Yang Kaikai felt as though he had "lost the bait along with the fish," having truly shot himself in the foot. Why did he have to be so loose-lipped and mention Qiu Minmin’s name!
Everyone had their own little secrets and unspoken worries.
Fei Cheng had bought a box of band-aids early on and tucked them into his pocket. He intended to give them to Qiu Minmin because he remembered that when he first played basketball, his dribbling technique was wrong, leading to a split fingernail. A split, bleeding nail in the dead of winter—that sensation was truly "exquisite."
Back then, he hadn't taken it seriously, simply enduring it with a grimace while practicing even harder. After a month, dried blood was a constant fixture in the crevices of his nails. Thinking back now, it was a goddamn miracle he hadn't ended up with an infection.
Given a second chance, he certainly couldn't just sit by and do nothing.
However, he had a lot on his mind. He hadn't managed to strike up a conversation with Qiu Minmin yet, and whenever they crossed paths, she tended to avoid him. This made him hesitate, not quite daring to step forward and disturb her.
Thursday morning was the only PE class of the week for Grade 11, Class 1.
To make it easier to move around, Yu Qing and Cheng Yifei had shed their heavy coats before leaving the classroom. They wore only base layers under their winter school uniforms, giving off a very autumnal vibe.
Fei Cheng walked beside them, yawning. He clearly wasn't very interested in PE, as aside from the assembly and the 800-meter run, the rest of the time was free period.
He didn't have a basketball to play with, he couldn't go back to the classroom, and there weren't many guys in the class he could talk to. As for the girls... forget it. Two periods of this were bound to be incredibly boring.
Yu Qing’s eyes were always the sharpest. Before Fei Cheng could even finish his yawn, Yu Qing got excited. "Cheng-cheng, Class 3! Do you see the people from Class 3?" He scanned the crowd for the silhouette of his brother's crush, his information network proving reliable as always. "I heard Class 3's PE teacher took a leave of absence. With the tournament next week, there's no way Class 3 would give up a chance for PE, so our teacher is subbing for them!"
Fei Cheng scanned the crowd on the playground and asked, "Both classes are having it together?"
Yu Qing nodded thoughtfully. "Should be. Otherwise, why wouldn't Class 3 go back to their classroom?"
"That’s good then," Fei Cheng murmured, instinctively touching the band-aids in his pocket. They were still there. This should make it easier to give them to her.
Yu Qing didn't hear him clearly and, for once, didn't press for details.
As soon as the bell rang, the sports representatives of both classes began to organize their respective lines.
After the two classes finished their 800-meter runs one after another, they were dismissed for free activities as usual.
There were four basketball courts on the playground. Between the two classes and the split between boys' and girls' teams, the space was perfectly allocated.
The PE teacher was explaining some precautions and dribbling techniques, and many students gathered around the edge of the court to watch the tournament participants train.
Fei Cheng also joined the excitement, but he gravitated toward the Class 3 girls' team. He stood inconspicuously among the Class 3 boys, observing Qiu Minmin, who had her hair tied in a ball bun.
Qiu Minmin was listening intently to her homeroom teacher. From time to time, she would pluck up the courage to offer suggestions. The Class 3 teacher seemed to think highly of her, adopting her ideas and remembering to praise her afterward.
Qiu Minmin gave a shy smile, but within seconds, she was serious again.
Seeing such a proactive and upwardly mobile Qiu Minmin, Fei Cheng felt a slight sense of estrangement in his heart. It had been too long; he couldn't remember what his own state of mind had been when he played this basketball tournament back then.
Had he been as serious and hardworking as she was now?
Regardless, he really wanted to take a photo of the radiant Qiu Minmin, but unfortunately, he didn't have a mobile phone yet and couldn't preserve the moment.
Fei Cheng stayed in the crowd and watched Qiu Minmin play basketball for an entire period. He had thought he would be relatively familiar with Class 3—after all, it was the class he used to belong to—but he wasn't. He found it difficult to find a sense of belonging here.
He was no longer a member of Class 3. He only felt a one-sided sense of kinship toward his former classmates, and based on their attitude toward him, that kinship had dwindled from thirty percent to a mere ten.
It seemed everyone was reminding him of who he was now.
After finishing his training, Yu Qing wanted to ask Fei Cheng if he wanted a drink, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He asked Cheng Yifei, who was currently wiping away sweat, "Where did Cheng-cheng run off to again?"
Cheng Yifei looked around and tilted his chin. "Class 3."
Yu Qing looked over and let out a surprised cry. "Our Cheng-cheng has made progress! He finally dares to talk to his crush! Wait, what’s that in his hand?"
They were a bit far away, so they couldn't see clearly.
Cheng Yifei squinted, guessing, "It looks like... band-aids?"
Yu Qing nearly collapsed. "He’s giving her band-aids?! Not a drink, not snacks, not a gift, but band-aids? Has he lost his mind?"
Cheng Yifei thought for a moment, then suddenly started laughing, though he tried to hold it back. "The road to winning over a wife is long and without end."
Yu Qing: "..."
Fei Cheng had waited for an entire period, and he finally caught Qiu Minmin when she was alone. Without a word, he walked toward her. The feeling of being face-to-face with Qiu Minmin was like looking in a mirror—both strange and familiar.
He pulled out the band-aids and handed them to the bewildered Qiu Minmin. "Your hand is bleeding. Here, take this box of band-aids. Don't wrap them too tightly, and change them every four hours. Um... it should feel a bit better and won't hurt as much."
Qiu Minmin stared blankly at the band-aids. Having run into him so often, her guard against Fei Cheng wasn't as high as before, but this...
She glanced at Fei Cheng and firmly declined. "Thank you, but there's no need. It'll get better soon after the basketball game is over."
Fei Cheng blocked Qiu Minmin as she tried to leave, stuffing the band-aids directly into her hand. "Don't be nervous. I just think you play basketball really well and I'm rooting for you. I don't have any other intentions. I'm going back to my class now. Good luck!"
"Wait..." Qiu Minmin wanted to say something else, but Fei Cheng had already turned and left.
She looked at the band-aids in her hand, which still held a trace of his warmth. It was awkward...
Fei Cheng breathed a sigh of relief after delivering the band-aids. Finally, he didn't have to carry a box of band-aids out with him every day. Without using this method, Qiu Minmin would never have accepted something from a stranger. He hoped she wouldn't throw them away. She probably wouldn't, right?
He ran back to Yu Qing and Cheng Yifei, his face still carrying a hint of hesitation.
Yu Qing clenched his fist and punched him lightly on the shoulder blade, winking. "Not bad, Cheng-cheng! You actually dared to go talk to her. Were you rejected? Why the face?"
Fei Cheng said honestly, "Her nail split and was bleeding, so I gave her band-aids. She didn't want them, so I just stuffed them into her hand. I'm wondering if she'll turn around and throw them away."
"Why would she throw them away? Band-aids aren't worth much anyway." Yu Qing curled his lip. "She's been playing basketball for a whole period; she must be thirsty! You didn't even buy her a bottle of water. You've got no moves."
"Get out of here. Can drinking water fix a hand?"
"Ooh, look at you, already feeling protective?" Yu Qing teased.
Fei Cheng said intentionally, "Duh. If I didn't care, would I bother giving her band-aids?" He had even thought about buying Yunnan Baiyao, but he guessed Qiu Minmin definitely wouldn't accept that.
Seeing that he was serious, Yu Qing stopped being snarky and comforted him. "She won't throw them away. Maybe she'll even put one on later. Stop wandering off to other classes. Watch me and Yifei play in the next period. We decided to have a friendly match with Class 3 to test the waters."
Fei Cheng nodded. "Sure. Are the girls having a friendly match too?"
"I swear, your head is just full of Qiu Minmin! Even a basketball game has to involve her." Yu Qing grumbled, but still answered, "Not sure. That depends on what the girls decide for themselves."
He had shouted too loudly, and the people around them all looked over. Liu Yucong and his group were not far away. Hearing Yu Qing's words, they all snickered at Fei Cheng with disdain.
Cheng Yifei shrugged, not caring much about the gossip. "Stop talking and get ready to play." He tossed the mineral water in his hand to Fei Cheng. "Be a bit more subtle. Otherwise, everyone will know, and 'Big Eyes' will definitely call you in for a chat."
Subtle...
Yu Qing stifled a laugh.
Fei Cheng picked up the bottled water and made a motion as if to throw it at him. "I'm just showing concern for a classmate. Anyone who thinks otherwise just has a dirty mind."
Yu Qing made a face and signaled Cheng Yifei to enter the court.
The class monitors of Class 3 and Class 1 acted as referees.
The basketball court was surrounded by people. Students from Class 3 stood on the left, and Class 1 on the right. Everyone's face shone with anticipation, the heated atmosphere dispelling the cold air.
Fei Cheng held Cheng Yifei and Yu Qing's school jackets, watching them dribble, defend, pass, and shoot. Compared to the other students who cheered when a basket was made and shouted encouragement after a mistake, he was remarkably calm.
The first half was fine, but by the second half, as class was nearly over, the scores were neck and neck. Just as Liu Yucong grabbed the ball and leaped up, someone from Class 3 leaped up as well. But it wasn't to block the shot—it was to push Liu Yucong directly to the ground.
"Holy shit!"
The watching students cried out in shock.
Liu Yucong was pushed mid-air, and the sound of him crashing to the ground was enough to make anyone wince.
The basketball rolled away, ignored. Cheng Yifei and the other teammates were the first to check on Liu Yucong's injuries, and students from outside the court rushed over as well.
Fei Cheng saw that Liu Yucong's face had gone pale with pain. He lay on the ground clutching his arm, motionless, cursing anyone who even slightly touched him.
Cheng Yifei supported his neck and helped him sit up. After checking the abrasions on both his elbows, he looked up and signaled Yu Qing to help him take Liu Yucong to the clinic at the school gate.
Liu Yucong's three buddies followed them. Just then, the bell rang. The students from Class 3 looked at each other; without offering an apology, they turned to leave.
With no one leading a protest, Class 1's monitor remained silent. The students of Class 1 had plenty of anger but nowhere to vent it.
Fei Cheng hesitated for a moment, then blocked the Class 3 monitor who was about to leave. He looked him straight in the eye and said, "You're not going to apologize? What's the name of the guy who hit our forward? Your class can't handle losing. Anyone with eyes could see he pushed our forward on purpose."
The Class 3 monitor’s lips moved, and he looked toward the students who had been playing.
Those guys walked over, shoved Fei Cheng aside, and pulled their monitor away, shouting, "Class is over, class is over! We're done playing."
Fei Cheng didn't panic after being pushed. He watched their retreating backs, then turned to look at his own monitor, Liu Yiyang, who hadn't said a word. He asked, puzzled, "What are you afraid of?"
Liu Yiyang seemed to want to explain, but after glancing at Fei Cheng, he didn't bother.
Fei Cheng: "..." He didn't understand where Liu Yiyang's contempt for him came from. Logically, since the start of the semester, his grades had proven stable. Even if he wasn't a top scholar, he was a high achiever. Why were some people simply unwilling to see him in a new light?
Because Fei Cheng had been the first to speak up, the other students finally reacted, questioning Liu Yiyang why he hadn't said anything. As the class monitor, he hadn't taken the lead to defend his own classmates when Class 3 had clearly fouled and bullied them!
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 创口贴 | Band-aid / Adhesive bandage | |
| 体育委员 | Sports representative | A student officer in charge of sports activities. |
| 班长 | Class monitor | A student leader in a Chinese classroom. |
| 前锋 | Forward | Basketball position. |
| 盖球 | Block | To block a shot in basketball. |
| 大眼 | Big Eyes | Likely a nickname for a teacher (possibly the Head of Grade or a strict teacher). |
| 刘易阳 | Liu Yiyang | Name of the Class 1 monitor. |
| 友谊赛 | Friendly match | |
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