Chapter 58

A sudden gust of wind swept through, like a spear suddenly lifted upward, parting the clouds.

Sunlight poured through the gaps in the clouds, shining through the circular opening above the court.

Under the light, the four players’ movements seemed to cast dancing shadows.

Sui Houyu’s service game continued.

This time, they were using a more aggressive I-formation.

A doubles match opening is usually a battle between baseline players on one side and net players on the other—whoever controls the rhythm depends on who is in better form.

In men’s doubles, serve quality is extremely high, making breaks very difficult.

But Jiang Wei and Lu Qinghui were still trying. One return in particular was sliced into a deep lob, landing at a perfect angle toward a near-impossible corner.

What they didn’t expect was that Sui Houyu moved like a cat—leaning forward mid-sprint, his racket reaching out in a diving motion.

He scooped the ball back with a flick, saving what looked like a hopeless shot.

After the swing, he braked hard with his heel digging into the court, twisting his body sharply and cleanly changing direction as he chased the ball again.

In that instant, he had already reached the net.

The ball flew over his head. He didn’t even look back—just crouched near the net.

He didn’t need to look. He knew Hou Mo would handle it. His job was simply to stay low and not obstruct his partner. No matter which angle Hou Mo hit from, the ball would clear the net.

Doubles is a game of cooperation—often to the point of self-sacrifice.

Using “me” to complete “him.”

This was also why Hou Mo had once lost repeatedly when he refused to cooperate in doubles. Back then, he had not been willing to “complete” anyone.

Now, he was willing to support Sui Houyu—and Sui Houyu was willing to support him.

Sui Houyu watched the ball sail overhead and land in a spot neither opponent could reach.

Point secured.

He exhaled and turned to meet Hou Mo’s gaze.

Hou Mo raised an eyebrow. “Hurry up and praise your dad.”

“Get lost.”

“Heh.” Hou Mo actually looked pleased after being insulted.

Lu Qinghui looked at them and turned to Jiang Wei, smiling. “They’re really good!”

Like Sui Houyu, Lu Qinghui also became excited when facing strong opponents, his fighting spirit ignited.

Jiang Wei kept watching them. “Yeah. Don’t relax.”

Lu Qinghui rolled his shoulders and returned to position.

Sui Houyu observed the opponents before serving again, trying to tell them apart more clearly.

Jiang Wei and Lu Qinghui looked somewhat similar, both wearing caps. He had trouble distinguishing them.

Long-term doubles partners often start to resemble each other.

They eat the same food, share similar routines, and gradually develop similar features.

Jiang Wei and Lu Qinghui had been partners since their amateur sports school days. They grew up together, trained together, and competed together for years. Their height, build, complexion—and even their faces—were quite similar.

Sui Houyu genuinely had trouble telling them apart.

The first serve went out.

He took another ball from his pocket. Seeing Hou Mo’s hand signals behind him, he served again.

Last night, Hou Mo had drawn movement diagrams for serve-and-switch positioning. This time, Sui Houyu followed the plan and served to the inner corner.

The moment the ball crossed the net, both he and Hou Mo moved simultaneously—Hou Mo forward-left, Sui Houyu back-right.

Like two wings of an eagle spreading open.

Sui Houyu was the one moving back to cover. As he stabilized his position, he intercepted a straight return.

He seized the timing and attempted a passing shot.

But against Jiang Wei, such a shot was wishful thinking. Jiang Wei read it instantly and blocked it back with precision.

Jiang Wei was excellent at reading timing.

Good doubles players can instantly judge opponents’ states—who is moving, who is off-balance, and which direction is vulnerable.

Jiang Wei was a master at this.

His volley was sharp despite his size, showing extremely refined control.

He placed the ball into a gap neither Sui Houyu nor Hou Mo could reach.

Point to Dongti Affiliated Middle School.

Hou Mo noticed Sui Houyu frowning for a moment and immediately said, “It’s okay, keep playing.”

“Mm.” Sui Houyu quickly reset and returned to the baseline.

Hou Mo leaned in and whispered, covering his mouth: “Try to stretch the angles as much as possible and increase speed. That’s how we break this passive situation.”

“I know.”

Next round: same I-formation.

Hou Mo signaled. Sui Houyu served wide, then moved left. Hou Mo rushed forward to the net on the right, saw a lob coming, retreated quickly, and jumped into an overhead smash.

Lu Qinghui blocked it back at the net.

Hou Mo was prepared and engaged in quick net exchanges.

The pace was extremely fast—pure reaction and speed.

Hou Mo relied on anticipation, slowly drifting backward while volleying, then adjusted his racket angle and executed a clean passing shot.

Sui Houyu’s serve increased in speed, Hou Mo’s smash was decisive, and the following net exchanges were relentless. The opponents couldn’t keep up.

Hou Mo won the point.

In singles, Hou Mo was extremely strong—so strong that in a one-on-one, neither opponent would stand a chance.

He dominated situations without structured coordination.

Sui Houyu held his serve game.

Hou Mo finally let out a breath.

Holding serve—especially the first game—is crucial. Losing it early can seriously damage a player’s mentality.

Sui Houyu was unusual; he wouldn’t feel pressure and might even become more aggressive—but that didn’t mean frustration wouldn’t arise if they were suppressed. And if Sui Houyu’s emotions fluctuated, even he might struggle to control his temper, which would be dangerous for them.

So Hou Mo had gone all out this game.

Just to stabilize Sui Houyu’s mindset.

When it was Jiang Wei’s service game, Sui Houyu and Hou Mo finally felt the pressure.

Jiang Wei’s serve quality was extremely high, and both he and Lu Qinghui had excellent ball control. Once it was their turn to serve, the rhythm of the match fell entirely under their control.

Hou Mo tried several approaches but failed to break serve, even being forced into a messy situation where Jiang Wei won four straight points to take the game easily.

Sui Houyu took a ball from the ball kid and checked it, while Hou Mo came over to reassure him.

“It’s fine. Let’s keep going. Stay steady.”

“What are you nervous about?” Sui Houyu asked, putting a ball into his pocket.

“I’m not nervous!”

“You’re not nervous about the match, but you seem nervous about me,” Sui Houyu said. He glanced at the court, then back at Hou Mo. “You think I’m too fragile.”

“You don’t want to lose, do you?” Hou Mo asked.

“I don’t want to lose,” Sui Houyu said with a smile. “But I’m not someone who can’t afford to lose.”

His expression was open and calm. “Don’t worry—I’m not going to suddenly run out there and start fighting. I’m better now. I won’t lose control easily.”

Hou Mo looked at him for a while, his gaze deep, then finally looked away.

“Alright. I overthought it.”

As he walked away, he suddenly heard Sui Houyu laugh behind him.

“Dad, good luck.”

Hou Mo almost slipped flat on the court, shoulders shaking as he crouched at the net, trying not to laugh.

He suddenly realized he was the nervous one—and Sui Houyu was the one calming him down.

He had indeed overthought it.

In the stands, Liu Mo, Yang Hong, and others were watching the match, sitting near Deng Yiheng’s group so they could talk easily.

Not far away sat Tang Yao’s group.

Liu Mo frowned. “Does Hou Mo think he’s so great? He’s playing this hard—he’s not saving anything for this afternoon!”

San Xian laughed. “Why are you unhappy? Maybe you can beat him while he’s tired.”

Liu Mo shook his head. “That’s not honorable. Our relationship is competitive respect—you wouldn’t understand.”

San Xian agreed. “He’s the opponent he least wants to face.”

Liu Mo looked pleased. “He thinks that highly of me?”

Silence followed.

Deng Yiheng asked the coach, “The situation looks tense. Neither side can break serve. Can it stay like this?”

The coach said deeply, “On Sui Houyu’s serve, they barely hold. On Jiang Wei’s serve, they win easily. Hou Mo hasn’t found a solution yet.”

Liu Mo added, “Jiang Wei and Lu Qinghui are experienced. Jiang Wei’s serve is top-tier in doubles.”

Ran Shu looked around anxiously. No one was saying Sui Houyu could win.

Frustrated, he stared at the court through binoculars and muttered, “What is Hou Mo laughing at? Don’t laugh yourself into cramps at this point!”

Seeing more clearly through the binoculars, he added through clenched teeth, “They look like a painting together. So oily. I want to smack Hou Mo.”

Deng Yiheng blinked. “That artistic?”

“No. Not artistic. Just oily.”