Tan Junzi and Yuan Guo were significantly shorter than the four girls from the school’s basketball team. To balance things out, they split into two teams of three, each side taking one of the school team players to lead two others.
At first, everyone played with a light touch. They assumed Yuan Guo was just a "soft girl"—she was barely 1.6 meters tall, thin, and small. They figured one accidental bump would send her into tears. With a "let’s just let her play" attitude, they passed the ball around without much intensity.
However, Yuan Guo caught everyone off guard. Her dribbling was incredibly fluid. Despite her small stature, her twin tails, and her anime-style white over-the-knee socks, she darted through the players like a flash. When she accelerated, she was a blur; Tan Junzi couldn't keep up with her at all. Moreover, Yuan Guo was decisive with her shots. While she lacked the strength for three-pointers, her bank shots under the hoop were unerringly accurate.
The girls' game quickly turned serious. They started keeping score and calling out plays. The atmosphere grew heated; whenever the defense got too tight or a shot was blocked too hard, shouts rang out across the court.
Tan Junzi had been wearing her baseball cap backward, but as the game intensified, she tossed it under the hoop's support pillar. Gradually, a crowd of boys gathered to watch—some from their own group at Tongcheng No. 1 High, and others from neighboring courts. The spectators were full of enthusiasm.
Tan Junzi was competitive by nature and genuinely loved sports. Despite the sweltering heat and the sweat pouring down her face, she ignored the crowd. She lifted the hem of her T-shirt to wipe her forehead, unconcerned about revealing a sliver of her waist. Then, she gathered her hair into a messy bun on top of her head.
She glanced toward the sidelines and spotted Chang Ying. Tan Junzi snapped her fingers at him. Spinning around, she caught a pass from a teammate. Feeling the rhythm, she went for a long-range jumper. The ball swished through the net for two points. It was a lucky shot.
After scoring, Tan Junzi turned back, pointing both index fingers toward the sky. She shouted toward Chang Ying, "These two points are for you!"
The tall boy stood by the sidelines with his hands in his pockets, a faint smile playing on his lips. The sun was fierce, the court was noisy, and the air was thick with heat and clamor, yet he seemed like a cool summer breeze—gentle and serene.
Liu Kan and the others, some standing and some crouching with basketballs at their feet, were stunned. They all thought the points were for them. For a moment, shouts of "Thanks, Tan-jie!" and "Tan-jie, you're the best!" echoed through the air.
The crowd buzzed for a long time.
One boy clicked his tongue and rubbed his chin. "Whatever else you say, Tan-jie’s got amazing legs." The lines of her calves when she jumped were stunning. Zhang Da immediately beaned the guy in the back with a water bottle. "Watch the game, you idiot. Why are you looking at her legs?"
The guy shoved Zhang Da back. "Screw you! If I don't look at the girls' legs, am I supposed to look at yours?"
As they bickered, Yuan Guo received a pass, drove past two defenders, and made a layup for another two points.
A boy patted Liu Kan on the shoulder. "Your little girlfriend is actually pretty impressive."
"Damn right," Liu Kan muttered, his eyes full of pride and smiles.
The girls were getting swept up in the heat of the game. When Tan Junzi missed another three-pointer, hitting the rim with a loud *clank*, she nearly cursed. She wiped the sweat from her brow. The asphalt of the court was dotted with sweat stains; it felt exhilarating.
At that point, a few other girls in athletic gear from different courts came over wanting to join. They reshuffled the teams and started rotating players.
The court was now surrounded by layers of spectators. It was simply too pleasant a sight to miss. There were the tall, long-legged girls from the school team, the unexpectedly skilled "moe" girl Yuan Guo, and the newcomers who looked like they’d stepped out of a manga, probably there to accompany their boyfriends. Many people pulled out their phones to record short videos. On those old Nokia bricks with low resolution, the screen seemed to be nothing but a blur of moving legs.
Tan Junzi was dressed simply in a T-shirt and shorts paired with high-top canvas shoes. Her laces had come undone. She pulled at the front of her shirt to fan herself, resting her other hand on her knee as she panted for breath. "I'm going to tie my shoes. I'm done. Someone else take my spot." She gestured to her teammates and walked off the court toward Chang Ying. Passing under the hoop, she bent down to pick up her baseball cap. She thought about putting it on, but since her head was sweaty, she just held it in her hand.
Joining Chang Ying and the others, she fanned herself with her hand and turned to him. "Got any tissues?"
Chang Ying shrugged. "I actually didn't bring any." He nudged the crouching Liu Kan with his foot. "Got tissues?"
Liu Kan felt his pockets. "Nope."
Zhang Da, standing nearby, pulled out a pack of tissues and offered them to Tan Junzi. She hesitated for a second before saying, "Never mind, it's fine," and wiped her sweat with the back of her hand. She didn't think much of it; she just saw there was only one tissue left in Zhang Da's pack and felt bad taking it. Zhang Da didn't say anything and stuffed the pack back into his pocket.
"How about it, Tan-jie? Why don't we practice over there?" Zhang Da suggested casually, pointing to an empty hoop nearby. "We'll take turns defending. If you score first, I'll buy you dinner tonight."
Tan Junzi gave Zhang Da a strange look. "I'm a girl, playing against you..."
Zhang Da chuckled. "No physical contact, I'll keep it civil."
"No, I mean, if I play against you, I'm afraid you'll cry." Tan Junzi’s tone was light, and the group burst into laughter. *Tan-jie is a legend.* She didn't want to play one-on-one with Zhang Da since they weren't that close, but she didn't want to embarrass him by refusing outright, so she played it off with a cocky joke.
Just then, Chang Ying grabbed a ball with one hand and started walking toward the other side of the court. Tan Junzi tugged at him. "Where are you going?"
Chang Ying looked back and smiled. "Just taking some shots."
Tan Junzi quickly followed. "I'm in!"
The two of them went to the far side and started shooting corner threes, chatting and laughing. When Chang Ying stood still to shoot, Tan Junzi made a move to mess with him, only for him to press down on her head and spin her around in the opposite direction.
Zhang Da watched them from across the court. Liu Kan, cursing about his legs being numb, stood up and patted him on the shoulder. Zhang Da turned around.
"Da-ge, I’m just gonna say it—are you blind or just stupid? Those two are childhood sweethearts. Why are you trying to butt in?" Liu Kan crossed his arms and looked at the court, not at Zhang Da.
Zhang Da replied indifferently, "Are they dating or married? Did they send you an invitation? What do you mean, 'butting in'?"
Liu Kan looked at Zhang Da. "You’ve been in the same class as Chang Ying for three years. Do you really not know him?" He might look like he’s all smiles and easygoing, but try provoking him and see what happens.
Zhang Da started walking away. "I think it's you who doesn't know me."
Their voices were low. The others saw Zhang Da leaving and asked, "What's up with Zhang Da?"
Liu Kan scratched his head. "Probably going for a smoke."
***
That evening, the group agreed to go to a street stall for BBQ. The girls from the basketball team went home, leaving only Tan Junzi and Yuan Guo with six or seven boys.
They found a long table covered in a plastic sheet. Tan Junzi was busy writing on a piece of paper, asking loudly, "Who wants what? Speak up now!"
Everyone called out their orders. Chang Ying had just returned from the cooler with drinks. Since there were no room-temperature ones, he brought back a dozen cans of beer and some sodas. Someone asked, "Chang Ying, what are you eating? Tan Junzi is taking the order."
Chang Ying pulled up a stool and pointed at Tan Junzi. "She knows. I don't need to say it." Then, he took a can of iced tea he’d just grabbed from the cooler and pressed it against his stomach.
The food started arriving, and the conversation grew lively. In the summer twilight, the tables at the BBQ stall were packed with diners. The teenagers laughed and shouted amidst the hustle and bustle.
Tan Junzi took a bite of grilled potato covered in chili powder. It was so spicy it made her gasp, and she scrambled to find something to drink. "Wait, which drink is mine?"
Chang Ying was talking to Liu Kan and didn't even look her way. He simply took the iced tea from his stomach and set it down in front of her. Tan Junzi blinked for a few seconds before picking it up.
Still not looking at her, Chang Ying continued checking out game news on Liu Kan’s phone. He naturally reached out, took the iced tea from her hand, twisted the cap open, and placed it back in her hand.
***
Later, when Tan Junzi went to the owner to order more food, Yuan Guo followed her.
"Yeah, ten more skewers of bean curd skin, ten of..." As Tan Junzi spoke, Yuan Guo leaned in close. "Your boyfriend is quite a catch."
Tan Junzi looked at her. "My boyfriend?" Then she realized Yuan Guo meant Chang Ying.
Yuan Guo nodded. "Wait, he's not?" Among the group of boys, Chang Ying stood out—tall, handsome, with a clear and gentle aura.
"No, we're childhood friends." Tan Junzi turned back to the owner. "Right, and five orders of enoki mushrooms, and more lamb skewers..."
"Really not?" Yuan Guo pressed.
"Really not," Tan Junzi said with a smile.
"If he's not, then can I chase him?" Yuan Guo asked casually.
Tan Junzi turned to look at Yuan Guo, who looked perfectly serious. Tan Junzi blurted out, "No!"
Seeing Yuan Guo’s half-smile, Tan Junzi felt a bit awkward, not knowing why she had been so adamant. She tried to explain, "Wait, aren't you and Liu Kan dating?"
"Why are you so innocent? If someone better comes along, I can dump Liu Kan and find someone new. Even married people get divorced, let alone people just dating. There's no such thing as 'forever' in relationships." Yuan Guo’s words were a stark contrast to her appearance.
She continued, "It's all just for fun. There's no such thing as true love. You should date as many handsome guys as possible while you're young. Otherwise, it's a waste."
Tan Junzi was incredulous. She had initially thought this "moe" girl was being led around by Liu Kan, but it turned out to be the opposite. Then again, Yuan Guo had already proven herself to be full of surprises that afternoon.
For a moment, Tan Junzi couldn't find a rebuttal.
Yuan Guo laughed. "Forget it, I'm just teasing. Even if you gave me a million dollars, I wouldn't touch that childhood friend of yours." Based on Yuan Guo’s experience, Chang Ying was on a completely different level than a simple guy like Liu Kan. Setting aside whether she could even attract him, even if she did, it was hard to say who would be playing whom. She had no interest in tangling with someone like that.
But Tan Junzi felt defensive. She thought Yuan Guo meant Chang Ying wasn't good enough, so she asked, "Why not?"
Yuan Guo rolled her eyes. "You're so strange. I say I'll chase him, you say no. I say I won't, and you look offended."
"I think you just like him," Yuan Guo declared. "You're just being dishonest with yourself."
For the first time, Tan Junzi was left speechless. Her internal emotions were incredibly strange. Because she was so close to Chang Ying—having grown up together like family or siblings—she had never placed him in the "potential boyfriend" category. Did she like Chang Ying? The answer was definitely yes. But that kind of "like" was different from *that* kind of "like." Yet, why had she been so resistant when Yuan Guo said she wanted to chase him?
Just then, the owner nudged Tan Junzi aside. "Hey, kid, move over a bit. The smoke is blowing right on you. Don't you find it choking?"
Tan Junzi looked across the crowded tables at Chang Ying, who was sitting with his back to her.
It was just a run-down street stall with rickety tables and low chairs, greasy everywhere you looked. Chang Ying’s long legs were cramped, and he looked somewhat awkward sitting on the small round stool. The summer night breeze ruffled his short black hair. Occasionally, he turned his head to talk to Liu Kan. His profile was strikingly handsome—the curve of his jaw, the prominence of his Adam's apple, the high bridge of his nose. His thin lips would occasionally press together or curve into a smile as he joked with the others.
As if sensing someone watching him, Chang Ying turned around. His eyes met Tan Junzi’s across the crowd.
Tan Junzi and Yuan Guo walked back to the table. As Tan Junzi sat down, Chang Ying asked, "What was that about?"
Tan Junzi said something completely out of the blue: "Chang Ying, this is the first time I've realized you're actually pretty handsome."
"Oh?" Chang Ying’s expression remained calm. He slowly took a sip of his beer, a hint of something unreadable in his eyes. After a moment, he leaned in and whispered, "The *first* time?"
***
