Chapter 026: Monster Attributes

The reason Sheng Xingming only began his shooting practice after exhausting his stamina was that this state represented the reality of a game.

Loss of stamina causes an athlete’s shooting form to deform, or even leads to a loss of coordination and balance. Sheng Xingming’s day-after-day high-intensity practice was designed to let him transcend this so-called “norm.”

The video wasn’t actually long, only half an hour, but Sheng Xingming’s determined expression and resolute gaze pierced through the screen, etching themselves into Xia Chiyi’s mind.

Xia Chiyi suddenly remembered an interview he had seen as a child. A teammate had said that Sheng Xingming was unreplicable because if they tried his training method, the whole team would be wiped out in a day. Yet, Sheng Xingming had persisted for several years.

The video finished playing, pausing on a frame of Sheng Xingming shooting.

Xia Chiyi let out a long breath. His original excitement vanished like a receding tide, revealing the heavy reefs beneath the surface.

Zhou Zhexiao reached out and took off his headphones, slowly leaning in to cover Xia Chiyi’s ear, whispering, “Ling Huanzhen is Sheng Xingming’s buddy. The training plan he draws up will likely be similar to this. Are you sure you want to accept it?”

It was clearly half-threat, a probe, and a test, yet Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was very soft and gentle. To Xia Chiyi’s ears, it sounded more like a seduction.

Like the One Ring, bit by bit, it hooked out the truest desire from the bottom of his heart.

“Yeah, I accept,” Xia Chiyi said, looking into the other’s eyes.

He didn’t even need to hesitate. Perhaps this was the desire buried in his heart since childhood. To endure what Sheng Xingming had endured, to understand him, and to surpass him.

Zhou Zhexiao raised his hand and patted the top of Xia Chiyi’s head. “Then go to sleep quickly.”

“Alright.” Xia Chiyi felt sleepiness creeping up. He didn’t know why lying beside Zhou Zhexiao made him feel inexplicably at ease; he didn’t even really want to climb back to his own bed.

Just then, the sound of a whistle suddenly pierced the quiet night outside the dorm window, sharp and urgent.

What’s going on?

Immediately following was the instructor’s roar: “Emergency assembly—!”

Ye Chaoying bolted upright in bed, cursing loudly, “Which sewer wasn’t closed properly? How did the instructor crawl in here?”

The next second, lights in the building flicked on one by one.

Pang Shuai lay opposite him, unresponsive. Ye Chaoying, ignoring everything else, grabbed the smelly sock Pang Shuai hadn’t had time to wash and threw it onto his face. “Get up! Emergency assembly—!”

Xia Chiyi’s drowsiness vanished instantly. He tugged at Zhou Zhexiao. “Get down quickly! This is a classic military training event; there’s always one night they won’t let you sleep!”

While hopping on one leg to put on his pants, Ye Chaoying put on a shocked face. “What is going on with you two? How did you end up rolling together again in the middle of the night?”

“Watching videos together,” Xia Chiyi replied without skipping a beat as he dressed rapidly.

“Ha, what is your relationship exactly? Zhang Fei wouldn’t crawl into Guan Yu’s bed every night!”

“Believe it or not, Sadako will come looking for you tomorrow night!”

By the time they had their belts fastened, Little Fatty (Pang Shuai) was finally woken up by the stench of the sock. He climbed down in a panic, unable to tell the front of his pants from the back.

Fortunately, their dorm wasn’t the slowest.

The moon hung high. The instructor was timing them. Only when the last student entered the formation did the instructor roar: “Time taken: twenty minutes and thirty-five seconds! If this were a battlefield, you would have already been leveled by enemy artillery!”

Xia Chiyi sighed inwardly. No wonder the instructor ended training half an hour early today; it was to pay them back double in the middle of the night.

The content of tonight’s night drill was a hike from the school to Mount Mei, five subway stations away. Instructors at the summit would stamp the back of their hands. After getting the stamp, they had to return to school, where another instructor at the gate would stamp them for confirmation.

All of this had to be completed before 6:00 AM. Those who failed would face extra training.

Immediately, wails of despair erupted.

The instructor stated that there would be patrols at the foot of the mountain, subway entrances, and bus stops. Anyone attempting to take shortcuts or use public transport would receive a demerit. There were stations along the route where students could get water, steamed buns, eggs, and sugar water.

Xia Chiyi tugged at his collar and smiled.

“What are you smiling at?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Endurance training—here it comes. Want to race and see who’s faster?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Overestimating yourself.”

“Or maybe you’re just arrogant?”

Ye Chaoying, listening to their chat from the back row, rolled his eyes as usual. “Do you guys remember Pang Shuai by Daming Lake? With his physique, I can’t carry him alone!”

Pang Shuai: “Is it too late for me to play dead now?”

With the instructor’s whistle, the students set off one after another. Zhou Zhexiao strode out with his long legs. Everyone couldn’t help but exclaim—basketball players really do have great physiques!

Xia Chiyi suddenly realized that since this guy went out for morning exercises every day, he might actually not be able to beat him.

Give up just because he might not win?

No way. Isn’t life about challenging limits!

Xia Chiyi strode out and followed.

Zhou Zhexiao was a stamina monster. Xia Chiyi was already struggling by the time he followed him halfway up Mount Mei, but Zhou Zhexiao continued uphill at a constant speed.

Xia Chiyi slowed down to adjust his breathing. Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao still had the energy to grab a sports drink from a rest station and double back, twisting the cap open before handing it to Xia Chiyi.

“Wh… what for?”

“Drink.” Zhou Zhexiao didn’t lower the hand holding the drink.

Xia Chiyi had to take it, gulping down several large mouthfuls. His head was tilted back, his throat bobbing significantly like waves raised by a tsunami.

Because his head was tilted back, the line of his neck was stretched long, looking as if it could snap at any moment. Sweat slid down his chin, and at the moment it rolled over his Adam’s apple, Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes darkened. His fingers subconsciously hooked down his own collar.

He usually buttoned up to the very last button, but suddenly, he felt strangled.

Xia Chiyi looked over, his gaze full of trust, innocent and naive. His moist eyelashes reflected a faint light. Zhou Zhexiao’s fingers, which had intended to undo a button, stopped. It was as if continuing the action would release some terrible monster.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Xia Chiyi looked up at Zhou Zhexiao, who was standing three or four steps above him. “Why are you standing so far away? Am I going to eat you?”

Zhou Zhexiao remained silent, his entire face cast in the shadow of the streetlamp.

Xia Chiyi’s camouflage uniform collar was pulled open, revealing the round neck of his T-shirt and a bit of his collarbone. Crystal-clear sweat flowed down the line of his neck into the clavicle.

Places that couldn’t be seen were always particularly attractive.

If it was a gap… that was even more terrifying.

Shouldn’t it be me eating you?

This sentence abruptly appeared in Zhou Zhexiao’s brain.

Xia Chiyi had also rolled up his sleeves, folding them below his elbows. The lines of his forearms were beautiful, reminiscent of wheat waves in spring—the whole world filled with a refreshing scent and the anticipation of them turning gold.

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to brush past Zhou Zhexiao in the shadows, he suddenly let out an “Eh—?”

Zhou Zhexiao tensed up for no reason.

“You can’t be serious, right? During missions, the instructor doesn’t care if your uniform is neat or if your belt is buckled. What’s with this look like you’re about to march in a parade?”

“…Hmm?”

“Aren’t you uncomfortable? Aren’t you sweating?” Xia Chiyi shoved the sports drink back into Zhou Zhexiao’s hand, and in the next second, his fingers reached for Zhou Zhexiao’s collar.

In that instant, an invisible army charged from all directions. Zhou Zhexiao didn’t know how to respond. He took a step back, his back slamming into a tree by the roadside—just like the vibration from the rim after a dunk.

Xia Chiyi stood on the same step as him, fingers pinching the top button. His knuckles lightly grazed the skin below Zhou Zhexiao’s Adam’s apple. The skin felt as if it were being scorched. Zhou Zhexiao pressed back hard, but the tree left him no room to retreat.

Or perhaps he should thank the tree; otherwise, he might have retreated a thousand miles.

The moment the collar loosened, the power suppressed in the depths of the shadows burst forth. Breathing became easier throughout his body; he could almost feel the blood flowing through his capillaries.

Xia Chiyi folded the collar to the sides, his finger tapping lightly on the highest point of the collarbone exposed on the left side. “You don’t know, do you? Lots of people love looking at this nowadays!”

Zhou Zhexiao wanted to catch that mischievous hand, but the other took the sports drink from him instead and ran two or three steps ahead.

“I’m going to beat you—”

While Zhou Zhexiao hadn’t reacted yet, Xia Chiyi had already run ahead.

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his head and exhaled a long breath.

“You don’t even understand stamina distribution; you’ll get bitten to death by your opponent.”

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t chase after him quickly but continued forward at his own pace.

Ten minutes later, Xia Chiyi reached the summit. He extended his hand to let the instructor stamp it.

“Yo! This is a record!”

“I thought I’d have time for a round of mobile games!”

Xia Chiyi looked at the stamp on the back of his hand, his excitement like seeing a little red flower sticker in elementary school.

He shouted to the instructor: “There’s another one behind me, he’s fast too! I’m heading down first!”

Xia Chiyi went down via another path. However, perhaps he had used too much energy charging up the mountain, as he really was having a bit of trouble breathing. Reaching the gentle sidewalk, he walked slowly, adjusting his breathing and heart rate.

From behind, a tall figure passed him effortlessly. With that calm and breezy attitude, who else could it be but Zhou Zhexiao?

“Damn it… are you a monster?”

Xia Chiyi quickly picked up his pace to follow. This time, he didn’t dare rashly overtake but carefully observed Zhou Zhexiao’s arm swing and stride. Although he wasn’t sprinting, his speed was consistently fast. Xia Chiyi came to his side, watching his profile and sensing his breathing.

The more he followed, the more he subconsciously mimicked him, only to discover… it was exhausting.

After running a short distance, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly stopped and reached out, abruptly pinching Xia Chiyi’s nose.

“Mmph—what are you doing—”

“You have your own rhythm and heart rate. Don’t imitate me.”

“But you look so cool,” Xia Chiyi honestly expressed what his eyes saw. “It makes one suspect your heart is a machine, beating at a constant speed forever.”

Zhou Zhexiao looked at Xia Chiyi. Another awkward silence.

Xia Chiyi was about to try his old trick and run ahead again, but Zhou Zhexiao suddenly extended his arm, cupped the back of Xia Chiyi’s head, and pressed him against his chest.

“What are you doing!” Xia Chiyi pushed against the other’s chest to break free, but even though Zhou Zhexiao was only using one arm, it felt like he was clamped in an iron hoop.

“It’s not constant speed.”

“Huh?” Xia Chiyi’s nose was pressed right against the second button of the collar. It hurt like hell.

“My heart isn’t a machine. It’s not constant speed. Even during a game, you have to adjust your heart rate within the limited time.”

Xia Chiyi was stunned. He stopped struggling and moved his head slightly so his left ear was pressed tightly against Zhou Zhexiao’s chest. He heard the rise and fall of the heartbeat, one after another—steady as a mountain, yet faintly suppressing something. As if, were it to break free from Zhou Zhexiao’s self-discipline and control, it would become a roaring wildfire, speeding up and spreading instantly.

But even so, his heartbeat continued, beat after beat, pulling the derailed rhythm back. Following his tempo, it resonated within the chest cavity and drummed against Xia Chiyi’s eardrum.

Xia Chiyi’s disordered breathing steadied and gradually lengthened. The suspended heartbeats felt like countless chaotic dust motes condensing together, gaining their own weight.

“You’re amazing,” Xia Chiyi said, muffled in Zhou Zhexiao’s embrace.

” amazing where?”

“Always looking so effortless, victory in hand. You can even control your breathing and heart rate so well,” Xia Chiyi said seriously.

“…It gets messy too,” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, looking at the top of the other’s head, and spoke softly.

“I don’t care. From now on, I’m following you for morning training!”

Xia Chiyi struggled out of Zhou Zhexiao’s arms, hands on his hips, looking very serious.

“You won’t be able to get up.”

“I can get up. I was just cut from the provincial team before… I felt I needed some time to find my future direction, so I rested a little bit during the summer vacation. Thanks to military training, my biological clock is back.”

Zhou Zhexiao passed by Xia Chiyi at a constant speed. “You won’t be able to keep up.”

“Who says! Aren’t I following you right now?”

This time, Zhou Zhexiao didn’t need to look back to know someone was right behind him.

Xia Chiyi followed Zhou Zhexiao’s speed and completed the second half at a steady pace. When they returned to the school gate for the stamp, the instructor was actually dozing off leaning on the table. Xia Chiyi mischievously flicked his hat.

“Who—” The instructor bolted upright, eyes snapping open, his gaze shooting out like sharp arrows.

Xia Chiyi had long since circled behind Zhou Zhexiao, pretending to know nothing.

The instructor looked at Zhou Zhexiao in confusion until Zhou Zhexiao extended the back of his hand in front of him.

“Finished so soon? You two didn’t slack off, did you?”

“No! Instructor, do you want to see the record on my phone?” Xia Chiyi took out his phone to show the instructor.

The instructor looked at their physiques, guessing they might be sports students. “Legs that long, no wonder you’re so fast.”

Just like that, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao collected two stamps on the backs of their hands.

Because of the emergency night assembly, students who completed the task could rest during the day.

As soon as Xia Chiyi walked onto the school playground, he flopped down onto the grass regardless of anything.

Zhou Zhexiao, walking ahead, couldn’t sense the footsteps or breathing behind him. He turned around, thinking for a moment that Xia Chiyi had fainted. He walked over quickly, only to find a mischievous grin on the guy’s lips.

“Hahaha, you were worried, right? And you still won’t go easy on me at all!”

“Get up,” Zhou Zhexiao said in a low voice.

“No.”

With no one watching, Xia Chiyi let himself go completely, turning his face away and leaving only a stubborn cheek for the other to see.

“Get up,” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice softened slightly. “Your heart rate hasn’t recovered yet. Lying down immediately is bad for your body.”

Xia Chiyi remained motionless.

Zhou Zhexiao took out Xia Chiyi’s phone, expertly entered the password, opened the camera, and took a picture of Xia Chiyi’s face with a condescending attitude, looking like a forensic investigator encountering a corpse.

Xia Chiyi still didn’t move. Zhou Zhexiao said, “I’m opening your WeChat.”

Open it then? Do you even know how to use it? You don’t even know how to play QQ.

“Mm, I found Ye Chaoying. Sending this photo to him.”

Who are you fooling? I didn’t even save a name for Ye Chaoying. You’re guessing that non-mainstream edgy avatar is him?

“I found the ‘Broadcast Message’ function.”

Xia Chiyi suddenly had a bad feeling.

Zhou Zhexiao crouched down unhurriedly and poked Xia Chiyi’s cheek with his finger. “Hey, whose baby are you?”

Xia Chiyi froze. “Baby? What baby?”

“Baby, is the money enough for this month?” Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head, resting his chin on one hand as he looked at him.

Coming from Zhou Zhexiao’s mouth, this sentence inexplicably felt like… a scene in a third-rate romance novel where the domineering CEO discovers his kept canary is cheating…

“What the hell?” Xia Chiyi sat up abruptly and snatched his phone back. Only then did he realize Zhou Zhexiao hadn’t opened a single WeChat message. Finding the broadcast function, finding Ye Chaoying—it was all a bluff.

But right in the center of the screen was “The Cute Woman Who Loves Me Most,” and the message under the name: [Baby, is the money enough for this month?]

Xia Chiyi let out a breath, feeling as if he had instantly cleared himself of suspicion of infidelity.

“I… am forever my mom’s baby. Is there a problem with that?” Xia Chiyi looked at Zhou Zhexiao indignantly.

“Oh.” Zhou Zhexiao nodded, indicating he accepted this explanation, then grabbed Xia Chiyi by the back of his collar and hauled him up.

The two began walking around the playground.

One lap, two laps, three laps… Xia Chiyi pressed his legs and did a few sets of stretches, then looked at the silent Zhou Zhexiao and said, “You opened my WeChat app, why didn’t you click in to look? If you clicked, you’d know that was my mom.”

“You didn’t agree to it,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

Xia Chiyi smiled. This was probably why he didn’t mind letting Zhou Zhexiao use his phone at all.

“Good thing you didn’t click. Otherwise, seeing me rolling around begging my mom for living expenses, you’d definitely mock me for eight hundred years,” Xia Chiyi said.

“Then if I give you money to spend, will you be my baby too?”

“Holy sh—”

Xia Chiyi’s heart pounded wildly. He looked left, right, up, and down, making sure neither Ye Chaoying nor Pang Shuai was around, otherwise, his innocence would be completely lost.

He could imagine Ye Chaoying’s expression hearing that sentence, and the retort: “Liu Bei wouldn’t give Zhang Fei living expenses anyway, and he definitely wouldn’t say ‘you are my baby’.”

“Are you… are you mocking me for asking my mom for money at this age?” Xia Chiyi asked cautiously.

“No, I just think being someone’s baby must be very happy.”

Xia Chiyi paused, suddenly remembering that Zhou Zhexiao’s parents were divorced.

He took his mother’s concern and love for granted, while Zhou Zhexiao… the huge amount of living expenses in his bank card might just be his parents’ apology to him.

“Hey, Zhou Zhexiao.” Xia Chiyi circled in front of him, jumped up, and tapped the brim of his hat. The hat immediately fell down, covering his eyes.

Zhou Zhexiao slowly adjusted his hat. Xia Chiyi’s face was already right in front of him.

It was exactly this pair of bright eyes that had dragged his heart from the world of fame and fortune back to the raw, pure student era.

In this era, Xia Chiyi repeatedly leaped high in front of him, the stars between his fingers shining quietly in secret places, sending that ball, condensed with body and soul, into his heart.

“What is it?” Zhou Zhexiao asked softly.

“I once climbed over the dorm’s iron fence past midnight, spent over one hundred and eighty yuan on a taxi, just to pick you up at the airport.”

Zhou Zhexiao stood there. He suddenly wanted to retreat again, because there were some forces that he, relying merely on this body, might not be able to withstand.

“The first time in my life I slept on a round leopard-print bed, the one lying next to me wasn’t my dream goddess, but you.”

“Oh, sorry… I’m not a goddess…”

“I know no one around me believes in my dream, but only you said I should keep going, and that as long as I keep going, I will catch up to that person’s back…”

“You will surpass him,” Zhou Zhexiao said very seriously.

Xia Chiyi smiled, clasping his hands on Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulders: “Look, I gave so many of my ‘firsts’ to you, and you are the only guy who said I would surpass that person. So, you are my baby too!”

In that moment, Zhou Zhexiao didn’t want to retreat anymore.

He finally realized that the first time he saw Xia Chiyi, a seed had been buried in his heart—transparent, fragile, and honest.

Perhaps, no matter how many times life restarted, this seed would, the moment it saw Xia Chiyi, overflow with glowing red dots, spreading rapidly in the calm seawater until it filled his ventricle, his blood, and his torso.

“Oh, I see,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Xia Chiyi spread his hands. “Knew you’d be like this. I worry you’ll die alone in the future.”

“Don’t you already have my wallet and password?”

With one sentence, Xia Chiyi was left speechless.

Just as they were walking back to the dorm, a figure out for a morning run passed them. After passing them by five or six meters, the person suddenly shouted.

“Xia Chiyi—”

“Huh?” Xia Chiyi turned around and discovered it was He Bin from the basketball team.

“I heard you guys don’t have military training today. How about playing a game with me?”

“Huh?” Xia Chiyi thought to himself, Bro, I just ran down from Mount Mei, and you want me to play a game with you?

“What, got arrogant after winning and look down on me now?” He Bin asked.

“No, no, no! How could I? I have to go back to the dorm to change shoes.” Xia Chiyi pointed to the rubber-soled shoes on his feet.

Only then did He Bin’s expression relax.

“Then see you at the public basketball court in half an hour.”

After saying that, He Bin ran off.

Xia Chiyi rubbed the back of his head, wondering how he inexplicably got roped into a one-on-one.

“It’s good,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

“Huh? What’s good about it? He Bin just finished warming up, I just finished running Mount Mei… our exercise volumes are totally different!”

“That’s exactly why it’s meaningful, isn’t it?” Zhou Zhexiao glanced at Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi immediately understood what he meant.

In a game, likely in the third or even fourth quarter, when Xia Chiyi’s stamina had dropped significantly, the opponent might send out a player with full stamina to guard him.

Fairness in one-on-one barely exists in real matches.

Changed into basketball shoes, Xia Chiyi met He Bin at the public basketball court.

Zhou Zhexiao stood on the sidelines, watching over Xia Chiyi and He Bin’s belongings, acting as a referee in passing.

He Bin threw the ball to Xia Chiyi and assumed a defensive stance. Without interference from other players, and without the need to run plays or coordinate with others, he could focus his energy more intensely on Xia Chiyi.

Xia Chiyi suddenly accelerated. He Bin’s defense followed like a shadow; he didn’t give Xia Chiyi a chance to create distance for a shot. Xia Chiyi could only force a drive to the basket. As he went for a layup, He Bin jumped to defend, and Xia Chiyi decisively switched to a left-handed shot.

He Bin exhaled, gritting his teeth, analyzing the gap between himself and Xia Chiyi in his mind.

Dribbling, breaking through, scoring layups—he was inferior to the other in all these abilities.

Meanwhile, Xia Chiyi tugged at the collar of his T-shirt, thinking, Is He Bin’s defense this strong? Passing him in the previous game seemed much easier.

When it was He Bin’s turn to attack, he was very wary of Xia Chiyi’s harassment and steals, knowing that if he gave this guy a single point, he could cut out a whole plane.

The two were in a stalemate. He Bin knew he had long passed the 24-second mark, but he just couldn’t accept not getting past. He forcibly created distance for a jump shot, and Xia Chiyi didn’t even intend to block him because his form was deformed.

Back and forth, Xia Chiyi missed several step-back shots in the first few rounds; the basketball clanged against the rim.

This boosted He Bin’s confidence. Indeed, any three-point shooter’s performance is related to his immediate state. Xia Chiyi’s 13 out of 15 in that game was truly due to being “in the zone.”

And today, his state was really bad.

He Bin pressed his advantage, making four or five shots in a row.

It was Xia Chiyi’s turn with the ball again. He held the ball in one hand, the other hand on his hip, adjusting his breathing. The corners of his lips quirked up slightly, then he lowered his eyes, tapping his toes rhythmically on the ground.

Following the tapping of his toes, He Bin seemed to hear the sound of clapping: “Clap! Clap! Clap-clap-clap!”

The Xia Chiyi that followed was like he had divine assistance.

Crossover dribbles, step-backs to create space, jab steps to fake out the opponent, fadeaway jump shots—all reproduced smoothly.

He Bin once again felt that sensation of an insurmountable mountain pressing down before him.

They played for a full twenty minutes. towards the end, He Bin didn’t even care how many points he had lost.

Until Zhou Zhexiao spoke up: “I’m hungry.”

Xia Chiyi, who was dribbling, paused. His stomach cooperated perfectly, letting out a long growl.

He Bin hadn’t expected Zhou Zhexiao, whose playstyle was so sharp, to have such surprisingly good patience, watching them play quietly for twenty minutes without expressing any opinion.

He raised his hand. “Let’s end it here.”

“Oh… But He Bin, you didn’t ask me for a one-on-one just to see whose three-pointers are more accurate, right? We didn’t compete in shooting drills.” Xia Chiyi asked curiously.

He Bin froze. He didn’t understand why this guy, having already won, didn’t know when to quit while he was ahead, and instead had to ask such a heart-piercing question.

“I just wanted to know, since you’ve joined the basketball team, what is the meaning of my existence?” He Bin said grumpily.

“What does that have to do with me?” Xia Chiyi looked confused.

He Bin suppressed his anger, thinking, Does this guy want me to praise him, or admit I’m not as good as him?

“You can grab rebounds yourself, create distance from opponents to shoot by yourself. You don’t rely on pick-and-rolls that much. Even if the big guys on the team are boxed out and can’t support you, you can cut into the basket and score yourself. More importantly, your release is faster, more accurate, and more intimidating.” He Bin paused. “Whereas I am just a turret. If no one passes to me, I have no shells to fire. If no one sets a pick for me, I get blocked easily.”

“Because I want to play as a Combo Guard, and you are obviously a 3&D player.” The confusion on Xia Chiyi’s face became even more obvious. “Isn’t that the case?”

“Huh?” He Bin was stunned.

“Or do you actually have high aspirations and want to play as a Swingman, taking on the Small Forward’s job too? Planning to frequently stab into the enemy’s paint?” Xia Chiyi asked with an exaggerated expression.

He Bin immediately shook his head in denial. “How is that possible? I don’t have that kind of speed and explosiveness. You… actually think I can be a 3&D player?”

Whether on the other side of the ocean or in Asian professional basketball leagues, the tactical value of 3&D players was becoming increasingly obvious.

On the offensive end, a 3&D player’s perimeter shooting is like a long-range turret, forcing the opponent to spread their forces to defend the perimeter. This makes the opponent’s interior defense less tight, creating opportunities for teammates to cut in and score.

As for defense, 3&D players can often conversely limit the opponent’s perimeter shooting performance, creating opportunities for their own teammates to grab rebounds.

In short, every team wants 3&D players, and Ningchang University is certainly no exception.

Xia Chiyi rubbed his chin, his lips quirking up again. He was analyzing He Bin’s performance just now in his mind.

“You already possess the three-point shooting ability and excellent defensive capability of a 3&D player. At least when you defended me one-on-one, I felt it was very strenuous. In my opinion, your defensive ability is stronger than Chen Chuan’s, but inferior to Ye Chaoying’s. Of course, the defensive pressure Ye Chaoying gives lies in his stealing ability, which you don’t possess.”

“That sounds nice, but my weaknesses are obvious, aren’t they? I rely on picks, rely on being fed the ball…”

“So you need to improve your stamina and speed, strengthen your off-ball movement ability. You can’t passively wait for teammates to feed you the ball; you have to actively create gaps to receive it. But off-ball movement requires a lot of stamina and a big-picture view. As for defense… I think you can level up. But what’s the use of talking to me about this?” Xia Chiyi lifted his chin, gesturing towards the basketball hall. “You should go find the coach, right? He’ll definitely draw up a training plan for you.”

He Bin lowered his head. Was he wrong all along?

He had been competing and comparing himself with Xia Chiyi, only to find out after all this trouble that they weren’t even competitors on the same track?

But compared to himself, Xia Chiyi was the guy who could more easily become a 3&D player, yet he didn’t choose this easier path. Instead, his goal was the Combo Guard, which required stronger comprehensive abilities and carried greater pressure.

Thinking of this, He Bin felt he had lost again.

Not just in skills, but in vision and mindset.

Xia Chiyi walked up to Zhou Zhexiao, looking at him pitifully: “I don’t want to carry that bag…”

Zhou Zhexiao took out the towel and draped it over his head, then opened the sports drink and handed it to him. “There’s nothing in the bag now.”

Meaning: Carry your own bag.

“If I’d known, I would have brought a plastic bag… could have thrown it away halfway…”

“Actually, you just think carrying a sports bag looks cool, right?”

Meaning: You played cool, you pay the price.

Seeing Zhou Zhexiao turn around, Xia Chiyi quickly chased after him, hanging both arms on the other’s shoulders. Zhou Zhexiao refused to even bend his waist slightly, continuing to walk forward.

“Don’t be like this… Student Zhou Zhexiao, please give me a piggyback…”

“No.” Zhou Zhexiao said so, but allowed Xia Chiyi to hang on his shoulder. “Have you no shame?”

“The towel is covering my face,” Xia Chiyi replied.

“Are you a star?” Zhou Zhexiao asked suddenly.

“Huh?”

“You like lighting lamps for others so much.”

Xia Chiyi chuckled, his breath touching the side of Zhou Zhexiao’s neck again and again, silently drilling into the muscles and blood vessels.

“He Bin is our future teammate; I have high hopes for him.”

At lunch, He Bin ran into Chen Chuan in the cafeteria. The two sat together eating student meals.

“Did you know? Early this morning, the first-years were called up by the instructors for a drill, a round trip to Mount Mei. Then there were two students who were supposedly super awesome. The instructor was still dozing off when they completed the task, a full two or three hours faster than the other students!” Chen Chuan said.

“They went to Mount Mei?”

He Bin was stunned. He never expected that when he challenged him to a game today, Xia Chiyi had already run to Mount Mei and back… That must be several kilometers.

“Yeah, I asked around to see which two brothers had such good stamina and endurance. Turns out… it was those two habitual show-offs, Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi.” Chen Chuan said, biting his chopsticks.

He Bin’s feelings became even more mixed.

So Xia Chiyi’s lack of accuracy during the one-on-one was because his stamina was depleted, yet He Bin had been feeling smug about it… Most importantly, the further it went on, the better Xia Chiyi’s state became.

He Bin covered his eyes and let out a long sigh. “What kind of monster attributes does Xia Chiyi have?”