SSD 57. Qinghuo vs. Kongxin: He Jiang’s Old Friend

Back in his first year of high school, Yuan Dan joined the school basketball team by chance and played in a few friendly matches representing his alma mater.

At first, Yuan Dan’s skills were nothing to brag about. At best, he barely counted as someone who could play basketball. So naturally, he spent most of his early days warming the bench.

But Yuan Dan was eager to learn and had a great attitude when asking for advice. The seniors and coaches liked that about him and were more than happy to teach him both technique and tactics. Over time, he worked his way up to become one of the team’s mid-to-high-tier players.

Then He Jiang joined the team.

He left a deep impression on Yuan Dan.

Whenever a new player joined, the team would usually welcome them with the same casual routine. But He Jiang always gave off a distant vibe, like he had no real interest in socializing. At the time, Yuan Dan, like everyone else, didn’t pay him much attention.

That changed after a particular game. He Jiang performed exceptionally well that day, sinking five stunning three-pointers in a row. Nearly half of the team’s total points came from him. From then on, he became a breakout star, and gradually earned the team’s admiration and respect.

After that, they played in more games together, and the team’s bond deepened. But even so, He Jiang always kept a certain distance from everyone. Yuan Dan found himself more and more intrigued by him.

In daily life, Yuan Dan was the quiet type, not someone who talked much. He Jiang was the same. But they weren’t quite alike. Yuan Dan played basketball just for fun. He Jiang, though, was like someone born to rule the court. Yuan Dan could still remember it vividly. On the court, the seventeen-year-old He Jiang shed the ordinary skin of a high schooler and stepped into golden armor. His eyes lit up with brilliance, dazzling and commanding.

He must really love basketball, Yuan Dan thought at the time.

After one of their games, the team threw a celebration party. As usual, He Jiang didn’t attend. But this time, Yuan Dan also skipped it. He quietly trailed He Jiang all the way back to his neighborhood, but in the end, He Jiang spotted him and pulled him out from behind a pile of dried weeds.

“You looking for me for something?”

Yuan Dan stammered for a while, then finally managed to squeeze out a single, awkward sentence.

“I… I want to play a game of basketball with you.”

That night, the two of them played until late, sweating it out under the streetlights. As the lights dimmed across the neighborhood and the sounds from the court faded into the night, He Jiang eventually bought two bottles of chilled fruit juice from a 24-hour convenience store. Each of them took one and lay down side by side on the ping-pong table, staring up at the stars.

Yuan Dan’s face flushed with excitement as he asked, “He Jiang, do you think you’ll go pro in the future?”

He Jiang stayed quiet for a while, then finally smiled and said, “Yeah, probably.”

“Then one day I’ll get to watch you play in the CBA?” Yuan Dan propped himself up and turned to look at He Jiang, eyes full of hope. “With how good you are, maybe you’ll even make it to the NBA.”

He Jiang laughed too. Maybe he really was genuinely happy.

After that night, He Jiang still didn’t mingle much with the others, but he did start talking to Yuan Dan. The more time they spent together, the more Yuan Dan felt that He Jiang was like a warrior born for basketball. He was proud, naturally gifted, his skills so far above his peers it was like a crane standing among chickens. And yet he was gentle too. No matter how stupid a mistake a teammate made, He Jiang never scolded them. He would always manage to turn the game back around with quiet patience.

As they grew closer, the others on the team started calling them the “best supporting pair.” The nickname stuck. One center and one guard, the perfect combination.

But only Yuan Dan knew the truth behind their so-called chemistry. It was never mutual. He was the only one trying. He understood every move He Jiang made on the court, memorized his habits and instincts, and did everything he could to match him. And even though it was all one-sided, Yuan Dan didn’t mind. To him, He Jiang wasn’t just a dependable teammate. He was a star, bright, dazzling, and worth chasing.

Back then, they were genuinely happy. Every day was spent practicing hard, drenched in sweat, under sunlight so bright it seemed endless. It almost made Yuan Dan forget that nothing lasted forever.

On the eve of their final high school tournament, a heavy sadness took hold of Yuan Dan. He knew this would be the last time they played a game together. After it ended, they’d enter their final year. He Jiang would go into sports training, and he would begin prepping for college entrance exams. In other words, this would be their last dance.

But Yuan Dan couldn’t accept that. He went to He Jiang, unwilling to let go, and asked the question they both already knew the answer to.

“…Will we ever see each other again?”

He Jiang looked at him and gave a smile. He didn’t say anything. But that smile broke Yuan Dan completely.

It was only then that Yuan Dan realized just how deeply disappointed he was. For so long, he had poured everything into this connection. Once, he could play just fine on his own and feel fulfilled. But now, without He Jiang, even the game itself seemed hollow.

Still, Yuan Dan was determined to finish the final chapter properly. He didn’t want to let He Jiang down.

But with only a few seconds left on the clock, his mind drifted. He mishandled a rebound. His face turned pale in an instant, terrified that He Jiang would be furious. But instead, He Jiang leapt into the air and tapped the ball gently. It dropped through the hoop without a sound.

Crisis averted. That final game became the peak of He Jiang’s entire high school career.

At the post-game celebration, the boys drank a lot. The match had meant everything to them, and now that it was over, it also meant it was time to put their heads down and prepare for the college entrance exams. They all raised their glasses to honor their basketball days, laughing and crying through the night. But Yuan Dan wasn’t like the others. He sat in the corner, crying uncontrollably, because he knew, it was time to say goodbye to He Jiang.

Even at that last celebration, He Jiang didn’t show up. Maybe to him, they had only ever been teammates. Never friends.

Maybe in He Jiang’s eyes, all he ever focused on was the game. How to win. How to play better. He loved basketball so much, there was no room left for anything else.

The last time they saw each other was in the club room. He Jiang had come to pick up his jersey. Yuan Dan happened to be cleaning, and they ran into each other by chance.

Yuan Dan had wanted to say something, anything, to wish him well. He knew He Jiang would be leaving for athletic training next month. But when he opened his mouth, no words came out. Everything he wanted to say got stuck in his throat.

Then He Jiang smiled, stepped forward, and pulled him into a hug. He leaned in and whispered, “Thank you.”

“I know you’ve always tried to match me, and I’ve seen every bit of it. So thank you.”

“Do your best too. Get into a good university. And when we meet again, treat me to a big meal.”

He had known everything. All of it. Every bit of effort Yuan Dan had poured into their games, he had seen it all.

Yuan Dan’s eyes turned red. He reached out, gripped He Jiang’s back, and nodded hard.

After that, Yuan Dan never heard from He Jiang again.

And he never would’ve guessed that He Jiang didn’t go into the CBA. He didn’t even go down the path of professional sports. To everyone’s shock, He Jiang ended up just like him, a regular university student, plain and quiet.

Running into He Jiang again on the court was something Yuan Dan never expected.

When he saw the game schedule, his jaw nearly hit the floor. Captain Tan Ren had looked at him and asked, “You know this He Jiang guy?” Yuan Dan had nodded quickly. “Yeah, we played together in high school. He was my teammate back then.”

And now, in the gym, the moment he saw He Jiang again, a powerful feeling surged through him:

Good thing I never gave up on basketball. Good thing I chose to keep going, so that today, I could meet him again.

These past few months, Yuan Dan had gritted his teeth and kept practicing. He had joined an exceptionally strict team and pushed through intense, punishing training every single day. He had come a long way. He was no longer the inexperienced rookie with average skills and wide-eyed naivety. More than anything, he wanted He Jiang to see how far he had come.

The memory gradually peeled away, and his senses returned to the present. Yuan Dan blinked. The gym snapped back into focus. The noise, the bright overhead lights, the tight score on the board, and in front of him, a boy crouched low, staring him with unyielding eyes and a look of frustration on his face.

Yuan Dan recognized him. He was Qinghuo’s number six, their small forward, Xu Fanming. The king of the street courts. A player who was not to be underestimated.

When had this started? Why was Xu Fanming suddenly locked onto him? It must have been because of that earlier steal.

Yuan Dan kept his dribble tight and threw a few feints with his arms. Xu Fanming tracked him closely, reacting quickly, giving him no room to maneuver. Just as Yuan Dan began to feel the pressure, he caught a glimpse of someone at the edge of the court. He Jiang was watching them.

He swallowed hard and silently promised himself that he would play his best.

Noticing his lapse in focus, Xu Fanming muttered under his breath in clear irritation, “Hey, what are you looking at…”

Maybe it felt like an insult. Yuan Dan’s distraction could have come across as if he were looking down on him. But Yuan Dan only smiled in response. He pulled back a step, keeping control of the ball.

Xu Fanming tensed. Was it a fake? He tried to stay composed, narrowing his eyes to read the next move. But just then, Yuan Dan moved forward instead. He swung his arm sharply, making it look like he was going to pass the ball straight out.

A direct pass? He was not even going to try and push through?

Xu Fanming almost found it laughable. His body moved on instinct, stepping out and throwing a hand in front of the ball, trying to catch it mid-flight. But Yuan Dan had already anticipated this. He pulled the ball back with a quick shift of his wrist, transferred it from his left to right hand behind his back, and in the brief moment that Xu Fanming left a gap in his defense, Yuan Dan threw the ball hard toward the edge of the court.

Zhuo Chang was already there, ready to receive it. The pass landed perfectly in his hands.

It was a clean, connected drive and assist.

Xu Fanming’s brows furrowed even deeper. His frustration only grew.

This guy had stolen the ball from him earlier. Now he had come at him again, but then he passed the ball away without even putting up a fight?

What was that supposed to mean?

It was infuriating.

But Yuan Dan saw it differently.

He knew the gap between their abilities. He could manage an assist, but in a direct confrontation, he likely would not win. Even so, when facing someone as aggressive as Xu Fanming, Yuan Dan still had something he could rely on.

He had his teammates.

He looked up at Xu Fanming and suddenly smiled at him.

He was Kongxin’s point guard. Scoring was not his primary role. In any situation, his job was to get the ball to the right person in the best possible way. That was his purpose on the court.

At this moment, there was no way he could afford to go head-to-head with Xu Fanming. Playing it safe and staying steady had always been his approach, and it was also the Kongxin way.

Besides, if on their very first reunion, he ended up letting his opponent snatch the ball right in front of He Jiang, he would honestly be… deeply embarrassed.

Yuan Dan lifted his eyes and looked toward He Jiang, who was already starting to move across the court. His gaze softened, and a quiet sense of excitement surfaced in his eyes.

What he didn’t expect was that this seemingly minor decision would quietly deepen the tension building between him and Xu Fanming.