The cicadas' chirping on a summer day mingled with gentle breezes. The air seemed sticky, making it hard for anyone to calm down. Everyone seemed to be frowning.
Inside the office, the school - uniformed boys held their breaths, waiting for the teacher's announcement.
This year's basketball team captain would be elected by a school - wide vote. There were several popular candidates, so they weren't sure who would get the position.
"I hereby announce that the new basketball team captain is Sheng Sibai from Class 7, and his term will be two years."
The boys who had been nervous just now suddenly cheered loudly. Sheng Sibai was beaming with joy.
One of the strong competitors against him was Ji Yangu from Class 3. He almost thought he had missed the chance to be the captain, but fortunately, his votes were slightly higher than Ji Yangu's.
He greeted Ji Yangu, and Ji Yangu wasn't in a bad mood. Instead, he teased Sheng Sibai to treat them to a meal.
Sheng Sibai didn't refuse and quickly agreed. "Let's do it tonight. I'll treat everyone to hot pot."
Male high - school students were always eye - catching. They were full of energy and joy, making people unable to take their eyes off them.
Maybe it was because they were too noisy that others couldn't help but look at them frequently.
Sheng Sibai went to the restroom. When he came out, he bumped into a girl. The girl was wearing a beautiful dress and kept looking for something on the ground with her head down.
After bumping into Sheng Sibai, she quickly apologized, "Sorry, I didn't do it on purpose."
Sheng Sibai noticed that something seemed off about her and asked tentatively, "What are you looking for?"
The girl squinted and looked up, as if trying hard to see him clearly. "My contact lens accidentally fell out. I can't see very well now."
Sheng Sibai glanced at the ground. Although he didn't see the contact lens, he thought that even if he found it, it couldn't be used after lying on such a dirty floor.
He could have just walked away, but he was a kind - hearted person. Since he had encountered this, he couldn't bear to ignore it.
Suddenly, he remembered that Sheng Yan had left a pair of glasses with him. Maybe it could help.
"Wait for me. I happen to have a spare pair of glasses that I can lend you."
With that, he ran off without giving Jian Jiaojiao a chance to refuse.
Jian Jiaojiao didn't know what was wrong with herself. She really didn't leave and obediently waited in place.
Sheng Sibai ran back with the glasses. He sighed in relief when he found that she was still there. On his way back, he thought his request for her to wait in place was a bit unreasonable. Fortunately, she really didn't leave.
"I forgot to ask what your eye prescription is. I don't know if this pair of glasses will help you."
He handed Sheng Yan's glasses to Jian Jiaojiao and watched as the girl put them on. Sheng Sibai apologized to Sheng Yan in his heart.
Jian Jiaojiao answered him while putting on the glasses, "Eight hundred degrees."
"Ah, well," Sheng Sibai shrugged. "This pair of glasses is five - hundred degrees, but I hope it can still help you."
Jian Jiaojiao's vision was still a bit blurry. She could only make out Sheng Sibai's general facial outline, but it was better than before.
She saw that he was wearing the school basketball team's uniform and planned to ask which grade and class he was from. "Are you from Luocheng Middle School? Which grade and class? I can return the glasses to you."
Suddenly, someone called Sheng Sibai. They were asking him to go over. Sheng Sibai didn't pay attention to Jian Jiaojiao and just said casually, "It's okay. I have to go."
Jian Jiaojiao wanted to call him back, but all she could see was his running back. The only things left in her final impression were the number "11" on the back of his uniform and the "Sheng" below the number.
That was probably his name, she thought.
He was really nice. They had just met by chance, but he still helped her like this. As for herself, she had come out to play without wearing glasses, and then her contact lens had fallen out. If it weren't for Number 11 helping her, she would probably still be completely blind.
She must thank him properly next time.
Feng Qing was still dozing off when Jian Jiaojiao dragged her to the basketball court. She didn't understand at all why Jian Jiaojiao suddenly wanted to watch a basketball game.
"I said, you used to have no interest in basketball games at all. You said you couldn't understand them and thought they were boring. You said it was better to sleep for a while. What changed?"
Feng Qing complained beside her.
Jian Jiaojiao's eyes were fixed on the basketball court. Her thick glasses were like binoculars, helping her scan the court.
"Things change. I told you the boy who lent me the glasses is on the basketball team. I still haven't thanked him properly."
Feng Qing nodded perfunctorily. "So, have you found your fateful Number 11 yet?"
"Not yet." Jian Jiaojiao shook her head and kept looking around.
Feng Qing immediately burst out laughing. "Maybe he was just cosplaying, but you insist he's on the school team."
"Impossible." Jian Jiaojiao denied. "He clearly looks like a basketball player. I can't be wrong."
Fine, Feng Qing was too lazy to persuade her anymore and simply waited quietly on the side. In the end, the game was over, but she still didn't see the Number 11 that Jian Jiaojiao had been talking about.
Seeing that Jian Jiaojiao was really disappointed, Feng Qing didn't have the heart to tell the truth. She had to make up an excuse to comfort her. "Maybe Number 11 is on leave today. Next time, you'll definitely meet him."
"You're right. I'll come to every game from now on."
Feng Qing stared at her with wide eyes. You can't be serious!
Jian Jiaojiao kept her word. For every game held at school, she dragged Feng Qing to be a cheerleader. Later, she even made a light board. No one knew exactly what she was cheering for.
Feng Qing never saw the Number 11 that Jian Jiaojiao had mentioned and wondered if Jian Jiaojiao was lying to her.
Finally, in a game against a neighboring middle school, a person caught the screams of almost all the girls present as soon as he appeared. Even Feng Qing was curious.
She looked over. Hey, wasn't that Number 11?
She was just about to tell Jian Jiaojiao when she realized that Jian Jiaojiao was no longer beside her. Based on her understanding of Jian Jiaojiao, she knew that Jian Jiaojiao wouldn't leave. Most likely, she had rushed to the "front line" for her Number 11.
Well, she rolled her eyes slightly. Her impatient expression was out of place with the enthusiastic voices around her.
God of love, why don't you take care of Jian Jiaojiao?
Jian Jiaojiao managed to squeeze to the front row and was finally close to Number 11. Her mind and eyes were filled with Number 11, and she couldn't hear what the people around her were shouting.
Number 11 was sitting in the row in front of her. If she just reached out, she could touch his back.
Although she wanted to do that, she finally held back.
Seeing a box of water on the ground beside her, she crawled under the railing, picked up a bottle of water, and walked towards Number 11.
She tapped his shoulder and was about to give him the bottle of water happily. But at the moment he turned around, a huge force suddenly came from behind her. She was caught off - guard and pushed forward.
After losing her balance, she fell forward, and right in front of her was Number 11.
When she got closer, Jian Jiaojiao saw the panic on Number 11's face, but she couldn't control what was happening.
Just like now, Number 11 immediately opened his arms and quickly caught her. The end of her free - fall was actually in Number 11's arms.
She was so scared that she was dazed. It took her a long time to come to her senses and quickly got up from his arms.
The bottle of water that she originally wanted to give to Number 11 was now tightly held in his hand.
There was a huge commotion around, but Jian Jiaojiao felt like she couldn't hear those sounds. She felt deaf. All she could feel was her heart pounding in her chest.
Sheng Sibai looked at the water in his hand and then at her. "Are you okay?"
Jian Jiaojiao shook her head, looking a bit dazed.
"Thanks for the water." The whistle sounded. The second half of the game was about to start. Sheng Sibai put down the water in his hand, took two steps forward, and then came back.
He bent down slightly and got close to Jian Jiaojiao. His voice was naturally only audible to the two of them.
"Will you wait here for me until I finish the second half? I want to talk to you after the game."
Jian Jiaojiao's mind went blank. She could only nod instinctively.
Jian Jiaojiao didn't watch the second half of the game at all. She just felt that her heart was in a mess. It was pounding so hard as if she was sick.
She sat worriedly in the seat where Sheng Sibai had sat. Even after the game was over and everyone had left, she was still in a daze.
Sheng Sibai walked towards her and snapped his fingers to bring her back to reality.
"What are you thinking about?" He casually sat down beside her and picked up the water she had given him to drink.
Jian Jiaojiao came to her senses and saw the trophy beside him.
"Congratulations..." She looked up to congratulate him, but saw him gulping down the water. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, showing a kind of charming wildness.
The light shone from the side, making his profile look extremely good - looking. Even his eyelashes seemed to be glowing.
For some reason, Jian Jiaojiao suddenly started to stutter.
"Con - Congratulations to you."
What's going on? She didn't even play basketball, so why did she feel so hot?
"Thanks. But this trophy also has your credit. I've decided to give it to you."
Jian Jiaojiao stared blankly at the trophy and pointed at herself in confusion. "My credit?"
She hadn't done anything at all.
"Yes." Sheng Sibai nodded. "The bottle of water you brought came at just the right time. It motivated me a lot, so I was able to lead my team to victory."
"But you didn't drink it before."
He had only opened and drunk the water when he came back just now...
Sheng Sibai still nodded and didn't deny it. He quickly said, "Even though I didn't drink it, just the thought of it in my mind helped me win."
Jian Jiaojiao listened to his nonsense. Suddenly, she saw the letters on his back and finally realized that it was the pinyin of his name.
"Did you win because your surname is Sheng?"
Sheng Sibai suddenly became serious, as if he had remembered something very important.
"You've reminded me of something. I still don't know your name."
"My name is Sheng Sibai. Si from 'gentle', and Bai from 'white'. What about you?"
Jian Jiaojiao felt her heart pounding like thunder again. The basketball court had become quiet. There were only the two of them, and the sound of her heartbeat seemed especially obvious.
"I - My name is Jian Jiaojiao. Jian from'simple', and Jiao is..." She suddenly felt embarrassed to introduce her own name.
Sheng Sibai still smiled and continued her words.
"The Jiao from 'keep a mistress in a golden house'?"
Jian Jiaojiao didn't say anything, and he burst out laughing.
His handsome appearance and hearty smile seemed to drive away a bit of the summer heat.
"Jian Jiaojiao, nice to meet you."
The cicadas' chirping seemed to become even louder. The summer heat came and went. Jian Jiaojiao felt dizzy.
The light shone behind him, making it hard for her to open her eyes.
He looked at her and smiled, as if the two of them were a world of their own.
"Hello, Jian Jiaojiao."
"Hello, Sheng Sibai."