Chapter 103: I Think Lu Yuanqiu Is Quite Handsome Too

Their team’s strategy was to have Lu Yuanqiu initially conceal his dunking ability. Although many knew Lu Yuanqiu was a skilled player, Zhang Yifei, who could dunk, was regarded as the true basketball god on the court.

By hiding Lu Yuanqiu’s strength, they could make Zhang Yifei’s team temporarily lower their guard.

Lu Yuanqiu nodded. “This guy’s pretty flashy, huh?”

“Pfft, he’s just a paper tiger! He can’t beat my Brother Qiu!” Cao Shuang cursed.

Though he cursed Zhang Yifei, Lu Yuanqiu noticed a sparkle in Cao Shuang’s eyes whenever the word “dunk” came up.

Because they were brothers, he cursed Zhang Yifei.

Because he loved basketball, he admired Zhang Yifei.

These two things were not contradictory.

After speaking, Cao Shuang quickly looked at Lu Yuanqiu with sincere eyes. “Brother Qiu, if our class faces your Class 28, I’ll make our class forfeit. I’m the captain; they all listen to me. I’ll hand you the title of top in the grade, so your Class 28 can represent the entire senior year and crush those annoying juniors from Class 20!”

Lu Yuanqiu patted his shoulder, chuckling. “How come you’re even more dramatic than me? If you meet me, just play properly—no forfeiting, got it?”

Cao Shuang laughed and nodded. “Fine, this time I’ll seriously compete with you, Brother Qiu!”

“Good.”

After Cao Shuang left, Wang Haoran couldn’t bear it any longer and shouted down the hallway, “Zhong Jincheng! Are you done yet?”

“Alright, alright!” Zhong Jincheng’s voice finally came, and he rushed down the hall, excitedly giving Wang Haoran a pat on the shoulder.

Wang Haoran frowned with disgust, rubbing his shoulder and sniffing the air. “Did you wash your hands or not?”

“Nope, hehe.”

“I’m gonna beat you to death!”

The two began chasing and play-fighting.

The five of them stepped out of the teaching building to find the basketball court already surrounded by a dense crowd of students, teachers, and movie theater staff in uniform.

Seeing Lu Yuanqiu and the others emerge, girls in blue and white school uniforms quickly glanced their way, then clustered together, screaming, “Is that really Zheng Yifeng? He’s so handsome!”

“Yeah! I noticed him during the last sports meet! So handsome! Like a member of a boy band!”

Hearing this, Lu Yuanqiu’s group stiffened.

They glanced at the excited girls stamping their feet, then simultaneously turned their heads to look at Zheng Yifeng standing nearby, their eyes full of disdain.

“Being handsome must be nice...” Gao Qiang ground his teeth.

Wang Haoran’s parted hair drooped as he sulked with jealous sourness. “So annoying, that Zheng Yifeng...”

Lu Yuanqiu muttered, “Damn it, can all handsome guys just die already?”

Zheng Yifeng stood beside them, half-closing his eyes listlessly, as if daydreaming, indifferent to everything.

***

At that moment, a girl glanced back at Lu Yuanqiu and quietly whispered, “But I think Lu Yuanqiu is really handsome too! Very manly!”

“Wow, girl! Girl! Girl! I’m not the only one who thinks so! I was really impressed by him at the last sports meet!”

“Ahhh, yes! Yes!”

The two girls excitedly grabbed each other’s hands and bounced around.

Hearing this, Lu Yuanqiu’s angry expression gradually softened. “Alright, I take back what I said earlier.”

Wang Haoran, Gao Qiang, and Zhong Jincheng turned to look at him.

Lu Yuanqiu:

The second basketball game was about to start soon. The five took their positions on the court, sitting down on some steps to wait.

Not long after sitting, a pure-looking girl in a blue and white school uniform with a pink hairclip hurried over holding several bottles of water.

The five were momentarily stunned as they realized it was Bai Qingxia.

She looked like she had run a long way, sweat glistening on her pale forehead, some strands of hair stuck to it.

Bai Qingxia glanced shyly at the other four, seemed about to speak, then stopped.

Seeing her holding several bottles of water, Zhong Jincheng smiled and reached out, “Thanks, Bai.”

Bai Qingxia frowned and stepped back cautiously.

Zhong Jincheng was taken aback, then watched as Bai Qingxia quickly stepped forward and stuffed all three bottles into Lu Yuanqiu’s hands. “You drink them all.”

After the reminder, she softly added, “Good luck.”

She then slung on her backpack and walked to a spot about ten meters away, hugging her bag in front of her as she quietly awaited the start of the game.

Zhong Jincheng, Gao Qiang, and Wang Haoran stood dumbfounded.

“What the heck? Why the special treatment?!”

Zheng Yifeng spoke quietly, “Don’t you see the difference in Lu Yuanqiu’s jersey compared to yours?”

Just as he finished speaking, the three turned to look behind.

“‘Once Promised the Best in the World’?!”

“Whoa?!”

“Why is your jersey so cool?! I don’t accept this!”

“Best in the world? More like the worst, Lu Yuanqiu!”

“This is infuriating!”

Lu Yuanqiu laughed smugly, opening a bottle and drinking it with pride.

Bai Qingxia, standing outside the fence several meters away, turned her head and gazed at the scene. She rested her chin on her backpack, her pure face showing a content smile.

North Basketball Court area, Court One.

***

Wang Ping, the referee, blew his whistle. “Senior Class 28! Senior Class 29! Prepare for the match!”

The five rose quickly. Bai Qingxia put on her backpack and ran over to take the three water bottles from Lu Yuanqiu.

“Hold these for me for now.”

The young man looked down at her and spoke.

Bai Qingxia nodded and followed the gathering crowd of students from Classes 28 and 29 to the edge of the court.

But she couldn’t squeeze in, so she circled around and stood outside the fence above the steps on the opposite side, watching.

Eight games were taking place simultaneously in the North Basketball Court area, with the Class 28 vs. Class 29 match on Court One.

Before the game started, the girl outside the fence grew nervous, her mind replaying the conversation from the Saturday before their parting.

—“Once promised the best in the world? How did you know that phrase?”

—“I saw it in a book... It seemed perfect for you.”

—“Haha, alright, rest assured, I’ll wear this jersey and win the championship. When I get the free movie tickets, I’ll take you to the cinema.”

—“The cinema? What’s that like?”

—“You’ll see when the time comes.”

Outside Court One, Class 29’s homeroom teacher, Zeng Yan, spoke sternly, “Mao Sheng! Win against their class!”

Hearing this, Liu Wei glared fiercely to the side and shouted at the court, “Lu Yuanqiu, take this match! Got it?!”

Lu Yuanqiu felt his scalp tingle.

These two women just wouldn’t back down.

Meanwhile, Su Miaomiao’s sweet voice chimed in, “Class 28, you guys, go for it! Lu Yuanqiu, go! Zheng Yifeng, go!”

At this, Zheng Yifeng glanced at the woman outside the court with his sharp phoenix eyes, which he usually kept narrowed, now opening wide.

Today, Wang Ping had specially requested to referee this game. Looking at the two teams before him—one in pink jerseys, the other in black—he prepared to start.

The two teams stepped forward. Captains Lu Yuanqiu and Mao Sheng led their four teammates, faces serious.

Wang Ping stood between them, holding the basketball in one hand and ready to blow the whistle with the other.

“Ready?”

“Pfft!”

The tense atmosphere was suddenly broken by Lu Yuanqiu bursting out laughing.

He looked at Mao Sheng’s serious face and turned his head with a laugh, “Sorry, sorry, give me five seconds...”

(End of chapter)