Chapter 9 (1/2)

Chapter 9

With only a week to go before the sports meet, Zhang Ganggang finally managed to pass the ball when trapped on both sides, rather than falling to the ground as he rolled and hugged the ball. Qi Fei felt that he had really completed a long and arduous task, and he no longer seek for anything more than that… Of course this was not the only improvement around.

For some reason, before the games, Ji Qinyang dyed his hair black.

When the boy appeared at the door of the classroom, he attracted most of the class’s attention. Xie Meng looked up to see Ji Qinyang watching him.

“Morning.” Ji Qinyang removed his earbuds. He seemed to conditioned his hair, it was not as shaggy as before, and dyed as dark as ink.

Xie Meng stared at him for quite some time. “Morning…”

Ji Qinyang smiled. His facial features were exquisite, and with his black hair, they looked even more prominent, looking as perfect as those male models on fashion magazines who had been photoshopped.

Qi Fei, “… Are you planning on going down the path of being an adonis?”

Ji Qinyang was very curious. “You mean, I’m not one?”

Zhang Ganggang thought about it, “Well, you’re the number one beauty in W High…”

Ji Qinyang was quite surprised. “How come I didn’t know about that?”

Qi Feig clapped his hands. “I remember it now! Last time, someone had post a ranking on the girls’ channel of the school intranet.”

Zhang Ganggang counted with his fingers. “Ji Qinyang, Xie Meng, Zhuo Xiaoyuan… We occupy 3 out of the top 5 ranks!”

“What we.” Qi Fei rolled his eyes. “Zhuo Xiaoyuan is from Class 6.”

Zhang Ganggang, “He knows Xie Meng. Xie Meng’s friend is our friend!”

Xie Meng, “…”

Ji Qinyang laughed. “That’s pretty interesting.”

Xie Meng glanced at him. Ji Qinyang also happened to turn his head. Their eyes met for some time, and only looked away when Maitreya arrived.

Qi Fei and Zhang Ganggang were still squabbling about Zhuo Xiaoyuan. Maitreya had to call out loudly to them to be silent a few times before they stopped.

Maitreya tousled Ji Qinyang’s hair. “Yo, you’ve finally dyed it back.”

“…” Ji Qinyang tidied up his messed up hair impatiently.

Maitreya chuckled, “It looks very good now, an obedient pretty boy.”

Xie Meng could not help laughing when he heard the words “obedient pretty boy.” Ji Qinyang stared at his laughing face, widening his eyes to make an innocent expression.

Xie Meng choked, and stopped laughing.

Zhang Ganggang and Qi Fei did not bother disguising their amusement. They laughed loudly non-stop.

Maitreya could not longer tolerate the noise, and they only stopped after he began scolding them.

As the next day was the sports meet, the students were all very inattentive in class. At the end of the school day, they even stayed back to practice their formation. The person holding the sign was changed to Ji Qinyang, and Qi Fei and Zhang Ganggang, standing by the side of the field, took turns to shout “W High’s No. 1 Beauty” and “obedient pretty boy”… Class Six was also lining up on the track. Zhuo Xiaoyuan, holding his class sign, collided head on with Ji Qinyang, and when they staggered apart, their fists even met for a bit.

The two classes practised their formations, and Xie Meng nodded at Zhuo Xiaoyuan when he walked past him.

As a result, Zhuo Xiaoyuan started shouting his class cheer. “Class 6 Class 6 we’re number one! Class 6 Class 6 we’ll kick some buns!”

Xie Meng, “…”

Qi Fei was about to die laughing. “This cheer is too funny! Hahahaha!”

Zhang Ganggang, “Hahahahahaha!”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan was angry. “If yours is better, then shout yours!”

Ji Qinyang supported the sign on his shoulder, and randomly said something. “Friendship first, competition second.”

“…” Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “You’re going to just shout this?”

Ji Qinyang shrugged, “As long as it’s not as dumb as yours.”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “…”

After the formation training, a few people still had to stay back and train. Chen Dong wanted to have a friendly match with Class Six. Zhuo Xiaoyuan had brought Zhuo Jinjin along, and the little girl sat obediently by the court.

“Qinyang-gege!” Zhuo Jinjin’s smile bloomed like a flower, and waved her arms.

Zhuo Xiaoyuan had a dirty look on his face. “Why did you call at him.”

Zhuo Jinjin was very honest. “Because he’s better looking than you, gege.”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “…”

Ji Qinyang walked over. Behind him was Xie Meng, and when Zhuo Jinjin saw him her eyes were about to fall out.

“Hello, Jinjin.” Xie Meng crouched down, smiling as he patted the little girl’s head.

“Ah ah ah!” Zhuo Jinjin shrieked as she hid behind Zhuo Xiaoyuan.

“…” Xie Meng froze, he was at a loss.

Zhuo Xiaoyuan clicked his tongue in displeasure.

Ji Qinyang gave a smile with an indiscernible meaning. “Her reaction wasn’t even that big when she saw me for the first time.”

Zhuo Jinjin peeped out from behind her brother with a red face, speaking shyly, “You’re so handsome~”

Xie Meng, “…”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan pressed his forehead into his palm. “Ignore her. She’s going boy-crazy.”

Qi Fei had the most experience handling children. If he compared the 10 year old Zhuo Jinjin with those wild children of his relatives, she was basically a little angel. Zhuo Xiaoyuan watched as he turned coins into flowers to charm his sister, and could no longer bear it. With a dark face, he said, “You should give up now. I won’t let my sister marry you!”

Zhuo Jinjin laughed and clapped her hands. “I want to marry Xie Meng!”

“…” Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “You just told me the other day that you wanted to marry Ji Qinyang!”

Qi Fei pretended to be heartbroken and held his hand to his chest. “I’m not good enough? I’m also very handsome!”

Zhuo Jinjin laughed joyfully. Qi Fei lifted her up and placed her around his neck, then motioned for Zhang Ganggang to bring the basketball over. “Let’s go shoot the ball into the basket.”

Zhuo Jinjin shot twice, and both missed. When Ji Qinyang took over and carried her, the little girl was a little shy.

“I’m not strong enough.” Zhuo Jinjin grumbled.

Ji Qinyang held her waist and stood under the basket. He looked up at Zhuo Jinjin, his gentle smile very pretty. “It’s not your fault. Qi Fei is just too short.”

Qi Fei immediately squatted down and acted pitiful. “Yeah, yeah, yeah… I stretched so much that my neck is now sore.”

Zhuo Jinjin giggled. She took the ball from Xie Meng, and looked at the basket with a serious look on her face. This time, the ball landed in easily.

Cheers rang out across the court. Ji Qinyang put Zhuo Jinjin down gently and hoked, “The pre-show has ended. Little princess, would you like to watch by the side now?”

Zhuo Jinjin looked at Xie Meng. “Will you go on court as well?”

Xie Meng smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

Zhuo Jinjin went over to hold Zhuo Xiaoyuan’s hand. She said confidently, “Although I like you a lot, my older brother will definitely not lose.”

Zhuo Xiaoyuan did not speak. He picked up his little sister, and the two of them hooked their little fingers together. Zhuo Jinjin clenched her fist, “Gege, fighting!”

“Sure.” Zhuo Xiaoyuan promised, and pushed his cheek towards Zhuo Jinjin. “Give ge a kiss.”

Zhuo Jinjin hugged him tightly and smacked her brother’s cold, fierce, slanting eyes with her lips.

Zhuo Xiaoyuan grinned and laughed foolishly.

The friendly match did not start off fiercely. Class 3 mainly wanted to practise their cooperation and teamwork. Zhang Ganggang’s skills could at most not handicap them, and Chen Dong tried his best to just pass the ball to only Ji Qinyang and Qi Fei.

Qi Fei like to charge into the restricted area by himself, but Ji Qinyang rarely did so.

At the start, Xie Meng was unable to make an immediate decision when he caught Ji Qinyang’s passes. However, his reactions started speeding up as he got used to it.

“Here!” On his right, Qi Fei signalled to him. Ji Qinyang glanced at him, and with the turn of his wrist, the ball was instead tossed to the left. Xie Meng swiftly threw off the two guards from Class Six on him, caught the ball and entered the restricted area with a turn. Ji Qinyang was already waiting under the basket. Zhuo Xiaoyuan wanted to intercept, and Xie Meng took a step back, positioning himself to take a shot at the basket.

“Get ready for the rebound!” Zhuo Xiaoyuan shouted.

The trajectory of the thrown ball was far, but it was not aimed directly at the basket. It was already too late when Zhuo Xiaoyuan caught on to Xie Meng’s plan. Ji Qinyang leapt up, caught the ball in front of the basket, and dunked it in.

Zhuo Xiaoyuan, “…”