Chapter 13: A Lonely Figure

The next day, when Shanshan arrived at the bank for work at 8:30 AM and walked inside, she was surprised to find that the very first person in line was that "weirdo" from yesterday. How could this guy be like this?

Lin Fei smiled faintly, keeping his eyes fixed on her as she walked in.

Suddenly, Shanshan deliberately struck up a conversation with a male colleague.

"Do you like basketball?"

"Who is your favorite player?"

"Right now? Kobe, Rose, Lin Fei!"

Shanshan widened her eyes and looked at her colleague, her heartbeat quickening.

The male colleague looked confused. "Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Take a look at the first person waiting in line outside. Doesn't he look familiar? He came in for business yesterday, and his name is also Lin Fei."

The male colleague glanced over, and his gaze instantly froze the moment he saw Lin Fei. Apart from a slight difference in hairstyle, he looked exactly like the person on the live streams.

"Are you sure his name is Lin Fei?"

"One hundred percent sure. He went to my school; he's my senior."

The male colleague, who was wearing professional attire and trying to maintain a serious, formal demeanor, couldn't keep his mouth closed upon hearing this.

"Really? The Lin Fei from your school? He came to Qingdao?"

"Why would I lie to you? If you don't believe me, go ask him yourself."

"Impossible. I know that he practically had no schedule this summer. He does very few endorsements. It seems he went on a break right after the national team matches ended. What is he doing in Qingdao?"

"Hehe, how would I know? But that person out there is Lin Fei. You'll see for yourself in a moment!"

The male colleague also felt that Shanshan was acting unusually today. He tried to calm his mind, but his heart kept beating faster and faster, anticipating a chance to cross paths with that guy and confirm it for himself. It was rare to see a superstar at such close range.

Lin Fei simply waited quietly outside. His attire today was noticeably different from yesterday's; it was relatively more formal. Yesterday he had looked rather casual, but today he wore proper casual clothes, lest he make his little junior sister feel he was being frivolous.

Standing by the ticketing machine, Lin Fei watched Shanshan's counter to see when it would open, locking his eyes on that position. He had swapped places with people in line several times. Old men and grandpas looked at the young man as if he were a lunatic, thinking he had lost his mind. There was no helping it; with so many people around, he couldn't just take multiple queue tickets like he did yesterday, so he had to resort to this.

Finally, Lin Fei was able to face Shanshan directly once again. He flashed that same sunny smile, while Shanshan lowered her head and giggled secretly.

"Sir, what kind of transaction would you like to make?"

"What kind of transactions do you have here?" This question caught Shanshan off guard, and she let out a soft laugh.

Just then, Shanshan's colleague walked over, appearing to ask her for something. But it was obvious that Shanshan knew exactly what was going on.

"Sir, may I see your ID card, please?"

Lin Fei handed it over proactively. He hadn't even requested any banking service yet, but he handed it over immediately because the person asking for his ID was Shanshan.

"Let me help you open a bank card!" Shanshan proposed on her own initiative. She then handed the ID card to her colleague, asking him to help make a photocopy. The male colleague was practically dumbfounded. He stood frozen for a moment, then quickly took the ID card from Shanshan and went off to make the copy. As he walked away, he kept his fists clenched, looking utterly thrilled.

Lin Fei stared at Shanshan intently, much like an impudent young master from a wealthy family. Meanwhile, Shanshan pretended to be nonchalant and busy organizing some documents, though everyone knew her heart was pounding wildly inside. After all, meeting her colleagues' idol was quite an exciting affair.

"Are you free today?" Lin Fei leaned in and asked in a low voice.

"I'm working overtime today!"

"Oh!" Until what time?

"I'm not sure about that." Shanshan raised her head and smiled with her lips pursed. This seemed to be the smile from a girl that Lin Fei loved to see the most.

"Anyway, I'll still be waiting there until eight o'clock. Whether you come or not is up to you! Hehe, I suppose I should go explore Qingdao anyway."

"Wishing you a pleasant trip, sir."

"Can I have your phone number?"

"Hehe, it's not convenient right now. If there's a chance, I'll give it to you later!" Shanshan's voice maintained its warmth throughout, leaving Lin Fei utterly captivated.

At that moment, the male colleague returned to hand back the ID card. By now, he was entirely certain of Lin Fei's identity because the address on the ID card was identical to Shanshan's—both belonged to the school's communal housing, confirming they attended the same school. Furthermore, the name on the card was indeed Lin Fei. This left no doubt that this Lin Fei was none other than the world-famous Lin Fei: the player who had scored 64 points in a single playoff game, notched two 60-point games in a single season, claimed the league scoring title in just his second season, erupted for 28 consecutive points in three minutes, and possessed both ghost-like speed and a sniper's jump shot—the most high-potential basketball superstar on the planet.

The male colleague whispered something to Shanshan. Shanshan turned around and looked at him, realizing he had a request, and she seemed to readily agree. The colleague handed Shanshan a piece of paper.

"Sir," Shanshan paused slightly before speaking, "could you please give me an autograph on this?"

Lin Fei took it and saw that it was a poster of himself shooting the ball. He smiled gently and scribbled his name.

Shanshan took it back and glanced at it. "Lin Fei, Qingdao Bank." Then Lin Fei gave her a meaningful look, mouthed "I'll be waiting for you," poked his tongue out playfully, and walked away.

Originally, this had been an autograph requested by the male colleague, and Shanshan had merely done him a favor.

"Sir, your bank card." Shanshan called out loudly. Lin Fei turned around, smiled down to the ground, and walked away.

In truth, Lin Fei had left behind plenty of contact details, though he wondered if Shanshan would ever reach out to him, such as through his phone number.

With the person finally found, Lin Fei's mood was exceptionally light and buoyant. He drove along the coastline to catch the breeze. The flowing clarity of the air, the crisp sound made by the rolling waves, the speeding car, and the carefree vibe—when it came to lifestyle, material enjoyment could hardly offer anything better than this.

At 5:00 PM, Lin Fei went to the Zhanqiao Pier to wait. All by himself. The gentle sea breeze felt extraordinarily romantic at dusk. From the very first breath of refreshing air, Lin Fei began to grow excited. "If Shanshan really comes over, should I treat her to a meal, or take her somewhere for a stroll?" Lin Fei began pondering all these subsequent possibilities.

As the saying goes: *Blue is your collar, deep is my yearning.* Perhaps no words could describe Lin Fei's state of mind better than these.

Yet, to his great disappointment, by eight o'clock, the girl still had not appeared. Lin Fei began to panic. She hadn't even given him a call or left a message. Why was this little junior sister acting like this?

Perhaps she was held up for a little while! Lin Fei hadn't even eaten dinner yet; his stomach was rumbling, and he hadn't even dared to use the restroom, terrified of missing her arrival.

8:10 PM. Still nowhere to be seen!

8:20 PM. Still nothing.

Let's just call it a day at 8:30 PM. It seemed he was destined for disappointment.

Right as the clock struck 8:30, Lin Fei stood there quietly, still no sign of her. The pier had been bustling with people earlier, but now the crowds were gradually dispersing.

Lin Fei looked around in disappointment.

His eyesight wasn't great to begin with, but in the split second his gaze swept across the head of the pier, he spotted that familiar figure.

As the ancient verse puts it: *Having searched for her thousands of times in the crowd, suddenly I turn back, and there she stands in the dim fading light.*

Lin Fei sprinted over, moving a hundred times faster than his fastest dribble on the court.

"Hehe, you came!" In an instant, all the disappointment of waiting vanished like smoke.

"Hehe, Senior, you really know how to scheme. Alright, here is your bank card, and also, here are your two slips of paper!" She handed them to Lin Fei with a bright, generous smile. The hazy twilight accentuated her figure, making her look absolutely breathtaking.

Lin Fei smiled gently and accepted the bank card along with the two slips of paper—the very same two slips he had handed her when he first came to the bank yesterday.

"Alright. I have to go now, or I'll miss the last bus. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip."

"Have you eaten? I can give you a ride back!"

"Hehe, Senior hasn't eaten yet, right? You should go eat quickly! I'm more used to taking the bus anyway." With that, she gently walked away. Lin Fei stood behind her, unsure of what to do, because only now did he realize that asking a girl out for a stroll at night indeed wasn't very proper. Still, Lin Fei jogged after her a few steps. "Let me walk you to the bus stop! Actually, it's been a long time since I rode one myself!"

She smiled faintly.

Lin Fei instantly felt that was the wrong thing to say. Heard that way, it sounded like Lin Fei was just trying to tag along, even though his original intention was simply to see her off. Some people are just like that—when they run into a certain someone, all their usual composure flies out the window, and every word that comes out of their mouth seems entirely inappropriate.

Lin Fei offered a faint smile. He walked Shanshan to the bus stop without getting on, and after she boarded the bus, he gave a gentle wave. All he could see was his junior sister's receding figure, leaving him with a sudden sense of desolation.

Goodbye, little junior sister; goodbye, Qingdao. Lin Fei had no idea if he would ever return. The sounds of the seaside, however, remained as clear as ever.