Chapter 387: Life Is Just Sipping and Sipping

Why are you being so prickly all of a sudden?

No, just how much food is this supposed to be?

A few months ago, Jiang Nian was also a kid with three hundred yuan monthly pocket money. No matter how good-looking his face was, it couldn't generate cash.

Unless... the ducks know first when spring water turns warm.

The restaurant's prices didn't suit him at all, and his basic impression of the place came from classmates.

First time, didn't know better.

I never had many friends before, so now I'm a lone guy showing up for a group meal.

"If you don't call me, here are your chopsticks." Jiang Nian picked up his teacup and took a sip, noticing the tea on the table was still hot.

He glanced at Chen Yunyun; she was looking at her phone.

"Hmph, I can use Yunyun's chopsticks," Wang Yuhe tossed her head up, hands on her hips. "I can even eat with a spoon!"

"Just use your hands." Jiang Nian was speechless.

He leaned back in his chair and pulled out his phone. Figured the dishes would arrive soon, so he prepared to scroll videos to kill time.

"It's not that bad!" Wang Yuhe stubbornly insisted.

A few minutes later, the kitchen started serving dishes: three dishes and one soup, generous portions—likely enough to leave some leftovers.

During the meal, the three of them naturally fell into conversation.

Most of it was about past funny moments, like how Wang Yuhe cried secretly under her blanket on her first day of boarding school.

Chen Yunyun got up in the middle of the night to pee, thought the dorm was leaking, and whimpered softly. Then she lifted the blanket and found the two of them staring at each other.

"Hahaha, you cried like a leaking pipe?" Jiang Nian laughed, turning to look at Wang Yuhe, whose face was flushed.

"It wasn't like that!" Wang Yuhe got flustered. "Yunyun cried too—once she used my phone to call home."

"She bawled nonstop, crying as she talked a lot. Her mom finally asked, 'Who's this child?'"

Hearing this, Chen Yunyun's face turned red too.

"I spoke too fast then, and my voice sounded different from usual. My mom heard the dialect and thought I was some student from our town."

Chen Yunyun paid the bill; the meal wasn't expensive.

After dinner, Jiang Nian bought the two girls two milk teas. They walked around the nearby pedestrian street for a while, and each got a keychain plush toy.

These things weren't expensive, looked cute, took up no space, and were like phone case skins—almost no Gao San girl would refuse one.

A childish brat like Wang Yuhe clutched her plush toy and played with it nonstop. Jiang Nian reached to snatch it, but she refused to let go like a stubborn elementary student.

"Ahh! Why are you only grabbing mine?!"

"Because I'm grabbing yours."

Chen Yunyun covered her mouth and smiled. When Jiang Nian turned to look at her, she quickly turned her head away, only hearing him say one thing.

"Hey, what's stuck on your plush?"

The next second, her hand was gently squeezed.

Chen Yunyun:

Jiang Nian's habit of casually touching things sometimes made even her struggle to keep her composure—he came up with endless tricks.

But... she didn't dislike it.

Jiang Nian had no intention of extending the outing. He waved goodbye to the two girls at the school's west gate.

"I haven't finished my homework—I'm heading back to class."

"Pfft!" Wang Yuhe flipped him the middle finger.

"Mm, we'll head back to the dorm for a bit," Chen Yunyun waved at him with a sweet smile. "Bye."

After watching Jiang Nian leave, Chen Yunyun turned to Wang Yuhe.

"Let's go."

"Okay, Yunyun, let me see yours," Wang Yuhe poked at the plush in her hand. "It looks even cuter than mine."

"Fine, here, take it."

Jiang Nian looked up again—it was 1:30 p. m. Normally at this hour, he'd be getting ready for his nap.

But today was Sunday; afternoon break lasted six hours.

The classroom was empty. Besides Jiang Nian, only Luo Yong was still inside, playing on his phone, QQ notifications pinging nonstop.

"Bro Luo, why aren't you heading home?"

Luo Yong looked up, about to speak—then he gasped. He shot to his feet and rushed toward the classroom door.

"What's the good news?" Jiang Nian asked curiously.

"During morning run, a junior added my QQ," Luo Yong chuckled. "She invited me to a milk tea shop."

"Huh?" Jiang Nian was baffled. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be training this afternoon?"

"Bro Jiang, help me out," Luo Yong clasped his hands together, backing away. "After we finish playing soccer, I'll buy everyone milk tea."

With that, Jiang Nian could only nod and smile.

"Alright, then I'm counting on your good news."

Luo Yong turned and left, ecstatic.

He'd told a little lie.

It wasn't that the junior had added him—he'd added her. Who knew the progress would be so fast? How could he not be thrilled?

He'd never been interested in girls before.

But that noon, after watching Jiang Nian get called away by two beautiful girls, he suddenly woke up and started taking life seriously.

A man from Zhennan never yields to anyone.

He hurried downstairs, ready to rush back to his rented room to wash his hair, change clothes, and get ready for the date.

2:15, Gao San building.

"What?"

"What the fuck, he's on a date?" Li Hua held his soccer ball, stunned. "But we're playing tomorrow!"

"Yeah." Jiang Nian nodded.

"Seriously!" Sun Zhicheng was also annoyed. "Going on a date now? No sense of team pride at all?"

"It's fine,

calm down a bit." Liu Yang rubbed his forehead. "Let's just train. Losing one forward isn't a big deal. Come on, let's go." Jiang Nian said.

In the corridor, curses never stopped.

Even after leaving the field, they kept cursing Luo Yong. Chasing romance over friendship was understandable, but ignoring team honor was going too far.

Boom—one big kick from Li Hua.

Since he hadn't warmed up, he kicked it wide. Furious, Li Hua erupted in curses, instantly blaming Luo Yong without thinking.

"It's all Luo Yong's fault."

Seven-a-side soccer wasn't complicated to play.

Liu Yang and Sun Zhicheng, the more skilled ones, played as two defenders, responsible for advancing the ball from the back and stopping the opponent's advance.

Jiang Nian played striker, Li Hua played defensive midfielder. The two forwards were the quiet Hu Nianzhong and the sneaky Luo Yong. With the match looming, the team had agreed on a 2-3-1 formation.

The 2-3-1 meant that during attack, the two defenders passed the ball forward, while the defensive midfielder and two forwards pushed ahead.

Use the third-man tactic to draw the opponent's striker out of position, then pass into the gap to Jiang Nian, the striker waiting in the opponent's half.

Since the striker mostly operated in the opponent's half, the midfield became especially critical.

It had to not only direct play but also protect the ball and pass it to the forwards or striker.

Logically, this position should've been Jiang Nian's responsibility. But Li Hua, as striker, had a terrible shot—he couldn't score at all.

So Jiang Nian had to play striker.

Class Three's tactic was simple: just pass the ball, get it to Jiang Nian, push forward as a team, and win.

Just because Jiang Nian's shots were brutally powerful.

Whether it was a long pass from the defensive midfielder or a shot from the corner, two or three defenders couldn't stop it.

That's why Class Three focused on passing drills.

Now that Luo Yong was gone, Jiang Nian had to fill in as a forward too—but it didn't disrupt training.

Not long after, two other teams arrived on the field, also training. But they were smaller, with only three or four players per group.

Liu Yang and Jiang Nian discussed it and decided to play a full match against those two small teams.

"Counted them—thirteen people total," Liu Yang said. "We'll be six, you seven."

Hearing this, the seven stared at each other.

"Alright, kick off?"

"Hey bro, let us kick off," Jiang Nian said. "None of us really know how to play—our average soccer experience is measured in days."

The other side burst out laughing at this.

"No need. We haven't played for years either."

High school seniors who still came out to train on weekends weren't truly passionate—they were just bored and looking for trouble.

After forty minutes of play, Jiang Nian sat on the steps to rest.

The other side seemed ready to buy drinks; Liu Yang walked over, pointed toward the snack shop, and prepared to do the same.

His phone buzzed—Chen Yunyun sent a message.

She was just leaving school with Wang Yuhe and would bring him water on the way.

Of course, she wouldn't bring water for just one person—that would be too awkward. So she specifically asked how many were at the field.

"Six? Why's one missing?"

"Snatched away by a freshman."

"Ah?" Chen Yunyun sent a facepalm emoji. "Sprite's not great—I can bring you fruit tea instead?"

"Whatever."

After replying, Jiang Nian put his phone away and got ready to return to the field.

Li Hua walked over, curious.

"Who were you texting?"

"No one. Our class's cutie's bringing water soon," Jiang Nian said. "Saves us money—everyone gets some."

"Holy shit, then I want Powerade," Li Hua grinned.

"I'll ask her to switch," Jiang Nian pretended to pull out his phone. "Want me to get you a whole tea set too?"

"Sure!" Li Hua wriggled excitedly.

"Hah, you bastard," Jiang Nian pointed at him. "Whatever you get is better than the tap water in the classroom."

"Wait, who's bringing it?" Fat Ma Guojun asked curiously.

"Water? I only drink Evian," Liu Yang joined in the teasing. "Ask her if she's got Evian."

Sun Zhicheng didn't join the banter—he just felt something was off.

Next second.

"Jiang Nian, pass me the ball!" Wang Yuhe shouted from the track, waving at him. "Hurry, hurry!"

In a flash, every eye turned to the center of attention.

Wang Yuhe realized she'd shouted too loudly and instantly went quiet like a startled sparrow. She held the drinks in hand and turned back.

"What's wrong?" Chen Yunyun walked behind, also carrying a bag in her hand. "The ball flew over."

"Hmm?"

Wang Yuhe turned her head and indeed saw the ball flying over. It landed precisely at a short distance in front of her, then rolled with a gurgling sound to her feet.

She looked up and saw Jiang Nian standing over there with his hands on his hips, full of high spirits.

"Heh heh, I definitely kicked it farther than him."

She gave it a powerful shot, and the ball traced a parabola through the air. But the angle was way off, and it flew straight at Sun Zhicheng.

Wang Yuhe: "

When Chen Yunyun and Wang Yuhe entered the field, the scene immediately livened up.

"Holy shit, two girls bringing them water?"

"No way, these bastards are already shady enough playing football. How can they also

pull this kind of off-the-field trick, paying people to bring water, right?"

On Class Three's side, among the six people, everyone except Sun Zhicheng was very happy.

Li Hua: "Holy shit, there's really Mizone?"

"Where where where? Holy shit, Red Bull!" Ma Guojun rushed up to grab the water. "Holy shit, is Chen Yunyun that rich?"

"It really is." Liu Yang came up and flipped through it, immediately exclaiming in wonder, then turned his head and asked, "What does Jiang Nian drink?"

Jiang Nian had just taken the milk tea bag from Chen Yunyun's hand. Inside was a cup of fruit tea and two small boxes of fruit.

"This one is grape, the other is cantaloupe." Chen Yunyun took them out one by one and tore open the fork packaging.

Li Hua, who was passing by, kicked the ball to tease Wang Yuhe. Suddenly he got sprayed in the face, and the smile on his face vanished instantly.

"Damn, there's fruit too?"

He crowded forward, his period-sized eyes wide as he looked at the two. He looked at Chen Yunyun, then at Jiang Nian, who was not loyal at all.

"No, why does only he get fruit?"

Chen Yunyun's face flushed slightly. She said nothing and just ran off. Since no one was playing football, she and Wang Yuhe kicked the ball around for fun.

Sun Zhicheng: "..

He glanced at Chen Yunyun not far away, then glanced at Jiang Nian, and at the bottle of drink in his own hand.

At this moment, his heart was a tangle of mixed feelings.

Can we win?

But the next second, he thought of the class president, and enlightenment dawned on him again. How could a class president with no opponent ever lose?

So, he would win too.

Before long, the buyers sent by the seven-person football team also returned one after another.

The moment they entered the sports field, it was a bolt from the blue.

They saw two clumsy, cute girls kicking the ball on the middle pitch, while the Olympiad class team leisurely drank beverages on the side.

"I feel like I got sprayed in the face, but I have no proof."

"Why don't the girls in our class care about football at all!" one man said through gritted teeth. "So damn hateful!"

"The girls in the science Olympiad class are way too nice, huh? How can they be so united? In our class they just bicker back and forth." "Class Three, I heard their grades are only below Class Zero."

"Holy shit, how is someone still eating fruit over there. Why not bring out some steak and red wine, the disparity in the world is way too big!"

Chen Yunyun saw people coming, so she didn't linger. She said goodbye to Jiang Nian, then pulled Wang Yuhe off to go shopping.

Because the opponents carried resentment, after kickoff they played fast and fiercely.

Their own penalty box was forcefully breached three times by the other side, giving Sun Zhicheng and Liu Yang, the two defenders, a brutal workout.

Putting everything else aside, these two brothers really got their training in today.

"Timeout!!" Liu Yang, panting, raised his hand and volunteered, "Ten-minute break, can't keep up with the stamina

anymore."

Seeing this, the other side finally stopped.

"I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back." Jiang Nian stood up, tucked his phone into his pocket. "Call me if anything comes up."

The two groups had barely rested a few minutes when two girls appeared at the sports field entrance, carrying several milk tea bags in their hands.

One of them, a girl who looked quite cute from afar, was also carrying a thermos.

"Are those two girls from your class?" someone asked.

"Not from our class," the other three in the team looked completely baffled. "Aren't they from your class?"

"No."

"They can't be from Class Three's group, right? Didn't someone already deliver once?"

Zhang Ningzhi and Huang Fang walked side by side, looking nervous as they approached the Class Three group, and pressed their lips together.

"Would everyone like some milk tea?"

Li Hua and the others exchanged glances. Their eyes were shocked, yet carried a few hints of confusion.

As if to say, what a cheat!

Damn cheaters!

"Jiang Nian, you really should die!" Li Hua cursed, then took the milk tea proactively. "I'll drink it, I'll drink it."

"I want some too, I want some too!" Ma Guojun said.

Free milk tea—who wouldn't drink it? Liu Yang, Sun Zhicheng, and Hu Nianzhong exchanged glances, and also stepped forward to claim their milk tea.

"Thanks 3."

"Where's Jiang Nian's share?" Li Hua looked left and right, asked curiously, "He doesn't drink it anyway, give it to me."

"He doesn't drink milk tea, so we didn't prepare his." Zhang Ningzhi's face reddened slightly.

"!! Perfect!" Li Hua was delighted.

However, the next second.

Zhang Ningzhi whispered again, "He said he wanted to drink chicken soup, so I brought him a portion. Team Leader, where is he?"

"Jiang Nian went to the restroom," Liu Yang picked up the thread, "wait here a while, he'll be back soon."

"Oh, oh." Zhang Ningzhi looked nervous.

"Chicken soup? Let me see." Li Hua didn't believe it, leaned in for a look, "It really is goddamn chicken soup!"

After a while, Jiang Nian came back and saw Zhang Ningzhi standing there.

"Hmm? Why didn't you call me when you got here?"

"I asked them, and... no need to call." Zhang Ningzhi let out a sheepish laugh and handed the insulated canister over to him.

"My family happened to be stewing wild chicken soup at noon, drink it."

Li Hua and the others squatted to one side, sipping milk tea while gnawing on their fingers, watching Zhang Ningzhi grinning foolishly and Jiang Nian drinking the soup.

"Damn it, can't take it, I'm gonna blow up on him!"