SSD Chapter 29. Drunk

Later, Xu Fanming went back to drinking. He didn’t even look at the labels. He just cracked open one can after another and kept drinking. The bitter, burning alcohol hit his stomach hard, and his drunkenness deepened. Eventually, he ended up hugging the toilet, vomiting until even his steps started to wobble.

He Jiang held him up and helped him sit on the toilet lid. Xu Fanming just sat there with a blank look on his face, like he wasn’t even sure what he was thinking anymore.

He hadn’t eaten much during dinner, and now he was downing alcohol like it was water. No matter how He Jiang tried to talk him down or drag him out of the restroom, he refused to budge. In the end, He Jiang had no choice but to head out to the front desk and order some porridge and snacks, bringing them back with him. The sight of him carrying food into the bathroom was nothing short of absurd.

He also made a quick stop back at the private room to grab his phone. On the way out, he ran into Zhu Xuyao, who looked concerned and asked, “God He, how’s Fanfan doing?”

“He’s drunk. Threw up,” He Jiang replied simply.

Then he reached out and casually grabbed half the bowl of peanuts from the table.

By the time he got back to the restroom, Xu Fanming was half-asleep, slumped against the toilet. He Jiang called his name twice. No response. At this point, Xu Fanming had no strength left, and He Jiang had run out of patience.

He finally sighed, grabbed a warm towel, and wiped Xu Fanming’s face. He tried to be gentle, but his movements were still rough, like he was about to scrub the skin right off. The little raptor, half-awake and half-asleep, groaned in discomfort the entire time.

His jacket was filthy too, so He Jiang took it off and tossed it into the trash. Then he put his own jacket over him instead. When he was finally done, Xu Fanming rubbed his eyes and slowly woke up.

He Jiang placed the food on the sink. “Here. Eat something.”

At first, Xu Fanming was fussy, but his stomach was growling so badly that he gave up and let He Jiang handle everything.

He Jiang lifted him onto the sink counter, then brought over the fish porridge and steamed dumplings, holding them up to his mouth.

The fresh taste of porridge, the sweetness of the dumplings, and the lingering bitterness of beer churned together in his stomach, making him feel sick all over again. He Jiang ended up tossing out the half-eaten food and patiently switched to feeding him peanuts instead.

This time, Xu Fanming didn’t resist. Eyes shut, he sat quietly. Eyes shut, he sat quietly. Every time He Jiang fed him one, he just opened his mouth and ate it. After a few peanuts, He Jiang suddenly felt an itch in his chest he couldn’t shake.

Xu Fanming’s face was still flushed. Faint, slurred sounds slipped out from between his lips now and then. He Jiang started messing with him on purpose, ruffling his hair and tugging at his nose, but Xu Fanming didn’t react at all.

That completely unguarded look made He Jiang feel like he was seeing something ridiculously cute.

Maybe he was tired, or maybe he had just burned through all his energy earlier. Now, finally, Xu Fanming had gone quiet.

He Jiang leaned in a little closer, his gaze softening as he looked at Xu Fanming’s face. After a short pause, he gently called his name.

“Fanfan?”

Xu Fanming didn’t respond, so He Jiang picked up another peanut and held it to his lips. Xu Fanming sensed something brushing against his mouth and instinctively bit down. His lips touched He Jiang’s fingertips, and the warm, damp brush of his tongue slid past them. Soft. Burning hot.

He Jiang’s whole body tensed up. That brief touch sent a strange tingling through him.

With food in his belly and alcohol in his blood, drowsiness started to kick in. While Xu Fanming was still groggy, He Jiang hoisted him up and carried him out of the bathroom, away from the heavy stink of booze.

He Jiang felt like a nanny. This was the first time in his life he had ever taken care of someone like this.

He brought Xu Fanming back to the private room and laid him flat on the sofa. Then he stepped back out to call the KTV manager, asking for someone to clean up the mess in the restroom. If anything needed to be paid for, they could call him directly.

When He Jiang returned, he found that Xu Fanming was now surrounded by a group of teammates.

One of them, clueless, blurted out, “Why’s Fanfan so flushed?”

“He must be in a really good mood today,” another said with a naive smile. “After all, he’s the one who wanted to win the most.”

He Jiang looked at Xu Fanming lying still on the couch. It wasn’t clear if he was asleep or just ignoring everyone, but he didn’t move at all. His neck was red from the alcohol. He Jiang couldn’t help finding it both funny and a little exhausting.

When He Jiang returned, he found that Xu Fanming was now surrounded by a group of teammates.

One of them blurted out, “Why’s Fanfan so flushed?”

“He must be in a really good mood today,” another said with a naive smile. “After all, he’s the one who wanted to win the most.”

Xu Fanming lay motionless on the sofa and fell into a deep sleep.

He dreamed of something that had happened a long time ago.

It was back in his second year of middle school. That was when he had just started making a name for himself in their school’s basketball crowd. Nearly every student who played knew there was this kid on the outdoor court who ruled the game like a little tyrant.

Back then, Xu Fanming had only been playing basketball for a year, but his talent already outshone the rest of his peers. The boy everyone called a “basketball prodigy” was obsessed with seeking out stronger opponents to challenge.

That was when a friend told him, “I heard there’s a long-range shooter at the school next door. No one in our district has been able to beat him one-on-one.”

The way his friend hyped him up made the guy sound like a legend. Xu Fanming just grinned. “Oh yeah?”

That competitive streak in him started to stir.

Eventually, he set off excitedly to find this long-range specialist. The guy was in his third year, a grade above Xu Fanming, and a little taller too. When Xu Fanming approached him with a challenge, he was all polite and respectful, calling him senior and sincerely asking for a match. He looked just like a young martial artist trying to test his skills. It was hard to say no.

Unfortunately, the senior was swamped with schoolwork and exam prep. He didn’t have time for basketball. When Xu Fanming found him, the guy was sitting in his classroom, eating while reading a textbook. After being turned down, Xu Fanming didn’t give up. Every few days, he would show up at the neighboring school and try again. He’d wait outside the classroom during breaks, and when the guy wasn’t around, he’d leave a note with his classmates.

After the third or fourth try, he finally gave in a little and called him out into the hallway, but it was only to turn Xu Fanming down once again.

Even then, Xu Fanming wouldn’t quit. “Just one game, senior. One match is all I ask.”

The senior was in his third year of middle school. Because of the pressure from upcoming entrance exams, he had made a firm decision not to touch a basketball for a whole year.

But Xu Fanming’s persistence had started to wear him down. To be honest, after months without touching a ball, his hands were itching to play.

In the end, he agreed to the challenge.

Xu Fanming’s friends in the basketball circle were thrilled. They praised him for being able to get that senior to agree, said he was seriously impressive, and told him to play well and not embarrass himself too badly. Xu Fanming cursed them all out as idiots, but inside, he was riding high.

After all, this senior was well known for his long-range shots. Ever since moving up to third year, he had sworn off basketball to focus on studying. A lot of people who had wanted to challenge him had been disappointed. Xu Fanming knew this was a rare chance, and he valued it.

They agreed to meet that Friday at four in the afternoon. Since the senior’s grade had evening self-study, the only time he could play was during the dinner break. But that day also happened to be the midterm at Xu Fanming’s school. At four, the final subject, English, would have only just started.

Xu Fanming did the math. Getting from his classroom to the senior’s school would take at least half an hour round trip. A proper game would take at least that long, maybe longer. If it got competitive, even an hour wouldn’t feel like enough. There was no way he’d make it back in time for the exam.

And even if he did, there wouldn’t be enough time to finish the test, and he’d probably get chewed out by the teacher.

So that was that. He decided to skip the test.

It was the first time in Xu Fanming’s life that he had ever skipped an exam. Deep down, he was a nervous wreck. He was scared of getting caught, scared of being yelled at and punished. As much as he loved basketball, he had never skipped class, never skipped school, let alone lied to both his teachers and parents. Normally, he was pretty well-behaved. The worst he ever did was oversleep and show up late once in a while.

But just this once, he told himself it was a special case. An opportunity like this didn’t come twice. He weighed it carefully. One test didn’t matter. So he ran.

And he really did it. Before leaving, he told his deskmate to keep quiet. If the teacher asked, just say he went to the restroom. The English proctor was a woman, so chances were she wouldn’t go check the boys’ bathroom herself. At most, she might send a male student to look for him when the exam ended. As long as Xu Fanming made it back before that, he would be fine. The plan felt perfect.

What he didn’t expect was how badly he had underestimated the guy’s skills, and just how thrilling this game would turn out to be.

Before the match, Xu Fanming took his warm-up seriously. He even dribbled the whole way there. By the time he reached the schoolyard, the senior had just finished memorizing a text and was walking out of the classroom.

The game began right then and there.

The one-on-one between Xu Fanming and the senior was an intense and beautiful match. Both of them gave it everything they had. For the senior, it was a warm reunion with something he had long missed. For Xu Fanming, it was the thrill of facing a strong opponent. He was full of fire and didn’t show the slightest hint of fatigue.

After a couple of rounds, Xu Fanming had a rough sense of the gap between them. The long-range ace lived up to his name. For someone in their third year of middle school, his three-pointers were ridiculous. Every shot landed clean, like it was second nature. Xu Fanming was shorter, and every time he lowered his center of gravity and focused on guarding the lower half, the senior would just shoot high over his head, sinking the ball with perfect control.

But Xu Fanming had his own strengths, and he knew them well. He had outstanding speed and explosive jumping power with plenty of room to grow. The third time the senior tried to score over him with another long shot, Xu Fanming exploded upward and blocked the shot clean.

That moment earned him the senior’s recognition. With a grin, the older boy gave him a thumbs-up.

“Not bad at all.”

Xu Fanming felt like his heart had bloomed.

As the game went on, more and more students gathered around the court to watch. There were boys and girls, and every so often someone would cheer. Some were praising the senior’s long-range skills, while others were amazed at Xu Fanming’s potential.

Xu Fanming enjoyed the feeling of going head-to-head with a strong opponent under the watchful eyes of a crowd. Playing basketball made him feel truly happy. Sweat soaked through his jersey, but his heart felt light. With the ball in his hands and the opponent in front of him, it felt like nothing else mattered.

Once in a while, a question crept into his mind. What time was it now? But that thought never stayed long. Before he could think it through, he was already throwing himself back into the game with even more effort.

Good moments never lasted long. The intense match came to an end much faster than expected, and everything turned upside down the moment a woman showed up on the court.

Back on the sofa, Xu Fanming’s expression began to shift. The ease in his face slowly tightened. Even in sleep, he looked uneasy. His brows were furrowed.

After a bit more noise and joking, the victory dinner came to an end. Fang Ruihan went to pay the bill. By then, it was already half past eleven at night.

Someone asked, “How’s everyone getting back to campus?”

Pan Yuan was typing something on her phone. A moment later, she looked up and said, “My roommates just finished a movie nearby. I’ll go back with them.”

“It’s pretty late. Not too safe for a few girls to walk on their own,” Zhu Xuyao said. “I’ll take you. Once you’re back at the dorm, I’ll grab a ride home.”

Pan Yuan thought for a moment, then nodded. The other guys also started saying they could carpool or catch the bus. Fang Ruihan glanced over at the sofa, where Xu Fanming was lying and sound asleep. He let out a quiet sigh. They had all been drinking tonight, and even he could feel the alcohol starting to hit. He might not be in the right shape to look after Xu Fanming.

And the only other person from the same campus as Xu Fanming was He Jiang.

Before Fang Ruihan could figure out what to do, He Jiang spoke up.

“I’ll take him back,” he said.

“You’re going back to campus too?” Fang Ruihan asked.

“I’m renting a place off-campus,” He Jiang said. “But he’s in no condition to go back alone. I’ll take him.”

Fang Ruihan suddenly remembered the strange kind of balance that existed between the two of them. Every time Xu Fanming saw He Jiang, he seemed ready to explode, but somehow, He Jiang always managed to get him under control with some method no one could figure out.

After a moment of hesitation, Fang Ruihan gave a nod. “Be careful on the way.”