He doesn't care; he just likes the feeling that others can't stand him but can't do anything about it.
The playground was unexpectedly deserted after school, with only fallen leaves scattered everywhere.
The two walked on the piles of dark yellow fallen leaves on the path, listening to their crisp sound. Neither of them spoke.
Su Jinning sniffed and couldn't help but complain that the weather was a bit inconsiderate.
Shen Moyu was used to doing housework at home, so sweeping was easy and effortless for her.
But Su Jinning was different. Although he had been punished by sweeping the playground, it was summer then and the ground was clean. He could easily get away with just picking up some trash.
Furthermore, he was a pampered young master from a young age, never having to do housework or cook for himself, and everything he wanted was always within easy reach.
Seeing that he was struggling to sweep, Shen Moyu frowned, his brows stiff with cold, and said, "You don't know how?"
"Huh?" For some reason, the "hmm" that was on the tip of his tongue was swallowed back down.
He scratched his head and laughed, his nose red from the cold and his cheeks flushed, making him look a little silly.
Shen Moyu looked at him for a while, then sighed and said, "No way."
Su Jinning stopped pretending and nodded.
"Okay, then step aside and don't make things worse."
? ? ? ?
"No...aren't you going to teach me next?"
"Did I say I would teach you?" Shen Moyu swept the floor quickly, leaving Su Jinning with only a slightly irritating back view.
Su Jinning, also wanting to prove herself, pouted and, unwilling to accept defeat, picked up a broom and started sweeping, mimicking Shen Moyu's movements.
He thinks he's doing quite well.
Shen Moyu finished sweeping her assigned area first, clapped her hands, and prepared to return the broom.
He picked up his schoolbag from the ground and slung it over his shoulder, but before he could take a step, someone suddenly grabbed his hat.
Shen Moyu turned to look at Su Jinning with displeasure and said irritably, "What?"
Taking advantage of his height, Su Jinning suddenly pulled him back. Shen Moyu was in pain from the force of the pull and was about to retort when he saw a basketball flying towards him at 800 meters per second the instant he stepped back.
"Bang bang bang..." The basketball bounced twice in front of Shen Moyu's toes before finally landing safely.
Shen Moyu was stunned for a moment, feeling that the person behind him had walked in front of him at some point, then skillfully picked up the ball, ran forward two steps, and "casually" threw the ball into the hoop that was far away from them.
"Be more careful next time you play, what if you actually hit someone?"
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"
Su Jinning smiled, and just as she turned her head, she heard someone shout from the other side, "Brother, your skills are pretty good. Do you have a chance to join our team?"
Upon hearing this, Su Jinning composed herself and then smiled, "No, thank you, brother, but I have rhinitis, so it's not suitable for me!"
"What?" came the question from the other end, followed by silence.
Su Jinning picked up Shen Moyu's backpack from the ground and gave it to him: "Be careful next time. If you really can't, just buy a pair of glasses. They don't cost much."
Shen Moyu swallowed his rebuttal, sighed, took the schoolbag, and said somewhat reluctantly, "Thank you."
Su Jinning picked up a broom and chased after him. The streetlights in the school had been turned on at some point, adding a touch of life to the deserted path.
The two stood side by side, glancing at each other's profiles out of the corner of their eyes. Su Jinning hummed a song, like a carefree young boy.
As he hummed and listened, he unknowingly walked to the front playground.
Shen Moyu gripped the strap of her backpack and finally couldn't help but ask, "Why don't you join the basketball team?"
"Huh?" Su Jinning seemed to have been asked a question and remained silent for a long time.
"You're a good basketball player. You couldn't have done that without at least five years of experience," Shen Moyu praised earnestly.
Su Jinning heard what he said clearly, laughed heartily, revealing two small tiger teeth: "It's rare for you to praise me, how can I repay you?"
It was just a casual remark, but Shen Moyu looked at him so seriously and asked, "Then tell me your reasoning?"
Su Jinning froze, his steps suddenly slowing down. After a long while, as if he had made a big decision, he said softly, "I really like playing basketball. I used to be on the basketball team, and I was pretty good at it. I even played in the city competition."
He paused for a long time, as if adding a period to the end of his sentence.
He said with a hint of regret, "Later, some things happened at home, and I didn't want to fight anymore." He slowed his speech and softened his tone. Then he turned his head away as if to hide something.
Shen Moyu felt his body lurch forward, almost falling. Those few words summarized the cause and effect of the matter, but he seemed to detect disappointment in them.
Shen Moyu remained silent for a long time. "So... Ah Qiu!" The words he had just prepared were interrupted by a sudden sneeze. He rubbed his nose in annoyance.
"So." He emphasized the two words, walked around behind Shen Moyu, took off his coat, and draped it over Shen Moyu's shoulders.
So you caught a cold.
The warmth startled Shen Moyu. If he hadn't seen Su Jinning standing back beside him, he would have thought the boy was holding him tightly from behind.
"Crackling..."
The sound of something falling into the grass brought Shen Moyu back to reality. He paused for a moment, then turned to look at the grass.
"What are you looking for?" Su Jinning asked.
Shen Moyu looked at it for a long time but couldn't find anything, so he frowned and said, "No."
He wanted to ask him what had happened, why he suddenly stopped playing ball, but he knew Su Jinning wouldn't tell him, so he didn't say it. A chill ran through him. He looked at Su Jinning, whose eyes curved into smiles again. Standing opposite him in a thin shirt, he felt not only warmth but also heartache: "After that, you never played again?"
Su Jinning scratched her head, thinking back as she said, "No, it's fine to use it to relieve boredom at school, but I don't want to participate in the competition anymore. Besides, with their level, it makes no difference whether they participate or not."
Shen Moyu looked at him speechlessly.
That confidence was practically overflowing. He rolled his eyes, then finally withdrew his earlier tenderness.
Shen Moyu glanced at Su Jinning's thin clothes again and was about to take them off, saying, "Here, take them back. Your clothes aren't thick either."
"Just wear it, stop being so fussy!"
In her haste, Su Jinning stopped him from taking off his clothes with her left hand, and her right hand, which was about to help him catch his schoolbag that was about to fall, ended up hastily grabbing Shen Moyu's slender waist.
Su Jinning clearly felt his hand tremble as if she had been electrocuted; it was the instant that a surge of heat coursed through their bodies.
The two looked up abruptly, their eyes meeting.