When Liang Zhiyi noticed Pei Chen suddenly becoming distant, her mind was filled with questions.
Just a second ago, he was talking about eating tomato-flavored chips, but in the blink of an eye, he said he wasn’t eating any snacks anymore.
Why did he suddenly change his mind like a Sichuan opera face-changing act…?
At this moment, Ji Fei’er and Xuan Xia also walked out of the small supermarket. Seeing Pei Chen already leaving, Xuan Xia waved goodbye to the girls, “We’re heading to the basketball court now.”
“Alright, bye!”
Xuan Xia caught up with Pei Chen, “You didn’t even wait for me.”
Pei Chen pressed his lips together, and a few seconds later, he couldn’t help but turn around. He saw Liang Zhiyi still standing there, the setting sun casting its glow on her delicate face, her fair skin glowing as if bathed in golden light.
She just happened to meet his gaze and curved her eyebrows at him, her dark eyes smiling, radiating a brightness that could easily captivate anyone.
Does she smile like that at every boy?
An inexplicable thought flashed through Pei Chen’s mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He lowered his gaze, turned around, and left.
After a while, the two boys entered the gymnasium, where Pei Chen noticed several boys playing basketball on the indoor court.
Liang Tongzhou stood out among them.
“Tongzhou is awesome…”
The boy was running freely on the court, scoring a basket, and then clapping hands with his teammates, exuding a bold and carefree demeanor.
Pei Chen looked away and went with Xuan Xia to change into their jerseys. After a while, Coach Sun Jing arrived, and Xuan Xia, having changed, went ahead into the gym.
At 5 PM, all the members of the school team gathered.
Soon after, they saw the coach walk into the gym, leading a boy who many instantly recognized.
Isn’t this the top student from the second year, Pei Chen?!
Several boys in the team who knew Pei Chen started clapping excitedly, “Wow, Pei Shen actually came!!”
The coach led Pei Chen to the front of the group, then scanned the crowd before speaking:
“Before we start today’s training, let me introduce someone to you. Our school team is adding a new member, Pei Chen.”
Applause broke out as Pei Chen greeted everyone. The coach had him join the team and then said, “With the addition of Pei Chen, our team for the Lincheng High School Basketball League is now complete. Next, I’ll assign the members to the first and second teams.”
A full basketball team has twelve players, but only five can play in each match. The first team consists of the starters, while the second team serves as the substitutes.
Sun Jing announced, “In the first team, Pei Chen will be in position one, Liang Tongzhou in position two, Xuan Xia in position three, Wang Weibao in position four, and Lan Zhi in position five. For the second team…”
Pei Chen was assigned to the point guard position, also known as the “floor general.” This role is the core of executing the coach’s strategies, responsible for organizing the offense and controlling the pace of the game—essentially, the team’s soul.
Upon hearing this arrangement from the coach, Liang Tongzhou and a few other players who didn’t know Pei Chen were momentarily stunned.
Who is this guy? Not only did he get into the school team directly, but he also took the starting point guard position right away?!
The original point guard, who had coordinated well with Liang Tongzhou, was moved to the second team. Liang Tongzhou furrowed his brows, thinking, What’s the meaning of this?
For a moment, the team buzzed with murmurs. After finishing the announcement, Sun Jing raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down, and said:
“The lineup for this competition was decided by me, a few other teachers, and the team leader. Whether you’re assigned to the first or second team, I hope no one feels burdened or unhappy, because we all share the same goal—to achieve the best results in this tournament. Unless there’s a special situation, this lineup is final.”
“The first group match is in mid-November, so we have some time before the game. During this period, we need to train hard, build up stamina, correct some technical details, and most importantly, focus on team coordination and strategy development. We need to gel as a unit.”
After giving an overview of the training plan, Sun Jing led the team in an hour of physical training.
During the break, a few boys who knew Pei Chen came over, joking and chatting with him:
“When Xuan Xia said you’d join the school team, I didn’t quite believe it. I can’t believe you’re actually here!”
“Pei Shen, I’ve wanted to play a match with you since middle school. You’re just too good…”
Pei Chen chatted with them, the atmosphere relaxed and comfortable, as if they were old friends catching up. After a while, Liang Tongzhou and a few other boys approached.
When they got closer, Liang Tongzhou recognized Pei Chen as the top student his sister had mentioned before, who was her desk mate. With a casual smirk, he said, “Since we’ll be teammates from now on, we should get to know each other. I’m Liang Tongzhou.”
Pei Chen lifted his eyelids, his cool gaze landing on Liang Tongzhou.
He then greeted him in a calm tone.
Seeing Pei Chen’s aloof demeanor, Liang Tongzhou, with a drawling tone, said, “I wonder if the school is serious about this competition, bringing in a new player at the last minute. I’m looking forward to seeing how special you are.”
Pei Chen quietly stared at him without responding.
A strange tension filled the air, and Xuan Xia, sensing it, quickly stepped in with a smile to ease the situation, “We’re all teammates now, so we definitely need to work well together. Winning or losing is a team effort; each of us is important.”
A boy nearby muttered, “Let’s just hope no one drags us down.”
Afterward, Liang Tongzhou and the others moved aside. Xuan Xia patted Pei Chen’s shoulder, “Don’t be upset. The guys on our team are actually pretty nice. They just don’t know you well yet.”
“It’s fine,” Pei Chen replied.
“About Liang Tongzhou just now—he’s actually a friendly and outgoing guy. It’s probably just that you replaced his friend’s spot, so he’s a bit upset and spoke harshly.”
Xuan Xia said, “He just joined our school team this year. I have to say, he’s really good at basketball, and he’s also quite handsome—definitely the type that girls are drawn to. You two will be the faces of our team now, hahaha.”
Hearing the phrase “definitely the type that girls are drawn to,” something flickered through Pei Chen’s mind. He lowered his gaze, his expression becoming deep and thoughtful.
After a while, the coach called for a gathering, and Xuan Xia said, “Let’s go. We should head over.”
For the first practice, the coach had everyone work on two- to three-person passing drills, as well as some basic coordination exercises.
After practice ended, everyone was free to go home.
By the time Pei Chen rode his bike back to his neighborhood, a crescent moon had already risen in the sky.
When he got home and opened the door, he walked in and changed his shoes. Pei Yongxia rolled his wheelchair out and, upon seeing him, said, “You’re back.”
Pei Chen turned his head and said, “Dad.”
“Have you eaten? I can heat up some food for you.”
“No need, I can do it myself.”
Pei Yongxia wheeled closer, noticing Pei Chen was drenched in sweat. Surprised, he asked, “You said there was something at school tonight. What have you been up to?”
Pei Chen lowered his gaze and replied, “I joined the school team. In a few weeks, I’ll be participating in the Lincheng High School Basketball Tournament.”
“Basketball tournament? But your leg…”
“My leg is fine now. I can play.”
“Fine? But the surgery…”
“I’ve been doing rehab every day since middle school. Dad, I don’t need surgery. I’m almost fully recovered.”
“But you haven’t thought about playing in a match for so long. Why the sudden change?”
Pei Chen lowered his eyes, his voice slightly hoarse, “This is the only interschool competition I’ll have in high school. I don’t want to miss it.”
Ever since he learned about this interschool basketball tournament in middle school, he had always looked forward to participating. It represents not only the honor of each high school but also his own. No matter the cost, he didn’t want to have any regrets.
Besides, this time, he was aiming for the championship.
No one knows a child better than their parent, and Pei Yongxia understood well what basketball meant to Pei Chen.
Pei Yongxia smiled and finally said, “Alright, I support you. Do whatever you want to do. Just one thing—make sure you take care of your leg and don’t overexert yourself.”
A light of determination flickered in Pei Chen’s eyes as he nodded in agreement.
In the end, Pei Yongxia told Pei Chen to take a shower first while he heated up the food. Pei Chen agreed and took his backpack to his room.
As the night deepened, at the Liang family’s villa, Liang Zhiyi stretched lazily on the sofa in the second-floor living room after finishing the latest episode of her favorite variety show.
Suddenly, there was a sound from the staircase. When Liang Zhiyi turned to look, she saw that Liang Tongzhou had returned.
Her eyes lit up as she called out to him, “You’re back! Did your training run late?”
Liang Tongzhou responded with a nod, “Yeah, I’m going to take a shower first.”
Liang Zhiyi had so many things she wanted to ask him but held back, “Oh, okay, go ahead then…”
A little while later, after taking a shower and changing into some comfortable clothes, Liang Tongzhou returned to the living room. Liang Zhiyi handed him a glass of water and said, “Auntie is preparing your dinner; it should be ready soon.”
Liang Tongzhou hummed in acknowledgment and was about to head to his room when Liang Zhiyi called out to him, “Why don’t you sit here for a bit?”
He chuckled, “You usually don’t pay much attention to me. What’s going on today?”
Liang Zhiyi felt a bit guilty, “What are you talking about? When have I ever ignored you?”
Liang Tongzhou sat down next to her, and she smiled as she scooted closer, “How was your training today?”
“Come on, who do you really want to ask about?”
“…” Why does he know me so well?
“You’re curious about that desk mate of yours, Pei Chen, aren’t you?”
The girl touched her nose, trying to hide her embarrassment, “No, I was just wondering… Did he really join your team?”
“Yeah,” Liang Tongzhou replied, still feeling annoyed by the situation. “Who is this guy, anyway? He joined and immediately took a core position. I seriously think he got in through some backdoor connection.”
Just as he finished speaking, Liang Zhiyi knocked him on the head, glaring at him, “Watch what you say!”
Liang Tongzhou was confused, “Huh?”
“Pei Chen wouldn’t use a backdoor, okay? He might even be better than you at basketball.”
“Whose side are you on?”
“I’m just telling the truth. You don’t know him, so don’t make assumptions.”
Liang Tongzhou was even more irritated now, staring directly at her, “Why do you seem to be defending him so much? Do you have a thing for him?”