029 Ball Buddies

Two hours passed quickly. Fang Qingye and Liu Dong said a polite goodbye to the two young women, then went to shower and change before leaving the badminton hall.

"Liu Dong, I noticed you were laughing and talking with the girl you played against. Did you two know each other beforehand?" Fang Qingye asked.

"Not exactly. Her name is Bi Huanhuan, and she works at the Government Office. I'd seen her before; since our lines of work are similar, we have common topics," Liu Dong explained.

Fang Qingye just said "Oh" and left it at that.

"Her cousin, the girl you played with, is named Du Juan. She's a P.E. teacher at Chaoyang Middle School," Liu Dong added.

"So you introduced me to them, then?" asked Fang Qingye.

"Of course."

"Fine, whatever you say."

Liu Dong smiled and asked, "Yezi, I don't have time tomorrow night. How about we play the day after, this Saturday at noon?"

"Sure, I'll play the loyal companion," Fang Qingye laughed.

"It's a date then. Three in the afternoon. I'll treat you to beer after we finish."

"Forget it, I'll treat you. You pay for the court fees; I'm afraid I'll eat you out of house and home if you keep paying," Fang Qingye replied.

Liu Dong chuckled and didn't respond. His salary wasn't bad—over 2,000 yuan a month—but between the money sent home to cover his student loans and his living expenses, his budget was tight. Since they were close friends, there was no need for pretense.

On Saturday afternoon, Fang Qingye finished his nap and headed to the badminton hall near the stadium on his scooter. Liu Dong had already arrived, and they began their practice. A few minutes later, Fang Qingye noticed two women—one tall and one short—carrying badminton bags enter the hall.

*Oh, no...* It was the same two from a couple of days ago!

Bi Huanhuan spotted Liu Dong and waved at him with a smile from across the hall. Liu Dong hurried to wave back. Seeing this, Fang Qingye asked, "Hey, did you two plan this?"

"No, it's just a coincidence! I really didn't invite them," Liu Dong insisted anxiously.

"Alright... I believe you."

The two women went to the changing room and, once dressed, started playing on an empty court next to them. After an hour, Du Juan suggested swapping opponents. Before Fang Qingye could say a word, Liu Dong readily agreed.

*This guy,* Fang Qingye thought, *is he actually interested in Bi Huanhuan?*

Still, playing with Du Juan was fine; it was a match of equals. They played without much conversation, unlike Liu Dong and Bi Huanhuan on the next court, who were laughing and chatting throughout.

By mid-June, Nanxin County had entered the rainy season. Unlike the fierce storms of the previous year, this year's rain was relatively gentle, though the constant dampness made everything feel sticky and uncomfortable.

One afternoon, after a morning of rain that showed no signs of stopping, Fang Qingye was heading back to his office when his phone rang. It was Liu Dong. Expecting another invitation to play, Fang Qingye picked up. Sure enough, Liu Dong asked if he was free to play that night.

"I've got something to do tonight, I'm afraid I can't," Fang Qingye said.

"Are you sure?"

"Why would I lie? Just go ask Bi Huanhuan and Du Juan. You're friends, and your game is pretty good now," Fang Qingye suggested.

"I don't know if they're free or if they'd want to... I'll give it a try."

"You'll definitely make it happen!" Fang Qingye encouraged him.

Just as he hung up, a voice behind him asked, "Xiao Fang, are you making plans to play badminton?"

He turned to see Xia He. "A friend invited me to play, but I'm busy tonight, so I told him to find someone else."

As they walked upstairs, Xia He asked curiously, "Badminton? Xiao Fang, what's your skill level like?"

"So-so, I suppose."

"Really? Would you like to play sometime?" Xia He suddenly proposed.

"You like badminton?" Fang Qingye was surprised.

"Yes. I played often in school, and when I worked in Jinling, I’d go to the hall with friends or even by myself to play with the resident coaches. But here in Nanxin, I don't know many people, and I heard there are no resident coaches at the hall here."

Fang Qingye nodded. Badminton was indeed a niche sport in Nanxin.

"Well, I've found a partner now," Xia He said with a bright smile.

"Alright, let's play sometime."

"How about tonight?"

"Not tonight, I have plans," Fang Qingye declined immediately; he couldn't bail on his previous commitment.

Xia He didn't push it. "Then how about the night after tomorrow?"

"Sure."

Two days later, the rain was still intermittent. That evening, just as he was finishing dinner, Fang Qingye received a call from Xia He. "Xiao Fang, don't forget, we're playing tonight."

"I remember. I'll be at the stadium at 7:30 sharp," he replied.

"Let's go to the Yikangyuan Sports and Leisure Center instead? I heard the conditions are better. I'll drive to pick you up. You live at the Teachers' Residential Complex on Wenhua Road, right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll wait for you at the gate at 7:15."

After hanging up, his mother, Zhang Meili, asked, "Xiaoye, is Liu Dong asking you to play again?"

"Yes."

Fang Qingye started to explain it was Xia He, not Liu Dong, but decided it wasn't worth the trouble.