Chapter 116: Chapter 116: Better Than Expected

Boston Airport, just off the plane, Wang Yang walked towards the terminal with empty hands. Looking up at the sky, he saw it was already close to evening. That morning he had been in Los Angeles, and after almost ten hours on a flight, he arrived in this city. After watching the USC vs. Boston College game tonight, he would catch the red-eye back, and tomorrow he’d be back at USC attending classes.

Wang Yang couldn’t help but smile. What a crazy day! But USC had finally made it back to the national championship, and he couldn’t miss a single game. Just then, his phone in his pocket started ringing. Jessica? He took it out to see, and it was actually Natalie calling. As he walked, he answered the call with a casual laugh, “Hey, buddy, what’s up? I’m in Boston, just got off the plane.”

“I just wanted to ask you about the Oscars next week… What?! You’re in Boston right now?” Natalie on the other end shouted in surprise, then quickly asked, “Dude, what are you doing there?” Wang Yang looked down at his jacket bearing the USC logo and chuckled, “I’m here to watch a game, USC against BC. Oh, you didn’t know? Right, you’re not into basketball.” Natalie ignored his latter words, instead asking, “With your girlfriend?”

“No, she’s feeling under the weather,” said Wang Yang with regret into the phone. Every mid-month, a good friend would visit Jessica for a few days, and it was that time of the month. Sitting on a plane for 20 hours in one day was too much hassle, so she didn’t come with him.

“Oh man, I’ll go with you to the game!” Natalie’s voice sounded very excited, and Wang Yang suddenly stopped in his tracks, “You? To a basketball game?” He thought about it, who knows what had spurred her on, but this was a nationally televised match, the two of them going to a game together? He laughed and declined, “Nah, I’m good by myself, you know the gossip problem.”

At Harvard’s women’s dormitory, Natalie frowned, her hand tapping on the laptop keyboard, speaking, “Believe me, Boston is pretty much paparazzi- free.” She was quickly browsing the NCAA basketball information on the screen, analyzing that guy’s psychology, speaking in a casual tone, “Plus it’s not just me, my boyfriend’s going too. In fact, we planned to go see it. I’m not too keen on the NBA, but I love the NCAA, it’s full of passion and the purest of pursuits, this is basketball! And the Fleetcenter is so close, why not go?” Her boyfriend? Wang Yang was quite intrigued, that guy must be having a tough time. Having heard her take on the NCAA, he couldn’t help but agree, “Yeah, the NBA sometimes gets too businesslike. But why include me on your date?”

“No, the game isn’t a date, the more people watch, the better it is!” Natalie held the mouse, scrolling the screen’s page and laughing, “You know, Harvards’ Crimson isn’t that great.” Wang Yang mentally added, “Yeah, they really stink”, as he listened to her continue, “We planned to support Boston College, but now that you’re here, I’ve decided to root for USC!”

She looked at the USC student’s personal webpage, her voice excited as she read aloud, “The Trojans haven’t made it to the Sweet 16 since 1961, tonight’s the night, time to come back! USC isn’t just about football, it’s time to take the honors in basketball! Beat-BC, Beat-UCLA!”

“Wow, sorry, did I get it wrong, are you also a USC student?” Wang Yang started laughing, her declaration made him feel excited, he swung his fists a few times, smiling, “Yes, it’s time! Okay, let’s go together, let’s cheer for USC!” Natalie laughed with a fist pump, telling him over the phone, “OK, my boyfriend will be thrilled, he’s always admired you!” She closed her laptop, arranged to meet outside the Fleetcenter, and with a press of the end call button, she began swaying and singing an R&B tune. She suddenly burst into laughter, mumbling to herself, “What am I doing? Hmm, I need a ticket, I need a boyfriend…”

Her boyfriend admires me? Wang Yang shrugged and dialed a number on his phone, walking and talking, “Jessie, I’ve arrived in Boston. Oh right, Natalie just called me. She and her boyfriend are also going to the game, and we’re planning to go together…”

Fleetcenter, packed with over 18,600 seats, the young players on the court were playing vigorously, the stands a sea of red. USC supporters were in garnet red, while Boston College students, with the home-court advantage, wore maroon. Everyone was clapping and cheering loudly, making a deafening noise.

In the midst of maroon, Wang Yang wore a red USC T-shirt, his cheeks and forehead smeared with garnet red streaks. His light attire paled in comparison to some fellow USC students in the opposite stands who had painted their entire faces red and wore Trojan helmets. Still, he was no less passionate than the rest, shouting with all the dispersed and clustered USC students, “USC! use!”

Natalie, in a regular red shirt, stood to his right, and to her right was her boyfriend, a tall white man with a full beard named Henry Skinnars, her classmate in psychology. She looked at Wang Yang next to her, clapping and cheering, “USC!” She nudged Henry’s arm with her elbow, shouting, “Buddy, join in!”

Then, USC’s point guard Kenny Hutchinson scored a mid-range shot, taking the lead to 64-63 and forcing BC to call for a timeout. He roared and chest-bumped his teammates, and the USC students erupted in excitement. Wang Yang raised his hands high, his face flushed, uncontrollably shouting, “We did it! USC! USC!”

“Shh, shh!…” The Boston College students around them kept booing fiercely. They stretched out their hands, encircling Wang Yang and swaying, a blond white guy with a purple-red painted face shouted, “Everybody say, ‘Boston- College’!” A dark-haired white girl to the left looked again at the three USC supporters, feeling that the man and woman seemed very familiar, if it weren’t for the red paint… She suddenly screamed, “They’re Wang Yang and Natalie Portman, they’re on a date!”

Wang Yang couldn’t help but glance at the girl, neither admitting nor denying anything. Silence seemed like the best approach for now, but then a thought struck him. If the live television cameras were on them, it’s very likely that people would recognize both Wang Yang and Natalie, but who would recognize Henry, who would know that he’s Natalie’s boyfriend and not a fellow USC student? With this in mind, he quickly moved to the right, “Excuse me, excuse me!” making a space for Henry between the three of them.

“Natalie, traitor! Traitor!” The students around them, clad in purple and red, had already started angrily chanting. They didn’t care about any dating, it was well known that Natalie was a Harvard student, and now she was supporting USC instead of Boston? How infuriating! They booed for a while and then chanted, “God bless BC! God bless BC!”

Natalie silently watched the game. The boos and shouts made her head feel like it was about to explode. “These people are…” she muttered, “insane.” Suddenly, she looked up and glared at the students above, retorting, “Hey, don’t touch my hair!” The students wearing BC shirts with the eagle emblem booed again, “Natalie, traitor! Go back to Hollywood—”

“Lunatics!” Natalie cursed in response, feeling somewhat stifled inside. Then, turning around, she deliberately shouted, “USC!”

Wang Yang to the right chuckled. To him, these people seemed as gentle as sheep, nowhere near madness; at least there was no swearing or rude gestures, probably because Boston College was a Catholic school with a bunch of dress code rules. Shorts and tank tops were not allowed, and neither was loud noise. He guessed that today’s uproar was already the “good kids'” wildest behavior. “Henry, really, thank you guys,” Wang Yang said with a smile, patting the also shouting Henry on the shoulder. Henry turned with a smile, “No need to be polite.” He was about to suggest, “Can you wrap your arm around your girlfriend to show them who you are?” when his phone, set to silent in his pocket, vibrated. He took it out and saw that it was a new text from Jessica: “UCLA 75:50 Utah, game over.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Wang Yang quickly replied, “They got lucky, but USC will win!” In fact, he wasn’t surprised at all to see UCLA enter the Sweet 16; despite being arch-rivals, UCLA’s basketball strength was undeniable, the Bruins being a traditional powerhouse. He grumbled a bit begrudgingly, “They definitely won’t get past Duke in the next round…”

That being said, he hoped UCLA would make it to the Elite Eight to face off against USC. If they were up against the iron-blooded Duke team, USC would be at a disadvantage in every aspect, with slim chances of winning; but if it were UCLA, the odds might also seem against them, yet as eternal rivals, the opponent could invigorate USC with immense morale and determination, perhaps enough to knock UCLA out! To reach the Elite Eight, first, they had to take down Boston College. With that in mind, Wang Yang cupped his hands around his mouth, summoning his director’s yelling skills, and hollered, “Guys, kill them!” Natalie to the left also yelled at the top of her lungs, “Kill them!”

“USC, USC!…” “Boston-College, Boston-College!…”

Amid the fevered yelling of students, the game entered its final stage with USC leading BC by three points, 74:71. With 7.5 seconds left, BC’s star player Troy Bell took the ball upcourt; 5 seconds, everyone in the Fleet Center held their breath, staring intensely at the court; 3 seconds, Wang Yang’s eyes widened, his heartbeat felt like stopping. Tonight’s victory had to belong to Troy’s team, not Troy; Natalie, too, unconsciously clenched her fists.

With 1 second left, Troy Bell suddenly stopped and stepped back, shooting a three-pointer! The arc of the ball drew every gaze in the arena towards the hoop. Thud, the basketball hit the rim and bounced, the hoop lit up red. o seconds, the game was over!

Oh—All the Boston College students had faces of blank astonishment; Yay— USC students jumped and screamed ecstatically; after forty years, they had finally made it back to the Sweet 16! On the court, USC players and coaches rushed together in a crazy embrace, joyful with nothing but triumphant roars; on the other side, the BC players were visibly dejected, with Troy Bell, Xavier Singletary, and others unable to hold back their tears, huddling together. “Wow!” In the stands, Natalie swung her fist excitedly, Henry laughed and clapped vigorously, and Wang Yang let out a long, loud howl, hugging the nearby Henry in excitement, then tapping Natalie on the shoulder, “My God, USC basketball has finally revived! Sweet 16, here we come, we are back!” Natalie grinned toothily, jumping around with her face smeared in red, and then remembered him on set, serious and professional, and him as the mature, composed director at the Golden Globes; it seemed that now he was truly acting his age at 21. She took a deep breath with her eyes closed, beginning to understand the allure of a basketball game; and of college life, an experience she had never had before. Looking around at the people, some laughing like fools, others crying like children, she thought it was truly madness.

After a while, either in celebration or sorrow, the audience began to orderly exit the venue. Outside the restroom hallway, Wang Yang and Henry stood to one side, waiting for Natalie to come out. Henry crossed his arms and lightly tapped his foot, sizing up Wang Yang with a smile, “Magical Yang, has anyone ever told you that you’re very charming, very sexy?” Saying so, he reached out and pinched Wang Yang’s arm muscle.

“Uh…” Wang Yang looked at him with surprise. So this was a compliment? He nodded and laughed, “Thanks! You too, sexy, haha!” Henry’s eyes brightened, his tone ambiguous, “Look at you, so strong, handsome, your eyes, your smile, they’re so captivating. You know I’m gay, I…”

Homosexual?! Did I know? Wang Yang was completely stunned. Oh my God, does this mean all those words before were some kind of hint? Sexy? Damn it, he said that too… Wang Yang quickly composed himself and waved his hands as he said, “No no no, trust me, I’m not! I only love women. Henry, this is a joke, right? I’m not saying homosexuality… but Natalie said you were her boyfriend.”

“Oh, when you hugged me just now, I thought…” Henry covered his forehead as if dejected, then forced a smile and said, “Okay! I’m sorry. Tell Natalie I have to go, goodbye.” After that, he turned and quickly walked away, seemingly very heartbroken.

“Hey!” Wang Yang stood there dumbfounded, watching his retreating figure grow smaller and smaller, then looked around at the people passing by in the hallway, spreading his hands he said, “What the hell is going on?” As soon as he saw Natalie emerged from the ladies’ restroom, he immediately walked up to her. Looking at her face, now cleansed of makeup, he asked dubiously, “What are you up to? Henry said he’s gay, and that he wanted to have a one-night stand with me, is this some kind of joke?”

“My joke.” Natalie shrugged nonchalantly then burst out laughing, saying, “I told him you weren’t bisexual, but he just wouldn’t believe it.” As she laughed and walked towards the exit, she added, “Don’t worry about him, he’s fine. He’s the playboy type, a whole bunch of boyfriends, and a whole bunch of people’s boyfriends, but not mine.”

So the thing about boyfriends watching a game together was a lie? Wang Yang followed her helplessly and asked, “Why would you say that?” Natalie looked back at him casually and said, “I wanted to see the game, but you’re afraid of gossip, so okay! Ding ding, enter the boyfriend! Buddy, you brought it on yourself.”

Wang Yang frowned in confusion, the more he thought about it, the less he understood what was going through her mind. Natalie laughed again and said, “You’re flying back at midnight, right? There are still a few hours left, want to go see the night view at Harvard? Last time, really, there are no paparazzi! I can’t even remember how many crazy things I’ve done, and not one has made the papers.” Wang Yang looked into her eyes, trying to figure out what she was really thinking, then nodded and said, “Okay, let’s go.”

Walking through the Harvard campus, with the enchanting night view surrounding them—the red houses, ancient trees, lawns, and scattered students carrying bags and books—Wang Yang couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the scene and atmosphere, and said, “Wow, this is such a great place.” Natalie, strolling beside him, smiled and said, “I always say that.” “Doi look like a Harvard student?” Wang Yang spread his arms, embracing Harvard, and looked at her with a grin, “You may not know that back in the day, I didn’t apply for Psychology at Harvard, which is why I ended up at USC studying filmmaking.” Natalie snorted disdainfully at him. Suddenly, Wang Yang remembered something and curiously asked, “By the way, did you join the Porcellian Club?”

“Nope, not interested,” Natalie said coolly, to which Wang Yang shrugged, laughing, “Too bad, I really wanted to know what activities they have.” Natalie looked at him strangely and said, “What’s wrong with your head? If I had joined, I couldn’t tell you.” Wang Yang frowned and said, “Not even secretly? Okay, I get it, it’s not okay. But the thing is you didn’t even join, ha!”

Natalie, looking at his bright smile, felt her heart skip a beat. To hell with it! She smiled and said, “Yang, look at this!” Under Wang Yang’s puzzled expression and the charming lights of the night view, she pounced on him unexpectedly and tiptoed to kiss his lips.

“Whoa!” Wang Yang froze for a moment and subconsciously pushed her away, his face filled with disbelief, “What are you doing!?” Natalie, still smiling, licked her lips and said, “Kissing you!” Then she exclaimed admiringly, “Buddy, that felt even better than I had imagined; you’re the guy!”

Oh, my God! That foreboding feeling was real… Wang Yang frowned as he looked at her, somewhat at a loss for words. Why do things always end up like this? To go from being good friends to this awkward situation? Damn it!

“Let’s do it again, I’m kind of addicted now, it feels really good!” As Natalie spoke, she leaned in toward his lips, heart pounding rapidly, feeling a wonderful sensation coursing through her; she knew it was dopamine, that is, the effect of love. Just as she was about to taste that wonderful feeling again, two hands pushed her away. Natalie suddenly felt a bit morose and said with a laugh, “Hey, want to go to a hotel? I want to give it a try now, do it all night long!” In front of this guy, she found her issues with frigidity suddenly completely vanished.

No no no! You’re going too far,” Wang Yang sighed, his joy and excitement from USC making it to the Sweet 16 hidden away, he waited until two passing students walked farther away before he looked at Natalie seriously and said, “Natalie, this isn’t right, we’re not like that. I have a girlfriend, and I really love her; we’re going to get married and have kids…” He abruptly recalled having said this line to another girl, and had trouble continuing; he pressed his forehead and sighed, “Sorry.”

Natalie felt her heart was blocked with discomfort, she couldn’t help punching his chest, with a trembling voice she said, “Why bring her up! Everything was so happy! Can’t you just make me happy a bit?!” Wang Yang shook his head and said, “I’m sorry.” Natalie slowly stopped, took a deep breath, glared at him, and said, “Not even one kiss? No sex? You’re not married yet! Give it a try! Maybe it feels even better between us; I don’t ask for anything in return, come on! You can have me! Why not agree, is Natalie that ugly?”

“No!” Wang Yang spread his hands, feeling utterly dejected; this woman was… He placed his hands on her shoulders and said, “You’re not ugly, you’re great, but I never had those kinds of feelings for you; I have a girlfriend! OK? Just like that!” With that, he released her shoulders, then patted her back.

“OK, haha, you really are a good man!” Natalie suddenly laughed, gave him a thumbs up, and walked forward with her head held high as if to leave. But after a few steps, she came back, watched the silent Wang Yang, and laughed, “Buddy, maybe you don’t know me well. I’ve got my eye on a script, and no matter who says ‘you can’t get it,’ whether it’s the screenwriter, director, producer… to hell with them; I won’t give up because without it, I’d go crazy. When I fixate on a man, it’s the same. You think it’s over with a ‘sorry’? NO!” Wang Yang immediately curled his lips disdainfully, wanting to say something over-the-top, but that would be too juvenile, so he said, “What can you do about it? It’s a matter between two people, not like a movie role that you can fight for. Honestly, my feeling towards you is, absolutely no spark! I’ve never really seen you as a girl.”

“Really? Not even a little?” Natalie stared at him, coldly spoke, “Not at all?” Wang Yang steadied himself, emptying his mind, and laughed, “Not at all!” Natalie curled her lips into a smile and wagged her finger, saying, “You’re lying, you’re very unnatural, your gaze is completely different than usual, I think you just wanted to respond mechanically.”

Wang Yang rolled his eyes; his heart had indeed skipped a beat when he was kissed, but that was just a normal human reaction to being startled, and he didn’t want to confuse things, which was why he answered mechanically. Seeing her happy, he said impatiently, “No means no, don’t act like you know everything, I’m out of here, to hell with it!”

With that, he walked briskly back the way he came, muttering “Damn it, to hell with it!” When did his charm become so overwhelming? Confessed to by a man and a woman in one night, both wanting to make love with him?! What a joke! As he was thinking, he saw Natalie catching up with him, her voice bubbling with enthusiasm, “Buddy, don’t you want a goodbye kiss? My tongue is protesting.”

“Natalie…” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh out loud, and after a few chuckles, he felt more at ease. Looking at her smiling face, he laughed, “We really don’t suit each other, you know that, starting with the food issue, imagine us going on a date, dinner + movie, what would we have for dinner? Interesting!”

Natalie didn’t see an issue, replying, “You eat meat, I eat veggies, put it on the same table, what’s the problem?” Wang Yang slowly smiled and said, “You don’t believe in marriage or forever, but Ido!” Natalie frowned in confusion, “Who says I don’t believe? With you, I believe!”

Wang Yang saw her being stubborn and didn’t argue, knowing there were plenty of reasons anyway. He thought for a moment and then laughed, “Right, you’re Jewish, nothing can be done about that, you don’t celebrate Christmas! But I do.” Natalie let out a laugh, “Aren’t you a pantheist? You can celebrate Christmas with your girlfriend, so why can’t you celebrate Hanukkah? I can even celebrate the Spring Festival.”

“Hmm…” Wang Yang tilted his head, snapped his fingers, and said, “Then basketball games! I know you were ‘acting’ tonight, you can barely tell a two- pointer from a three-pointer; you don’t like basketball, but I do!” Natalie spread her hands out, “You’re right, I didn’t like it before, but I’ve found that I’m kind of falling for it, basketball is quite fun!” She smiled again and in Chinese said, “Love me, love my dog!”

“Actually, why don’t you say…” Natalie thought for a moment and then said, “You like big dogs, and I like small ones?”

Wang Yang nodded, “Good reason! Let’s settle on that.” Saying this, he shook his head with a smile, his curiosity piqued, he asked, “In fact, what do you like about me?” He truly felt no “electricity” towards Natalie; although they could always have pleasant conversations, he just felt like they were good buddies, like with Michael Pitt or Joshua, so now her sudden “gay” confession felt like it had never happened, or maybe it was just her scheme? A complex joke?

Natalie shrugged, “The youngest billionaire, isn’t that enough?” Both burst into laughter, and after walking a bit, she seriously said with a smile, “Do you really want me to say something cheesy? Alright, I’ll satisfy your desire, you give me a very special feeling, like walking into a shoe store, you see a pair of leather shoes, ugh, nauseating; then you see a pair of cloth shoes, wow, you’re moved, you try them on, they’re comfortable, and you say ‘This is it!”‘

“Oh, so now I’m a pair of shoes.” Wang Yang chuckled softly, “Trust me, there are many cloth shoes out there that would suit you, but it’s not me. Because of one biggest, all-encompassing reason.” He patted his chest, laughed, and said, “I have a girlfriend!”

Natalie pointed at her wristwatch with a confident smile, “Time! Let’s just wait and see!” Wang Yang still curled his lips in disdain, “Then let’s wait and see. I’m heading back to Los Angeles soon, let’s see what you can do.” He thought she wouldn’t resort to annoying, excessive actions; she wasn’t that kind of person. So as long as he didn’t respond, she would surely return to normal soon.

“The Oscars are next week, we’ll see each other again pretty soon, unless you don’t attend,” Natalie hummed happily. Wang Yang looked at her, laughing casually as he walked, “Maybe I will, I’ve got that court case being decided in a few days, and if the judge finds me guilty, I’ll have to go to jail, how then can I attend the Oscars?”

“Please, what kind of idiotic judge would do that?” Natalie laughed and said, Wang Yang shrugged and smiled, “I don’t know.” Looking at him firmly, Natalie declared, “Don’t worry, if you go to jail, I’ll bust you out!”

No! Definitely not! Don’t get me into trouble!