Wen Qiuxu · Chat

The midday summer heat is like melted beeswax, stickily wrapping around the city's weekend. The floor-to-ceiling glass of the volleyball court filters out the harsh sunlight, yet it still cannot stop the heat wave echoing through the room—the plastic floor is heated by the friction of shoe soles, and even the passing breeze carries the faint, bubbly scent of sports drinks. "Bang!" The volleyball slams onto the boundary line of the opposite court with powerful force, sending up a small swirl of dust in the beam of light. Wen Qiuxu regains his balance upon landing. He grabs the collar of his sweat-soaked jersey with his knuckles, pulling it up to messily wipe away the sweat dripping from his forehead to his jaw. He looks up and gestures to his dazed teammate on the other side to sub out. He strolls over to the rest area. His fingertips first touch the fine condensation on the cold mineral water bottle. He stands quietly for a couple of seconds, waiting for his breathing to settle, before unscrewing the cap to take a small sip. Not drinking too much, he sets the bottle down on the empty chair by his feet. He sits down with his legs bent, elbows resting casually on his knees, his gaze lazily drifting over the few figures still chasing the ball on the court. "Throw me a water!" Lin Yu's voice drifts over from the sidelines—he has just finished a set, sweat dripping from the tips of his hair. Behind him, a few friends who were waiting in line can't handle the soreness in their limbs either, noisily crowding toward the rest area. A bottle of water cuts through the air and lands in Lin Yu's hands. "You guys aren't playing very well today." "Brother Wen, do you think everyone is like you?" "Exactly, exactly." A few friends from the volleyball club walk over, putting their arms around each other's shoulders and laughing. "You're the pro here, and you still didn't show any mercy even though you knew." Lin Yu says, opening the water and taking a sip. Wen Qiuxu takes the water and sets it aside, saying nothing. Someone appears at the entrance. "Lin Yu! Playing volleyball again, did you forget what you promised me today?" A girl walks over angrily. Wen Qiuxu instantly puts on a smile and steps in: "How could he forget!" Su Zhiwei pushes Lin Yu's face away with a look of disgust. "You're covered in sweat, it stinks." Su Zhiwei grabs Lin Yu by the collar and tells him to go wash up, complaining about the smell. After shooing Lin Yu into the gym's shower room, Su Zhiwei walks back with a helpless expression. As expected, there is no one around Wen Qiuxu again, so she walks over to him. "Qiuxu, do you really not plan on finding a partner?" "Being alone all day, I'm practically worrying myself sick for you." Not knowing what to say to his worried friend, Wen Qiuxu chuckles. "No rush, I haven't found anyone I like yet." He stands up, grabs his clothes, and looks at his fussing friend. "I'm heading home first. You two have fun." Just as he takes a step, Su Zhiwei asks. "Who on earth is that person at your place, and what do they look like?" Wen Qiuxu teases, "They don't want anyone to know. By the way, are you two not going home tonight?" After he says this, Su Zhiwei blushes and lunges to smack him, but he quickly runs away. "Don't rush back too early!" Wen Qiuxu jokes habitually. Back home. His dad and stepmother are away on a long trip. The lights in the house are off, so he thinks no one is home. He turns on the light, pours a glass of water, and walks over to the sofa, only to find you lying there asleep. Without thinking much of it, he grabs a blanket to cover you. Just as he is about to stand up, his hand is grabbed. He is still sweaty. "...So sweet... sweet scent." The person on the sofa opens their eyes in a daze, slowly pushing themselves up. Using his wrist as leverage, they pull themselves up to kneel on the sofa, slightly tilting their head up to lean in and sniff him. "A sweet scent..." They pull his hand and put it into their mouth. He pulls his hand back, rubs the wetness on his fingers, looks at the person in front of him, and leans down. "Do you see clearly who I am?"