Shen An crouched down carefully and extended a finger to gently poke her little head.
Poke.
Once.
Twice.
Chen Nannan impatiently swatted his hand away and whined pitifully in a small voice, “Stop messing with me.”
Shen An let out a sigh of relief at once. “You’re not hurt this time, right? I thought you’d knocked yourself out.”
“I’m fine.”
“Could you get up first before we talk? It’s a bit awkward trying to chat with you like this.”
“Then let’s not chat. Shut up~” Chen Nannan stacked her little hands over her forehead, burying her small face deep into the crevice between the floor tiles.
Seeing this, Shen An sighed helplessly.
He simply lay down as well and poked at the half-exposed strip of her forehead.
Chen Nannan swatted his hand away several times, but she couldn’t fend off his persistent prodding.
She lifted her head irritably, only to find Shen An’s grinning face hovering right in front of her.
“Why are you crying?”
Shen An was a little surprised to see the trace of wetness lingering at the corner of her eye.
Chen Nannan quickly sniffed hard and grumbled in a stuffy voice, “What are you doing?”
“Looking out for you.”
Shen An’s tone softened.
“Like hell. Why are you lying down too?”
“This way it’s easier to talk to you, isn’t it?” Shen An blinked. “No need for you to strain your neck craning up like that.”
“Are you an idiot or what?”
Chen Nannan pursed her little lips, too embarrassed to keep lying there motionless.
She had no choice but to climb to her feet on her own.
Only then did she notice that her pristine long-sleeved shirt was now covered in dust—streaked black in spots here, smudged dirty there.
“Your apartment should have a washing machine, right?”
Shen An kicked out with both legs. Without even pushing off anything, he sprang effortlessly to his feet and brushed the dust off her sleeves for her.
“No! I wash everything by hand!” Chen Nannan huffed lightly but didn’t stop him from patting down her clothes.
“Hand wash, huh? Then you need to be careful in winter.”
Shen An chuckled softly at her response. “Best to soak them in hot water first. Otherwise, you’ll get chilblains.”
Chen Nannan rolled her eyes and snapped irritably, “Can you drop that tone like you’re talking to a moron?”
“What tone?”
Shen An put on an innocent expression. “I think I’m talking perfectly normally.”
“Hmph!!”
Still fuming, Chen Nannan brushed the dust off her hands and dashed over to pick up the basketball.
Shen An raised a brow. “How about we play a shooting game instead?”
“No way!” Chen Nannan was worked up now. “Come on, keep going. You defend me this time.”
“Whoa, hold on. Don’t do this.” Shen An grabbed her sleeve, trying desperately to stop her.
“No, I’m beating you today no matter what.”
“Seriously, don’t. I don’t want to have to carry you to the hospital later.”
“Hm?”
“Ahem, I mean one-on-one isn’t fun. How about shooting drills instead? Loser does push-ups. Sound good?”
Chen Nannan pouted, burning with deep shame over her earlier blunder.
The image of her falling twice in a row played over and over in her mind like a slideshow.
She hadn’t seen Shen An’s reaction, but she could guess he’d been laughing his head off.
The more she thought about it, the more her pout turned into a full sulk, and the tears she’d just wiped away threatened to well up again.
Shen An reached out to snatch the basketball from her hands, whispering, “Let’s just do shooting drills, okay?”
“Don’t move!!”
Chen Nannan shouted. Shen An immediately let go and snapped a crisp salute. “I didn’t move.”
“I’m holding it!” Chen Nannan shot him a furious glare.
“Fine, fine. You hold it.”
Her little pout twitched a few times. Chen Nannan lowered her head and tried dribbling.
All the basketball knowledge she’d once learned had probably rusted away completely. Even the simplest dribble came out all wrong.
She wasn’t using her fingertips at all—just slapping the ball down with her palm.
It wasn’t long before the ball slipped from her control. Chen Nannan spun around in a panic to chase after it.
Shen An hurried after her. “Be careful.”
No sooner had the words left his mouth than there came a thud.
He watched as Chen Nannan’s left foot landed on the rolling basketball. As the ball rolled away, she lost her footing…
Splat.
She fell again.
The good news was that unlike her previous two face-plants where she’d lain motionless, this time she landed flat on her back, her head pillowed on the floor.
It was still pretty embarrassing, but at least it wouldn’t scrape up her delicate little face.
The bad news was… she might need to change clothes. The front and back of her long-sleeved shirt had both kissed the floor hard, caked in stubborn dust that would be a pain to wash out—and it didn’t look great either.
The worse news: This fall might have rattled her brain loose.
Her face showed no expression whatsoever. Her reaction was utterly flat.
Shen An scratched his head, suddenly hesitant to approach.
This kind of calm was usually the prelude to a storm.
Oof…
Three utter embarrassments in under half an hour—anyone else would react the same.
Though he didn’t want to walk into a scolding, Shen An’s sense of decency won out. He steeled himself and went over.
He gave her a quick once-over and saw no obvious injuries, so he relaxed with a breath.
Chen Nannan turned her little face away and flattened her mouth. “Go ahead and laugh if you want.”
“Uh…”
“What are you hesitating for? Isn’t holding it in killing you?” Chen Nannan said piteously. “But don’t laugh too loud. Leave me some dignity.”
Shen An crouched down and helped her up. “What are you talking about? Why would I laugh at you?”
Chen Nannan didn’t resist at all. The moment he got her upright, she buried her little face in his chest. “Why not? It’s hilarious.”
Her little mouth pressed right against his abdomen, her warm breath seeping through the fabric.
“Is it funny?”
Shen An rubbed her little head. “Everyone has things they’re bad at.”
“If you mock others for theirs, then when you mess up at something, people will mock you right back.”
Chen Nannan mumbled into his chest. “Ugh, that line again. Such a cliché consolation.”
“I’m not consoling you. Just stating facts.”
Shen An took hold of her arm. “Come on, let me teach you how to play?”
“……”
Chen Nannan tilted her little head up, her eyes puzzled.
“What?” Shen An asked, confused.
“You really don’t want to laugh?”
“Nope.”
“Then…” Chen Nannan murmured softly, “Am I really that dumb?”
“Nah, you’re just a little too stubborn, that’s all.”
Chen Nannan huffed. “I haven’t played basketball in forever.”
“That much is obvious.”
“I… I actually don’t know how to play basketball all that well.”
“Also obvious.”
“But if I’d told you upfront that I suck at basketball, I’d look like such an idiot! And I’m the vice club president of the Basketball Club!”
“Isn’t that just your side gig?”
“It’s still vice club president!”
“Do you know what my high school principal majored in?” Shen An countered.
“Uh… how should I know?”
“Pesticides and fertilizers.”
“Hah?”
“Yeah, pesticides and fertilizers. Never heard of it? Word is he’s a whiz at making fertilizer. His family’s got a farm.”
Chen Nannan blinked in confusion. “I’ve heard of it, but…”
“Don’t you get it? The positions you hold don’t always match what you’re good at.”
“Whether it’s vice club president or club president, that’s about your overall skills—not how great you are at basketball. Just like how pro athletes often flop as coaches after retiring.”
“Everyone has their specialty.”
Chen Nannan let out a giggle. “Your way of cheering people up is way too roundabout!”
“Heh, then hurry up and get up already. Squatting like this is tiring.”
Shen An grumbled good-naturedly.
“Tch~” Chen Nannan pouted arrogantly, then let him help her to her feet.
Shen An brushed the dust off her clothes again. “Besides, you didn’t even run for vice club president yourself. What’s embarrassing about that?”
“I…” Chen Nannan was at a loss for words.
“You’re just scared of looking silly. It has nothing to do with the title. Totally normal.”
Shen An patted her shoulder. “Look at me—I sing like crap, so whenever there’s karaoke, I’m always in the audience. You couldn’t drag me onstage if you tried.”
“That’s different!” Chen Nannan stomped her little foot. “If we’re using that analogy, then I’m the one onstage!”
“But the audience is just me.”
Shen An’s voice softened. “You don’t have to be shy in front of me, Senior Sister.”
Chen Nannan’s big eyes sparkled, and the embarrassment in her heart quietly melted away.
“Show-off~” She pointed at the ball. “Hand it over.”
“You still wanna go?”
“I… Didn’t you say you’d teach me?”
“Heh, fine. I’ll hold onto it then, so you don’t push yourself too hard again.”
“Shen An!!!”
“Yes, yes, going to get the ball now.”
Chen Nannan watched his retreating back, the fake anger on her little face instantly softening into a faint blush.
But in a flash, the blush turned into a gentle smile that curved her lips.
And with that, her smile lifting her mouth, she rediscovered her love for basketball.
Shen An picked up the ball and returned to her side.
“Here, hold it like this—five fingers gripping, but with some space. That gives the ball room to cushion.”
“Yeah, then push down gently bit by bit. Don’t just smack it dumbly with your palm.”
“Who’s dumb?!” Chen Nannan bit her lip cutely.
“Ahem~”
What was supposed to be a casual game of basketball had turned into a private coaching session.
Shen An had fully embodied the role of a professional basketball coach, giving Chen Nannan one-on-one instruction.
In such a short amount of time, there was no way she could master the basics completely.
But at least, thanks to Shen An’s patient guidance, Chen Nannan could now dribble the ball without it slipping away from her so easily.
Next came ball-handling drills and layups.
After about an hour, she could finally make a layup that looked somewhat proper.
The satisfying swish of the basketball slicing through the net filled her with an inexplicable thrill and excitement!
She clapped her hands, crying out in delight, “Did you see that? I made it!!!”
“Nice one, Senior Sister.”
Shen An flashed her a thumbs-up. “I take back what I said earlier. You’re not a complete lost cause at sports after all, Senior Sister.”
“Of course I’m not!”
Chen Nannan puffed out her cheeks smugly, grabbed the basketball again, and repeated the layup motion.
Whoa~
Shen An chuckled softly. Seeing how enthusiastic she was about layups, he simply stood off to the side and watched for a bit. When it started to feel boring, he plopped down cross-legged on the ground.
Then, out of habit, he pulled out his phone.
Come to think of it, his phone had buzzed earlier, but he hadn’t checked if it was a message from the System.
After a long loading screen, the System interface finally appeared.
Sure enough, there was a new message waiting.
He tapped it open.
“Song Rui’s Gratitude: Every girl has her springtime dreams. You seem to be her ideal Prince Charming?”
Shen An: ???
He vaguely remembered that when he’d completed this quest, the message hadn’t read like that.
He scrolled up through the records and found the previous version: “Every girl has her springtime dreams. Will you be her ideal Prince Charming?”
“Will you be” versus “seem to be”—that was a pretty big difference.
The subtle shift in wording seemed to reflect Song Rui’s changing attitude toward him.
Shen An frowned. This thing was starting to feel more and more like a dating sim. It was just missing a visible affection meter.
Song Rui, though…
He thought of her goofy expression, and a smile tugged at his lips unbidden.
Chen Nannan, still riding high on her excitement at first, hadn’t noticed Shen An’s boredom.
It wasn’t until her thrill had worn off after a dozen more shots, replaced by creeping fatigue, that she spotted him sitting quietly off to the side, fiddling with his phone.
Oh no…
Had she accidentally… ignored him…?
She glanced over and saw him grinning like an idiot, lost in his own world.
Chen Nannan pursed her lips. After one more layup, she clutched the ball and spun around.
“Ahem~”
“Ahem, ahem~”
Shen An pocketed his phone and turned his head. “Everything okay with your throat, Senior Sister?”
Her little face froze for a second before she huffed in mock annoyance. “Let’s play a game of basketball!”
“Uh…”
Shen An hesitated. “I’d suggest training a bit more first, Senior Sister.”
“I mean shooting hoops!”
Chen Nannan crouched down, flashing a bright smile with her pearly white teeth. “Didn’t you want to shoot some balls? Just like you said—let’s compete at shooting. Loser does push-ups!”
A mischievous smirk curled at Shen An’s lips. “Looks like you want me to fill you up good too, huh, Senior Sister?”
Her pretty face flushed pink, and she swatted at him in exasperation. “Shooting hoops means shooting hoops. No more dirty talk!”
“Oh? I meant shooting hoops. What else would I be shooting?”
Shen An put on his most innocent expression.
Chen Nannan rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine, let’s just get on with it.”
“Rules first? We stand at the free-throw line. Ten shots each.”
“Whoever makes more wins. Loser does ten push-ups. Sound good?”
“Won’t that take forever?”
Chen Nannan tilted her head. “How about we base it on the number made?”
“Hm?”
“Like, one make equals… five push-ups!”
“Loser does that many times five. Deal?”
Shen An chuckled lightly. “You’re really good at making things harder on yourself, Senior Sister.”
“Hmph, who says I’ll lose?”
Chen Nannan flashed a confident grin. “I might suck at playing ball, but I’m a crack shot!”
“Alright then.”
“Hee hee, let’s go!!!”
At her urging, she snatched the ball from Shen An’s hands and took the first shot.
She wasn’t bluffing. She might be hopeless at actual basketball, but she had a real knack for shooting.
Swish, swish, swish—she nailed six out of ten.
That was a solid hit rate for a casual player.
“See? Bet you’re stunned now. Told you not to underestimate me!”
Chen Nannan wrinkled her dainty nose and held up six fingers smugly. “Six balls!”
“My turn?”
“Tch, here!”
Shen An took the ball, spun it once in his hands, then locked his gaze on the hoop.
He wanted to test something.
A hunch he’d had over the past few days.
So, he rose onto his tiptoes and started shooting.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
By the time he’d finished all ten, Chen Nannan’s smug smile had frozen into stunned disbelief.
Shen An had sunk every single one. The rhythm was flawless: she’d toss him the ball from under the hoop, and he’d fire it off without a hitch.
He glanced down at his hands and murmured, “Yeah… it really does feel different.”
Chen Nannan let out a wail. “10 to 6. That’s four I missed… times five…”
“Twenty push-ups, Senior Sister.”
Shen An said with a grin.
“You jerk…” Chen Nannan pouted. “You’re so good at basketball. Can’t you just let me have one?”
“I’ve gotta do twenty now!”
Shen An paused. “Want to start over?”
“No need!”
Chen Nannan gritted her teeth. “Twenty it is. Just you watch.”
With that, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms as fair and delicate as a doll’s. Her skin gleamed like a mirror in the sunlight.
“One~”
“Two~”
“Three~”
Chen Nannan counted them off to herself as she powered through.
Meanwhile, Shen An watched her, his mind racing with thoughts.
