TANW Extra 1.1

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Extra 1.1: Qi Feng X Angry T.Rex


The whistle blew.

Hearing the whistle, He Jiawei reflexively raised both his hands, signalling to the referee that his opponent’s fall had nothing to do with him.

As if the referee would listen to him. Turning around, he gestured at the scorekeeper — offensive team, No. 14, attacking foul.

The player that had been knocked against by He Jiawei was still lying on the floor, unable to get up. The referee called for a time-out.

Suppressing his anger, He Jiawei returned to the bench and took a seat. He grabbed a towel and scrubbed at his sweat, then tossed it on the floor furiously.

When the coach saw him sit down, he then quietly sighed in relief.

He Jiawei, as a player, he had speed and strength, and was very talented in playing basketball. His only flaw was his bad temper, and putting him in the team was like playing with a ticking time bomb, never knowing when he would explode.

To gentle his character a little, during the break, everyone else was going through training, while he alone had been assigned to go to a forest to meditate. In the end, he had ended up in a fight with a baboon, and was repatriated by the forest ranger with the crime of threatening the lives of protected animals.

However, this was also He Jiawei’s last year under him. Next year, at this time, he should be giving another coach in a high school a headache. Thinking of this, the coach did not know if he should feel reluctant, or celebrate it.

At this moment, He Jiawei was glaring at the opponent’s side with unhappiness. The team’s doctor was examining the player who had been knocked down by him. It seemed like his injury was quite bad, and his face was disappointed as he listened to the doctor. 

Tsk, if you’re as weak as a sissy, then you shouldn’t play basketball, He Jiawei spat silently.

The team doctor stepped aside, and another person replaced him, holding his ankle and checking his injury. He Jiawei recognised that person, that was the opposing team’s captain Qi Feng. Both their middle schools were the top teams in the court in open competition. In private, they did not get along, and were famous arch-rivals in Hushuo.

He Jiawei had been rivals with Qi Feng for three years already, both watching each other starting from a beginner who had just touched a basketball, and then quickly grow into the main force of the team. On the court, if one attacked, the other would defend, if one ran, the other would block, as incompatible as water and fire.

When Qi Feng finished examining his teammate’s injury, he stood up. Unconsciously he looked over to their side, and his eyes happened to meet He Jiawei’s.

This glance, for no reason at all, again lit up the fire within He Jiawei. In his eyes, that look was clearly full of disdain and contempt.

“What are you doing? Sit down!” The coach hurriedly yelled after He Jiawei who had stood up and started walking towards the court.

“The time-out is over, I’m going on court,” He Jiawei said self-righteously.

“Going on court?! You already have 5 fouls, go and sit down!”

“No, I want to stomp that team’s No. 7 under my feet.”

He Jiawei was now seriously unhappy, and no one would be able to stop him. The coach did not have any idea how to deal with him, and could only give in, “Then you better don’t be too rough. They definitely have their eyes on you, you have to try as hard as possible to avoid any bodily impact.”

“I know that!” He Jiawei replied impatiently.

He Jiawei, the holder of five fouls again returned to the court, no matter whether he was willing or not, he had to play cautiously. For a fierce player like him, it was as though he had an arm and a leg chained up. Also, the opposing team were targeting his weakness, and tried time and time again to bait him into fouling. His shots had completely been suppressed, and his temper was also being pushed to the limits.

He Jiawei finally got an empty spot despite the heavy defence. Turning and jumping to intercept the ball, who would have thought, at that very moment, someone appeared right in front of him. He Jiawei’s speed was too fast, unable to stop himself, and he fell uncontrollably forward.

The second he hit the ground, the whistle sounded in his ear. He Jiawei swore that at the same time, a mocking smile was hanging out Qi Feng’s lips, who was under him.

“You, you did it on purpose!”He Jiawei rolled up, wishing that he could tear Qi Feng into two.

Qi Feng was pulled up by his teammate. He had no reaction to what He Jiawei said, as though he completely did not notice his existence, and this attitude of ignoring him made He Jiawei even more furious.

The coach sent a reserve player to drag He Jiawei off the court. “Do you want to start a fight, and make the whole team disqualified before you’re happy?”

“Whose side exactly are you on?” He Jiawei questioned. “Why is everyone siding that bastard?”

“Then did he foul just now?” The coach asked in reply.

“Umm…” He Jiawei was stuck for an answer. “He dived!”

The coach used his clipboard to knock his head. “You think this is football? Diving? You clearly knew that they were trying to bait you into fouling, but you still jumped into the pit. Don’t mention that he nudged you, even if he tripped you over with his leg, as long as the referee judged that you’re the one who committed the foul, there’ll be no change in the ruling. If you make a fuss now, aren’t you falling for his scheme?”

Despite his anger, He Jiawei was unable to refute a single word.

“Enough,” The coach patted his shoulder in sympathy. “In the future, there’ll be even more chances for you to experience such situations. You, you really have to learn how to control your temper.”

The coach sighed after he finished. The opposing team’s No. 7 was a little crafty, but this player of his was also too forthright. If he could have half the slyness of the other person, he would not have been led by the nose by him.

With He Jiawei’s departure, not only did their team lose a core player, but it also affected their entire team’s morale. In the next half of the match they were completely suppressed by their opponents, and by the time the game was about to finish, they were lagging by over ten points, and even the opposing team captain left the court to rest.

He Jiawei could not bear to watch any longer, going outside to clear his head, and unexpectedly came across Qi Feng. Just now, his attention was fully on the game, and did not see when this fellow had left the court.

Qi Feng bought a bottle of water from the vending machine. Turning around, he found himself trapped by He Jiawei. No matter where he turned, there was him blocking him.

Qi Feng did not raise his temper unlike what He Jiawei had been anticipating for. Instead, he scornfully laughed, “Childish.”

“Who are you calling childish!” He Jiawei grabbed at the other person’s jersey, and dragged him over. The two of them looked at each other from a close distance, and He Jiawei discovered that Qi Feng was shorter than him by a few centimetres. This was not too strange, the role of point guards tended to be assumed by shorter people.

“I did bait you into fouling on purpose.” Qi Feng said. If he had gave him an excuse, He Jiawei could run with it, but now that he had openly admitted to it, He Jiawei instead did not know what he should do with the information. This feeling was like throwing a fist into cotton, the power completely being discharged.

“You caused Liu Yi to be unable to return to the court, so I did the same for you. Like this, we’re equal,” Qi Feng’s tone was as though he was chatting with an old friend of many years.

He Jiawei took awhile before he realised Liu Yi was the person he had first knocked down. “I just bumped into him slightly and he fell, I can even be blamed for this?”

“You’re right, you can’t really be blamed for it,” Qi Feng nodded. “His physique isn’t good, we advised him not to go onto the court, he wouldn’t listen. We advised him not to clash with you, he did not listen,” Qi Feng shook his head, “This fellow is too stubborn.”

“Such a weak person, and yet you guys still let him start?”

“Because he trained very hard. He’s not talented enough, and has a weak physique, but…” Qi Feng did not continue explaining. Liu Yi had went through a major illness as a child, and he had an old thigh injury. However, he would insist on running and training for a few hours daily, and that was why the coach made an exception and allowed him to start in the last game of his third year. However, Qi Feng did not want to tell He Jiawei all these, he did not have the habit of showing weakness to gain sympathy.

“However, you saw it as well. With his ability, it’s not possible for him to join the high school division. Over there, the degree of offence is even higher, and his body won’t be able to take it. To you, it may seem like you only bumped into him slightly, but to him it’s a serious ankle sprain, and he would not be able to participate in any of the upcoming games.”

Qi Feng separated He Jiawei’s fingers, removing his hand from his jersey. “I’ve only ended a game for you in advance, but you’ve ended his last game in advance. In the future, you’ll still have countless of opportunities to go on court, but he can only remain sitting in the audience stand.”

When He Jiawei’s team left the competition venue, he saw their rivals who had beaten them in a distance. Qi Feng was supporting Liu Yi as he hopped forward.

They also saw He Jiawei from the distance. Qi Feng still had that belittling attitude of his, but it was Liu Yi who smiled as He Jiawei.

He Jiawei swiftly turned his head away, but a second later, he secretly glanced in their direction again. Liu Yi hopped up the bus, and when their bus had drove far off, He Jiawei was still gazing at the faraway black speck in a daze.

“What are you doing here?” A few days later, Qi Feng bumped into an unexpected visitor at his school gate.

“I, I,” A usually fearless He Jiawei had momentarily turned into a bashful little girl, “I want to look for Liu Yi, but I don’t know which class is he in.”

Qi Feng found it funny, “So you just came over abruptly?” If he had not bumped into him, he did not know how long would this fool have to stand outside for.

With his words, He Jiawei’s embarrassment turned into anger. He shoved the thing in his hand at Qi Feng, “Help me pass this to him. This is a medication that I use very frequently, it’s very effective.”

“Because you often get into fights, so you often get injured?” Qi Feng ridiculed him without a modicum of politeness.

“You!” He Jiawei fisted his hand in anger, repeatedly reminding himself that he was not here to pick a fight. “Whatever, just remember to pass it to him!”

Qi Feng yelled away He Jiawei who had already ran off, “Why aren’t you going to look for him yourself?”

“I can’t be bothered about it!” He Jiawei shouted without looking back.

After running a short distance, he suddenly stopped, turned and with a red face, he began to speak but hesitated a few times. Then, he finally forced his words out, “Help me tell him I’m sorry!”

Qi Feng watched as he quickly ran off, then looked down at the bottle in his hand. Unconsciously, the corner of his mouth twitched. This fellow was a little violent, but he was pretty interesting.

   ※※※

Today, He Jiawei was again hiding in the shadows, even he himself felt that he was a pervert.

The summer after graduating from middle school, many of the liberated students would go on a holiday, some would haunt internet cafes and play online games, while He Jiawei alone chose to come here and peep.

This was a discovery he had made when he wanted to pass something to Liu Yi, a dojo near Liu Yi’s school.

The young He Jiawei had a very healthy interest, he was a fan of girls’ judo.

Girls who clearly looked as though they could be blown away by the wind, but could exert such unexpected strength, that sort of beautiful contrast made He Jiawei’s heart pound the first time he saw it.

Actually, the dojo was open to public. It would not matter if he just walked in openly. However, He Jiawei was a boy who would turn shy at critical moments, and after lurking about for two days, he still could not think of a valid excuse to go inside.

Feeling a pain on his head, he hurriedly turn around, and glared at the criminal who attacked him.

“Why is it you?” After recognising the person, He Jiawei exclaimed silently that one really could not avoid his enemies. 

“Peeping Tom.”

“Who, who’s the peeping tom!” Having been pointed out, He Jiawei blustered incoherently.

“You’ve already been peeping here for 2 days, and you’re not a Peeping Tom?” Qi Feng pointed out the fact pertinently.

“How am I peeping? I’m openly watching!” He Jiawei refused to admit it. “Hold on, how did you know that I’ve been here for two days already?”

“Because I live across the street.”

“Across?” He Jiawei looked around him, then pointed at the dojo across the road in surprise. “But there’s only that building over there?”

“And that means people can’t live in it?”

He Jiawei’s jaw was about to fall to the floor. The ultimate destination that he had been yearning for, people could actually just stay in there like this?

“What kind of person are you? Why would you stay in a dojo?”

Qi Feng snorted and headed straight for the dojo, ignoring him.

“Hey! Wait for me!” Without any hesitation, He Jiawei chased after him.

“Wow!” To be “finally” able to “officially” enter the doors of the dojo, He Jiawei’s joy was indescribable.

The children’s judo class was on-going right now. This was not a coincidence, but something He Jiawei had found out after peeping for the entire day yesterday. In the morning it was Taekwondo, in the afternoon, judo, and in the evening, it was kendo. Hence, he specially chose to come in the afternoon today.

Looking at the little lolis who at most seem to be twelve years old, He Jiawei was about to soar up to the sky in elation.

“Xiao Feng, you’re back,” The judo teacher waved at Qi Feng, then looked at the drooling He Jiawei behind him. “Oh, you even brought a friend?”

He Jiawei secretly sent a questioning look towards Qi Feng, and Qi Feng introduced her concisely, “My mom.”

“Hi, Auntie!”

He Jiawei solemnly gave a ninety-degrees bow, and his voice was loud and clear, giving Qi Feng’s mother a fright. “Ha! This child is full of vitality!”

“He’s not my classmate,” Qi Feng told his mother.

“So he must be your friend?” Qi Feng’s mother asked.

He Jiawei looked worshipfully at the judo uniform on Qi Feng’s mother, and he nodded his head vigorously. “Yes!”

He Jiawei clutched Qi Feng’s hand emotionally, “Let’s be good friends!”

Qi Feng looked down at his hand, then looked up at him. The corner of his mouth gradually tilted up, and a mocking smile appeared on his face. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you.”

He Jiawei was not bothered by it, he could already let go of all previous resentments. Now, nothing was more important than making a friend who lived in a dojo, and he scurried after Qi Feng like a shadow.

“This dojo is owned by your family?”

“No.”

“Then why can you live here?”

“My parents are coaches here.”

“Your father also teaches judo?”

“Taekwondo.”

“Then why do you look like you can’t fight at all?”

Qi Feng’s feet abruptly stopped, and He Jiawei bumped into him. Rubbing his nose with tearful eyes, he saw a fist appear in front of him. “Would you like to give it a try?”

What happened next was He Jiawei being crushed by Qi Feng in all sorts of manners. He was really a child of a martial arts family, after changing into his uniform he was crazy impressive, and He Jiawei, famed for his strength, was completely not his opponent.

After being tossed to the ground again by Qi Feng, He Jiawei refused to stand up. He spread his limbs out as he panted, “I didn’t expect you to be so good at this, then why did you have to use such underhand methods on the court?”

“Underhand methods?” Qi Feng realised that in this person’s mind, schemes and plots could all be labelled as underhand methods. “I use my brain to play basketball, unlike you who only knows how to use his body to play.”

He Jiawei puffed out his cheeks. He had been interacting with Qi Feng with utmost sincerity in wanting to be friends, and so was determined to not bend down to his level.

Qi Feng’s mother also came over. The children were practising by themselves, and she had not missed a bit of the entire process of the fight between her son and her son’s “good friend”.

“You’re very strong, but just with strength alone, it’s not enough,” Qi Feng’s mother did a pose. “Judo is about using softness to overcome hardness, and a little strength can show great potential. I’ll teach you a few moves, and next time, you won’t be defeated so badly by Xiao Feng.”

Hearing that, He Jiawei leapt up instantly, bowing deeply again at Qi Feng’s mother. “Please guide me!”


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Alex PT
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0 thoughts on “TANW Extra 1.1

  1. Yay, welcome back to the world of The Antelope and the Night Wolf! 🦖 They must’ve intentionally applied to the same university since they weren’t attending the same middle school and (I’m guessing) high school.

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