The basketball tournament was held for three intense days, and in the end, No. 3 High School emerged victorious.
Even Zheng Hang, who had initially treated it as a playful endeavor, hadn’t expected such an outcome. Although their group had a poor reputation at school, they turned out to be surprisingly generous.
Zheng Hang treated all the basketball team members from the three competing schools to a meal, choosing "Allure World" as the venue.
At first, upon hearing that the big shot from No. 3 High School was hosting the meal, no one was keen on attending. But when they learned it was at "Allure World," it became impossible to resist. Allure World was a magnificent club that offered everything from dining and drinking to entertainment.
When Shi Tian received the invitation, she immediately accepted. She gathered five team members and five cheerleaders to attend the gathering the following weekend.
Bei Yao had never been to such a place and was quite curious about what Allure World was like.
She had considered the possibility of running into Pei Chuan, but to her, she had done nothing to wrong him in over a decade. Even though he had grown distant and no longer seemed to like her, she saw no reason to deliberately avoid him.
Shi Tian looked at Bei Yao and the others, rubbing her forehead in exasperation. "Are you all wearing your school uniforms?"
The girls from No. 6 High School looked puzzled.
Shi Tian sighed. "Never mind, never mind. It’s my fault for not informing you. School uniforms are fine—they look youthful and lively."
The No. 6 High School uniform was light blue, adorned with a small blue dolphin. Paired with it were loose black trousers, which all the girls had rolled up halfway due to the heat.
When the group arrived at Allure World, they finally understood Shi Tian’s earlier reaction—
The students from No. 3 High School and No. 1 High School had already arrived, and everyone was dressed impeccably. The boys wore shirts or T-shirts, while the girls sported fashionable summer dresses. Some had even gone so far as to curl their hair specially for the occasion.
Among the crowd, Wei Wan stood out the most.
She wore a lake-blue dress with a lace-trimmed hem, and her black hair had been styled with a curling iron, giving her a mature and captivating appearance. Even the cheerleaders from No. 1 High School, though not as meticulously dressed, wore casual, everyday outfits.
So when Shi Tian led the No. 6 High School cheerleaders in, Jin Ziyang spat out his drink and burst out laughing: "Hahaha, are you guys on a primary school field trip?"
Everyone laughed.
Shi Tian shot him a glare.
The girls from No. 6 High School felt embarrassed—except for Bei Yao.
She had spotted Pei Chuan. He was sitting at the far end of the table, holding a cigarette, but his gaze didn’t meet hers across the crowd. A moment later, he stubbed out the cigarette and didn’t light another.
Jin Ziyang’s eyes swept over the uniformed girls from No. 6 High School and finally settled on Bei Yao.
He was momentarily stunned.
Bei Yao, nearly sixteen, wore the little dolphin school uniform, her hair tied in a ponytail. Her hair tips were naturally slightly curled, and she exuded an untouched purity.
Their school uniforms were blue, and so was Wei Wan’s dress. Yet, on Bei Yao, the uniform seemed even more striking than Wei Wan’s carefully chosen outfit.
The boys present had all seen Bei Yao during the tournament, and seeing her again now, they were still captivated.
Wei Wan noticed it too. She gritted her teeth, furious. Despite her deliberate efforts to dress up, she still couldn’t outshine this unsophisticated country girl.
Bei Yao had never been to a place like this before. She followed behind her senior, Shi Tian, and stood with the other girls from her school.Jin Ziyang snapped back to reality and discreetly glanced at Brother Chuan. Seeing that Pei Chuan remained with lowered eyes, Jin Ziyang cleared his throat and said, "Don't stand on ceremony, everyone. Young Master Zheng is treating today, so eat, drink, and have fun to your heart's content. Come on, take a seat wherever you like."
This was the game room on the sixth floor, furnished with swing chairs and various sofas.
It was Bei Yao's first time in such a place, her bright eyes filled with curiosity as she surveyed the surroundings. She then followed Shi Tian and sat down on a sofa.
Jin Ziyang glanced at his watch, which he wore for show, and said, "It's only five in the afternoon, still early for dinner. How about we play some games first?"
Since the hosts were from Third High, the others naturally had no objections.
With people from First, Third, and Sixth High Schools present, there were over thirty people in total. Given the large number, Jin Ziyang initially suggested playing cards, but Zheng Hang glanced at Pei Chuan and spoke up, "Some of the girls might not know how to play, so let's keep it simple. How about 'Clap for Seven'?"
Zheng Hang explained the rules to everyone: "Each person takes turns counting numbers. When it's a multiple of seven or contains the digit seven, you don't say the number but clap instead. Anyone who fails to react in time, says the wrong number, or claps at the wrong time will be penalized. The loser..."
Just as Jin Ziyang was about to suggest a penalty, Zheng Hang shot him a warning look: "The loser has to drink a full glass of soda."
Jin Ziyang let out a disappointed "tsk."
Everyone agreed.
With thirty people just counting numbers, the game moved quickly. Bei Yao happened to be sitting directly across from Pei Chuan.
She wasn't particularly clever, and her reflexes weren't especially sharp, so she felt a bit nervous.
The first person to lose was Jin Ziyang, who muttered a curse under his breath and poured himself a glass of beer to drink.
In the second round, when it was Pei Chuan's turn, the number was "28." After the person before him clapped for 27, he casually clapped as well. When it reached Bei Yao's turn at 42, he looked up.
Bei Yao paused for a moment, then clapped.
Six times seven is forty-two—that was close.
Bei Yao smiled at Pei Chuan from across the room. Although she had good grades, her reflexes were naturally a bit slow. When she was younger, Zhao Zhilan had worried she wouldn't keep up with the pace. Fortunately, her memory improved year by year, and with her own diligence and hard work, her grades had always been excellent.
In that moment of hesitation, her eyes met Pei Chuan's, and Bei Yao instinctively clapped.
The girl after her, caught off guard by Bei Yao's clap, froze. That girl was the one who lost.
Jin Ziyang didn't notice anything amiss and instinctively pulled out a cigarette, offering it to Pei Chuan: "Brother Chuan, want one?"
Pei Chuan pressed his lips together.
Across from him, the young girl's clear, moonlit almond-shaped eyes glanced over, landing on the cigarette. Pei Chuan felt an inexplicable sense of embarrassment.
Yet he understood that times had changed. He reached out and took the cigarette. But after turning it over in his hand a few times, he ultimately didn't light it.
Bei Yao sighed softly in her heart.
The game had its wins and losses. By the end, the only ones who hadn't lost were Bei Yao and Pei Chuan.
Shi Tian praised, "Bei Yao, your reflexes are really sharp."
Bei Yao glanced across the room at Pei Chuan, the boy who had once been the smartest in their neighborhood, and curved her almond-shaped eyes into a smile.
~
Dinner was served on the second floor. Jin Ziyang and the others didn't care about the fact that they were students and directly ordered all kinds of alcohol.
Of course, they didn't force anyone to drink—those who wanted to could drink as they pleased.
Bei Yao realized she had developed a bad habit.
She had grown accustomed to watching Pei Chuan.
Since childhood, she had always been close to him, worrying that he might be sad, unwell, thirsty, or hungry. So now, sitting at a table full of strangers, she instinctively found herself looking at Pei Chuan.The expressionless young man drank glass after glass.
Jin Ziyang was astonished and whispered to Zheng Hang, "What's wrong with Brother Chuan?"
He never used to like drinking before?
Zheng Hang said, "How would I know."
Unable to figure it out, Jin Ziyang stopped thinking about it and simply drank heartily alongside Pei Chuan.
Seeing Pei Chuan in the mood to drink and noticing he wasn't secretly glancing at Bei Yao like the other boys, Wei Wan felt secretly pleased. She had always said that Pei Chuan was hard to chase—even if that Bei Yao from Sixth High was good-looking, Pei Chuan wouldn't be interested.
Wei Wan picked up her glass and walked over with a smile, first clinking glasses with Zheng Hang: "Thanks for treating us today, Young Master Zheng."
Then she clinked glasses with Jin Ziyang.
Finally, she stopped in front of Pei Chuan: "Young Master Pei, care for a drink?"
Pei Chuan curled his lips slightly and said indifferently, "Sure."
He clinked glasses with her. Wei Wan's eyes lit up, and she took a small, smiling sip, while Pei Chuan downed the entire glass.
Jin Ziyang applauded, "So bold, Brother Chuan!"
The alcohol flowed down his throat, leaving a chill in its wake.
Across the room, Bei Yao, still in her school uniform, was secretly watching him. Pei Chuan knew she was looking at him. Let her look, let her see her fill—this was the life he had chosen now. Once she grew disgusted and regretted ever being kind to a scoundrel like him, she would stay far away from his life. Then he wouldn’t have to cling to unrealistic hopes and desires.
Pei Chuan didn’t eat a single bite of food and drank the entire night.
By the time the meal ended, it was only seven in the evening, and the sky hadn’t fully darkened. Shi Tian said, "Let’s head back."
Bei Yao hesitated and glanced at Pei Chuan. He was lounging in his chair, legs crossed, and Wei Wan said something to him that made him curve his lips slightly. The smile was reckless and slightly roguish, utterly unfamiliar.
Bei Yao turned and followed Shi Tian away.
~
After the dinner party ended, the students from First, Third, and Sixth High, including Wei Wan, gradually left.
Zheng Hang said, "I’ll call for a ride. There’s no way Brother Chuan can drive tonight."
Pei Chuan was still drinking. Jin Ziyang said, "Brother Chuan, stop, damn it, don’t drink anymore. You’ve had way too much tonight..."
Pei Chuan knew he was drunk because, when only Jin Ziyang remained in the private room, he murmured, "I miss her."
"Huh? Miss who?"
All the suppressed, forcibly forgotten memories resurfaced one by one.
Pei Chuan slumped over the table, watching the cool summer night breeze rustle the curtains on the second floor. His voice was hoarse: "I still like her."
"Like who?" Jin Ziyang looked utterly confused, sensing a hint of gossip, but even drunk, Pei Chuan refused to utter that name, as if it were forbidden.
Zheng Hang pushed the door open and said, "The car’s here. Let’s get Brother Chuan and go."
Pei Chuan closed his eyes, trying to sober up. "You go. I’m staying here tonight."
The moment she left, all his strength drained away.
Jin Ziyang pleaded, "Brother, please, let’s go. Stop drinking."
Pei Chuan brushed his hand away, a coldness in his eyes that rarely surfaced. "I said, get lost."
Jin Ziyang didn’t think much of it, assuming drunkenness made people irritable. He scratched his head and said, "Fine, fine. Stay here for a bit. I’ll tell the staff to come at eight to settle you in."
Jin Ziyang and Zheng Hang left, leaving only one lamp on.
Through the second-floor window, Pei Chuan watched the lights outside gradually flicker on. His eyes half-closed, his consciousness already blurred.Footsteps approached softly from behind and stopped beside him. The girl's lilac-like fragrance lingered around him as she sat down next to him, her cool fingers gently brushing against his forehead.
He stared at her dazedly, forgetting to pull away.
"Bei Yao."
"Hmm." The girl answered softly, her tone carrying a gentle exasperation mixed with affection. "Pei Chuan, how much did you drink? Are you feeling unwell?"
He murmured in response: "Unwell."
She brought a cup of sobering tea to his lips, her warm voice coaxing like she was speaking to a misbehaving child: "Here, open your mouth and drink."
Pei Chuan looked at her and opened his mouth to drink.
She took a tissue and gently dabbed the corner of his mouth, only removing it after he finished drinking.
Bei Yao said: "You've grown up, Pei Chuan. I'm really happy to see you smiling more."
Boundless bitterness welled up in Pei Chuan's eyes.
The girl rested her chin in her hand, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright, devoid of any condescension toward him. She said with a smile: "You have so many friends now too. Don't worry, I just came to check on you because I was concerned. I won't bother you in the future."
"Bei Yao." He closed his eyes.
"Hmm?"
He wanted to ask: In your heart, am I no different from Fang Minjun and the others? Just another childhood playmate you're reluctant to part with.
But the words caught in his throat, unable to be spoken. He already knew the answer.
When Bei Yao heard him call her name but then fall silent, she said gently: "Pei Chuan, all the kids in the neighborhood miss you. Chen Hu asked me last week if I'd seen you."
Pei Chuan opened his eyes and gave a soft acknowledgment.
The exaggerated smile vanished from his face, his eyes clear and focused, containing only her reflection.
"I told him," the girl said tenderly, "Pei Chuan has grown taller, become more outgoing, and plays basketball really well. See, everyone's waiting for you to come back."
So... including you? His heart instantly crumbled under the gaze of those clear almond eyes, while uncontrollable layers of longing surged within him.
It was like looking at the bright, pure moon in the sky - knowing full well it could never be plucked down and possessed by one person, yet still unable to resist the delusion.
Her slender, pale hand remained near his lips, where she had just wiped the sobering tea.
As if trapped in a nightmare beyond his control, Pei Chuan tilted his head slightly, his thin lips brushing against her fingers.
Bei Yao froze, her slender fingers scalded by the sudden heat as she instinctively pulled her hand back.
Pei Chuan's intoxicated heart instantly sobered by seventy percent.
Only then did he realize what he had done uncontrollably, his face turning pale in an instant.
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