Chapter 65.5

That letter was written very quickly, without the expected alterations. Xiang Cai wrote a lot of things he wanted to say but couldn't say, on the paper.

At the same time, he washed the basketball jersey that the boy had given him, folded it neatly, and put it in the bag together with the letter.

Xiang Cai wanted to ask Cen Manchuan to meet him after his graduation ceremony. He did not expect that before he could make the arrangement, Cen Manchuan would call him first.

"Cai Cai!" On the phone, the boy was elated. "At two o'clock in the afternoon the day after tomorrow, you must come to our school gym, I have a game!!"

"..." Xiang Cai was a little bit embarrassed. When he was just about to refuse, Cen Manchuan spoke again.

"This game is not the same. Our school invited seniors from the provincial team to play a friendly match with our graduates! Everyone in the basketball department will come to watch the game, as well as the teachers and parents!" Cen Manchuan sprang up on the phone, like a golden retriever begging its owner. "Cai Cai, you must come! This is the last game of our university, this game is very meaningful!!"

The boy's voice was full of invitations. Listening to enthusiasm so genuinely, Xiang Cai could not reject him.

...Forget it.

Xiang Cai thought, let’s cheer for him one last time.

"I'll go," promised Xiang Cai, "but I have something to tell you after the game."

※

In an instant, it was the day of the basketball game.

It was also graduation season, and the atmosphere of graduation season for the sports college was very different from that of Huacheng University. The theme of Huacheng’s was a sad farewell, while theirs was more like a giant carnival. Walking on campus, one could see funny slogans hanging for the graduates everywhere, such as "Congratulations to xxx for winning the being single for four years achievement", or  "You’ve run the wildest steps and jumped the most hilarious heights."

Xiang Cai went along the carnival stream towards the gym. In fact, he was not short, but compared to the women's basketball players walking alongside him, he was as small as a key chain.

Xiang Cai: "..." He was so scared that he quickly slipped away from the group of tall girls.

The gymnasium was not yet open, and Xiang Cai was stopped at the door.

"Not started yet?" Xiang Cai looked at his watch. "But the friend who invited me said it would start at two in the afternoon."

It was half past one, and it stood to reason that the audience should have begun to enter.

The red armband responsible for checking tickets at the door asked: "Your friend invited you? Is he a member of the basketball team? What's his name?"

[T/N: red armband = a person that is volunteering in public service (and so wears the red armband)]

Xiang Cai answered, "Cen Manchuan."

"Oh ... it's Teammate Cen." The red armband exchanged a look with a classmate beside him, and opened the door. "If you are a friend of Cen’s, you may enter."

Xiang Cai thought their gazes were a little strange, but he didn't think much about it, and went in under the guidance of the red armband.

The gymnasium was extremely empty. Apart from the staff who were cleaning the floor, there were only a few small groups of people sitting in the stands.

There were two rows of boys with long legs on the edge of the basketball court, and Xiang Cai recognized their captain Cen Manchuan at a glance - he had a towel around his neck and looked down to listen to the coach's instructions.

The coach was full of energy: "This time, there are seniors from the provincial team to guide you! Cheer up, don't let us lose too much face! Now - begin warming up!"

When the coach gave the order, Cen Manchuan was pumped, and ran around the court with the tails behind him.

As the boy ran, he glanced around, as if looking for something.

When he looked up and noticed Xiang Cai in the seats, his eyes brightened.

Only then did Xiang Cai realize that he was looking for himself.

"Cai Cai, what you are doing so far away, come down!!" Cen Manchuan separated from the team and went directly to the railing to call him.

When he stopped, the tall basketball players behind him also looked in the direction of Xiang Cai.

Somehow ... Xiang Cai felt that their gazes were quite meaningful, like curiosity, amusement, like ... watching the Western scenery.

[T/N: western scenery = something new or foreign.]

Xiang Cai suppressed the feeling that something was wrong in his heart, and slowly walked down the stands until he reached the first row.

He carried a backpack on his shoulders, and it contained only two things. One was a breakup letter, and the other was the cleaned basketball jersey he was planning to return. The backpack was very light, but it was also heavy.

Xiang Cai stood in the first row of the stands and whispered, "My shoes are dirty, isn't it bad to go to the sidelines like this?"

Indoor basketball was very particular. Even basketball shoes had to be dedicatedly cared for. If one stepped on outdoor dust, they would run and slip. Therefore, outsiders were not allowed to enter the court before regular indoor basketball games.

"It doesn't matter." Cen Manchuan laughed, his eyes dancing. He drew his hands on the railing, as if he were Romeo gazing at Juliet, "You see, they're here too—"

Xiang Cai looked in the direction of his finger, and saw seven or eight girls standing in the rest area near the basketball court!

And the girls were by no means the women's basketball players he just met, but a group of petite and cute, sweet and attractive girls.

The most surprising thing for Xiang Cai was that the girls were all wearing the same basketball jersey as the players on the court. Because the basketball uniform was long and large, it was set on them like a loose dress.

Xiang Cai: "..."

He understood that these girls must be the girlfriends of the men's basketball players on the court. They were invited by their sweethearts to come and watch their games here.

It was a matter of glory and happiness to be able to witness their boyfriends sweating on the field.

But Xiang Cai felt an inexplicable embarrassment.

Xiang Cai realized that his identity was the same as those lovely girls.

He was invited by Cen Manchuan to stand on the side of the court, which was tantamount to using actions to come out to all the guests on the court.

By then, all the parents, teachers, classmates, seniors of the provincial team ... would know their relationship.

Cen Manchuan planned this surprise, but Xiang Cai felt deceived to have not known anything. This should be a very romantic thing, but now he just felt awkward.

He would like to ask Cen Manchuan - have you really considered this carefully? Do you know what it means to come out? Can you withstand the dramatic changes in life that come with coming out of the closet?

"Come down!" Cen Manchuan did not see the struggle in Xiang Cai’s heart, still urging him, "We will do a warm-up match later, you must yell louder when you cheer for me!"

Xiang Cai slowly walked down the stairs and stood on the sidelines.

He and the girls were separated by a meter, but that could not separate him from their fiery gazes.

They got together and talked. Even though they tried hard not to look in Xiang Cai’s direction, he knew that they must be discussing himself.

Xiang Cai smiled at them kindly and turned back, standing upright.

...

After a warm-up period of 20 minutes, the basketball team automatically divided into two groups and started the warm-up match.

Cen Manchuan on the field was always the most dazzling one.

He was sharp, decisive, and seemed to have endless energy in him. He could pass the ball and pound it at the fastest speed; he could also take off and intercept others' offense; he could even make three-pointers from a long distance...

When Xiang Cai first met him, he was by the basketball court. Under the sun, the boy's sweat wafted and reflected a beautiful light.

That was the light that Xiang Cai had never encountered in his life.

Therefore, when the beam of light fell in front of Xiang Cai, Xiang Cai reached out and held it.

The light warmed him slightly and also burned him.

... The memories came to an abrupt halt, as on the field, the situation suddenly changed!

Cen Manchuan took a slam dunk. When he landed, he was squeezed by a classmate, and landed unstably. He twisted his knee, and fell directly to the ground, making a loud noise!!!

"Ah—!!"

Cen Manchuan cried out in pain, holding his ankle curled to the ground, his body bowed into an arc.

His teammates were also terrified. They did not expect a simple warm-up match would actually hurt their captain!

They hurried around and someone shouted, "Where is the team doctor? Go and call the team doctor!!!"

Through the gaps in the crowd, Xiang Cai could see Cen Manchuan's uncontrollably pained appearance.

Xiang Cai’s brain suddenly became a mess and he couldn't help but rush onto the basketball court.

"Manchuan! Manchuan, are you ok?!" Xiang Cai squeezed in and knelt beside Cen Manchuan. He held his hand, and anxiously asked, "Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Cen Manchuan hurt his ankle! It was his ankle!!

How fragile and delicate the ankle was, it bore all the weight of the human body.

Xiang Cai just felt cold all over, especially have experienced his injured feet himself, and he became dizzy from the cold.

He seemed to have gone back to many years ago ... On that dim night without a trace of light, his feet exhausted, he leaned on his hands, dragging his heavy body and climbing to the side of the road. Long bloodstains spread from his feet, and he cried and wept, thinking that he would no longer walk again...

Xiang Cai’s tears dropped out of his eyes. He couldn't imagine, if Cen Manchuan really hurt his ankle, what should he do?

But at this moment - the basketball players who were originally surrounding Xiang Cai suddenly dispersed.

The next second, Cen Manchuan, who was lying on the ground, turned over sharply. He pulled Xiang Cai’s hand and knelt on the ground with one knee.

Xiang Cai: "..."

He looked up and saw those basketball players with mixed smiles of embarrassment and blessings on their faces, while their girlfriends on the sidelines pulled out their phones and screamed while recording.

Xiang Cai seemed to have been sucked dry.

He felt his brain buzzing, he felt blank, he had thousands of words in his mouth, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Cen Manchuan smiled shyly and happily, helping him wipe away the tears on his face.

Then - heaven knew where this sly bastard basketball boy took out a red box from.

Xiang Cai stared at the box, thinking, oh no.

Please don’t.

… Fortunately, the box did not contain a ring.

But its meaning was more important than a ring.

It was two keys.

They were silver, leaning on each other in the flannel box.

This was the house that Cen Manchuan rented after selling his beloved motorcycle.

"Cai Cai," Cen Manchuan's eyes brightened, and he held his heart out in front of Xiang Cai, "Would you accept this key?"

Looking into his eyes, Xiang Cai was speechless.

Because his answer...was just too cruel to express.

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The author has something to say: Hey. 

[T/N: Someone email me; should I continue to split chapters that are around 4000 words? Or just stay up or delay the date?]

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