Chapter Fifty-Four: The Bullfight

Is he in love, or has he just broken up? Tang Yan and Wang Yuanyuan felt an intense sense of loss rising within them, as if something precious had been taken away, leaving them hollow and empty.

“The plane leaves a trail of clouds in the sky,
Just like two dreams that have shed their skins.
The sorrow is that we’ve grown up,
The blue sky reflected in our eyes
Is only time flowing backward.
From then on, you
Became indescribably beautiful.
Please remember me.
Though I never said I loved you,
But what has never changed, and is the only thing,
Is the image of you in my heart.
On the rain-soaked track with no footprints,
You can hear the voices of youth.
From your drenched clothes, faintly,
Just like the day we first met,
My heart pounded.
The girl of that day still stands there,
On the radiant path seen from afar,
You flew from my hand.
The beauty and the troubles of memory,
Interwoven in love and being loved,
Where are we going?
From then on, you
Became indescribably beautiful.
Just quiet whispers,
The future path of this star,
Interwoven in the hopes of love.

Where are we going?”

This was what Su Tong had written in Wang Yuanyuan’s little notebook, telling the story of two people, without making clear whether they had broken up or were still lost in love.

“Is this about your girlfriend?” Tang Yan forced a smile and asked. Though Su Tong wasn’t her ideal boyfriend—she could tell his family wasn’t well-off—she still felt as if something that belonged to her had been snatched away, and the bitterness gnawed at her heart.

Su Tong didn’t answer, just laughed: “Finished reading? Give it to me, I’ll save it on my phone. Memory is unreliable; I might forget it tomorrow.”

This “poem” was actually the lyrics of a song, an insert from a Japanese anime in his previous life.

The poem left Tang Yan and Wang Yuanyuan looking less than pleased; someone had beaten them to the punch.

But throughout their freshman year, they hadn’t heard of Su Tong having a girlfriend.

Just as Su Tong finished copying it onto his phone, he saw two people enter the stadium, one dribbling a basketball as he walked.

“Hm? The big guy and Shao Sheng.” Su Tong handed the notebook back to Wang Yuanyuan. “Thanks. Forget about hosting—I’ll sign up to sing a song. Remember to give me a chance in the audition. If someone’s better than me, I won’t complain if I get dropped. Alright, I’m off to play basketball with my roommates, need some exercise.”

With that, Su Tong jumped off the bleachers.

“Hey, Su Tong, what are you doing here? Didn’t a girl drag you off? And I thought you hated the sports field—why are you here?” The big guy and Shao Sheng were startled to see him.

Ever since the freshman sports meet ended, Su Tong had hated this stadium—after fighting tooth and nail to win first place in his group, and third in the whole faculty, he reached the finish line only to find no one from his class waiting; he almost died there.

“Cough…” Su Tong cleared his throat. This big guy’s mouth was too reckless, blurting out whatever came to mind without considering the situation—Tang Yan and Wang Yuanyuan were right there.

The big guy froze, looked up, shrank his neck and dashed off.

Shao Sheng quickly followed.

Su Tong gave Tang Yan and Wang Yuanyuan an awkward smile, then ran after them: “Hey, wait up, a game of basketball, right? I’m in.”

Tang Yan and Wang Yuanyuan exchanged a glance and followed.

“We’ve got nothing else to do; let’s watch the boys play.”

“Hehe, really you just want to see Su Tong play, don’t you?”

From Su Tong’s “poem,” both girls had deduced he once had a girlfriend, but had broken up—the evidence being the line “You flew from my hand.”

Since they’d broken up, their chances were better.

Outside the basketball court.

“Su Tong, have you ever played basketball?” The big guy looked puzzled; he’d never seen Su Tong touch a basketball all freshman year.

There were six people in their dormitory, each with their own favorite sport—some liked basketball, some football, some table tennis. The big guy and Shao Sheng had bonded over their shared love of basketball.

Shao Sheng watched Su Tong curiously.

“I played for a few years,” Su Tong replied. He had indeed played for several years. For most people, a few years meant playing an hour or two a day; over several years, that added up to a few thousand hours.

But Su Tong’s summer homework had been plentiful; he’d dabbled in eighteen different skills, and his basketball training hours totaled four or five thousand.

According to the little devil’s analysis, the main tasks issued by the system were never too hard, mostly to give Su Tong time to build a solid foundation.

Basketball training was a compulsory course among all the system’s offerings. Electives like billiards or ice hockey, Su Tong hadn’t taken up, but basketball was the second largest sport in the world, so he had studied it intensively during the summer.

His coach had been a legendary figure, before whom NBA superstars were nothing.

Of course, Su Tong knew he wasn’t at NBA level yet, but playing with classmates was child’s play for him.

“Ha, it’s fine. With Shao Sheng and me, the three of us make a team—nothing to fear.” The big guy laughed, clapping Su Tong’s shoulder.

“Hey, Su Tong, you’re looking much sturdier. Did you hit the gym with a coach over the summer?” The big guy squeezed Su Tong’s arm, tried to touch his chest, but Su Tong swatted his hand away.

Shao Sheng, meanwhile, was concerned: “Su Tong, you’re not wearing basketball gear or shoes; take it easy, let us handle it.”

Su Tong smiled: “Sure, I’ll just get some exercise, sweat a bit. If our team wants to stand tall, it’s up to you two.”

They didn’t have to wait long before a team lost, and Su Tong’s trio took the court.

In a game of three-on-three, the first team to score three points wins and keeps playing.

Once on the court, Su Tong realized someone was watching him with hostility.

He looked up—it was Ding Wei from the university’s arts department.

He hadn’t noticed him before, but Su Tong didn’t care. He inbounded the ball to Shao Sheng.

Everyone regarded him as a supporting character; as long as he could pass and maybe grab a rebound, that was enough.

At over six feet tall, Su Tong had an advantage grabbing rebounds even if he wasn’t skilled.

But Su Tong didn’t intend to go for rebounds; he hovered around the perimeter, acting as a relay.

Ding Wei kept his eyes glued to Su Tong, occasionally glancing toward Tang Yan outside the court.

The university’s basketball and soccer fields were adjacent, separated by a wire fence. Tang Yan and Wang Yuanyuan stood on the soccer track, watching through the fence as the boys played.

“Su Tong doesn’t seem to know how to play; he just passes the ball, never dribbles,” Wang Yuanyuan remarked to Tang Yan.

“Yeah, Ding Wei’s team has already scored one,” Tang Yan replied, a little disappointed. She had hoped to see Su Tong, usually gentle, suddenly become fierce on the court—it would have been exciting.

“Swish!”

Ding Wei leaped gracefully before Su Tong and shot.

The ball went in.

2–0.

“Too easy. Just one more, I’ll sweep all three this round.” Ding Wei smiled calmly, his gaze flicking to Tang Yan outside.

Both baskets had been his, and he and Su Tong were guarding each other.

The big guy and Shao Sheng looked troubled. The opposing team was strong; their center was nearly as tall as the big guy and more skilled. Su Tong’s side had no advantage under the basket.

“Sorry,” Su Tong said.

The big guy and Shao Sheng smiled, reassuring him: “No worries, you didn’t mess up—it’s on us. We still have a chance; just try to interfere with your opponent’s shots.”