Chapter Four

"We're friends!" Lin Zimo said simply. For Hugo, this was a huge shock—just friends? Was there really no other relationship?
Hugo asked, "What if one day you leave?"
"Then you can come find me. I'll be waiting," Lin Zimo replied playfully. Everyone knew the two of them were friends; those who didn’t know assumed they were siblings, while the teachers inevitably thought they were a couple.
In this moment, a gentle warmth enveloped them. Lin Zimo carefully continued tending to Hugo’s foot. Now, they were alone with no one else around.
"Thank you, my foot feels much better," Hugo said as he put his shoes back on.
"If you get hurt again next time, I won’t be so forgiving."
"I won’t, I won’t."
They spent half an hour together, and during that time, Lin Zimo felt their relationship had grown even closer.
After class, a boy came looking for Hugo. Hugo didn’t recognize him, but the boy clearly recognized Hugo, his eyes full of complicated emotion.
"Hugo, do you still remember me?" the boy asked.
Hugo turned to look him over and replied, "I don’t think I know you. Maybe you’ve got the wrong person?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Come on, seriously? It’s me, Xiao Jian."
"Xiao Jian? That name sounds familiar…" Hugo racked his brain, searching his memory for any impression of the name. Only one came to mind.
He recalled that back when he was in third grade—his third year on the national team—a new teammate had joined. That person’s surname was also Xiao, but Hugo wasn’t sure if it was this Xiao Jian. All he remembered was that the newcomer was in first grade and incredibly talented.
Hugo asked, "Wait… did you join the national team when you were in first grade?"
"Exactly!" Xiao Jian replied enthusiastically, clearly happy that Hugo remembered when he’d joined.
"So it was you! Now you’re in the same grade as me," Hugo said with delight, marveling at how the kid who’d once been a first-grader was now his classmate.
"Hugo, I didn’t expect you’d remember someone so little like me."
"If you hadn’t mentioned your name, I really wouldn’t have remembered. You gave me quite a surprise," Hugo replied with a laugh.

"By the way, Hugo, why are you still in seventh grade? Did you have to repeat a year?" Xiao Jian asked.
"No, that’s not it. A lot happened—let me explain," Hugo began, recounting how after graduating elementary school, his family’s circumstances changed. His father squandered all their money, leaving Hugo unable to afford further schooling. With no other choice, Hugo self-studied at home from age fourteen. Three years later, he was already seventeen when things improved financially, but it meant he was still only a seventh grader.
"So much happened… You’ve really had it tough," Xiao Jian said sympathetically.
Hugo shrugged with self-mockery. "It’s fine. Having a father like that is just bad luck. The moment he disappeared, I considered him dead to me."
Xiao Jian’s gaze grew more complicated. "Hugo, why did you retire? With your skills, you could have stayed much longer."
Hugo smiled. "That’s my own business. Don’t ask any more about it. I know why I retired, and that’s enough. Don’t bring it up again."
Xiao Jian nodded silently and left. Lin Zimo, who’d been eavesdropping nearby, suddenly felt as if she didn’t know Hugo at all.
"You know Xiao Jian?" Lin Zimo asked.
"It’s nothing. We were old friends, just catching up," Hugo replied.
Lin Zimo said, "He’s one of the best on the team; no one’s ever beaten him."
Hugo’s lips curled in a faint smile. "That might not be true. Everyone has a weakness."
"How would you know?"
"That’s a secret I can’t reveal."
Xiao Jian was nearly invincible on the national team, except for one person—Hugo. Xiao Jian had suffered defeat after defeat at Hugo’s hands, and after Hugo retired, Xiao Jian was known as Hugo’s successor.
"Playing mysterious again? I’d really like to know what Xiao Jian’s weakness is," Lin Zimo said. She wasn’t joking—she’d suffered plenty at his hands. She’d always thought herself unbeatable, but after facing Xiao Jian, she realized she was still a frog at the bottom of the well. In his eyes, her skills were nothing but flashy tricks.
"Then I look forward to you finding his weakness. Good luck!" Hugo encouraged her, then left the classroom to get something to eat. He felt gratified for Xiao Jian and confident that with Lin Zimo as his teammate, she’d one day surpass him.
A week passed, and it was time for midterms. The two quickly turned in their papers and headed home.

Lin Zimo grumbled, "Ugh! Why were those questions so hard? Didn’t you think they were difficult?"
"Difficult? I thought they were pretty easy, hardly any challenge," Hugo replied nonchalantly, which made Lin Zimo a little annoyed.
"No wonder you’re a top student. Reading every day really pays off. Maybe if I start studying every day, I’ll get good grades too."
Hugo laughed. "Well, well! Who would’ve thought you’d want to study seriously? Why didn’t you do that before, instead of ending up here?"
"My parents are here on business. Is that my fault?"
Lin Zimo had come to China with her parents, who earned a good living, but she was frustrated by the struggle to learn Chinese. When her parents found out her first friend was Hugo, he somehow became her Chinese teacher. Thanks to him, Lin Zimo could now speak Mandarin fluently.
Hugo complained, "Teaching you Chinese was exhausting. Your pronunciation was a mess—you really are something."
Lin Zimo shook his arm, saying, "I had a great teacher, after all. My wonderful teacher, you’re the best."
"Men and women shouldn’t get too close. That’s what my mom always told me," Hugo said.
"Am I a man?" Lin Zimo’s face darkened, and Hugo could sense her rising irritation.
He replied calmly, "Scientifically speaking, you have quite a few boyish habits. You’re not ladylike at all—you’ve got the spirit of a true man. So yes, you’re practically a guy."
Hugo didn’t say more. Seeing Lin Zimo lower her head and feeling the tension in the air grow, he sensed danger and bolted.
"You dare call me a man? You’ve got some nerve!" Lin Zimo shouted angrily.
There was a reason for Hugo’s words. From the day he met Zimo, she’d never struck him as girlish. He remembered one gym class when the teacher asked her to carry all the equipment back to the storage room, and Hugo watched as Lin Zimo slung everything over her shoulders and hauled it all away.
On top of that, someone had taught her a thick northeastern accent, making her sound like a local tough. Even her mother blamed Hugo for teaching her odd phrases, but Hugo swore he was innocent—Lin Zimo must have picked it up herself.
"Sorry, I’ll say it again next time," Hugo blurted without thinking.
"You! Just you wait!" Lin Zimo huffed and stormed home.