SSD Chapter 45. Courtside Camaraderie

Fang Ruihan spoke up.

“I used to love watching basketball games back in middle school, but I didn’t start playing seriously until college.” He smiled. “The reason I picked it up in the first place… was because I had a friend who really loved the sport. He was the one who introduced me to it. I never expected that I’d end up liking it even more than he did.”

As soon as Fang Ruihan started sharing his story, the conversation opened up. Since the topic had come up, everyone around the table began to speak more freely.

“I’m pretty much the same as Fanming.” Zhu Xuyao chimed in. “I only played casually in middle school, just messing around after class. It wasn’t until college that I got the chance to join real competitions, so I signed up. To be honest, my mindset has changed a lot along the way. At first, it was just a hobby. But now… at least this year, I really want to win. Seriously win.”

He turned to glance at Pan Yuan.

She smiled quietly, then after a moment of hesitation, began to speak as well. “I… actually liked basketball since middle school too. I always enjoyed watching others play, both the girls’ and the boys’ teams. But I was never that athletic myself, so playing wasn’t really an option. During my freshman year, a senior introduced me to the team, and I became the manager. Because of that, I’ve met some amazing people and gained some really special memories. I’m… honestly really happy about it.”

Zhu Xuyao grinned. Pan Yuan took the opportunity to look toward Tian Yi. “What about you, Captain Tian?”

“Me?” Tian Yi raised one corner of his mouth, showing his small tiger tooth. “I never really gave it that much thought. I played because I liked it. As for how far I’ll go… that just depends on how good I actually am.”

Some of the Yangsheng players laughed and chimed in. “We’re only here because of Boss Tian!”

Tian Yi smiled and took a sip of his drink before adding, “I just did the organizing. These punks were howling every day about wanting to play, so I ended up leading the pack.”

Fang Ruihan exchanged a glance with He Jiang, and in that instant, it all clicked. No wonder Yangsheng naturally formed a team structure with Tian Yi at its center.

“Speaking of which,” Tian Yi looked up, “we still have what, three or four placement matches? The playoffs start next month, right?”

“Yeah,” Fang Ruihan nodded. “We’ve only got three placement games left.”

Xu Fanming, Zhu Xuyao, Wen Qin, and He Jiang all lifted their heads and leaned in, listening closely.

“I went over the schedule already. The final game of our placement round…” Fang Ruihan paused and turned to the four of them before continuing, “we’ll be facing Kongxin from Tech.”

“Kongxin?” Tian Yi’s expression shifted. “When?”

Fang Ruihan gave the date, and Tian Yi went quiet for a moment before murmuring, “We’ve got a game on that day too.”

Fang Ruihan paused, thinking Tian Yi probably meant he was sorry he wouldn’t be able to come watch Qinghuo’s match. But before he could reply, Tian Yi patted him on the shoulder and said firmly, “We played against Kongxin last year. Just be careful. All of you.”

Wen Qin and Xu Fanming exchanged a glance. Tian Yi continued, “Everyone on Kongxin’s team is tough. None of them are easy to deal with.”

Those words brought back memories Fang Ruihan hadn’t thought about in a long time. His lips pulled into a faint, bitter curve. After a pause, he raised his glass, took a slow sip of sake, and let out a quiet sigh that seemed to dissolve into the air around them.

Xu Fanming suddenly felt a trace of unease.

Back during a team meeting, Captain Fang Ruihan had briefly brought up Qinghuo’s history with Kongxin. It was Zhu Xuyao who had said that it was the most brutal game they had ever played. Part of the reason they changed the team’s name was to start fresh, and truthfully, no one really liked bringing it up anymore.

Xu Fanming suddenly recalled the player he had seen during the Yangsheng match. Xing Yunyang from Kongxin.

That sharply defined face. Those strong, sculpted features…

What kind of team could make Qinghuo react with such caution and dread? The thought made his stomach knot, but at the same time, it stirred something close to anticipation.

“Thanks,” Fang Ruihan finally said, placing his glass down gently. He looked Tian Yi in the eye with quiet resolve. “We will.”

“No matter what,” Tian Yi said as he raised his cup again, prompting everyone to stand and join him, “getting to play against Qinghuo today was nore than worth it.”

Fang Ruihan smiled. “Here’s to what lies ahead.”

“Three, two, one—” The hot pot bubbled over, and someone shouted:

“Long live basketball!”

On the court, athletes tear themselves apart fighting to the final whistle. But once the game ends, they are brothers again, sharing drinks and stories, laughing about the past and dreaming about the future. This is what makes sports what it is. The friendship forged in fire and sweat.

As the dinner wound down, He Jiang noticed that Xu Fanming had gone to the restroom a while ago and still hadn’t returned.

He Jiang decided to check. He stepped out of the room, bypassed the bathroom, and made his way to a small outdoor balcony at the back of the restaurant. Xu Fanming was there, squatting on a stone bench with his back against the wall, quietly doing something out of sight.

He Jiang walked a little closer and faintly caught the sound of cheerful humming coming from Xu Fanming’s direction.

He’s even humming a tune?

He Jiang smiled, stepped lightly around behind him, and bent down slowly. Then, he reached out and pinched Xu Fanming’s cheek. It was warm and soft, and he smelled faintly of alcohol.

“Someone’s in a good mood.”

A hand suddenly grabbed his face from behind, and Xu Fanming nearly toppled off the stone bench in fright. When he saw who it was, he struck back immediately with a retaliatory little raptor-claw to the arm.

“Mind your own business. Keep your hands to yourself!”

He Jiang laughed. He was starting to realize just how easy Xu Fanming was to read. His emotions were written all over his face. When he was down, the gloom around him dragged the whole room with it. When he was happy, the joy radiated from him without filter.

Just like now. After winning the game, closing the gap on the scoreboard, and pulling off a few flashy plays, he was glowing with excitement. So excited he had wandered off on his own to hum tunes under the moonlight and quietly enjoy the feeling of victory.

He Jiang sat down beside him, planning to keep him company for a while. “Fan-dad’s feeling pretty pleased with himself, huh?”

“What? I’m not excited at all.” Xu Fanming said it with a straight face, but he kept swaying his shoulders, humming under his breath, and flashing that grin. His eyes sparkled, and every line of his face was filled with pride and satisfaction.

“This is only the beginning.”

By the time they left the hot pot place, He Jiang’s watch showed it was already ten at night.

The dinner with Yangsheng had been a great time. Before parting, everyone exchanged contact info. After leaving the hot pot restaurant, Fang Ruihan and Wen Qin shared a cab back to campus with Tian Yi. A few taxis came and went, and in the end, only Zhu Xuyao, Pan Yuan, Xu Fanming, and He Jiang were left.

Pan Yuan, Xu Fanming, and He Jiang all lived on the same campus. As for Zhu Xuyao, he was just shamelessly refusing to leave.

He kept throwing hints at Pan Yuan. “Yuan Yuan, how would you rate my performance today? Out of ten. Be honest.”

Of course, what he was really trying to do was remind her of their earlier deal. The one where she said that if he played at eighty percent or better in the next game, she’d agree to go see a movie with him.

Pan Yuan remembered perfectly well. She pretended to think for a moment, then looked troubled. “But I think that movie’s already out of theaters…”

Before she could finish, Zhu Xuyao whipped out his phone like a magician, pulled up a ticket confirmation, and gave her a dramatic bow. Then he held out his hand like a gentleman, smiling playfully. “No worries at all. The tickets are already taken care of. Private screening, VIP room, max-tech giant screen, deluxe two-person experience. Everything is ready. Just waiting on the lady. So, Miss, may I have the honor of your company?”

Pan Yuan burst out laughing and, playing along, placed her hand in his. She cleared her throat and said with mock reluctance, “Alright then… I suppose I’ll go, just this once.”

And with that, the two of them hopped into a cab and disappeared into the night, speeding off toward that luxurious private theater.

They disappeared in a cloud of exhaust, leaving He Jiang and Xu Fanming standing there in the wind, completely thrown off.

A second later, Xu Fanming turned and bolted toward the opposite side of the street. He didn’t get far before He Jiang caught up to him, grabbing his hoodie to stop him in his tracks. Xu Fanming tried to struggle, and He Jiang wrapped an arm around his waist.

Xu Fanming looked like he was about to cry. He had deliberately avoided drinking even a drop tonight, trying to stay sharp and alert. But he still hadn’t managed to escape He Jiang’s clutches.

“Let go of my hoodie!” Xu Fanming thrashed, nearly landing a kick square to He Jiang’s knee.

He Jiang winced in pain, then tightened his hold even more. Leaning in close, he blew softly against Xu Fanming’s ear like a complete menace. “Why are you running? I’m not going to eat you.”

The moment he felt that breath, a wave of tingling shot through Xu Fanming’s ears, and goosebumps rose all over his arms.

He covered one ear with his hand and shoved at He Jiang with the other. “Shut up! I’m going back to campus. Leave me alone!”

“We finally won a game today,” He Jiang said with a soft smile. “Fan-dad, you were the star.”

Xu Fanming’s face flushed red. “So what?”

“How about we grab two bottles of beer and head to my place,” He Jiang said, his lips curving upward. “We can put on some music, talk for a while, and give our MVP the honor he deserves.”

Xu Fanming was truly happy about the win. Over the course of the game, he had come to understand a lot more than before.
At this moment, all he wanted was to sit quietly on a balcony somewhere, run through the details of the match in his mind, look at the moon, maybe hum a tune and enjoy a moment of peace by himself.

He Jiang, on the other hand, kept trying to drag him back home. But Xu Fanming had no intention of going. The idea of being alone with He Jiang made him uneasy in ways he couldn’t quite explain.

“We already celebrated with everyone earlier!” Xu Fanming shoved off He Jiang’s grip, looking flustered. “I’m going back. Stop following me.”

He Jiang saw the reluctant look on his face and went quiet for a second. Then his tone shifted slightly. “Alright. But… don’t you want your meal card back?”

Xu Fanming froze. He suddenly remembered the meal card and wallet he had left at He Jiang’s place a while ago. The last time they had barbecue, He Jiang had returned the wallet but deliberately kept the meal card. What he had said at the time was, Come get it yourself next time you visit.

Xu Fanming’s face flushed with anger. He glared at the person in front of him, and forced two burning words through his clenched teeth. “He Jiang.”