(1)
The rain had stopped, but the track field was still damp and slick.
The first-year students played gleefully, scrambling for the few available basketball hoops.
The third-year students could either go play badminton or return to the classroom together to continue their homework.
The PE teacher sat cross-legged on the grass beside the horizontal bar, enjoying this rare moment of idle leisure.
“Want to play badminton together?”
Zhu Ying, seizing a moment when no one else was paying attention, stealthily pinched An Jing’s cheek.
“No… I can’t do any intense exercise in this state…”
“Then I’ll go play over there!”
“Go on, go on…”
An Jing mumbled, her lips pursed as she withdrew.
What does it really feel like to be in a relationship?
Before dating, there are always countless fantasies, but after starting, you realize it’s not as passionate as you imagined.
Zhu Ying seemed to treat her more like a particularly close sister…
Maybe, no matter who it is, no one can give all their affection and love from the very beginning.
“Why are you just standing here daydreaming? At least find somewhere to sit.”
As Zhu Ying headed off with her friends to play badminton, An Jing felt a gentle tap on her back.
She didn’t need to look—just the voice alone was enough to know it was Zhou Chao.
“I’m not feeling well today, can’t play.”
An Jing sighed.
“I didn’t come to ask you to play. Come on, let’s sit over there for a bit.”
Zhou Chao pointed to the area by the vending machines under the teaching building.
There were two long benches there, and at the moment only Fang Qiang and a few others were sitting on them.
“Strange, you’re not off burning off excess energy today?”
“Haha, everyone’s got their own things on their mind.”
Zhou Chao shrugged.
“Still not fully recovered?”
“Uh… yeah.”
“A cold and fever lasting this long, that’s something else.”
“I don’t want it either.”
An Jing gave a wry smile, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she walked side by side with him toward the vending machines.
“Don’t let your brain get fried!”
“Damn, can’t you think of something nicer?”
“Summer break—”
The path to the vending machine wasn’t far, but students rarely headed this way, instead gathering in more crowded spots.
An Jing sat naturally on the long bench, glancing outside through the railing—a few quick glances told her that the boss who usually sold fried skewers wasn’t there today.
Usually, if you hadn’t eaten enough at lunch, or got hungry in the afternoon, you could walk over here, call out to the old man, and buy some fried skewers to satisfy your cravings.
Money and food were exchanged through the gaps in the railing.
Fried sticky rice cakes for fifty cents a big skewer, or maybe some cumin-sprinkled pork tenderloin—these were most popular among the students.
Of course, if you didn’t want anything greasy, you could get a serving of braised tofu; two thick, juicy pieces for fifty cents, and for those with a small appetite, even one skewer could count as a meal.
“An Jing.”
Fang Qiang greeted her, looking a bit absent-minded.
“It’s rare for you not to play basketball during PE.”
“The first-years took over the court.”
“If you just say something, who would dare not let you play?”
An Jing joked, slapping his shoulder.
“An Jing, you still look pretty weak today.”
Sun Wei leaned against the rough wall behind the bench.
“Haha, you’ve been holding your stomach all morning, just like a girl on her period!”
“Idiot.”
An Jing rolled her eyes dramatically.
The best way to deal with this guy was not to explain, just curse him out directly, or else he’d only get more excited.
“I thought you’d be hanging out with Zhu Ying today.”
Sun Wei grinned lewdly.
“Isn’t it awesome being desk mates with her?”
“Your mind is filthy.”
“C’mon, you can’t say you’ve never thought about it.”
Haha.
“So, did it work out?”
“Zhou Chao, what do you mean by that? Damn, don’t tell me—”
“Zhu Ying and An Jing…”
“Ahem!”
Zong Jing cleared her throat loudly, a hint of pride in her tone.
“Well… it happened.”
“No way!”
“Get out!”
“Haha, I figured it would work out.”
Unlike the other two who were surprised, Zhou Chao was relieved.
“Whether you two can stay together from now on depends on your own skills.”
“What’s going on, what happened, spill it!”
Sun Wei looked like he wouldn’t rest until he got all the gossip.
“It’s too complicated to explain, can’t be bothered.”
“Are you kidding me?!”
“Basically, some stuff happened,” Zhou Chao explained for An Jing, “and then the two of them got together.”
“Seems like it’s the first time I’ve heard she has a boyfriend?”
Fang Qiang exclaimed.
“An Jing, not bad.”
“Quick, confess, how far have you two gone!”
“Well, she came over to my house last Saturday.”
“Damn, she already went to your house? Don’t tell me you two already…”
“You bastard… It’s not that casual!”
“So, did you hug? Kiss? Don’t tell me you just held hands!”
“Uh… I guess… we kissed.”
“Damn~!!!”
Sun Wei’s voice was full of envy and jealousy.
“Then why are you still hanging out here, shouldn’t you be with her?”
Fang Qiang shook his head.
“We brothers don’t need you here.”
“Ahem, I’m still… not really used to it. I’ve never dated before, you know that.”
“It’s fine, you can’t expect to be intimate immediately after getting together.”
Zhou Chao spoke like someone with experience.
“Just get to know each other slowly, everyone needs to understand one another.”
When it came to understanding each other, An Jing felt like there was no couple who could know that much about each other right at the start…
And since she didn’t open up her heart easily, Zhu Ying probably knew more about her than she did about Zhu Ying.
“Zhou Chao, you got a new girlfriend yet?”
“Nope, any recommendations?”
“Damn, if I recommend someone, you think you can get her?”
“Alright, name someone and I’ll go for it.”
“If you’ve got guts, go after Zong Jing.”
“Her, huh… I don’t feel anything for her, and she’s not comfortable to touch.”
“Damn, at least she’s good-looking!”
Sun Wei shook his eyebrows.
“Who knows, maybe if you touch her more, you’ll get used to it? Go develop her!”
“Develop her?”
Fang Qiang stretched his hands out, making a kneading motion.
“Fine, I’ll give it a try.”
“Damn, you treat dating like shopping. Sigh… so only me and Ah Qiang haven’t dated yet. Are we really going to reach eighteen without ever dating?”
Bah.
“Ahem!” Fang Qiang suddenly scratched his head a bit awkwardly.
“Well, actually I…”
“Damn, don’t tell me you betrayed the group!”
Sun Wei shook Fang Qiang’s head hard.
“Spit it out, what happened?”
“Well, during the weekend, I work part-time, delivering goods for… a milk warehouse. Then, there was this girl who… um, asked for my phone number, and she said… she said I was pretty handsome, haha…”
“Damn, there’s really stuff like this in the world? How old is she?”
“She’s an older girl, her QQ age says eighteen.”
“So only two years older than you.”
“Probably a senior in high school, maybe a college freshman.”
Zhou Chao stroked his chin thoughtfully.
“To each their own. Ah Qiang just has a bit of acne, but he’s tall and strong, of course some girls would like him.”
“What about me?”
Sun Wei pointed at himself.
“You? Heh… you’re too sleazy, I doubt any girls like you.”
“Didn’t you just say to each their own?!”
“Yeah, but you gotta be a vegetable at least.”
“Damn, you calling me crap?”
“I didn’t say that,” Zhou Chao shrugged, but the grin on his face made it clear that’s exactly what he meant.
“So, she’s into you?”
“Yeah!”
Fang Qiang couldn’t help but smile.
“Feels like we might become official soon.”
“What does she look like?”
Sun Wei asked curiously.
“Honestly, just average… but she’s got a big chest.”
“Damn, you’re just in it for that, huh?”
“What guy doesn’t like big boobs?”
“For love advice, you should ask Zhou Chao.”
An Jing lowered her head to look at Zhou Chao.
“That guy knows a lot, he can give you plenty of tips.”
“Call me Chao Ge.”
Zhou Chao lifted his chin proudly.
“Chao Ge, I’ll be counting on you then.”
Fang Qiang rubbed his hands together.
“Haha, no problem, but you’ll have to treat me to something, brother.”
“Alright, what do you want to drink?”
Fang Qiang stood up immediately.
“Man of action… If you say you’ll treat, you treat!”
“You bet!” Zhou Chao didn’t hold back.
Honestly, Fang Qiang didn’t have much money in his pocket, but when it came time to spend, he wasn’t stingy at all.
He stood in front of the vending machine and bought four cans of hot coffee, so everyone could have one.
“Ah, it’s so warm.”
An Jing hugged the can tightly, excitedly taking two sips.
“It’s freezing.”
“Is it really that cold today?”
Fang Qiang asked in surprise.
“People with fevers feel colder.”
Zhou Chao explained for An Jing.
“No way, An Jing must be thinking about Zhu Ying too much lately, so at night… gotta take it easy, brother!”
“Screw you…”
“Hey, Zhou Chao, if those two really get together, won’t An Jing get drained dry? I mean, look at him, he doesn’t look that strong.”
“Maybe.”
Zhou Chao laughed, taking a sip of coffee.
“By the way, Zhou Chao, did you really do it? With a girl?”
As for Zhou Chao’s private life, only An Jing and Fang Qiang actually knew, everyone else just heard rumors—even Sun Wei probably never got a direct answer from him.
“Tch.”
“Damn, for real?”
“Otherwise, what’s the point of having a girlfriend?”
“Damn! You’re such a player! You just sleep with them and don’t take responsibility?”
“Responsibility for what? Like the girl’s the only one losing out. Every time I’m so tired, isn’t that me losing out?”
“Have you no shame… Calling it a loss when you’re obviously getting a sweet deal.”
For the first time, Sun Wei felt his own skin wasn’t thick enough.
“Damn… so, you mean with every girl?”
“Pretty much.”
“Zhou Chao, how long can you last each time?”
Fang Qiang teased.
An Jing, sipping his coffee, was also curious.
“An hour or two, I guess.”
“Are you a demon?”
“Are you even human?”
Fang Qiang looked him up and down.
“Haha, let me teach you guys: as long as you drink more water while doing it, and take it slow, when you start to feel like peeing, don’t go to the bathroom, just keep going, and you’ll last a long time.”
“Expert!”
“Specialist!”
“Master…”