SWTHTC - 35

Chapter 35: “Let’s Go Home”

When Zhou Leqi followed Hou Zihao into the basketball court, it was inevitable that the boys on the court would start teasing.

They didn’t know her well, so they naturally focused their jokes on Hou Zihao—playfully grinning at him, whistling, and even someone coming over to sling an arm around his shoulder while peeking at her from behind.

Hou Zihao pushed the arm off his shoulder and shielded her with his body. He was tall, and standing in front of her, he effectively blocked the prying eyes of others. She could no longer see anyone else as he half-jokingly, half-seriously told his friends, “Enjoy your fun while you can. Once I’m on the court, none of you will even get to touch the ball.”

With that, he grabbed her wrist and led her toward the concrete steps where spectators sat, leaving behind increasingly loud whistles from the boys.

Zhou Leqi’s face was already flushed red.

He guided her up the high concrete steps, placed his backpack next to him, and looked down to ask her, “Shall I go play now?”

Zhou Leqi glanced at him, pursed her lips, and nodded.

He nodded back. The atmosphere between them was thick with unspoken intimacy, making it hard for him to leave her side. After a pause, he asked, “Or… do you want to hold my jacket for me?”

Like a real couple.

A boy playing basketball, a girl holding his jacket.

This image also flashed through Zhou Leqi’s mind. Her face turned even redder as she lowered her head silently—an unspoken consent. Hou Zihao understood, so he took off his school uniform jacket and handed it to her. She quietly accepted it, and another round of teasing laughter erupted from the court.

Someone shouted to Hou Zihao, “Are you going to play or not, Hou God? Can you stop showing off your love in public?”

Their voices were loud enough to make Zhou Leqi want to cover her face. Feeling unbearably hot, she lightly pushed Hou Zihao, urging him, “Go already.”

Hou Zihao chuckled, rubbed his nose, and agreed. He turned to leave but stopped after descending two steps, turning back to smile at her—a smile gentler than the beautiful twilight itself.

He said, “Remember to cheer for me.”

The game began.

It wasn’t exactly a formal match; the boys were just playing for fun. But they played beautifully and with intensity, making it feel like a real competition.

This was all thanks to Hou Zihao. The others had initially been playing casually, but he wanted to impress Zhou Leqi, so he played seriously, shifting the entire mood of the game. Seeing this, the others thought, Hey, we’re slacking here while you’re playing like it’s the NBA? That’s unacceptable! So they too became serious, fiercely blocking and dunking, making the game incredibly intense.

As a result, more and more spectators gathered.

Hou Zihao was quite famous in school, known as the “God” and admired for his good looks. Many fans, both male and female, surrounded the court to cheer for him, creating a scene akin to stars orbiting the moon. He paid no attention to the crowd, focusing solely on the game. His long limbs moved gracefully, and even when he didn’t score, his play was pleasing to watch. Of course, he excelled, sinking shot after shot, drawing continuous cheers from the audience.

Whenever he made an especially impressive play, his teammates would gather around him. But he didn’t look at any of them. Instead, he turned to glance at the girl sitting on the concrete steps, holding his jacket. She would look back at him, often smiling softly under his frequent gaze.

It felt as though… they were already in a relationship.

The intensity of this atmosphere might not have been fully apparent to the people involved, but to onlookers, it was crystal clear. Both of them were well-known figures in school, and soon Zhou Leqi was recognized as well. The crowd buzzed with chatter, asking each other if the top two students of the grade were dating.

Luo Siyu was also among the spectators.

She saw Hou Zihao—so tall, handsome, bright, and focused, possessing everything she adored. She had liked him since middle school, and her feelings had only grown stronger over time.

She also saw Zhou Leqi. Sure, she was pretty, but not necessarily prettier than Luo Siyu herself. She was talented, yes, but now she was poor—what kind of future could she possibly have? Besides, she had failed the college entrance exam twice. How could she truly be considered exceptional?

Why should she deserve his undivided attention?

Why should she effortlessly win his affection without putting in any effort?

Impossible.

Nothing in this world was ever guaranteed. If her father could be taken away from her, then why couldn’t his boyfriend be taken away too?

No, this wasn’t stealing—it wasn’t as if he belonged to Zhou Leqi in the first place.

Hidden in the crowd, Luo Siyu silently stared at Zhou Leqi for a moment before quietly turning and leaving.

About half an hour later, they came off the court for a break. Hou Zihao returned to the concrete steps to find Zhou Leqi, but by then, many people had gathered there, most still watching them.

Hou Zihao didn’t care much, but Zhou Leqi couldn’t handle it. As soon as she saw him approaching, she stood up, intending to leave to avoid suspicion. He pulled her back, asking, “Where are you going?”

By now, his gesture of holding her hand had become increasingly natural.

Zhou Leqi felt a bit awkward, knowing it wasn’t appropriate for him to act this way. But at that moment… he looked incredibly handsome. His forehead glistened with sweat, and he had rolled up the sleeves of his white school uniform shirt, revealing the attractive muscle lines of his forearms. His body temperature was always slightly higher than hers, and now, after playing, it was even more noticeable. His warm palm against hers made her feel heated too.

She glanced around and lied, “I’ll… go buy you a drink.”

This was a lie. She hadn’t planned to do this, but she knew he wouldn’t let her leave if she told him the truth. So she quickly fabricated an excuse. He bought it, raising an eyebrow but still somewhat suspicious, confirming, “Really? Such kindness?”

Zhou Leqi nodded hastily, “Yes, yes…”

As she spoke, she gently pulled his hand off hers.

She handed his jacket back to him, turned around, and walked down the steps, dodging a few classmates along the way. On her path, she encountered some of Hou Zihao’s teammates, a few of whom joked with her, “Leaving already, family member? Won’t you stay and watch a little longer?”

This made her blush once again.

Sigh… Why had she foolishly agreed to come watch him play basketball today?

By the time Zhou Leqi finally managed to leave the crowded basketball court, ten minutes had passed. When she reached the convenience store, another wave of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the court, signaling that they had likely resumed playing.

Zhou Leqi smiled, feeling light-hearted. She browsed the drink shelves in the convenience store, buying herself a bottle of water and picking up a cola for Hou Zihao.

She realized she was starting to get used to having this person in her life.

As she stepped out of the convenience store, planning to return to the court, she noticed parents beginning to emerge from the teaching building. It made sense—the parent-teacher meeting had been going on for about forty minutes and was probably nearing its end.

She hesitated, wondering if she should return to the court to give Hou Zihao his drink, when she spotted Yu Qing descending the long staircase of the teaching building. She also saw Hou Zihao’s father exiting, but he wasn’t with Yu Qing. Instead, he was walking and talking with another female parent. The woman’s features… bore a resemblance to Yuan Jiahui.

Zhou Leqi averted her gaze and walked toward her mother.

She smiled at Yu Qing, asking, “Is the parent-teacher meeting over? Did the teachers say anything about me?”

Yu Qing, of course, knew her daughter was fishing for praise. She playfully tapped her nose and laughed, “They did mention you—they praised you for ranking first again.”

Zhou Leqi smiled, her adorable little fangs peeking out. Just as she was about to press further for details, a figure she never expected to see suddenly appeared in her line of sight.

…It was Zhou Lei.

He looked much the same as before—wearing glasses, dressed in expensive suits, with a beer belly, appearing both dignified and ordinary. At that moment, he was hurriedly exiting the teaching building.

In the past, Zhou Lei had attended a few parent-teacher meetings for her, so this scene was very familiar to Zhou Leqi. The only difference now was… the child beside him was no longer her but Luo Siyu.

…Had he come to attend the parent-teacher meeting for Luo Siyu?

Zhou Leqi found it absurd. In an instant, her good mood was shattered. A surge of unnamed anger flared up within her, accompanied by a subtle pain and bitterness quietly rising in her heart, causing her hands to tremble uncontrollably.

At this moment, Zhou Lei noticed her.

He seemed startled, his expression becoming extremely awkward, clearly panicked. Meanwhile, Zhou Leqi also saw Luo Siyu beside him. She was looking at her, her expression eerily familiar—it was the same smug, triumphant look Gao Xiang had worn behind Zhou Lei during their confrontation years ago.

Provocative, arrogant, hidden in plain sight.

This ugliness abruptly tarnished the beautiful twilight.

Yu Qing noticed her daughter’s change in demeanor, unsure what she had seen to evoke such an expression. Instinctively, she also turned to look in the direction Zhou Leqi was staring.

Zhou Leqi immediately tried to stop Yu Qing. If she, in her current emotional state, discovered that Zhou Lei was attending the parent-teacher meeting for Gao Xiang’s daughter… Zhou Leqi didn’t dare to think further.

She quickly grabbed Yu Qing’s arm, blurting out a sudden “Mom,” but… it was too late.

Yu Qing had already seen Zhou Lei.

In that instant, Zhou Leqi felt as though she heard the sound of her mother’s heart shattering.

Yu Qing didn’t say anything or react outwardly. She merely glanced back at the man who was once so familiar yet now utterly alien—for just a few seconds—before turning her head away.

Her face was pale, as if she had aged ten years in an instant.

Zhou Leqi felt her own heart being torn apart—not because she cared about Zhou Lei, but because she pitied Yu Qing in this moment.

“Mom…”

Zhou Leqi tentatively held Yu Qing’s hand. It was ice-cold, devoid of warmth, almost lifeless.

She wanted to comfort her mother with her own warmth, though she knew it was futile. Yu Qing remained lost in her emotions for about half a minute. During this time, neither Zhou Lei nor Luo Siyu on the staircase moved.

Yu Qing ignored them, lifting her head to give Zhou Leqi a weak, forced smile, then gently said, “Qiqi… let’s go home, okay?”

Let’s go home.

Back to a place free of these dirty people and dirty affairs.

Zhou Leqi suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She held tightly onto Yu Qing’s hand, acting as her sole pillar of support in that moment.

“Okay,” she forced a smile and replied, “Let’s go home.”

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Author’s Note:

Cheating men and mistresses, bissssss.