dmims Chapter 108
Chapter 108
By the time the game ended, the sun was high in the sky.
In late February, the sun in Beichuan felt warm and pleasant, not like winter at all, but more like spring had arrived early. The poplar trees by the sports field were still bare, but tiny buds were already sprouting on their branches, barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
Lin Feng and Cheng Yuxin were still sitting in the stands.
Their hands were still clasped.
Nobody let up.
A breeze blew in from the basketball court, carrying the smell of the sun-baked concrete and a hint of the aroma of food wafting from the cafeteria in the distance. It was almost noon.
Cheng Yuxin's hands gradually warmed up. Lin Feng's palms were warm, and as he held them, they warmed her fingers as well. She looked down at their clasped hands; his fingers were long, with distinct knuckles, and his nails were neatly trimmed. Her fingers were shorter, with rounded tips, completely enveloped in his palm.
She suddenly remembered that three months ago, at the Starbucks entrance, she had also helped him up. Back then, she had touched his wrist and immediately let go. He was thin then, his arms as thin as bamboo poles, and the bones in his wrists were hard against her skin.
Things are different now. His palms are wider, his fingers are stronger, and when he holds her, it's just the right tightness, not too loose, not too tight.
Her face turned red again.
"Lin Feng," she called softly.
Lin Feng turned his head.
"Aren't your hands tired?" she asked softly, "after holding them for so long."
Lin Feng glanced down at their clasped hands, then looked up at her.
"It's not sour," he said.
Cheng Yuxin's lips curved slightly, but she didn't pull her hand away.
After sitting for a while, Cheng Yuxin's stomach growled.
It was very quiet, but both of them heard it.
Cheng Yuxin's face turned bright red instantly, and she quickly pulled her hand away to cover her stomach.
"I...I didn't eat breakfast..." she explained, her voice trembling with panic.
Lin Feng looked at her and smiled.
"Let's go eat." He stood up, tucked the ball under his arm, and held out his other hand to her.
Cheng Yuxin stared at his outstretched hand, momentarily stunned.
Then she reached out and took his hand.
Lin Feng helped her up.
The two stood side by side, holding hands.
Cheng Yuxin looked down at him, then looked up at him again.
"Let's go," Lin Feng said.
He loosened his grip—not completely, but loosened his fingers, then gripped it again, adjusting his posture. The movement was natural, as if he had held hands many times before.
Cheng Yuxin's heart skipped a beat.
The two walked towards the school gate.
After walking a few steps, someone called out from behind.
"Hey—the kid in the white shirt!"
Lin Feng turned around.
The man in the gray cotton-padded coat stood up from the stands and waved at him. Several other people were standing next to him; they were all students who had just watched the game.
Lin Feng stopped.
The man in the gray cotton-padded jacket walked over and looked him up and down.
"Hey kid, which school do you go to?"
Lin Feng said, "Beichuan No. 1 Middle School."
The man in the gray cotton-padded jacket's eyes lit up.
"No. 1 High School? First year of high school?"
Lin Feng nodded.
The man in the gray cotton-padded jacket turned to the person next to him and said something. The person nodded, took out a small notebook, and wrote something down.
The woman in the gray cotton-padded jacket turned back and looked at Lin Feng.
"What's your name?"
Lin Feng said, "Lin Feng."
The man in the gray cotton-padded jacket nodded, took out a business card from his pocket, and handed it over.
Lin Feng took it and looked at it.
The business card read: "Zhang Weiguo, Basketball Coach, Beichuan City Sports School." Below it was a phone number.
"From a sports school?" Lin Feng looked up at him.
Zhang Weiguo nodded.
"You played well," he said. "You have solid fundamentals and a good competitive spirit. Would you be interested in training at the sports school? We have professional training facilities there, much better than training on your own on a concrete floor."