Zheng Xiyu’s life before the age of fourteen had been incredibly simple and utterly ordinary.
She always procrastinated on her homework until the very last minute, and if her test scores were poor, her mother would give her a couple of swats, after which she’d buck up and do better next time. Every day, her sole focus was on how to have fun and try out all sorts of novel things.
The only remarkable thing about her was her height. During puberty, she shot up overnight, and anyone who knew her would gasp, if they hadn’t seen her for over a week, “Zheng Xiyu, how did you grow even taller?!”
Even though it meant she always sat in the back row from childhood through school, Zheng Xiyu never once resented being tall.
Her mother loved buying her new clothes and would declare, with feigned exasperation but genuine pride at their favorite store, “Sigh, my girl shot up again—costs a fortune!”
How could she hate it when the person closest to her adored her height like that?
On top of that, while she was tall, her figure was never anything less than perfect, and her physical fitness was outstanding. Whenever there was a school sports event, no matter the event, they dragged her into it.
She never disappointed, excelling at everything and snagging an award or two in each.
Later, she discovered volleyball and stumbled upon a whole new world.
The coach was a retired athlete who taught her for free for a long time before introducing her to even better coaches.
He visited Zheng Xiyu’s home many times, urging her mother to consider developing the girl’s talents more professionally.
But her mother always refused. She made it clear to both the coach and Zheng Xiyu: she couldn’t bear to see her child suffer. Being an athlete was just too grueling.
Zheng Xiyu understood her mother’s concerns, but the fire in her heart never went out.
So she kept running off to training with her coach and kept begging her mother for money to buy professional gear.
Once, the coach took her to watch a pro team’s match. When one player had an issue, he put her in, and she was so thrilled her fingers trembled nonstop.
It was just a small scrimmage, but she led them to victory, racking up points left and right. Everyone praised her raw talent.
When she got home, she braced for a scolding for sneaking off so far without permission, but instead, her mother beamed at her first: “My girl’s amazing!”
Zheng Xiyu would never forget the look on her mother’s face as she said it—radiant smile, eyes sparkling with joy.
So after her mother passed away, when Cao Feng came to pick her up and asked what she wanted, she said, “I want to play volleyball.”
Join a pro team, compete in matches, win awards.
Everyone thought she was chasing the very path her late mother hadn’t wanted for her, but Zheng Xiyu was convinced her mother would be happy too.
Cao Feng didn’t agree at first, and Zheng Xiyu had no interest in prying into his reasons.
She simply stated her demand: if he wouldn’t let her play, she wouldn’t go with him.
After a week of standoff, she barely ate a thing and lost a full circle of weight.
Cao Feng relented and took her to a new city, into a new home, and a new life.
The new house was a sprawling villa with plenty of rooms. She rarely saw the other occupants from dawn till dusk, which suited her just fine.
School by day, then training, training, training. She trained like her life depended on it, cycling through coaches one after another in short order.
Cao Feng always seemed to expect she’d quit or burn out midway, so he held his breath and met her demands like they were haggling over terms: beat this opponent to make the team, hit that score for premium special training funds.
Zheng Xiyu thought that was fine by her—no phony family closeness, just straightforward quid pro quo.
Year after year, to secure more resources and stay on her chosen path, she pushed herself to the brink, shedding all her old bad habits.
It really was for the best. At least every year, when she visited her mother’s grave to talk, she had achievements to share—imagining those sparkling eyes fixed on her, hearing, “My girl’s amazing!”
This year’s deal with Cao Feng: claim Best Player at CUva, and he’d guarantee her a spot on the National Team.
Now, he was forcing her to choose between Tang Tianman and volleyball. Pick Tang Tianman, and forget the National Team—she might not even finish the current matches.
Because Tan Yan was the coach he’d hired. N University’s Women’s Volleyball Team had improved so rapidly this year not just because of Zheng Xiyu alone, but because Cao Feng had shelled out massive sponsorship. A mere school team now had the best coach, the best equipment, the best players.
After laying it all out, Zheng Xiyu felt parched and got up to grab some water.
Tang Tianman snagged her arm, eyes full of worry. “What are you doing?”
“Getting water,” Zheng Xiyu said.
Tang Tianman pushed her back down. “Sit. I’ll get it.”
Zheng Xiyu flopped back onto the bed, a bit dazed.
“What do you want?” Tang Tianman asked as she headed for the fridge.
“Mineral water’s fine.”
“It’s freezing out there.” Tang Tianman paused, pulling out her phone. “Something warm’s better. I’ll order milk tea.”
“It’s nothing, I’m just thirsty.” Zheng Xiyu started to rise again, but Tang Tianman’s sharp gaze pinned her with a pointed finger.
“Don’t move,” Tang Tianman ordered. “I ordered from downstairs in the building. It’ll be quick.”
Zheng Xiyu could only say, “Okay.”
Tang Tianman muttered to herself, “Your stomach’s upset—better skip the junk. Let me see if they have warm boiled water…”
“I’m fine,” Zheng Xiyu said with a helpless smile. “I lied about feeling sick earlier.”
“You lied to me?!” Tang Tianman’s eyes went wide.
“Well…” Zheng Xiyu fidgeted, fingers tracing patterns in the air. “I ran into Cao Feng at the venue. I was afraid he’d cause you trouble—no, mostly my head was a mess then, and I didn’t want to drag down your mood, so I made an excuse to come back.”
Tang Tianman stared. “Have you ever lied to me before?”
“That time I skipped class to sit in on yours with you.”
“Anything else?”
“Sometimes I have extra training at night, but I want to see you, so… I leave early.”
Tang Tianman gaped at her in disbelief. “Zheng Xiyu, you’re something else.”
Zheng Xiyu ducked her head guiltily, saying nothing.
“No stomach issues? Then regular milk tea it is. What flavor?”
“Pure tea,” Zheng Xiyu answered promptly, all obedient.
“Got it.” Tang Tianman finished ordering, set her phone down, and returned to Zheng Xiyu’s side.
“My feet are cold,” Tang Tianman said. “The venue’s heaters were blasting, but wearing a skirt in this weather is brutal.”
“Come here.” Zheng Xiyu scooted over and lifted the covers. “Warm up.”
“Mm.” Tang Tianman kicked off her shoes and climbed in, only for Zheng Xiyu to grab her feet the moment they slipped under the blanket.
Zheng Xiyu’s brows furrowed. “They’re freezing.”
“Normal for winter—cold hands, cold feet.” Tang Tianman tried to tug them back, embarrassed.
Zheng Xiyu held firm. “Your stamina’s not up to par yet. Next spring, when it warms up, come run with me.”
“Sure.” With her feet toasty now, Tang Tianman gazed at Zheng Xiyu, her heart warming right along with them.
It felt like everything could melt away into a soothing stream of warmth.
Zheng Xiyu kept her head down, rubbing Tang Tianman’s soles and warming each toe with meticulous care.
After a while, she murmured, “We…”
Tang Tianman seemed to read her mind, answering the unasked question instantly. “We’ll definitely have next year, and the year after, and the one after that. As long as you like me and I like you, nothing’s impossible.”
Zheng Xiyu looked up with a smile.
“What, don’t trust your Senior Sister?” Tang Tianman arched a brow, pulling out her senior authority. “You know, if we stick together, we can overcome any outside obstacle. None of this choosing crap—we’re adults. We can have it all.”
Zheng Xiyu’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah what?” Tang Tianman huffed. “You think I’d make you give up volleyball for me? Get real. Passion’s for life—only you can quit it. Anyone tries to stop me from shooting pics, writing, watching shows, or playing with dolls? Sorry, I’ve got too many hobbies. Mess with what I love, and I’ll take on anyone or anything, Buddha included.”
Zheng Xiyu burst out laughing.
Tang Tianman patted her shoulder. “Of course, I wouldn’t let you ditch me for volleyball either. I’m no saint, no selfless hero—mostly ’cause I like you way too much right now. So we’re back to square one.”
Zheng Xiyu gazed at her. “I get it. You’re my passion too.”
“Holy crap,” Tang Tianman said, eyes huge. “How are you so good at summing up? Hanging with a Chinese lit major’s boosted your skills, huh?”
“Yeah, you teach well,” Zheng Xiyu said, teeing her up.
“Aw, even the best teacher needs a star pupil.” Tang Tianman leaped at the bait.
They chatted and laughed for a bit, the gloom that had hung over the room vanishing completely.
The delivery guy brought the milk tea just as lunchtime rolled around. Tang Tianman ordered food too. They stayed put in bed, asking the hotel for a bed tray, and ate side by side—lazy and content, cozy as a heated brick bed in the Northeast.
“Let’s break this down,” Tang Tianman said, tilting her head back to gaze at the ceiling. “The real issue is your dad not accepting you dating anyone, so he’s holding it over your head as leverage.”
“It’s not that he won’t let me date,” Zheng Xiyu replied. “It’s that he won’t let me date girls.”
“Bingo. That tracks. Parents from that generation have a pretty low tolerance for same-sex relationships—they might never come around to their kid being gay.” Tang Tianman nibbled on a french fry like a little hamster, crunching away until it was gone. “Especially when they’re obsessed with saving face. Didn’t your dad lose it and rush over to threaten you exactly because he saw you blow up overnight, getting all cocky and skipping training just for me?”
“Mm.” Zheng Xiyu nodded.
“Here’s the plan,” Tang Tianman continued, her excitement building. She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling as she fixed them on Zheng Xiyu, buzzing with the thrill of a secret scheme. “They don’t want us dating? Fine, we won’t—on the surface.”
“No way,” Zheng Xiyu said.
“Hey, hold on—I wasn’t done! Out in the open, no dating. We’ll fake a big, dramatic breakup, all heartbroken and torn apart by love. But behind closed doors, we keep right on doing what we’ve been doing until you snag Best Player and make the National Team.” Tang Tianman’s little feet wiggled under the covers, brushing teasingly against the soles of Zheng Xiyu’s. “Doesn’t that add a delicious thrill, like we’re sneaking around having a forbidden affair?”
