Chapter 0087: I’m Just Playing Basketball, Not Having an Affair

Just as Xia Chiyi was about to turn around, his back bumped into someone.

“Ugh…” Xia Chiyi frowned and let out a muffled groan.

This bro was really something, solid like a wall.

He was just about to apologize when he looked up and met the other person’s jawline—clean-cut and familiar, wasn’t it Zhou Zhexiao?

Zhou Zhexiao spoke up, “He has always been arrogant, you just didn’t notice.”

Zhao Lingcong met Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes. It was his first time seeing such a gaze, like a deep pool, completely devoid of any visible desire to win or lose.

But the icy, cold glint deep within his pupils made Zhao Lingcong certain that this guy had an almost domineering desire to control the court.

Zhou Zhexiao’s fingertips fiddled with the tuft of hair sticking up on the back of Xia Chiyi’s head, and the two walked side-by-side toward their team’s dining table.

No matter how dense Xia Chiyi was, he could still sense the icy aura radiating from Zhou Zhexiao’s entire being.

This guy clearly didn’t care much about things off the court, so what was up with him when facing Zhao Lingcong just now?

Wait… could he be…

As soon as the two sat down, Xia Chiyi pressed one hand on the dining table, leaned toward Zhou Zhexiao, and brought his face right in front of the other’s.

“Are you… perhaps jealous of Brother Cong?”

“Hm?” Zhou Zhexiao’s brows furrowed, a rare occurrence. He leaned back, pressing closely against the back of his chair.

Xia Chiyi chuckled and leaned in even closer. “Let me put it in a way you can understand better—are you annoyed just seeing Brother Cong? After all, he selflessly acted as my sparring partner for two years.”

“Not to that extent. He is a capable opponent.” Zhou Zhexiao turned his face slightly to the side, very rarely avoiding Xia Chiyi’s gaze.

But the more he acted like this, the more excited Xia Chiyi became.

This guy always had an unfazed, composed look, as if Xia Chiyi was the only one whose emotions were tied up and fluctuating. Xia Chiyi was truly unwilling to accept this.

Since he had caught the opportunity, he naturally had to tease him properly.

“Mm, I also think Brother Cong is even more amazing than in high school! With so many god-like plays, I can’t wait to ask him out to play ball tonight…”

“Sure,” Zhou Zhexiao spoke.

“Huh?”

This answer completely exceeded Xia Chiyi’s expectations.

He had originally thought Zhou Zhexiao would say “No” with a stinky face, but he actually agreed?

“We still have a game tomorrow, you know. We have to win it to enter the top eight.” Xia Chiyi’s head rotated following Zhou Zhexiao’s face, constantly maintaining eye contact with him.

Are you sure you still want to invite Zhao Lingcong to a “duel”?

Finally, Zhou Zhexiao stopped turning his head and just looked at Xia Chiyi.

The next second, someone pressed down on Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao’s heads, looking as if they were about to smash their heads together.

“Are you two dating? Leaning so close!” Ye Zhaoying’s voice rang out.

This guy was actually back from the hospital? And causing trouble the moment he returned!

Fortunately, Xia Chiyi reacted quickly, pressing one hand against Zhou Zhexiao’s chest. Otherwise, they would have really ended up in intimate face-to-face contact.

“Do you not want your face anymore?” Xia Chiyi cracked his knuckles, the joints making a popping sound.

Ye Zhaoying took two steps back. “N-No such thing… My face is very important!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he darted behind Ling Huanzhen.

Xia Chiyi crossed his arms and snorted coldly: “And here I was worrying about him. This guy just needs to be buried!”

“You should arrange the match,” Zhou Zhexiao spoke up.

“Arrange… what?”

“Arrange a match with Zhao Lingcong.”

“…Even if you agree, his coach might not.” Xia Chiyi poked Zhou Zhexiao’s chest, then got up to go get some food.

When he returned with a fully loaded food tray, he found the other guy still sitting in the same spot, pondering over something unknown.

“Zhou Zhexiao, have you realized that you’re acting a little bit weird?” Xia Chiyi said while twirling his fried noodles.

“What’s weird?”

“Ma Tao publicly threatened to destroy me, and you didn’t even care, but you specifically want to challenge Zhao Lingcong to a match?”

Xia Chiyi wouldn’t miss any good opportunity to “brainwash” Zhou Zhexiao.

“Because Zhao Lingcong knows the past you very well,” Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze swept over.

Xia Chiyi nearly choked on his fried noodles.

What was going on? He hadn’t even started his brainwashing yet, and the other party had already blurted out the answer in advance?

“In order to keep you from longing for the past, I have to thoroughly defeat him. Is there a problem?” Zhou Zhexiao asked in return.

“N-No problem. You can save this boldness for the official match.”

Zhou Zhexiao is really something. Saying the answer he wanted to say, blocking his path of brainwashing.

“Great King, go get me some food,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

“Pfft… cough, cough, cough…” Xia Chiyi’s ear tips instantly turned red.

Why hasn’t this meme passed yet.

Zhou Zhexiao placed his right hand on the table, his beautiful fingertips tapping lightly, as if deliberately and willfully making his presence known in front of Xia Chiyi.

“Hope you eat till you burst,” Xia Chiyi snorted softly, and brought him a massive plate of food piled high like a small mountain.

Zhou Zhexiao carefully observed the small mountain peak, momentarily unsure of how to use his chopsticks without causing a landslide.

---

That night, Ling Huanzhen announced the starting lineup against Shenghai University. Xia Chiyi would replace Ye Zhaoying as point guard, while Ye Zhaoying and Zhou Zhexiao were both benched.

When Xia Chiyi came out of the bathroom, he found the room empty.

He picked up his phone to check, and Zhou Zhexiao had already run to a place a kilometer away from the hotel.

“This guy truly has boundless energy.”

After blow-drying his hair, Xia Chiyi leaned against the headboard and scrolled on his phone.

At this time, Zhou Zhexiao was running back at an even pace, and happened to brush past a certain someone wearing earphones and a sports jacket.

After running past each other for four or five meters, the two stopped in unison and turned back to look at each other.

Zhao Lingcong took off his earphones and smiled. “Zhou Zhexiao? It really is a small world, isn’t it?”

Zhou Zhexiao’s gaze was heavy. The streetlights happened to cast a cool-toned glow, falling onto Zhou Zhexiao’s cheeks and shoulders, giving off an icy, chilling vibe.

Zhao Lingcong didn’t feel awkward because of the other’s silence. He just raised his hand and smiled. Just as he was about to turn around and continue running, Zhou Zhexiao’s voice came from behind.

“Wanna play ball?”

Zhao Lingcong paused for a moment. “You guys are playing against Shenghai University tomorrow, right? Although they’re a bit short on new talent this year, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse…”

“I’m not starting tomorrow.” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, sweeping his gaze over Zhao Lingcong’s tibia. “If your old injury isn’t healed yet, forget it.”

Zhao Lingcong burst out laughing. “You’re the same age as Little Xia, right? Little Xia is a social butterfly; you aren’t nearly as cute as him.”

“I’m older than him,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

“Older in what way?” Zhao Lingcong asked in amusement.

“In every way.”

Zhao Lingcong covered his face. “I think I’ve figured out a cute aspect of you—you’re exceptionally arrogant. What I don’t understand is, Mining U and your Ningchang U will clash sooner or later. Or do you lack confidence that Ningchang University will enter the top four?”

“Don’t you want to understand me in advance?”

After these words were spoken, the smile on Zhao Lingcong’s face completely vanished.

Indeed, just how powerful Ningchang University was, or rather, how formidable Zhou Zhexiao was, could only be felt through a genuine clash.

Whether studying videos or spectating matches live, nothing was more accurate than the feeling of a face-to-face match.

“The way you say that, it’s as if we’re getting married.”

“That joke is not funny.”

Zhao Lingcong sighed. “If we’re going to play, it has to be far from the hotel. If our coach finds out, I’ll be doing frog jumps around the court.”

“Rent a court then.”

Zhao Lingcong nodded, opened his phone, searched online, and booked a basketball court.

When Zhao Lingcong raised his hand to hail a taxi, he noticed Zhou Zhexiao standing with both hands in his pockets, looking like a big boss on an outing.

“I won’t be paying for everything myself, will I?” Zhao Lingcong asked half-jokingly.

An hour at a basketball court was quite expensive.

“We’ll split the bill when we get back,” Zhou Zhexiao stated.

“Is that right? Add me on WeChat then.” Zhao Lingcong handed his phone forward.

“Didn’t bring it.”

Zhao Lingcong looked Zhou Zhexiao up and down. The pockets of his sports jacket and pants indeed didn’t look like they had a phone in them.

Sitting in the taxi, the cool breeze blew in, lifting Zhou Zhexiao’s slightly curly black hair. Zhao Lingcong propped his chin and observed the other, thinking to himself: This kid is so fcking handsome. This year’s Division I League’s most-handsome list is probably going to be updated.*

“You and Little Xia seem quite close? He’s been working very hard since entering college, right?” Zhao Lingcong hadn’t had the chance to sit down and chat with Xia Chiyi yet, but he was still very interested in his growth process.

“Mm.”

Zhao Lingcong wasn’t angry at all about Zhou Zhexiao’s “concise speech.” He actually found it quite interesting, wanting to see what it would take to pry this guy’s mouth open and make him say a few more words.

“You can answer my two questions with just one word?”

“We are very close. He works very hard,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Zhao Lingcong: “…”

Very good, very powerful.

They arrived at the rented indoor basketball court. The time had already reached 9 PM.

As the two were doing pre-game stretches, Zhao Lingcong received a WeChat message from Ma Tao: [Where did you run off to? It’s already 9 PM and you’re still not back?]

Zhao Lingcong replied: [I arranged a one-on-one with Zhou Zhexiao. If the assistant coach comes for room checks, cover for me.]

In less than three seconds, Ma Tao’s WeChat call came through.

“Zhao Lingcong, did your leg heal too fast? Do you want the coach to personally break it for you? We have a game tomorrow, and you ran off to do a one-on-one with Zhou Zhexiao at night?”

Zhao Lingcong scratched his cheek while smiling without any guilt. “I had no choice. If it were you, and you ran into Zhou Zhexiao during a night run, and he asked if you wanted to play a one-on-one, would you refuse?”

“Of course I would accept the challenge, otherwise it’s admitting defeat!”

Moreover, how could one give up such a great opportunity to experience Zhou Zhexiao’s strength before the actual match?

Previously, when Ling Huanzhen was searching everywhere for practice match opponents, he had contacted Mining U. The blame lay with them for being too arrogant at the time, only thinking about preparing for the joint training camp with Qing U. By the time they received all sorts of legends about Ningchang University, the other party’s practice match schedule was already full; it wasn’t that easy to book a match with them anymore.

Later, when their entire team was studying Ningchang University’s playstyle, apart from Xia Chiyi, the person the coach cared about the most was Zhou Zhexiao.

Then, when the news of Zhou Zhexiao challenging Liu Suchen 1-on-1 spread, Ma Tao suddenly remembered—wasn’t that the boy who was wandering around Qincheng in a high school uniform alongside Xia Chiyi back then? Why hadn’t he called them out for another match?

He had practically missed out on a hundred million!

“I want to go too!” Ma Tao, in order to face off against Zhou Zhexiao, didn’t even hesitate to curse his teammate. “What if your old injury relapses before you even play for five minutes?”

Zhao Lingcong: “…”

He hung up the phone without hesitation.

Can you fcking wish me well?*

Ma Tao: “Hello? Hello—Where are you guys? You can’t hog it all to yourself! Hello…”

Zhao Lingcong walked up to Zhou Zhexiao, spinning the basketball rapidly on his index finger.

“Full court, or half court?” Zhao Lingcong asked.

“Full court,” Zhou Zhexiao said indifferently.

“You’re quite calculating. Playing full court is to test my stamina and dribbling sprint speed, right?”

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his center of gravity and beckoned him with his finger. “If you know, why sprout nonsense?”

As soon as the words fell, Zhao Lingcong slammed the ball from his fingertip to the ground without warning and suddenly accelerated. Just as he was about to pass Zhou Zhexiao, the other rapidly adjusted his center of gravity, turned, and kept pace right beside him. Zhao Lingcong gritted his teeth, but the corners of his mouth lifted.

—So impressive!

Zhao Lingcong charged under the basket and used his best mid-air fake.

Zhou Zhexiao had only watched one of his matches, yet he was able to track him and even blocked him when he changed his floater into a hook shot!

The moment the ball left his hand, Zhao Lingcong felt a soul-stirring thrill.

With this guy’s reaction ability and ball-handling experience, is he really just a college freshman?

Zhou Zhexiao got the ball and charged toward the opposite side without stopping.

Cold sweat broke out on Zhao Lingcong’s back—Zhou Zhexiao’s dribbling sprint speed was too fierce, comparable to lightning tearing through the sky!

He pushed himself to the limit. Thanks to the fact that there were no other obstacles on a 1-on-1 court, he finally caught up to Zhou Zhexiao right as he crossed the three-point line.

Having watched previous matches, he assumed Zhou Zhexiao would clash head-on with him under the basket, but he didn’t expect Zhou Zhexiao to suddenly hit the brakes and pull up.

Zhao Lingcong was a veteran at dealing with three-point shooters. No matter how fast a shooter was, they couldn’t escape maneuvers to create space like step-backs or side-steps. His nerves were taut as he carefully watched the movement trends of Zhou Zhexiao’s knees and ankles, managing to disrupt him right before he dipped the ball.

But he didn’t expect Zhou Zhexiao’s shooting speed to be no less than Xia Chiyi’s. With a crisp push, the ball went in for a score.

This realization multiplied Zhao Lingcong’s sense of crisis exponentially. He slightly regretted not letting Ma Tao come and watch.

Ningchang University didn’t just have two shooters; they had to include Zhou Zhexiao in that count as well.

“Again.”

In the following confrontations, Zhou Zhexiao almost didn’t show off his skills under the basket at all. Instead, he constantly tested Zhao Lingcong’s defensive capabilities around the three-point line.

Zhou Zhexiao’s shooting technique made Zhao Lingcong unable to help but ask, “Have you played shooting guard before?”

“I can play any position.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s straightforward answer choked Zhao Lingcong for a moment.

The two played a hearty and exhilarating game, going back and forth.

As they played, Zhao Lingcong noticed that Zhou Zhexiao was a person with a great sense of propriety and self-control.

For instance, after a few minutes of intense battle, he would stand to the side with his hands on his hips, giving Zhao Lingcong time to rest and avoid putting pressure on his newly recovered tibia.

This guy clearly could have used his own stamina and endurance to wear down Zhao Lingcong, but he specifically chose not to, seeming even more mindful of Zhao Lingcong’s injury than Zhao Lingcong himself.

“Thanks. But for today’s one-on-one, I think you won.” Zhao Lingcong lowered his head. Sweat slid down his cheeks, hung from his chin, and dripped onto the ground.

“Didn’t win by much. You’re decently strong.”

“In a match, there’s only winning and losing. Winning by a lot or a little has no fundamental difference.” Zhao Lingcong took a deep breath.

Zhou Zhexiao stood opposite him. His breathing adjustment speed was much faster than Zhao Lingcong’s.

“Can we go back now? I’m sleepy,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

Zhao Lingcong: “…”

Bro, you’re a bit of a scumbag. Going to sleep immediately after using me? Too lazy to even exchange pleasantries?

The two left the basketball arena. Zhao Lingcong hailed a taxi, and Zhou Zhexiao got in.

Zhou Zhexiao was too quiet. Even the taxi driver couldn’t help but look up at the rearview mirror, feeling like these two big guys looked as if they had gotten into a fight.

Zhao Lingcong even suspected the Zhou Zhexiao sitting next to him was a silent ghost.

“Is there a secret to Little Xia’s sudden rapid improvement? Or did he hire an amazing trainer?”

The streetlights swept past Zhou Zhexiao’s side profile through the car window. This guy was as calm as a marble statue.

“He does have a very impressive trainer.” Zhou Zhexiao rarely turned his head to make eye contact with Zhao Lingcong. “Moreover, his training volume is something most people wouldn’t be able to persist through.”

Zhao Lingcong remained silent for a while, then tilted his head up and smiled: “Then he really has changed a lot. Back in high school, he would secretly slack off when running the 3,000 meters in P.E. class. When I took him to do weight training, he’d fall asleep on the bench press because the repetitive motions were too boring. He was obviously a lazy little ghost… When I was in rehab, my teammates sent me his match recordings. After watching them, I couldn’t sleep for several days.”

“Why?”

“Because his speed of metamorphosis is too fast, so fast that people can’t catch up.”

“But just now, regarding my shots, your interception efficiency was the highest out of anyone I’ve seen.”

Zhao Lingcong pointed to his brain. “Because I’ve been constantly simulating and imagining it in my head. When the doctor wouldn’t let me play, this was the only thing I could do.”

At this moment, the digital watch on Zhou Zhexiao’s wrist kept flashing, displaying the number 1 on the screen.

“Hey, aren’t you going to answer? This number was flashing the whole time we were playing,” Zhao Lingcong reminded him.

Zhou Zhexiao gave an “Oh”. As soon as he clicked it open, Xia Chiyi’s resonant voice came through.

“Where on earth did you run off to on your night run?”

Zhou Zhexiao answered: “Zhao Lingcong rented a basketball arena to play a one-on-one with me.”

“You…”

“We’ll talk when I get back.”

Zhou Zhexiao cut off the communication before Xia Chiyi could blow his top.

Zhao Lingcong chuckled lightly and asked lazily, “You achieved your goal, didn’t you?”

“What goal do you think I had?”

“First, you deliberately let me witness your superb perimeter scoring skills. Originally, our perimeter defensive focus was only on Xia Chiyi. But your skill exhibition is tantamount to telling me that we also have to guard you on the perimeter. Using yourself to attract and disperse the defensive firepower away from Xia Chiyi—truly confident and arrogant.”

“And second?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“You used yourself to test my defensive skills, wanting to see if I pose a threat to Xia Chiyi. Because you know our Mining U coach is highly likely to assign me to guard Little Xia.”

“Mm.” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Does this guy not even try to hide his motives?

Zhao Lingcong was both exasperated and amused.

The taxi stopped in front of the hotel. Zhao Lingcong got out first, turned around with his hands in his pockets, and watched Zhou Zhexiao emerge. “Remember, we split the bill. Including the taxi fare, it’s 388 total.”

“Oh.” Zhou Zhexiao was still completely unfazed.

---

When Zhou Zhexiao returned to the room, it was pitch black inside.

According to Xia Chiyi’s habits, at this time, he would either be watching TV or playing on his phone.

Zhou Zhexiao felt for the power slot; the room card was still there. The moment he flipped on the lights, he saw Xia Chiyi sitting cross-legged at the head of the bed with his arms crossed, staring coldly at him.

“Do you not have anything to say to me?”

Going behind my back and using a night run as an excuse to challenge Zhao Lingcong to a match—so audacious!

If Ling Huanzhen finds out, you’ll be doing planks on the sidelines for tomorrow’s match!

Zhou Zhexiao stood at the foot of Xia Chiyi’s bed. Because he hadn’t brought his sports backpack, he didn’t have a towel or anything with him. His body still carried the lingering heat from playing basketball, his slightly curly black hair stuck to his forehead. Combined with his thick brows and high nose bridge, he actually looked a bit charming.

Xia Chiyi felt there was probably something wrong with his brain again. It must be because his lustful desires had been aroused, making everything look impure.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t open his mouth to explain, acting like a child who came home late and got caught by his family, standing rigidly in the living room. Xia Chiyi imagined that this guy was currently at a loss for what to do.

Who knew that as soon as Zhou Zhexiao spoke, he would nearly piss Xia Chiyi off to death.

“In TV dramas, catching a husband coming home late looks exactly like what you’re doing now.”

“Huh?!”

“I’m just playing basketball, not having an affair.”

Xia Chiyi suspected his ears were broken. “You’re not my husband, whether you have an affair is none of my damn business!”

Zhou Zhexiao showed an uncomprehending expression, spreading both hands outwards. “So what are you upset about?”

It felt like Zhou Zhexiao’s subtext was: If you want to think that way, there’s nothing I can do about it.

“Whatever. I’m going to sleep.” Xia Chiyi pulled the blanket up over his head, leaving only a tuft of black hair exposed.

The more he thought about it, the more Xia Chiyi felt that his behavior of sitting by the bed waiting for Zhou Zhexiao was very stupid.

This guy could do whatever he wanted, and he himself had no standing to control him. Thinking about it this way, him throwing a tantrum was a bit ridiculous.

Why was Zhou Zhexiao’s sentence “I’m just playing basketball, not having an affair” suddenly a bit funny?

Following the train of thought Zhou Zhexiao had provided, Xia Chiyi kicked off a wildly imaginative mode.

As he kept thinking, Xia Chiyi suddenly burst into laughter on his own.

“What are you laughing at?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice came from above his head.

The mattress sank down. Did Zhou Zhexiao sit on the edge of his bed?

This guy’s voice was low and deep. Even though there was a blanket between them, Xia Chiyi felt like something was willfully spreading along his auditory nerves deep into his brain.

He became inexplicably nervous, arching his insteps under the blanket.

Stay calm, must stay calm. This isn’t the first time you’ve been this close.

Xia Chiyi reached out, grabbed his phone from beside the pillow, and opened up short videos.

Holding this position, Zhou Zhexiao lay down on his side, leaning right next to Xia Chiyi’s cheek. It felt like if he got just a bit closer, his nose would touch him.

Xia Chiyi was just about to say, “Hold it and watch it yourself,” but he realized that if he really gave the phone to the other person, they would have no reason to be so close anymore.

Fast-forwarding the short video to the end, there was a close-up of the male lead wearing rimless glasses and a black trench coat, displaying an expression of sexual frigidity.

The moment the male lead turned on the light, it showed the female lead sitting on the sofa with a divorce agreement spread out in front of her.

“The way this female lead waits for someone at home… looks a bit like you.”

“What? How does it look like me!” Xia Chiyi’s eyebrows nearly flew off his face.

If it were Ye Zhaoying, he would definitely criticize the female lead’s exaggerated acting and the male lead’s pretentiousness.

But Zhou Zhexiao… his thought process was always different from others.

“Looking at it now, it’s not that similar.”

“How is it not similar?”

“I didn’t go out to see a first love or ‘white moonlight’, I went out to play basketball with your ex… teammate.” Catching Xia Chiyi’s warning glare, Zhou Zhexiao obediently and naturally changed his phrasing.

“You wouldn’t stay awake all night waiting for me either. If I had come back half an hour later, what would be spread out on your bed wouldn’t be a divorce agreement, but pizza delivery.”

Xia Chiyi was stunned. How did this guy know I was so mad I almost ordered delivery?

“I won’t stay out all night, and you don’t have to wait for me until dawn. Most importantly… if you really ordered pizza, you’d go to sleep once you were full. And you’d leave the pizza box at the entryway, waiting for me to step on it like a landmine when I got back.”

Xia Chiyi gripped his phone and lightly tapped Zhou Zhexiao’s temple. “You’ve completely spelled out everything I wanted to do, so what else can I do?”

Saying that, Xia Chiyi tossed his phone to the side and burrowed back under the blanket, turning his back to the other.

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, probably smiling a little.

“I thought you would ask me how I felt Zhao Lingcong’s injury had recovered.”

“Oh, how has he recovered?” Xia Chiyi did indeed care about this.

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t answer. Instead, a hand slipped under the blanket, and its knuckles lightly scraped down his spine.

The blood in Xia Chiyi’s heart sank rapidly, almost bursting out.

Waiting a bit longer, Xia Chiyi couldn’t bear it anymore. He intentionally rolled over forcefully, originally intending to pin down Zhou Zhexiao’s wrist. Who knew this guy would directly support him with his palm? By the time he lay flat, Zhou Zhexiao’s hand was pressed flat against his back.

His palm was very hot, its presence too distinct.

“He’s very good. Strong explosive power under the basket, fast sprint speed, short braking time. That leg that was supposedly fractured shouldn’t affect his basketball career.”

“Oh… that’s… that’s great.”

Actually, hearing this, Xia Chiyi also felt a lot more at ease.

“If you have his WeChat, please transfer 388 to him.”

“Why?”

“Renting the basketball court, plus round-trip taxi fare. Splitting the bill.”

Xia Chiyi blanked for about two seconds, then clutched his stomach and burst out laughing.

“You definitely did something that made… Brother Cong annoyed… This guy has always been generous, but he even made you split the taxi fare… Hahaha…”

“Because he saw that I was testing his defensive ability.”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi froze for a moment. So this was Zhou Zhexiao’s goal in challenging Zhao Lingcong to a 1-on-1?

“Then what did you test out?”

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t retract the hand that Xia Chiyi was pinning down. Instead, he draped his other arm over Xia Chiyi’s body and lay down on his side.

He was so close to him. Xia Chiyi merely glanced briefly, and his heart felt like it was being tightly bound, coil by coil, by the other’s gaze.

“He is very adept at predicting the direction you’ll create space in advance, likely by observing the force exerted from your knees and ankles. So to break through his defense, you have to mix in more fake moves.”

“Mm.” Xia Chiyi nodded.

“His sprint speed is on par with Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu… If I were the coach of Mining U, I probably wouldn’t waste his scoring ability to single-mark you, but would instead…”

“Have Brother Cong help defend and cover positions.”

“Correct. Zhao Lingcong’s positioning and covering skills are very high in the Division I League.”

“Thank you for specifically testing him out for me,” Xia Chiyi said.

He and Zhao Lingcong were too familiar with each other. No matter how fast his current improvement was, many habits formed during his first and second years of high school were impossible to change. Once Zhao Lingcong used these habits to play help defense and cover positions, it would be equivalent to the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind… He had to be careful.

“However… Mr. Jin Yong, whom you like, once said: Among all martial arts under heaven, only speed is indestructible. Even if he understands all your habits, as long as he can’t keep up with your speed, understanding you will be useless.”

“Mm.”

Xia Chiyi felt the hand he was pressing down on slowly pulling away, and he surprisingly felt a bit of a sense of loss.

“388, pay it back for me.”

“Got it—” Xia Chiyi rolled over grumpily, deliberately lying on top of Zhou Zhexiao and pressing down on him hard.

When Xia Chiyi braced one hand against the pillow to maintain his balance, he found Zhou Zhexiao lying there quietly, looking at him.

For some reason, the sight before him looked inexplicably familiar.

The other’s slightly parted lips, the tip of his nose, and his jawline. A certain hallucination suddenly arose in Xia Chiyi’s mind… that he had once recklessly and uninhibitedly kissed him.

This thought left Xia Chiyi stunned. He quickly rolled back to his original position, opened WeChat, and searched for Zhao Lingcong.

He checked the names starting with ‘Z’ in his contacts but didn’t see Zhao Lingcong.

Th… this is impossible? Could I have deleted Brother Cong’s WeChat?

Xia Chiyi glanced at Zhou Zhexiao, finding that the other’s gaze was still lingering on him.

“Can’t find him. I don’t think I changed Brother Cong’s contact name.”

“Take your time finding him, then.” Zhou Zhexiao’s lip line curved up very faintly.

“Are… are you smiling?”

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t answer.

“Hey, what on earth are you smiling about?”

“You call him ‘Brother’, yet you can’t even find him in your contacts. It seems you aren’t close enough to this ‘Brother’. Probably not even as close as you are with Yang Huaiyu.”

“…”

Xia Chiyi ignored him. His fingers scrolled through his contact list until he reached the very bottom, where he discovered an account named with an emoji and a profile picture of a horse. Opening it up, sure enough, it contained his and Zhao Lingcong’s chat history from several months ago.

“Ah, finally found him.” Xia Chiyi quickly changed his remark to ‘Zhao Lingcong’ and transferred 388 to him.

The other sent back a three-second voice message: “You actually paid me back? Keep it to buy some candy.”

Xia Chiyi replied: “That won’t do. If you spent your money AND lost the match, Brother Cong, wouldn’t that feel terrible?”

The next second, it showed that the payment had been received.

Zhao Lingcong sent an emoji saying “Kicking you flying”, which made Xia Chiyi laugh.

---

In the final knockout match, Ningchang University defeated Shenghai University 118 to 75, advancing to the Southeast Division’s top eight.

Xia Chiyi continued his stellar performance in the point guard position. Shenghai University was like a bug stuck in a spider’s web, unable to move.

This result was well within the expectations of their head coach, Guan Qian, and he calmly accepted this outcome.

After the game, while comforting his players, he chatted with Ling Huanzhen.

For a Shenghai University team lacking new talent to make it to the top twelve of the Southeast Division was already incredibly difficult.

“Hey, in the future, you have to prioritize our Shenghai University’s practice match invitations,” Guan Qian said.

“That’s a given. You were the one who spearheaded all our practice matches. I, Ling Huanzhen, keep this friendship close to my heart.” Ling Huanzhen patted his chest.

“Then, if it’s a prospective recruit I have my eye on, you can’t snatch them from me. Ningchang University’s reserve of guards is already teeming with talent,” Guan Qian continued.

Ling Huanzhen rubbed the back of his head vigorously. “Old classmate, you’re making things difficult for me… Honestly speaking, the higher we go in the Division I League, the more I feel like I might not be able to keep these kids. Shenghai University’s today might be Ningchang University’s tomorrow.”

Guan Qian turned his face and looked at Xia Chiyi. He then looked over Ningchang University’s starting lineup from start to finish, finally letting his gaze fall on Zhou Zhexiao.

“Mm… I think so too… Maybe you won’t be able to keep a single one. Many club representatives must be asking if your students are going to participate in the draft.”

“Yeah…” Ling Huanzhen let out a sigh.

Guan Qian turned around and hugged Ling Huanzhen. “This truly is a sweet kind of trouble.”

The news of Ningchang University entering the Southeast Division’s top eight was immediately transmitted back to the school. It wasn’t just the enthusiastic breaking news on the school’s official account, but also the wonderful photos sent back by Pang Shuai. Banners reading “Warmly Celebrating the Ningchang University Basketball Team’s Advance to the Southeast Division’s Top Eight” were hung everywhere on campus.

Principal Feng waved his hand grandly: for the upcoming matches, anyone willing to go to the venue to cheer for the basketball team could get a free spirit shirt from the Student Union.

On Kulang, the view count of Xia Chiyi’s highlight clips rapidly increased. On Feidian’s official website, several hundred more pairs of the same ‘Little Koi’ basketball shoes were sold overnight.

This kind of appeal made major clubs pay even more attention to Ningchang University.

---

That night, Ling Huanzhen had been chatting with Jiao Yingfeng, discussing the upcoming tactical arrangements. Unexpectedly, someone kept calling his WeChat. Jiao Yingfeng directly hung up on them for him.

Ling Huanzhen suppressed his anger, wondering who exactly was interrupting his chat with Jiao Jiao. Opening it up, he saw it was the PR manager of a famous sports brand he used to endorse.

Since it was his former sugar daddy, Ling Huanzhen took a deep breath. Although ever since he retired, the holiday greeting WeChats sent by the other party had changed from personalized ones to mass-sent messages—making Ling Huanzhen experience the harsh reality of people leaving and tea growing cold—he, Ling Huanzhen, had a broad mind and wouldn’t stoop to their level.

“Hello, is this Manager Huang of Zhengfeng Sports? Long time no see!”

Hehe, long time no see, better if we never saw each other.

“Coach Ling, I truly must congratulate you for sending Ningchang University into the top eight of the Southeast Division! This is equivalent to locking in a spot in the national tournament! From the former chief power forward to today’s gold-medal coach!”

Ling Huanzhen wasn’t swept away by the other’s polite flattery. He said mildly, “Manager Huang is too kind! It’s the kids who fought hard themselves. I wonder if Manager Huang has some business?”

Of course, Ling Huanzhen knew that Zhengfeng Sports sponsored many university teams, including top-tier universities like Qing U and Southwest Aviation U.

Not to mention, Zhengfeng Sports was also an official partner of the Division I League.

Fortunately, Manager Huang got straight to the point without wasting too much of Ling Huanzhen’s time. “It’s like this: many executives in our brand watched your matches and really appreciate your team. I reckon in this year’s CBA draft, Coach Ling’s disciples will definitely be on the list. Take Xia Chiyi, for instance; he leaves too deep an impression. The other side of the ocean has already entered the small-ball era. A shooting guard like Xia Chiyi, who combines speed and precision, and possesses both playmaking awareness and breakthrough ability, is far too rare. His future is absolutely limitless. And Zhou Zhexiao—his performance under the basket is astounding. The girls in our planning department can’t even walk after watching his highlight reels. He’s charmed our entire company. Therefore, we would like to offer sponsorship. Do you have any interest in having a chat?”

Ling Huanzhen walked to the window, lowered his eyes, and smiled.

He naturally understood what Zhengfeng Sports was thinking. Seeing athletes with potential, they wanted to book their endorsements in advance, preventing them from propping up the prestige of their competitors.

The current Zhengfeng Sports had changed compared to when they worked with Ling Huanzhen many years ago.

Back when Ling Huanzhen and Jiao Yingfeng crossed the ocean, Zhengfeng Sports had even unconditionally sponsored them with a scholarship.

It was just that as they grew larger and larger, they also became utilitarian. Many of their sponsorships had already lost the original intention of developing sports.

“Manager Huang, you also know that Ningchang University’s upcoming matches will be increasingly difficult. I don’t really want the players to shift their attention to sponsorships. Sponsorships will inevitably lead to a tilt in internal team resources, causing some unfairness. To be honest, I’d rather the players focus their energy on the game itself, instead of who is favored more by the sponsors or who gets more playing time because of it. I want them to purely play the basketball they love.”

Manager Huang didn’t seem to expect Ling Huanzhen to politely decline. Clearly, when he had just taken office, he had contacted him, trying to get close to fight for some sponsorships.

But at that time, Ningchang University was too weak. Manager Huang and the other executives felt that once sponsored, if Ningchang University performed poorly, wasting money would be a small matter, but being mocked by competitors would be detrimental to their corporate image.

Who could have expected Ningchang University to advance triumphantly, reach the top eight of the Southeast Division, and gain massive popularity?

“Coach Ling, I understand the pressure you face after entering the top eight. But our sponsorship can absolutely bring more attention to the Ningchang University basketball team. Rather than letting some obscure sports brands leech off you, it’s better to cooperate with us at Zhengfeng Sports. With our recommendation, the players’ futures will be even broader.”

__

[Author’s Note]
Zhou Zhexiao: I’m just playing basketball, not having an affair.
Ling Huanzhen: Damn! That’s so green-tea!
Xia Chiyi: It’s fine. Next time I invite someone to play ball and don’t come home all night, I’ll say the same thing.