When Tang Tianman arrived at the venue, the match was already in the fifth set, tied two games to two—the most critical moment.
The place wasn’t as packed as she’d imagined. On the contrary, it felt deserted. The stands stretched out empty as far as the eye could see. Tang Tianman hunched over and scanned the area, deciding there weren’t many casual spectators at all.
It was just a regional qualifier for a university league, after all. Aside from the competitors, it drew little attention.
Yet the action on the court burned hot.
Athletes always poured everything into every match. By this point, the players from both sides were visibly drained, but their fierce determination showed no signs of fading.
Tang Tianman drew plenty of eyes the moment she walked in, but she had no desire to disturb anyone. She skipped the prime viewing spots and tucked herself into a quiet corner of the stands, where she could still see her school’s team.
It was a bit of a distance, and once the players got moving, they zipped around fast. Tang Tianman narrowed her eyes, locking onto the one person she had come to see.
Her uniform was sky blue, her hair pulled back without a strand out of place. Volleyball socks hugged her calves, while beads of sweat glistened on her thighs under the arena lights.
Tang Tianman dragged her suitcase over and rested her chin on it, sprawling out comfortably.
Everything else—the crowd, the surroundings—faded away. The court was already electric, but this was her crush’s court.
Yes, she liked Zheng Xiyu. In this moment, she was utterly certain.
That time apart had acted like a stress test on a machine, pushing all those unspoken feelings to the breaking point. If Tang Tianman didn’t say something now… she’d be cheating herself out of this day, this minute, this second.
Zheng Xiyu was too precious. Tang Tianman wanted an excuse to see her every second, to draw close, to claim her.
Just like now—Zheng Xiyu’s leap to spike the ball struck right at her heart. She didn’t need that much power, that tricky angle. A simple smile from Zheng Xiyu would have done the trick just as well.
Tang Tianman couldn’t help but grin.
In this high-stakes atmosphere, her fangirl smile felt out of place, but she couldn’t hold it back.
She was convinced Zheng Xiyu would win. When the two of them shared the same space, the world lit up, the air turned sweet, and cherry blossoms drifted lazily down onto their shoulders.
They were each other’s protagonists, and protagonists deserved unbeatable plot armor.
Tang Tianman glanced sideways for a second and realized she’d only been there seven or eight minutes, but the match was already at match point.
When she whipped her head back, she spotted Xi Chun. She hadn’t planned to notice Xi Chun, but the girl had planted herself right between them, staring at her with wide eyes that demanded attention.
Tang Tianman raised her phone and made a shushing gesture. Xi Chun nodded, feigned nonchalance, and circled halfway around before heading back to her team’s rest area.
Only then did Tang Tianman notice something off about the way Xi Chun walked—like her foot was acting up again.
The cherry blossoms stopped drifting. Tang Tianman watched her for a moment, a pang of sympathy tugging at her.
The final rally dragged on in a tense back-and-forth, ending at last with the opponents’ serving error. N University’s players piled into a group hug, cheering wildly as Xi Chun hopped over and got swept into the huddle.
Tang Tianman fixed her gaze on Zheng Xiyu, tempted to stand and wave.
The instant her feet shifted, Zheng Xiyu looked right at her.
Their eyes met, sparks practically flying in all directions.
Zheng Xiyu froze solid. Her teammates shoved and pulled at her, but she didn’t react.
Suddenly shy, Tang Tianman tugged at the hem of her jacket—like she was smoothing out an evening gown—then rose slowly and gracefully.
She gave Zheng Xiyu a demure little wave with her fingers.
Zheng Xiyu broke into a grin.
Brighter even than her victory smile—like a machine suddenly oiled up and humming to life.
The metaphor wasn’t the prettiest, but Tang Tianman found anything connecting her to Zheng Xiyu beautiful right now.
She grinned back.
Zheng Xiyu kept smiling at her, eyes barely blinking, until every teammate—and even the coach—had swung their gazes over.
Tang Tianman found herself the center of attention, even as the post-match formalities wrapped up on the court.
The opponents came over for handshakes, following the stares toward her. They were all still buzzing from the battle, towering figures who exuded pressure just by existing. Tang Tianman’s body went rigid; she dropped her hand.
She was ready to shake up her relationship with Zheng Xiyu, but not quite prepared for everyone to know about it yet.
Tang Tianman sank back down, head bowed, fiddling with a sticker on her suitcase instead of looking over.
Someone approached. “You’re from N University, right?”
She glanced up at a guy holding a camera.
“Yeah,” Tang Tianman replied.
“Your school’s on fire this year. Even took down T University. Tough luck for them, running into you in the qualifiers.”
Tang Tianman bristled a little. “In sports, isn’t it exciting when top teams clash? It’s always fifty-fifty. Today, either T University goes out or we do.”
The guy chuckled. “Fair point.”
He paused, then added, “You know Number 2? Your team’s ace this year.”
Number 2 was Zheng Xiyu. Pride swelled in Tang Tianman’s chest. “Mmm-hmm.”
“She’s a freshman, right? Only been on the team three months.”
Tang Tianman shot back, “She’s always been amazing.”
“Yeah? Tell me more.”
Tang Tianman’s guard went up. She eyed him up and down—tall, athletic build, handsome face.
She frowned. “I don’t know you. Not telling you.”
By most standards, that was a sharp shutdown, but Tang Tianman’s natural charm made it sound like a kid’s pout.
The guy laughed brightly, like he was indulging a child. “Fine, keep your secrets. We’ll talk when we’re better acquainted.”
As if, Tang Tianman thought. I don’t want to get acquainted with you.
She turned back to the court and saw Zheng Xiyu heading her way.
Tall, long-legged, posture straight and proud, strides long and steady. She cut a heroic figure.
Tang Tianman’s heart burst into full bloom again.
Eyes wide, she watched Zheng Xiyu close the distance step by step. She stole a glance around and noticed plenty of others watching too—including the nameless guy beside her.
Tang Tianman sidestepped, trying to block his view.
From her angle, if she were taller or bulkier, she’d have hidden him completely. But alas, she was tiny, a giant only in her heart.
Worse, her move drew Zheng Xiyu’s eyes right to him—over Tang Tianman’s head.
It irked her.
Tang Tianman scowled. Zheng Xiyu scowled back.
Deciding to take the initiative, Tang Tianman bent to grab her suitcase, ready to meet her halfway. Zheng Xiyu suddenly picked up speed and broke into a jog.
The gap between them vanished in seconds. At last, Tang Tianman stood face-to-face with Zheng Xiyu.
Up close, she looked drenched.
Her jersey clung wet to her chest, her arms glistened with sweat, and her face glowed with the flush of intense exertion, cheeks pink.
So cute, Tang Tianman thought.
The arena wasn’t all that warm. Worry overrode her plans for an opening line. “Where’s your jacket? Put it on before you catch a cold.”
Zheng Xiyu smiled and brushed the bangs from Tang Tianman’s forehead. “I won’t.”
Tang Tianman beamed, waiting for the inevitable “What are you doing here?”
But Zheng Xiyu said nothing of the sort.
Instead, she took Tang Tianman’s suitcase. “What do you want for dinner tonight?”
“Uh…” Tang Tianman hadn’t thought that far. “Won’t you be eating with the team?”
“Yeah, together.” Zheng Xiyu glanced back. “Don’t worry, adding you won’t bankrupt the coach.”
Tang Tianman laughed dopily, rubbing her hands together in a nervous flutter.
As they headed down, someone called out.
“Xiyu,” the voice said from behind. “Dad’s on a business trip in H City today.”
Tang Tianman turned and gaped at the guy who’d chatted her up earlier.
Zheng Xiyu ignored him, her free hand snagging Tang Tianman’s arm and turning her back around.
The guy pressed on. “I sent you his hotel address on WeChat. Let’s grab dinner if you’re free.”
Zheng Xiyu kept walking without a word, but Tang Tianman nearly tripped over her own feet.
She’d come here determined to redefine their relationship, but she hadn’t said or done anything yet—and already she’d met Zheng Xiyu’s teammates, coach… and family?
By the time Zheng Xiyu dragged her into the team lounge, Tang Tianman was in a daze.
The place was empty for some reason. Zheng Xiyu slipped into the inner changing room without shutting the door.
The outer door was a simple push-plate anyway. Tang Tianman thought she was too careless and hurried over to lock it.
Her hand had just touched the handle when someone yanked her inside.
The door clicked shut and locked behind her.
The inner room was dimly lit, carrying a faint rubbery scent.
Clothes lockers lined up neatly; the open one held Zheng Xiyu’s street clothes. And there stood Zheng Xiyu herself, gazing down at her.
“What are you doing here?” she finally asked.
“Ah, that…” Tang Tianman hadn’t expected the atmosphere to be quite like this. She struggled to gather her thoughts for a moment, sensing a strange wolfish gleam in Zheng Xiyu’s eyes as she stared down at her. It was probably the enclosed space and the imminent prospect of baring her body that sparked some untimely fantasies in her brain.
Tang Tianman hemmed and hawed for a good while but couldn’t come up with anything coherent.
A long bench stood right behind Zheng Xiyu. She suddenly sat down, the drop in height easing much of the oppressive pressure. Zheng Xiyu reached out and gently pinched the soft fingertips hovering right in front of her. “What are you afraid of?”
Damn.
Tang Tianman cursed inwardly.
Now she could look down at Zheng Xiyu, but it didn’t make her feel any less on edge. One glance downward revealed the thighs Zheng Xiyu had spread when she sat.
Those legs were killer—and why were the volleyball shorts so ridiculously short?
“Hey.” Zheng Xiyu prompted her to answer the question.
Tang Tianman’s brain supplied a lie on autopilot. “Things wrapped up on my end pretty quick. Got bored, you know? Heard H City has killer scenery, so I figured I’d check it out.”
“Oh. Then you can hang out here by yourself. I’m heading out,” Zheng Xiyu said.
“…”
Zheng Xiyu claimed she was leaving, but she didn’t budge an inch.
In fact, the hand that had been pinching Tang Tianman’s tightened into a full grip, enveloping her entire palm in its warmth.
It was hot and slightly damp, inevitably blending with some vague, heated fantasy in her mind. Her mouth went dry, yet the sensation felt oddly pleasurable.
“Your teammates are waiting for you,” Tang Tianman pointed out.
“Oh,” Zheng Xiyu replied.
“And that relative of yours looks like she’s waiting too.” Tang Tianman dragged anyone she could think of into the conversation.
“Oh,” Zheng Xiyu said, her tone unchanging.
“…”
Tang Tianman didn’t even dare look at her anymore.
Silence settled over the changing room. Then came a sudden burst of noise from outside—someone had entered the outer area.
Tang Tianman’s first instinct was, Ah, what a shame! Her second was, Can’t let anyone in here!
She stepped forward in a hurry and threw the lock on the door.
“…”
Their hands were still clasped tightly together.
Zheng Xiyu lowered her voice. “They’re probably coming in here too.”
“…”
Zheng Xiyu looked up at her. “Tell me why you really came, and I’ll figure out a way to hide you.”
“…”
A few seconds ticked by. Then Tang Tianman smacked Zheng Xiyu’s arm. “Won a match and suddenly you’re all that? What’s with the threats!”
Any other coquettishness might have been an act, but this was genuine.
Zheng Xiyu tugged her forward, pulling her in so close that Tang Tianman ended up standing right between those long, slender legs with their perfect, flowing lines. The position felt utterly mortifying.
But God, it was thrilling.
“Sorry,” Zheng Xiyu said. “For making you come all this way.”
Tang Tianman waved it off. “Psh, no big deal.”
“Seeing you makes me so happy.”
“Doesn’t show. Then make me happy too.”
Zheng Xiyu lifted the hand she was holding and pressed a gentle kiss to Tang Tianman’s fingertips.
Tang Tianman’s body trembled uncontrollably as arousal surged through her, leaving her mind in a haze.
Someone tried the inner door—it wouldn’t budge, with a sharp click of the lock.
Tang Tianman jolted in fright, her body shaking again.
“Hey? Is someone in there?” came a voice from outside.
Panic flooded Tang Tianman all at once, like a frantic shopper terrified of missing a once-in-a-decade sale.
She bent down abruptly and planted a kiss on Zheng Xiyu’s lips.
Zheng Xiyu froze, staring intently at her.
Tang Tianman leaned in again and kissed her once more.
Zheng Xiyu’s grip on her hand tightened, her legs drawing together as well.
Clamped in place, Tang Tianman bent for a third kiss. “This is why.”
Zheng Xiyu’s free hand snaked around to grasp her waist. Tang Tianman’s face flushed crimson, bright enough to serve as a backdrop for the setting sun. The voice outside called out again, this time with a name attached.
“Little Yu? You in there, Little Yu?”
This kiss lasted more than a second, Tang Tianman’s breath brushing Zheng Xiyu’s lips. “There—your answer. Now hide me, quick.”
