socalfunplaces Chapter 148
Chapter 148
In the last few days of June, Beichuan was as hot as a steamer.
Lin Feng stood at the entrance of the sports school's basketball gymnasium, gazing at the cumulonimbus clouds piling up on the distant horizon. The clouds were thick, leaden gray at the base, but dazzlingly white at the top, like a snow-capped mountain suspended in the air. The weather forecast predicted thunderstorms tonight, but so far, nothing had happened, and the air was stifling.
This was his last training session at Beichuan Sports School.
Tomorrow—July 5th—he's taking a long-distance bus to the provincial capital to participate in the provincial youth team's training camp. Two weeks. After two weeks, he might not come back.
Zhang Weiguo blew a whistle, gathering everyone in the middle of the field.
A dozen or so people stood in a row, completely soaked, sweat dripping from their chins and pooling in small patches on the wooden floor. Some were panting heavily, hands on their knees, some were wiping the sweat from their faces with the hem of their shirts, and some had their heads down, their shoulders heaving.
"That's all for today's training." Zhang Weiguo took the whistle off his neck and twirled it in his hand. "Lin Feng is going to the provincial training camp tomorrow. Everyone, wish him good luck."
No one spoke.
After a two-second silence, a tall center led the applause. The applause was sparse, but everyone clapped. Lin Feng looked at the faces—some familiar, some unfamiliar, some he couldn't even recall the names of—and nodded.
"Thanks."
He bent down, picked up his ball, and walked towards the door.
As he reached the door, someone called out from behind, "Lin Feng!"
He turned around.
It was that tall center, Zhao Tiejun, seventeen years old, 2.03 meters tall, the best inside player in the sports school. He wasn't talkative usually, and always had a serious expression during training. At this moment, he stood at the free throw line, holding the ball, and gave Lin Feng a thumbs up.
"Keep it up! Don't let Beichuan down when you get to the provincial team!"
Lin Feng smiled. "Okay."
He pushed open the door and went out.
The heatwave outside hit him, clashing with the cool air conditioning inside, causing fine beads of water to form on his skin. He stood on the steps, looking at the western sky. The sun was setting, and the clouds were tinged with orange-red, layer upon layer, like the pages of an open book.
He took a deep breath and walked towards the bus stop.
When he got home, Cheng Yuxin was helping him pack his luggage.
A large, army green travel bag with a stiff, creaking zipper. The bag lay open on the bed, already containing several T-shirts, two pairs of sweatpants, a spare pair of sneakers, a towel, a water bottle, and toiletries.
Cheng Yuxin knelt by the bed, folding the clothes one by one, flattening them, and stuffing them into a bag. She was very skilled at folding clothes; the folded T-shirts were perfectly square, just like when they were bought from a store.
"Yuxin, that's enough. Just two weeks."
Cheng Yuxin didn't look up. "Bring a couple more clothes, just in case they get dirty."
She then pulled out a long-sleeved sports jacket from the closet, folded it, and stuffed it into the small pocket on the side of the bag.
"It gets chilly in the provincial capital at night, so don't catch a cold after your training."
Lin Feng stood at the door, watching her busy figure.
Her hair was down, with slightly split ends, which was clearly visible under the light. When she bent over, her hair slipped down and covered her face, so she used her wrist to tuck it behind her ear, a very natural movement, as if she had done it countless times.
"Sister Yuxin."
"Um?"
"Your hair has grown."
Cheng Yuxin paused for a moment.