Reply to Keats - Chap 47

Chap 47
Silent Magpie Bridge

Chen Wan opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, the door was opened from the outside.

The subtle atmosphere between the two of them disappeared in an instant.

Qin Zhaoting came in to get a towel, glanced between them, smiled and said casually: “Are you talking about something?”

Zhao Shengge didn’t answer, so Chen Wan smiled and said, “Just about to go out.”

It means there is no direct answer.

Qin Zhaoting smiled, walked into the lounge, and pressed the password twice in front of the locker, but the door did not open. He was not sure whether he entered the password incorrectly or there was a problem with the system, so he called Chen Wan.

“Awan.”

“Can you help me check it? I may need to find a manager, but my phone is also in the locker.”

Chen Wan had no choice but to go back and help him.

Zhao Shengge said, “I’ll go out first.”

Chen Wan watched the tall figure disappear at the door, quickly helped Qin Zhaoting open the cabinet, and the two walked out together.

While Qin Zhaoting was chatting with Chen Wan, he was thinking about other things. It was as if his brain automatically generated another independent system to respond to the other party’s greetings. In fact, he had no idea what he said and could only do the minimum to avoid social mistakes.

When Chen Wan approached the fairway, she automatically separated from Qin Zhaoting.

Zhao Shengge did not appear on stage the whole time. He was talking to a friend that Chen Wan was not very familiar with.

In fact, among Zhao Shengge’s close friends, there are not many people that Chen Wan is not familiar with, because Zhao Shengge’s personal social circle is not large. He is suspicious and unsocial, and there are only a few people coming and going.

This friend had recently returned from working abroad to visit his family, so Tan Youming called him over to reminisce about the past.

Tan Youming was the first to choose the ball. His hands were not smooth and he was not in good form. The ranking list on the big screen was dominated by players from other tracks. It was not until Shen Zongnan and Jiang Ying came on the court that the points started to look better.

Zhao Shengge was not in a hurry to leave the court. He listened more than spoke when talking with his friend. When his friend was about to go on the court to try his hand, Zhao Shengge stood by the fairway with his hands folded and watched.

Chen Wan walked over and asked, “Mr. Zhao, don’t you want to play?”

Zhao Shengge shook his head and watched his friends pitching seriously. After watching for a while, he found that Chen Wan had not left yet, so he said politely, “I don’t have anything to do here, you can go and play by yourself.”

Chen Wan smiled at him and sighed in his heart.

Seeing that he had nothing else to say, Zhao Shengge turned back and continued watching the game.

In the new round, Tan Youming played 4-6-7-10. Shen Zongnian had a work call, so Tan Youming asked Zhuo Zhixuan for help.

Zhuo Zhixuan was outside after doing something, and Tan Youming looked towards Zhao Shengge.

Zhao Shengge looked at the position of the pins and thought it was interesting, so he was willing to choose a ball.

Turkey came on the court right away.

Chen Wan watched very seriously. Zhao Shengge’s arms were long and powerful, and the side spin made the ball slide across the fairway and roll along the curve, creating a larger angle and cutting between pins 1 and 3.

The angle is very steep, and it is a ball path that requires precise calculation and absolute control of strength to complete.

The fierce and powerful ball did not hit the pin, but the wall of desire in Chen Wan’s heart.

For a moment, he felt that Zhao Shengge was like a beautiful and charming leopard, agile and calm, but when the time was right, he would kill with absolute power.

He topped the leaderboard with one ball, and players on other lanes stopped to watch, with the bold ones even whistling to show their respect.

Zhao Shengge bent over with his palms resting on his knees. Chen Wan stood under the big screen next to him and counted the rankings on the list, line by line, very seriously.

After he finished reading it, he turned around contentedly, and his eyes accidentally met Zhao Shengge’s.

Both sides of the fairway were bustling with activity, with the mechanical female voice announcing the scores mixed with the sounds of other people chatting and laughing. The two lines of sight intersected like a silent bridge that isolated the outside sound, and all the noise and disturbance could not get in.

Eyes serve as an exclusive communication channel, and only Zhao Shengge and Chen Wan can communicate silently.

Although they were unable to interpret the other party’s silent words, and even had not thought through or expressed clearly what they wanted to say, no one was willing to look away.

There was no expression on Zhao Shengge’s face, his eyes were calm and deep. Chen Wan’s heart was beating fast and clear. Suddenly, he raised his hand, smiled, and slowly clapped a few times as a congratulations.

His eyes curved into a crescent, and he looked genuinely happy for Zhao Shengge’s victory. His smile and gaze were as sincere as a ray of warm sunshine, and anyone who was illuminated by it could truly feel the warmth.

Zhao Shengge paused, turned his head and stopped looking at him.

The points were far ahead of others, and a mechanical female voice announced the results to the whole hall. Tan Youming was silent for a few seconds, and asked Zhao Shengge in great confusion: “How did you win?”

Zhao Shengge raised his head to drink water, his throat rolling, and told him calmly: “Maybe he used his brain to fight.”

“…” Tan Youming fiercely forked a piece of pineapple from the fruit plate, “Great.”

Zhao Shengge nodded politely.

Jiang Ying laughed wildly.

Zhuo Zhixuan was beaten badly in points and returned home in defeat. He asked his friend: “I almost died of thirst after three consecutive shots. Why didn’t you ask someone to serve the fruit?”

Chen Wan withdrew his gaze from the track and asked, “You’re on the field?”

“…”

Zhao Shengge put down the cup of water, and the sweetness flowed through his throat, taking away the thirst and itchiness of the cold.

It was the honey water that he had rejected.

The temperature and sweetness were just right.

In this scene, Tan Youming ordered pineapple beer, Zhuo Zhixuan ordered a sports drink, Jiang Ying drank ice water, and only the glass of honey water in his hand was brought by Chen Wan from the front desk personally.

Zhao Shengge saw it.

It’s hard not to see it.

That sincere, warm look without a trace of impurities reminded Zhao Shengge of Bozhu who had accompanied him.

Chen Wan is like a silent shadow. He doesn’t bother you. He just watches and waits from afar, as if he will come as soon as you call him, as if the few seconds of silence that night were just an illusion in the confused mind of the sick Zhao Shengge.

The inexperienced Zhao Shengge was certain that it would be best if Chen Wan volunteered, but if not, then he would do it his way.

But now he realizes that it may not be possible.

Chen Wan is no other than that.

If he really didn’t want to, Zhao Shengge actually thought about convincing himself to accept the possibility of losing another “Bozhu”.

It cannot be said that it was lost, because perhaps no one would believe that although Zhao Shengge had a prominent status, he had never owned anything that was complete and belonged to him.

Of course Chen Wan was not Bozhu, Zhao Shengge had never made a mistake, but his eyes were really dark and his gaze was so sincere.

Zhao Shengge could only tell himself that he was willing to give the person with dark eyes some more chances.

If Chen Wan still fails… then we have to do it his way.

As for what the outcome will be, let’s talk about it later. He will bear it all, Zhao Shengge thought coldly.

Having finished the honey water, Zhao Shengge went to get a glass of iced juice.

Chen Wan, who was trying out the ball, saw it and quickly walked over and said, “Mr. Zhao, it’s best not to drink ice after exercising. There is some honey water over there.” Others might be able to do it, but Zhao Shengge’s stomach would not allow such a risk.

Zhao Shengge did not put down the juice and politely declined: “No, this is fine.”

Chen Wan did not give up and continued to give suggestions: “We have tea, too. It’s Da Hong Pao.”

Zhao Shengge looked at him without saying anything.

Was it because she was afraid of offending him, or did she feel a little guilty for not behaving properly in that ambiguous phone call?

Zhao Shengge is a very generous person to others, but very mean to Chen Wan. Whenever the other party shows the slightest concession or flattery, he will become more demanding. His nature as a businessman who is always calculating and calculative is fully reflected in Chen Wan.

Where is Chen Wan’s bottom line? How much area is left for Zhao Shengge? Is it the same as others?

Zhao Shengge will no longer be so lenient with him. He will test him, cross the line, and if that doesn’t work, he will destroy it and fight again.

He can always make it work.

“Chen Wan,” Zhao Shengge lowered his eyes and looked at him, saying softly, “I don’t drink Da Hong Pao anymore.”

Chen Wan paused and asked, “What kind of tea have you been drinking recently? I’ll ask someone to make a cup. It won’t take long.”

Zhao Shengge stared at every subtle expression of his and said casually, Taiping Houkui.

Just now when Jiang Ying was placing his order, Zhao Shengge heard the waiter say apologetically that the green tea was temporarily sold out.

As the person who took care of everything, Chen Wan must have known this, but he just nodded.

After a while, a cup of light Taiping Houkui tea was really brought to Zhao Shengge.

Zhao Shengge seldom drinks green tea, but he also thinks it is very fragrant. He holds the teacup with both hands. He doesn’t know how Chen Wan does it.

An extremely sour and bitter feeling and a little regret seeped out from the hard heart, not much, but it was subtle and entangled with the nerves.

Chen Wan is too overbearing and too rampant, and can be said to do whatever he wants.

Zhao Shengge didn’t speak for a long time. He stared at him with dark, silent, and helpless eyes, and said slowly and softly, word by word: “Thank you, Chen Wan.”

Chen Wan was slightly stunned, not knowing why he came here, and said no need.

After Shen Zongnan called back, Tan Youming urged Zhao Shengge to go on stage again and asked Chen Wan to join as well.

Chen Wan said that she had just played several games and was going to watch the game first.

In the second half, the last three teams left on the standings were Zhao Shengge, Shen Zongnan and Qin Zhaoting.

Several people took turns to compete, and the rankings on the giant screen rolled. Later, Shen Zongnan voluntarily gave up. He had an important work call, and Tan Youming, who was still counting on him to help him avenge himself, was so angry that he wanted to smash his phone.

While answering the phone, Shen Zongnan freed his hand and patted him on the shoulder, both as an apology and a comfort.

Forget about Tan Youming.

Only Qin Zhaoting and Zhao Shengge were left. He weighed the ball and said with a smile, “Shengge, what do you say?”

Zhao Shengge lowered his head and pulled on his wrist guard: “I’m fine, are you tired?”

“Then continue.” Qin Zhaoting chose the ball.

Zhao Shengge walked to the lounge chair to find his towel. Chen Wan handed it to him and said, “Auntie just came here to clean up the garbage.” He put it aside first.

Zhao Shengge looked at him and suddenly remembered his teammates who played basketball when he was in school. Their lovers would bring them towels and water.

There was a sudden loud muffled sound on the fairway. It was Qin Zhaoting’s ball that hit the ball. The strong wind swept the fallen leaves, making crackling sounds.

“Damn, you scared me.” Tan Youming grabbed Shen Zongnan and said. Shen Zongnan didn’t finish his call and glanced over there.

Zhao Shengge was still wiping his sweat slowly, breathing slightly. His hair and eyebrows were particularly dark due to the sweat. His black eyes were staring at Chen Wan, making him look very young, like a male college student.

Chen Wan was not frightened. The heat from Zhao Shengge made his skin temperature rise, but he did not retreat. He suppressed his heartbeat and smiled gently: “Come on.”

Zhao Shengge paused slightly, his expression a little unnatural. He hummed lightly, handed the towel to him, and left without saying a word.

Chen Wan took Zhao Shengge’s towel and wanted to retreat to a farther position so as not to interfere with the pitching.

But after Zhao Shengge selected the ball, he slightly tilted in this direction. The movement was so light and fast that no one could have noticed it. However, Chen Wan’s footsteps stayed where they were and he didn’t move again, watching him complete the pitch.

Still SPARE.

His ranking in the ranking list continued to rise, and a young boy from the next district came to invite him to rank, and his ranking was very close to Zhao Shengge.

Zhao Shengge said with little interest that it was inconvenient.

This is a real college student. He doesn’t know Zhao Shengge’s identity. He is not afraid of his stern face and strong aura. He doesn’t leave even after being rejected and continues to watch the game with a smile on his face.

Chen Wan saw that his family must be well off judging by his attire and the fact that he could invite a group of classmates to play ball here.

A young boy cannot hide his thoughts in his eyes, at least they are not tainted by interests and calculations, there is only pure and innocent admiration and affection.

Chen Wan was used to this kind of expression. When he was in high school, Zhao Shengge played basketball in the school gymnasium and attracted students from several grades to come out in force.

The number of people allowed in the gym was limited, and Chen Wan was not a main campus student, so she could only walk across two campuses to the gym entrance to feed mosquitoes. If she was lucky, she might see the young masters coming out in a flamboyant and unrestrained manner.

One of the figures was more stable and reserved than his peers, but more relaxed and lazy than now, and had a smile that is almost impossible to see now.

Chen Wan saw the boy taking out his phone to take pictures, so she walked over to remind him: “Hello, you can’t take pictures without permission, I hope you understand.”

Zhao Shengge was not even allowed to take pictures of the financial reprints.

The boy exclaimed, “Oh!” “I’m sorry.” He is bold but not arrogant.

No one should understand his inability to help himself better than Chen Wan. Who hasn’t had a few moments in their youth when they couldn’t help but want to take pictures of Zhao Shengge?

Chen Wan would not embarrass a child, so she just said, “Delete the previous video.”

The boy immediately deleted it in front of him.

Chen Wan confirmed that there was no backup and invited him to eat some fruit nearby.

The boy looked at him in a daze, not understanding this guy. He looked easy to talk to, but actually had a very tough attitude. But actually… he was still easy to talk to.

Then he said, “Can I add a chat with you, brother?”

“…”

Zhuo Zhixuan laughed wildly.

Zhao Shengge had only played two innings when he suddenly left the fairway.

Chen Wan saw it and took the opportunity to decline the boy’s friend request. She walked over and asked, “Mr. Zhao, what’s wrong?”

Zhao Shengge glanced at the boy eating the fruit and said, “The wristband is gone.”

Chen Wan said, “Let me help you.”

Zhao Shengge looked up at him for a moment, then stretched out his hand to him, and Chen Wan quickly put it back on for him.

Bowling is not a sport that consumes too much physical energy. It focuses more on skill and viewing experience. However, later on, maintaining the hitting rate mainly depends on endurance. Qin Zhaoting barely maintained a high score.

Just when everyone thought that Zhao Shengge would continue to hit all the balls without any suspense, a 2-7-10 endgame unexpectedly appeared on the fairway.

Qin Zhaoting was slightly surprised. Zhao Shengge could even hit a double peak, so how could he make such a mistake? But he was also very happy because it meant that he would be the winner in the end.

2-7-10 can be considered a dead end. Shen Zongnian has good skills, but technical flow is not his strong point. Among the people present, perhaps only Zhao Shengge himself can solve the problem, but he has lost the qualification to make up the ball.

Originally, there were five rounds in a game, with two pitching opportunities in each round. However, in order to increase the fun and competitiveness and attract patrons, this new stadium adopted the latest club points system. After entering a high-scoring game, a second make-up is not allowed, and you can only choose teammates to let others make up the game.

Chen Wan had been keeping an eye on Zhao Shengge, fearing that he would be unhappy if he didn’t get all the answers right. Zhao Shengge turned his head back when he was looked at by Chen Wan, and Chen Wan gave him a smile that contained a hint of comfort and encouragement at the right time.

“…”

Qin Zhaoting came over and said with a smile, “Are you unfamiliar?”

Zhao Shengge smiled faintly. Qin Zhaoting hoped that he could win with more grace and legitimacy, and said, “Why don’t you appoint someone to complete the ball?” Although they all knew that no one who could really solve the situation would appear, it was just a symbolic completion of the last step in the procedure.

Zhao Shengge didn’t seem to have this intention, and said indifferently: “Just press it.”

There is a scoring button next to each track, pressing it means the race is over.

Qin Zhaoting shrugged and said, “Okay then.” He reached out to press the clearing button.

“Wait a moment.”

Chen Wan walked over to check the position of the pins, then turned to them and said, “Can I have a try?”