Childhood Affection - Chapter 12 - Untitled

Bai Meixian had prepared a table full of dishes, but only saw Yin Qianyang return. Through the kitchen glass, she noticed Nie Weishan still standing at the gate. She called out, “Weishan, what are you daydreaming about? Hurry up and wash your hands for dinner.”

Nie Weishan snapped back to reality, stammering a bit, “Aunt Xian, I’ll eat at home. My third aunt called me.”

He had originally planned to eat with them, but the unexpected kiss from Yin Qianyang had made things awkward. What was supposed to be a simple gift exchange turned strange, and after the kiss, Yin Qianyang had quickly left, likely feeling uncomfortable too. So, Nie Weishan decided to keep his distance for now.

Yin Qianyang sat on his bed, still holding the shoe box. He didn’t even hear Bai Meixian calling him for dinner. He examined the shoes from the soles to the laces several times, trying them on but not daring to step on the floor, afraid of dirtying the soles.

They fit perfectly.

Yin Qianjie walked in, “Young master, time for dinner. Should I bring it to your room?”

Yin Qianyang lifted his legs, showing off his new shoes with delight, “Sis, look at my new shoes. Weishan gave them to me.”

Yin Qianjie took a closer look, then poked Yin Qianyang’s forehead with her finger. He suddenly became all soft and collapsed onto the bed, still beaming. Yin Qianjie said, “Don’t let there be a next time. It was fine before, but now you know Weishan’s family situation. You shouldn’t accept so much from him.”

Yin Qianyang took off the shoes and put them away, muttering, “It’s not that much.” After Yin Qianjie left, he prepared to wash his hands and eat. At the door, he saw the crutch leaning against the wall and the bracelet on his foot. That made three items.

All related to feet. Nie Weishan must have some special interest.

Sunday afternoon at 3:30 was the physical fitness test, a time when one usually felt sleepy. Yin Qianyang carried a large bottle of strong tea to the alley entrance, where Nie Weishan was waiting on his e-bike, with Nie Yingyu on a mountain bike beside him.

Yin Qianyang, holding a water bottle thicker than his arm, looked worried about embarrassing himself. “You two don’t have to come. I’ll run and be back soon. I’ll bring you some fried mushrooms on the way.”

Nie Yingyu said, “We’re the cheering team. If you run a relay, my brother and I can step in to help.”

Nie Weishan, feeling drowsy, said nothing, just quietly waiting for Yin Qianyang to get on the bike. Yin Qianyang placed the water bottle in the basket, saying, “I’m not wearing the shoes you gave me.”

“Yeah,” Nie Weishan glanced down, seeing Yin Qianyang still in his old spike shoes. “New shoes need breaking in. For competitions, the old ones are always the most comfortable.”

Yin Qianyang scratched his face, simply unwilling to wear them just yet.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the Sports School. There was a soccer match on the field, and Qin Zhan was hanging on the parallel bars by the track. Seeing them, he flipped down and approached, saying, “The coach will be here soon. Warm up first.”

Yin Qianyang bent to touch his toes, then squatted to stretch his legs. Nie Weishan sat on the grass, taking out his phone, “I need to take some photos. If you become an Olympic champion, these will be precious memories.”

By late September, there was a hint of chill in the air. Yin Qianyang wore a light jacket and shorts. He looked up at the camera with a smile, “Don’t take pictures while I’m running. My face looks too fierce.”

A few minutes later, the coach arrived, briefly explaining the details of joining the track and field team before starting the test, which was divided into flexibility, explosive power, and endurance.

Nie Yingyu sat next to Nie Weishan, suggesting, “Brother, why don’t you take the test too?”

“Spare me. I’m someone who finds biking exhausting.” Nie Weishan lay back, covering himself with Yin Qianyang’s jacket. Nie Yingyu lay down too, continuing, “Come on, considering the situation, taking the athlete student path seems like a shortcut. Plus, you and Yang-Ge are so close, training together won’t be lonely.”

Nie Weishan replied, “No, I’ll just handle logistics for your Yang-Ge. Let him charge forward on his own.”

They were chatting idly when suddenly a gunshot rang out. The brothers simultaneously looked up to see a nimble figure darting out! Light as a feather, skimming over the grass!

“Wow, it’s like he’s wound up.” Nie Yingyu half-lay on the grass, unscrewing a water bottle and taking a big gulp before shouting, “Yang-Ge is awesome! Yang-Ge is number one!”

The soccer players stopped to watch, clapping and cheering. Later, Qin Zhan joined Nie Yingyu in their wild howling. Nie Weishan lay there, dozing with a smile, covering himself with the jacket, feeling a surge of pride.

When the whistle blew and the stopwatch clicked, Yin Qianyang crossed the finish line, slowing down. His bangs were blown apart, and his face was flushed from exertion. He walked over to Nie Yingyu and kicked him, “Stop yelling nonsense. I almost got a cramp.”

Nie Yingyu said, “Yang-Ge, you really moved like a rabbit. That explosive power seemed like it was going to break out of Asia.”

“Enough, give me the water.” Yin Qianyang took a couple of sips and sat next to Nie Weishan, massaging his legs. “I’ll run a 3,000 next. I should’ve worn sports pants; it’s cold running in shorts.”

Nie Weishan, like a blind man, closed his eyes and placed Yin Qianyang’s legs on his lap, massaging his calves. The dry palms rubbed against the cool skin, quickly warming it up.

Yin Qianyang hummed in comfort, thinking that if he didn’t run well, he’d be letting down this blind massage.

After all the tests and a physical exam, it was already past five when they left. Before they left, Qin Zhan assured him, “Don’t worry, it’s almost certain. Just handle the paperwork, and by Wednesday, you should officially be on the team.”

Qin Zhan was right. On Tuesday morning, they received the notification. That afternoon, Yin Xiangdong ran around to complete the paperwork, and Yin Qianyang officially became a sports talented student, feeling even more justified in not studying.

That evening, the five of them celebrated with dinner. Bai Meixian had cooked a pot of marrow bone soup. After serving everyone, she brought a plate of bones specifically for Yin Qianyang, saying, “Eat these to strengthen your legs.”

Yin Qianyang licked a crab shell, “I’m not a dog. I don’t gnaw on bones.”

Yin Qianjie said, “Sweetie, being a sports talented student doesn’t mean you’re set for life. If you don’t perform, the sports institute won’t take you. So whether you choose to use your brain or your limbs, you have to work hard.”

“Stop nagging me.” Yin Qianyang started picking at a crab claw, “I’ll definitely work hard. I’ll find a decent job in the future and save some money. I’ve got it all planned out.”

Yin Xiangdong asked, “What have you planned? Save money to get married?”

Nie Weishan chuckled, “I doubt it.”

Yin Qianyang nudged Nie Weishan with his elbow, turning to say, “Save money to open a shop with you, selling beaded bracelets.”

In front of everyone, Nie Weishan couldn’t say much. Meeting Yin Qianyang’s eager eyes, he felt a bit warm. Near the end of the meal, he quietly replied, “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

Starting Thursday, Yin Qianyang had to train at the Sports School. After the second class in the afternoon, he packed his bag and left. At the staircase, he ran into Bingbing, who was returning from gym class. He said, “By the way, Bingbing, National Day is coming up. Where are we going to play?”

Bingbing, sweating profusely, replied, “Aren’t we going hiking? I’ve already bought hiking shoes.”

“Alright, then let’s meet up during the holiday.” Yin Qianyang patted his shoulder and headed downstairs. After descending two steps, he stopped, turned back, and caught up with him, whispering, “Bing, remember when I kissed you at the internet cafe during the tournament?”

Bingbing pushed him away, “You kissed me with a face full of beef noodle flavor after eating instant noodles. Get lost.”

Yin Qianyang asked again, “Did you feel anything when I kissed you? Embarrassed?”

“Not embarrassed. Were you embarrassed when I kissed you?” Bingbing glanced at him, “I only felt embarrassed when you rolled up your sleeves to fight someone. I wanted to dig a hole and hide.”

Yin Qianyang turned and left, “Forget I asked. I thought you were my golden partner in fights.”

He pondered all the way but couldn’t figure out why kissing Bingbing felt different from kissing Nie Weishan. When he arrived at the Sports School and began training, he was too exhausted to think about anything else.

Formal training was indeed different. Every aspect was strictly required, with high mental concentration and precise physical movements. By the end, his chest and back were soaked with sweat. Being his first day, Yin Qianyang was particularly serious, ending up so tired he felt a burning sensation.

At school, the evening self-study was used for the weekly test. After the test, it was time to go home. When Nie Weishan arrived home, Yin Qianyang was watering the tree. He said, “I brought back the weekly test papers for you. Jiangang wants you to finish them before the holiday.”

This Saturday and Sunday were not off, and the holiday started on Monday. Yin Qianyang took the papers, “Jiangang is so inconsiderate. I didn’t do them when I was a regular student, and now that I’m a sports student, I’m definitely not doing them.”

Yin Xiangdong heard from inside, shouting, “Stop making excuses. You use watering the tree to avoid studying. If you don’t see results, you’ll drown it.”

Yin Qianyang said, “I’m exhausted from training. I want to go for a drive. Dad, can you take me for a spin around the Third Ring?”

“The Third Ring is jammed until nine.” Nie Weishan took out the e-bike key, gloating, “Make do with a ride to the alley entrance. Just don’t hit any passing grandmas.”

Nie Weishan said that, but later that night, when it was quiet around eleven, he came out after a shower. In black sports pants and a black jacket like nightwear, he walked to Yin Qianyang’s door, finding it locked.

He texted: Get dressed and come out. I’m at the door.

Seeing the imperative sentence, Yin Qianyang instinctively complied, dressing quietly and slipping out. “I just finished showering and was about to play gobang. What’s up?”

Nie Weishan said, “Let’s go for a ride. Are you in?”

The two freshly showered, still slightly damp young men walked out of the alley side by side.

Yin Qianyang was taken to Dongqu Square, where a small group of young people were waiting to race motorcycles. The boss saw Nie Weishan and greeted, “Haven’t seen you in a while. Thought you quit.”

Nie Weishan picked a bike, “I never had much of a habit. Just bringing a friend to rent one for a ride.”

The boss said, “Join a race. Several want to compete with you. Bring your friend too.”

Nie Weishan ignored him, paid, and pushed the bike away. At the roadside, he straddled it, while Yin Qianyang stood on the curb, eyes shining, gripping the handlebars, “This is awesome. Why didn’t you bring me sooner? I love these reckless activities!”

“Reckless, my foot. Get on. We’ll ride and then head home to sleep.” Nie Weishan tossed him a helmet.

Yin Qianyang was eager, “I want to ride myself! I want to go on the overpass!”

Nie Weishan lied, “This is the last one. The boss doesn’t allow the overpass, afraid of accidents.”

“Bull, I saw someone go up.” Yin Qianyang, wearing the helmet, looked even sillier.

Once he was seated behind, Nie Weishan told him to hold on, then started the motorcycle and drove off. Unlike before, they weren’t speeding recklessly; it was more like sightseeing.

Passing a Buick with a “New Driver” sticker, a 24-hour fast-food joint, a bus stop with a new ad, and rows of paulownia trees.

Yin Qianyang leaned against Nie Weishan’s back, watching the scenery, then glanced up at the overpass.

He couldn’t help but have some thoughts.

“What? Speak up.” Nie Weishan sensed Yin Qianyang said something, but the wind drowned it out. Yin Qianyang tapped Nie Weishan’s helmet with his own, shouting, “Nothing! It’s not important!”

I said it’s quite dangerous up there. It’s best if we always stay steady and safe.