Chapter 0093: Just Keep Winning

“There is,” Cheng Qing said. “‘This Ye Zhaoying is probably a fraud, right? He dribbles the ball very fast but never charges to the basket. Is he doing his postpartum confinement near the three-point line?'”

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Chenxue, Deng Bin, and the others couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m doing my postpartum confinement near the three-point line?! Does this person even understand the division of roles on a basketball court?! Why would I charge the basket? I’m not a forward! Xia Chiyi and He Bin are near the three-point line; all I have to do is pass the ball and wait for them to score. How is that called postpartum confinement? The only difference between this guy and an idiot is that he knows how to type!”

Despite being very angry, Ye Zhaoying suddenly realized that whether it was under the basket or near the three-point line, he always had teammates coordinating with him. He himself rarely ever actively tried to score. It seemed he really ought to be a bit more proactive.

Cheng Qing continued in an emotionless voice: “‘Ye Zhaoying is just a hardworking little bee, buzzing around the frontcourt and backcourt, but the moment he meets a double-team, smack, he amounts to nothing.'”

Ye Zhaoying closed his eyes, the veins on his forehead throbbing. “My breakthrough ability is not that bad! Whoever left that comment needs some eye drops!”

“There are also comments praising you.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“Listen to this one—’Ye Zhaoying, the Steal King of the Southeast Division, stop trying to copy Lu Yingnan. After all, he’s known as the Top-Tier Metronome and the Ace Killer. Just focus on being yourself; apart from steals, you can’t do anything else well anyway.'”

Although Ye Zhaoying had never said it out loud, he was constantly using Southwest Aviation’s Lu Yingnan as his benchmark.
Being compared like this was like a slap in the face, calling him a poor imitator.

Ye Zhaoying’s expression grew cold. Just as Xia Chiyi was about to say something to comfort him, Ye Zhaoying said faintly, “Aside from steals, Your Grandfather here is also good at slapping faces. I’m going to slap that hater’s rotten teeth right out of his mouth.”

Ling Huanzhen gave him two thumbs up. “I support you. Since people from Southwest Aviation came to watch today’s match, it’s highly likely Lu Yingnan himself will be here in person to watch tomorrow.”

Ye Zhaoying twitched the corner of his mouth. “Got it. What else are they flaming me with? Send it all over!”

Cheng Qing uncharacteristically smiled. “I won’t send yours to you yet. I’m afraid you’ll stay up all night fighting people online before the match is even won. Wait until we win, then you can flame them all in one go until they cry bitter tears.”

Ye Zhaoying nodded. “That works. What about Xia Chiyi? I refuse to believe no one is flaming him. If there isn’t, it must purely be because he’s good-looking.”

Xia Chiyi felt a sense of betrayal. “What the hell? And here I was just about to comfort you!”

Ye Zhaoying replied ruthlessly, “Seeing you get flamed worse than me is the only thing that will comfort me.”

Sure enough, a dozen pairs of eyes from the team all turned his way.
For the first time, Xia Chiyi doubted his own character. Why did everyone seem to be looking forward to him getting flamed?

“Alright, the first bullet regarding Xia Chiyi—’Every time I watch this bro perform his various step-backs near the three-point line, it’s like watching someone perform square dancing on a grave.'”

“Pfft—hahaha!” Ye Zhaoying was the first to clutch his stomach and laugh out loud. “I like this one! Hahaha!”

The others also lowered their heads, snickering quietly.

Xia Chiyi froze for a moment. He didn’t laugh, instantly understanding Ling Huanzhen’s intention in picking out this specific comment.
Although Xia Chiyi’s step-backs and releases were very fast, sometimes “fast” wasn’t a universal solution.
Especially when facing an opponent with outstanding defensive abilities like Southeast Mining University.
He needed more varied rhythms and unexpected fake moves.

“I understand,” Xia Chiyi nodded. “Anything else?”

“‘Does this Xia Chiyi guy think he’s Ziwei? Chased to the ends of the earth by tight defense, singing You are the wind and I am the sand near the three-point line. Can’t he learn from Xiaoyan Zi and fight hard under the basket?'” (T/N: References to characters and the iconic theme song from the classic Chinese drama ‘My Fair Princess / Princess Pearl’. Ziwei is gentle and delicate, while Xiaoyan Zi is reckless and martial.)

Ye Zhaoying lowered his head, stifling his laughter. He never expected that just playing a game of basketball would invoke the presence of an ancient TV drama.

Zhou Zhexiao, who had been quiet this whole time, actually lifted his face, looked at Xia Chiyi, and asked, “What is a Ziwei? What does You are the wind and I am the sand mean?”

Xia Chiyi pushed his head away. “Wait until we beat Southeast Mining Uni, then you can go binge-watch that TV drama and you’ll understand.”

“What TV drama?”

“A cultural hallmark of an era, My Fair Princess. Have you never heard of it?” Ye Zhaoying asked in return.

Zhou Zhexiao shook his head.

“Is anyone flaming Zhou Zhexiao?” Xia Chiyi looked at Cheng Qing.
Everything had to be fair. It couldn’t be that they were getting roasted while Zhou Zhexiao remained completely pristine. How could they be teammates like that?

Cheng Qing revealed a troubled expression. “There are people flaming Zhou Zhexiao, but mostly they’re just jealous that he’s handsome. It’s meaningless.”

“What the hell! We have so many points of ridicule, but Zhou Zhexiao’s only point of ridicule is being handsome?!” Ye Zhaoying’s eyes practically bulged out.

Shuai Bei crossed his arms and frowned. “Even if that’s the only point of ridicule, we still want to hear it.”

“Alright. ‘Watching Zhou Zhexiao play basketball is like watching a CG movie. Can we get this guy with the 3D-modeled face off the court? My girlfriend’s feelings have already shifted to him.'”

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t seem very interested. His old habit of seeking a human stand flared up again, leaning toward Xia Chiyi with a look that said, ‘Wake me up later.’

“Eee…” Xia Chiyi lifted a shoulder, signaling his rejection of Zhou Zhexiao’s approach. “3D-modeled face? Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu aren’t bad either, okay!”

Hearing those two names, Zhou Zhexiao suddenly perked up, looking at Xia Chiyi with a gaze that said, ‘Do you want to die?’

However, Xia Chiyi exercised his advantage of being dense, showing absolutely zero reaction to Zhou Zhexiao’s glare.

Cheng Qing continued: “‘Every time I look at Zhou Zhexiao’s expression, it looks like he’s disgusted by the fact that everyone is uglier than him.'”

Xia Chiyi stroked his chin: “This one might actually be true.”

“I’ve never been disgusted by you,” Zhou Zhexiao suddenly piped up out of nowhere.

“Thank you so much!”

“‘Relying on his own strength, Zhou Zhexiao single-handedly made the Southeast Division top the four major divisions in face value.'”

After Cheng Qing finished reading, everyone immediately became displeased.

“Is this flaming him?! This is clearly praising him, right?!”
“I refuse to accept this! Can you flame him again?!”
“We’re here to play basketball, not to debut in a boy band! What the hell is the use of face value?!”

Zhou Zhexiao himself looked entirely indifferent, not even understanding the reason behind everyone’s fiery indignation.

Fu Chenxue weakly raised his hand. “Am I the only one who gets that these words really are flaming Zhou Zhexiao?”

“How is it flaming? Look at Zhou Zhexiao’s expression! It has zero lethality!” Xia Chiyi was also indignant. He turned sideways, pinched Zhou Zhexiao’s cheeks, and shook them, forcefully shaking him awake.

“…Isn’t this saying that Zhou Zhexiao’s looks are more conspicuous than his basketball skills?” Fu Chenxue said.

“If you can win just by relying on your face, what the hell is the point of playing basketball?” Shuai Bei gave a thumbs up.

“Even so… why do I still want to beat this guy up?!” Ye Zhaoying extended his demonic claws, but only dared to make grabbing gestures above Zhou Zhexiao’s head, not actually daring to touch him.

“The Final Four of the Southeast Division is getting a lot of attention. Cool Wave Sports even invited eight professional basketball players to predict our match against Southeast Mining University. The predictions overwhelmingly favor Mining Uni. After all, Mining Uni is an established powerhouse, and every year in the draft, players from Mining Uni enter the professional leagues.”

Meanwhile, their Ningchang University was relatively unknown. Trying to find an alumnus in the CBA was impossible.

Everyone sighed in unison. Only Zhou Zhexiao slowly lifted his head and made eye contact with Ling Huanzhen.

“So your popularity is this bad.”

“Hah?” Ling Huanzhen looked bewildered.

“You’re a coach, after all. Yet out of eight professional players, not a single one thinks the team you coach will win?” Zhou Zhexiao asked blandly.

Ling Huanzhen clutched his chest. Shot through the heart. That hurts.

Xia Chiyi took out his phone and searched up the evaluations from these players.
The one with the highest discussion rate was an interview with active CBA shooting guard Yuan Tingxuan.

Yuan Tingxuan belonged to the Shenghai Tianyuan Pharmaceutical Men’s Basketball team and had also been selected for the national team roster that competed in the Olympics two years ago. He was a highly sought-after professional athlete in recent years, a swingman who carried high expectations.

In the video, Yuan Tingxuan had just finished his training, his face and neck still dripping with sweat. A Cool Wave columnist handed him water while conducting the interview.

At first, it was just polite pleasantries, asking him for some words of blessing for this year’s University Division I League. Then, the topic shifted to the Southeast Division semifinals.

“Ningchang University… I know them, I know them. To be honest, our club has been keeping an eye on them too. After all, their head coach is Ling Huanzhen…” Yuan Tingxuan grasped the ends of the towel draped over his shoulders and wiped the sweat from his chin.
“They are indeed playing surprisingly well, especially their guards… Very high mobility, three-point line buzzer-beaters…”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi, Ye Zhaoying, and He Bin all nodded.

“But their frontcourt strength is still lacking a bit of fire; they aren’t ruthless enough. Moreover, more than half of the team’s main lineup are freshmen, right? Their experience in major tournaments is still lacking. They’ve had smooth sailing the whole way… While everyone hopes to remain undefeated, I still feel that sometimes losing is a more important experience than winning. Based on their ranking, they’ve already secured a ticket to the National Tournament. The rest is just about getting a good feel and experiencing the games. Southeast Mining University… is a very excellent opponent. I believe Ningchang University will be able to learn a lot from them.”

Xia Chiyi wasn’t using Bluetooth earbuds, so even though the volume wasn’t loud, everyone heard it.

Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head, leaning completely against Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. He lifted his eyelids to look at him. “Am I not ruthless enough?”

Xia Chiyi audibly gulped. Zhou Zhexiao acting like this is practically acting spoiled.

“No… he probably isn’t referring to you, but to me and Du He,” Shuai Bei said.

Hands on his hips, Ye Zhaoying frowned deeply. “And from what he’s saying, when we face Southeast Mining Uni, we’re guaranteed to lose! And we should be grateful to Mining Uni for bestowing experience upon us? What’s with this attitude that looks objective, but is actually super condescending and taking it for granted that we can’t do it?”

“Besides, why do we have to experience a loss? What we want isn’t just the Top Four of the Southeast Division, but to be the Kings of the Southeast Division.” Shuai Bei looked at Du He and asked, “What about you? What do you think? Is Mining Uni’s frontcourt really that badass?”

A resolute expression appeared on Du He’s usually calm face, his eyes slightly red.
“This time, I don’t want to lose… Yuan Tingxuan said our frontcourt isn’t ruthless enough… He’s definitely not talking about Zhou Zhexiao, and I believe he isn’t talking about Shuai Bei either… He’s talking about me. He means that I will drag our team down during the match.”

Not just Ling Huanzhen, but the other teammates—especially the forwards Chen Chuan and Deng Bin—were all stunned by Du He’s gaze.

Chen Chuan clenched his fists. “He’s not just talking about you; he’s talking about me too. I am also a frontcourt player for Ningchang University.”

Xia Chiyi bumped his shoulder against Zhou Zhexiao. “Tell me, is this the arrogance of players from powerhouse teams?”

In their eyes, Ningchang University was like a humble, impoverished family. It’s hard for a humble family to produce a noble son. Even if they finally produced a dark horse, they lacked the foundation and the vision. In their view, the regional Top Four was already Ningchang University’s absolute ceiling.
They believed Ningchang University didn’t possess the capital to stand at the very top.

“Mn, very arrogant.” Zhou Zhexiao finally sat up straight. “So breaking their expectations, winning until the very end, and destroying the established hierarchy of the Southeast Division is exactly what our Ningchang University basketball team needs to do.”

The entire room suddenly fell silent.

Xia Chiyi grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s face, looked him in the eye, and said, “Did I hear that right? You actually spoke such a long paragraph to encourage everyone?”

Zhou Zhexiao revealed a perplexed expression. “I wasn’t encouraging everyone. Old Ling wanted to incite your emotions, and I was just cooperating with him.”

Zhou Zhexiao grabbed Xia Chiyi’s wrists, turning his head to look at Ling Huanzhen. “Now that everyone’s emotions have been stirred up, you can start your strategic deployment.”

Ling Huanzhen covered his face with one hand and said helplessly, “You completely exposed everything! What the hell am I supposed to say now?!”

“Say it quickly. I want to go back and sleep.” The disdain in Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes was completely undisguised.

Ling Huanzhen coughed, put his hands on his hips, and said with a look of glory, “My strategy is very simple. It’s that everyone is the offensive core!”

“Huh?” Everyone looked at him in bafflement.

“And our playstyle is also very simple: Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, fortune takes turns!” Ling Huanzhen’s gaze swept over everyone in the room.

“What the hell?”

“Come, come, come. Let this master explain it to you.”

However, after listening to Ling Huanzhen’s explanation, everyone suddenly felt it was incredibly interesting.

With the tactical arrangements concluded, everyone was free to go back and rest.

Before they disbanded, Ling Huanzhen said, “Actually, that Yuan Tingxuan wasn’t entirely wrong. We’ve already secured our ticket to the Nationals, so we might as well be a bit happier and enjoy the match. After all, in terms of psychological pressure, Southeast Mining University’s burden is definitely heavier than ours. We’ve successively cut down prestigious schools like Fusheng University of Technology and Chujiang University. Countless eyes are now fixed on Southeast Mining Uni, counting on them to vindicate the regional powerhouses. They might be the ones losing sleep tonight.”

Du He nodded. “Understood. I will sleep very well tonight!”

“You? Are you sure? The night before we played Fusheng Tech, you were tossing and turning all night,” Shuai Bei teased.

“No, this time I definitely can.”

Everyone dispersed back to their own rooms.

Unable to hold back, Xia Chiyi made a phone call to Jiao Yingfeng. The sound of a bubbling pot came from the other end.

“Master, what are you doing?”

“Old Fan and I are having hot pot. What’s wrong? You chickened out?” Jiao Yingfeng’s voice drifted over.

“I didn’t chicken out. I just wanted to ask if Master has any final instructions.”

Jiao Yingfeng, who was in the middle of dumping meat into the hot pot, paused, then laughed. “And you say you haven’t chickened out? When I taught you before, I didn’t hold anything back. What further instructions do you need?”

Xia Chiyi leaned against the windowsill, narrowing his eyes as he felt the night breeze brush past. “I want to win, Master.”

“How rare. First time I’m hearing you say you want to win. What happened?” On the other end of the line, Jiao Yingfeng put down his chopsticks.

“Just… I want to win. Maybe because I got mocked by people saying all I know how to do is square dance on the three-point line.”

Jiao Yingfeng’s hearty laughter erupted from the phone.
In truth, Jiao Yingfeng had seen that comment online first and specifically forwarded it to Ling Huanzhen. The two of them had laughed their heads off in WeChat. He originally thought Xia Chiyi would just laugh it off heartlessly with them, but unexpectedly, the kid actually took it to heart.

“Then you must remember, even in square dancing, the rhythm of Little Apple and Lassoing the Horse are different.”

“Master—I’m being serious.”

“I’m being serious too. Besides, what you can dance isn’t just square dancing, but also the tango.”

Xia Chiyi settled his mind, knowing Jiao Yingfeng wasn’t joking.
He didn’t have Zhou Zhexiao’s explosive power to instantly conquer the whole court, but ever-changing, unpredictable adaptability was his own path to victory.

Leaning on the window ledge, Xia Chiyi was just about to turn around when a pair of hands clamped onto his sides. Feeling the approaching body heat behind him, Xia Chiyi leaned back, falling directly into the other person’s embrace.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice sounded from behind.

“What’s wrong with what?”

“After watching that Yuan Tingxuan’s interview, you acted a bit weird. You didn’t like what he said.”

Xia Chiyi didn’t turn around. Instead, he rested his arms back on the window ledge, looking at the streetlamps outside. “When you played in the NCAA, did a lot of people say things like that too?”

Zhou Zhexiao fell silent.

“Saying that as an Asian player in the talent-filled Duke University, just being able to get on the court was already good enough.”

“Mn.” Zhou Zhexiao gave a soft hum.
Meaning it was true.

“When you finally got on the court, they said being able to play point guard was already good enough, and that you could only play guard.”

“Mn.” Zhou Zhexiao’s voice lowered, revealing a hint of mockery.

“When you entered the draft, those people said being picked by a well-known team was already good enough. Your ceiling was never determined by your own abilities, but by the ‘common sense’ they imposed on you. Yet, in the game that decided your team’s Championship title, it was you who cut into the basket, defeated three of their frontcourt players, and scored the winning point.”

“Mn.” Zhou Zhexiao’s hands, which had been resting on the windowsill, suddenly lifted.

Xia Chiyi thought he had brought up memories the other didn’t want to recall, and that Zhou Zhexiao was about to walk away. His heart felt a bit empty.

But unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug, resting his chin in the crook of Xia Chiyi’s neck.
He held Xia Chiyi very, very tightly.

Those days of swimming against the current in search of a presence were gone forever. It felt as though his entire past life had been spent constantly trying to prove himself, right up until the last moment of his life.
That kind of proving had always been very lonely.
It was as if the whole world was saying, “This is your peak,” yet he spared no effort to keep moving forward. And the further forward he went, the fewer people remained by his side.

“So this time, I cannot play basketball with a mindset of ‘happy basketball’ or ‘farming experience points.’ I want to win. If the whole world thinks Southeast Mining University is our stumbling block, then we absolutely must step over them. Then, I’m going to tell that Yuan Tingxuan—Stop taking things for granted, and put away your arrogance.“

Buried in the crook of Xia Chiyi’s neck, Zhou Zhexiao smiled.
The warm breath washed over Xia Chiyi’s skin like ocean waves again and again, fueling the fire in his blood. He wanted to surge upward endlessly, even if it meant making an enemy of gravity and all the laws of physics, eager to break through the sky.

“What about you? Is there anything you want?” Xia Chiyi turned his face, asking curiously. “Even though there are top players like Liu Suchen and Yang Huaiyu, they are still young after all. To you… isn’t the University Division I League very boring?”

“What I want is not just admiration.”

After saying that, Zhou Zhexiao let go of Xia Chiyi, grabbed his change of clothes, and headed for the bathroom.

Watching his back, Xia Chiyi suddenly felt like he was being dangled by a string again.
The question from the elevator still hadn’t been answered, and now Zhou Zhexiao had tossed out a new piece of bait.

“Not just admiration? Then what else do you want?” Without another word, Xia Chiyi followed him into the bathroom.

Zhou Zhexiao hung up his waterproof bag, and right in front of Xia Chiyi, pulled off his T-shirt. The lines of his shoulders and back tightened, his abs as clear as if they had been chiseled out of stone. Xia Chiyi’s gaze roamed over him without any pretense of hiding.

“That’s the second question.” Zhou Zhexiao used his eyes to gesture toward the door.

Yet Xia Chiyi had absolutely no intention of leaving, staring fixedly at the other boy, his meaning clear: If you don’t tell me, I won’t leave.

Who would have guessed that Zhou Zhexiao would step right up to Xia Chiyi and directly pull at the drawstring of his sweatpants?

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

“If you’re not leaving, then you want to wash together. I’ll help you undress.”
As he spoke, Zhou Zhexiao’s fingers had already hooked into the waistband of Xia Chiyi’s pants.

“Who the hell wants to wash together with you?!”
Xia Chiyi grabbed his waistband and swiftly fled the scene.

“Close the door.”

“Close it yourself!”
Xia Chiyi dashed back to his bed, cursing through gritted teeth in his heart: Zhou Zhexiao, you have no shame!

Meanwhile, in Southeast Mining University’s room, Zhao Lingcong was leaning against the headboard playing games. Ma Tao lay on the bed next to him.

Usually, no matter what time it was or how early it was, this guy would fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.
But today, Ma Tao was tossing and turning like a pancake on a griddle. Plus, since he was a big guy, the entire bed creaked and groaned under his weight.

Zhao Lingcong put down his phone, propped his chin up, and looked at him in amusement. “Tao-tao, deep down in your heart, are you actually feeling very anxious?”

“Me? Anxious? Why would I be anxious?”

“You’re afraid Little Xia is going to constantly shoot pew-pew-pew three-pointers right over your head.”

“Pah, what am I afraid of? The coach clearly assigned Xia Chiyi to Little Cheng, and you’re the one helping with defense. I just need to focus on scoring.” Ma Tao rolled over, shooting Zhao Lingcong a glare. “Just you wait and see, I will definitely score higher than you tomorrow.”

“Oh, then you must be afraid of Zhou Zhexiao.” Zhao Lingcong nodded with an ‘I understand’ expression.

Ma Tao abruptly sat up. “What?! I’m afraid of that freshman brat?! What’s there to be afraid of?”

“Afraid of him serving you a hot pot (blocking your shot)? Afraid of him dunking on your head? Afraid of him blowing right past you with a coast-to-coast drive while you can’t even move?”

“Zhao Lingcong, you don’t want your legs anymore, do you?”

Zhao Lingcong immediately wrapped his legs under layers of blankets. “Aiya, what’s so shameful about admitting you’re nervous? It shows you respect your opponent enough. That’s a guy who can go one-on-one against Yang Huaiyu and make Liu Suchen acknowledge his strength. If you weren’t nervous at all, that would be underestimating the enemy way too much.”

Ma Tao stroked his chin. “I’ve decided. Tomorrow, I’m going to dunk in Zhou Zhexiao’s face first!”

Zhao Lingcong leaned back, thinking to himself: Uh… that sounds like a very high difficulty level…

Just then, Zhao Lingcong’s phone buzzed. It was actually from his teammate, Cheng Kuang.
Although Cheng Kuang was a freshman, his fundamentals were solid, and he had great perseverance on the court. He had been personally designated by the coach to defend Xia Chiyi.

Cheng Kuang: [Cong-ge, I’m nervous… Do you think I’ll end up like Chujiang University’s Liu Ge tomorrow? Dragged down to exhaustion by Xia Chiyi before the first half even ends, fainting on the spot, and then all of you will have to gather around and pinch my philtrum to wake me up?]

Zhao Lingcong: [You have a very rich imagination. If pinching your philtrum wakes you up, then it’s no big deal. Wake up and keep guarding him. Plus, you have me helping on defense! Xia Chiyi can’t escape from the palms of our hands!]

At this moment, the team’s point guard, Huang Chun, also sent him a WeChat: [A-Cong, I can’t sleep. Do you think I’ll get my ball stolen by Ye Zhaoying before I even dribble it into the frontcourt?]

Zhao Lingcong nearly choked on his own saliva, replying helplessly: [Da Huang (Big Yellow), you’re a junior! It’s not your first time in the Division I League. I didn’t see you this scared of Lu Yingnan when we played Southwest Aviation last year.]

Huang Chun: [A-Cong, have you forgotten that I got my ball stolen by Lu Yingnan four times last year? Also, you haven’t bought me a meal even once, yet you still have the nerve to call me Da Huang?]

Zhao Lingcong puffed out his cheeks, let out a sigh, and created a small group chat. The group name was “Zhao Lingcong’s Psychological Clinic”.

Before anyone could speak, Zhao Lingcong directly tossed a short video into the chat.

Unexpectedly, it was a compilation of Xia Chiyi’s embarrassing black history from his middle school days.
For example, Xia Chiyi getting his ball stolen, ending up sprawled on the floor wrestling the opponent for the ball, his pants nearly getting pulled off in the process.
Or, Xia Chiyi shooting from the three-point line, acting all smug right after the release, only for the referee to blow the whistle for a traveling violation, leaving the whole stadium feeling secondhand embarrassment for him.
And there was the one where he was half a beat slow on defense, arriving under the basket just in time to get smashed in the chest by an opponent’s dunk.

Zhao Lingcong: [Funny, right? Don’t look at his infinite glory now; he used to be a complete noob. So stop being so nervous.]

Ma Tao sighed. “After watching this, I think they’ll be even more nervous.”

“Why? Wasn’t it funny?”

“A guy who used to be that garbage is now one of the top sharpshooters in the entire Southeast Division. We aren’t afraid of opponents who used to be trash; we’re afraid of opponents with god-like evolution.”

Zhao Lingcong looked up at the ceiling. “Forget it. Go to sleep.”

Ningchang University’s match against Southeast Mining University was scheduled for 2:30 PM. While everyone was eating the hotel’s buffet lunch before the match, apart from the ever-unfazed and picky-eating Zhou Zhexiao, the rest of the team seemed to have no appetite, yet were forcing themselves to eat.

Holding a soup ladle, Xia Chiyi tried to scoop up the solid ingredients from the soup, but failed every time.

“Are you trying to get the water shield leaves inside?”

A mellow voice sounded. Turning his head, Xia Chiyi saw Yang Huaiyu standing beside him, holding a bowl in one hand, having waited for him for quite a while.

“Yeah, I can’t catch them.”

“Let me.” Yang Huaiyu took the ladle, stirred it in the pot a few times, and the ingredients floated to the top. He lightly skimmed the surface with the ladle, coming up with a spoonful full of vegetables.

“Wow, so that’s how it’s done…” Xia Chiyi’s eyes widened, feeling like he had just learned a new skill.

“You definitely don’t drink the seaweed soup at school very often.” Yang Huaiyu poured the spoonful of water shield into Xia Chiyi’s bowl.

“Isn’t that just dishwater? I don’t really drink it. Thanks, ge.”

“Good boy.” Yang Huaiyu smiled.

At that moment, Yang Huaiyu’s phone vibrated. Pulling it out, he saw it was a message from Liu Suchen.

“Xia Chiyi, playing against Southeast Mining Uni, can you win?” Yang Huaiyu asked.

“If I don’t want to lose, then I can only win,” Xia Chiyi replied.

“That’s good. I’m betting on you guys.”

As Yang Huaiyu spoke, Xia Chiyi leaned his head over to peek. It was actually a three-person group chat with Yang Huaiyu, Liu Suchen, and Lu Yingnan.

Liu Suchen: [So difficult, so difficult! I originally wanted to bet on Ningchang Uni to win, but Zhao Lingcong’s leg actually healed, so the result is unpredictable.]

Yang Huaiyu: [I just asked Xia Chiyi, and he said they will win. So I’m betting on him to win.]

Xia Chiyi tugged at Yang Huaiyu. “What’s your wager? Don’t tell me it’s just a 200 yuan red envelope?”

“The wager? We’re planning to go skiing at Changbai Mountain. The loser pays for the accommodation.”

“Changbai Mountain? Skiing? You guys are true rich tycoons! I’ve never even touched a snowboard before!”

Just then, Lu Yingnan also sent a message in the group: [I still think Southeast Mining Uni will win. When Ma Tao goes crazy, who can compete? Li Renjie’s hot pots can give people psychological trauma, plus the elusive and unpredictable Zhao Lingcong—Mining Uni’s frontcourt configuration is very powerful. Furthermore, experience is still very important in major tournaments.]

Even though he had never met Lu Yingnan in person, seeing the solemn and serious way this guy typed, he truly lived up to Southwest Aviation’s reputation for rigorous strictness.

Yang Huaiyu chuckled and spoke into the voice mic: “Xia Chiyi is right beside me. He asks, if he beats Southeast Mining Uni, do you dare treat him to go skiing, Lu Yingnan?”

Xia Chiyi was shocked and smacked the back of Yang Huaiyu’s head. “What the hell are you doing?! I don’t even know Lu Yingnan!”

Who would have guessed that Lu Yingnan’s reply would come very quickly: [If Ningchang University beats Southeast Mining Uni, I’ll treat him to skiing. If they win the Championship of the Southeast Division, I’ll treat the entire Ningchang University team to go skiing.]

Xia Chiyi’s eyes widened. “A real rich tycoon…”

But Yang Huaiyu gave a cold laugh. “Lu Yingnan, are you meaning to encourage Ningchang University to defeat our Qincheng University in the finals?”

Lu Yingnan: [Yes.]

Even through the internet, Xia Chiyi could feel the drawn swords and bent bows between Yang Huaiyu and Lu Yingnan.

“Lu Yingnan, wash your neck clean. In the National Tournament, I’m definitely going to kill you.”

Xia Chiyi took two steps back. Holding his bowl of water shield soup, he swiftly returned to his team’s dining table.
In a movie of three people, bloodshed is destined.

As soon as he sat down, Ye Zhaoying asked him, “What were you chatting with Yang Huaiyu about? Chatting so much you didn’t even care about eating?”

Xia Chiyi leaned forward, making a gesture for everyone to come closer.
The teammates all gathered around.

“What is it?”
“What secret did you just overhear?”

“Just now, Lu Yingnan threw down a challenge to Yang Huaiyu. If we defeat Qincheng University in the finals, Lu Yingnan will treat our entire team to a skiing trip.”
After saying that, Xia Chiyi lowered his head and started eating his water shield soup as if nothing had happened.

“The competition among the National Top Four is so fierce!”
“The match hasn’t even started, and a war without gunpowder has already begun!”
“Have we already become a sharp blade thrust toward Qincheng University?!”

The teammates who had no appetite a moment ago were suddenly all starving.
Before they knew it, they had already become a part of the big bosses’ battlefield.
More importantly—they wanted to go skiing for free!

At 2:00 PM, Junyang Stadium was packed to the brim with no empty seats. Ningchang University’s orange lineup had doubled in size compared to before. Even Principal Feng had come in person.

Of course, Southeast Mining University didn’t yield an inch. Wearing their dark red custom t-shirts, they gazed at Ningchang University from afar. Before the game had even begun, the imposing aura of two opposing armies clashing was already palpable.

Pang Shuai held a pair of binoculars, scanning the audience seats, and said excitedly, “People from Qingda (Qincheng Uni) are here! There’s Liu Suchen, and Huo Cheng, and even their head coach Li Xiaoran!”

“Really? Let me see!” Liang Qin from the Student Union was thrilled. Even Li Xiaoran had come, showing that this match truly had everyone’s attention.

When Ling Huanzhen entered the arena, he naturally noticed his mortal enemy. Unable to wait, he whipped out his phone and sent Li Xiaoran a WeChat: [Yo, here to spy on the enemy?]

Li Xiaoran: [I was afraid this might be the final highlight of your coaching career, so I came to commemorate it for you.]

Ling Huanzhen’s mouth twitched. He raised a hand and flipped off Li Xiaoran’s direction, which predictably caused a wave of gasps from the audience.

Li Xiaoran crossed his arms and snorted coldly. “After so many years, this guy still has zero class.”

Liang Qin shifted the binoculars to the side—the seating area for Southwest Aviation. Compared to the previous match, the number of people who came to watch directly doubled. Their head coach and assistant coach were also present.
Sitting next to the head coach was a boy with handsome, smooth facial features and a hint of sharpness in his quiet eyes. His bangs were swept up, revealing a clear forehead. He exuded an unshakeable, composed aura that inexplicably inspired awe.

“Lu Yingnan! I see Lu Yingnan!” Liang Qin let out a breath.

“Really? This match gathered all top three masters from last year?” Pang Shuai rubbed his hands together in surprise, waiting for Liang Qin to return the binoculars to him.

Not only that, the on-site cameras also captured the head coach of Fusheng Hangzao, Du Luan. Wearing a smile, he was the exact same Uncle who had added Xia Chiyi on WeChat yesterday.
Sitting next to Du Luan was none other than the assistant coach of the National Youth Team, Xu Run.

When the two found their seats and sat down, they looked at each other and both froze.

“Coach Du, I didn’t expect you to have the elegant leisure to come watch university students’ matches,” Xu Run smiled and said.

“I added a WeChat friend yesterday. My friend is playing on the court today, so of course I had to come cheer him on,” Du Luan replied half-jokingly.

Xu Run instantly understood the underlying meaning. The so-called ‘WeChat friend’ was a player Du Luan had set his sights on.
“Could Coach Du reveal who this friend you added is?”

“How about we both type his name on our phones and show it at the same time?”

“Sure.”

Five seconds later, the two of them held their phones out together. The names were indeed the same.
Du Luan and Xu Run smiled at each other.

“But Coach Du, do you think… Ningchang University can keep winning?” Xu Run looked at Du Luan.

Du Luan’s gaze was cast upon the basketball court. “You’re referring to the Division I League’s ‘Dark Horse Law’, right? No matter how powerful a dark horse is, they never make it to the regional finals.”

“Mn, exactly.”

“But what if Ningchang University isn’t just a dark horse?” Du Luan asked with a smile. “Does Old Master Xie of your National Youth Team also believe they need a defeat in order to grow?”

“Uh… yes.” Xu Run nodded.

Du Luan smiled knowingly. “We always believe ‘losing’ is a rare and valuable experience, but perhaps guaranteeing a ‘win’ requires an even more powerful resolve. Once the bow is drawn, the arrow does not turn back; not stopping until the goal is reached. The current professional men’s basketball leagues are lacking this kind of imposing spirit. I really hope to see it in this group of university students whose heads haven’t yet been clouded by fame and fortune.”

So, why not just let Ningchang University keep winning?

The players from both teams were currently warming up with shooting drills on the court.

Zhao Lingcong glanced over at Ningchang University’s formation and found Xia Chiyi standing on the sidelines, rotating his wrists to stretch. Zhou Zhexiao stood right behind him, his chin resting on top of Xia Chiyi’s head, his eyes half-open. If this were a manga, there would be a bunch of “ZZZZ”s floating next to Zhou Zhexiao’s head.

“Hey, Tao-tao. Our opponent still hasn’t woken up. Shouldn’t we provide a wake-up service?” Zhao Lingcong looked at Ma Tao.

Ma Tao rolled his wrists. “No problem.”

As soon as the words fell, Zhao Lingcong took the ball to the sideline, and without warning, viciously smashed the basketball toward the hoop.

What the hell, so sudden!
Ma Tao cursed in his heart, sprinting toward the basket with all his might. His speed was so fast it left people dumbfounded. Catching the ball mid-air, he executed a savage alley-oop dunk.

The audience erupted instantly, especially the Southeast Mining Uni camp. Frantic banging sounds echoed, nearly shaking the lights off the ceiling.

Du He, Shuai Bei, and the others stared blankly. The two of them had also done alley-oop dunks before, but Ma Tao’s half-court sprint speed was too astonishing. Combined with the explosive power of his leap, pulling off a king bomb right during warm-ups was insane.

Zhou Zhexiao was jolted awake by the roar of the crowd. He lifted his head slightly, but still reluctant to leave Xia Chiyi’s head, he rubbed his chin against Xia Chiyi’s hair whorl before lazily rubbing his eye.

The hearts of the Ningchang University alumni—originally aggravated by Ma Tao—were suddenly struck by how cute that was.

“Is that still the Zhou Zhexiao we know?! He can be salty, and he can be sweet~!”
“I can sense Zhou Zhexiao’s subtext: You bunch of ignorant peasants, daring to disturb This King over a single alley-oop?“
“Hahaha, when King Zhou travels, the feudal lords bow their heads!”

Ling Huanzhen shot Xia Chiyi a look. Xia Chiyi immediately shook his shoulders.

__

[Author’s Note]

Xia Chiyi: Return one.
Zhou Zhexiao: Okay.
Xia Chiyi: I told you to return a basket, why did you kiss me!
Zhou Zhexiao: You stole a kiss from me, so I returned one to you.
Xia Chiyi: Hurry up and wake the hell up! The match is about to start!