Cheng Che took the high-speed train.
Spring City to Hang City, seven and a half hours.
He had originally wanted to admire the scenery along the way, from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau all the way to Jiangnan's water towns. Just imagining it was beautiful.
Then he regretted it.
He had forgotten what he was like now.
At 182 centimeters tall, he stood a head above most of the people around him on the platform.
Broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs-his whole body looked meticulously sculpted.
Today, he wore only the simplest white T-shirt and dark sweatpants, yet once that T-shirt went on, he filled it out like a model.
His skin was clear and fair, with a healthy sheen-not a bloodless pallor, but the "radiance" found only in someone who exercised regularly and kept a consistent schedule.
His face had not a single blemish, his nose was straight, his features handsome and refined, and those eyes were particularly outrageous.
Under the effects of [Perfect Eye Drops].
The whites of his eyes were clear, his pupils a deep black, as though they held light.
Not to mention his hair, teeth, and hands, which had already approached perfection thanks to the items' improvements. With his passive talent [Stars Surrounding the Moon] triggering as well, he was as captivating as a moon in the darkness.
Things were fine when he first boarded; there weren't many people in the carriage.
Before long, though, he noticed something was off.
Every five seconds, the girl across the aisle pretended to look out the window while actually stealing glances at him.
A child diagonally behind him tugged at her mother and asked, "Is that big brother a celebrity?"
Even the attendant pushing the food trolley past him added, "Would you like something to drink, sir?" Her voice was three degrees sweeter than normal.
Then came the approaches.
A young woman in her early twenties came over from the other end of the carriage, holding up her phone and quietly asking whether she could add him on WeChat.
Cheng Che politely declined. A while later, another came over and asked whether he was filming some variety show.
By the time the train reached Hang City East Station, Cheng Che was exhausted.
"More tiring than doing ten exam papers." He rubbed between his brows.
Before getting off, he dug a mask out of his bag and put it on.
With half his face covered, he was finally less conspicuous.
Yet the moment he stood up, his 182-centimeter height, straight back, and long limbs still made quite a few people around him look up.
Cheng Che tugged his cap brim lower and wheeled his suitcase briskly toward the exit.
Qin Lie was already waiting there.
He leaned against a black minivan in a gray polo shirt, holding a sign that read "Cheng Che."
When Cheng Che walked over, Qin Lie's eyes lit up, and he waved him over.
Cheng Che opened the door, settled into the passenger seat, removed his mask, and let out a long breath. "I'm exhausted."
Qin Lie smiled. "Got stared at?"
Seeing Cheng Che like this, he almost thought he had become some top celebrity's assistant.
"Don't even mention it," Cheng Che said, full of regret. "Next time I take the high-speed train, I'm definitely buying a business-class seat so I can sit quietly by myself."
"People will stare at you in business class too," Qin Lie said enviously. "That's what you get for looking like that."
Cheng Che didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Qin Lie didn't start the car right away.
He turned to look at the young man in the passenger seat, his gaze a little complicated.
"Old Qin, why are you staring at me? Aren't we leaving?"
Cheng Che instinctively broke out in goosebumps, even wondering whether Old Qin was gay.
Only then did Qin Lie snap out of it and start the car, clicking his tongue. "I'm having some regrets."
"About what?"
"You're a college entrance exam top scorer, first in the entire province at that. Was I too impulsive to ask you to play tennis back then? If you don't make it in tennis and your studies fall through too, wouldn't I have ruined your future? I'd be guilty."
As Qin Lie spoke, he even let out a solemn sigh.
Cheng Che laughed. "Old Qin, why do you worry even more than my dad? My studies are going fine, and I'll work hard at tennis too. I want both."
"Both. Easy for you to say." Qin Lie shook his head, but the corners of his mouth had already lifted.
He wasn't worried at all. He had plainly found a treasure.
A college entrance exam top scorer, a young man who looked like a celebrity, a monster who could beat a former professional after just a few months of learning tennis.
If Cheng Che really made it, Qin Lie's own life would be rewritten along with his.
The car left the high-speed railway station and merged into Hang City's traffic.
Cheng Che pulled out his phone, first sending Jiang Xue an "Arrived," then sending Guo Xin his location with the message, "Stay alive. Your bro's off to conquer a kingdom for you."
Guo Xin replied instantly: "Get lost. Remember to win the championship."
Cheng Che smiled, then tapped the pig-head avatar.
After some thought, he typed, "I've come to Hang City to play tennis."
A few seconds later, the other side sent back a question mark.
"?"
Cheng Che couldn't help laughing out loud.
All this time, Yan Ruanning had sent her scenic photos, and he had sent his daily training updates. Each talked about their own things; neither had ever replied to the other.
Today's question mark, instead, was like a hammer held back for ages that had finally tapped down lightly.
Qin Lie glanced at him. Seeing the young man grinning foolishly at his phone, he silently sighed to himself. Damn, being handsome really is nice. He's only just graduated, and girls are already chasing him.
His phone vibrated again.
[Pig Head: I'm in Hang City too, recording a show.]
Cheng Che's eyes lit up, and he sat straight. "You're in Hang City too?"
Qin Lie: "?"
Cheng Che ignored him and kept typing with his head lowered.
[Cheng Che: What show? Is it fun?]
[Pig Head: A slow-paced variety show. I'm a regular guest this season. Want to come watch?]
Cheng Che stared at that line, his fingers hovering above the screen, suddenly unsure how to reply.
He typed "I do," then deleted it. He typed "We'll see when the time comes," then deleted that too.
In the end, after struggling for ages, he only sent a meme.
The reply came instantly, as though she had been waiting for him.
[Pig Head: If you miss me, come over. I'll be waiting anytime. Good luck. I'll watch your matches.]
Looking at those words, Cheng Che slowly leaned back into his seat, his grin stretching wide.
He felt as though he had been sunk.
He hadn't hit a single ball, and he was already a goner.
Beside him, Qin Lie watched with twitching eyelids. Finally, he couldn't hold back. "Cheng Che."
"Hmm?"
"Rein it in. Keep grinning like that, and I'm afraid you'll dislocate your jaw."
Cheng Che sat up straight and pretended to admire the scenery.
"This is... pre-match relaxation."
"Sure, pre-match relaxation," Qin Lie said. "Virgins really do have a unique way of relaxing."
Cheng Che: "..."
The car turned into a quiet residential complex and stopped in front of an apartment building.
Qin Lie's place wasn't large, but he kept it clean.
Qin Lie put Cheng Che's luggage in the guest room, then brought him a fresh set of towels and toiletries.
"Take a shower and get some rest first. We'll go out for dinner tonight, and I'll go over the tournament rules with you while we're at it."
After washing up, Cheng Che came out feeling much fresher.
Qin Lie took a bottle of mineral water from the fridge and handed it to him, then pulled up a chair opposite Cheng Che and got down to business.
"The tennis event at the National Youth Games. It starts with the qualifiers, single elimination."
Cheng Che listened.
"There are three rounds of qualifying in total. The first round, the second round, and the third qualifying round. Win three matches in a row, and you're in the main draw."
"What about the main draw?"
"The main draw is split into a group round robin and single-elimination rounds. Only those who do well in the group round robin advance to the knockout rounds. In the knockouts, one match decides life or death."
Cheng Che nodded.
He had read some information earlier, and what Qin Lie said largely matched what he knew.
"This tournament is on hard courts." Qin Lie pointed outside the window. "A lot of courts here in Hang City are hard courts. The ball moves fast, which favors power players. They're perfect for a brute-force player like you."
Cheng Che smiled helplessly. "Is being young and strong a crime now?"
"It's not a crime. It's an advantage," Qin Lie said seriously. "Your serve and forehand both overpower people with strength. On a hard court, the ball travels faster, so returning your shots will be even more uncomfortable for your opponents."
He pointed at the mineral water in Cheng Che's hand. "Also, don't drink random stuff during the tournament. Plain water and mineral water are fine. If you want sports drinks, stick to what the organizers provide. With the stuff you buy elsewhere, you don't know what's in it. If you happen to get a urine test and something comes up, you won't be able to explain it."
Cheng Che nodded. "I know. I understand these basics."
Even if he hadn't eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Did Qin Lie really think he hadn't watched Crazy Racer?
"Good. Then I've got nothing else to remind you about. Get an early night. Tomorrow, we'll check in and take a photo. You start playing the day after."
Qin Lie stood, walked to the window, and drew the curtains.
"Just focus on playing. Leave everything else to me."
Looking at him, Cheng Che suddenly felt quite reassured.
The National Youth Games had already begun.
There were bound to be plenty of people on the tennis courts already. What Cheng Che would face was no longer just Qin Lie, but young players from all across the country.
He wasn't afraid.
If anything, he could hardly wait.