Lin Xiche had known Xu Fang for so many years, but it was the first time she heard him use such a phrase. She couldn’t help but almost burst into laughter. This was completely different from the explanations she had gotten used to receiving from him. It sounded unnatural, forced, and awkward. He was just being absurd for the sake of being absurd.
Lin Xiche shifted her gaze to Xu Fang, not wanting to engage in this childish exchange with him. In front of his friends, she decided not to scold him and instead vented her frustration by playfully pushing his head. However, she didn’t think his friends would believe his words.
However, a few seconds later, the guy who had asked the question earlier finished tying his shoelaces, sat up straight, and with a cheerful and enlightened smile, said, “Oh, that Xiche.”
Lin Xiche: “…”
Which one?
No, the pronunciations were completely different. How did he understand?
Xu Fang raised his hand, grasped Lin Xiche’s hand on top of his head, and nonchalantly said, “Yeah, that one.”
“…”
The match was supposed to last only an hour, but with various performances and speeches from different clubs invited by Z University, it was dragged out to two and a half hours.
Towards the end, Lin Xiche and a few others decided to play Mahjong on their phones. She didn’t know how to play, but she joined them just for fun and followed the system’s prompts. Lin Xiche noticed that Xu Fang kept turning his head to look at her, and she asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xu Fang, who was wearing a tank top and shorts under his basketball uniform, looked hot, even though Lin Xiche felt cold. His forehead was glistening with sweat, making him appear both stuffy and hot.
He lowered his gaze and glanced at her phone screen for a moment, then pursed his lips and turned away without saying anything.
Lin Xiche looked at the back of his head in confusion.
The guys next to her were chatting and laughing, talking about the games they had played recently and the girls they were interested in. Xu Fang, on the other hand, leaned back in his chair, looking lazy and bored.
After a while, Lin Xiche noticed that he raised his hand and tugged at his hair, then quickly let go.
Lin Xiche blinked and didn’t pay much attention. She lowered her head to play her Mahjong tiles.
But Xu Fang turned his head to look at her again, as if hinting at something. Then he raised his hand and started playing with his hair. His fingers were slender and fair, with slightly longer nails that gleamed with a faint luster, making them look exceptionally attractive.
It was as if he was saying, “What’s so fun about Mahjong? Play with me instead.”
Lin Xiche didn’t understand, not at all. She just found it strange.
Why was he constantly tugging at his hair? Did it itch? Didn’t he wash his hair yesterday? But with the weather being so cold lately, did he need to wash it every day? No, he basically trained every day, and he would be covered in sweat, so he definitely washed his hair.
Was it because the shampoo he bought wasn’t good?
Lin Xiche had been lost in thought for too long, and she hadn’t played her tile yet. The countdown on the system had reached zero. The girl sitting next to her tapped her leg to remind her, “Xiche, it’s your turn.”
“Oh, okay,” Lin Xiche snapped back to reality, quickly played a tile, and then leaned forward, extending a finger to poke Xu Fang’s nape. “Hey.”
Xu Fang turned his head, “Hm?”
Lin Xiche said, “After we go back to school later, let’s go to the supermarket.”
Xu Fang raised an eyebrow, “Sure.”
Lin Xiche continued, “I’ll buy you shampoo.”
Xu Fang arched his eyebrow further, “Why do you want to buy me shampoo?”
“I sense that your head is itching,” Lin Xiche looked at his hair with a serious expression, revealing a reassuring look. “I’ll buy you some anti-itch shampoo.”
“…”
In this match, Xu Fang was serving as a substitute forward. Just as he was about to enter the field, Lin Xiche was about to open her phone’s camera to capture a video of him scoring a goal when the screen suddenly shifted to display an incoming call: “Geng Geng,” with her phone number listed in the notes.
The surroundings were filled with noise—the referee’s whistle on the field, the applause and shouts from the spectators in the stands. Although the decibel level wasn’t unbearable, it was certainly not an ideal place to answer a phone call.
Lin Xiche was seated to the left of He Ruliang, with Yu Ze beside him. An aisle led to the rear exit of the sports hall, just a short walk away.
Lin Xiche leaned over and whispered to He Ruliang, “Senior, I need to step out for a moment.”
He Ruliang didn’t say anything, his almond-shaped eyes narrowing slightly, with a habitual upward curl at the corners. However, his gaze was fixed on Lin Xiche’s phone screen, his expression deep and enigmatic.
After about five seconds, he withdrew his gaze, arched an eyebrow slightly, and made room for her.
“You can go.”
In their senior year of high school, they only had Sundays off. Although there were no classes on Saturdays, the school required them to stay and make up lessons until the afternoon. Considering this, there were hardly any free days for the seniors. They were all working diligently, especially on Sunday afternoons when they would be back at school.
As the college entrance exams approached, Lin Xiche’s leisure time had decreased significantly. She had also reduced her frequency of contacting Lin Xigeng recently to avoid affecting her studies.
So, receiving a call from Lin Xigeng at this moment was quite surprising.
After leaving the sports hall and finding a quiet spot, several minutes had passed since the call was automatically disconnected. Lin Xiche called back, and it rang for more than ten times before it was finally answered.
“What are you doing? Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
Lin Xigeng hesitated for a moment and replied slowly, “I was just in the restroom.”
“Oh.” Lin Xiche didn’t dwell on it and went straight to the point. “Why did you call me?”
“Just wanted to ask how things are going with Xu Fang,” Lin Xigeng’s voice was soft, transmitted through the phone as if carried by an electric current. She sounded slightly hoarse, and there was a hint of gravelly quality in her tone. “It’s your first relationship, so I have to check in and make sure everything’s okay.”
Lin Xiche’s brows had been furrowed, and she asked hesitantly, “What’s wrong with you?”
After a brief silence, Lin Xigeng suddenly raised her voice, and there was a hint of laughter in her words. “What’s wrong with me? Is this how all women in relationships are? So sensitive?”
“…”
Lin Xiche was about to ask something more when Lin Xigeng suddenly changed the topic and said, “Lin Xiche, it seems like Mom wants to take Lin Deng to see a psychologist in City B and stay there for a while.”
Lin Xiche paused. “Okay.”
“But it seems like she doesn’t want to go,” Lin Xigeng’s voice was still low, and it seemed slightly hoarse. “You know, I’m worried.”
Lin Xiche let out a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry about her.”
“Don’t worry about her,” Lin Xiche said, her mood not inclined to deal with her mother’s affairs. She flashed a faint smile. “Focus on your studies, or you might end up repeating a year.”
“…”
As Lin Xiche chatted with Lin Xigeng, time seemed to slip away. Thirty minutes had passed in their conversation. When she returned to the sports hall, the second half of the match was nearing its end.
Xu Fang had just come off the field, sitting in his spot and sipping water. His hair was damp, and water droplets clung to the tips. His head was tilted back, creating a straight line from his neck to his Adam’s apple, which moved as he swallowed.
Lin Xiche returned to her seat.
From the corner of his eye, Xu Fang noticed Lin Xiche’s presence. He put down his bottle and turned his head to look at her. His bangs hung over his forehead, and his black pupils glistened with a faint sheen, like a deep well, profound and endless.
His lips were drawn tight, and he appeared to be in a less-than-ideal mood.
“Have you finished the competition?” Lin Xiche asked as she took tissues from her bag.
“Not yet.” Xu Fang managed a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and looked at his shirt, which was soaked with sweat. He spoke calmly, “I was too hot, so I poured water on my head.”
“Oh.” Lin Xiche pulled out two unopened bottles of mineral water from her bag. “Do you want more?”
“…”
“Are you still going to compete?”
“No need.”
“Then you should go change your clothes quickly.” Lin Xiche leaned forward and reached behind him to retrieve his bag. She took out his clothes and said, “It’s quite cold today.”
Xu Fang took the clothes and couldn’t help but ask, “Where did you go?”
“Geng Geng called me,” Lin Xiche said as she spread out three or four tissues and quickly wiped the sweat from his head, her movements rough and swift. “It was too noisy here, so I went outside to take the call.”
Xu Fang allowed her to tend to him, but his displeasure was evident.
After half a minute, Lin Xiche finally realized, “Are you angry because I didn’t watch your match?”
“Of course not.”
“Don’t be angry,” Lin Xiche’s movements became gentler, her almond-shaped eyes bright and twinkling, her smile warm. When he denied it, Lin Xiche automatically interpreted his words differently. “I didn’t watch anyone else’s match either.”
“…”
“Look at you, getting jealous.”
“…”
After the match, Lin Xiche and Xu Fang didn’t join the rest of the team for lunch. They were pulled away by Jiang Zhengxu, who said he wanted to play the host.
Lin Xiche hadn’t seen Jiang Zhengxu in a long time, and considering he had just shared a valuable secret with her, she felt quite enthusiastic about spending time with him. Along the way, it was just the two of them chatting continuously.
Xu Fang had changed back into the clothes he wore when he arrived, a black jacket and gray athletic pants. He was tall, handsome, and had a cold and slightly aloof aura, giving him a clean and sharp appearance. He stood between the two, looking lazy and disinterested as he listened to them gossip about him.
As the conversation continued, he couldn’t hold back anymore. He pinched Lin Xiche’s hand slightly harder, and when he heard her laughing and pleading for mercy, he relaxed and then discreetly rubbed her hand.
The weather today was still not very pleasant, with clouds gathering in the sky, casting a gloomy hue. It seemed like it could rain at any moment, and the cold air might turn the raindrops into snowflakes. However, it was perfect weather for hotpot, so the three of them decided to have lunch at a beef hotpot restaurant off-campus.
Lunchtime was crowded, and when they arrived, they coincidentally found an empty table as another group finished their meal.
They quickly placed their orders, and then chatted idly while waiting.
Once the hotpot arrived, Jiang Zhengxu and Xu Fang got up to prepare their dipping sauces at the condiment station, leaving Lin Xiche alone at the table to watch over their belongings.
Lin Xiche had been playing with her phone, but when she turned it off, she wondered why they were taking so long. She glanced towards the condiment station and happened to see a tall, slim girl talking to Xu Fang. She was holding her phone, seemingly asking for his WeChat.
Xu Fang remained expressionless throughout the interaction, and the girl had her back to Lin Xiche, so she couldn’t discern the situation clearly.
The girl had long, slender legs and wore a loose green hoodie, giving her a cute yet elegant appearance that contrasted sharply with Lin Xiche’s bulky figure.
Lin Xiche lowered her gaze and didn’t look again.
Soon, Xu Fang returned with two bowls of dipping sauce. He casually placed them in front of Lin Xiche, indicating that both were for her.
Inside the bowls were plenty of scallions and cilantro. Two vivid shades of green filled Lin Xiche’s field of vision.
The color was reminiscent of the girl’s clothing and seemed like an omen of the green hat she was about to put on.
There was a brief pause.
Lin Xiche raised her head and looked at him seriously. “I won’t eat this.”
Xu Fang knew her taste well and raised an eyebrow. “What do you want, then?”
“Anything but green,” Lin Xiche pouted her cheeks and said earnestly, “Please understand.”
“What—”
Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Xiche continued, “I can’t stand the color green right now.”
“…”
Author’s Note:
Pipi: Look at you, getting jealous.
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