Chapter 14: Out of Control

The crowd surged forward like a swarm, some offering water, others towels. Ji Shuyi and Lu Zhixia, having come unprepared, were nearly knocked off their feet.

“Be careful.”

Amidst the chaos, Tang Yu swiftly came over and steadied Ji Shuyi by the shoulder, preventing her from falling.

“Tang Yu-ge!” Seeing Tang Yu, Ji Shuyi smiled brightly. “My friend and I were just about to look for you. We couldn’t squeeze through. Let me introduce you…”

Ji Shuyi quickly pulled Lu Zhixia forward, introducing her. “This is my friend Lu Zhixia, also my cousin.”

Turning to Lu Zhixia, she said, “This is Tang Yu.”

“Hello, Lu tongxue.” Tang Yu greeted Lu Zhixia with gentlemanly politeness. (Tongxue is a term for classmate or schoolmate.)

“Hello, hello!” Lu Zhixia exclaimed, immediately praising him. “You were so cool just now! Your ball skills are amazing.”

Tang Yu chuckled politely. “Thank you.”

“I was worried something might have come up and you couldn’t make it,” Tang Yu said, looking back at Ji Shuyi. “Want to grab dinner together after the game?”

“Sure!” Ji Shuyi agreed readily. “My treat! To celebrate.”

Tang Yu joked, “So, if I lost, you wouldn’t treat?”

“Win or lose, I’m treating,” Ji Shuyi said with a smile. “Besides, Tang Yu-ge is sure to win, right, Zhizhi?”

“Mhm, mhm, mhm!” Lu Zhixia nodded emphatically in agreement.

While the three of them chatted leisurely, Jiang Cheng sat on a bench with his legs spread wide, one arm casually draped over his knee. He held a bottle of water in his other hand, gulping it down. Though his face was lowered, he couldn’t help but glance up at Tang Yu and Ji Shuyi.

Another whistle blew. He saw Ji Shuyi say something to Tang Yu, and then Tang Yu smiled, raised his hand, and gently ruffled the girl’s hair before turning back to the court.

That scene inexplicably stung Jiang Cheng. He finished the rest of the water in the bottle in one go and threw it roughly into the trash can.

Not far away, Song Ning, clutching the towel and water she hadn’t given away, lowered her eyelashes in disappointment at the sight. After a moment, she slowly raised her gaze and looked towards Ji Shuyi. She wondered, Do all boys like girls who look like that…?

In the second half, Chen Xingyi clearly felt that Jiang Cheng was playing with more intensity than in the first half. He scored a goal within the first few minutes of the half, and near the end, he assisted another, leading their team to a 3-2 victory over the medical university.

In the locker room after the game, the boys changed their clothes and came out. Although Tang Yu had lost, he lost with grace. He took the initiative to walk up to Jiang Cheng with a magnanimous air, his voice amiable. “I’ve long heard of Jingda’s Jiang Cheng and his impressive ball skills. I’m honored to have had the chance to compete today. I accept defeat wholeheartedly. Let’s play another game sometime, if we get the chance.”

Compared to Tang Yu’s graciousness and gentlemanly demeanor, Jiang Cheng seemed less gracious, less gentlemanly, and even harbored an inexplicable hostility towards Tang Yu. He replied nonchalantly with a single word: “Sure.”

Waiting outside the locker room, Ji Shuyi saw them come out and happily greeted them, calling out, “Tang Yu-ge!”

Hearing the voice, Jiang Cheng looked up faster than Tang Yu. He saw Ji Shuyi holding a bottle of latte and a bottle of mineral water, a bright smile on her face as she headed straight for Tang Yu. Watching this, the hand in his pocket clenched unconsciously.

“Did you wait long?” Tang Yu quickly went to meet her, speaking with a hint of apology.

“No, not at all!” Ji Shuyi directly handed him both drinks, smiling as she asked, “Latte or mineral water?”

Tang Yu: “Thank you. I’ll just have the mineral water.”

“Here.” As Ji Shuyi handed the mineral water to Tang Yu, she caught sight of Jiang Cheng just a step behind. With a deliberate and obvious dislike, she rolled her eyes at him. She even raised her voice intentionally, saying:

“I didn’t get a chance to prepare a drink for you during the first half. I specifically ran out just now to buy this. And I’ve booked a restaurant to celebrate for you, Tang Yu-ge! You were amazing! Did you hear everyone cheering for you? It was practically like an idol fan meeting! You gained so many little fangirls. Lots of students were asking me for information about you…”

“Ji Shuyi!” Jiang Cheng, unable to listen any longer, abruptly cut her off with a cold shout.

“What?” Ji Shuyi twisted her face in annoyance and glared at him.

“I won!” Jiang Cheng blurted out, seemingly out of control. “I, Laozi, won!” (Laozi is a very informal and somewhat arrogant way of saying “I,” typically used by men.)

“You won, you won, whatever. It’s not a big deal,” Ji Shuyi said dismissively, wrinkling her nose. She retorted quickly, “Look at you gloating! Anyone would think you led the national soccer team to win the World Cup, not just won a friendly match between two universities. What a big accomplishment.”

“Ji Shuyi!” Jiang Cheng, for the first time, was so angry that his face turned red and his neck swelled as he gritted his teeth.

Seeing that the situation was turning sour, Tang Yu immediately pulled Ji Shuyi behind him and soothingly raised his hand to pat the top of the bristling girl’s head, saying, “Alright, say less. He did win, after all. It’s impolite to talk like that.”

This intimate gesture made the fire in Jiang Cheng’s heart burn even hotter. He felt an almost unbearable rage. He never allowed himself to be emotionally compromised, to give anyone an opportunity to take advantage or expose his weaknesses.

He was usually as steady as an old dog.

But right now, he felt terrible. He hated this feeling.

He couldn’t let anyone control his emotions.

Jiang Cheng tried to calm himself down, his face returning to its usual cold expression. He looked at Ji Shuyi and replied, “It’s really not a big deal.”

Ji Shuyi watched Jiang Cheng’s retreating back and muttered softly, “Weirdo.”

She couldn’t be bothered to dwell on that guy’s emotions. She simply turned her head and smiled at Tang Yu, saying, “Tang Yu-ge, you can’t always pat my head. It’ll cause misunderstandings, and more importantly, it’ll block your taohua!” (Taohua refers to romantic luck or opportunities.)

Tang Yu looked at the girl, now grown up before him, and realized his actions were too presumptuous. He smiled gently and said, “Alright, it was big brother being careless. Our little Shuyi has grown up and is a university student. I apologize to you.”

“There’s no need to apologize. I’m just reminding you. It can’t be that I’m blocking your taohua, gege, right?” Ji Shuyi said with a lighthearted laugh. “Let’s go, let’s go eat.”