Xiao Zhan sat down next to Wang Yibo and said, "You could lie here till morning and still not win it back, right?"
Wang Yibo sat up.
He looked at Xiao Zhan. "You watched the race today?"
Xiao Zhan nodded, leaning back on his hands to adjust his posture comfortably. "I came with a friend. At first, I didn't know you were competing."
Wang Yibo looked at Xiao Zhan suspiciously. "Then why'd you come back again tonight?"
Xiao Zhan shrugged, looking indifferent. He didn't show sympathy or concern for Wang Yibo's loss, nor did he comfort him gently.
He shrugged casually, his words sounding like an offhand thought.
"If we're talking pure skill, you would've won for sure. But when it's a mechanical failure, there's no way to argue it. What really gets you is that it's a fair accident—there's no one to blame."
Xiao Zhan glanced at Wang Yibo. "It's just a pity... you were supposed to be the unlucky winner who missed out on the trophy. But acting like this, people will only remember you as the sore loser. Sometimes, how you carry yourself matters too."
"I'm not a sore loser!" Wang Yibo snapped, clearly annoyed.
"Then why are you out here in the wind this late?"
Xiao Zhan stood up and brushed off his pants. "Wanna run the laps you missed today? Remember where you were forced to stop, pass it, then next year crush this place and take that championship trophy back."
He wasn't sure if Wang Yibo would get mad—he'd only guessed that Wang Yibo hadn't left the track yet. A guy with such a strong desire to win wouldn't take soft comfort well. That much Xiao Zhan had already figured out from watching Mo Ran earlier in the day—it was useless.
So, he tried a different approach. Worst case, they'd argue. At least that'd let Wang Yibo blow off steam.
The best solution? Solve the problem with the 'vehicle'—go back and ride a couple laps. The drive to win comes from passion. If he could feel that thrill again, he'd remember why he started, and that he'd get another chance next year.
Wang Yibo stared at Xiao Zhan, and after a while, slowly put on his helmet.
His voice came muffled from inside.
"I'm not a sore loser. It's just... I prepared so long for this race. I predicted every possible outcome—except for this one."
Xiao Zhan looked at him and smiled faintly. "So, in my eyes, you're the unlucky winner."
Wang Yibo blinked and, behind the helmet, quietly curled his lips into a smile.
Xiao Zhan looked around. The track was empty, and his thoughts started to wander.
"If you're doing another lap, can I tag along? It looked so cool from the stands—really exciting. I wanna try it too."
Wang Yibo was known for his cold, aloof attitude. Usually, he didn't like talking to people. Maybe Xiao Zhan's earlier pep talk made him too embarrassed to say no—after thinking for a bit, the younger guy actually nodded.
"Sure."
He tossed Xiao Zhan a helmet and patted the backseat of the motorcycle.
But Wang Yibo quickly regretted giving in so fast.
This guy might be overly cautious, or just scared of dying—he started yelping as soon as they took off. Wang Yibo told him not to worry, that there was no way he'd crash, but when they hit a curve, Xiao Zhan shouted again, telling him to stop.
A minute ago, he'd been all fired up giving a motivational speech, but now he was panicking like a kid.
Wang Yibo stopped the bike, speechless.
"I'm not even going fast! The mopeds on the street go faster than this!"
Xiao Zhan, a bit embarrassed now, tried to appease him. "Not fast, not fast—it's me, I'm just a wimp."
The young racer still looked grumpy. Xiao Zhan's yelling during that turn had startled him too.
"If you're that scared, don't ride motorcycles. Just ride a bicycle or something."
Xiao Zhan chuckled awkwardly. "I don't know how to ride a bike."
Wang Yibo stared at him in shock, stunned speechless. "You—you don't know how to ride a bike?"
Xiao Zhan shrugged. His family always had a car, and he'd been chauffeured since he was a kid—never needed a bike. When he was little, he never got around to learning, and as he got older, he was more afraid of falling. Besides, Jiang Cheng drove him around everywhere now. That guy had just gotten a new sports car and was always looking for excuses to take it out.
"I can ride the kind with training wheels."
Wang Yibo was still staring at him in disbelief. "Isn't that what toddlers ride?!"
Xiao Zhan had a bit of a temper too. He immediately pulled off the helmet and shoved it into Wang Yibo's chest.
"What's wrong with toddlers? That ageist of you? Toddlers can't have cool bikes now? These days, lots of people can't ride a bike—what, you that annoyed? Then teach me."
"..."
Wang Yibo was about to say no, but hesitated.
"Are you serious?"
Xiao Zhan put on a dramatic show of thinking about it. "I was just talking nonsense."
"..."
By then, Wang Yibo had mostly cooled down. He looked out at the track, the frustration and resentment from earlier now replaced by what Xiao Zhan had said—passion, the kind that rushes through your blood when you love something.
This race was over. But there would be more. And more after that.
He couldn't be unlucky forever. Once his luck turned, he knew he could win.
Wang Yibo pushed the motorcycle back into the garage, and when he came back out, it had started to rain.
In the middle of summer, the rain felt refreshing and cool.
He saw Xiao Zhan running over from afar, holding a dark green umbrella. Xiao Zhan was tall and long-legged, running quickly. In no time, he was beside Wang Yibo, tilting the umbrella to cover both of them.
Wang Yibo looked up at the umbrella above them and suddenly felt moved.
"You kept this umbrella all this time?"
Xiao Zhan didn't think it was a big deal. "It was yours. Since we ran into each other again today, might as well return it."
Wang Yibo's lips twitched. "Maybe later—it's still raining."
"True." Xiao Zhan nodded in agreement.
They exited the racetrack from another gate. Wang Yibo calculated the distance and figured it was cheaper to take the bus back to campus. But with this guy here... if he also wanted to head back, Wang Yibo didn't really want to squeeze onto the bus with him.
Might as well call a ride for him—Wang Yibo pulled out his phone and opened the ride-hailing app, then suddenly remembered something.
"What's your name?"
He paused a beat, then added, "I'm Wang Yibo."
There was no response for a while.
Wang Yibo, annoyed, poked Xiao Zhan. "What are you looking at?"
"Look," Xiao Zhan said, still staring up, "it's raining, and there's still a big, bright moon out."
Wang Yibo poked him again. "I asked your name!"
Finally, Xiao Zhan turned his elegant profile toward him.
There was a hint of a smile on his lips, and his voice was slow and warm.
"Nice to meet you, Wang Yibo. I'm Xiao Zhan."
That smile was so clear and beautiful, Wang Yibo suddenly thought of the hazy moon hanging in the sky, hidden behind the soft curtain of summer rain.
***
2016
When Xiao Zhan returned home, he found Jiang Cheng reheating food in the kitchen. His heart was in turmoil, still caught up in the realization that Wang Yibo and Mo Ran had "slept together," or were "sleeping together," and if that wasn't something he could accept, then they were at least "in a relationship." He couldn't quite put into words how that made him feel.
It was rare for Jiang Cheng to get home before him. Xiao Zhan set his things down, washed his hands, and obediently sat at the dinner table.
"You've been getting off work pretty early these past couple of days."
Jiang Cheng brought the last dish to the table and said casually, "I had a fight with my manager, so I quit this afternoon."
Xiao Zhan froze, his hand that had just picked up the chopsticks falling back down.
Jiang Cheng continued, "Working under that idiot was driving me crazy. And my dad just got his health report—his kidney failure is getting worse. He's been pressing me to start working at the company, so I figured I might as well just leave now."
Mr. Jiang's health hadn't been good for years. He already had kidney problems, and now that it had progressed to kidney failure, he couldn't manage the company like before.
The Jiang family was no longer what it used to be. Mr. Jiang knew his declining health made him unreliable and, even though he didn't expect much from Jiang Cheng, he still hinted that he should take over the family business. But Xiao Zhan understood: Jiang Cheng wasn't refusing out of laziness. He simply had no passion for running a company. Xiao Zhan had never believed Jiang Cheng could settle down and run a business properly.
He didn't have the heart for it, and he wasn't talented in that field either.
All the frustrations that had built up in Xiao Zhan's heart—especially after hearing Jiang Cheng complain every day about his job—finally spilled out.
"You always say other people are idiots, but he was your superior. Have you ever tried respecting him? Are you so sure you're more capable than him?"
Jiang Cheng set his bowl and chopsticks down too. "What are you trying to say?"
Xiao Zhan's heart was pounding, but he still met Jiang Cheng's eyes.
"Honestly, Uncle Jiang is right. In the real world, hierarchy matters. A boss is a boss, and an employee is an employee. Why did you have to argue with him? Are you going to run your dad's company with that same attitude? I know you're passionate, but can't you stop and think about the consequences for once?"
Jiang Cheng had already had a rough day at work. He'd expected Xiao Zhan to comfort him, or at least be supportive. Instead, he got a lecture, and his face went cold.
"So, this is how you see me? Can't you have a little faith in me? No matter what you say, I just can't work with an idiot."
Xiao Zhan laughed bitterly.
"Jiang Young Master, how many people in this world do you actually respect? The world doesn't revolve around you. And believe me, I've had plenty of faith in you. Maybe too much!"
Jiang Cheng slammed the table and stood up. "What are you really trying to say?!"
Xiao Zhan was exhausted from the day. So much had happened, and his chest felt tight.
He looked at Jiang Cheng, sorrow written plainly on his face.
"The watch you gave me... it's fake, isn't it?"
The air turned thick with awkward silence.
Jiang Cheng hadn't expected that to come up. His expression froze. He wanted to shake his head and deny it, to shout back, but under Xiao Zhan's knowing gaze, he just couldn't.
His heart sank. He was at a loss for words.
What could he even say? It was fake.
Xiao Zhan had still been clinging to one last thread of hope, hoping Jiang Cheng might at least come up with an excuse. But the silence dragged on, and that final bubble of hope burst.
Xiao Zhan tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a smile, but it was filled with bitterness.
"It's fake, right?"
"Jiang Cheng, I never asked for an expensive watch. Even if I used to like that model, it doesn't mean I had to have it. I know you've always grown up with money, and you always felt like you had to give me the best. But things aren't the same now. Your dad's not doing well, and your parents don't like me because of you—I understand all of that."
Jiang Cheng lowered his head.
Xiao Zhan's voice was filled with quiet sorrow. "You want to give me the best. But if you can't afford it, you could've just told me. You didn't have to lie to me."
"...Jiang Cheng, why did you lie to me?"
He never once raised his voice. He just looked so tired, and so heartbroken.
After a while, Jiang Cheng finally lifted his head. Xiao Zhan could see the red in his eyes, the shimmer of tears.
"Because I was scared," Jiang Cheng said, his voice low and trembling. All the anger and defensiveness from before had vanished, replaced by nothing but unease.
"Xiao Zhan... I was scared."