You lower your head in silence, while I wait in hopeless anticipation.

Bai Haonan had no qualms about living off others; he accepted everything Chen Sufen bought him without hesitation. He was as extravagant as ever, splurging on a top-of-the-line phone that cost four or five thousand yuan, not caring in the slightest that he was nearly out of cash. Even when picking out plain glasses to disguise his face, he chose a pair worth over a thousand!

Despite not wearing a single brand-name item herself, Chen Sufen indulged him thoroughly, enthusiastically choosing everything for him, from T-shirts and jeans to underwear. She picked out three or four pairs of shoes, all famous sports brands familiar to Bai Haonan, who grumbled impatiently, “Don’t buy sneakers. I’m sick of the sight of them. I won’t be playing football anymore!”

Chen Sufen hurriedly put down the football boots she’d already picked up, coaxing him like a child, “Alright, alright, we won’t get those. How about this pair? You’ll look sharp in them!”

And sharp he was—clothes do make the man. Though on the run, once Bai Haonan changed into the new outfit, he looked like a different person. He was already well built, with a strong figure and striking features, standing at six feet tall and weighing over 160 pounds—solid and powerful, without an ounce of excess fat. His expression carried none of the delicate airs of a pretty boy; instead, there was a touch of world-weariness and charm. Even the black-framed, wooden-armed glasses couldn’t hide the confidence in his gaze, the self-assurance honed by years as a professional footballer. There was a certain roguish elegance about him, rugged yet refined, so much so that the salesgirl couldn’t resist fussing over him, adjusting his clothes and almost getting herself into trouble with Chen Sufen, who nearly dragged her behind the counter!

When they left, Chen Sufen was visibly annoyed. “Can’t you restrain that flirtatious nature of yours? Must you charm every woman you see?”

Bai Haonan was indeed exchanging meaningful glances with the girl and replied irritably, “Why do you care? Don’t you have classes this afternoon? Why is a good student like you always hanging around outside? Go on, get to class!” He’d even prepared a slip of paper with his phone number, but Chen Sufen caught him and tore it up, spoiling his fun.

Chen Sufen tried to reason with him, “You’re twenty-eight now, at the age to marry and settle down. I let you play around before—what could I do, you’ve always been like this since you were young. I know you caused trouble among the girls at sports school, but you’ll get tired of it eventually, won’t you…”

Bai Haonan retorted righteously, “Never! I’ll never get tired of it. It’s too much fun. If you don’t understand, don’t interrupt! Look at you, you’re twenty-one already and haven’t found a boyfriend to let off some steam, and now you’re getting pimples. I’m telling you, it’s scientific—yin and yang need to be in balance. I may not have read as many books as you, but I’ve got plenty of experience in the field…” Even as he spoke, his eyes were drawn to another pretty girl passing by, clearly itching to go over and strike up a conversation.

Chen Sufen was more numb than angry, her frustration tinged with resignation. “Old Nan, I feel like you’re a dog in heat all year round, and when you’re not, you’re just a useless, unambitious layabout…”

Bai Haonan pretended to cover his head in exasperation. “Enough, enough! My father nagged me for twenty years, now you want to take over? Just let me have some peace and live the life I want. If you’re my friend, give me a break!”

Chen Sufen fell silent. When they ate lunch together, neither said a word, and there was none of the sweetness between couples. Bai Haonan even gave his number to the cashier girl right in front of her. The girl, who was obviously not as attractive as Chen Sufen, looked back and forth between them in surprise, perhaps thinking it was some sort of prank, and simply ignored him.

That only made Bai Haonan feel that Chen Sufen was in the way. After lunch, he unceremoniously sent her back to the sports academy without even asking for the key to her rented apartment. “If anything comes up, you know how to call. It’s not like this place is big, and we’re not kids—we won’t get lost.”

Chen Sufen stood by the nearly deserted back entrance for a while, watching the white car speed away, before finally turning back toward the campus. On a whim, she decided to visit the library before heading to the dormitory.

Left alone, the “devilishly charming young master” appeared much quieter. At the very least, he no longer made a point of bothering women, instead buying a simple mask to cover his face and sitting by the roadside, people-watching. In Jiangzhou dialect, “people-watching” meant checking out pretty girls, and in Rongdu, it couldn’t be easier—this ancient capital was filled with elegant or spirited women, all well-dressed and stylish, making the view a feast for his eyes.

But as with children looking forward to holidays only to be bored once they arrived, Bai Haonan soon found himself with nothing to do. After idling by the roadside for an hour or two, he stood up, unused to having so much free time in the afternoon. After all, no matter how lazy he was, he usually spent this time in the gym or on the football field.

So, after a moment’s pause, he decided to check out the nearby medical school. Hadn’t he heard there were two other universities around? Why not take a walk? He couldn’t show up at the sports academy for fear of being recognized by someone from the professional football world, but surely ordinary universities were safe. Who knew—maybe he’d even run into that elegant Ms. Qiao!

The thought made his heart beat a little faster. He jumped into his car and set off, his decisiveness as sharp as ever.

But Bai Haonan, who had never truly been a student, felt no reverence for these institutes of higher learning. His smooth twenty-year career had left him with a disdain for academic knowledge. Who needs culture? He never read books or newspapers; as long as he could read a contract and do basic math, he could get by just fine. What use were foreign languages, chemistry, physics, or advanced math?

So, after wandering briefly among the research buildings, he felt out of place and soon found himself driving past the stadium.

That patch of green always held a strange pull for him, as if he were eight years old again, standing for the first time by the edge of a football field.

Maybe he’d decided to see Chen Sufen simply because she was at the sports academy.

Maybe his wandering into the university was all because it housed a rare football pitch in the midst of this big city.

That subconscious longing for green had long since been etched into Bai Haonan’s bones, whether he admitted it or not.

On the artificial turf, a group of boys wearing all kinds of mismatched jerseys were playing a half-field game, using only half the official pitch. Nearby, girls ran laps on the track, and in the shaded stands, some frail-looking students—boys and girls—huddled together.

For once, Bai Haonan’s eyes weren’t drawn to the opposite sex. Instead, they fixed on the well-worn football rolling across the field.

He didn’t even realize he was slowly making his way over.

Not long ago, he had claimed to hate the sight of football and sworn never to play again. Yet after only a day or two away from the game, his feet itched for the ball. He might say he was done, but his body betrayed him, carrying him right to the white-painted goalpost.

How good could a bunch of college boys be?

Yet Bai Haonan watched, thoroughly entertained.

Suddenly, someone kicked the ball his way. It missed its target, but Bai Haonan, acting on pure instinct, brought his arms together in a textbook chest-trap, absorbing the ball’s force and letting it drop smoothly to his feet. He juggled it a couple of times with both feet, feeling a deep, satisfying joy.

To onlookers, his movements were fluid and precise—clearly the work of an expert. A few boys nearby couldn’t help but cheer, “Hey, want to join? Come play with us!”

Bai Haonan felt his chest burning with excitement—far hotter than any thrill from chasing girls. He realized just how much he missed football. It was like being a child again, racing out to the field at every opportunity, that whole-body itch to play flooding back. It was as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

“That’s right!” he thought. “Just because I’m not playing professionally anymore doesn’t mean I can’t play for fun. Why not treat it as a hobby?”

Even as he thought this, his body was already juggling the ball onto the field.

Only those who have loved deeply can hate so fiercely.