As soon as the National Day holiday was over, the senior high school students continued to read books, study and write papers, while the sophomores attended classes as normal.
As the school sports meet approached, every class in the first and second year of high school began to get excited, with slogans flying everywhere and shouting loudly, and they rehearsed the formation movements in the playground every afternoon.
Xing Cheng was busy with the school team training, but he still found time to serve as the flag bearer for the school. Ning Xi was in his third year of high school and could not participate, but as soon as he finished his test paper in the afternoon, he looked out the window and saw Xing Cheng standing at the front of the flag bearer formation.
Xing Cheng was wearing a uniform with a tie and shirt, and white gloves on his hands. He was holding a corner of a red flag. His hair was a little longer and was styled with hairspray. He walked steadily to the rhythm of the slogans, looking very dignified.
Ning Xi looked at the few people following behind to protect the flag and they all looked like Xing Cheng.
Xing Cheng below was still worried. He was dressed so handsomely, why didn’t his brother come down to play basketball?
He also told Ren Mei that his brother's attitude towards him had changed a lot recently, and he was so happy that he might die if his brother really did change his mind one day.
Ren Mei went to touch Xing Cheng's collar. He was in a good mood these days, so she smiled and took it back: "You are nagging, aren't you?"
"Oh my, this is incredible," Ren Mei stood at the edge of the track, shaking a bottle of mineral water into her throat, "You owe it to your brother."
Xing Cheng thought the same thing in his heart, and waved the flagpole seriously: "I am Xing Cheng, and only he can calm me down."
Before the evening self-study session started at 7 o'clock, each class in the senior year had to send someone to the printing room to pick up the papers, with the arts and science classes staggered. Ning Xi walked past the science class and didn't see Ying Yuchen come out.
Senior year is on the fourth floor, senior year is on the third floor, and senior year is on the second floor. There are printing rooms on the second and third floors, but they are at the other end of the corridor.
Ning Xi went downstairs and found that he had to cross a corridor to reach the printing room.
He stood at the stairs and thought for a while, vaguely remembering that Xingcheng's classroom was also on this floor.
Ning Xi was considered a celebrity in the school. When he stood at the stairs, the corridor of the second-year students who had just finished their evening self-study became much quieter, and inevitably a few girls ran out of the classroom to see him.
Ning Xi was wearing a school uniform, holding a pen and a form for collecting test papers in his hand. The long sleeves of his school uniform were rolled up. Unaffected by the noise of the second-year high school corridor after class, he kept his eyes fixed forward, not glancing at anyone around him.
Ning Xi walked halfway down the corridor and saw Xing Cheng as soon as he passed Class 3 of the Second Grade Liberal Arts Department.
Xing Cheng was standing at the back door of the classroom, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and his basketball shorts. He was surrounded by a group of boys, who were leaning against the door frame and raising their eyebrows at him.
Xing Cheng was wearing a sports wristband on his hand, the color of which was the same as the wristband he gave to Ning Xi.
Ren Mei looked at Ning Xi who was looking at him, and then whistled. Xing Cheng patted him on the back of his head: "Don't whistle!"
Xing Cheng saw his brother stop walking and continue to lean against the door to look at him. A group of boys nearby also looked over here, nodding and greeting in a low voice: "Brother Xi, Brother Xi..."
At that time, Ning Xi thought that if conditions permitted, Xing Cheng would probably dare to move a soft chair in the middle, and give each of the younger brothers next to him a fan, and start fanning him as soon as he arrived at the door of the liberal arts class.
Xing Cheng saw that his brothers beside him had greeted him, so he also called out, "Brother."
Ning Xi nodded, quickly shifted his gaze, and continued walking towards the printing room in front.
As soon as he left, Xing Cheng directed the group of boys to do what they should do. He also heard that the senior students had to come down to get their papers, so he simply stood at the back door and waited. Maybe he would actually meet his brother coming down.
I really wish the senior high school students would come to get their test papers every day.
At his age, he just wants to look awesome and cool in front of Ning Xi all the time.
As Ning Xi walked, the sophomores in the corridor consciously gave way to the seniors, and a few seniors came one after another from behind.
Ning Xi went to the printing room and got the test paper. He was finally not being stared at by so many people and breathed a sigh of relief. He then recalled how Xing Cheng had just stood at the back door and greeted him with a cocky look on his face.
Only Ning Xi himself knew that the form paper in his hand was twisted by him and the corners were torn.
The first class bell rang. Ren Mei and her group came out of the toilet to smoke, returned to the classroom, sat next to Xing Cheng who hadn't left, and gently pushed him: "Are you still thinking about it?"
Xing Cheng was so worried that he put his chin on his arm and sighed on the table: "I think I was a little stupid just now."
Ren Mei tried to comfort him: "It's okay, isn't this your style?"
"Am I always this stupid?"
"Yeah. No, it's not important."
Xing Cheng nodded, flipped through the exercise book, and decided that he didn't want to do the homework tonight. He turned his head to look at the camera, coughed, and whispered to Ren Mei, "I'm going to sleep for a while. Call me when Lao Zhang starts his lecture."
Ren Mei was very righteous: "No problem, go to sleep, brother!"
Xing Cheng fell asleep with his eyes closed and a book covering his face.
He was woken up by Lao Zhang. He woke up immediately after dozing off and stood up quickly. He looked energetic and the whole class was staring at him.
Old Zhang held the teaching stick and knocked on the desk in a stern voice: "Xingcheng, tell me, what is the answer to this question?"
Ren Mei, who had slept five minutes later than him, also woke up and immediately turned to the book. The people sitting around them were all poor students and knew nothing about anything. But she had to ask first which page he was on.
Old Zhang ignored Xing Cheng standing there stupidly and watched Ren Mei flipping through the book, reminding her, "Page 21."
Ren Mei said "Oh", and hurried to look at one of their brothers who had excellent grades. The brother who was sitting in the front row also turned around, with an anxious expression, and gestured towards Ren Mei frantically, making a "correct" gesture.
The front row and the back row of seats guarding the water dispenser were a thousand feet away. Ren Mei couldn't see clearly. It was vague. In a rush of excitement, she whispered to Xing Cheng, "Choose C."
Xing Cheng was not vague at all: "Choose C!"
Lao Zhang was also clear: "Xingcheng, this is a judgment question."
Who can I blame? I just blame the "correct" gesture because it looks too much like the letter C from a distance.
As Xing Cheng wished, several girls in the back row of Ning Xi's class were missing out on their papers, so he ran to the printing room with the materials.
But it was not the end of get out of class time. Ning Xi came down just halfway through the first class.
There should be no one in the corridor. He walked in a hurry, and before he had taken a few steps, he saw Xing Cheng standing by the window of their class. He was tall and strong, with a math workbook in his hand, doing his exercises by the window.
Xing Cheng really didn't expect that Ning Xi would suddenly come down that day, pass by for the second time, and see his embarrassing appearance.
Xing Cheng did not take the initiative to greet Ning Xi this time. He just stood there like a flagpole, hiding the math workbook behind him.
Xing Cheng nodded with a serious expression.
Ning Xi put his hands behind his back and stopped, just like a leader on an inspection tour.
Ning Xi's eyes were sharp, scrutinizing him from his feet to his head, and he said calmly, "There was a fight."
Xing Cheng tugged at the collar of his wrinkled jersey and immediately denied it: "No."
Ning Xi added: "It's premature love."
Xing Cheng glared: "Impossible!"
Ning Xi glanced at the teacher who was giving a lecture in the classroom, and Ren Mei who had been secretly glancing at the window. He guessed something in his mind and sighed, "Listen to the class carefully. I'll go to the printing room first."
As soon as Ning Xi left, Xing Cheng took out his math workbook and worked on it by the window. At this time, he stared at Lao Zhang who was teaching in the classroom, and suddenly felt that it was not so embarrassing.
Just because Ning Xi was talking to him, he wrote two pages in one breath without even looking at the formulas on the blackboard.
In the evening, Xing Cheng waited for Ning Xi to come home. The wind was even colder at night.
Throughout the entire second year of high school, Xing Cheng was the only one wearing a short-sleeved shirt. He simply snatched the jacket from Ren Mei and kept it in his pocket until the end of the third year of high school.
Xing Cheng twisted the school uniform into a strip, tied it around Ning Xi's neck, and wiped his brother's smooth forehead: "It's cold outside."
Ning Xi was indeed frozen, and even the desire to ride a bicycle was frozen.
He was carrying a school bag and had Xingcheng's clothes tied around his neck. He walked a few steps and saw Xingcheng's pale lips. He pulled the clothes off and threw them on his back: "You take it."
Xing Cheng was startled by the beating: "I'm in good health..."
Ning Xi shook out the school uniform, picked it up, and said coldly: "My health is not good? Put it on."
Ning Xi held up a piece of clothing and urged: "Put it on quickly, or because I care about you..."
Xing Cheng felt that even if Ning Xi gave him a bikini, he would have to wear it on the street.
He put on his school uniform and took the opportunity to grab Ning Xi's hand, which felt very cold as soon as he held it.
Ning Xi was about to pull his hand back, but Xing Cheng held it tightly and threatened him: "A man's cold hands indicate kidney deficiency and a weak heart. I'll buy you some Codonopsis pilosula to drink tomorrow..."
Ning Xi didn't care whether to buy Codonopsis pilosula or not, but he felt that heart weakness was unlikely.
Xing Cheng rubbed Ning Xi's palm and said, "My hands are so hot, which means I am special..."
Ning Xi opened his mouth to stop him from talking like a hooligan: "Stop it."
Xing Cheng shut up and put his schoolbag in front of him to block his and Ning Xi's hands.
Two boys, wearing school uniforms, were walking home from school, side by side on the streets of Chengdu in October. The wind blew at night, and no one could see or hear them.
There were not many people in the senior high school liberal arts class during the break, and Ning Xi was writing with a pen.
After finishing the last geography question, Ning Xi rubbed his slightly sore wrist, stood up, and prepared to collect the geography homework assigned during yesterday's evening study session.
There are still a few days left before the school sports meet. The senior year team has formed a team to play against the sophomores. The school team has been disbanded and all the teams are used to compete against each other.
There are still several months to go before the college entrance examination, and the school has also taken efficient learning into consideration, so it has decided to hold a three-day sports meet and give senior high school students one day off, which will be used for the senior high school students to participate in group events.
The school team will have training later this afternoon, and Ning Xi also plans to go with them, so as not to embarrass the senior class.
Although he is now unsure whether he can defeat Xing Cheng, that guy is no longer as easy to deal with as he used to be, but with the addition of Ying Yuchen, a draw should not be a problem.
Ning Xi went to write the notice on the blackboard. Soon all the homework was handed in. He counted it twice, confirmed that it was correct, and then walked to the office with it.
Ning Xi walked to the door of the senior three office and knocked. A teacher called out "Come in". He pushed the door open and the teacher saw it was him and said, "Your geography teacher went to the senior two office. It seems something happened."
The geography teacher in their grade is familiar with computers and is often called upon to help. He is also a warm-hearted person. Ning Xi often encounters situations where he is not sitting in the office, which he thinks is normal.
He thanked him and was looking forward to meeting Xing Cheng again. He went downstairs to the second grade with a pile of homework.
Before he even reached the office door, he saw a large group of high school students gathered at the door. When they saw that it was him, they all made way for him, but they couldn't stop discussing.
There was a girl with braids who spoke in a hoarse voice, so loud that Ning Xi could hear it: "Impossible, I really think she didn't find it herself. This kind of thing has never happened in Class 2-3 of Senior High School..."
A girl next to him said softly, "Don't worry, the teacher has already adjusted the surveillance camera, just take a look..."
Ning Xi understood and thought that something might have fallen, so he went to the office to ask the teacher.
Class 3 of Senior 2, isn’t this Xing Cheng’s class?
He knocked on the door and went in, and saw their geography teacher fiddling with the computer with a USB flash drive. He said he had gone to the Academic Affairs Office to ask someone to adjust the surveillance footage. He said that the loss of students' money was important, but the students' moral issues were also important.
There were seven or eight teachers gathered in the office, as well as people from the Moral Education Department, and students who came to the office to see the teachers for something and did not leave. There were about ten people in the office, all crowded together, watching the fun.
A particularly gentle female teacher nearby comforted a sobbing girl: "If there is no surveillance video, then go back and look for it, okay?"
Ning Xi's geography teacher, who was fiddling with the computer, asked as he typed, "Are you sure you were not in the classroom only during the lunch break yesterday?"
The girl choked up and said, "Yes... yes..."
The geography teacher nodded: "Okay, let's adjust the lunch break time."
He entered the time, turned his head and saw Ning Xi coming in, and hurriedly greeted him: "Hey, Ning Xi, are you here to hand in your homework?"
Ning Xi nodded: "Hello, teacher."
The geography teacher said, "Okay, okay, put it here. I'm busy here..."
Ning Xi put his homework on the empty table next to the geography teacher. Just as he was about to leave, he found himself being crowded in the crowd, facing the computer, and unable to squeeze out.
More than a dozen people gathered in front of the computer, staring at it intently.
Ning Xi had no choice but to watch as he couldn't get out.
The surveillance footage showed that it was lunch time after school yesterday at noon. Basically everyone had left and the lights in the classroom were turned off. However, because it was noon and the location of Class 2 and 3 of Senior High School had better lighting, the entire classroom was relatively bright.
There was no one in the picture, and one corner of the classroom curtain was rolled up.
At this time, the sound of a basketball hitting the ground came from the back door. First, a basketball came in, and it seemed that someone was entering the classroom.
Everyone gathered in front of the computer held their breath and became extremely nervous.
Ning Xi also became nervous and stared at the computer screen.
The next second, a person jumped in from the back door of the classroom. That figure...
A female teacher pushed her glasses and said in amazement: "Isn't this Xing Cheng?"
In the surveillance footage, Xing Chengcai kicked the ball in, stepped on the basketball to stop it from rolling, and with a towel draped over his shoulder, he swung it on the table, stood on tiptoe, and threw the tissue he used to wipe his sweat in a parabola, which landed steadily in the trash can. It looked so cool.
Ning Xi was a little speechless. So many people were watching Xing Cheng showing off on the surveillance camera?
A student nearby saw someone following him into the classroom from the window and was very excited: "Look, there's another one!"
Everyone held their breath, their heads pressed together, as if they were watching a horror movie, and they were almost suffocating their breathing.
A foot appeared at the back door in the picture, and then a girl with short hair came in. She was holding something behind her back, and walked in cautiously, looking around...
Then she slowly walked behind Xingcheng, hesitantly, and patted his shoulder, but the surveillance camera could not see her expression clearly.
So, more than a dozen people in the high school office crowded in front of the computer and watched this girl block Xingcheng, a big boy of more than 1.8 meters tall, in his seat, and handed the red letter and a bottle of Coke that she was holding behind her to Xingcheng.
It seemed like he said something else, but unfortunately the surveillance camera couldn't hear the audio.
Xing Cheng dodged and refused to take it. He retreated towards the door while pushing away the call. He grabbed his school uniform and tried to leave, but was blocked by the girl at the back door again.
The two of us, one blocking and one dodging, both left the surveillance area.
Ning Xi: "Uh..."
Others: “Uh…”
Everyone in the office who was watching the excitement fell silent. The geography teacher paused and said seriously, "I didn't see anyone stealing money."
No one was seen stealing the money, but there were so many people in the office, including Ning Xi, who was not afraid of the troubles of the world, who gathered together and watched Xing Cheng being confessed to by a girl in the classroom like watching a horror movie.
What is going on?
Ning Xi held the book, his face completely drooped, and whispered, "Borrow it."
Everyone in the office stood there watching the farce, looking at each other awkwardly, and then slowly dispersed after hearing what Ning Xi said.
The geography teacher saw Ning Xi was about to leave and felt that squeezing this child here was really wasting his time, so he quickly said, "Ning Xi, thank you for your help!"
Ning Xi shook his head: "Teacher, you're welcome."
The geography teacher looked at the screen, then at Ning Xi, and smiled a little embarrassedly: "For this matter, I'm sorry to bother you to come here..."
Ning Xi stood still, took a deep breath, and said calmly: "It's normal for a boy of this age to be liked."
He glanced at the female teacher from the second year of high school standing next to him. She looked familiar. If he remembered correctly, she was Xingcheng's homeroom teacher. She had been teaching Xingcheng's class since the first year of high school.
Ning Xi smiled and said, "Teacher, please pay more attention to Xing Cheng. His grades are the most important thing. It's not good to fall in love too early."
After saying that, Ning Xi patted the stack of homework, picked it up again, took another deep breath, and said, "Teacher, I'll help you carry it up."
Ning Xi carried such a pile of homework and walked towards the senior year office.
The geography teacher and the head teacher of Class 2-3 took the girl who lost the money to the Moral Education Department again. It was not until the evening study session the next day that the girl found out that she had indeed put the money in a compartment somewhere. But that's another story.
The school does not allow close contact between boys and girls, and premature love is strictly investigated. As soon as this matter spread, Xing Cheng and the girl were directly called to the Moral Education Department for a lecture.
Considering that Xingcheng did not accept any gifts or love letters at that time, the relationship between the two is still quite innocent, which is why they escaped the brainwashing-style education by teachers and parents in turn, which is referred to as the "debate on the need to break up."
However, simple lectures are still necessary, and they should be discussed separately.
As Xing Cheng was pushed to the door of the Moral Education Department by Ren Mei and her group, he saw the girl coming out while wiping her tears.
All the boys were shocked. What on earth was this saying?
Ren Mei was the type who was quick to understand and was kind to women. After coaxing the girl for a few words, someone in the Moral Education Department shouted, "Everyone else go back to class! Xing Cheng, come in!"
Xing Cheng was stunned. Such a big scene?
Ren Mei had dated two or three girlfriends and had been caught before, so she was a veteran. She patted Xing Cheng on the shoulder and whispered, "Just nod and keep quiet. The more you object, the more harshly you'll get scolded. Anyway, we won't break up..."
Xing Cheng turned around and glared at him, then lowered his voice and said, "She and I are not together."
Ren Mei nodded anxiously: "Okay, okay, I know!"
That being said, when faced with such a situation, Xing Cheng had no choice but to take all the responsibility on himself, and he had to present his one-sided pursuit as if there was a spark and they were in love with each other in front of the teacher.
But the spark was extinguished before it even started.
Otherwise, this matter has become such a big deal. Although we can save face, even if everyone just discusses one sentence, will the girl still be able to study well here?
Xing Cheng straightened his usually messy collar, knocked on the door and went in, very politely.
As soon as he entered the room, Xing Cheng stood up straight, walked to the desk of the Moral Education Department, and counted carefully. There were about five teachers standing in the room.
He knew that the girl's grades were particularly good, and he thought that the school probably took this matter seriously, so they asked Xing Cheng to do some work.
Xingcheng's class teacher was not a talkative person. As soon as he saw Xingcheng coming in, he got straight to the point: "Xingcheng, do you know how big a fuss this is?"
Xing Cheng shook his head, then nodded. He was indeed confused.
It was clearly lunch time and there were only two people in the classroom, so how did the whole school know about it?
His homeroom teacher added: "The freshmen and sophomores were still discussing it during their breaks, and the seniors also know about it!"
Upon hearing this, Xing Cheng was shocked. This news had spread among all senior high school students. Did that mean his brother knew about it too?
That shouldn't be the case, right? Ning Xi is someone who doesn't listen to gossip and only focuses on reading liberal arts books...
The head teacher had a gloomy face. He tapped the table with his fingers, glanced at the sofa, and said sternly: "Xingcheng, if it weren't for Teacher Li from the senior year who accidentally checked the surveillance, would you have planned to have a relationship or something? What are other people's grades? What are your grades? You've been delayed..."
A middle-aged male teacher was sitting on the sofa in the Moral Education Department. He had a kind face and a smile on his face. He also said, "Boys are full of energy and good-looking, so it's inevitable that girls will like them. However, you have to be careful about the degree..."
Xing Cheng couldn't hear anything at all. He guessed that this must be Mr. Li from the senior class. He interrupted and said, "Hello, teacher. I want to ask if only the people in the senior class office saw it at that time?"
Teacher Li didn't understand why he asked this question, so he nodded and said, "Yes, I'm the only teacher in the third year of high school."
Xing Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the teacher should not be so talkative. As long as no one in the senior year saw it with their own eyes, it would not be easy for Ning Xi to hear about it...
Xing Cheng didn't feel guilty, he just felt that this matter should not be known to his brother.
Before Xing Cheng could speak, Teacher Li took a sip of tea and continued, "It was originally a matter of losing money. I hadn't even marked the homework when he came down. That male student in the senior year who had excellent grades, Ning Xi, even made a wasted trip to deliver my homework to me..."
Xing Cheng was stunned, what?
Ning Xi came down? Does that mean he saw it when Ning Xi handed in his homework?
No, maybe if I just send in an assignment, things will turn around.
Before Xing Cheng could breathe a sigh of relief, Teacher Li smiled again: "Maybe Ning Xi is an experienced person, he can see things clearly!"
Xing Cheng's face turned pale, and his head teacher added: "Ning Xi is also a good boy...Xing Cheng, isn't he your brother?"
Xing Cheng nodded and shook his head again.
You are so shameless, how can you see clearly?
Xing Cheng stood there, swallowing his saliva. He would not give up until he saw Funan River, and would not cry until he saw the scene. He hardened his heart and decided to torture himself. He asked loudly, "Teacher Li, may I ask, what did Ning Xi say?"
Teacher Li put down the teacup and said seriously, "He said you are popular. That's normal."
It's normal to be liked by others. What you mean is that Ning Xi is also liked by others, right?
Ning Xi can understand that other girls like him, right?
Xing Cheng's mood was fluctuating greatly and he felt he could no longer control his facial expression. He nodded quickly, with only two words on his face: normal.
The head teacher gently added a stab to Xing Cheng: "Your brother also asked me to take care of you. It's not good to fall in love too early."
Xing Cheng couldn't laugh anymore and felt a slight headache.
There is indeed nothing wrong with a twenty-year-old telling a seventeen-year-old that early love is bad.
Xing Cheng gritted his teeth, secretly put his hands behind his back and pinched himself.
After this incident, Xing Cheng didn't wait until school was over, but ran to the senior year to find Ning Xi during evening self-study.
Regardless of whether his brother cares or not, Xing Cheng feels that this matter was indeed caused by himself and he has to explain it clearly to his brother. He has never thought about falling in love too early.
Ying Yuchen was carrying a large triangle ruler and walking towards the classroom. Seeing Xing Cheng coming, he blocked him with the ruler and whistled, "Stop!"
Xing Cheng didn't have time to bother with him now: "Don't block the way."
Ying Yuchen laughed and said, "Look at your eyes. Are you here to inspect the senior year?"
Xing Cheng was in a bad mood at the moment. When he saw Ying Yuchen, he became very agitated and simply said, "I'm looking for my brother."
Ying Yuchen held the triangle ruler and made way for Xing Cheng, kindly reminding him: "Your brother didn't go to the evening self-study class. He went downstairs to play basketball. We are counting on him for the senior high school sports meet basketball game."
Xing Cheng was stunned and frowned, "Isn't this evening study time?"
Ying Yuchen shook his head and shrugged, "I don't know why your brother got stubborn. He went to the head teacher to ask for a class leave and left."
You don’t even go to evening self-study to play ball?
It's no problem for Ning Xi, a student with excellent grades and good performance, to ask the director for a class break because of the grade competition. But when has Ning Xi ever missed classes because of other things?
After Ying Yuchen said this, Xing Cheng was a little panicked: "On the court?"
"yes."
Ying Yuchen nodded, looked around, smiled, and reached out to pat Xingcheng: "Xingcheng, what are you doing in the classroom with a girl? You've been discovered, and you're making such a big noise..."
Xing Cheng really couldn't explain himself even if he had ten mouths. He didn't say anything and didn't know what kind of rumors were spreading.
It is more important for him to skip class and go find his brother right now. He doesn't want to care about other things no matter how they spread.
Xing Cheng clenched his fists, leaned against Ying Yuchen and said, "Thank you."
Xing Cheng didn't care whether the class bell had rung or not. He grabbed the handrail of the stairs and ran downstairs. He rushed to the playground in one breath. Standing on the track, he saw a familiar figure on the basketball court.
The campus was full of trees. Because it was evening self-study time, the street lights were dim. There were six basketball courts, and every two courts had a big light. The light was dim, and the only sounds were the ball hitting the basket and the sound of the basketball hitting the ground...
Xing Cheng walked closer and heard his brother's slight breathing.
Xing Cheng knew that Ning Xi would have difficulty breathing when exercising in cold weather, but the situation would be much better once his whole body warmed up.
Ning Xi took off his school uniform and wore a white short-sleeved shirt. His arms with beautiful lines moved in the night. He dribbled the ball between his hips outside the three-point line, broke into the three-second zone, took a step back, and a hollow ball went into the basket without touching the net. With a "swish", the sound of the basketball landing could be clearly heard.
Boom, boom, boom. Xing Cheng's heart also beats fast.
Playing alone on the court was a rare moment of solitude for Ning Xi back then.
Xing Cheng stood on the sidelines, and like he did when he was a child, he strode over and stood under the basket, watching Ning Xi dribbling the ball against the light on the court.
Ning Xi threw a ball, and probably due to the influence of Xing Cheng, his arm went limp and he threw the ball without any touches: the ball did not touch the net, the basket or the backboard, but Xing Cheng caught it with just one hand.
His brother has a problem with his mentality as he can miss all shots.
Why? He didn't know.
Xing Cheng held Ning Xi's basketball, stood under the basket, and stared at him.
Ning Xi took a deep breath, pulled the hem of his clothes to fan himself, and ignored him. He grabbed the school uniform hanging on the iron pole under the basketball hoop and draped it over his shoulders, then lowered his head and reached for the watch on the side.
It looks like he's leaving.
As soon as Ning Xi stretched out his hand without long sleeves, Xing Cheng saw his wrist guard. He reached out and grabbed it, using all his strength to pull Ning Xi in front of him.
Ning Xi was stunned for half a second when he was pulled like this, and his wrist was pinched and hurt.
His face was still tense, and he said coldly: "Let go."
Xing Cheng pressed Ning Xi's shoulder and glanced at the headlights above his head. It hurt his eyes, so he exerted force and pulled Ning Xi to the wall beside the basketball court that was not illuminated by the headlights.
It was dark here and very cold. Ning Xi's back was against the wall, his head covered with sweat, his mouth open, and he was breathing slightly.
Ning Xi didn't know why Xing Cheng suddenly came down , but he was indeed affected. He couldn't concentrate on reading, let alone practicing exercises.
Playing basketball is his only way to relieve stress. It allows him to vent, sweat, and throw a ball accurately into the basket. The sound of the ball passing through the net always stimulates his nerves.
Ning Xi was so oppressed by Xing Cheng's gaze that he felt suffocated. He barely managed to calm himself down and stretched out his arm to block it.
The basketball had long been thrown aside.
Xing Cheng lowered his head slightly, looked at Ning Xi, who was a little shorter than him, and whispered, "I know you saw today's surveillance."
Seeing that Ning Xi didn't say anything, Xing Cheng said, "You are in a very bad condition now."
Ning Xi was almost suffocated by Xing Cheng's gaze. He clenched his fists and tried to remain calm and said, "No."
Xing Cheng leaned forward, adjusted his breathing, and said seriously: "Brother, did you tell my class teacher not to fall in love too early?"
Ning Xi said stubbornly: "You are only in the second year of high school. Falling in love too early will delay your studies."
That day, beside the empty basketball court in the school, under the wall with the words "a lifetime" written on it, Ning Xi was facing Xing Cheng, with his back resting on the big red painted words.
Puppy love? These two words seemed to have nothing to do with Ning Xi, and he had never thought of this word.
He is a rational person. In his life plan, if there must be a ranking, it must be career first, then family, and finally love.
Xing Cheng is the person Ning Xi loves most in this world, but that doesn't mean he should take Xing Cheng's kindness for granted. His Xing Cheng should have the most perfect life, an excellent degree, a happy family, and a bright and smooth future.
Instead of choosing to live with him in a simply decorated house of a hundred square meters, worrying about an empty living room without sofas, tables or electrical appliances.
Ning Xi now leaned against the cold wall, and suddenly remembered the hand warmer in the bedroom. He held it in his arms until it became hot. If he held it tighter and for a little longer, it would slowly cool down...
In order for the hand warmer to be warm, it needs a charging cable, but Ning Xi doesn’t have one.
Xing Cheng looked at Ning Xi in the light...
Ning Xi's silence made the heat in Xing Cheng's eyes fade away a little bit. For a moment, he even had the strength to support himself.
Xing Cheng then realized that the two of them were right under the wall of "a lifetime" that had always been on his mind. He had imagined a thousand times what it would be like to stand under this wall with his brother, but he had never thought it would be this way.
Xing Cheng calmed down, stepped back a little, and said seriously: "Brother, I think..."
Ning Xi was shocked, not giving Xing Cheng a chance to continue speaking. Her words were full of thorns, and she interrupted him quickly: "I'm in my early twenties, I don't have time to talk about feelings."
Xing Cheng was indeed obedient and considerate, but his wild nature had been tamed for too long, and Ning Xi's words had aroused the wolf cub character in his bones. He could not suppress his anger for a moment, and argued with gritted teeth: "You are only one grade older than me!"
Ning Xi didn't dare to look at Xing Cheng, and whispered, "I am three years older than you. Xing Cheng, I will take the college entrance examination next year, and you will also be a senior high school student."
Xing Cheng couldn't hold back his words: "I don't care whether I'm in the third year of high school or not..."
"I care." Ning Xi wanted to leave.
Xing Cheng stretched out his arm to block Ning Xi, leaving a little space beside him. He was about to leave, but Xing Cheng grabbed his shoulder and stopped him: "Brother..."
Xing Cheng endured it again and again, and continued to ask in a low voice: "Just tell me, am I a special person in your heart?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Ning Xi suddenly turn his head and stare at him.
Ning Xi's eyes were red and his body was a little unstable. He just stood there in the cold wind, like the leaves on the towering tree beside the playground that were about to dry up and fall.
It looked like he hadn't fallen, but it was like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, only one step away from falling.
More than special? Strictly speaking, it is not special. Because there is only Xing Cheng in Ning Xi's world.
The only person who can truly move Ning Xi's emotions, who can talk to him a lot every day, who can care about him at any time, and who can make him feel his presence at first sight is Xing Cheng.
But Xing Cheng is different. There are many people in Xing Cheng's world. He has no shortage of friends or brothers. He has a happy family and a group of people will pop up around him when he raises his arms and shouts.
He never lacked love.
Ning Xi is lacking, but he dares not admit it and is never willing to face it.
Now, facing Xing Cheng who was questioning him, Ning Xi couldn't even say "yes", let alone nod. He just looked at Xing Cheng's gradually dimming eyes.
Ning Xi took a deep breath and pulled the zipper of his clothes higher. He didn't feel any pain on the flesh of his neck. The air entering his throat became piercing and stuck in his throat like a thorn that couldn't be swallowed.
Ning Xi hardened his heart this time, grabbed his collar and turned to leave.
Xing Cheng stood where he was and didn't reach out to grab Ning Xi.
He just stood there, watching his brother walk out one step at a time. Under the light, his shadow was elongated, so long that Xing Cheng wanted to chase after him...
His brother's shadow grew longer and longer, and farther and farther away, and then slowly, slowly... stopped.
Xing Cheng looked up suddenly.
Ning Xi stopped.
Xing Cheng watched Ning Xi turn around and face him, with his hands in his school uniform pockets and his chin slightly raised. They were too far away, so Xing Cheng couldn't see the emotion in his eyes.
Xing Cheng's heart was pounding and he almost ran out of the darkness.
Ning Xi turned back. Turned back.
Xing Cheng thought of countless ways on how to quietly approach his brother in the future without disturbing him, and he had secretly begun to plan the next step. He didn't expect that his brother would turn around after walking out about ten meters.
Xing Cheng ran to Ning Xi and stood still, panting heavily, with his hands on his knees. He was stunned for a long time before he realized that his brother really didn't leave...
On the playground and basketball court at night, the headlights illuminate the entire court. There is no sound of basketball around, but there are the sounds of two people breathing, very light and far away.
Ning Xi was also panting, and he didn't know what to say. Even though he was doing what he understood to be wrong, even though from this moment on, he could no longer forgive himself for being like this.
Xing Cheng's mind was in a mess and he had no time to think about what his brother meant by stopping.
"Xingcheng, I've been waiting for you."
"I know……"
"Well," Ning Xi smiled and continued, "You have to keep up with me."
Ning Xi originally thought that he could do everything by himself, eating, sleeping, studying, reading, and even smoking and drinking alone in the living room... But since he grew up, he knew that the wine he drank and the fire he burned were all the sea water that flooded his heart and the sea fog that rose from the water surface.
Youth is a ship on the sea, crossing the fog and waves just to catch a fish hidden in the deep sea.
Ever since that day on the playground when Ning Xi asked Xing Cheng to follow him, Xing Cheng felt that his world had changed.
Adolescent boys are full of passion, all boiling in their hearts.
With Ning Xi's personality, how could he say so much to him that day? How could he turn back? It was a good thing that he didn't kick him away.
Xing Cheng seized this point and tried his best to drill into the gap.
On Friday afternoon, a foreign company booked the venue at the Jinniu District Youth Palace, and a group of CEOs played basketball together. Xingcheng received several text messages saying that he was required to play for 200 yuan per quarter. After the settlement, the total fee for four quarters was 800 yuan.
Xing Cheng didn't say anything. As soon as the class was over, he climbed over the wall, holding his jersey, and ran to the west gate on the bus.
They sat on the road for more than an hour, swaying all the time, and Xingcheng almost fell asleep.
The bus passed by a junior high school. At this time, Xing Cheng saw many parents coming to pick up their children and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
There are so many perfect families in this world, but why is God so stingy? Not only does he not give Ning Xi fatherly love, he doesn't even give him motherly love.
When he was a child, Xing Cheng lived upstairs and often heard Ning Xi’s mother losing her temper and smashing things. In the end, he even wondered if Ning Xi would be thrown out in the next second.
As soon as he heard the quarrel, Xing Cheng lay down by the window, listening to the noise coming from the window downstairs with his ears perked up. He almost fell down because he just wanted to listen to whether his brother was crying.
No, not even once.
Xing Cheng threw the rope down and all the candies and snacks were hung up. His hands were sore, and no one took them after hanging for half an hour.
He guessed that his brother didn't even look at it.
Only Ning Xi knew that every time his follower brother upstairs hung down something delicious or fun, he would sit on the edge of the bed and stare blankly.
He can stare at it as long as the rope hangs.
Occasionally, a voice could be heard from upstairs, scolding Xingcheng's mother: "Xingcheng! Are you trying to kill yourself? Can't you walk up the stairs? You insist on climbing through the window. I think if you fall down, you'll smash your brother's windowsill!"
When Ning Xi heard his aunt shouting like that, he became very nervous and ran to the window to look up, fearing that his younger brother upstairs might come down through the window to look for him.
Fortunately, Xingcheng has never fallen down in all these years.
The game on Friday afternoon was definitely the most frustrating one in Xing Cheng's amateur career. It was so frustrating that he had to keep feeding the ball to those bosses, get assists, couldn't show off, had to be a foil, and lose on purpose, but it couldn't be too obvious.
It was a technical job, but it was his job, so he had to do it.
Xing Cheng has always been a well-known killer on the basketball court, but now he is really restraining himself for the sake of money.
He ran after the ball on the court, trying his best to grab the rebound for the next fast break, and then dunked it in his palm and looked at the high basket...
Sometimes, when playing basketball outside, he would wonder if he had grown a little bit.
——Brother, you are only three years old. Wait a moment, wait for me a moment, or I can catch up with you if I run faster.
Xing Cheng looked up at the azure sky above and hated those three years of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Three years, thirty-six months, an amount of walking that could not be counted, separated him from his brother.
It seems that life is impermanent and the road to growth is long...
He'll never catch up.
The 800 yuan he earned that day was settled on the spot. As soon as he got the money, Xing Cheng, who had been planning for a long time and was impulsive, took the subway and walked to Taikoo Li.
He stood by the shelf for a long time and picked out a pair of basketball shoes for Ning Xi that cost more than 900 yuan.
It’s too expensive and I don’t have enough money right now, so I’ll just buy a pair of shoes first and wish his brother to beat the second year students in the school sports meet. That’s not bad.
Xing Cheng didn't care too much about his "loyalty to the enemy". He looked at the pair of black and white sneakers and became happier and happier.
In Xingcheng's opinion, Ning Xi would definitely not accept anything that costs more than one thousand yuan, but if it's less than one thousand yuan, then it's considered cheap. As a birthday gift, it's not too much, right?
Besides, he earned the money through his own ability, and he was happy to spend it on his brother.
It is already the end of October.
The beginning of November is Ning Xi’s birthday, which is on Monday.
It was raining that day, and when the school bell rang, Xingcheng didn't have the habit of bringing an umbrella, so he ran to the third grade with a bag of sports brand. A head full of water flowed down the base of his neck to his back, and half of his school uniform was wet.
Everyone in the classroom had left. Ning Xi had just finished his homework and was slow to pack up. He put his stationery bag into his schoolbag, shook off the dust on the dictionary and put it into the bag. When he looked up, he saw Xing Cheng standing at the back door of the classroom with a bag behind him. He looked at him, raised his eyebrows, and whistled.
Ning Xi was speechless and almost rolled his eyes. He coughed and continued to pack up his notebooks.
Ning Xi hadn't finished yet, but Xing Cheng couldn't stand any longer, so he ran to him with the bag in his hand and forced him to sit down: "Brother, today is your birthday, I remember..."
Ning Xi glanced at the bag in Xing Cheng's hand and had a bad feeling.
He frowned and asked, "Did you buy me something?"
Xing Cheng ignored Ning Xi and reached out to grab his ankle, startling him so much that he stepped back abruptly: "Don't touch me..."
Xing Cheng's arms were very strong. He grabbed Ning Xi and was about to take off his shoes. Ning Xi kicked him directly: "There are surveillance cameras!"
Xing Cheng was a little annoyed by the surveillance. If it weren't for what happened before, he would have probably forcefully taken off Ning Xi's shoes!
He had no choice but to stand up, take the pair of basketball shoes out of the bag and put them on the ground, and said very seriously: "Then you change them yourself."
Ning Xi didn't even look at the shoes, and asked him directly: "Where did you get the money?"
When Xing Cheng heard this, his back straightened up: "I earned it myself."
Ning Xi thought about it and realized that Xing Cheng was indeed not the kind of person who would squander the family's money. Half-believing and half-doubting, with a cold face, he stood up and continued to pack his schoolbags.
Xing Cheng was a little angry now, and he squatted down and tried to grab Ning Xi's ankle again. Ning Xi was shocked, but he hardened his heart and said, "Xing Cheng, I can't accept such an expensive thing."
Xing Cheng got bolder and more excited: "If you don't wear it today, I will put it on for you personally. Do you believe it?"
If it were in the past, Ning Xi would definitely beat him up first, then slap him a few times on the face for saying something naughty, then put on his schoolbag and left without looking back.
But now it was different. He couldn't do anything to disappoint Xing Cheng.
Ning Xi resisted the urge to beat up Xing Cheng, slowly squatted down, threw the schoolbag to Xing Cheng, and put on the pair of basketball shoes.
That day, Xingcheng was holding his brother's schoolbag and standing in his brother's classroom. He watched his brother put on the basketball shoes he bought for him and felt like he had won the MVP in the NBA All-Star Game.
Too beautiful.
Ning Xi tied his shoelaces, snatched the schoolbag and put it on his back, holding an umbrella and the bag containing old shoes, and followed Xing Cheng, rushing down the teaching building.
When they arrived at the entrance of the teaching building, Xing Cheng took the umbrella from Ning Xi's hand and opened it, saying something that was not wrong: "Brother, I'm taller than you, I'll hold the umbrella."
Ning Xi was puzzled: "This isn't much higher."
Xing Cheng was particularly pleased: "Even if you are one centimeter taller, you are still taller. I will protect you if you are taller than me."
"When I was a child, wasn't I also raised by you?"
Xing Cheng kept talking as he walked, making Ning Xi laugh several times. Every time Xing Cheng lowered his head and smiled at him, Ning Xi would immediately frown and scold him, "Watch the road."
Two people were holding an umbrella, and the rain was falling softly, hitting the umbrella again and again...but to Ning Xi's ears, it was magnified countless times.
Xing Cheng smiled and said, "When you were a kid, you held a small lotus leaf umbrella and spun it in front of me. The water splashed all over me. I will remember you all my life."
Ning Xi snorted coldly: "You hold a grudge."
Xing Cheng wanted to say something but he was about to reach the curb. There was a step ahead and the water on the road was already quite deep.
If you step on it, your new sneakers will probably be ruined.
There were not many people on the roadside at this moment. The sky was gradually getting dark. Only a few street lights were on. Under the shade of the trees, even the license plate number of the car in front could not be clearly seen.
The umbrella handle was suddenly stuffed into Ning Xi's hand. Xing Cheng took off his coat and put it on him, hanging his schoolbag in front of him.
He took Ning Xi's hand, walked around in front of him, and with a strong effort, he carried his brother on his back.
Ning Xi's feet stepped into empty air and his entire body was carried on Xing Cheng's back!
Ning Xi was stunned.
Xing Cheng was too strong to move him. Ning Xi freed one hand and pulled his ear, shouting, "You..."
"Brother, you still know how to swear?"
Xing Cheng exerted more force to prevent Ning Xi from sliding off his back. Fearing that he would flutter, he reminded him, "Hold my neck tightly. I'll let you down once we're through the puddle here."
Ning Xi: "Uh..."
Ning Xi said nothing and hugged Xing Cheng's neck tightly.
Xing Cheng stepped into the water and felt his socks were soaked.
It was chilling and heart-warming.
Xing Cheng said while stepping on the water: "Today is your birthday, wear the shoes I bought for you, but don't get them dirty..."
When I was walking through the puddle, before I could stand firmly, I suddenly felt something touching the back of my neck!
Xing Cheng was so frightened that his legs almost went weak and he knelt down in the water.
Ning Xi, the instigator on his back, acted as if nothing had happened, and didn't think his actions were particularly obvious. He just sniffed and said in a muffled voice, "Okay."
That evening, Xing Cheng carried Ning Xi on his back for the first time under the street lights near his home.
Ning Xi held the umbrella very well, and only used it to cover Xing Cheng's head, but his own back was wet.
Xingcheng's shoes were soaked.
After passing the puddle, Xing Cheng did not put his brother down immediately.
Xing Cheng looked at his wet toes in a daze, as well as the ripples created by the falling raindrops around his feet.
He is alone, but now he is carrying the weight of two people.
Xing Cheng suddenly felt a little grateful for the rain. I hope it will rain harder.