Chapter 0116: The Gaze from Lu Yingnan

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi placed his fingers at the corners of his eyes and pulled upwards, mimicking Zhuo Zheng’s expression. “Have you ever massaged a guy who looks like this? He has a gap in one of his eyebrows! He looks super fierce, like the whole world owes him tens of billions!”

“Ahaha, yes, yes! He’s very tall and has a really loud voice. You shouldn’t imitate him though; you’re too good-looking, even if you pull your eyes up you don’t look like him.”

Xia Chiyi had just been inexplicably complimented.

“So, can he handle the pressure? Is he afraid of pain?”

“Hahaha, out of their entire team, he’s the one most afraid of pain! He kept yelling, ‘Lighter—lighter—!’ His teammates said he looked like a tank, but they didn’t expect him to be so squishy!”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi burst into laughter, feeling like he had just grabbed onto Zhuo Zheng’s weak spot.

Next time that guy glared at him fiercely, he would use this to ruthlessly mock him.

Yang Huaiyu spoke up next: “What about their captain? The one who doesn’t talk much and is always very serious. Can he handle the pressure?”

“Oh, oh, that handsome guy! He can really take it! I used a hundred percent of my strength, and he didn’t even let out a single grunt. He even fell asleep!”

“Wow, I couldn’t tell Lu Yingnan was that tough,” Zhao Lingcong said, rubbing his chin.

“How about we challenge the hundred-percent strength too?” Yang Huaiyu asked with a smile.

Xia Chiyi still remembered the trauma brought on by the fascia knife and hurriedly tried to stop Yang Huaiyu’s suicidal behavior. “What kind of terrible idea is that? Don’t underestimate the masters’ full strength, I guarantee you won’t be able to get out of bed tomorrow!”

“Haha, why don’t we make a bet? Whoever begs for mercy first has to bleed their wallet dry tomorrow and treat the rest of us to Panther Head!” Zhao Lingcong raised an eyebrow.

Panther Head was the most famous buffet restaurant in Rongzhou. It was said to have everything from hotpot to barbecue, and it was considered quite expensive for the area.

“Hmm, sure,” Yang Huaiyu smiled, resting his chin on his hand.

“Seeing how calm and composed you look, you must get the full package frequently. You’ve probably tried all the tricks,” Zhao Lingcong laughed.

“Um… can I opt out? I definitely can’t handle the pressure…” Xia Chiyi slowly raised his hand.

“You forgot, you’re the one who invited us together. Even if you can’t handle it, you have to take it!” Zhao Lingcong pressed down on Xia Chiyi’s head.

Beside them, Yang Huaiyu smiled like an old fox.

After soaking their feet, the masters began to show off their skills.

A hundred percent strength was no joke.

Just as they started cracking Zhao Lingcong’s back, the guy almost screamed out loud.

Yang Huaiyu laughed from the side, “If you can’t take it, just say so early on. Don’t get your bones broken.”

“I… can take it… no need to worry!”

Zhao Lingcong’s face turned red. Xia Chiyi turned his head to look at him, genuinely feeling worried for the guy.

When it came time to loosen the leg tendons, Yang Huaiyu let out an “Nngh” filled with deep agony, which made Zhao Lingcong grin from ear to ear.

“Old Yang, if you can’t handle it, don’t force it. You’re already so old, don’t torture yourself too much!” Zhao Lingcong shouted.

Xia Chiyi lay on his stomach, feeling as if every muscle in his body was being kneaded open. It was quite comfortable, not at all like the bitter endurance Zhao Lingcong and Yang Huaiyu were going through.

After midnight, Xia Chiyi got sleepy.

While Yang Huaiyu and Zhao Lingcong occasionally let out “suggestive” groans of pain on his left and right, Xia Chiyi began to emit soft snores.

“Um… mister, could you help check if he’s still alive? Why isn’t he making a sound?” Zhao Lingcong forced out with difficulty.

From his angle, he could only see Xia Chiyi’s ear; his face was buried in the hole of the massage bed.

Yang Huaiyu also noticed—how was Xia Chiyi not afraid of the pain at all?

For a moment, all movement in the private room stopped. Even the master massaging Xia Chiyi wanted to prop him up to check on him.

At that moment, the sound of the little lion snoozing finally became obvious.

“He actually fell asleep through this? I really have to hand it to him!” Zhao Lingcong was overwhelmed with admiration.

As a result, Xia Chiyi had no idea who ultimately couldn’t take it and begged for mercy first between Yang Huaiyu and Zhao Lingcong.

It wasn’t until the next morning, when the phone on the coffee table began vibrating wildly, that Xia Chiyi groped around for a long time, opened one eye, and saw Zhao Lingcong sleeping soundly opposite him. He suddenly realized he was in the massage parlor’s private room, not the hotel room booked by the team.

Good heavens, I actually stayed out all night!

The phone screen displayed Zhou Zhexiao’s name.

Xia Chiyi’s breath hitched, feeling as though he was about to eat his last meal before execution.

“Hello, are you awake?” Xia Chiyi whispered while searching for his slippers.

“Where did you go?”

These words weren’t a harsh interrogation; instead, they sounded muffled, carrying a hint of grievance and pitifulness.

“I came out to experience the full massage package with Zhao Lingcong and Yang Huaiyu last night, and I didn’t expect to fall asleep. I’m changing clothes right now to come find you. Let’s go get breakfast! I asked the masters yesterday, and there’s a really delicious breakfast spot nearby.”

“Mm.”

Hanging up the phone, Xia Chiyi let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Zhou Zhexiao didn’t blame him.

As soon as he pushed the door back into the room, he saw that Yang Huaiyu was already awake, resting his chin on his hand and looking at him knowingly.

“Tsk, the way you answered Zhou Zhexiao’s call looked just like a husband getting a spot-check from his wife… the newlywed kind, too.”

Xia Chiyi walked over and irritably ruffled Yang Huaiyu’s hair.

“Yang Huaiyu, the way you talk with such a messy bedhead makes you look like a total loser. You’re going to lose fans.”

“I’ve already lost them all.” Yang Huaiyu flopped back down. It seemed he wasn’t planning on eating breakfast and intended to keep sleeping.

Xia Chiyi took off his bathrobe, changed back into his own clothes, grabbed his collar, and sniffed to ensure there were no weird smells before hurrying back.

As soon as he opened the hotel room door, he saw Zhou Zhexiao sitting by the window, wearing a hoodie.

He must have seen me running over from across the street.

“Before I left yesterday, I told you, but you were half-asleep so you probably don’t remember,” Xia Chiyi explained while heading into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

“I really don’t remember. But you were with Yang Huaiyu and Zhao Lingcong. They wouldn’t take you anywhere you shouldn’t go.”

In other words, Zhou Zhexiao wasn’t angry that he stayed out all night.

A surge of guilt washed over Xia Chiyi. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he quickly grabbed a towel, wiped his face, walked out, jumped onto Zhou Zhexiao’s back, and kissed the top of his head.

“You have no idea. Those two guys, Yang Huaiyu and Zhao Lingcong, heard that Lu Yingnan could really take the pressure, so they demanded the master use full strength too. They were tearing up but had to hold back from screaming. It was pure self-torture!”

Zhou Zhexiao slowly turned his head and gently tugged at the hem of Xia Chiyi’s T-shirt, revealing his waist and abs bit by bit.

“What about you? Did you cry?”

Xia Chiyi held up his pinky finger and said smugly, “Compared to your fascia knife, it was a piece of cake.”

“Is that so?” Zhou Zhexiao lowered his head. His breath swept over the contours of Xia Chiyi’s abs, feeling very ticklish.

Even though they were hugging each other, Xia Chiyi suddenly felt unsatisfied.

His blood surged uncontrollably. The sight of Zhou Zhexiao with lowered eyes right in front of him made Xia Chiyi desperately want to do something much more indulgent.

Zhou Zhexiao laughed softly, caught the hem of Xia Chiyi’s T-shirt in his teeth, brought it up to Xia Chiyi’s lips, and kissed him through the fabric. Catching the hint, Xia Chiyi bit down on the T-shirt through the other’s teeth and lips.

Xia Chiyi unilaterally declared that, apart from basketball, Zhou Zhexiao’s talent in a certain special area—one that could only be used on Xia Chiyi—was probably at the absolute pinnacle as well.

It wasn’t until noon, when Ye Chaoying called to ask them out for lunch, that Xia Chiyi found himself unable to speak.

“Answer the phone…” Xia Chiyi said lazily.

“Wasn’t I the one putting in the hard work?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Then work a little harder and answer the phone.”

Zhou Zhexiao gave a faint smile and took the phone. “Hello, send me the address for lunch. We’ll head over a bit later.”

Ye Chaoying was completely stunned. He turned to Fu Chenxue beside him and said, “It was actually Zhou Zhexiao who answered the phone?”

“What’s so weird about that? Don’t they sleep together and share phones?”

“Heh, I wouldn’t even be surprised if they got married one day!”

A shallow smile surfaced on Zhou Zhexiao’s lips. “Sure, when we get married one day, we’ll definitely ask you to be a groomsman.”

Ye Chaoying: “I was wrong… Please spare my dog life!”

As expected of Ye Chaoying, once again repeatedly dancing back and forth right on top of the truth.

Not long after lounging in bed, Xia Chiyi was dug out by Zhou Zhexiao.

When he went into the bathroom to shower, his legs were a bit weak.

Ah, compared to the masters using 100% of their strength, Zhou Zhexiao is still way more formidable.

---

Rongzhou cuisine leaned towards spicy and flavorful, which suited the tastes of people from Ningchang very well.

However, Xia Chiyi specifically only chose dishes that were mildly spicy and light in flavor.

“What’s wrong with you? Your chopsticks haven’t even touched this spicy beef tripe?” Ye Chaoying asked curiously.

“My throat is a little uncomfortable.”

When Xia Chiyi spoke, his voice carried a noticeable raspiness.

“Hey, your raspy voice actually sounds pretty sexy?”

Ye Chaoying’s comment almost made Xia Chiyi choke on his food.

“But what happened to you? Did you catch a cold right after arriving in Rongzhou?” Ling Huanzhen joined the ranks of those showing concern.

“It’s not a cold.” Xia Chiyi kept his head down. If they asked two more questions, his face was going to catch fire.

“Yesterday, he went to experience the full massage package across the street with Yang Huaiyu and Zhao Lingcong. This is probably the result of challenging the 100% strength technique,” Ling Huanzhen said, amused.

Xia Chiyi looked at him. “How did you know?”

“Because—I was right next door to you guys,” Ling Huanzhen rolled his eyes at him.

“Oh…”

But in reality, during the massage, the only ones who ruined their voices were Zhao Lingcong and Yang Huaiyu. Of course, Xia Chiyi wasn’t going to admit that.

---

The final match between Southwest Aviation University and Rongzhou University was set for 2:30 PM.

After lunch, they walked to the Rongzhou Gymnasium. They didn’t expect Southwest Air’s popularity to be so overwhelmingly high. The students gathered at the entrance of the stadium made it look like a mini concert.

Ye Chaoying and Du He stood by the entrance of a small convenience store, watching the students organizing fan support.

“So jealous. Do you think our team has this many fans?” Ye Chaoying said.

Du He scratched the back of his head. “Probably not. Southwest Air has been the Southwest Division champion for eight consecutive years. We can’t compare to their accumulated popularity.”

“Ah, who knows if we can even make it to the Nationals eight years in a row,” Ye Chaoying sighed.

The next second, his head was forcefully smacked.

Shuai Bei bit off a large chunk of his popsicle. “What’s that supposed to mean? Forget about not winning the Southeast Division for eight years in a row, you’re saying we can’t even make the Nationals?”

Ye Chaoying snapped back, “Bro, aren’t we going to graduate? God knows what will happen after we graduate.”

“Am I invisible? If you guys work hard and take down the National Championship, why would we worry about future recruitment?” Ling Huanzhen irritably knocked the back of Ye Chaoying’s head with a beverage bottle.

As they lined up to scan their codes and enter, a boy wearing a Lu Yingnan support shirt and a painted Southwest Air logo on his cheek suddenly pointed at Zhou Zhexiao’s back and said, “Look—the guys from Ningchang University are here! I see Zhou Zhexiao!”

“Where? Where? So tall and handsome!”

“If Zhou Zhexiao is here, where is Xia Chiyi?”

“Duh, isn’t the guy right in front of him Xia Chiyi?”

“This match is such a great deal! Not only do we get to watch Southwest Air play, but we also get to see Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao!”

Hearing the spectators’ discussions, Ye Chaoying sighed in awe, “I thought we only had fame in the Southeast Division. I didn’t expect that even in Rongzhou, people still recognize us!”

Xia Chiyi glanced at Zhou Zhexiao. The guy looked entirely unfazed. After all, he had seen far more exaggerated scenes in his previous life.

The entire basketball arena was packed. Directly to Xia Chiyi’s side was Southwest Air’s cheering squad—a sea of sharp, cold navy blue. Their slogans were uniform and distinct, and an overpowering sense of order rushed into Xia Chiyi’s mind.

Their players were lined up taking practice shots. Whether it was the arc of the basketball or the rhythm of the shot, they were as uniform as copy and paste.

Even a “troublemaker” like Zhuo Zheng didn’t stick out in the lineup.

Xia Chiyi searched for Lu Yingnan’s figure.

Southwest Air’s jerseys were deep blue with white cuffs and collars. Worn on Lu Yingnan, the jersey gave off an elite, calculating vibe.

He seemed to have trimmed his hair; his bangs were shorter, making his entire person appear cold and fiercely sharp.

He was standing next to his coach. The coach spoke, and Lu Yingnan nodded.

Even though there were so many eyes in the arena looking at him, he seemed to sense something. He turned his face, lifted his head, and accurately locked eyes with Xia Chiyi.

Those eyes were heavy and deep. Even though the whole stadium was boiling with noise, in his line of sight, everything seemed to stand still, with Xia Chiyi acting as the final destination of his gaze.

The feeling of being locked-on returned.

This was a declaration of war from Lu Yingnan. Unlike all the provocations Xia Chiyi had experienced before, this felt more like a net slowly descending from right above his head.

Someone flicked the hair whorl on the crown of Xia Chiyi’s head, snapping him out of his daze.

“Zhou Zhexiao? What’s up?”

Before Zhou Zhexiao could speak, Ye Chaoying on the other side teased, “Obviously it’s because the eye contact between you and Lu Yingnan is getting so sticky you’re about to pull strings?”

Xia Chiyi grabbed Ye Chaoying’s neck, and the two began wrestling.

“Strings? Tell me exactly what kind of strings we’re pulling?”

“Potato strings! Stop choking me! If you keep choking me, we won’t have a point guard for the Nationals!”

Following Lu Yingnan’s gaze, Zhuo Zheng noticed Zhou Zhexiao, who had come to watch the match.

“I didn’t expect them to actually come. Are they here to study us live? How insidious,” Zhuo Zheng said coldly, hands on his hips.

Southwest Air’s center, Mo Chuang, looked at him with an expression reserved for the foolish son of a wealthy landlord. “We’ve watched Ningchang University’s matches live too. Does that make us insidious?”

“Didn’t you hear? Ningchang University has a data analysis team! Qincheng University lost because they were studied completely inside out. It’s said that their data team analyzed exactly under what circumstances Yang Huaiyu would drive to the basket while dribbling, and under what circumstances he would pass!” Zhuo Zheng looked at Lu Yingnan with a serious face. “Captain, do you want to hold back some of your strength?”

Lu Yingnan adjusted his wristband. “Yang Huaiyu is not a pre-programmed machine. Even the most powerful data analysis can’t cover every variable. And Ningchang University is a very high-level opponent. They grow stronger against strong opponents. Yang Huaiyu’s performance in the finals was absolutely better than at any other time. Only that Southeast Division final had any value for data collection.”

“So Captain, will you go all out?”

“Of course.” Lu Yingnan looked down and tightened his shoelaces. “Often, making your opponent feel fear is also a type of tactic.”

“Fear? I bet you, Zhou Zhexiao will absolutely not feel fear. Even if his head fell off, he’d still have that same deadpan look,” Zhuo Zheng muttered quietly.

Lu Yingnan stood up and looked in Xia Chiyi’s direction again. The freshman was currently wrestling absentmindedly with his teammate beside him, smiling radiantly.

The 205cm tall center, Mo Chuang, stepped behind Lu Yingnan. He pretended to bend down to stretch his knees; from this angle, he could fully see Lu Yingnan’s expression.

“I originally thought you’d consider Zhou Zhexiao as the biggest threat, but clearly, the one you care about the most is Xia Chiyi.”

“Yes. A stable, agile perimeter scorer who also possesses the ability to drive through defenses is the most likely player to pull off a buzzer-beater in a game,” Lu Yingnan answered.

“It’s not just that, is it?” Mo Chuang let out a soft laugh. “The reason you watch videos of Xia Chiyi’s shooting form over and over on the internet before bed is because his posture is the most perfect you’ve ever seen. You order-freaks have the least resistance to perfection.”

Lu Yingnan turned around and patted Mo Chuang. “Let’s go. The match is about to start.”

---

As the players from both sides stepped onto the court, the originally screaming Southwest Air camp suddenly fell silent. The deep blue ocean instantly stilled, granting absolute respect to this basketball game.

Just from the opening tip-off, Xia Chiyi was stunned.

Mo Chuang’s height was peerless in the Southwest Division, and to make matters worse, his vertical jump was astonishing. He out-jumped his opponent by more than just a little bit.

Even Du He gasped watching it.

Zhuo Zheng had a supreme touch on the offensive end, cutting to the opponent’s basket countless times, instantly going on an 8-0 run.

Yet the true initiator of this highly efficient offense was Lu Yingnan. His playmaking ability and anticipation of the game situation made Ye Chaoying feel the pressure.

Rongzhou Tech had to call an emergency timeout. With great difficulty, their shooting guard finally established a scoring point on the perimeter, breaking the ice.

Zhuo Zheng and Mo Chuang’s dominance under the basket was unshakable. Rongzhou Tech shifted the battle line to the perimeter, barely managing to stop the bleeding.

During the two-minute break, Xia Chiyi didn’t drink water or eat anything. Instead, he tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed all of Lu Yingnan’s techniques.

He hadn’t even displayed a First-Tier League level of stealing ability yet, nor had he closely man-marked anyone one-on-one, but he just gave off a terrifying feeling.

Chen Chuan and He Bin started discussing, “Rongzhou Tech made it to the Southwest Division finals after all, but why does their level feel like it’s miles behind Qincheng University?”

He Bin nodded, “I don’t know how to explain it. Rongzhou Tech’s offense just seems like it can never build any momentum.”

“Yeah, logically speaking, their individual capabilities aren’t weak.”

Shuai Bei crossed his arms, his brows knitted tightly together. “Rongzhou Tech is like a fish pulled out of water, desperately thrashing and struggling, but unable to return to the water.”

“That’s because Lu Yingnan is constantly delaying their offense, leading the ball handler into double-teams or forcing them toward the sidelines,” Xia Chiyi spoke up.

“It feels so scary,” Ye Chaoying exhaled. “Lu Yingnan’s ability to control the pace of the game is too strong.”

This ability was implicit. It wasn’t as intuitively obvious as Xia Chiyi’s three-pointers or Zhou Zhexiao’s tomahawk dunks, but if a team had a point guard like Lu Yingnan, everyone’s abilities would be magnified.

Lu Yingnan squeezed his water bottle, turned around, and drank while facing Xia Chiyi’s direction.

His gaze cut across the entire basketball court and landed squarely on Xia Chiyi.

The oppressive aura leaking from those eyes made Xia Chiyi clench his fists, unable to stop himself from imagining what it would be like if Lu Yingnan were defending him.

The powerful, resonant slogans of Southwest Air rolled over from behind Lu Yingnan, feeling as if they were crashing directly into Xia Chiyi’s brain.

Beep—
The buzzer sounded, and all players returned to the court.

Lu Yingnan turned around slowly, and Xia Chiyi let out a breath.

“He’s a very stable point guard, and… he should be highly aggressive as well,” Zhou Zhexiao said.

Xia Chiyi’s brows furrowed.

Zhou Zhexiao meant that Lu Yingnan still hadn’t unleashed his true level.

As the second quarter began, Zhuo Zheng remained Southwest Air’s offensive finisher. His majestic tomahawk dunks shocked the entire stadium.

Rongzhou Tech rallied the whole team, continuously passing the ball in hopes of drawing Mo Chuang away from the basket. The two newly rotated players hit consecutive shots from the perimeter, keeping the score tight.

He Bin couldn’t help but ask, “For a team as high-level as Southwest Air, can they really not produce a single perimeter shooter?”

Just as he finished speaking, Lu Yingnan stole the ball from an opponent, went coast-to-coast into enemy territory, and pulled up for a three-pointer to score.

Xia Chiyi was shocked. “Isn’t Southwest Air’s perimeter scorer Lu Yingnan himself?”

“Ha… I didn’t expect Lu Yingnan’s three-pointers to be so stable too.” Ye Chaoying tugged at the back of his shirt; a thin layer of sweat had broken out.

After that shot, Lu Yingnan activated his stealing mode. The two new freshmen on the opposing team consistently moved into position a step slower than Lu Yingnan. Not only did Lu Yingnan snatch the ball away, but Southwest Air’s counterattack efficiency was so fast it made people want to drop to their knees.

By halftime, Southwest Air was leading by ten points.

“I’m feeling anxious for Rongzhou Tech. Their passing is way too rigid, isn’t it? Not a single fake move?” Ye Chaoying’s toe tapped the ground continuously.

“It’s because Lu Yingnan’s reputation as the ‘King of Steals’ is too prominent. If a fake move isn’t realistic enough, Lu Yingnan sees right through it. They figure it’s better to just make direct, fast passes,” Xia Chiyi, putting himself into the game situation, seemed to understand Rongzhou Tech’s apprehension.

Zhou Zhexiao stood up leisurely, pulled Xia Chiyi’s hood up to cover his head, and said, “I want a soda.”

“Oh, I’ll go with you.”

Ye Chaoying switched on his roasting mode again: “You two are hilarious. You even have to go buy soda together, like elementary school kids holding hands to go to the bathroom. Doesn’t Zhou Zhexiao’s watch have a scan-to-pay function?”

“Make any more noise and I’ll stuff you into the vending machine.” Xia Chiyi mercilessly shoved Ye Chaoying’s head.

The two arrived at the vending machine and were surprised to find no line.

Only after Xia Chiyi took a look did he realize why—the variety was too scarce. There wasn’t even cola, just uniform local mountain spring water.

“Um… do you still want to drink?” Xia Chiyi turned and asked Zhou Zhexiao.

Zhou Zhexiao silently shook his head.

Just then, Zhao Lingcong and Ma Tao walked toward them, chewing on something in their mouths.

“Yo, look at this lifeless face. Got scared silly by Lu Yingnan’s stealing ability?” The moment Ma Tao saw Xia Chiyi, he couldn’t resist dropping a sarcastic remark.

Xia Chiyi acted as if he hadn’t heard him. He leaned close to Zhao Lingcong and reached for his pocket. “What’s this? What is this?”

Zhao Lingcong helplessly covered his pocket. “It’s not a lollipop. You won’t be used to the taste. It’s a local weird-flavor spicy biscuit sold here in Rongzhou.”

“How do you know I won’t be used to it if you don’t let me eat it? Besides, I can handle spicy food.”

Ma Tao laughed. “Give it to him, let him eat it! Let’s see if he can swallow even a bite!”

Zhao Lingcong smiled helplessly. “The focus isn’t on the spice, it’s on the ‘weird flavor’.”

Despite saying that, he pulled one out of his pocket.

It was individually wrapped in plastic—a tiny, pitch-black biscuit stuck on a small stick.

Xia Chiyi opened the plastic wrapper and took a bite.

It was quite tough; his jaw got tired of chewing before he managed to bite off a tiny piece.

It really wasn’t very spicy, but a flavor more aggressive than stinky tofu flooded his mouth. Xia Chiyi wanted to spit it out, but with Ma Tao watching him, he had no choice but to swallow it with tears in his eyes.

“Don’t waste food, you have to finish the rest too,” Ma Tao said, crossing his arms and grinning widely in delight.

As if he had exacted a grand revenge.

“It tastes so awful… why did you buy so many?” Xia Chiyi desperately wanted to distract Ma Tao so he could take the opportunity to throw it away.

“Of course, it’s to bring back so everyone can experience it.” Ma Tao saw through Xia Chiyi’s intentions, his eyes glued to his hand. “Where are you trying to move that? You still have half a biscuit left. Finish it.”

Xia Chiyi handed the biscuit to Zhou Zhexiao. He shouldn’t have been curious enough to challenge a flavor he wasn’t familiar with.

Zhou Zhexiao shook his head. “I wanted to drink soda. I’m not eating this.”

“We’re supposed to share hardships together,” Xia Chiyi looked at him pleadingly.

“Sharing hardships is predicated on sharing blessings first. You didn’t bring me along to experience the full massage package yesterday either,” Zhou Zhexiao replied.

Hearing this, Ma Tao laughed more happily than ever, as if he had successfully broken up the Southeast Division’s strongest duo with a single weird-flavor biscuit.

“You just remember this.” Xia Chiyi glared fiercely at Zhou Zhexiao, gritted his teeth, and stuffed the remaining half of the weird-flavor biscuit into his mouth.

Zhou Zhexiao nodded. “Alright, I’ll remember.”

Like punching cotton, it was completely useless.

“Um… Brother Cong, you guys played against Southwest Air in the Nationals last year too, right?” Xia Chiyi asked.

Zhao Lingcong put his hands in his pockets and smiled. “You have to ask Taotao about that, asking me is useless. I had a fallout with the coach last year and wasn’t a starter for the entire Nationals.”

Xia Chiyi looked at Ma Tao.

Ma Tao’s previously gloating expression gradually turned heavy and cold.

“Our situation last year was pretty similar to Rongzhou Tech’s today. We couldn’t organize effective offenses, everyone looked like they were fighting solo, and all passing lanes were chopped into pieces. Lu Yingnan always had a way to force us into dead ends. He stole the ball from me back-to-back, and eventually, I was double-teamed to the point where I didn’t even dare pass the ball.”

Ma Tao exhaled deeply.

“But we should also thank Lu Yingnan. His post-game interview directly got our head coach fired,” Zhao Lingcong stated.

“What did he say?” Xia Chiyi had been too focused on watching game footage to know the drama.

“He said that Southwest Air spent several days studying Zhao Lingcong, and they didn’t expect Zhao Lingcong to not even take the court. He thanked Southeast Mining University for handing over the victory on a silver platter.” The corners of Zhao Lingcong’s lips curled up, carrying a hint of smugness.

Xia Chiyi’s eyes widened instantly. “Lu Yingnan actually said that? That’s personally slapping your coach… ah, wait, former coach in the face!”

“Exactly. Last year I didn’t have much of a reputation. Whether I played or not… who would think I could dictate the outcome of the match? But a lot of people pay attention to Lu Yingnan. The moment he spoke up, it caused a lot of discussion. You were taking the college entrance exams at the time, so you probably didn’t know. Our school’s former coach was roasted on an open fire, and since his contract was up for renewal anyway, the school administration just asked him to leave.”

After hearing the explanation, Xia Chiyi couldn’t help but ask, “What exactly did you fall out with your former coach over? To the point where he wouldn’t let you play in the Nationals?”

“Haha, at the time, I strongly demanded the coach recruit a few more players good at long-range shooting. Both Ma Tao and I felt perimeter scoring was very important. But that coach had received a lot of guidance from Ma Hongming and viewed him as his esteemed mentor. So his ideology was the same as Ma Hongming’s—he believed that interior players were the sole foundation of a team. Therefore, he only recruited inside players. The best three-point shooter on the entire team actually ended up being me, Zhao Lingcong. Funny, right?”

Bringing up that period, Ma Tao’s expression also turned sour. “Originally, I wanted to strongly demand it too. But Zhao Lingcong said that coach had been brainwashed and wouldn’t listen to reason. Their coaching circle probably sticks together too. He was in the same camp as Ma Hongming, so whatever we said was useless. If I offended him too, I wouldn’t get to play in the Nationals either. We had the ‘King of the Southeast’ title snatched by Qincheng University in the regionals, and then lost to Southwest Air by 22 points in the Nationals. It truly was a dark year.”

“Even though we changed coaches, it was too late to inject fresh blood into this year’s games. So when Ma Tao saw you in Qincheng, it was like he found a treasure. As soon as he got back, he frantically described to the new coach how amazing, how great, how perfect you were—literally like something from heaven that doesn’t exist on earth.”

“Who knew, he met a little liar instead,” Ma Tao snorted, keeping his hands in his pockets.

“Brother Tao, I’m sorry. I sincerely apologize to you.” Xia Chiyi felt extremely guilty this time.

Zhou Zhexiao, who had been listening silently, spoke up: “We just wanted to mess with Yang Huaiyu back then. You weren’t our target.”

“Sigh, it just feels like a huge loss. If you had really come to our school, we might have been able to snatch the King of the Southeast title back from Qincheng University this year.”

Ma Tao’s words were genuinely from the bottom of his heart, also affirming Xia Chiyi’s skill.

Just as Xia Chiyi was thinking about how to comfort him, Zhou Zhexiao said, “No need to feel regret. After going around in circles, you might end up as teammates in the end.”

“Huh? Why?” Ma Tao asked.

“The World Youth Championship, the Asian Championship, the Olympics, the CBA,” Zhou Zhexiao answered.

Ma Tao paused for a moment, then suddenly broke into a huge smile and forcefully patted Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder. “That sounds amazing! I love it!”

Even though the two teams had clashed in the Southeast Division, developing a sense of mutual appreciation in the finals of the Southwest Division was truly a wondrous twist of fate.

Zhao Lingcong checked his phone. “Halftime is almost over. Let’s head back.”

Zhou Zhexiao reached his hand out toward Zhao Lingcong. “Weird-flavor biscuit.”

“You… want to eat it?”

Zhou Zhexiao shook his head. “Give it to the coach.”

Zhao Lingcong: “…”

Ma Tao scratched the back of his head: “Coach Ling is pretty nice though. You really don’t have to do that to him.”

“For Coach Ma Hongming.” Zhou Zhexiao paused, then added, “Mail it to him as a local specialty.”

“Hahahaha!”
“I doubt Ma Hongming would even look at it!”

They returned to their seats just as the players from both sides walked back onto the court.

Xia Chiyi couldn’t help but pay attention to Lu Yingnan.

His running radius in the first half had been massive. A large patch on his back was already soaked with sweat, the taut lines of his back muscles faintly visible. This sense of power made Xia Chiyi realize that Lu Yingnan’s ability wasn’t merely disrupting the opponent’s offensive rhythm or stealing the ball; it was a stronger, more powerful form of absolute blockade.

Lu Yingnan turned his body to the side. Whether intentional or not, his dark yet scorchingly hot gaze once again met Xia Chiyi’s.

In that instant, Xia Chiyi actually felt a trace of fear and subconsciously shifted backward.

His leg unexpectedly bumped into Zhou Zhexiao beside him.

“Ah, sorry.”

Xia Chiyi turned his head, only to realize that Zhou Zhexiao had been silently watching him, observing him, for quite a long time.

“Are you scared?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

In front of him, all concealment was meaningless.

Xia Chiyi nodded.

“If I said Lu Yingnan feels like a swamp to me—once you step into it, you’ll be swallowed whole—would you think I’m exaggerating?”

Zhou Zhexiao said evenly, “It’s the truth. The higher you climb, the more you will encounter opponents like this. The stronger you are, the easier it is to be targeted.”

Switching sides to fight again, Rongzhou Tech launched a fierce, aggressive counterattack right out of the gate. Their small forward was dribbling, about to charge into the paint. He was going to “overtake” right in front of Lu Yingnan.

Xia Chiyi’s fists clenched tightly, his heartstrings pulled taut: Lu Yingnan, what are you going to do?

The opponent is about to pull up for a sudden stop!

Xia Chiyi’s breath caught in his throat. His sharp dynamic vision made the scene on the court seem as if it had entered a slow-motion time tunnel—Lu Yingnan took a massive stride sideways, accelerating almost simultaneously with the opponent. The moment the opponent went up for the layup, Lu Yingnan soared into the air and successfully executed a chase-down block.

__

[Author’s Note]
Xia Chiyi: Lu Yingnan can actually do a chase-down block! You have to be careful!
Zhou Zhexiao: …