Chapter 16: A Playful P.E. Class

The next day in class, Lin Duo couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Wang Linshu. The boy beside her was of average height, a little chubby, and rather honest and dull. He bore no resemblance to Uncle Wang’s commanding presence in the fruit industry. ‘Was he really Uncle Wang’s biological grandson?’ she wondered.

Wang Linshu slowly began to notice something amiss. During a break, he couldn’t resist striking up a conversation with Lin Duo.

“Is there something on my face today?”

Lin Duo shook her head repeatedly. “No, no. By the way, your grandfather’s name is Wang Desheng, and people call him Uncle Wang, right?”

“How did you know?” Wang Linshu asked, a hint of surprise in his voice.

“Because my parents own a fruit store!”

Hearing this, Wang Linshu’s expression shifted to one of sudden realization. “No wonder! My grandfather worked in the fruit industry for decades before he retired, so many people in the business certainly know him.”

“Your grandfather is truly a good person!” Lin Duo said earnestly.

“Is he? I often find him a bit long-winded.”

“Well, all elders are like that, but it’s for your own good!” After speaking, Lin Duo stared at Wang Linshu for a few seconds before letting out a sudden giggle.

“Hey, hey, what on earth is so funny about my face?!”

Lin Duo’s large eyes curved into pretty crescents. “Nothing, really. I just suddenly realized that round, chubby boys like you are actually quite cute.”

Ever since the engraving incident, Lin Duo had developed an initial fondness for Wang Linshu, quietly categorizing him among the ‘approachable humans’. Yesterday, she also learned that this chubby boy was Uncle Wang’s only grandson.

Since Lin Duo owed her presence in this very classroom largely to Uncle Wang, a sense of ‘loving the house, loving the crow’ extended, significantly increasing her goodwill towards the chubby boy.

Wang Linshu, of course, was oblivious to the intricate thoughts swirling within Lin Duo’s mind. He simply found that this somewhat aloof ‘pretty girl’ who had transferred in smiled with an unexpected beauty, like a desolate garden suddenly bursting into full bloom.

This stunning sensation left Wang Linshu momentarily dazed. His chubby face flushed faintly as he murmured, “As long as you like it.”

****

That morning, Lin Duo had a class she particularly loathed: Physical Education.

Why did she despise P.E. so much? During regular breaks or lunch, many students, like Lin Duo, would quietly remain in their seats.

P.E. class, however, was different. It was a rare opportunity for students to engage in outdoor activities; boys typically showcased their muscles and strength on the court, while girls either played shuttlecock or strolled along the track in small groups, chatting.

Lin Duo, sitting alone in a corner, would always appear particularly out of place and conspicuous. Despite always holding a book, she could still feel the gazes of those around her—some curious, some disdainful—as if they were saying, ‘Look, that person just doesn’t fit in,’ or ‘That one doesn’t have a single friend…’

Today, Lin Duo once again sat on the grass to the right of the court, quietly flipping through her book. However, a familiar voice broke her tranquility.

“Lin Duo, fancy a game of basketball?”

Lin Duo looked up. She saw Wang Linshu standing before her, holding a basketball. His chubby frame cast a shadow, blocking the sunlight.

Though grateful for his kind offer, Lin Duo still shook her head. “I don’t know how.”

“It’s fine, we can just pass the ball.” Wang Linshu gestured towards the basketball court. “They’re rotating in three groups, and I’m the odd one out. With nothing else to do, I thought I’d come play with you.”

Seeing Lin Duo still hesitate, Wang Linshu extended his hand. “Come on, just keep me company. Otherwise, I’ll die of boredom.”

“Alright, you win.” Lin Duo sighed, gently placed her book on the grass, and followed him to a more open area of the field.

“The rules are simple: I’ll throw the ball to you, you catch it, and then throw it back.”

After a brief explanation, Wang Linshu tossed the basketball to her, moving at an incredibly slow pace. Though Lin Duo wasn’t athletic, she wasn’t so clumsy as to miss it.

She easily caught the ball and threw it back with a little force. Wang Linshu caught it just as easily, then threw it back again.

After several such exchanges, Lin Duo suddenly felt a playful impulse and deliberately threw the ball higher. Wang Linshu, with his stout build and short legs, jumped clumsily twice like an emperor penguin but still failed to intercept it.

“Hehe, you lost!” Lin Duo’s laughter chimed like a wind chime.

“You cheated!” Wang Linshu quietly retrieved the basketball, yet he didn’t appear angry in the slightest.

After a few more rounds of passing, Lin Duo began to feel a little bored. So, after catching the ball, she didn’t throw it back.

“This is so boring. Shall we go to the basketball hoop? I want to see how to shoot.”

Wang Linshu readily agreed, and together they walked to an empty half-court. He took the ball, stood at the free-throw line, and steadily stared at the hoop for a few seconds before decisively shooting. The ball swished through the net.

“That’s amazing!” Lin Duo clapped her small hands involuntarily. “Even though you look a bit clumsy, the ball’s arc was so high!”

“That’s mainly due to the shooting form. I’ve always shot with one hand—” Wang Linshu stopped mid-explanation, noticing the bewildered look on Lin Duo’s fair, delicate face, and changed the subject.

“Would you like to try shooting too?”

“Me?” Lin Duo hesitated, as this was her first time ever touching a basketball; she had only ever watched others play on the court.

However, meeting Wang Linshu’s warm, encouraging gaze, Lin Duo finally cast aside her reservations. She walked to the free-throw line and, mimicking Wang Linshu’s earlier shooting posture from memory, released the basketball.

As expected, the basketball landed about halfway to the hoop.

Wang Linshu explained patiently and responsibly. “This kind of one-handed shot requires a certain amount of strength. Girls with less power, like you, usually push the ball out with both hands.”

Lin Duo, however, had a stubborn look on her face. “No! Your posture just now looked good, so I want to shoot like that!”

And so, Lin Duo shot several more times, but not once did the ball even graze the rim or the backboard—a feat commonly known as a ‘three-no-touch’.

Wang Linshu sighed. “Why are you so stubborn? It’s not too late to try one-handed shooting once you’re stronger.”

Lin Duo pouted her small lips, a little annoyed. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She moved several steps forward along the free-throw line, almost reaching directly under the hoop before stopping, and then forcefully tossed the ball up with one hand.

Swish! It was the satisfying sound of the basketball passing cleanly through the net.

“It went in, it went in!” Lin Duo jumped up happily like a child. “Hmph, Wang Linshu, who said I couldn’t shoot one-handed?”

Looking at the innocent and spirited girl before him, Wang Linshu naturally wouldn’t spoil the mood and promptly apologized. “Haha, my mistake. It seems you have good athletic reflexes after all!”

“Of course!” Lin Duo proudly lifted her small face. “Hey, go get the ball quickly! I want to shoot again!”

The bell for the end of class rang, and students reluctantly gathered their belongings, heading back into the teaching building.

Wang Linshu, carrying the basketball, walked alongside Lin Duo and tentatively suggested, “Um, I feel like you really enjoy playing basketball too. How about we go to the field again after school to play around?”

Lin Duo shook her head decisively. “No, I can’t. I’ve promised a good friend that we’d go home together after school, and if I get home late, my parents will worry terribly.”

The latter half of her statement was indeed true; what parents would feel at ease with a fourteen-year-old girl arriving home late?

Wang Linshu was clearly a little disappointed, but he quickly perked up. “Then let’s keep playing during the next P.E. class!”

“Alright!…”