Absinthe

The second basketball game was on Monday afternoon, and the weather was not so good. Big dark clouds were pressing down low, and the sky was covered with a layer of gray, gloomy as if it was about to rain.

Compared with the last time, the atmosphere of the sixth class members was more than a little depressed. Fortunately, they were all in a good mood and did not retreat.

When Class [-], who was almost as good as Class [-], knew that the next opponent was last year's champion Class [-], he voluntarily abstained.The members of the sixth class couldn't laugh or cry when they heard about it, but they had no intention of abstaining from voting. They encouraged each other, saying that they must try their best to finish the game, and they must lose magnanimously.

As expected, Class [-] lost in the end. They tried their best to play a game that had no chance of winning. Even if they lost, they would have no regrets.

The match against Class [-] was from Class [-] and [-] of Senior High School. Before the match, they studied the last match of Class [-] and knew that the core of their team was Zhong Xiu, so they focused on Zhong Xiu, and put all their energy into fighting with him. Zhong Xiu fought against him, and even made some tricks that the referee could not detect to prevent him from scoring.Especially Wei Jiyang, every move was very targeted at Zhong Xiu, and Ji Wen outside the court was so angry that she stomped her feet.

"Wei Jiyang did it on purpose, right?"

On the contrary, Hao Ai was surprisingly calm: "Yes, I can tell."

After the referee announced the result of the game, the players from the two classes shook hands with each other.Standing opposite Zhong Xiu was Wei Jiyang, he was about the same height as Zhong Xiu, and they were almost at eye level.Wei Jiyang smiled loosely. He first shook Zhong Xiu's hand, then leaned over and said in a low voice, "You performed well, but they are the ones holding you back."

Zhong Xiu withdrew his hand and said coldly, "No."

Wei Jiyang smiled inexplicably, "I don't think so", and then walked forward to shake hands with the next person.

Zhong Xiu bent down and put his hands on his knees, trying to calm down the panting that he had been unable to calm down for a long time due to excessive running. He really exhausted all his strength in this game.

Lin Rui came over and said apologetically, "It's not your fault, it's us who have held you back."

Hao Ai ran over from the sidelines, looked away from Wei Jiyang who was walking away, and handed Zhong Xiu the water and towel in his hand.

Zhong Xiu took the towel handed over by Hao Ai and shook his head: "It's nothing."

There was a little redness on Zhong Xiu's fair face after exercising, and there was a bright glow of water on his neck. Hao Ai looked at Zhong Xiu who was still calm. Although he didn't show it, he seemed to be able to feel his depression. Emotions.

Hao Ai's Adam's apple twitched, wanting to say something, but knowing that the comfort at this moment was meaningless, he only gave him a silent hug in the end.

Zhang Zhiyuan, the head teacher of the game, also came to watch the game, and he watched the whole process silently in the corner.As soon as the game was over, he made his way through the crowd outside the field to the field.

Zhong Xiu stood up straight and saw Zhang Zhiyuan walking towards him: "Teacher." His mood was still a little depressed.

This is a failure he has rarely experienced in 17 years. When his teammates' passes were blocked again and again, he felt a sense of frustration that he knew the result but could not recover.

Seeing that Zhong Xiu was not in a good mood, Zhang Zhiyuan comforted him in a gentle tone: "Don't be discouraged, Zhong Xiu, you are already great."

He turned to the other team members and said, "Everyone is great. At least this time, everyone has tried their best. If you work hard, you will have no regrets."

Hao Ai also comforted him: "Yes, yes, you are amazing! We won the preliminary round thanks to you."

"And this time there is no round of rounds, we have reached the second round, which is a historic improvement," Zhang Zhiyuan continued, "I decided to use this month's bonus to treat everyone to dinner."

"Wow!" Everyone immediately cheered.

"Celebration banquet!" Hao Ai booed, making faces at Zhong Xiu while talking.

Zhong Xiu finally showed a smile on his face.

Someone asked: "Can I not go to evening self-study?"

"Yes," Zhang Zhiyuan smiled, "but only this time."

"Then we're welcome!"

"Hurry up and take a shower, and then change your clothes. Don't catch a cold if it's a little cold," Zhang Zhiyuan said, looking at Hao Ai again, "I'll go back to the office first, and ask Hao Ai to call me when I'm done packing."

"Okay." Hao Ai nodded.

Several people went to the bathroom to take a shower, and changed their clothes. Hao Ai sat in the hall outside the bathroom and waited for them.

After coming out of the bathroom, Hao Ai called Zhang Zhiyuan. Zhang Zhiyuan said that he would wait for them at the school gate and let them choose where to eat.

After picking and choosing, several people finally decided to go to Honglai Restaurant outside the school. Everyone except Zhong Xiu had been to this restaurant before. The signature dishes are delicious and affordable. Students of No. [-] Middle School usually choose this restaurant when they want to have dinner nearby. .

While waiting for the food to be served after ordering, Zhang Zhiyuan went out to answer the phone. When he came back, he looked apologetic. He wanted to go back temporarily to deal with school affairs.

"I've already paid the bill, so eat well," Zhang Zhiyuan urged before leaving, "You can't drink."

Hao Ai made a promise and said: "Don't worry, teacher, don't drive while drinking, and don't drink while driving."

As a result, as soon as Zhang Zhiyuan left, Lin Rui took a few bottles of Qingdao Chunsheng from the counter.

Hao Ai looked as if he had expected it a long time ago: "I knew you had to drink."

Lu Fayan started to open a bottle of wine, poured himself a full glass, and asked Hao Ai, "Ai Ai really doesn't drink?"

Hao Ai waved his hand: "Drink it, I really don't want to drink it."

They had never seen Hao Ai touch alcohol when they had a private dinner. Which boy can't drink these days?Presumably he couldn't drink because of alcohol allergy or something, so everyone didn't force him.

Lu Fayan asked: "Does Zhong Xiu drink?"

Seeing him nodding, Lin Rui poured a full glass of beer into Zhong Xiu's glass.

Hao Ai murmured dissatisfiedly: "Why don't you drink it?"

Zhong Xiu smiled and asked, "Can't you?"

"You didn't accompany me." Hao Ai blinked, with a bit of grievance in his tone.

Zhong Xiu pretended to be unbearable and said, "Can you stop looking at me like that?"

"What do I think of you?" Hao Ai's tone became softer.

Zhong Xiuming knew that he did it on purpose, but a corner of his heart was still so soft that it seemed to sink in. He felt that this person was simply too good at acting like a baby.

"That's it." Zhong Xiu moved his eyes to the wine glass, took a sip of the beer in the glass, and avoided his aggressive eyes.

Hao Ai made a "cut", resumed his usual sloppy manner, and turned his head to talk to other people, smiling brightly and happily.After a few words, he ran to the counter and asked for a large bottle of iced Coke.

"Cheers!" Hao Ai said, holding up a glass full of Coke.

Several people also raised their glasses.

Lu Fayan clinked glasses with Hao Ai happily: "Cheers, let's celebrate without studying at night!"

"Cheers, let's celebrate the victory!"

Hao Ai said: "Failure is also worth celebrating!"

Zhong Xiu also clinked glasses with them: "Cheers, let's celebrate the upcoming midterm exam." Zhang Zhiyuan just announced in the classroom this morning that the midterm exam will be next week.

Everyone looked at him resentfully: "A traitor has appeared between us."

Lin Rui looked hopeless: "Help! Why did you mention this all of a sudden?"

Zhong Xiu felt innocent: "Just tell the truth."

Hao Ai added from the side: "He wants to remind everyone that happiness is only temporary."

"Who said that, I want everyone to review well."

"It's too much! Fill him!" Lu Fayan saw that Zhong Xiu's wine glass was almost empty, so he quickly filled it up again.

Zhong Xiu shook his head and smiled, "You can't drink mine."

"Can this be tolerated, my friends?"

"Obviously not!"

After hearing this, everyone couldn't let Zhong Xiu go, and started toasting him one by one.

"The god of learning wins glory for the class! Come, I respect you!"

"Take us to win, and I respect you too!"

Zhong Xiu didn't refuse anyone who came, he just drank quietly, with an expression of what you can do to me.Hao Ai also came to join in the fun by substituting cola for wine, a few people poured him a round, Zhong Xiu's face showed no abnormality at all.

Lu Fayan started to make bad moves again: "Give me a glass of wine! Give me a glass of wine!"

The indifferent expression on Zhong Xiu's face finally couldn't collapse: "What is it?"

Hao Ai made a fuss: "I think it's okay to hand over a glass of wine!"

Zhong Xiu gave him a meaningful look and said, "Then you come."

"No," Hao Ai didn't react, "Why am I here?"

"Then you must come." The few people except Hao Ai happily reached an agreement.

"Damn, just come!" Hao Ai couldn't resist their enthusiastic bombardment, so he had to raise a glass full of Coke.

Zhong Xiu smiled inconspicuously, and then walked towards Hao Ai with a wine glass in his hand.The warm yellow light above his head hit his face, softening the original cold and hard contours of his face. Hao Ai suddenly felt that Zhong Xiu was extraordinarily gentle at this time, and was a little stunned for a moment.

The arms of the two were intertwined, and their faces were so close that they were almost close to each other. Hao Ai could hear the breathing in his ears clearly.

Zhong Xiu drank the wine in the glass calmly, and Hao Ai looked a little unnatural, but he also drank the full glass of Coke in one gulp.When the two separated, Zhong Xiu noticed that Hao Ai's ears were red.

When I came out of the restaurant after dinner, the sky was already dark, and I don't know when it started to rain outside.None of them brought umbrellas. Fortunately, it wasn't raining very hard. The commuters went home. Lin Rui, who was staying overnight, had to go home to get thick clothes and parted with them at the bus stop.

Only Zhong Xiu and Hao Ai were left to return to the dormitory in the rain, and the raindrops fell on their faces, making them feel cool.

Hao Ai asked: "Did you drink too much?"

Zhong Xiu's eyes were clear, he glanced at him, and said lightly: "No."

Hao Ai looked up at the rainy sky: "Your shower is for nothing."

"Even if it doesn't rain, I have to wash again after drinking, and I smell like alcohol."

Hao Ai suddenly came over and sniffed Zhong Xiu's collar, and said, "It smells a bit like wine."

"You just drank too much." Zhong Xiu moved a little further away from Hao Ai, not wanting him to smell the alcohol on his body.

When they finally walked downstairs to the dormitory, their hair and clothes were covered with rain, which made them a little damp.They walked into the building and unexpectedly saw a group of white furry things under the stairs in the corridor.

It was the little stray cat named "Baibai". Its white hair was covered with a lot of gray-brown mud spots. It should be called "Huihui" now.

It nestled into a ball and lay on an old shabby blanket. It is estimated that the students passing by were afraid that it would freeze, so they put the unnecessary blanket here.Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, Bai Bai just moved his ears lazily and continued to lie still.

"It's been a long time since I saw Baibai. He seems to have lost weight. I don't know if he has eaten," Hao Ai said in a low voice, "I'll go to the supermarket to buy some food to feed him."

Zhong Xiu looked at the rain that was getting heavier and heavier outside, and asked, "Now?"

Hao Ai gave a "hmm" and said, "It's too troublesome to go back to get an umbrella. The supermarket is just a few steps away. Why don't you go back first. You don't wear much clothes today, so be careful not to catch a cold."

Zhong Xiu said indifferently: "It's okay, I'll accompany you."

The two ran to the supermarket again in the rain, and bought ham sausages for cats. Hao Ai took a lot of favorite snacks from the shelf, and he couldn't finish them by himself, so he stuffed some into Zhong Xiu's arms.

When the two came back, the blanket in the corridor was empty, and Bai Bai had disappeared.

Zhong Xiu was a little worried: "It's raining so heavily, why is it still running outside?"

"Yebai, anyway, it can find shelter from the rain," Hao Ai laughed. "Sometimes I don't see it once in half a month."

Just like you, Zhong Xiu thought silently.

"What about that thing?"

"Let's put it here first. If it's hungry, it will come and eat by itself." Hao Ai squatted down, tore off the package of the ham sausage, broke the sausage into small pieces with his hands and placed it on the ground through the packaging bag. Zhong Xiu also squatted down to help break the ham together.

Hao Ai squatted for a long time, his legs were numb when he stood up, and he jumped a few times on the spot.

Zhong Xiu looked puzzled, "What are you doing?"

"The legs are numb."

Zhong Xiu asked casually, "I'll carry you?"

"You said so." Hao Ai jumped onto Zhong Xiu's back directly.

Zhong Xiu stabilized his weight, supported Hao Ai's thigh with both hands, and carried him steadily on his back.

Hao Ai himself felt embarrassed, and poked Zhong Xiu on the back: "You really carried me...I was just joking, let me go."

But Zhong Xiu didn't move.

"Let me down!" Hao Ai muttered dissatisfiedly, "If you don't let me go, I'm going to attack you."

"Huh?" Zhong Xiu felt that his words were acting like a baby.

Hao Ai started to scratch his neck, but Zhong Xiu still carried him steadily, unmoved.

Hao Ai couldn't believe it: "You're not ticklish?"

"Ah."

"Are you afraid of pain?" Hao Ai pinched his waist again, but it was useless.

"Not afraid."

Hao Ai asked unwillingly: "Then what are you afraid of?"

Zhong Xiu ignored him again and carried him up the stairs.

Hao Ai pulled his hair dishonestly again: "What are you afraid of? Afraid of baldness? I'm going to pull your hair bald."

In the empty corridor, he heard Zhong Xiu chuckle, which was very clear in the silence.

Zhong Xiu went up the stairs step by step, and when he heard Hao Ai whispering in his ear to let him down, he silently said in his heart: I am afraid that you will act like a spoiled child.

The author says:

Damn...you haven't fallen in love yet, can you two be more reserved? (Thanks for feeding and commenting, I am so happy! Bow and thank you.)