TT Chapter 17. Reunion

Compared to Pei Yiyao, who tossed and turned through the night, Chen Ting slept soundly all the way until morning, even dreaming sweetly.

When he finally woke, it was already eight thirty. He yawned and stretched, then gradually remembered he had slept over at the Pei residence. But when he turned to the side, Pei Yiyao was already gone.

Twenty minutes later, Chen Ting went downstairs. Ruan Xin had just come out of the kitchen with a bowl of salad and called him over for breakfast.

“Cold food on an empty stomach isn’t good. Have a glass of milk first,” she said. Then she warmed up a cup of milk for him and added a plate of bacon and eggs.

“Thank you, Auntie Ruan.” Chen Ting sat down obediently. His gaze drifted over the empty living room, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Where are Uncle and Pei Yiyao?”

“Your uncle went to work. As for Yiyao, he went out for a run first thing this morning and still hasn’t come back. No idea what kind of mood he’s in,” Ruan Xin said as she cradled her Beef Noodle and absentmindedly rubbed the dog’s head.

In a mood?

Chen Ting was surprised that a phrase like that could even be used to describe someone like Pei Yiyao. But it was his mother who said it, so of course he wasn’t going to question it. The two of them chatted as they ate, the atmosphere relaxed and pleasant. About half an hour later, Pei Yiyao finally returned.

Ruan Xin got up to prepare his breakfast. “Go take a shower and come eat.”

By the time Pei Yiyao sat down to eat, it was already past nine.

Chen Ting noticed that something felt a little different today. Pei Yiyao seemed quieter than usual. Remembering what Ruan Xin had said earlier, he started to wonder if something had actually happened. He was just about to ask when Pei Yiyao spoke first.

“Want to go play basketball later?”

“Basketball? Did Xu Yiming invite you again?” Chen Ting asked.

“Yeah.” Pei Yiyao paused, then added, “Wang Chaoshuai found someone to help him.”

Hearing that name, Chen Ting couldn’t help but smile. He had actually forgotten what the guy’s real name was. All he remembered were the words Wang Chaoshuai (Super Handsome Wang).

“But I have work at the café after three. Will we have enough time?”

“We will.”

And that was that. Once Pei Yiyao finished his breakfast and said a quick word to Ruan Xin, the two of them rode off on their bikes again, heading back to the same basketball court as last time.

This time, when they arrived, Wang Yuze wasn’t there yet. Only Xu Yiming was present, bored out of his mind, practicing his shots alone.

“Yiyao! Ting ge!”

When Xu Yiming saw them, it was like spotting long-lost relatives. He dropped the basketball and ran over to greet them, his plump body surprisingly agile as he moved.

Pei Yiyao instinctively stepped in front of Chen Ting and asked, “Where’s the guy?”

Xu Yiming scratched his head. “He’s not here yet. Why don’t we just shoot around first?”

Pei Yiyao was about to reply when footsteps sounded behind them.

“That’s them?” a man’s voice asked. It was unfamiliar, yet for some reason it sounded oddly familiar.

Chen Ting turned around. Backlit by the sun, he saw a man who looked like he had walked out of a fashion magazine. He really did resemble a model, taller than Pei Yiyao, with broad shoulders and long legs. His features were sharp, even striking, and there was something almost delicate about the way they came together. He had an androgynous sort of beauty, especially with that silk scarf tied around his neck.

Next to him was someone all too familiar. Wang Yuze.

“That’s them, cousin. The tallest one is the best at basketball…” Wang Yuze murmured. Except his so-called whisper was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Xu Yiming marched forward, first giving the man a once-over, then turning to Wang Yuze with a look of utter disdain. “Wang Chaoshuai, we agreed no drama for a month. It hasn’t even been three weeks, and you’re already backing out?”

Wang Yuze raised an eyebrow. “A month means a month. I’m not backing out. I’m just here to play basketball. What’s the problem with that?”

Xu Yiming clearly didn’t buy it. “So you lose, and then go crying to your family? How childish can you get?”

“Who brought backup first?!”

“Who? I don’t see anyone.”

Wang Yuze was furious. Did he want things to go down like this? Of course not. But his cousin had been too busy to come until now. If not for that, he would never have had to see this smug fatass looking so pleased with himself.

Xu Yiming didn’t even bring a single friend with him today.

But right then, the man Wang Yuze had called cousin did something that left everyone surprised. He turned to Chen Ting and gave a gentle smile. “We meet again. What a coincidence.”

Chen Ting looked more surprised than anyone. “I’m sorry… have we met?”

The man gave a helpless shrug. “You don’t remember me? I’m Gao Duo.”

Gao Duo? The name rang a bell. Chen Ting tried to think. But that’s how memory works sometimes. When you don’t need it, it lingers in your mind every day. But when you do need it, it refuses to show up.

“We saw each other just two weeks ago,” the man added kindly.

Suddenly, something clicked in Chen Ting’s mind. The owner of the café, wasn’t his name Gao Duo? But when they met two weeks ago, he looked like a wild hermit who’d just wandered out of the mountains. Now that he was cleaned up, the difference was shocking.

No wonder Yang Shulin called him a beauty. He really was beautiful.

“Hello, Senior.” Chen Ting, as both an employee of the café and a junior student, felt he’d already been rude enough by not recognizing him right away. Of course he had to fix that immediately.

Chen Ting then introduced Pei Yiyao to Gao Duo. Xu Yiming was left blinking in confusion and quietly tugged at Pei Yiyao’s sleeve. “Yiyao, you’re from the same school? Ting ge looks like he’s getting along pretty well with that guy… how are we supposed to play like this?”

Pei Yiyao didn’t answer. His eyes remained cold as they stayed fixed on Gao Duo, who was still chatting with Chen Ting. He couldn’t bring himself to feel even a trace of goodwill toward the man.

But Chen Ting clearly enjoyed the conversation. He had been smiling the whole time.

“Didn’t expect to run into you here, Senior. Da He was just wondering yesterday when you’d show up at the shop again.”

“Was he? I bet he just wants to ask when I’m baking another cake. Trying to work me to death.”

“Da He says nothing from outside compares to the cakes you make.”

“You think so too?”

“I do.”

“Then which one do you think tastes the best?”

“…”

As the conversation galloped off into a full-on discussion about cake, Xu Yiming felt like the air around them was getting colder by the second. Pei Yiyao frowned slightly and said, “Sorry, I’m on a tight schedule. Are we playing or not?”

Gao Duo turned to look at him. He could sense the hostility from this freshman, clear as day. But so what? Gao Duo raised an eyebrow, took off his jacket, grabbed the basketball from Wang Yuze, and gave Pei Yiyao a beckoning gesture.

“Come on.”

Two top players facing off. The sidekicks were practically buzzing with excitement.

Xu Yiming and Wang Yuze were both hyped in their own way. Chen Ting, on the other hand, was the calmest of the group, mainly because he had no idea who he was supposed to be rooting for.

On one side was his friend. On the other was his boss. No matter how he looked at it, this was a tough spot to be in. But deep down, Chen Ting still hoped Pei Yiyao would win. After all, they were on the same side. Switching allegiances mid-battle was the ultimate betrayal.

At that moment, Pei Yiyao used a feint to get past Gao Duo. But Gao Duo’s skills were top-tier, and his physical ability was just as impressive. With a sharp pivot and a long reach, he snatched the ball right back.

Chen Ting couldn’t tell how technically advanced these moves were, but he was completely caught up in it, eyes glued to the game. It had been more than twenty minutes since the match started, and neither of them had made a single shot.

Interceptions. More interceptions. The entire game was a battle of steals. Offense was defense. There could only be one king on this court.

“Yiyao, steal it! Get him!” Xu Yiming was red in the face with excitement, itching to run onto the court himself. Chen Ting, though tense and keyed up, couldn’t help feeling a strange thrill.

Whether it was Gao Duo, who had shed his youthful awkwardness and now moved with a confident, mature charm, or Pei Yiyao, cold and striking with his unshakable presence, either one, on their own, was dazzling enough. But now, the two of them clashing on the court, their opposing personalities and energies collided and sparked in a way that was impossible to look away from.

A basketball court was a coliseum of youth.

Pei Yiyao’s expression was focused and sharp, more intense than Chen Ting had ever seen. The two moved quickly across the court, pressing in, pulling back, each movement catching the sunlight as sweat flicked from their skin.

“It’s in! He made it!” Xu Yiming shouted with pure joy as Pei Yiyao finally broke the deadlock, sinking a textbook-perfect shot straight into the hoop.

But only three minutes later, Gao Duo caught him during a brief pause and pulled off a powerful play to tie the score.

Once the deadlock was broken, the game quickly entered a fierce back-and-forth phase.

Chen Ting watched with full concentration. He leaned forward, hands clenched in fists, cheering silently in his mind.

The game finally ended when Gao Duo ran out of energy and called it off. When they counted the score, Pei Yiyao had won by two points.

“Cousin, why’d you stop?!” Wang Yuze was visibly frustrated, especially when he saw Xu Yiming grinning like he had just won the lottery. He looked so annoyed it was as if even his nose had bent out of shape.

Gao Duo rolled his eyes and said, “You go play if you want. That freshman’s too intense. My new hairstyle is about to fall apart.”

Wang Yuze was speechless.

So even your cousin’s dignity doesn’t rank higher than your hairstyle?

Pei Yiyao had won, but he didn’t look particularly pleased. Chen Ting handed him a bottle of water, then turned to Gao Duo with a smile. “I didn’t think you’d be that good at basketball too, Senior. Do all tall people come with hidden talent or something?”

Chen Ting thought he was being funny.

Pei Yiyao’s face darkened.

Because Gao Duo was approaching again. He walked up with a bottle of mineral water and smiled at Chen Ting. “I’m heading back to campus and stopping by the café on the way. Want a ride, Ting Ting? I can take you.”

Wang Yuze chimed in helpfully, “Yeah, my cousin drove here.”

Heh. If I can’t win the game, maybe I’ll poach your teammate instead.

Chen Ting had no intention of accepting the offer. He had come with Pei Yiyao, so naturally he should leave with him. But just as he was about to speak, Pei Yiyao grabbed his right hand.

Then stepped in front of him, blocking his view.

Pei Yiyao looked at Gao Duo, his voice cold and detached. “He’s leaving with me. Do whatever you want.”