Liang Zhiyi was stunned when she saw him:
“Pei Chen? Didn’t you go out for a late-night snack with them?”
The young man walked over and replied indifferently, “I didn’t feel like eating. I was planning to go home and rest.”
The girl’s eyes lit up with joy as she smiled, “Why do I feel like you came specifically to find me?”
Pei Chen coughed lightly, then the next moment, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward. “Hurry up, or the green light will turn red soon.”
The two of them crossed the street.
Liang Zhiyi looked up at him with a gaze filled with softness.
After crossing the road, she let out a haughty hum, “Classmate Pei, your excuse is really too poor.”
“…”
In fact, after the game tonight, Pei Chen felt a deep emptiness in his heart, as he hadn’t spoken much to her.
An impulse inside him urged him to find her.
So, after walking a few steps with Xuan Xia and the others, he came up with an excuse to leave and came over to find her. Of course, they teased him a bit when they guessed his intentions.
Unable to argue back, the young man changed the subject, “How are you getting home?”
“I’m taking the subway, what about you?”
“The same.”
The girl smiled, “Then let’s go together.”
The two of them walked slowly down the street. Liang Zhiyi asked him, “Pei Chen, does your leg still hurt?”
Pei Chen said it was fine, not wanting her to worry.
“Okay, then let’s find a time when we’re free to go to the hospital for a follow-up.”
Pei Chen agreed and after a moment, he spoke, “Zhiyi, I’m sorry.”
“Hmm?”
He stopped and turned to look at her, “Last week at the hospital, I asked you to keep my leg injury a secret. I shouldn’t have put you in such a difficult position.”
Hearing this, the pressure Liang Zhiyi had been holding in turned into a wave of grievance. She lowered her head and mumbled, “You finally realize you were wrong.”
Her nose tingled as she softly said, “Pei Chen, do you know how worried I was about you then?”
The young man gazed at her, his voice hoarse, “I’m sorry.”
It was a matter he should have communicated with the school, not burdened her with such pressure. Even if she had told the school, it would have been for the sake of his leg.
After a long silence, Liang Zhiyi looked up at him, “Pei Chen, I said I would always be there for you, so whatever decision you make, I’ll support you.”
He insisted on playing basketball, and although she was still worried, in the end, she chose to support him.
She hoped that the boy she liked could shine brightly in the place he was passionate about.
She smiled, “So, you’re not allowed to lie to me like this again. Take good care of your leg, and I’ll forgive you.”
Pei Chen agreed, “Okay.”
Liang Zhiyi looked at him and pouted proudly, “Pei Chen, you won the championship today, and so many people celebrated and hugged you, but I haven’t yet.”
She slightly opened her arms towards him. Pei Chen looked at her, his eyes swirling with emotion. The next moment, he raised his hand and pulled her into his arms.
For a moment, his heart raced.
His fingers twitched slightly as he tried hard to restrain himself from hugging her too tightly.
The girl leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, her eyebrows curved in a smile. After a while, she spoke warmly, “Pei Chen, you were born to belong on the basketball court. You should be as dazzling as you were today, and you should keep shining.”
Hearing her words, a shock flickered in his eyes, and his heart was deeply touched.
In the past, he only felt inferior and insignificant, walking in the darkest places, alone. Yet, in her eyes, he was meant to be brilliant.
Even if he thought he was at his worst, in her eyes, he always seemed to be the best.
She didn’t know that he was becoming better because of her.
Because of her, he began to look forward to and love the world a little more.
°°°
After the basketball game, not only did the team from No. 1 High gain great honor, but the entire team also received a 100,000 yuan championship prize, which meant each team member received 3,000 yuan.
In addition, since Pei Chen was awarded MVP, the event organizers gave him an additional 2,000 yuan in prize money.
The next day, No. 1 High held a grand celebration banquet. Besides the players, the logistics and other related staff were also invited.
At the banquet, Principal Jiang held up a wine glass, his face full of joy and pride, and said to the players, “Children, I especially want to thank you all for bringing honor to No. 1 High, winning the first championship in our school’s history. At first, No. 1 High wasn’t highly regarded, but seeing your hard work and perseverance, you’ve truly been amazing. A toast to you all.”
“Thank you, Principal Jiang!”
Principal Jiang looked around at the people sitting at the other tables and smiled, “And to all the logistics staff, coaches, and teachers from the sports department, thank you all for your hard work during this time. Let’s all raise our glasses and toast to our shared honor.”
Everyone happily clinked glasses, “Cheers!”
“This is our shared honor!”
After Principal Jiang’s speech, Xuan Xia also stood up excitedly and said, “On behalf of the school team, I want to toast Principal Jiang, all the teachers, and the logistics staff. Thank you for your hard work!”
Then Xuan Xia looked at his teammates, “Our school team will keep pushing forward, and there are still more championships to win in the future!”
The team members laughed, “That’s right, our school team can hold its head high now!”
“By the way, in the end, I think there’s one person we need to especially thank—Pei Chen. Even though he was injured, he insisted on playing in the third game and helped our team turn the tide! His contribution was indispensable!”
“Come on, let’s toast to Pei Chen!”
“Pei God, you’re amazing!”
Several of the boys clinked glasses with Pei Chen. Liang Tongzhou put his arm around Pei Chen’s shoulder and said, “Pei Chen, at first I didn’t respect you, but later on, I realized just how impressive you really are, especially when you insisted on playing in the third game. I truly admire you from the bottom of my heart. Everyone, I declare that Pei Chen is a lifelong brother!”
Pei Chen smiled, and then he looked at his teammates and spoke warmly:
“Actually, I should be the one thanking you. After getting injured in junior high, I thought I would never be able to play basketball again. I’m so lucky to have joined the school team and made so many friends. Playing basketball with you all is my greatest happiness.”
In his heart, being able to play basketball again was a joy, but even more joyful was having many bright colors added to his once lonely and monotonous life. Fighting passionately alongside his brothers during these youthful years made everything worthwhile.
Xuan Xia, moved by his words, raised his glass, “We, the good brothers, will keep playing together!”
“Play basketball for life!”
In the end, the team members raised their glasses together and laughed, “Come on, cheers!”
After the celebration banquet, the basketball tournament officially came to an end, and the school team took a break without any training scheduled.
Two days later, on Tuesday afternoon, as soon as school was out, Liang Zhiyi dragged Pei Chen back to the hospital, planning to get his leg injury re-examined.
In the hospital corridor, the two of them waited outside the examination room. Liang Zhiyi looked at the boy beside her and said, “Pei Chen, there’s only one month left until the winter break. I’ve already arranged everything with the hospital. After the break, you’ll have the surgery, and your leg will be completely healed.”
Hearing this, Pei Chen remained silent for a while before saying:
“I’m sorry, Zhiyi, but I can’t have this surgery.”
She was stunned, “Why?”
Pei Chen lowered his lashes and said softly, “The surgery requires a lot of money. I know this might not be a big deal for your family, but there’s no way I can let your family pay for my treatment.”
He wasn’t being stubborn, nor did he not care about his own health; he simply couldn’t allow Liang Zhiyi’s family to bear the cost of his surgery.
Hearing this, the girl, thinking he didn’t want her parents to know, hurriedly explained, “No, it has nothing to do with my parents. I used my credit card to cover the expenses. They don’t know about it.”
Pei Chen: “….”
He sighed helplessly and said, “I can’t let you do that either.”
Hearing his refusal, Liang Zhiyi bit her lip, puffing her cheeks in frustration, “So you really were lying to me before.”
Seeing her angry, the boy felt a tightness in his chest. Just as he was about to explain, the nurse at the examination room door called out, “Number 114, Pei Chen, are you here?”
“Here,” Pei Chen responded.
“Come in.”
The conversation was temporarily set aside as the girl suppressed her anger and accompanied Pei Chen into the examination room.
Today, Zhong Xinrou was unavailable for consultations, so another doctor handled Pei Chen’s follow-up. After examining Pei Chen’s leg, the doctor noted that the recent injury had mostly healed.
Liang Zhiyi asked, “Doctor, is it okay if he doesn’t undergo the meniscus repair surgery right now?”
After learning the basic context, the doctor replied, “If we don’t consider other factors, it’s definitely recommended to have the surgery as soon as possible to prevent further knee injuries. If the knee sustains additional damage, it will be more difficult to treat. However, your current injury doesn’t affect your ability to walk. If you can’t have the surgery in the short term, you must protect your knee and avoid participating in intense physical activities.”
“Okay, thank you, doctor.”
…
After the follow-up examination, the two of them left the consultation room.
As they walked to the pharmacy to pick up the medication, the girl remained silent. Pei Chen noticed that she was ignoring him and realized she was angry, but he didn’t know how to cheer her up.
After they collected the medication, Liang Zhiyi headed towards the exit, but suddenly, Pei Chen stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
Pei Chen lowered his gaze to look at her, his Adam’s apple moving as he spoke in a hoarse voice:
“Zhiyi, I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”
The girl kept her head down, saying nothing, but then she heard his voice from above her head: “My leg isn’t that serious right now. Even if I don’t have the surgery immediately, it won’t cause any major issues. I’ve been saving up money, and once I’ve saved enough, I’ll get the surgery. Until then, I’ll take good care of my leg.”
He looked into her clear eyes, feeling helpless, and asked softly, “Please don’t be angry anymore, okay?”
Liang Zhiyi’s nose tingled, and she felt a mix of heartache and frustration.
She had more or less guessed that, given his personality, he wouldn’t agree to let her pay for his surgery. She had just held onto a bit of hope at first, thinking there might be a slight chance he would accept her help.
She just wanted him to heal his leg and be able to play the basketball he loved, healthy and happy. But she also knew that such matters couldn’t be forced. Zhong Xinrou had previously advised her that helping others requires choosing the right method.
The girl looked up at him and softly mumbled, “Then you should stop playing basketball for now. You just told the doctor that your leg still hurts a little.”
“Okay.”
He agreed to take a break for a while, which conveniently allowed him to focus on his studies.
After a few seconds of silence, Liang Zhiyi pouted and grumbled, “I want candied strawberries…”
“Candied strawberries?”
She glanced towards the hospital cafeteria, “They sell them in there. I used to love eating them when I was little.”
Pei Chen immediately understood, “Wait here, I’ll go get some.”
The boy walked towards the cafeteria, and Liang Zhiyi watched his back, a faint smile forming on her lips. At that moment, a female voice sounded from behind her:
“Liang Zhiyi?”
She turned around, surprised to see her cousin, Zhang Xinxin, whom she hadn’t seen in a while.
Although Liang Zhiyi had transferred to the same grade as Zhang Xinxin at No. 1 High, they hadn’t had much contact. With so many students in their grade, they attended classes on different floors and had only run into each other a few times at school, or occasionally at their grandmother’s house.
As soon as Zhang Xinxin saw her, she was reminded of how, before the school term started, at their grandmother’s birthday banquet, her moment playing the piano had been overshadowed by Liang Zhiyi’s sudden arrival. The memory still made her feel particularly bitter.
She walked up to Liang Zhiyi, who noticed the medicine bag in her hand and casually asked, “Here for a check-up?”
“I caught a bit of a cold, so I came to see the doctor,” Zhang Xinxin replied. Then, recalling the scene she had just witnessed, she asked in surprise, “Did I just see you with that Pei Chen from your class?”
Pei Chen was a top student and the school heartthrob. Recently, with No. 1 High’s team winning the inter-school basketball championship, his popularity had soared. Zhang Xinxin certainly knew of him.
“What about it? Is there a problem?”
Zhang Xinxin thought of the rumors she had heard recently and found it hard to believe. “I heard from some classmates that you’re actually chasing after Pei Chen. You can’t be serious, can you?”
Liang Zhiyi raised an eyebrow, “And if I am, what of it?”
Zhang Xinxin hadn’t expected that the dazzling and proud Liang Zhiyi would be chasing after a boy like that. A look of ridicule flashed in her eyes. “Cousin, I originally didn’t believe it. What kind of taste do you have to fall for someone like him?”
Liang Zhiyi’s face turned slightly cold. “What do you mean by ‘someone like him’?”
Seeing her cousin’s change in expression, Zhang Xinxin was initially surprised that she wasn’t joking, and felt a bit intimidated by Liang Zhiyi’s strong presence. She hesitated before saying:
“Am I wrong? Pei Chen might be good at studying and fairly handsome, but you must know he’s from a poor family, right? Our family is wealthy, so I just don’t understand why you would like someone like him…”
Zhang Xinxin muttered, “If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t go for someone like that.”
At her words, Liang Zhiyi’s anger flared instantly.
Normally, she would ignore Zhang Xinxin’s jabs, given that they were family, but she would not tolerate anyone speaking ill of Pei Chen.
Liang Zhiyi looked at her coldly and retorted:
“What kind of person he is has nothing to do with you. Does he need your approval? And who do you think you are? Zhang Xinxin, do you really think that just because your family has made a little money, you’re somehow superior?”
Zhang Xinxin was stunned and stammered, “You…”
“He’s good at studying? May I ask what rank you got in the grade? What gives you the right to judge others?”
Liang Zhiyi tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and smiled brightly, a proud and carefree expression on her face. “Honestly, even if it’s about money, your family is still nothing compared to ours.”
Indeed, the Liang family’s corporation could easily overshadow the Zhang family’s wealth.
“…”
Zhang Xinxin, who had always considered herself a wealthy young lady, felt her anger surge as she looked at the truly noble and wealthy girl in front of her. She was furious but at a loss for words.
Liang Zhiyi asked, “What, was I wrong?”
Zhang Xinxin, her face flushed with anger, glared at her before turning on her heel and leaving.
Liang Zhiyi stood in place, letting her anger dissipate. After a moment, she turned and saw Pei Chen coming back from the cafeteria.
He walked up to her and handed her the things he bought. She was surprised, “Why so much?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he spoke, “Didn’t you say you like them? I bought an extra skewer of candied strawberries so you can take some home. Also, it’s a bit cold outside, so I got you a cup of hot milk tea for after we leave the hospital.”
He wasn’t sure how to cheer someone up, but he wanted to do everything he could to make her happy.
Liang Zhiyi took the items from him, her heart warming.
How could someone as shallow as Zhang Xinxin ever understand just how good Pei Chen truly was…
With dimples appearing on her cheeks, Liang Zhiyi looked up at him and said, “Pei Chen, I’m not mad anymore.”
She admitted to herself that she was easy to cheer up.
She simply couldn’t stay angry when it came to him.
Pei Chen was momentarily taken aback, but when he saw her smile, a gentle warmth gradually appeared in his eyes. “Let’s go.”
Together, Liang Zhiyi and he walked out of the hospital.
“Pei Chen, you’re so silly. After eating candied strawberries, the milk tea won’t taste sweet anymore…”
“Then just use it to warm your hands?”
“Alright, the weather is getting colder…”