Even Love Has an Expiration Date—Don’t Chase Me Now - Chapter 9:

Chapter 9: Watching Him Build His Tower

During P.E. class, as usual, everyone jogged two laps before the teacher allowed them to move freely. Those who wanted to play ball could play ball, and those who wanted to read could read. The only condition was that no one could return early to the classroom or dormitory.

“Play carefully, alright? Don’t go bumping into things. If someone gets hurt, your homeroom teacher will definitely come after me.” The P.E. teacher tossed a basketball to the boys while laughing and reminding them.

These students were preparing for the college entrance exam. If it weren’t for school policy, the homeroom teachers would rather have them locked in classrooms all day. Any injury now could seriously affect their studies.

“Relax, teacher, we’re just messing around.” Li Pengfei caught the ball and mimicked a shooting pose. Then he looked at Bai Shinan beside him, “Hey Bai, want to play a round?”

Ever since Bai Shinan started chasing Mu Yuwei, he rarely played basketball anymore, mainly because he’d end up covered in sweat—and Mu Yuwei hated the smell of sweat.

“Sure. Loser cleans the dorm bathroom this week.” Bai Shinan unbuttoned one of the buttons at his collar. After all, he was naturally an energetic person.

“Then you’re definitely scrubbing that toilet.” Li Pengfei dribbled the ball and ran toward the basket without warning.

“Playing dirty, huh?” Bai Shinan cursed playfully and chased after him.

The energy between Bai Shinan and Li Pengfei drew in a bunch of other boys itching to play. Eventually, since there were so many people, they organized an actual game.

“Yuwei, Bai Shinan and the others are playing a friendly match with boys from another class. Want to go watch?” Liu Tiantian walked over to Mu Yuwei, who was sitting under the shade of a tree, and shared the news.

Liu Tiantian still hoped Mu Yuwei and Bai Shinan would patch things up soon. That way, she could continue riding the wave of their relationship.

“Boring. Not going.”

Mu Yuwei didn’t even look up and just kept reading the English version of Pride and Prejudice. She had no intention of reaching out to Bai Shinan until he admitted his mistake. Cheering him on was completely out of the question.

Besides, Bai Shinan would be drenched in sweat after playing ball, and just thinking about the smell gave her goosebumps.

…

After the friendly basketball match, Bai Shinan’s hair was soaked, and the two buttons on his collar were undone. He leaned against the pole of the basketball hoop, slightly lowering his head while tugging at his collar, exuding a carefree and rebellious aura.

“Senior, here’s some water.” A freshman girl, pushed by her friends, nervously offered Bai Shinan a bottle of water. Her class happened to share the same P.E. period as his.

As first-year students, they still had plenty of time to enjoy high school life, and the most enthusiastic spectators during the game had definitely been the girls from their class. Bai Shinan had, without question, been the most eye-catching one on the court.

“Thanks, but no need.” Bai Shinan flashed a friendly smile that nearly stole the girl’s heart, but he really wasn’t interested in underclassmen.

The girl had no choice but to walk away empty-handed, and her friends quickly came over to comfort her.

Just then, a timid voice spoke up, “Bai, would you like some water?”

This time, Bai Shinan didn’t refuse—because the one asking was Zhu Yuyou. She was holding a 1-liter, red, transparent plastic water bottle. Honestly, no other girl but her would ever use something that outdated.

She had clearly mustered all her courage to say those words. Zhu Yuyou kept her head down, her voice trembling slightly. She didn’t want to embarrass Bai Shinan, but she was also genuinely worried he’d get dehydrated.

“How much is the water? I’ll pay you back,” Bai Shinan teased, remembering what she had said earlier.

Zhu Yuyou froze, then glared at him before shoving the water bottle into his hands and mimicking his tone, “Friendship is priceless.”

A moment later, they both laughed, and the awkwardness between them disappeared.

Bai Shinan twisted open the lid. The water was lukewarm—not cold, not hot—perfect for someone who had just finished exercising. He had to admit, Zhu Yuyou was a very considerate girl.

He tilted his head and raised the bottle, hesitating briefly about whether to drink from a distance. But the opening of her bottle was so wide it was impossible to tilt it slowly like a regular water bottle.

If he tried to drink without touching it, the water would probably gush out like a waterfall and choke him.

Between choking to death and an indirect kiss, Bai Shinan chose the latter.

After he finished drinking, Zhu Yuyou also looked slightly uncomfortable. Clearly, she had realized the same thing. But both of them pretended nothing had happened.

…

During the lunch break, someone uploaded photos of the basketball game to the class group chat, including one shot of Bai Shinan tugging at his collar, looking cool and rebellious.

Many girls silently clicked “Download Original,” then saved the photo. The shier ones hid it in their photo albums; the bolder ones set it as their wallpaper.

Most of the earlier pictures were pretty normal—some of Bai Shinan, some of other classmates—nice and balanced. But the last photo was a bit more… telling. It showed the exact moment Zhu Yuyou handed Bai Shinan the water bottle.

Someone even commented underneath that they seemed to have seen Bai Shinan walking Zhu Yuyou back to the girls’ dorm last night.

“Yuwei, don’t tell me Bai Shinan’s stooped so low after your rejection that he’s chasing a country girl now?” Liu Tiantian was visibly shocked. If Bai Shinan really started dating Zhu Yuyou, wouldn’t she lose her go-to errand guy?

“Just childish games for attention. I’m going to take a nap.” Mu Yuwei’s tone was calm and collected. The louder Bai Shinan acted out now, the more it proved how much he still cared.

In her view, whether it was walking Zhu Yuyou back to her dorm or accepting her water, it was all just a performance meant for her—to stir up a sense of urgency and make her slip up.

All she needed to do was stay steady and unmoved.

Watch as he builds his red tower, watch as he hosts his banquet of guests, and watch as his tower eventually crumbles.