Song Zhejian first saw Xu Liangzhi on the basketball court. They were sitting in the front row, with three seats between them.
In the second half of the game, the score gap between the two schools gradually widened, and Chengbei No. 3 Middle School fell behind. Xu Liangzhi was sent in as a player for Chengbei No. 3 Middle School's basketball team.
Watching him walk onto the court, Song Zhejian finally learned his name: Xu Liangzhi, number 13.
After watching the game, Song Zhejian couldn't understand why Xu Liangzhi was a substitute when he was so good.
They met again more than a month later. Xu Liangzhi looked even colder than he had the first time. He'd been cornered, or more accurately, he'd been protecting a girl. During a fight with some thugs, a pocketknife had cut the outer corner of his left eye, and he was bleeding. It wasn't enough to disfigure him, though. Song Zhejian called the police.
"That scar looks pretty cool."
"If you think it's cool, you can cut yourself, too."
After that, Song Zhejian wanted to see Xu Liangzhi more and more, as if he'd been bewitched.
Xu Liangzhi seemed to warn strangers to stay away, and even people he knew to keep their distance. But in reality, he was easy to get along with.
One time, Song Zhejian and Xu Liangzhi were waiting for someone together.
With the sun beating down overhead, Song Zhejian was almost out of patience and couldn't help swearing. Xu Liangzhi, standing beside him, glanced over.
"Even little sunshine swears?"
"Little sunshine and the sun don't mix."
In every season except summer, Song Zhejian was even-tempered. He couldn't stand being under the blazing sun and didn't like the sweltering heat. When it was hot, he got irritable, and his words grew fewer.
"If I feel like it, I can eat ice cream in winter, too. I don't have to wait for summer."
Summer was Song Zhejian's irritable season.
But he could wait three hours under the sun for a single answer from Xu Liangzhi.
He got a tattoo in summer.
XU LIFETIME ZERO
A line of words running across his wrist.
After getting it, he always wore a wristband.
Keeping it hidden.
Afraid to show anyone.
The usually bold little sunshine had lost his nerve.
Xu Liangzhi got a tattoo on the side of his left index finger:
SUN ZJ
Xu Liangzhi didn't say much, but he never tried to hide it.
Message: Follow your heart.
