"What are you thinking about?" Zhang Tian'ai asked softly.
"Hmm... thinking about my future wife..." He Ximeng replied truthfully.
Zhang Tian'ai blinked in surprise. "You have a girlfriend already?"
"Not yet, for now."
"What do you mean? Do you have someone you secretly like?"
"...You could say that..."
After receiving He Ximeng's affirmative answer, Zhang Tian'ai felt a pang of disappointment. But she didn't give up and continued, "Who is it? Tang Xiaotang?"
"Tang Xiaotang?" He Ximeng was taken aback, then laughed, "Of course not!"
Zhang Tian'ai patted her chest, relieved. "It's good that it's not her... otherwise I would have lost so much face..."
"Then, who is that lucky girl?"
He Ximeng had thought Zhang Tian'ai would drop the subject. He hadn't expected her to circle back so persistently. Her tenacity was comparable to his older brother, Zhang Zhenpeng! Indeed, birds of a feather flock together. Zhang Tian'ai and Zhang Zhenpeng were fundamentally alike, stubborn and unlikely to change their minds once set on something.
He Ximeng didn't want to lie to the young girl, so he asked Zhang Tian'ai, "Have you seen the British romantic film 'A Summer Affair'?"
Zhang Tian'ai shook her head, indicating she hadn't.
"There's an actress in it named Keira. I believe I will marry her in the future..."
"Oh... so you're just admiring a movie star..." Zhang Tian'ai's mood instantly brightened, her face filled with joy. "So, you're still in the stage of liking someone on a screen?"
"Uh... I guess that can be understood that way!"
"I also dream of marrying Tom Cruise. The key is, will he be willing to marry me? It doesn't matter, you can be with me and still think about your Keira?"
"Uh, is that a good idea?"
"What's not good about it? Just like I like you, it doesn't prevent me from liking Tom Cruise either..."
Zhang Tian'ai completely interpreted He Ximeng's feelings for Keira as a male fan's admiration for a female celebrity. If viewed from that perspective, Zhang Tian'ai's reasoning wasn't entirely unreasonable...
He Ximeng smiled, patted Zhang Tian'ai's head, and said earnestly, "Thank you for your feelings, but I still cannot accept them..."
He Ximeng, as someone who had been through it before, had always been aware of Zhang Tian'ai's feelings. Originally, he had intended to just let it slide. Who hadn't had a crush in their youth?
But he hadn't expected Zhang Tian'ai to be bolder than he'd imagined. Seizing the opportunity of this gathering, she had confessed. He Ximeng's gentle refusal was then "misinterpreted" by Zhang Tian'ai, forcing He Ximeng to formally reject her.
After speaking, He Ximeng ruffled Zhang Tian'ai's hair and returned to the private room.
However, Zhang Tian'ai's resilience was far greater than He Ximeng had anticipated! She tidied her hair with a look of annoyance, clenched her small fists, and declared indignantly, "I won't give up..."
By the time He Ximeng returned home in the "Great Golden Dragon" after the celebration banquet, it was close to ten o'clock at night.
He Ximeng had already informed his mother of the joyous news of the team's championship. But when He Ximeng pulled out the championship medal and the MVP trophy from his luggage, Madam He Fengting was overjoyed, tears welling up in her eyes.
In this world, what mother wouldn't be happy and delighted to see her child achieve success?
Taking advantage of his mother's good mood, He Ximeng decided to preemptively prepare her: "Mom, if I win the national championship and have a chance to play overseas, would you agree?"
He Fengting was stunned, then she realized. How could her son possibly win the national championship? In the previous two years, Zhuji High School couldn't even break through the Zhejiang regional competition... This year, they were lucky... At best, they would only get a taste of the eastern regionals; that would be the limit for Zhuji High School.
Thinking this, and not wanting to dampen He Ximeng's confidence, He Fengting readily agreed.
"Think carefully, I'm serious! What if, by some slim chance, I'm scouted and invited to play overseas?"
"Then I will resolutely support your decision! If you want to continue playing, I will support you. If you don't want to play anymore, we will calmly focus on preparing for the college entrance examination and getting into a good university..."
"Okay! It's settled then! You can't go back on your word!"
"No backing out! Supporting my son in pursuing his dreams is what every mother should do..."
The "insidious" He Ximeng had skillfully set a trap for his mother, at least securing her verbal full support... The next steps would depend on whether He Ximeng could lead Zhuji High School to a stable national championship and whether he could attract the attention of sponsors to earn the chance to play overseas...
Zhuji High School's "unexpected" victory in the Zhejiang regional competition also brought more attention to He Ximeng and the basketball team on campus.
Especially He Ximeng and Zhang Zhenpeng, who were quickly flooded with piles of love letters...
Zhang Zhenpeng was aloof. He didn't even look at them, throwing them directly into the trash can, and declared that he wouldn't waste his time on relationships until he became the strongest high school student in China...
He Ximeng's method of handling them was clearly much gentler than Zhang Zhenpeng's. He didn't throw them directly into the trash. Instead, he secretly took them out of the campus before discarding them... Well, at least he was still considering the dignity of these young girls. At the same time, He Ximeng also announced to everyone that he already had a girlfriend, urging them to look for someone else...
Who He Ximeng's girlfriend was immediately became one of the hottest gossip topics on the Zhuji High School campus.
Since no one had seen He Ximeng being overly affectionate with any particular girl, and he usually rode home with his best friend Cui Tianci after school... According to the dating habits of high school students, walking home together after school was a must-have routine... Even if they weren't going in the same direction, the boy would willingly accompany the girl on a detour halfway across town to take her home before cycling back himself...
But He Ximeng clearly hadn't escorted any girl home.
Thus, Zhang Tian'ai became the most suspected candidate. Although Zhang Tian'ai didn't go home with He Ximeng after school, He Ximeng would use the excuse of copying her homework every day after school started... And after school, Zhang Tian'ai, as the team manager, accompanied He Ximeng to practice every day... Zhang Tian'ai also never hid her affection for He Ximeng...
To these rumors, Zhang Tian'ai maintained a stance of non-response. She neither denied nor confirmed them.
Only when teammates from the basketball team called her "sister-in-law" would Zhang Tian'ai earnestly explain, "Don't talk nonsense, it's not even on the horizon yet... Oh right, what do you want to drink after training? Sister-in-law's treating..."