Chapter 40 – Basketball Game
With his hands free, Chen Erbai resumed clapping for Xu 99, congratulating him on his 99th place ranking.
Xu 99 thanked him for the applause and swiftly returned to his room, phone in hand, to pack his bag and clothes, leaving with an air of excitement.
Since the remedial classes required staying on campus with a five-day schedule and two days off, Xu needed to bring at least two changes of clothes.
Chen Bai watched him leave, retrieved his cup, took a sip of milk, and smiled, “Your little brother seems to really love studying now.”
His neighbor chuckled but didn’t comment further.
In the background, the faint sound of Xu Lang moving around in his room could be heard as Chen Bai looked down, holding his cup in one hand and continuing to read the script spread across his lap.
Normally, he could memorize a script after two readings, but he kept flipping through these scenes over and over without making any progress.
Finally, he took one last look, closed his eyes, made a mental note, and shut the script. He leaned back on the sofa, eyes closed peacefully.
His neighbor glanced at him and asked, “Having trouble remembering the script?”
Chen Bai opened his eyes again, staring straight at the ceiling. “No, that’s not it.”
Memorizing the script wasn’t hard—it just required some understanding and memory, basic skills he already had.
“I haven’t figured out how to play the character yet,” he said, holding the cup. “Xu Yifan reminds me a lot of how I was in high school.”
In some ways, the resemblance was uncanny.
He didn’t elaborate further. After saying this last sentence, he sat up again, drained the rest of his milk, grabbed his script, put on his shoes, and said, “I’m heading out.”
Xu Sinian stood up as well, took the cup from him, and said, “I’ll wash it.”
He glanced at the script in Chen’s hand and added, “Get some rest early.”
Chen Bai waved his hand and agreed.
By the time Xu Lang finished packing his school bag and came out of his room, the living room was empty, and his brother was in the kitchen washing the cups.
He headed to the kitchen and asked, “Bro, where’s Bai?”
“He went downstairs,” Xu Sinian replied while turning off the water and drying the cup. He asked, “What time will you be at school tomorrow?”
“Eight o’clock,” Xu Lang replied, and then asked, “Do you think I’ll have a chance to head out with brother Bai?”
Xu Sinian responded briefly, “He’ll be out by six.”
That was clearly impossible. Xu Lang sighed.
At six o’clock the next morning, Chen Bai arrived at the hotel right on time.
Knowing he wouldn’t have time for breakfast, his manager had already asked the assistant to pack some for him. He could eat a few bites while getting his makeup done or on the way to the school.
Familiar with Chen’s habits by now, the assistant, Xiao Meng, not only packed breakfast but also got him a black coffee.
The coffee-dependent Chen expressed his gratitude.
As he sat there, sipping both black coffee and soy milk, the manager remarked dryly, “A nice blend of East and West.”
Chen Bai accepted the compliment and reiterated that black coffee was really hard to drink.
That morning, as usual, there was a kick-off ceremony held at the hotel.
This time, unlike before, Chen didn’t just say his few lines and then quietly eat and drink. As others spoke, they occasionally directed questions his way. Initially, he would set the microphone down, but as the questions kept coming, he eventually just kept it in his hand.
Reporters loved to ask questions, but since the media had been selected by the production team, the questions were mild, and the atmosphere was pleasant.
The morning passed smoothly, but from noon onward, things got busier.
After the ceremony, the official shooting began. At two in the afternoon, with the sun shining brightly, the crew’s vehicles headed toward the school.
At this time, the students weren’t in the teaching building—they were in their dorms for a midday nap. The dorms were on the other side of the school, so the crew’s arrival went unnoticed.
The day’s filming was mostly indoors. The supporting actors and extras who played the classmates didn’t attend the kick-off ceremony but had already arrived at the location before the crew.
Once everyone was present, the lighting and camera teams of Group A and Group B quickly set up and began working.
While the shoot was getting underway, the top 100 students in their respective grades were waking up from their afternoon nap. They sluggishly returned to the teaching building, entered the classrooms, and immediately revived themselves under the cool blast of air conditioning.
A student sitting by the window glanced out and noticed that the once-empty parking lot next to the sports field was now filled with vehicles, including a large bus. People were going in and out of the vehicles, seemingly moving equipment.
The people moving the equipment were wearing light green vests, and if you looked closely, you could see the words ‘Youth Chronicles’ on their backs.
They were the crew members.
Before class had even started, the previously quiet classroom suddenly became lively as everyone rushed to the windows to peek outside.
The top 100 students had been grouped into two temporary classes. Initially, they weren’t very familiar with each other, but this shared moment of excitement quickly brought them together.
Xu Lang also glanced outside.
With his height advantage, he didn’t need to press up against the window. Just standing to the side, he could easily see over the heads of the others.
He saw two crew members moving equipment. After unloading it, they quickly headed toward the back of the sports field.
It looked like filming had already begun.
Bai Chen and the others should already be here.
The warning bell rang, and footsteps echoed in the hallway. Everyone quickly returned to their seats, and the classroom fell silent once again.
Xu Lang also sat down, pulling out the test paper he hadn’t finished during the lunch break. Amidst the quiet, his new deskmate leaned over and whispered, “Hey, wanna go check out the filming after class?”
Xu Lang paused for a moment, then turned and agreed.
Four straight classes followed that afternoon, finally ending when dinner time arrived. While the cafeteria crowd rushed to grab their meals, the others headed to the sports field, or more precisely, the old teaching building across from it, which was usually deserted, to watch the filming.
Class ended two minutes later than usual, and by the time Xu Lang and his desk mate arrived at the scene, a crowd had already gathered outside the caution line.
Xu Lang, being tall, could see clearly from anywhere, but his desk mate, not as fortunate in height, had to move closer to the front.
The old school building had changed quite a bit compared to before.
The first three floors had been completely renovated—the walls, once grimy and dark, were now a clean white and green. The second-floor hallway even had class nameplates, with the formerly empty classrooms now transformed into Class 1 through 5 of the second year.
Standing in the crowd, surrounded by hushed whispers, Xu Lang scanned the area inside the caution line, trying to spot the person he was looking for.
His search was quite obvious, so his desk mate turned and whispered, “Who are you looking for?”
Xu Lang replied, “Bai… Chen Bai.”
The desk mate gave him a second glance, a bit surprised.
Xu Lang, with his handsome face and wealthy background, was well-known for often being called out during grade-level meetings for bad behavior. Many people knew him, associating him with sneaking out to play video games. Seeing him at this summer camp was already a shock. When they discussed him privately before, they assumed he would only be interested in gaming streamers or esports players, never imagining that this seemingly game-obsessed guy would also be a fan of celebrities.
Xu Lang couldn’t spot anyone. Other than a few staff members and some unfamiliar actors lounging around downstairs, there were faint sounds coming from the second floor—it seemed the rest of the crew were filming inside the classrooms.
The sounds from the second floor quickly faded, followed by the scraping of chairs, conversations, and then footsteps. It seemed the shoot had wrapped up, as the first to leave the classrooms were the staff carrying equipment, followed by a group of extras, and finally, the lead actors.
As the actors emerged, the crowd let out small, barely contained cheers. Xu Lang looked over and finally spotted the person he had been searching for.
The evening summer sun was still up, casting a slanting light through the hallway and illuminating the blue and white edges of the person’s clothes. Chen Bai was talking to someone beside him, holding a small fan that whirred softly.
The person next to him was someone Xu Lang recognized—after seeing online posts and hearing classmates talk about him, he remembered the name Zhou Jing, a very famous actor.
The two of them walked together down the corridor and out of sight behind the building. When they reappeared, they were already at the first-floor corner.
Chen Bai, having been chatting with his companion the whole time, hadn’t paid much attention to his surroundings. It wasn’t until he reached the last step on the staircase and looked up that he noticed several layers of people gathered beyond the caution line.
The crowd included students, maybe even some teachers—an indistinct sea of people. Some were waving, though it was unclear who they were waving at.
Chen Bai’s gaze swept over the crowd and paused when he saw a particularly tall figure. He stopped his conversation, gestured for a pause, and handed his small fan to his companion. “I’ll be right back.”
Without hesitation, Chen Bai walked off, leaving Zhou Jing standing there holding the fan, watching him leave.
Chen Bai found his assistant, put something into his pocket, then turned and glanced at the tall figure in the crowd. When their eyes met, he nodded slightly in a particular direction.
The tall figure understood the cue, stepped out of the crowd, and headed to where Chen Bai had indicated.
The spot was behind the old school building. Unlike the front, no one was watching there—only staff members setting up scenes for tomorrow’s shoot.
Xu Lang arrived, and his desk mate followed behind him.
Separated by the caution line, Chen Bai greeted them, “Here at this time? You didn’t go for dinner?”
Xu Lang stiffened at being addressed so directly. He didn’t dare lie and simply said, “No.”
Then, unexpectedly, he got a light tap on the head—not too hard, but enough to make him bow his head and take it quietly.
The tap lifted, and a hand appeared in his field of vision, holding an orange and a small bun.
Chen Bai said, “The crew packed this with dinner, but I haven’t eaten it yet. You take it.”
Xu Lang “…”
From the moment they left the crowd and walked behind the building, to the sight of someone in a school uniform approaching from inside the caution line, Xu Lang’s desk mate had been in a state of mental shock.
He watched them greet each other, saw Xu Lang get tapped on the head, and then saw Chen Bai hand over fruit and a bun.
His brain, overwhelmed by everything happening, stopped processing. Too many thoughts flashed through his mind, and in the end, he could only think, ‘Actors really do have a presence worthy of being on TV.’
Seeing him up close, the impact of Chen Bai’s appearance was undeniable—his face had universal appeal.
When he finally snapped out of it, the person in the school uniform was reaching into his pocket again, pulling out a banana and another small bun, and offering it to him. “You haven’t eaten either, have you?”
His voice was pleasant, too.
It took a moment for the desk mate to realize that “little classmate” was referring to him. He looked up and met Chen Bai’s light gray eyes. His brain finally rebooted, and he quickly accepted the fruit and bun, instinctively saying, “Thank you…”
In his confusion, he didn’t know how to address him, so he copied Xu Lang, saying, “Thank you, brother Bai.”
Chen Bai smiled, “No need to thank me.”
After they accepted the fruit and buns, Xu Lang asked, “Brother Bai, are you still filming today?”
Chen Bai fanned himself casually, “They’re going to shoot two more takes, then wrap up. I’ll be heading out to film some location shots later.”
Someone seemed to be calling him from a distance, so he waved and said, “I’ve got to go now. Thanks for visiting, and make sure to eat properly next time.”
Xu Lang nodded, gripping the orange and bun in his hand.
Dressed in his blue and white school uniform, Chen Bai walked away.
After standing there for a while, Xu Lang’s desk mate finally exhaled the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and asked, “You know Chen Bai?”
Xu Lang, tearing open the sweet bun, replied simply, “Because my brother knows him.”
Then he added, “Brother Bai is really nice, right?”
There was a hint of subtle pride in his voice.
Desk mate: “Your brother?”
Xu Lang replied, “My brother, he…” He waved his hand dismissively and said, “Forget it, there’s nothing much to say about him.”
And with that, the conversation ended.
After handing over the fruit and bread, Chen Bai returned to the front of the old school building and took back his small fan from his study buddy, who was now holding it. He then met his agent, who had just called him over.
The agent had called him because it was time to leave.
Along with the camera crew and makeup artists, a bus was ready to take everyone away.
It was another day of working until nine or ten in the evening.
The good news was that the crew had chosen filming locations close to each other, and the set was near the hotel. After a short car ride, he could return to the hotel, change into his own clothes, and head home directly.
Once home, he’d grab a late-night snack, but there wouldn’t be much time left. So instead of live streaming, Chen Bai opted to study with his study buddy.
They couldn’t be in the same room, but they could use video calls to study online together.
Chen Bai was already on his third notebook, the first two having been filled up long ago. The courses they were studying had shifted from practical lessons to more in-depth exploration of emotional themes.
Each lesson was three hours long, with so much information that it was impossible to absorb all at once. They had to watch in segments, taking breaks in between.
During one of these breaks, as Chen Bai quickly jotted down notes, he heard his study buddy’s voice through the computer, “Lately, it feels like you’ve been holding back a bit in your acting.”
He looked up at the small screen window. “What do you mean?”
Zhou Jing couldn’t quite explain it, but he had a feeling.
He had noticed a subtle difference—Chen Bai used to have a sharp presence on set, a pressure that either overwhelmed or drove his co-actors. But in the past few days of filming, Zhou Jing hadn’t felt that same intensity.
It seemed like Chen Bai was consciously holding something back. Every glance and line delivery was precise, but there was still something different from before.
Zhou Jing couldn’t say whether it was better or worse, just that it was different.
“That’s true,” Chen Bai nodded, continuing to jot down his notes. “I’ve been thinking about it lately, but I haven’t quite figured it out yet.”
Since he couldn’t figure it out, he left it for later. Spinning his pen once in his hand, he remembered something and asked, “Do we have about an hour of free time tomorrow morning?”
Zhou Jing confirmed, “If there aren’t too many retakes, it’ll be about an hour.”
The next day’s schedule had already been released. After their break, the lead actress and the third male lead had a scene together. Since those two were known for making frequent mistakes, the shoot could end up dragging on for quite a while.
Zhou Jing asked, “Why?”
Chen Bai replied, “Do you know how to play basketball?”
Zhou Jing raised his eyebrows slightly.
—
The next day’s weather was nice—overcast and slightly cooler than the day before. Although the difference wasn’t really noticeable, the weather forecast had predicted a drop in temperature.
The school bell had rung, signaling the start of the second class, and the entire campus had quieted down.
In contrast, the area around the old school building was bustling. Having finished his scenes, Chen Bai and his study buddy were sitting on small stools, observing for a while and concluding that they would likely have at least an hour of free time.
Chen Bai stood up from his stool and went over to chat with the director.
After their conversation, he managed to get a basketball that had been lying around in a corner of the classroom as a prop. Turning around with the ball in hand, he smiled at his study buddy, who had now become his temporary basketball partner.
Standing in the shade of a tree, wearing his loose blue and white school uniform, Chen Bai casually held the basketball. His hair was slightly tousled by the breeze, and his relaxed expression made him look even more like a high school student than the real ones.
His assistant and executive agent stayed behind, while Zhou Jing got up to accompany him to practice basketball.
Chen Bai had mentioned yesterday that he wanted to find time to practice because there was a scene involving a basketball game in a couple of days. If he didn’t practice beforehand, it could be a problem, no matter how you looked at it.
The basketball court was next to the track, and thankfully, since it was cloudy, they didn’t have to worry about the sun beating down on them.
As they walked along the track, a breeze caught their clothes, lifting the hems slightly.
It had been a long time since Chen Bai had been on a basketball court. Standing on the rubber surface with the ball in one hand, he squinted up at the hoop.
His light gray eyes reflected the clouds above, devoid of the usual warmth, and for a moment, it was impossible to tell what he was feeling, as if he were lost in thought.
Then Zhou Jing watched as Chen Bai turned back to him and asked, “How do you shoot a basket again?”
Zhou Jing “…”
Zhou Jing wiped his face.
The script mentioned the basketball game, but only in vague terms, leaving much of it up to the actors and the camera work.
Chen Bai’s character, Xu Yifan, was supposed to have been an external player for the school’s basketball team. No matter how impromptu his performance, his movements couldn’t look too stiff.
Zhou Jing was taken aback by the question about shooting a basket, so he cautiously started teaching Chen Bai the basics, beginning with dribbling.
Fortunately, Chen Bai seemed to have some experience playing before. His movements were a little rusty, but surprisingly standard.
Zhou Jing asked, “Have you practiced before?”
Chen Bai smiled, “I used to play with friends back in middle school.”
High school?
Zhou Jing asked, “You didn’t play in college?”
Chen Bai replied simply, “I was too busy in college.”
Between part-time jobs and tutoring, his schedule was always tight, and playing basketball had fallen by the wayside—unless there was prize money involved.
After calculating it out, he realized that tutoring paid better than basketball tournaments, so he never played again.
Zhou Jing nodded. That made sense.
If Chen Bai had played even once in college, he wouldn’t have been asking how to shoot a basket.
After passing the ball back and forth a few times, Chen Bai attempted a jump shot. The ball circled the hoop for a while before finally going in.
It seemed like a bit of memory had returned. He felt capable again and turned to look at his basketball buddy.
Zhou Jing: “…”
Zhou Jing didn’t know how to react for a moment. After thinking about it, he hesitantly started clapping.
Chen Bai laughed.
The two of them played like seniors, gently and peacefully taking turns, each shooting the ball once, creating a calm and laid-back atmosphere.
They hadn’t been playing their leisurely game for long when the bell rang.
The break after the second class was a bit longer than the others by ten minutes, still short but long enough for some to rush to the playground.
Some headed to the back of the field, while others hurried to the basketball court.
When they saw people arriving, the two visitors consciously moved to the side. But the local students quickly came forward and greeted them enthusiastically.
The local students were clearly overjoyed, inside and out.
With fewer students in school during the summer session, they could barely gather enough people to play basketball. A group of students pulled together a few players but was still short by two.
Even though they had never seen these two people before, they didn’t mind. The high schoolers just assumed they were from other grades.
Their enthusiastic greeting was met with an equally enthusiastic response.
A very sociable person had already blended into the group, almost putting his arm around someone’s shoulder.
The sociable one held the basketball and stated in advance that he and his buddy weren’t very good at the game.
The high schoolers waved this off, saying it didn’t matter at all. To balance the teams, each of them could join a different team.
Things progressed so naturally that it seemed they had all seamlessly become part of the game.
Zhou Jing “…”
Zhou Jing pulled the sociable one over, eyeing his slim frame beneath the school uniform and asked, “Can your waist handle it?”
Chen Bai adjusted the blue and white wristbands on his hands and said, “I think I’ll be fine.”
And so, they split into two teams. Chen Bai was on Team 1, while Zhou Jing joined Team 2.
This was the first time since returning to school after the summer break that they had enough people for a basketball game. The match hadn’t even started, and the high schoolers already looked moved to tears.
Though their eyes were teary, they played fiercely, showing no mercy.
Chen Bai became a floater amidst the aggressive high school boys, sometimes lingering on the edge of the action, other times greeting his opponents face-to-face while standing among them.
The ball was passed to the captain of Team 1, but the players from Team 2 quickly surrounded him, blocking his way forward. He had no choice but to pass the ball to a good teammate behind him.
The good teammate was soon targeted and, within seconds of receiving the ball, had to pass it on again.
The ball kept moving until it ended up in the hands of the floater.
Finally, a Team 2 player saw a good opportunity to steal the ball and couldn’t help but smile. Chen Bai also smiled.
