Shen Yannan pushed the bar to 28 centimeters without any apparent effort. When he stood up, he glanced at his score, his expression unreadable—neither satisfied nor dissatisfied.
But Jiang Wei was certain of one thing: if anyone else had achieved that score, they would have been jumping for joy. It seemed to be the highest result so far.
"Why do you all look so shocked?" Shen Yannan asked, amused by the slack-jawed expressions of the crowd, especially Jiang Wei’s. "Did I never mention it? I practiced judo for a year."
"Next, Jiang Wei," Coach Lu called out.
Jiang Wei sat on the mat with a sense of trepidation. For the first time, he felt that having long legs was utterly useless for anything other than aesthetics; just looking at the equipment in front of him made the reach seem like an impossible distance.
However, he quickly adjusted his mindset. Closing his eyes, he bent his waist and mentally repeated a mantra three times: *It’s just losing a little face, no big deal.*
At that moment, the person behind him who was supposed to help was forced to swap places with Tang Zihe.
Watching the "Academic God" lean over to support Jiang Wei’s shoulders and push him forward, Shen Yannan realized for the first time just how contrarian and awkward this top student could be. If he had a phone to record this scene, it would be enough to keep him laughing for a year.
When Jiang Wei finished, Shen Yannan pulled him up. Jiang Wei hadn't noticed that his helper had changed and offered a sincere word of thanks.
Shen Yannan accepted the gratitude quite shamelessly, having no intention of revealing the truth.
"I don't know what you were so worried about. You reached twenty just by stretching your arms, and with a little push, you hit twenty-five. If Xia Shan heard about your 'worrying,' he’d drown you in spit."
"That’s disgusting," Jiang Wei muttered, involuntarily imagining the scene.
His earlier anxiety hadn't been an act, though. While he had done physical fitness tests before, that was years ago. He had no idea what his current flexibility was like. The tests he had undergone over the past two years didn't include flexibility.
Perhaps it was because *that person* didn't consider flexibility a necessary criterion for evaluation.
"Jiang Wei! Now that you're done, come play ball!" Ding Banfan’s voice drifted over from the court. He was alone on that half of the court, looking somewhat solitary.
"Hey! Coming!"
The enthusiasm of youth has a way of making one forget many things—for instance, the leg injury he had been so worried about a moment ago was now completely cast to the back of his mind.
Tang Zihe couldn't find a good enough reason to stop him, so he could only watch with a dark expression as the boy ran off.
Ding Banfan dribbled the ball. "Xia Shan went to buy water. Want to shoot some hoops while we wait? Or we could go one-on-one."
"One-on-one with you? I think I'll stick to shooting practice," Jiang Wei laughed, shaking his head.
Ding Banfan tossed the ball to Jiang Wei and made a "please" gesture.
Jiang Wei walked to a spot just under the basket. Without jumping, he flicked the ball up with one hand.
"Your shooting has improved a lot since the start of the semester," Ding Banfan commented from the side.
"Really?" Jiang Wei retrieved the ball and moved to a different spot. "Thanks for the compliment."
Xia Shan was strolling back from the vending machines when he saw Ding Banfan waving at him and pointing at the water bottle in his hand.
*You're playing so hard, but walking a few steps to get this is going to kill you?*
Xia Shan took a large gulp, twisted the cap, and threw the bottle toward them with all his might.
Ding Banfan tracked the arc of the bottle while remembering to warn Jiang Wei to step aside, lest Xia Shan’s poor aim result in a direct hit.
But as the bottle began its descent, Ding Banfan realized something was wrong.
By the time he saw the droplets of water spraying out and realized what the problem was, it was too late. His physical reflexes were faster than his brain; he reached out and caught the bottle.
Subconsciously, he squeezed it hard.
Jiang Wei felt a jet of water blast toward him. He only had time to turn his body slightly to avoid a direct hit to the face.
"Holy crap! Xia Shan, you did that on purpose, didn't you?! Throwing it over without tightening the cap!" Ding Banfan’s face was also splashed. He cursed as he wiped his face with his sleeve.
"Bullshit! I definitely tightened it!" Xia Shan protested, though he felt a bit guilty and nervous—especially when he saw that nearly half of Jiang Wei’s shirt was soaked.
"I'll argue with you later." Ding Banfan turned his gaze to Jiang Wei. "You okay?"
"I'm fine..." Jiang Wei tugged at the fabric clinging to his skin, clearly disliking the sensation.
"You could stand in the sun while it's still out. Maybe the clothes will dry faster," Xia Shan suggested sheepishly.
"I should put your brain in the sun to evaporate the excess water instead," Ding Banfan muttered, picking the cap up from the ground. There was a visible crack in the plastic; it was likely that Xia Shan had used too much force and snapped the cap while trying to tighten it.
Just as he was about to continue the argument, he looked up and froze.
There was a small patch of black on the back of Jiang Wei’s right shoulder. The wet fabric clung to his body, making the outline blurry, but it was enough to be shocking.
*Is that a tattoo?*
Before he could ask, Jiang Wei’s expression shifted as if he already knew what the other was thinking. His face stiffened, and he reached up to touch the black mark before forcing a standard smile. "A friend took me to get it. Don't tell anyone; if Li Zhuang finds out, I'm dead."
Ding Banfan nodded dumbly.
"Brother Jiang, what did you get tattooed? Does it look cool?" Xia Shan asked curiously.
Jiang Wei paused, then shook his head. "It’s... something meaningless. It doesn't look good."
"I'm going to wash my face and dry off in the sun. You guys keep playing."
Just as Jiang Wei reached the outdoor sinks, he ran straight into Tang Zihe.
God help him. If Jiang Wei had to vote for the person he least wanted to see right now, Tang Zihe would be a very close second—right after Li Zhuang.
Tang Zihe had just finished helping Coach Lu move the equipment and was planning to head to the court to watch the game. Seeing Jiang Wei with half his clothes soaked, he frowned and asked, "What happened?"
They had only been apart for a few minutes. Had he gone off to have a water fight?
Jiang Wei took two steps back and waved his hand dismissively. "Just a little accident. I'm here to wash my face and air out my clothes."
Tang Zihe remained silent for a few seconds. The two stood there in a standoff until he finally spoke. "Then go wash. Why are you standing there staring at me?"
"Because you're handsome, and I wanted to look a bit longer," Jiang Wei lied effortlessly, the words rolling off his tongue. "By the way, weren't you heading to the court? You can go ahead; I'll find you in a bit."
"No need. I'll just wait here."
*No, it's not the same! It's not the same at all!* Jiang Wei thought despairingly. Why was he always the one most subject to Murphy’s Law?
"Fine... okay."
Jiang Wei knew he couldn't hide it anymore. He turned decisively toward the sink, using the sound of running water to drown out his own thoughts.
Sure enough, the moment Jiang Wei turned around, Tang Zihe noticed the tattoo on his right shoulder. Although he could only see the silhouette, the content of the tattoo wasn't what mattered to him; it was the fact that there *was* a tattoo at all.
Tang Zihe stepped forward, trying to keep his voice casual. "When did you get that?"
"A while ago... exactly how long... I forgot. A friend took me." Jiang Wei answered evasively. He couldn't explain why, but he felt a strange sense of guilt.
"A friend?" Tang Zihe repeated the words, then asked, "What is the design?"
"Just a meaningless pattern."
"Is it?"
"...Yeah."
Tang Zihe didn't say anything else, but he took two more steps forward.
Jiang Wei was still oblivious, shaking the water droplets from the stray hairs on his forehead.
As if possessed by a sudden impulse, Tang Zihe reached out. Through the thin, wet fabric, his fingertips brushed against that small patch of skin.
Jiang Wei’s entire body suddenly convulsed. He spun around and violently slapped the hand away. Because of the sudden movement, his waist slammed into the edge of the sink with a dull thud.
"Don't touch me!"
The sharp cry pierced the air. Tang Zihe didn't even register the stinging on the back of his hand; he was staring directly into Jiang Wei’s terrified eyes.
Rapid, ragged breathing filled the air. Jiang Wei’s heart was racing at an abnormal, violent pace. It was as if the world around him had shattered into fragments; he couldn't even see the other person's expression clearly. Instinctively, he lowered his head, covering his ears, and collapsed onto the ground, heedless of his image.
Tang Zihe stood frozen, not daring to move.
If anyone else had walked in at that moment, they would have surely thought they were witnessing an act of school bullying.
After a few minutes—or perhaps longer—Jiang Wei’s breathing finally leveled out. His limbs were still weak, and he had to lean heavily against the sink to force himself to stand.
"I'm sorry... I think... I want to be alone..."
His voice was a rasp he couldn't normally produce. Jiang Wei seemed unaware of it, simply rubbing his head and walking away with his head down. He stumbled as he went, not even caring where his feet landed.
Tang Zihe understood that the "sorry" in that sentence didn't even carry one percent of an actual apology; it was a blunt warning for him not to follow. He wanted to be alone.
Ultimately, what had just happened was entirely Tang Zihe's fault.
He was the one who should be apologizing.
But clearly, there was no opportunity for that now.
He could only stand there in the wind.
It wasn't until his classmates began returning to the classroom in small groups that Tang Zihe started heading back. He turned his head every few steps, trying to scan the playground for Jiang Wei’s figure, but as expected, he found nothing.
He never imagined that even after the bells for the end of the break and the start of the next class had rung—even after half the class period had passed—Jiang Wei still wouldn't have returned to the classroom.
And outside, without any warning, it had begun to pour.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
柔道 | Judo | A Japanese martial art.
李壮 | Li Zhuang | Likely a teacher or school official; "Zhuang" means strong/sturdy.
墨菲定律 | Murphy's Law | The adage that "anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
学神 | Academic God | A slang term for a top-tier student who excels effortlessly.
