Classmate Number Seven - 11
Monday after school happened to be Qi Xia, Xing Anya, and Xu Youfei's turn to clean the classroom.
Jingda High School took its cleanliness inspections seriously. Even after they had finished sweeping and scrubbing, Qi Xia, Xing Anya, and Xu Youfei had to wait more than ten minutes before the student council finally gave them the all-clear. Only then did they gather their things and head downstairs.
With summer just around the corner, it was already unbearably hot in Jing City. After all that cleaning, the three girls were sweating from head to toe. Xu Youfei suggested they go buy ice cream.
On the way, she announced some big news. "My birthday's at the end of this month. You two have to come over to my house and hang out."
"Are you throwing a party at home?"
"Pretty much. We'll eat, drink, play board games, that kind of thing."
"Who else is going?" Qi Xia asked.
"My brother, He Xiao, and his friends. More than twenty people from our class, plus some from other schools. You two are my best friends at Jingda, you absolutely have to come."
It was rare for Xing Anya to have a day without cram school, and she took the opportunity to tease her. "Your best friends at Jingda aren't us. It's He Xiao, isn't it?"
"Nonsense! Humans and pigs are different species. There's no way we could ever achieve intellectual resonance."
Watching Xu Youfei and He Xiao bicker every day was honestly pretty entertaining. Xing Anya asked, "You're turning seventeen, right?"
"Yep. Speaking of birthdays, I don't even know when you two were born. Which one of us is the oldest, anyway?"
Xing Anya's birthday was in January, so she was already seventeen. Qi Xia said, "Mine's in July."
"What day exactly?"
"July seventh."
"Qixi, the Chinese Valentine's Day?" Xu Youfei let out a gasp. "You have the same birthday as my brother! His is Valentine's Day too."
Qi Xia's heart gave a sudden jolt. "Ch... Chen Xifan?"
"Yeah. My brother's birthday is February fourteenth, and yours is July seventh. One's a Western Valentine's Day, the other's an Eastern one. Close enough, right?"
That meant Chen Xifan was five months older than her. Qi Xia quietly memorized his birthday. A secret happiness took root inside her, sprouting, stretching upward, growing wild. She fought back a smile, but fireworks were already bursting in her chest.
No one knew that during all those years she had secretly loved Chen Xifan, the smallest coincidence could keep her happy for days. Whether it was their exercise books happening to lie side by side, or catching sight of him by accident at the school gate.
He had a hand in every rise and fall of her emotions. Every second held some new, uncertain thing to look forward to. She even knew the shape of his name in the handwriting on every pen she owned.
"So, are you two coming to my birthday or not?"
"Of course," Xing Anya said.
Qi Xia stopped hesitating. "Yeah. I'll come."
"Then it's settled. Tell me what you like to eat ahead of time, I'll have the aunties at home make it."
The three girls bought ice cream and a bag of bread at the supermarket, planning to head to the lake and feed the fish. Just as they stepped outside, they ran into their class monitor, Wei Yupeng.
He was carrying a whole case of bottled water, panting as he called out to them. "Ladies, if you've got time, come to the basketball court and cheer us on!"
"Is there a game today?"
"Yeah. Our class is playing against Class 1. It hasn't started yet. Fan-ge and the others are warming up, I came out to buy water."
At the mention of Chen Xifan's name, Qi Xia slowed for half a step. Of course she knew he was playing today. Earlier that afternoon, when she'd gone to the bathroom, she'd deliberately slipped out through the back door and overheard someone talking about it.
She had already planned to sneak a few glances at him while passing the sports field. Now that Wei Yupeng had invited them, she had no reason not to go.
The three girls followed him toward the field. It was scorching, sweat poured down Wei Yupeng's forehead. Qi Xia said, "We can help you carry a few bottles."
"No, no. How could I make girls do the heavy lifting?" Wei Yupeng refused.
"We'll only take a few. They're not even heavy."
Xing Anya was never one to stand on ceremony. She reached straight into the box, pulled out several bottles, and cradled them in her arms. Xu Youfei and Qi Xia did the same. Wei Yupeng gave them an embarrassed smile. "Thanks, thanks. Sorry to trouble you, ladies."
"Don't mention it. Just don't embarrass our class out there."
"Don't worry about that. We've got Fan-ge."
Students at Jingda High School were usually a rowdy bunch. Teasing one another and joking around with their teachers was nothing out of the ordinary. But when it came to collective pride, they took things seriously. If something involved the honor of their class, nobody dared slack off.
By the time they reached the field, the game had already begun. A large crowd had gathered along the sidelines, and the roar of their cheers shook the air.
"Anyone who wants water, come get it!" Wei Yupeng shouted.
Qi Xia set the bottles down one by one. Then, without warning, a hand reached out in front of her.
"Give me one."
She looked up, surprised to find Chu Yang standing there.
For a moment, she froze, then silently handed him a bottle. He thanked her.
"Xia Xia, come over here." Xu Youfei had already claimed a spot and was waving her over.
The atmosphere around the court was electric. Class 5 wore pale blue jerseys, while Class 1 wore red. In theory, the brighter color should have caught her eye first. But the very first person Qi Xia saw was Chen Xifan, wearing number two.
He had a white T-shirt beneath his blue jersey and black shorts that ended just below the knees, his firm powerful calves exposed. His skin was so fair it seemed to catch the light. The loose strands of hair over his forehead had grown a little too long, so perhaps worried they might obstruct his vision, he had tied on a black headband.
Everyone on the court was dressed more or less alike, yet Chen Xifan stood out effortlessly.
Handling the ball, leaping, sprinting... everything he did drew the eye, as if he had been born with a hook in him. Qi Xia couldn't look away.
Of course, she wasn't the only one.
Most of the people surrounding the court were girls, from Class 5 and other classes alike, with even Senior One and Senior Three students mixed in. They screamed and cheered with such wild excitement that this hardly felt like a basketball game anymore. It was Chen Xifan's personal showcase.
"Ahhhhh! I'm going to die! Chen Xifan is so damn handsome! Did you see that three-pointer just now? That was insane!"
"I got it on camera!"
"Go, Chen Xifan! Go, go, go!"
The cheers rose to a fever pitch. Perhaps beauty really did make people lose their minds, Qi Xia spotted several girls from Class 1 among the crowd, their faces flushed as they shouted Chen Xifan's name.
Suddenly, Qi Xia wanted to capture this moment.
The sky was clear that day, the breeze soft, the clouds thin. Nothing particularly special had happened. She was simply standing in the crowd, watching a basketball game played by the boy she liked.
Chances to watch him so openly would probably grow fewer and farther between from here on out.
Her fingers tightened around the phone in her pocket. She hesitated, then slipped it out when no one was paying attention and hurriedly snapped a picture.
She had never secretly photographed anyone before, and her hand trembled just as the camera focused. The image came out blurry. Thankfully, Chen Xifan was perfectly in frame.
Qi Xia covered her phone, happiness spilling so close to the surface it nearly escaped through her eyes.
Beside her, Xing Anya and Xu Youfei were completely absorbed in the action on the court and failed to notice what she'd done. Qi Xia lowered her head and put away her phone, only to look up and find herself meeting Chu Yang's eyes.
He was wearing a blue jersey too. He was probably playing the second half and was resting beneath the basketball hoop for now.
Qi Xia's heart lurched. A guilty unease washed over her, like she'd been caught doing something she shouldn't.
Why was Chu Yang looking at her? Had he noticed?
Her thoughts ran wild, but Chu Yang said nothing. He simply turned his head away.
With Chen Xifan and He Xiao as their two key players, and the other three members of the team also on the school basketball squad, Class 5 had a formidable lineup. By halftime, they were already more than twenty points ahead.
"We've got this!" Xu Youfei declared. "Class 1's going to have a hard time catching up in the second half. That big idiot He Xiao actually has some moves."
Qi Xia was positively beaming. "Yeah. Our class is definitely going to win."
The whistle blew, and the players came off the court for a break. One after another, the Class 5 players made their way over, and several girls nearby began shifting restlessly.
"Go on. Go give him some water."
"Chen Xifan won't take it. Don't waste your effort."
But there was always someone bold enough to try. A pretty figure emerged from the crowd. Shen Ju held a bottle of ADD sports drink and walked past them.
It was no secret at school that Shen Ju liked Chen Xifan. She passed by the entrance to Class 5 every day, bringing him chocolates and milk tea, though he had never accepted a single thing from her.
Qi Xia bit her lip, unable to stop herself from studying Shen Ju.
No one could deny that Shen Ju was beautiful. Slender and striking, she shone even in a crowd, a girl who naturally drew every eye.
From a distance, Qi Xia watched as Shen Ju walked up to Chen Xifan and held out the drink. He appeared to say something. He didn't take the bottle. Instead, he picked up a bottle of mineral water from the ground and walked away.
Shen Ju seemed accustomed to this kind of awkwardness. She simply put the drink away with perfect composure, then turned and chatted and laughed with a few of the boys from Class 5.
The ice cream still melting in Qi Xia's hand had long since turned to liquid. She tossed it into a nearby trash can.
Xu Youfei offered her a gummy candy. Strawberry flavored. Qi Xia tore open the wrapper and popped it into her mouth, but all she tasted was a sour bitterness that was almost impossible to swallow.
At that moment, she found herself envious of Shen Ju.
To express your feelings boldly, without hiding or retreating, took a rare kind of courage.
And that was a courage Qi Xia suspected she would never possess, not in her entire life.
"Why hasn't Shen Ju given up yet?" Xu Youfei sighed. "She's such a gorgeous girl, I can't stand watching this anymore. My brother really isn't into her."
"Then what kind of girl does our school heartthrob like?" Xing Anya asked, curious.
Xu Youfei immediately started dragging her brother again. "Isn't it obvious? My brother's a complete lunatic. He likes girls who can fly."
The words had barely left her mouth when a familiar scent of mint drifted closer.
Qi Xia looked up and froze.
Chen Xifan had come over to them. "Xu Youfei."
He had just finished playing, and his voice was slightly hoarse, roughened with a grainy edge that wasn't there in its usual clear brightness. He handed her his school uniform. "Take this back for me."
Xu Youfei gave him a pointed look. "Ge, do you think I should invite Shen Ju to my birthday?"
Chen Xifan clicked his tongue softly and raised an eyebrow, hitting exactly where it hurt. "Forget about your birthday present, then."
Xu Youfei folded instantly. "Fine, fine, fine. I'll stop talking nonsense. But I'm leaving soon. Uncle Zhang is waiting for me at the school gate. Xia Xia, Anya, are you two going back to the classroom?"
"I'm not," Xing Anya said. "I've already got my schoolbag with me."
Qi Xia was going to study in the Senior Three Academic Building later, and there was no harm in making a quick trip back to the classroom. "I forgot my keys. I need to go back and get them."
"Perfect." Xu Youfei pointed at her, clearly suggesting that Chen Xifan ask Qi Xia to help him.
The whistle sounded again, the referee was calling the players back. Chen Xifan still had the second half to play. He handed his school uniform to Qi Xia and nodded his head slightly.
"Thanks."
Qi Xia pressed her lips together as she took it. "You're welcome."
Her voice was so soft that he probably didn't hear her. He turned and ran back toward the court, leaving behind only a fleeting rush of wind she could never quite catch.
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