"It's all gone without a trace!" Zhang Tian'ai seized the opportunity, squeezing into the conversation between the two.
Truth be told, after two years, Zhang Tian'ai had blossomed into an even more graceful and beautiful young woman, with a newfound maturity.
During these two years, Zhang Tian'ai, who had turned eighteen, had been retaking her senior high school year while also planning to study abroad in North America. However, her mother remained unyielding; without money, nothing was possible. Even a hero would be daunted by financial woes, let alone a delicate young woman like Zhang Tian'ai.
Of course, the most crucial factor was that Zhang Tian'ai, after finally acing the TOEFL, found herself stuck on the SAT.
Zhang Tian'ai herself was perplexed, "As a girl as intelligent as I am, why can't I do well on exams?"
Thus, the siblings, for their respective reasons, had been delayed in embarking on their study abroad journey.
"Would you like me to sponsor you?" He Ximeng tentatively asked.
"Money isn't actually the biggest problem..." Zhang Zhenpeng sighed. "Ever since my father passed away, my mother has been solely focused on choosing an heir between my sister and me to help her manage the company. But I don't want to manage the company; I want to play ball..."
As Zhang Zhenpeng spoke, he cast a sorrowful glance at Zhang Tian'ai beside him.
Ignoring Zhang Zhenpeng, Zhang Tian'ai turned and cast a sorrowful glance at He Ximeng...
"What the hell? What does this mean? This girl is set on studying abroad; she wouldn't still have feelings for me, would she?"
Faced with Zhang Tian'ai's wistful gaze, He Ximeng awkwardly said, "I have a girlfriend..."
This only made Zhang Tian'ai's eyes even more sorrowful. "But you're not married yet, are you?"
He Ximeng, growing wary of the young woman, quickly averted his gaze.
For that evening's dinner, Zhang Zhenpeng arranged the highest-spec VIP private room at Zhuji City's most prestigious Zhang's Grand Hotel to welcome He Ximeng.
Cui Tianci, Yan Hui, Zhu Ningzhen, Ming Hanfei, Chen Feng, Qin Rui, Feng Chen, Wang Xian, Tang Chenfeng, Huangfu Yanlin, Fu Xinyuan... all gathered! In the past, they were He Ximeng's teammates; now, they were all his fans!
Who would miss such a great opportunity to dine with their idol?
Even former rivals such as Chen Qiudao, Yu Chu, Yu Zhibo, Xiao Yu, Yuan Zhangyang, Fu Zaifeng, and Hu Yunlong, had rushed over from Hangzhou and Shanghai! On one hand, they were there to see their idol; on the other, they were there for revenge!
Yes, in basketball, they would probably never be able to defeat He Ximeng in this lifetime. But between men, there were other ways to compete, such as: drinking!
In the Zhang's Grand Hotel's VVIP private room, over twenty people raised their glasses to surround He Ximeng alone! Fatty Cui was the most considerate, trying to help He Ximeng share the burden, only to be "sunk" along with these unruly youths...
That night, about fifteen of the more than twenty people who had dinner ended up vomiting or passing out, with roughly two-thirds of them incapacitated. The remaining third were largely incoherent.
Several cases of 52-proof sorghum liquor, "Tongshan's Finest," were consumed.
Empty green bottles of Xihu beer, used for rinsing mouths, were scattered all over the floor.
The private room's restroom was insufficient, so the restrooms of two adjacent rooms were also requisitioned.
After all, they were all young people around twenty years old. When they got together and had a good time drinking, they simply couldn't stop...
Fortunately, the Zhang's Grand Hotel had a restaurant on the lower six floors and guest rooms on the upper floors. Since everyone had their IDs, they all decided to stay at the hotel instead of going home.
Zhang Tian'ai had also drunk quite a bit of beer, but not to excess. She was only slightly tipsy and feeling a bit exuberant, but among everyone, she was the most clear-headed. In the end, she stepped forward, directing the hotel staff to escort everyone back to their rooms one by one...
In a daze, He Ximeng vaguely dreamed of being in his small villa in Los Angeles, engaging in passionate intimacy with Kayla, losing all track of time and place... But Kayla seemed a bit different tonight...
By almost noon the next day, He Ximeng groggily woke up from his hangover. Recalling his "spring dream," He Ximeng guiltily glanced beside him. The pillow next to him seemed unused, and there were no signs of any other female belongings in the room...
Could it have been just a dream?
He Ximeng called Fatty Cui, wanting to ask about last night's events, only to find Fatty Cui still hugging the toilet and vomiting, completely unaware of what had happened.
He Ximeng found it awkward to question others too openly about this matter and decided to drop it for the time being.
Following this, the dozen or so people who had suffered from severe hangovers gathered in the restaurant downstairs, each having a bowl of plain rice porridge with pickled mustard greens and fermented bean curd to replenish their emptied stomachs...
At this point, no one dared to mention the word "alcohol." Anyone who did would be met with retching.
Fatty Cui said with a bitter face, "I'll never drink again. Whoever drinks is a dog..."
He Ximeng patted his shoulder and said, "Don't speak so definitively... Otherwise, you'll have to be a dog at every gathering from now on!"
"Absolutely impossible!" Fatty Cui declared righteously. "I have the lesson of sleeping with the toilet bowl for a night. I'll never drink again. I'll abstain completely..."
"Gag..."
"Gag..."
"Gag..."
The friendship among high school classmates is always the purest, because back then, although we seemed tall and strong, we didn't have much utilitarian thinking in our minds. Few would associate with someone for their family background or status; more often, it was about kindred spirits, shared interests, or simply compatible personalities...
For the next two days, He Ximeng did not reunite with these classmates. Instead, he attended the graduation ceremony of Zhuji High School's senior class. As a former outstanding alumnus, he shared some success experiences with the younger students and, incidentally, donated one million yuan to his alma mater to establish the "Ximeng Scholarship" to support students in need.
At this ceremony, He Ximeng met the Zhang siblings again. Both were graduating this year. Zhang Zhenpeng was still agonizing over whether to play in the NCAA or CUBA, while Zhang Tian'ai appeared calm, showing no unusual reaction towards He Ximeng. This put He Ximeng's mind at ease.
After attending his alma mater's graduation ceremony, He Ximeng politely declined the invitation from the Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau and stayed at home, helping Ms. Ren Fengting make Qingming fruits.
Fresh mugwort leaves were steamed and crushed, then kneaded into glutinous rice flour.
Fresh bamboo shoots were washed and diced, then stir-fried with diced preserved meat, diced tofu, and pickled mustard greens to make the filling...
Savory Qingming fruits were the true delicacy of the human world. Sweet ones were just for fooling friends from the north...
Quietly staying at home with his mother, chatting about everyday life and reminiscing about the past, the day quickly passed.
He Ximeng packed his bags, bid farewell to Ren Fengting with a hug, and once again embarked on his journey: the World Championships!