«Jen'yvaispas.»Song朗étaittoujourstroublépartouscespointsd'interrogationdanslesmessagesdevœuxduNouvelAn,ilnevoulaitabsolumentpasrencontrerMengFanxing.
«Tuyvasmalgrétout,dépêche-toi.»ShenLingyudonnaunordreautoritaire,etSong朗sortitdelamaisonàcontrecœur.
Ilavaitfaitunelonguepréparationmentalesurlechemin,maisquandilarrivachezMengFanxing,ildécouvritquecegarçonétaittoujoursrestéàlacampagneetnerentreraitquequelquesjoursavantledébutdescours.
SongLangseditensecretquececrétincherchaitvraimentàl'éviter.
Eteffectivement,aprèsledébutdescours,MengFanxingcontinuadel'éviterclairement.Avant,ilavaitaumoinsacceptédemangeravecSongLang,maismaintenantils'éloignaitdeluidetroishommescostauds,commesiçanesuffisaitpaspournepasêtreproche.
«Garçon,qu'est-cequetuveuxdire?»Song朗nesupportaitplus,«Soitonsesépare,soitonseréconcilievite,qu'est-cequecerapportdistantetprocheveutdire?JeneveuxmêmepassortiravecMengFanxing.»
«Jevoulaistedemandercequetuveuxdire!»MengFanxingcriaenretour,lesdentsserrées,commes'ilallaitmangerquelqu'un.
«Qu'est-cequejet'aifait?»Song朗setouchalui-même,puisfrappasapoitrine,«C'esttoiquijouesàlacache-cachecommeunpetitcochonquisecache,pasmoi.Qu'est-cequetuveuxexactement,dis-lemoiclairement,jeneveuxpasperdremontempsavectoi.»
«Putain,SongLang,tuesvraimentmalade,c'esttoiquiascherchéàseréconcilierenpremier,oh,tuesexcusé?Tutrouvesquetuasperdulaface?Tum'asenvoyécemessagedevœuxduNouvelAnsisarcastique,moijesuistellementcontentquejevoudraistebotterenl'airjusqu'àl'explosion!»
MengFanxingavaitretenusonsouffledepuisdeuxoutroismois,iln'avaitpaseul'occasiondeplaisanter,etseslèvresétaientunpeurouillées,ils'estmordulalangueetafroncélessourcilsdedouleur.
Song朗ritfroidement:«Jecherchaisàseréconcilierenpremier?Vatefairefoutre,tudisquejesuissarcastique,maistoitun'étaispascontentnonplusnonplus?»
«Bon,onn'arienàsedire,aurevoir.»MengFanxingsemitlamainsurlajoue,soufflantparlaboucheets'enfuit.
«Merde!Arrête-toi!»Song朗lepoursuivitàtoutesjambes,MengFanxingcourutcontrelevent,lesdeuxgarçonsétaientdescomparsesquiavaientdéjàétépunisdefairedestoursdepistedepuisl'écoleprimaire,quandilscourentàmort,personnenepouvaitbattrel'autre.
Cejour-là,MengFanxingsentitqu'ilavaitperdulamoitiédesavie,commesicequilepoursuivaitderrièreluin'étaitpasSongLang,maisunchienféroce.
YuMingtoursefrottalementonenregardantlesdeuximbécilesquiorganisaientunecoursed'enduranceinexplicablesurleterraindesport,etpensaàvoixbasse:«Dasen,tupenses…est-cequ'ilssesontréconciliés?»
ZhouSensaidindifferently:"Whocaresaboutthem,anyway,bothofthemhavetocometotheinter-schoolbasketballgame."
Theinter-schoolbasketballgameisscheduledforApril.Itisafriendlytournamentjointlyheldby34highschoolsinthecityinresponsetothecallofqualityeducation.Althoughitisbilledasa"friendlymatch",itissaidthatthecitybasketballteamwillscoutreserveplayersduringthegame.Thisisaonce-in-a-lifetimeopportunityforsomepeopletoshowcasethemselves,sothisyear'stournamentcanberegardedasexciting.
SongLang,MengFanxingandZhouSenjoinedtheschoolbasketballteamasearlyastheirfirstyearofhighschool,sotheynaturallyparticipatedinthiscompetition.
It'sjustthatanewplayerwas空降intotheschoolteamjustbeforethegamestarted,whichmadethethreeofthemfeelasdisgustedassteppingondogfeceswhengoingout.
The空降playerisnoneotherthanGuFengkai,whohasabitterfeudwithSongLang.
"Whatareyoudoinghere?"ZhouSenaskedangrily.LikeSongLang,hedidn'thaveagoodfacetowardsthisguy.
"Cometotheteamtoplaybasketballinsteadofbeatingyou?"GuFengkairepliedinacasualmanner,hisprovocativeeyesstaringunreservedlyatSongLangbesidehim.
Theyfoughttwicelastyear,andhedidn'tgettheupperhandbothtimes.Hehasalwaysheldagrudge,andthistimehefinallygotthechance,andhewillnevermakeSongLang'slifeeasier.
Thecoachblewhiswhistletosignalthemtocontinuetrainingandgetfamiliarwiththenewteammembersassoonaspossible,butthroughoutthedayGuFengkaideliberatelytargetedSongLangeverytime,keepingcrowdingaroundhim.Hismovesweredirtyandclearlyhostile.WhenSongLangjumpeduptodunk,GuFengkaislammedintohisribshard,andthewholepersonfelloffandlandednexttothebasketballhoop.
"Dalang!"MengFanxingshoutedsubconsciously.SeeingthatSongLangwasokay,heturnedaroundandgrabbedGuFengkai'scollarfiercely,raisinghisfist:"Areyououtofyourmind?!"
GuFengkaihadnointentionoffightingbackatall,justsmiledevilly:"Hitit.Ifyouthrowthispunch,noneofyouwillbeabletoparticipateintheleague."
"Xingzi,letgo!"ZhouSencameovertopersuadeMengFanxingtoleave:"It'snotworthitforhim."
GuFengkaismiledevenmorearrogantly,whichmadeMengFanxingclenchhisjointssohardthattheycrackled,wishinghecouldpokehisfingersintothisman'seyesocketsandscratchthemrepeatedlytoventhisanger.
SongLangleanedagainstthebasketballhoop,coveringhischest,andwatchedGuFengkaipushthroughthecrowdandwalkover.Hesaidcoldly,"Trash."
"YouthinkI'mtrash,youcanquitnow."GuFengkaileanedover,almostpressinghisfaceagainsthis,andsaidinalowvoice:"Let'sbehonest,Iwon'tletyouhaveachancetogetintothecitybasketballteam."
Infact,SongLangneverhadtheintentionofjoiningthecityteam.Hejustsawplayingbasketballasahobbyandneverthoughtaboutturningprofessional,butGuFengkai'sblatantprovocativeattitudemadehimunabletobearit.Ifhequit,wouldn'tthatbeadmittingdefeat?
Hestaredcloselyatthoseeyessoclosetohim,suddenlyexertedforce,andslammedhisforeheadhardagainstGuFengkai'snosebridge:"AmIafraidofyou,grandson!"
GuFengkaiwashitsohardthathesawstars,andsatdownontheground:"Fuckyou——"
SongLangkickedhimhardagain.Seeingthatthetwowereabouttogetintoafight,thebasketballteammembersquicklysteppedintoseparatethem.
Thecoachwhohadgoneouttogetaglassofwatercamebackandsawthescene,quicklyblewhiswhistleandshouted:"What'sgoingon?Whatareyoudoing!"
Theplayerswhohadgatheredaroundshooktheirheadsandwavedtheirhands:"It'sokay,it'sokay,justmessingaround."
"SongLang,waitforme,we'llmeetonthecourt."GuFengkaidroppedaharshword,stoodup,grabbedthebasketballfromZhouSen'shand,madealayupandscoredanothing-but-netshot,thenleftwithoutlookingback.
ZhouSenwasunhappy:"Coach,thegameisinthreedays.Anewplayeris空降intotheteam,andhe'snotevenasubstitute.Isn'tthisajoke?"
Thecoachwavedathimandsaid:"Don'tworryaboutthis,justtrainwellanddon'tbeaffected.Anyway,thecityteampickspeoplebasedontheirindividualabilities,nottheoutcomeofthegame,andnotthroughconnectionsandothermessystuff."
Hehadulteriormotives,meaninghecouldn'tdoanythingaboutthe空降player.Eventhoughtheteammemberswereunhappy,theyhadtoswallowtheiranger.
"Lookatallofyouwithlongfaces.EvenifGuFengkaicausestrouble,hewon'tmesswiththeschool'shonor.WeallrepresentNo.18HighSchool,sodon'toverthinkit."
"Tch,youmusthavemisunderstoodthecharacteroftheGuguy,coach."
FactshaveprovedthatGuFengkai'scharacterisindeedasbadasmud.
Inthisleague,No.18HighSchoolandNo.5HighSchoolwerecompetingforthelastspotinthetopeight.Itwasacriticalmomentoflifeanddeath,butGuFengkaiplayedlikealonewolfandrefusedtocooperatewithhisteammates.Evenifhereallyhadtopasstheball,hewouldneverpassittoSongLang.
SongLangcouldonlygettheballthroughstealsandrebounds.Whatshouldhavebeena5v5gameturnedintoadifficult4v6situationbecauseofGuFengkai.
"Fuck,thisgrandsonisdoingitonpurpose!IsheanundercoveragentforNo.5HighSchool,damnit!"
MengFanxingwasonthebench,watchingthegameandfeelinganxious.
Beforehefinishedspeaking,therewasachaosunderthebasketofNo.5HighSchool.Therefereeblewthewhistleforatimeout,thenwavedtothesidelinestosignalthatsomeonewasinjured.
MengFanxing'sheartskippedabeat,andheranoverasfastashecould.Whenhegotthere,ShenZhifeiwasalreadyinthecenterofthecrowd,holdingSongLanginhisarms,withonehandtightlypressingthesweat-soakedhaironSongLang'shead,andhisgazewascoldlystaringatGuFengkaibesidehim.
GuFengkaifelthisbackgocoldfrombeingstaredat,andatthesametimefeltthatthispersonwhosuddenlyappearedlookedfamiliar.
Theyseemedtohavemetsomewherebefore.
"What'sgoingon?What'sgoingon?"MengFanxingwassofrightenedbySongLang'spalefacethatheforgottheirseeminglycoldwar,andsquatteddowntoask:"Whereareyouhurt?Speak!"
"Can'tyouseewithyourowneyes?"SongLangtightlygrippedShenZhifei'shand,andhisvoicetrembleduncontrollablywhenhegrittedhisteethtospeak.
OnlythendidMengFanxingnoticethathisfootwasunnaturallytwistedtooneside,probablydislocated.
Noonecouldexplainexactlyhowhedislocatedit,butSongLangsawclearly.
ItwasGuFengkaiwhokickedhimwhilehewaslandingafterjumpinguptograbarebound.Hetriedtododgewhenhesawit,butitwastoolate,andhetooktheblowhard,andthepainmadehimwanttokillsomeone.
ShenZhifei,whowassittinginthefrontrowwatchingthegame,rushedoverimmediately,andhiseyeswereclearlyfullofworry.
"It'sokay,it'sokay,itdoesn'thurt,huh."SongLangforcedasmile,tryingtoreassureShenZhifei,butthisonlymadetheotherpersonfeelmoredistressed.
"Bearwithit,theschooldoctorwillbeheresoon."ShenZhifeiheldhishand,andthesameblackwristbandsonboththeirwristswerepressedtightlytogether,brightandobvious.
MengFanxingfrowned,lookingfromonetotheother,sighedsoftly,tookoffhisthincoatandcoveredSongLang,whowascoveredinsweat,andsaidmeaningfully:"Becareful,theflooriscold,don'tcatchacoldagain,damnit."
Chapter054
54
Inordernottodelaythecontinuationofthegame,SongLangwascarriedtothelockerroom.
Thecoachquicklyadjustedtheroster,lettingMengFanxingandanothersubstituteplayertakethefield,andalsoreplacedGuFengkai,whowassecretlycausingtrouble.
ShenZhifei,entantquerédacteurenchefdujournalscolaireduCinquièmeLycée,devaitassisteràtoutlematch,maisiljetasonbadgedetravailautourducouàXiaoXiàcôté,etpartitsansdireunmotpouraccompagnerleblesséduDix-huitièmeLycéeverslevestiairepourattendrel'infirmièrescolaire.
Celaalaissébeaucoupdecamaradesdesonlycéeperplexes.
Qu'est-ilarrivéàleurfleurduhighsocietyaujourd'hui?Quandlebeaugarsdel'équipeadverseaétéblessé,ilaétélepremieràseprécipiterverslui,est-cequ'ilétaittropexcité,cequinecorrespondaitpasàsaposition?
CertainesfillesauxidéesfollesontdéjàimaginéunehistoireBLtortueuseetémouvanteàlasecondeoùShenZhifeiacouruverslui.
XiaoXiétaitunenfantobéissant,quiafaitsondevoirpourdémentiretexpliquer:«LefrèreSongestlefrèrebiologiquedecamaradeZhifei,soninquiétudeetsonstresssonttoutàfaitnormaux,nedevinezpasleschosesabsurdes.»
Parlasuite,toutlemondeaétéencoreplusintéresséparcesdeuxfrèresauvisageexceptionnellementbeau.
Alorsquelesprotagonistesdurumeurs'enlisaientdanslesbrasdel'autre,levisagecouvertdesueurfroide,lesdentsserrées,etaprèsunclicsecetnet,ilaenfinfinipartendresoncorpsetpousserungémissementétouffé.
ShenZhifeifrottasondessusdetête,visiblementaffligé.
«Siçafaitmal,criez,çan'apasd'importance.»
«Cen'est--rien,cepetitcoupnevautriendutout.»