why not a single shot was landing today. His long-range accuracy was usually one of the better ones on the team. Still, with that thought in mind, he stepped back once more, planted himself just behind the three-point line, and launched the ball—

It hit the backboard with a loud smack and dropped to the floor.

Zhu Xuyao wiped his face with a bitter laugh. “Tch, my form’s trash today. Guess even the heavens don’t want me practicing.”

Xu Fanming frowned but still roped him into going through a few more drills. When he saw that the guy could barely keep up anymore, he finally relented and let him go. Zhu Xuyao bolted the second he got the green light.

Xu Fanming went to the dining hall by himself and grabbed dinner. After eating, he felt oddly empty, like if he didn’t find something to do, he’d just spiral into overthinking. But what was there to do? Solo practice felt pointless, and the thought of scrolling aimlessly on his phone back in the dorm made him even more restless.

With that mood hanging over him, he started wandering aimlessly around campus, treating it as a way to walk off the meal. After a while, he happened to run into Pan Yuan, who was carrying a book and looked like she was on her way to class.

“Hey, Fanfan!” Pan Yuan smiled and waved at him.

She was majoring in a very competitive field, the kind with a brutal course load. Between all her packed lectures and assignments, running into her on campus wasn’t all that surprising. Xu Fanming walked up to her, and she gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Didn’t think I’d run into you on my way to evening class. The match is tomorrow, what are you doing out here?”

“Just walking around. I ate too much and felt bloated.”

Pan Yuan chuckled. “Then how about walking me to class?”

He had nothing better to do, so Xu Fanming agreed without hesitation. “Sure.”

The two of them started chatting casually as they walked. Along the way, Xu Fanming remembered what Zhu Xuyao had told him last time about not overthinking things. So today, he paid a little more attention and naturally held back from saying too much to Pan Yuan.

Pan Yuan spoke up just then. “You’re playing at Kongxin’s gym tomorrow. Are you nervous at all?”

“Huh?” Xu Fanming only then realized she meant it was an away game. He scratched his head. “Maybe just a little…”

“The captain actually cares a lot about this match…” Pan Yuan turned her head and gave him a small smile. “And he really believes in you! Fanfan, you might be the youngest on our team, but everyone respects you. We all believe you’ve got what it takes.”

Xu Fanming flushed and gave a small, embarrassed cough. “…Really?”

“Of course.” Pan Yuan laughed and gave his shoulder a light push. “So what I’m saying is, you don’t need to stress too much. Just do your best in tomorrow’s game. However it turns out, what really matters is the process!”

Xu Fanming frowned slightly, but in the end, he nodded seriously. Just then, the two of them passed by the campus milk tea shop, and Pan Yuan veered toward it. “Tell you what, let this senior buy you a cup of milk tea. Let’s all go give it our best tomorrow!”

With her so warmly offering, Xu Fanming naturally couldn’t refuse. In the end, Pan Yuan left with her books for the teaching building, and Xu Fanming walked her up the stairs, then headed back along the tree-lined path with a cup of pearl milk tea in his hands.

He took a few sips. He had never really understood why He Jiang was so obsessed with sugar, but now… maybe he sort of got it.

Did sweet things actually help relieve stress?

It was that same cup of milk tea that kept Xu Fanming tossing and turning late into the night, unable to sleep, the taste clinging to his tongue, sickly sweet and overwhelming. How did girls drink this stuff?

Unable to sleep, he ended up just lying in bed playing on his phone. Somewhere in the middle of it, a message popped up from He Jiang.

Wind: Fanfan, you still awake?

The moment he saw the message, Xu Fanming could practically hear He Jiang leaning in to whisper that line into his ear… and his whole body broke out in goosebumps.

Hot Guy Chasing the Wind: ……

It was only after sending that message that Xu Fanming realized he had never changed his WeChat name. Panicking, he scrambled into the settings and switched it to “Anonymous Handsome Guy.” But before he could even catch his breath, a call from He Jiang came through.

He accidentally tapped “accept.”

“Fanfan, still up this late?” came He Jiang’s low voice from the other end.

“Can’t sleep.”

“Mm?”

Xu Fanming smacked his lips, still tasting the syrupy sweetness. Wanting to wash it down with something else, he muttered, “I don’t know. Maybe… I want something to eat.”

“Sure,” He Jiang sounded genuinely pleased. “Barbecue?”

The moment he said that, Xu Fanming instantly pictured it in his head—grilled skewers, sizzling smoke, bright lights. And once the image was there… his stomach started growling too.

Fine. It wasn’t like he could sleep anyway…

After wrestling with it for a while, Xu Fanming finally clenched his teeth and gave in. “Let’s go!”

The barbecue stall was packed and lively, like a miniature night market. A server led them to a table, and as soon as they sat down, He Jiang noticed the shoes on Xu Fanming’s feet. It was the pair he had given him.

Xu Fanming had actually taken his advice and kept them in pristine condition, not a scuff on them. They looked good as new.

That warmed He Jiang’s heart. As he watched Xu Fanming slowly sip his buckwheat tea, he was suddenly struck by the impulse to pull him close and kiss him right then and there in front of everyone.

Of course, it stayed just an idea.

“Fanfan, any plans after this?” He Jiang blinked playfully. “Grill’s done, how about we go play a few rounds of streetball…”

“What are you even talking about?” Xu Fanming cut him off, clearly in disbelief. “It’s almost one in the morning.”

He Jiang thought about it and realized he had a point. He might be a night owl, but for Xu Fanming, this hour usually meant deep sleep.

The barbecue arrived quickly. Watching Xu Fanming gnaw on meat skewers and sip his juice, a new thought suddenly occurred to He Jiang.

Come to think of it, every time they hung out, the only thing they ever talked about was basketball. But he actually really wanted to talk about other things too—flavors, movies, music, anything. Just getting to know Xu Fanming more made him feel happy. The problem was, every time he so much as edged toward a topic outside their usual range, the alert little raptor would instantly whip his tail around and slam shut whatever little window had just barely opened.

But tonight, Xu Fanming seemed to be in a good mood.

“You’ve got an older sister, right?” He Jiang asked out of nowhere.

“Mm,” Xu Fanming took a sip of orange juice. “She’s graduating this year. Why?”

He Jiang rested his chin on one hand with a smile. “You two look alike?”

Xu Fanming paused, his expression flickering with something complicated, like he’d just recalled a very unpleasant memory. He Jiang only smiled wider.

“So what if we do,” Xu Fanming muttered, then took a vicious bite of deep-fried eggplant. “She only ever helps my mom yell at me.”

He Jiang pictured two raging raptors screeching at each other in a domestic standoff and couldn’t help snorting with laughter.

Xu Fanming saw the look on his face and was about to lash out when He Jiang quickly waved it off and shifted the conversation. “Where does your sister go to college?”

Xu Fanming named a city, and He Jiang’s gaze softened slightly as he smiled. “That’s where my mom works too.”

The moment he said that, Xu Fanming immediately recalled something. During the match against Shuanglan, He Jiang’s mom had stopped by to visit him. Now that he thought about it, the vibe at the time had been kind of weird. He Jiang’s mom stood out in the crowd. She was elegant and beautiful, but her expression remained cold and distant the whole time. It left the group of boys stiff and awkward, not knowing how to greet her at all.

In the end, Xu Fanming had come to a simple conclusion. Th.e entire He family is weird. Best to steer clear and not get involved.

He Jiang saw Xu Fanming’s face shifting through a dozen expressions and had no idea what kind of nonsense the guy was overthinking again. With a grin, he reached out and pinched Xu Fanming’s nose, dragging his attention back. “Next time… how about you introduce us?”

“Us?” Xu Fanming swatted his hand away and blinked in confusion. “Who and who?”

“Me and your sister.”

Xu Fanming’s eyes flew open. He was momentarily speechless. This was probably the first time He Jiang had ever brought up wanting to meet someone from his family. It caught him so off guard he didn’t even know how to react.

“Pft, as if! She’s not your sister!” He snapped out of it and immediately shut it down. “No way! Not happening!”

“Why not?”

“There is no ‘why.’ Just no!”

He Jiang’s expression suddenly fell. “…”

Xu Fanming had been bracing for another round of back-and-forth, expecting He Jiang to argue like he always did. But instead, He Jiang just sat there with that pitiful look, which left Xu Fanming staring in confusion. Why was he so interested in his family anyway?

“My sister’s busy most of the time…” he mumbled, looking away and scratching at his temple. “And besides, she already has a boyfriend.”

He Jiang blinked. For a moment, he was at a loss. “Wait… what are you even thinking?” Realizing that Xu Fanming had misunderstood, He Jiang couldn’t help laughing. He covered his face with one hand and said, “That’s not what I meant at all…”

Xu Fanming popped a piece of grilled chicken liver into his mouth and muttered, “…How am I supposed to know what you mean.”

He Jiang sighed. “I said I wanted to meet your sister because of you.”

Xu Fanming looked confused. “What does that have to do with me?”

In the end, He Jiang gave up trying to explain.

Forget it. He’d bring it up another time.

So the two of them dropped the subject and got back to clearing the table. Once the food was gone, they walked back toward campus, full and satisfied, strolling along and letting the night air settle their stomachs.

At two in the morning, the night wind carried a chill, and even the streetlights had dimmed a little. Sleepiness was starting to creep up on Xu Fanming. Listening to the soft crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, his vision began to blur slightly.

All of a sudden, almost without thinking, he called out, “He Jiang.”

“Mm?”

“Tomorrow’s game…”

He Jiang smiled. “Nervous?”

Xu Fanming didn’t answer right away. He thought for a while, then quietly nodded.

He Jiang suddenly stopped walking. Sensing the pause beside him, Xu Fanming turned his head to meet his gaze. He Jiang spoke softly. “Fanfan, think carefully about what it is you really want.”

Xu Fanming answered. “I want to win.”

“To prove something to your family?” He Jiang chuckled. “You know it’s just a points match. There’s no TV broadcast.”

Xu Fanming’s voice dropped. “I still want to win.”

He Jiang looked at the person in front of him. Those stubborn eyes, just like always, shining with that fierce light. It was captivating. A smile slowly tugged at the corners of his lips. He gave a small nod.

“Then go win it.”

It was just a short sentence, but it sank into Xu Fanming’s chest like a slow-acting sedative, calming everything inside him.

Earlier in the day, even Pan Yuan had noticed his anxiety and had encouraged him kindly, telling him not to worry too much. But somehow, her words hadn’t really stuck. Now, hearing the same thing from He Jiang, Xu Fanming suddenly felt something shift. Like, if He Jiang said he could do it, then maybe… he actually could.

Others comforted him by saying the process mattered more than the result. But He Jiang genuinely believed Xu Fanming would win.

Xu Fanming blinked hard, forcing his eyes open. After a long pause, the tension around his mouth gradually softened.

“If we win this match,” he murmured after a moment of thought, “do you think we’ll be written into Qinghuo’s team history?”

He Jiang narrowed his eyes with a smile. “How would you want it to be written?”

“‘The Little Tyrant SF, Xu Fanming, led the Qinghuo squad to crush Tech’s provincial second-seed Kongxin, even toppling their strongest center, Xing Yunyang…’”

He Jiang grinned as he watched Xu Fanming reciting this in the tone of a sports announcer, full of confidence. Halfway through, he suddenly pointed behind him with a startled expression. “Ah, Xing Yunyang?”

Xu Fanming flinched and turned around, but there was nothing behind him. Only scattered pools of light on the ground, filtered through the thick leaves above. It finally dawned on him that it was already two thirty in the morning. The streets were completely empty. How could Xing Yunyang possibly be here?

“You bastard, how are you this—”

Before he could finish, the last heated syllable on his tongue was swallowed by He Jiang.

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*SF: Small forward. PG: point guard; SG: shooting guard; PF: power forward; C: center.