Chapter 0120: King of the Northeast Division

“Don’t tell me you never ate fast food in high school.” Xia Chiyi took his phone.

The other party remained silent. Xia Chiyi was stunned, “You really haven’t? Then you’re so similar to Zhou Zhexiao! He used to only eat boiled chicken breast with broccoli!”

This was already the classic dish that represented Zhou Zhexiao’s self-discipline and restraint.

“I also ate boiled shrimp and silver cod, as well as steak.” Zhou Zhexiao very seriously clarified that his menu was actually quite rich.

“I… was about the same,” Lu Yingnan answered.

So both of these guys paid this much attention to their diets back in high school, aligning themselves with professional athletes?

“I suddenly feel like my level of enlightenment is completely inadequate…” Xia Chiyi suddenly felt embarrassed holding Lu Yingnan’s phone.
He felt like a terrible student corrupting all the model students in the class.

Sitting across from him, Zhou Zhexiao asked, “Should I do it?”

Lu Yingnan nodded. “Sure.”

Zhou Zhexiao took Lu Yingnan’s phone and selected a few combo meals, which were actually Xia Chiyi’s usual choices when ordering takeout.

“Don’t worry about the high calories, once in a while really doesn’t matter,” Xia Chiyi said while munching on fries.

When Xia Chiyi spoke, he naturally leaned toward the other person, and his knees under the table would point in that direction as well.
Lu Yingnan was lightly bumped, but he didn’t say anything.

The table was only so big, and both Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao were tall and leggy. Just being able to sit face-to-face was already a struggle. Lu Yingnan didn’t think much of getting bumped.

Not long after, the phone notified them that the food was ready to be picked up. Lu Yingnan got up and left.

Xia Chiyi let out a breath, only to suddenly feel his knee being clamped down on by a large hand.

“What are you doing?” Xia Chiyi asked the person across from him.

“Making your knees behave.”

Zhou Zhexiao shifted his legs, effectively locking Xia Chiyi’s legs in place. If Xia Chiyi moved recklessly now, he would be bumping into Zhou Zhexiao.

This posture was way too ambiguous. Xia Chiyi wanted to refuse, but Lu Yingnan had already returned carrying his tray, so Xia Chiyi could only stop and remain perfectly still.

Lu Yingnan ate very elegantly. He unwrapped the paper around the burger and even tried to find the right angle, but when he bit down, the sauce inevitably squeezed out the sides of his mouth.
A little bit even got on his cheek.

See, see? Even someone like Lu Yingnan gets sauce on his face when eating a burger.
He was no different from a normal person.

Lu Yingnan wiped his face with a napkin, but unfortunately, he didn’t realize the mayonnaise was smeared on his cheek. Paired with his calm and serious face, the contrast was inexplicably comical.

Lu Yingnan didn’t really talk when he ate. Finding it too stifling, Xia Chiyi started chatting with Zhou Zhexiao.

“Do you think Coach Ling will give us a day off? I haven’t been to Happy Valley yet.”

“Happy Valley?”

“You only know Disney, right?” Xia Chiyi leaned forward, and his knees bumped against Zhou Zhexiao’s legs.

He was just about to pull back, but Zhou Zhexiao closed his legs tighter, pressing the two of them even closer together.

Even though they were both wearing sweatpants, as Xia Chiyi moved slightly, the temperature and texture transmitted through the pure cotton fabric made his heart sink with a sudden jolt.

Zhou Zhexiao’s temperature had also risen, yet he continued sipping his cola as if absolutely nothing was happening.

Because it was so quiet, Xia Chiyi felt guilty.
It felt like he and Zhou Zhexiao were secretly dating right in front of Lu Yingnan.

Xia Chiyi decided to make some noise. “The fries are getting cold, are you going to eat them?”

“Mm.” Zhou Zhexiao lifted his chin, signaling for Xia Chiyi to feed him.

“If your hands get a little oily, will your fingers rot off?”
Annoyed, Xia Chiyi grabbed all the remaining fries in his hand, dipped them in ketchup, and practically shoved them all right in front of Zhou Zhexiao’s face, like sticking incense into a censer.

Unhurried, Zhou Zhexiao turned his face slightly and slowly bit them out of Xia Chiyi’s hand one by one. Xia Chiyi instantly felt like a fool.

Lu Yingnan’s expression remained as usual, methodically unwrapping his chicken nuggets and eating them.

Xia Chiyi didn’t want to play the clown anymore. He was just about to pull his hand back when Zhou Zhexiao suddenly grabbed his wrist.

He tilted his face and bit the last fry, looking exactly like a mafia boss having a cigarette lit by his underling in a movie.

The angle formed by his brow bone and the bridge of his nose was truly devastatingly handsome.

Xia Chiyi didn’t pull his fingers back, and Zhou Zhexiao’s index finger tapped lightly against the back of his hand.

“Hmph.” Xia Chiyi reluctantly let go.
When he sat back, he tried to move his legs, only to find that he was still trapped within Zhou Zhexiao’s long legs.

Lu Yingnan had already finished his chicken nuggets. He wiped his hands and methodically gathered all his trash into the paper box.

Xia Chiyi glanced at him and noticed he still hadn’t wiped the mayonnaise off his cheek.

“Um… here…” Xia Chiyi tapped his own cheek with his index finger.

Lu Yingnan’s gaze visibly shook. After a long pause, he said in a low voice, “I can’t kiss you.”

Xia Chiyi was paralyzed.

Had he gotten too carried away, feeding Zhou Zhexiao fries in front of Lu Yingnan, and now their cover was blown?

Who knew Zhou Zhexiao would also tap his own cheek. “Xia Chiyi isn’t asking you to kiss him. He’s saying you have burger sauce on your cheek.”

“Oh.” Lu Yingnan picked up a napkin and wiped his cheek.

Xia Chiyi finally reacted, saying in disbelief, “Why would you think… I wanted you to kiss me?”

“The dog my family raises, whenever my mom points at her cheek, it pounces over and kisses her.”

“Hah… thank you so much! Lumping me in with your family’s dog!” Xia Chiyi was so indignant that he barked at Lu Yingnan, “Woof, woof, woof, woof, woof!”

Lu Yingnan froze for a moment, then made a motion as if petting a head. “Ah, so cute.”

This time, Xia Chiyi truly wanted to bite him.

A glimmer of understanding flashed in Lu Yingnan’s eyes. This guy’s observational skills were incredibly strong—far sharper than Ye Chaoying, who was always blind to the truth right in front of him. He had probably already discovered the hidden relationship between Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao.
He just saw through it without exposing it, an act of adult refinement.

Zhou Zhexiao also reached out and patted the top of Xia Chiyi’s head.
“Mm, indeed cute.”

“Did you wash your hands?”

“No, but I didn’t touch the food either.”

Xia Chiyi was struck speechless. Yeah, all of this guy’s fries and chicken nuggets were fed to him by hand.
I’ve spoiled you too much, letting you be so arrogant as to break ground on top of my head.

“Is everyone done eating? It’s already 1:30, we need to head out to the Youth Gymnasium!” Coach Ling Huanzhen’s voice rang out.

Everyone stood up, cleared their trash, stacked their trays, and left the fast-food restaurant.

---

A line had already formed at the gymnasium entrance, with people scanning QR codes to get in.

Du He marveled, “I thought it would only be college students coming to watch the game, but a lot of older guys and middle-aged uncles are here too! Even CBA games aren’t this packed, right?”

Who knew the “middle-aged uncles” lining up in front had very sharp ears. They all turned around simultaneously.
“Hm? Who are you calling ‘uncles’! We’re not even thirty-five yet!”
“Yeah, are non-college students not allowed to watch the First-Tier League?”

Du He immediately lost his momentum and took a half-step back, almost bumping into Shuai Bei.

Shuai Bei’s expression instantly turned fierce. He looked at the men and said, “What? Is it a crime to marvel at the broad demographic of the audience?”

“Hey… aren’t you… Ningchang University from the Southeast Division?”

The tense atmosphere suddenly shifted.

“I watched your finals, you guys play incredibly! Where is Ling Huanzhen? Did he come?”

Shuai Bei gestured behind him.

“That’s great, Ling Huanzhen actually came!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go find him! I’m his fan!”

Those older bros actually all walked to the back and surrounded Ling Huanzhen.

Hands in his pockets, Shuai Bei said coolly, “Anyone who is still a fan of Ling Huanzhen nowadays is definitely a middle-aged uncle.”

The other teammates burst into laughter.

Chen Chuan glanced at He Bin next to him and noticed he had his head down, scrolling through his phone the entire time.
“What are you looking at? You’re so absorbed.”

“My high school class group chat. Today is Yan Capital University against Qinghua. I have a high school classmate on Yan Capital’s team. I don’t know if he’s playing today or not,” He Bin said faintly.

“You have a classmate at Yan Capital University? Didn’t you send him a WeChat to wish him luck?” Chen Chuan asked.

“We aren’t that close.” He Bin locked his phone screen and shoved it in his pocket.

Chen Chuan frowned and muttered softly, “Even if you’re not close, you could still exchange pleasantries. Once you get closer, you could rope them into playing a practice match with us.”

Although Qinghua had dominated as the Kings of the Northeast Division for the past few years, Yan Capital University was the perennial runner-up. The runner-up wanting to overthrow Qinghua to claim the throne every year had pretty much become Yan Capital University’s obsession.

---

Once they entered the basketball arena, the three teams basically sat together, instantly attracting the attention of the live audience.

“Look, sitting over there is this year’s King of the Southeast—Ningchang University! Their head coach is Ling Huanzhen!”
“Where’s Xia Chiyi? I see him, I see him! That bro’s shooting is insanely accurate!”
“And Zhou Zhexiao is right beside him as expected. Today is another day of the CP I ship sticking tightly together!”

He Bin took his phone out, glanced at his high school group chat, and his brows instantly furrowed tightly. He wanted to reply to something, but held back.

Liu Suchen was warming up on the sidelines. Just the simple motion of resting his hands on his knees to stretch his shoulders was overflowing with testosterone.
His physique was taut, and that sense of power that tugged at the heartstrings instantly drew the entire arena’s gaze.

At this moment, he had lost the approachable, playful demeanor he usually had. All his emotions were reined in, quiet yet sharp.

Their power forward, Huo Cheng, was speaking to Liu Suchen with a stern expression.
When Xia Chiyi went on his half-day tour of Qinghua last time, he had witnessed Huo Cheng’s abilities. His speed, power, and leaping ability were all immensely strong—an absolute tyrant under the basket.

Du He lightly nudged Shuai Bei. “That… that center from Qinghua, He Denglou… exactly how tall is he?”

Shuai Bei answered, “I don’t know, he looks over 2.10 meters.”

Xia Chiyi immediately pulled out his phone to search up He Denglou and was completely dumbfounded. “This guy is 2.18 meters tall! He’s the tallest player currently in the First-Tier League!”

Just imagining jumping for the tip-off against him in his head made Du He feel like he had already lost.

Song Boyun was exactly the same as the last time they met. Standing with his hands on his hips, he managed to infuriate the seniors on the team after barely speaking two sentences—saying things like the seniors should just wait and watch him show off his skills, and with him there, they wouldn’t even need to fight for rebounds.

Veins throbbed on Huo Cheng’s forehead, and He Denglou’s knuckles cracked. They each gave him a headbutt.
Liu Suchen also grabbed him by the neck, giving him instructions, his gaze looking very directly in Xia Chiyi’s direction.

They remembered the last time they went to Qinghua, Song Boyun was fiercely chewed out by the coach because he lacked awareness for help defense. Xia Chiyi had even personally demonstrated to him what top-tier help defense looked like.

So at this very moment, the pre-match instructions for Song Boyun were definitely the same old tune: telling this arrogant freshman not to be too self-centered and to coordinate well with his teammates.

“That Liang Tan is also a freshman. Xia Chiyi, did you see him last time you went to Qinghua?” Ye Chaoying asked.

Xia Chiyi thought about it carefully. Liang Tan had a very youthful baby face, single eyelids, and very large eyes.
A few months ago, when Xia Chiyi visited Qinghua and partnered with Liu Suchen against Song Boyun and Huo Cheng, this Liang Tan had been watching from the sidelines.
Whenever Xia Chiyi provided help defense for Liu Suchen to score, Liang Tan would reveal a look of absolute reverence, his eyes practically sparkling with countless stars. He was a very supportive fan of Xia Chiyi.

Liang Tan’s physique wasn’t exceptionally robust, but his calf Achilles tendons were very long. His muscle lines were smooth but not exaggerated—a very well-proportioned and good-looking build.
He wasn’t very tall, probably just over 1.8 meters.

“I saw him. At the time, Qinghua was having an intra-squad practice match. This Liang Tan’s dribbling speed was very fast, and his breakthrough ability was very strong.”

Hearing this, Ye Chaoying took a deep breath. “I feel like Qinghua has a top-tier setup for every single position.”

“If it wasn’t top-tier, how could they reign as the Kings of the First-Tier League for six consecutive years?” Shuai Bei spoke up.

“Last year’s Liu Suchen was too eye-catching; so many CBA clubs were flocking to him like ducks to water. Does Yan Capital University have a star player who can match him this year?”

As soon as Xia Chiyi finished speaking, He Bin answered his question: “They do. See that No. 8 player? His name is Sheng Fang, playing small forward. During the grassroots matches, even though Yan Capital lost to Qinghua, this Sheng Fang single-handedly scored 28 points against them. His strength shouldn’t be underestimated. Yan Capital’s captain entered the CBA draft last year and can no longer play in the First-Tier League this year. So Sheng Fang has become Yan Capital University’s ace this year and carries heavy expectations.”

He remembered that during last year’s match, although Sheng Fang had some brilliant moments, compared to Yan Capital’s former captain, he clearly lacked some maturity.

This year, he already possessed the demeanor of a leading general. His gaze was firm, revealing an intense desire to win.
Xia Chiyi could empathize deeply with Sheng Fang’s gaze, because they were both challengers aiming for the throne.

He slung his arm over Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder and shook him vigorously. “Good thing you weren’t admitted to a university in the Capital Division!”

Zhou Zhexiao acted as if his bones were soft, his head flopping around like it was about to fall off.
“Why?”

“Because then everyone would sigh and say you’re Zhou Yu running into Liu Suchen’s Kongming! ‘If Zhou Yu was born, why must Zhuge Liang be born!'”

Zhou Zhexiao frowned and rested his head on Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. “Not true. Liu Suchen would get blown out.”

Xia Chiyi whispered, “Get up quickly, lots of people are looking. We might even get caught by the cameras.”

“I don’t want to. You shook me until I was dizzy just now.”

Xia Chiyi sighed and could only put on a look of forced calmness.

Zhou Zhexiao suddenly blurted out, “If you get caught by the kiss cam during a game, you have to kiss.”

“Kiss… who are you trying to scare to death…”

In reality, they had already been captured by the cameras, and a horde of people in the Cool Wave livestream chat were currently screaming, “The CP I ship is handing out candy again!”

---

The cheers for Qinghua were deafening. Liu Suchen’s fans occupied half the arena’s seating.

That extremely clear shout of “Universe’s Invincible Liu Suchen!” really made Xia Chiyi almost spit out his drink.
If someone yelled “Universe’s Invincible Xia Chiyi,” he would definitely slip and drop the ball.
So, how did Liu Suchen manage to accept it so calmly?

Yang Huaiyu couldn’t resist sending a WeChat complaining to Xia Chiyi: [Universe’s invincible? Liu Suchen’s face is getting thicker and thicker!]

Xia Chiyi replied: [You have the guts to complain to me, but not the guts to say it to Liu Suchen’s face?]

Yang Huaiyu: [I’ve already prepared chrysanthemums for him, you think I’m afraid to say it to his face?]

Xia Chiyi made the ‘subway old man looking at phone’ face. [Your chrysanthemums?]

Yang Huaiyu: [Is your neck too stiff or something?]

All players on the court took their positions. The tip-off began.

The jump from Qinghua’s center, He Denglou, made the live audience drop their jaws.
—That leaping ability was absolute heaven-defying power, unmatched by anyone.
Du He and Shuai Bei were left speechless.

Liang Tan sprinted with the ball, crossing the half-court line in the blink of an eye. He passed the ball to Liu Suchen.

With a pound dribble and a hang dribble crossover, Liu Suchen unleashed a destructive aura. Sharp and ethereal, he charged into the paint. Facing the defense of Yan Capital’s small forward Sheng Fang, he came to an abrupt stop, half-turned, and passed the ball.

The one catching the ball was actually Song Boyun!
When did this guy run to that position? Did he actually have such high off-ball movement awareness?
Was it a coincidence or pure skill?

Song Boyun’s dribbling speed was like an unsheathed blade aimed straight at the basket, but Yan Capital University’s defense was too fast, rapidly forming a double-team. Song Boyun feigned a breakthrough, but actually passed the ball to power forward Huo Cheng!

Like a bolt of lightning striking a deep pool, Huo Cheng executed a tomahawk dunk to score.

The audience didn’t even dare to exhale.

Xia Chiyi clenched his fists. This was the Qinghua University basketball team—the Kings of the First-Tier League.
Piercing aggressiveness, a sense of oppression as heavy as Mount Tai crashing down, and the dominant power to control the entire court.

“This wave of coordination… truly phenomenal.” Ling Huanzhen’s gaze deepened.
Such high-quality coordination, interlinked step-by-step, was rare even in professional leagues. It could absolutely be selected as the highlight moment of a game.

However, Yan Capital University quickly displayed the demeanor of a powerhouse school. Their counterattack caught an off-beat rhythm. As they charged at Qinghua’s basket, He Denglou and Huo Cheng hadn’t had time to retreat to defense yet. Yan Capital’s point guard used a miraculous fake move to trick Song Boyun and Liang Tan, wrapping the ball around Song Boyun’s waist to pass it to Sheng Fang.

Sheng Fang faked a drive, pulled up for a sudden-stop jump shot, and terminated Qinghua’s scoring momentum.

It was as if a switch had suddenly been flipped inside this guy. He played smoother and smoother. His fake moves were even more arrogant than Zhao Lingcong’s, even managing to fool Liu Suchen.

When Yan Capital University pulled ahead of Qinghua by nearly 10 points, Sheng Fang lifted his chin in Liu Suchen’s direction and mouthed: Is your face the only good thing about you?

This wave of provocation was seen incredibly clearly in the livestream.
Liu Suchen’s fans went off like firecrackers, exploding all over the screen.

Resting his chin on his hand, Xia Chiyi carefully observed Sheng Fang.
This guy’s reaction speed was very fast. Facing a defender, he executed the triple-threat to perfection. It was impossible to judge whether he was going to drive, pass, or score directly. Even his gaze was full of feints.
He was really amazing.

Xia Chiyi nudged Zhou Zhexiao with his elbow, wanting to hear his assessment.
But Zhou Zhexiao didn’t say a word for a long time.

“Hey, don’t you think this Sheng Fang…” Xia Chiyi turned his head, only to realize Zhou Zhexiao had been staring at him the whole time.

“What about this Sheng Fang?”

“Just… he’s pretty strong. He has no weaknesses in offense or defense,” Xia Chiyi said.

“That depends on what you consider a weakness.”

“So, at least in your mind, Sheng Fang has a glaring weakness.” Xia Chiyi furrowed his brows.

“Mm. His weakness is coming.” Zhou Zhexiao lifted his chin.

Xia Chiyi looked back at the court.

Holding the ball, Sheng Fang broke through the defense of the two major guards, Liang Tan and Song Boyun. His dribbling was fluid and full of momentum, making Xia Chiyi’s nerves pull taut as he silently cheered: Go for it!

But before he could even reach the basket, he faced a double-team from Liu Suchen and Huo Cheng. The two harassed him and swiped at the ball from different directions. Xia Chiyi’s breath caught in his throat, as if he could personally feel the defensive oppression from two of the First-Tier League’s top masters.

Teammates moved to two different directions, ready to receive a pass from Sheng Fang.

Sheng Fang looked like he was about to pass, but suddenly pulled the ball back to force a breakthrough.
Liu Suchen was exceptionally sharp. He wasn’t fooled by the fake move and snatched the ball away in a split second. Possession returned to Qinghua.

A collective sigh echoed around them.
Even the commentators felt that Sheng Fang’s fake pass into a real drive was incredibly realistic, but unfortunately, his opponent was Liu Suchen.

Xia Chiyi, however, fell silent.

He Denglou caught a pass from Liu Suchen and viciously dunked on Yan Capital’s basket, widening the score gap between the two teams.

“I know what Sheng Fang’s weakness is. He’s too arrogant. If he were playing against a regular strong team, like Fugong University or Chujiang University, Sheng Fang’s performance would be brilliant. He’d be a sharp ace, a scoring machine. But right now, his opponent is Qinghua. Any single player from Qinghua could be an ace if placed on another team. Yet Sheng Fang feels he still doesn’t need to rely on his teammates… I don’t know if he underestimated Liu Suchen, or overestimated himself.”

Zhou Zhexiao spoke unhurriedly: “The on-ball triple-threat includes passing, shooting, and driving. Liu Suchen had already seen that the probability of Sheng Fang passing the ball was very low, which left only shooting and driving. Under a double-team, if Sheng Fang shot the ball, Huo Cheng would definitely block him using his height advantage. So the only thing Sheng Fang would do was drive.”

“Being completely seen through on the court is tantamount to a death sentence.” Xia Chiyi lowered his eyes, looking at Sheng Fang. “If he stubbornly refuses to change, Yan Capital University will definitely lose this battle.”

Sure enough, targeting Sheng Fang’s weakness, Qinghua deployed the “Tripwire” tactic once again, using the same method they used to deal with Yang Huaiyu last year against Sheng Fang.

Even someone like Yang Huaiyu, whose “triple-threat” level was extremely high, had been dragged into the pit by the “Tripwire,” let alone an arrogant guy like Sheng Fang.

Sheng Fang was continuously lured or forced toward the sideline by Liu Suchen and Liang Tan. Not only did he lose passing angles, but he also had no space to dribble and break through. It either resulted in a shot-clock violation or an offensive charging foul.

Just like that, Yan Capital University was pushed little by little into the pit their opponents had dug for them long ago. Every time they tried to climb out, Liu Suchen and Liang Tan would join forces to push them back to the bottom.

The Yan Capital coach had no choice but to sub Sheng Fang out. Gritting his teeth, Sheng Fang looked like he wanted to fight the coach, but forcefully held it in, watching from the bench as Liu Suchen and Song Boyun continuously racked up points.

The Yan Capital coach seemed to have already anticipated the defeat. He said flatly to Sheng Fang, “Your weakness has been completely exposed. The two-man zone defense Liu Suchen and Liang Tan used is equivalent to telling the entire First-Tier League how to deal with you. If you still can’t calm down and overcome your shortcomings, then the teams watching today—Southwest Aviation, Qincheng University, and Ningchang University—will all be able to shut you down with ease.”

Hearing the words “Ningchang University,” Sheng Fang froze. He looked up toward Ningchang University’s seating area and, sure enough, saw his old classmate whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

He Bin was sitting properly in the audience. This was the first time he was sitting from such a high vantage point. Sheng Fang couldn’t see his expression clearly, but subconsciously felt the other party was scrutinizing him.

“Tch.” Sheng Fang pulled his towel down to cover his eyes.

The player who subbed in for Sheng Fang was a third-year veteran. His individual combat ability might not be as strong as Sheng Fang’s, but the veteran won out in experience. With his seasoned coordination with the other players, after several inside-out passes, they actually scored 12 consecutive points within two minutes, narrowing the gap to 6 points.

Applause erupted continuously in the arena, but none of it had anything to do with Sheng Fang.

“This is a bit awkward… This Sheng Fang is clearly the core of their offense, but when he was on the court, Yan Capital University kept losing points. After subbing him out, they actually started catching up,” Ye Chaoying noted.

“Basketball is a five-person sport. The stronger the opponent, the more important teamwork becomes.” Ling Huanzhen’s voice became rarely somber. “On my basketball team, no one gets to play a one-man show, even if they’re Sheng Xingming reincarnated.”

Acting as if he hadn’t heard a thing, Zhou Zhexiao rested his hands on his knees, staring intently at Liu Suchen.

Instead, it was Xia Chiyi who turned around, looked into Ling Huanzhen’s eyes, and said, “Sheng Xingming never played individual heroism. He was a master of help defense!”

The other teammates burst out laughing.
“As expected of Sheng Xingming’s most loyal fan. Not even Coach Ling is allowed to badmouth Sheng Xingming.”

Ling Huanzhen couldn’t help but laugh as well, poking the side of Xia Chiyi’s head. “Right, right, right, yes, yes, yes, your Sheng Xingming is a master at everything!”

Xia Chiyi turned back to continue watching the game.

With two minutes left on the clock, Qinghua entered high-energy mode.

Liu Suchen executed all sorts of drives and layups. Even when Yan Capital University sent three people to surround him, they couldn’t trap him.
This guy seemed to explode with all his remaining stamina, then ruthlessly reined it back in, slaughtering the opponents until not a single piece of armor remained.

And Liang Tan, serving as Qinghua’s point guard, fully coordinated with his offense. The angle and timing of every single dribble penetration was as precise as if calculated in advance. His passes were decisive, pushing the game into a high-intensity, fast-paced rhythm.

But this was Qinghua’s rhythm. When Yan Capital University tried to go all out to keep up, they started making frequent mistakes.

Song Boyun’s growth exceeded Xia Chiyi’s expectations. His help defense capabilities had skyrocketed. Today’s Song Boyun was like a kite with its string held by Liang Tan; he had learned to discern the team’s needs. With a single look or hint from Liang Tan, Song Boyun could dart near or far, driving inside or shooting outside, bombing Yan Capital University to absolute pieces.

The frontcourt duo of Huo Cheng and He Denglou grabbed rebounds until Yan Capital University fell into despair.

Even though Yan Capital called a timeout in the last thirty seconds, they couldn’t salvage the loss.

In the final five seconds, Yan Capital University was behind by twelve points. Yet Liu Suchen, like an emotionless point-scoring machine, calmly executed a fadeaway jumper against a triple-team, maintaining suspense in the arena right down to the final second.

Even though his mid-air posture lost its balance, the parabola of the shot was still flawless.

All of Liu Suchen’s dribbles, drives, double-clutches, and floaters were like a martial arts supreme with dazzling swordplay, earning Xia Chiyi’s appreciation and admiration. But it was only this final shot that made Xia Chiyi feel intense oppression—like a true dragonslayer.

This guy had only basketball in his eyes. Regardless of how many points they were leading by, regardless of the opponent’s strength, scoring was his singular objective.

---

Yan Capital University had lost the Northeast Division finals once again. Their alumni lowered their heads, some covering their eyes, others hugging and comforting each other.

Meanwhile, Liu Suchen led Qinghua to claim the divisional championship throne for the second time.

Enthusiastic cheers erupted on the court as Qinghua’s school flag fluttered in the air.
The chant of “Universe’s Invincible Liu Suchen” rang out again.

Only this time, no one said Liu Suchen’s fans were shameless.
Of course he couldn’t truly be “invincible,” but he made every player in the First-Tier League feel an unparalleled pressure.

Liu Suchen first expressed his gratitude to the fans who came to cheer. Pulling down the towel draped over his head, he lowered his head and gently pressed a hand to his chest, inciting another wave of chanting from the audience.

Then he turned around and looked toward the seating areas of the other powerhouse schools. Pushing his sweat-drenched bangs back, the lines of his shoulders and back pulled taut. Paired with his exceptional facial features, he was simply the visual center of the entire arena.

Even if deep down they despised him enough to grind their teeth, they had to admit this guy was so fucking handsome.

He blew a kiss, rested his hands on his hips, and smiled as he backed away step by step.

No wonder Ke Yan called him a male Da Ji . The little hearts of that entire section of the audience had been completely teased.

Yang Huaiyu coolly raised his eyebrows and summarized: “He’s such a flirt.”

Sitting next to him, Ke Yan snorted coldly. “It’s not like you just found out today.”

Over in the Southwest Air seating area, Zhuo Zheng’s expression was very heavy.

He thought he had already seen the big wide world at Oak Hill Academy, but upon arriving at Southwest Aviation, he was defended by Lu Yingnan to the point of a mental breakdown.
He had asked Lu Yingnan if anyone in the First-Tier League could score over twenty points under his defense. Lu Yingnan only answered with one name—Liu Suchen.

Zhuo Zheng had watched Qinghua’s matches countless times, and every time his blood boiled knowing the First-Tier League had an opponent like Liu Suchen.
Today, for the first time, he watched Qinghua play live. That court dominance belonging to a true ace thoroughly convinced Zhuo Zheng.

This was the team that snatched the championship from Southwest Air’s hands last year.

Zhuo Zheng’s fists clenched little by little. He couldn’t help but look in Zhou Zhexiao’s direction, wanting to know what kind of expression Zhou Zhexiao would have after witnessing such an opponent with his own eyes.

However, Zhou Zhexiao was sitting sideways with a calm face. One hand was wrapped around the back of Xia Chiyi’s neck, covering his eyes, murmuring who-knows-what.

Zhuo Zheng frowned. Couldn’t this Zhou Zhexiao guy have a little more sense of crisis?

But he didn’t know that this was actually Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi’s unique way of reviewing a match—a mental simulation loop.

Feeling the temperature of Zhou Zhexiao’s fingers, Xia Chiyi whispered, “If we double-teamed Liu Suchen… he wouldn’t choose to break through from your side, because your physical confrontation is stronger than his, so he would choose me. Then I would harass and swipe at the ball. My man-marking ability is very strong, and I can even lower my center of gravity lower than his. So he would fake a drive and actually shoot…”

Zhou Zhexiao said in a calm voice, “Once Liu Suchen shoots, he’ll be blocked and shut down by me.”

“Mm…” Xia Chiyi crossed his arms and nodded. “Suddenly I feel like Liu Suchen is just alright. Me and you together, that’s the universe’s invincible handsome.”

A very low, deep chuckle from Zhou Zhexiao sounded next to his ear. Even though the surroundings were noisy and chaotic, only Zhou Zhexiao’s voice clearly and pleasantly cut through everything to touch Xia Chiyi’s eardrums.

Zhou Zhexiao slowly moved his hand away. The gymnasium lights were a bit glaring. Xia Chiyi slowly opened his eyes, and Zhou Zhexiao’s arm naturally draped over his shoulder.

Only then did Zhuo Zheng look away. “Hmph, the obnoxious stench of a couple!”

---

After the awards ceremony, the audience left in an orderly fashion.

Xia Chiyi’s phone vibrated. It was a WeChat from Liu Suchen: [Our Coach Li just asked me if I contacted you after the game. Let me translate for our coach: he’s inviting you guys over to Qing U for a meal and to play a practice match.]

Xia Chiyi scratched his chin and handed the phone to Ling Huanzhen. “Coach, what do you say?”

Ling Huanzhen put on a haughty, tsundere expression. “What happened to the three-hundred-meter barbecue stall we agreed on?”

Xia Chiyi sighed. [Our coach asks if the three-hundred-meter barbecue stall still counts?]

Liu Suchen actually sent a voice message: “Our Coach Li says, ‘Three-hundred-meter barbecue stall? Ling Huanzhen is delusional! Why doesn’t he just say he wants to marry Chang’e and go to the moon? We don’t have three hundred meters. Three meters, grill it yourself!'”

Xia Chiyi found it miraculous. “You guys just finished playing Yan Capital University and you’re already scheduling practice matches. Is your stamina just that good, or do you look down on us at Ningchang University?”

Liu Suchen deliberately dragged out his words, speaking in an incredibly flirtatious tone: “Your Majesty, this concubine was just afraid you would flip some other vixen’s name tag tonight.”

Goosebumps broke out all over Xia Chiyi’s back.

After some bantering, they actually settled on an agreement to play together tomorrow. Only, Southwest Aviation and Qincheng University were also on the invitation list.
Being able to have a four-school exchange was an incredibly rare and valuable experience.

As they walked back, they coincidentally bumped into the Yan Capital University players lining up to board their bus.
The Yan Capital coach saw Ling Huanzhen and jogged over to call out to them.

“Coach Ling! Please wait a moment!”

The two stood by the road and chatted.
Yan Capital University’s captain, who had already boarded, specifically came back down to earnestly request a practice match with Ningchang University.
Ling Huanzhen could only apologetically say that Qinghua had already booked them first.

Chen Chuan slung an arm around He Bin’s shoulders and asked, “Don’t you have a classmate on the Yan Capital basketball team? Which one is it? How come he didn’t come say hi to you?”

He Bin looked at a certain window on the bus. Sheng Fang was sitting there.
He was already wearing sunglasses with his hat brim pulled low, looking like he was refusing to communicate with anyone.

It was understandable. Yan Capital had lost to Qinghua once again, and Sheng Fang didn’t even get the chance to play in the final quarter.
Moreover, in the Cool Wave livestream chat, the viewers were viciously flaming his performance in the third quarter.

He Bin tugged on Chen Chuan. “Let’s go. Qinghua said they’re treating us to BBQ tonight. If we’re late, the meat will be gone.”

They got on the bus. Sitting by the window, He Bin took out his phone. Sure enough, his high school group chat was entirely discussing the showdown between Yan Capital and Qinghua today.

Everyone was saying that Sheng Fang’s performance was actually very good—much stronger than his freshman year—and the only reason they lost to Qinghua was because his teammates weren’t capable enough.

Who knows who suddenly tagged He Bin, saying: “Didn’t He Bin also lay dormant for a year before winning King of the Southeast?”

He Bin took a deep breath, thinking this classmate truly had zero tact, bringing up whichever pot didn’t boil.

Sure enough, Sheng Fang’s good buddies were also in the chat. Even though the guy didn’t play basketball, he was probably at the venue cheering for Sheng Fang.

[Yan Capital University’s teammates this year really aren’t capable, they can’t compare to Ningchang University. Having Ling Huanzhen as a coach is literally the Midas touch. With two ultimate scoring machines like Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao, being pulled along by Challenger-tier teammates, even if you’re Bronze, you can win while lying down (get carried). It really makes one envious!]

As soon as this was said, the chat suddenly went dead silent. For a moment, the classmates didn’t know how to respond.

He Bin knew that his good buddy wouldn’t have thought of these words if Sheng Fang hadn’t said them himself.

His finger hovered over the text input box for a long time, but He Bin didn’t know what to reply.
After all, he… truly was the one being carried.

Suddenly, someone patted He Bin on the shoulder. He jolted slightly, and his phone dropped.
It was Ye Chaoying offering him snacks. He Bin exhaled slightly, but Ye Chaoying noticed something was wrong.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”
He Bin quickly searched for his dropped phone between the seat gaps.

Chen Chuan helped him look. When they found it, Chen Chuan accidentally caught a glimpse and saw the line “He Bin can win while lying down.” He instantly exploded.

“Who is the guy sending messages in this chat? He’s got a lot of nerve saying you got carried!”

“What’s wrong?” Ye Chaoying leaned over the back of He Bin’s seat. “I was just thinking you looked depressed today. Did someone run their mouth? I’ll teach him a lesson!”

“It’s nothing. The other person just spoke the truth.” He Bin smiled and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Chen Chuan and Ye Chaoying paused, momentarily unable to think of how to refute it.

Xia Chiyi’s voice came from the very last row: “What kind of truth is that? That’s just bullshit.”

---

[Author’s Note]
Liu Suchen: The iron pot is already set up. Throw that piece of shit Yang Huaiyu into the pot for me!

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Translator’s Notes:
Da Ji (妲己): A favorite concubine of King Zhou of Shang in ancient Chinese mythology, famously known as a malevolent fox spirit whose legendary beauty and wicked charm caused the downfall of the Shang dynasty. Here, “male Da Ji” refers to a male seducer/flirt.