On the Children's Day in their primary school, it was the first time in his life that Ning Er appeared in a drama play.
The dram play was adapted from《The Snow White and The Seven Dwarves》. The princess was beautiful and was abused by her stepmother. When she fled to the forest, instead of encountering the seven dwarves, she met a small white rabbit. The little rabbit took her to lots of his small friends in the forest and introduced them to her. Lastly, the prince passed by the forest, and he and the princess lived happily ever after.
Ning Er's role was the little rabbit.
While Shao Bai Han was the prince.
At that time, Ning Er was small and white. So when he imitated the rabbit by placing both of his hands on his head and jumping beside the princess to lead the way, the parents in the audience thought that he was too meng and took pictures of him.
(T/N: Meng is a Chinese word equivalent to Moe in Japanese, which means cute or adorable.)
On the other hand, Shao Bai Han was handsome and cool, and lots of girls in their class liked him. Since they were all kids, of course there wasn’t any kissing scene. That is, Shao Bai Han would only hug the princess while Ning Er would squat down beside the princess.
The people under the stage applauded the prince and the princess, but Ning Er, who was squatting down beside the princess, felt very sad. At that time, he didn’t understand why this feeling was strange. He just looked up and saw Shao Bai Han with another girl, and felt very sad.
It was the first time that Ning Er felt awkward around Shao Bai Han.
Thus, he wouldn’t speak to Shao Bai Han at school or when they were going home.
Shao Bai Han didn’t notice anything wrong on the first few days, but after two or three days, he noticed that Ning Er would silently follow him from behind with a large distance, while carrying his own bag. That was when Shao Bai Han felt that something was wrong.
He knew that Ning Er was an awkward child. Even though he always bullied Ning Er and threatened him not to say bad things about him to his grandma, Ning Er wouldn’t be angry. But how come that Ning Er was suddenly ignoring him now?
This young boy attached importance on saving his face and wouldn’t bow down or lower his pride to anyone. So Shao Bai Han thought: You're ignoring me? Then I don’t care about you!
A few days later, Ning Er was still ignoring him to the point that it made him uncomfortable, Shao Bai Han couldn’t bear it anymore. When they went to school the next day, he asked coldly: "Do you want to drink black rice milk?"
Ning Er just looked up and shook his head.
Shao Bai Han: "!!!" You don’t even want to drink a black rice milk, what is your problem ah!
This cold war happened for seven days, and it was the longest cold war between Shao Bai Han and Ning Er.
The drama play was already over, but Ning Er still felt uncomfortable. As the time flew fast, the slovenly feeling that came quickly, disappeared quickly. He planned on going back to school with Shao Bai Han like the usual. But who would have thought that Shao Bai Han himself couldn’t bear it? On the way from school that day, Ning Er had not spoken yet when Shao Bai Han suddenly acted like a rabbit. He placed his two hands on top of his head, he even tilted his head and blinked his wide eyes at Ning Er. It was like when Ning Er met the princess, and then Shao Bai Han imitated his words—
"I am the rabbit Xiao Er, do you want to talk to me?"
Ning Er couldn’t help laughing at that time.
And now, Shao Bai Han looked exactly the same as that time. The only difference was that he was not as cute as when he was still a child!
When he did it when he was a child, Ning Er found it cute since Shao Bai Han had a baby face. But now, instead of feeling funny and awkward, Ning Er felt warm in his heart. The inexplicable awkwardness and anger had all disappeared.
Shao Bai Han took the basketball and taught Ning Er how to play.
"You seem to be shooting pretty well. Let me see you shoot ten times."
Ning Er took the ball in the three-point line and made five shots, he then went to the freethrow line and made another five more shots. The black basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air and gently flew into the basket.
Shao Bai Han was standing under the basketball loop, so no matter how the ball fell down, he would only lift his hand and the bouncing ball would comfortably fell on his palm. With a twist of his wrist, the ball would straightly passed to Ning Er, allowing him to shoot again and again.
Witch such perfect coordination, it took only three minutes for the ten shots.
"Cool, 9 out of 10 times. Good ah, it's higher than mine."
Ning Er held the basketball, his face was a little bashful when he whispered: "I can only do freethrows…"
Shao Bai Han walked to the side of the basketball court, and took off his white and black sportswear, leaving only his thin basketball jersey. He raised his eyebrow and said to Ning Er: "Let's try 1V1."
As soon as the official play began, Ning Er would definitely be exposed.
Shao Bai Han did a motion offense, Ning Er had not yet seen it clearly, but the ball was snatched already. There was even a time when Ning Er didn’t see where Shao Bai Han was coming from. A long hand tapped the ball from behind him, the ball was hit to the side, and when Ning Er looked down, the ball was already gone.
When he practiced basketball with Jiang Chen, Ning Er could still see some signs. But when he played with Shao Bai Han, he couldn’t even see Shao Bai Han's shadow! The whole person was disoriented and was led by the nose from the other side.
Ning Er was the type who would be a bit more stubborn since he was a child. The more difficult it was, the more he had to do it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t really practice basketball yesterday for three hours.
He widened his eyes and tried his best to stare at Shao Bai Han across him. A bead of sweat ran down on his face, Shao Bai Han's hair was also a bit wet.
When the ball in Ning Er's hand hit the ground, Shao Bai Han tilted his head and twitched his lips, revealing a sinister smile.
Ning Er was stunned for a moment.
Boom!
The ball was snatched again!
I’m angry ah!!!
Ning Er exploded with rage!!!
How dare Shao Bai Han used his male beauty?!
Feeling more unconvinced in his heart, Ning Er turned around and shouted: "Come again!"
Shao Bai Han, who was holding the basketball, smiled and shook his head: "No, it doesn’t work that way, Xiao Er. Your ability to control the ball is a bit poor, it is easy for others to snatch the ball from you. Come, let me teach you how to dribble first. Turn around."
Ning Er turned around with some confusion, his back was facing Shao Bai Han: "I can dribble."
Shao Bai Han's voice with a smile sounded from behind him: "Oh, are you sure that you can?"
Ning Er stubbornly nodded: "Of course, I can! Dribbling is so simple, how could I not?"
"How about this?"
Ning Er's body suddenly froze.
A warm chest came from behind him and pressed against his back.
Shao Bai Han held the basketball with one hand, and the other hand grasped Ning Er's hand from behind. Because he was taller than Ning Er, it looked as of he was hugging Ning Er in his embrace. He slightly lowered his head, his breath blowing hotly in Ning Er's ear as he said: "Xiao Er, I’ll teach you… how to dribble the ball."
Ning Er's face blushed red like an apple.
Shao Bai Han pulled Ning Er's hand and carefully taught him how to dribble and control the ball.
It was obviously just an ordinary dribbling and Ning Er didn’t feel anything when he did it. But when Shao Bai Han pulled his hand and used it to dribble the ball, Ning Er suddenly felt that this basketball was completely in his control. In the past, he was always chasing the ball, and now the basketball would even follow his instructions, wherever he went and wherever he ran to.
Shao Bai Han was really strong ah.
Ning Er stared at Shao Bai Han. After a while, Shao Bai Han found out that he was looking and smiled at him: "What's wrong?"
Ning Er quickly turned his head.
It was already eight o'clock when the two finished practicing. Shao Bai Han went to the school building to get their bags, while Ning Er waited for him at the basketball court.
When the two boys left the school, the basketball court was finally deserted. Shao Bai Han really didn’t ride his bike, he walked in front of Ning Er and was holding his own bag with one hand. And just like when they were still a child, Ning Er walked behind him.
When they walked out of the school gate, Shao Bai Han seemed to have perceived something. He stopped and turned his head: "Why are you so slow?"
Ning Er stared at him for a moment, then quickly rushed to follow and walked side by side with him.
This feeling was a bit different when they went home together a few days ago.
The cool evening breeze blew on their faces, causing the sweat on them to be dried. Ning Er held the ball quietly. After walking for a while, he asked in a soft voice: "Do you still remember the drama play in the first grade of our primary school?"
Shao Bai Han turned to look at him: "What did you say?"
"The drama play in the first grade of our primary school. You just said my line awhile ago."
Shao Bai Han heard it clearly this time: "Of course, I remembered ah. Every time you go out, the parents would clap hard. How could I not remember it?"
Ning Er slightly blushed.
He was wearing a white rabbit costume that time, he walked stupidly and had two hands on top of his head. It was particularly a stupid appearance, and as long as he appeared, the parents would laugh. He even had lots of pictures at that time and it was hidden inside their house, not letting anyone sees it. Because it was too silly, he looked dumb even when he acted seriously, and when he acted more serious, he looked more like a stupid rabbit.
Ning Er shifted the topic: "Do you still remember the girl who played the princess? She’s also in our school, class 7, right next to your class."
Shao Bai Han answered back lightly: "I don’t remember."
Ning Er was stunned: "She looks very beautiful. She was beautiful when she was a child and now, she is still pretty. You don’t remember? Her name is Liu Xiaomeng.
Shao Bai Han didn’t really care and replied: "Why should I remember her?"
Ning Er was anxious: "You used to be in many plays with her, and you even hugged her."
Shao Bai Han turned around to look at Ning Er, then said with a smile in his eyes: “I’ve hugged you before as well. Remembering you is enough, why should I remember her as well?"
Ning Er's face flushed red again and he didn't speak any further.
When they returned home, Ning Er was about to open the door with the key, but Shao Bai Han suddenly pulled him: "You wait here, I’ll get something."
Ning Er looked at him strangely. Shao Bai Han quickly entered the house and soon came out. He grasped Ning Er's right hand and tore the newly-opened band aid, gently sticking it on Ning Er's index finger.
"This kind of small wound is supposed to be ignored, but you’re playing basketball these past few days and dirty things would easily get in. Last year, I played a basketball and got an incision, I ignored it and it was infected. Well, mine was a little deeper than yours, but you still have to put a band aid on."
Ning Er nodded his head. When the band aid just stuck on the wound, he quickly opened the door and entered the house.
Shao Bai Han took the paper waste that had been torn off from the band aid. He leaned against the door frame, smiled and waved his hand: "Don't be late tomorrow morning.'
Ning Er: "En!"
It was Thursday the next day and the two practiced for several hours.
The Basketball League was due on Friday. And on Friday afternoon, a total of 24 classes of first year high school were all in the basketball court.
Ning Er was standing in the crowd of class four, he looked around and found Shao Bai Han who was surrounded by the boys from class six. Today, he was wearing a white Nike basketball jersey, with a black sports headband strapped on his forehead, and his hair was tied at the back and some were falling in front of his forehead.
Shao Bai Han stood with his arms folded and cold face. The students beside him seemed excited to say something and he dealt with them by saying a few perfunctory words. Shao Bai Han suddenly looked up and found Ning Er's line of sight, he raised one of his beautiful eyebrows, smiling at Ning Er.
Ning Er blushed and averted his face, no longer looking at him.
There were four periods in the afternoon, and the fourth period was a high school activity class. Each class sent a sports committee member to the front to draw lots and to decide who would be their opponent for today's preliminary match.
Jiang Chen stood beside Ning Er and clasped both of his hands together. He continued to pray: "Please, don’t get class 6. Please, not class 6."
Ning Er asked him: "Aren't you the best MVP in our school?"
Jiang Chen fell into silence for a moment, then: "We'll definitely lose if we fought against class 6! I still want to enter the finals."
The other students in class four were also praying like Jiang Chen and looking at their sports committee member nervously. Their classmate came late, so they were ones of the last classes who would draw. The sports committee members from other classes reported their numbers one by one. When it came to class four, there were only two classes left; class six and class seven.
Class four were so nervous that their hearts almost jumped out.
The sports committee member took a deep breath, put his hand into the box and took out a small ball.