Chapter 0129: Yuan Tingxuan: Am I old now?

“I want to sell courses too, but there has to be someone willing to buy! The problem is I’ve been a has-been for years!”

After saying this, why did it sound a bit weird?

It sounded as if he wasn’t selling courses, but rather his looks—Jiao Yingfeng’s appearance was still top-tier in the world of men’s basketball.

“How do you know if you’re a has-been or not if you don’t try?”

Zhou Zhexiao’s rhetorical question left Jiao Yingfeng momentarily speechless.

After drinking half his cup of coffee, Jiao Yingfeng spoke up: “Don’t you think you show too much favoritism toward Xia Chiyi?”

“I don’t have favoritism, I only love him.”

“You win.” Jiao Yingfeng took a deep breath, turned around, and walked away.

Setting down his coffee cup, Jiao Yingfeng thought about it more and more, feeling that the phrase “I only love him” was a bit strange. It didn’t sound like a dry joke the Great Demon King would make.

But the Great Demon King, having been led astray by Xia Chiyi—eating pizza, cola, mini hotpots, milk tea, braised eggs, and instant noodles, and holding a phone to binge-watch new anime—had long ceased to be the Great Demon King of the past.

If this isn’t true love, what is it?

By the time Xia Chiyi got dressed and came out of the shower room, he found Zhou Zhexiao still standing at the door, pinching that half piece of chocolate.

“Eh? Why haven’t you eaten it yet?” Xia Chiyi asked while drying his hair.

“Hmm?” Zhou Zhexiao put on a look of incomprehension.

Xia Chiyi leaned in close to his ear and whispered, “If you eat it, doesn’t that mean we just kissed?”

Zhou Zhexiao paused.

Xia Chiyi grabbed his wrist and pulled it toward himself. “If you won’t eat it, then I’ll…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Zhou Zhexiao rapidly ate the half piece of chocolate. Because his movement was so rushed, the tip of his nose bumped into Xia Chiyi’s cheekbone.

“Hey, if you wanted to eat it, just say so. I wasn’t going to fight you for it.”

Xia Chiyi rubbed Zhou Zhexiao’s nose while looking at him. This guy’s expression clearly hadn’t changed, but a faint layer of moisture welled up in his eyes. It seemed it really hurt, yet he forcefully held back from making a sound.

“You’re an idiot. If you wanted to kiss, I could just kiss you directly. There’s absolutely no need to fight over a piece of chocolate.”

The next second, Xia Chiyi’s lips were bumped by the other party. The force of the tongue tip pressing in was strong. With just a brief touch, the bitter taste of chocolate spread, but the aftertaste was incredibly sweet.

Perhaps Zhou Zhexiao didn’t want to be discovered by Fan Qingliang, who was walking in; he retreated from the kiss very quickly, acting as if nothing had happened.

Only Xia Chiyi’s ears were buzzing, his lips constantly pressing together as he savored the taste Zhou Zhexiao had left behind.

“What are you two doing hovering at the bathroom door? Don’t tell me you’re about to fight?” Fan Qingliang said half-jokingly.

“We’re not fighting, we’re dating,” Xia Chiyi slung an arm over Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulder and said with a cheeky grin.

Zhou Zhexiao’s shoulders tensed up. He looked at Xia Chiyi and found the kid smiling heartlessly. Aside from himself, probably no one else would take his words seriously.

Fan Qingliang burst out laughing. “Alright, carry on dating. As long as you don’t fight, you can date till the end of time.”

Once Fan Qingliang went out, Zhou Zhexiao looked at Xia Chiyi and said, “You really dare to say anything.”

“I’m giving Old Fan a vaccine. By the day we officially go public, he’ll have long been immunized, and he won’t spray coffee all over you again.”

“So, I am still your boyfriend.”

Only then did Xia Chiyi realize that the gaze Zhou Zhexiao directed at him was scorching and earnest.

It felt as though his heart had been struck forcefully, his entire chest trembling slightly in response.

“I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?”

“I shouldn’t have used the boyfriend thing to test how much you care about me.”

“There’s definitely no need to test it.”

Zhou Zhexiao smiled very faintly.

Because you are the sole reason for this rebirth of mine.

Carrying their gym bags, the two walked on the road back to school. Xia Chiyi was happily gulping down a protein shake.

The setting sun shone on Xia Chiyi’s hair, dotting every strand with a faint golden hue.

“Actually, I understand what the purpose of defense is,” Xia Chiyi said.

“Mhm, I know you understand.”

“It’s like an original artwork and a critique. The original artwork must exist first before there can be a critique. Even the most precise critic cannot completely decipher the original artist’s intentions.”

Xia Chiyi turned around and looked at Zhou Zhexiao with a smile.

“Your dribbling breakthroughs are the most brilliant works of art on the court.”

Zhou Zhexiao subconsciously quickened his pace, wanting to shorten the distance between himself and Xia Chiyi.

“And I am your connoisseur. Only when you create a piece can I make an appraisal.”

“And it’s an appraisal that fits my heart perfectly.”

Xia Chiyi smiled, his previous gloom completely dissipating. He felt he could defend Zhou Zhexiao for another eight hundred rounds.

The next second, Xia Chiyi’s lips were captured.

This time, Zhou Zhexiao captured his upper lip. The force when his tongue pried open was intense, completely cutting off the air. Xia Chiyi was pulled closer to him until he was firmly locked in the other’s embrace.

Xia Chiyi’s eyes went wide. He felt like his heart was about to leap out of his throat and be swallowed by Zhou Zhexiao.

The two buses they were supposed to catch rattled past them just like that.

“Why… why did you suddenly kiss me again…” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Just suddenly felt that I really like you again.”

“Suddenly felt? But I like you every day.”

“Then you can kiss me when you like me.”

“No way, if I keep kissing you, I’ll lack oxygen, and if I lack oxygen, I’ll become stupid.”

Xia Chiyi turned around and happened to see a bus stopped at the station. He immediately grabbed Zhou Zhexiao’s wrist and dashed toward it.

Both of them were tall with long legs; their 100-meter sprint posture completely shocked the bus driver.

Stepping into the carriage, the passengers all looked at them with surprised eyes.

“You managed to catch up from that far away? Are students nowadays all this amazing?”

“Ah, look at the physiques of these two young men. You can tell at a glance they’re from the track and field team!”

“We’re not from the track and field team,” Zhou Zhexiao looked at the older man and said very seriously.

“Ah? Then… then what team are you from?”

“The basketball team.”

“Oh… very good, that’s very good too.” The older man nodded somewhat awkwardly.

Xia Chiyi flashed a big smile at the man and dragged Zhou Zhexiao to squeeze further inside.

As usual, they sat in the very back row. Zhou Zhexiao spread out his jacket and draped it over both of their faces, pretending that the sun was glaring.

As for Jiao Yingfeng, he had been hooked by Zhou Zhexiao’s “suggestion” and genuinely started pondering in his mind whether he should “sell courses.”

In a rare move, he proactively made a voice call to Ling Huanzhen.

Ling Huanzhen, who was slurping rice noodles in the cafeteria, almost choked on chili when he saw the name displayed on his phone.

“Hello, Jiao Jiao? What’s up? Is the apartment’s water pipe clogged? Or is the circuit acting up again?”

“If that were the case, I should call a specialized repairman. What the hell is the use of calling you?”

“Uh… so are you asking me out for a late-night snack?”

“Is there anything else besides late-night snacks in your brain? I wanted to ask you… do you think exchanging my three-point coaching courses for professional men’s basketball players to act as sparring partners for Xia Chiyi… has a market?”

Ling Huanzhen wiped his mouth with a napkin, revealing a serious expression. “The athletes willing to act as sparring partners for Xia Chiyi could probably line up around a basketball court twice.”

Jiao Yingfeng sighed. After all these years, this guy can still hype me up with a perfectly straight face.

“Alright then, I’ll leave the task of pulling people in to you.”

“Rest assured, I do what I say!”

Even though it was already 10:00 PM, Ling Huanzhen enthusiastically called people he knew from various major clubs one by one. His number almost got put on their block lists.

Jiao Yingfeng didn’t harbor much hope about recruiting sparring partners by selling courses. Who knew that when he woke up the next day, he would receive a “schedule” from Ling Huanzhen on WeChat.

“Hmm?” Jiao Yingfeng frowned and squinted, zooming in on the spreadsheet, only to find that he had been scheduled with classes from Monday to Sunday.

And they weren’t nobodies; several of them were famous players very active in the CBA in recent years.

Jiao Yingfeng immediately called him back. “Ling Huanzhen, what kind of crazy fit are you having? From Monday to Sunday, you’re trying to squeeze out every last drop of my surplus value! Even a donkey needs to rest!”

Ling Huanzhen had been completely jolted awake by the phone call. He felt incredibly wronged.

“Didn’t you say it? Time is running short, so I scheduled everyone I could to earn sparring partners for our kid. You say it’s Monday to Sunday, but isn’t it taking your class in the morning, and then going out to brutally abuse Xia Chiyi in the afternoon?”

Jiao Yingfeng paused for a moment, then asked, “Do these people know they need to come to Ningchang, instead of me running all over the place taking Xia Chiyi with me?”

“They know, they all know! With me handling things, you can rest easy! They are absolutely volunteering.”

“Volunteering? Are you sure?”

“Receiving your guidance is an honor for them. Letting them go on to ‘guide’ Xia Chiyi is so that when Xia Chiyi enters the draft, he might remember the favors from these clubs.”

“I couldn’t tell that Xia Chiyi carried so much weight.”

Jiao Yingfeng revealed a smug expression as he spoke.

“Yeah, the pig we’ve been raising is almost ready to leave the pen.”

“If Xia Chiyi knew you used such an analogy, he’d definitely instigate Zhou Zhexiao to teach you a lesson.”

Ling Huanzhen wore an expression of having given up on treatment. “At my age, what does a lesson matter?”

The next morning, Xia Chiyi began his dull and boring weight training. Fan Qingliang stayed by his side, guiding him and checking his data.

“Where’s my Master? He hasn’t shown his face at all today.”

“Your Master is grinding out class hours.”

“Grinding out class hours? Why?”

Xia Chiyi completely didn’t understand.

Especially since the curve of Fan Qingliang’s lips seemed to be embroidering patterns on Xia Chiyi’s heart, making him itch with curiosity: Master, what on earth are you doing?

“You must be getting sick of always practicing defense with Zhou Zhexiao, right?” Fan Qingliang said with a chuckle.

“How could I get sick of it? I could play basketball with Zhou Zhexiao for a lifetime!” While making solemn vows, Xia Chiyi used the corner of his eye to check if Zhou Zhexiao was nearby—he didn’t want to get set up by Old Fan.

Fan Qingliang crossed his arms, laughing even harder. “Alright, alright, alright, the love between you and Zhou Zhexiao is stronger than gold, lasting a lifetime. But in order for you to objectively understand your defensive level, your Master found several external helpers to act as sparring partners for you. You must train hard this afternoon.”

“External helpers? What kind of external helpers?”

Could he have invited Yang Huaiyu or Zhao Lingcong over?

But Xia Chiyi quickly dismissed this guess.

Yang Huaiyu specialized under the basket, and his mid-range shooting was very strong. With the National Tournament right around the corner, even with Jiao Yingfeng’s guidance, it was impossible for him to improve by leaps and bounds in a short time. Not to mention, their team already had Li Shunchuan.

As for Zhao Lingcong, coming over was too far, and his long-range shooting wasn’t weak to begin with.

Those who would seek out Jiao Yingfeng for lessons must be those looking for a long-term improvement plan for their three-pointers.

Fan Qingliang’s shout rang out: “Run properly! You’re just pretending to be curious to slack off, aren’t you!”

“I’m not slacking off! I’m already sweating!” Xia Chiyi tugged at his back collar.

In the morning, Xia Chiyi finished his weight training. When he arrived at the basketball stadium, he saw an unfamiliar figure shooting hoops.

The person was wearing a sleeveless sports tank top, displaying an excellent wingspan and sleek muscle lines. Visually, his height was over two meters.

Xia Chiyi ran through all the prominent athletes in the University Division I League in his mind, but couldn’t find a matching answer.

“Who is this?”

Just then, Jiao Yingfeng walked up beside Xia Chiyi holding a basketball with one arm and called out, “Brat, this afternoon, Yuan Tingxuan will practice defense with you.”

“Huh? Who?” Xia Chiyi looked bewildered, thinking something was wrong with his ears.

Jiao Yingfeng repeated word by word: “This afternoon, Yuan Tingxuan will practice defense with you.”

“Which Yuan Tingxuan?”

The person who was shooting turned around, resting his hands on his hips as he walked toward Xia Chiyi. The corners of his mouth curled up, revealing a rebellious but not arrogant smile.

“How many Yuan Tingxuans have you heard of?”

Watching the figure drawing closer and closer, Xia Chiyi unexpectedly hiccuped.

With his hands on his hips, Yuan Tingxuan looked Xia Chiyi up and down. “You have the face of an elementary schooler, and your frame doesn’t look sturdy either, but watching your Southeast Division finals, you weren’t afraid of physical contact with Yang Huaiyu… Looks like your muscle content isn’t low, and your lower body is quite stable. When we engage in contact later, I won’t hold back.”

Xia Chiyi was still processing the fact that a CBA professional player was sparring with him on defense. After two seconds, he finally nodded. “You… you don’t need to hold back! You won’t be able to bump me flying!”

“Hey, if I bumped you flying, wouldn’t that be a foul? Today, I’ll let you witness professional-level proportion and control.”

Having said that, Yuan Tingxuan lowered his center of gravity, tugged the waist of his sweatpants up a bit, dribbled with his right hand, and hooked his left index finger at Xia Chiyi.

“I can tell you in advance, what I excel at is the shoulder-steal blow-by. Try and see if you can guard me.”

Holy crap, he even tells me how he’s going to get past me in advance. Just how much does he look down on me?

Xia Chiyi moved to Yuan Tingxuan’s strong hand side and assumed a defensive stance. “Bring it on, let’s see if you can get past…”

Before he could finish his trash talk, Yuan Tingxuan suddenly flashed past his side. Startled, Xia Chiyi immediately activated his pursuit, following him all the way to the basket.

Yuan Tingxuan went up for a layup; his off-hand firmly shielded Xia Chiyi, easily scoring the first basket.

“Your reaction was a bit slow. But being able to catch up immediately after getting beaten, your sprinting speed is really not bad.”

Xia Chiyi didn’t rejoice over the other’s praise. Instead, he continuously replayed Yuan Tingxuan’s blow-by move in his mind.

“Again.” Xia Chiyi assumed his defensive stance once more.

Yuan Tingxuan turned his face to look at Jiao Yingfeng, who was standing on the sidelines with his arms crossed.

“Are you sure you don’t need your Master to give you some pointers?”

“If I make a mistake, he’ll speak up.”

“Alright.”

Yuan Tingxuan smiled. He didn’t look down on Xia Chiyi just because the first blow-by was easy.

On the contrary, this freshman’s persistent, unyielding attitude made Yuan Tingxuan take it more seriously.

While dribbling, his eyes stared intently at Xia Chiyi. Like a falcon diving from high above, locking onto its prey, he flew past low to the ground in an instant, bringing a gust of air with him.

Xia Chiyi only felt the opponent lower his waist, seemingly wedging him in place, and instantly squeezing past. It truly lived up to the name “shoulder-steal blow-by”—what he was stealing was the shoulder positioning and the timing.

Yuan Tingxuan rushed to the basket again and scored with a floater.

“Xia Chiyi, you’re an expert at three-pointers, but your defense… still lacks a lot of heat,” Yuan Tingxuan extended his index finger and wagged it.

“It’s exactly because it lacks heat that I need you here to add some firewood. Otherwise, I’d just go to the CBA and snatch your rice bowl.”

Xia Chiyi wasn’t angered by Yuan Tingxuan’s words at all, even flashing a huge smile at him.

While dribbling, Yuan Tingxuan returned to stand in front of Xia Chiyi. “Give it two more years, and you’ll be a bad guy on the court who messes with opponents’ mentalities.”

“Don’t worry, in two years, if we meet on a narrow path on the court, considering today’s goodwill, even if I blow past you, I won’t talk trash to you.”

“Oh my, thank you very much then.”

The next second, Yuan Tingxuan activated again, rapidly passing by Xia Chiyi’s side.

This time, Xia Chiyi finally saw Yuan Tingxuan’s movements clearly.

First of all, Yuan Tingxuan discarded all crossover dribbles; his blow-by was extremely streamlined.

After dropping his shoulder, he shifted his center of gravity very quickly. Utilizing arm blocks to engage in contact, he created the space and time to steal the shoulder angle. As he passed Xia Chiyi, he rotated his body and thrust his shoulder forward—it was so fluid and natural that one couldn’t even feel him passing by.

Most importantly, his footwork was exquisite. While rotating his body and thrusting his shoulder, his foot on the other side stepped out past Xia Chiyi. This was an art of full-body coordination brimming with rhythm.

This time, Yuan Tingxuan didn’t go for a layup, but directly executed a fadeaway jumper at the free-throw line, scoring again.

Xia Chiyi wasn’t annoyed. He closed his eyes, resting one hand on his hip and using the other to tug his collar to wipe his sweat, continuously replaying Yuan Tingxuan’s movements in his mind.

Even though it was already his third time bypassing Xia Chiyi, Yuan Tingxuan didn’t feel it was easy at all.

Looking at Xia Chiyi’s thoughtful appearance, a sense of threat welled up from the depths of his heart.

After a few seconds, Xia Chiyi opened his eyes again and hooked a finger at Yuan Tingxuan. “Come again.”

“Alright.”

It was another blow-by. When Yuan Tingxuan attempted to steal the shoulder angle, Xia Chiyi also lowered his center of gravity and adjusted his defensive footwork, shifting along with Yuan Tingxuan’s center of gravity.

Just when Xia Chiyi thought he could finally stop Yuan Tingxuan this time, the guy suddenly engaged in contact, forcefully shoving Xia Chiyi away. Breaking through with the ball, he went up for a layup and scored again.

Yuan Tingxuan turned around and smiled. “Tsk tsk tsk, kid, you’re eight hundred years too early to want to stop me!”

Xia Chiyi pouted his lips. He knew very well that Yuan Tingxuan’s methods for blowing by opponents were absolutely not limited to just the shoulder-steal. Yet, even just taking this one move and putting it into the Division I League—if an opponent like Liu Suchen or Yang Huaiyu used it, Xia Chiyi could only be shoved aside.

The constant repetition right now was specifically to build Xia Chiyi’s defensive muscle memory against this move.

It seemed that merely following the opponent’s movements was far from enough; he had to stabilize his lower body and be prepared for contact at all times.

Yuan Tingxuan watched Xia Chiyi’s expression. Half a minute passed without Xia Chiyi saying a word or giving any response. He couldn’t help but worry if he had gone a bit too far.

For a professional player like himself to bully a college freshman lacked martial virtue.

Yuan Tingxuan opened his mouth, just about to suggest he slow down his speed, when unexpectedly, Xia Chiyi clapped his hands and looked at him with utmost seriousness.

“Old Yuan, come again!”

Yuan Tingxuan suddenly felt like an arrow had pierced his heart.

“I… I’m only twenty-six this year, how did I become ‘Old Yuan’?”

Xia Chiyi continued twisting the knife without mercy. “I’m only nineteen. You’re seven years older than me.”

“Then couldn’t you call me Brother Xuan or something?”

Xia Chiyi waved his right hand. “I already have enough ‘Brothers’. If I add you to the list, I might have to kneel on a washboard when I get back.”

Yuan Tingxuan looked bewildered. “What… do you mean?”

Why would calling me ‘Brother’ require kneeling on a washboard?

At that moment, Zhou Zhexiao happened to arrive at the sidelines. Hearing this sentence, the corners of his mouth curled upward very faintly.

At least this little rascal has self-awareness.

Just like that, Yuan Tingxuan accompanied Xia Chiyi in practicing basketball for the entire afternoon. When they wrapped up at 5:00 PM, Yuan Tingxuan was resting his hands on his hips, panting, while Xia Chiyi still had the energy to run up to Zhou Zhexiao and say, “I want to try the shoulder-steal blow-by, but Old Yuan looks like he can’t do it anymore! You defend me!”

It was the perfect opportunity to learn how Zhou Zhexiao would defend against it.

“Alright,” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

Xia Chiyi had gotten a haircut after returning from the training camp. His short, textured hair sparkled under the light, making Zhou Zhexiao really want to pull him into his arms and ruffle it vigorously.

Yuan Tingxuan’s reputation was damaged; in Xia Chiyi’s eyes, he had actually become the spokesperson for “can’t do it anymore.”

Seeing the two of them full of enthusiasm, Yuan Tingxuan sighed deeply, backing away to the sidelines. Taking the mineral water Jiao Yingfeng handed him, he let out a soulful lament.

“I really am old, aren’t I? I’m so tired I’m out of breath, yet Xia Chiyi can actually keep going with Zhou Zhexiao?”

Because of the mental tension, shouldn’t the defending party be more exhausted than him, the attacking party?

Why was Xia Chiyi still so full of energy?

Who knew Jiao Yingfeng would deliver an even more demoralizing remark.

“Actually, this afternoon, Xia Chiyi’s training volume consumption is probably only two-thirds of his usual.”

Yuan Tingxuan was dumbfounded. “What kind of devilish training does this kid normally do!”

However, what Yuan Tingxuan didn’t expect was that after just one afternoon of defensive practice, Xia Chiyi was already able to replicate his shoulder-steal blow-by right in front of Zhou Zhexiao!

Whether it was the timing, the angle, or the sense of physical contact strength, it was a very decent imitation.

Most importantly, the first time he blew past Zhou Zhexiao, Zhou Zhexiao actually failed to react in time!

Xia Chiyi’s movements were a bit more nimble than Yuan Tingxuan’s; like a white horse flashing past a crevice, it was entirely impossible to predict his timing for stealing the shoulder.

“Brother Jiao… I made this trip to Ningchang, and before I’ve even learned anything substantial about three-pointers, my skill package was taken by someone else. Seems a bit not worth it?”

Yuan Tingxuan looked thoughtfully at Jiao Yingfeng.

“To reach his current accuracy, Xia Chiyi practiced for nine months. Why do you think you can master it in a single day?” Jiao Yingfeng countered.

Yuan Tingxuan fell silent.

Because to reach this level in nine months, Xia Chiyi must have worked harder than anyone else.

“Are you going back to Shenghai tonight?” Jiao Yingfeng asked.

“What superficial knowledge can I learn in just one morning? I need at least three days,” Yuan Tingxuan said with a smile.

It wasn’t just to seek knowledge from Jiao Yingfeng; more importantly, Yuan Tingxuan wanted to see what else Xia Chiyi could learn from him.

Jiao Yingfeng smiled. “Alright then. Aside from three-pointers, I’ll have Ling Huanzhen spar with you and study under-the-basket techniques when he’s free.”

Suddenly, Yuan Tingxuan felt that he had made a huge profit on this trip.

Right at that moment, Xia Chiyi once again used the shoulder-steal to break through Zhou Zhexiao’s defense. But Zhou Zhexiao swiftly moved laterally, taking the position a step ahead and directly occupying Xia Chiyi’s turning space, causing Xia Chiyi’s shoulder-steal to fail!

Not only that, Xia Chiyi’s ball was even stripped away by Zhou Zhexiao.

This wave of operation left Yuan Tingxuan dumbfounded. Zhou Zhexiao’s movements were too clean and sharp, leaving absolutely no room for the referee to blow a foul whistle. It was so seasoned that it didn’t look like a freshman at all.

“Fuck, is this Zhou Zhexiao really only a freshman?”

The moment his ball was stripped, Xia Chiyi’s heart leaped into his throat. He saw the back of Zhou Zhexiao’s neck. Because the speed was too fast, inertia lifted his tank top. Through his back collar, Xia Chiyi caught a glimpse of the other’s taut shoulder and back lines; power and speed took on distinct forms through Zhou Zhexiao’s body.

It was also at that moment that Xia Chiyi felt as if he had been awakened, instantly turning around and giving chase.

Zhou Zhexiao’s dribbling carried a strong aura, each bounce feeling as if it were going to smash open the ground.

Xia Chiyi’s center of gravity was pressed very low. He anticipated in advance that Zhou Zhexiao would come to a sudden stop in front of him to block his path. While chasing, he deliberately deviated his path, aiming for the exact moment Zhou Zhexiao slammed on the brakes, and successfully stripped the ball!

At that moment, Xia Chiyi’s heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Finally, finally, he had stripped Zhou Zhexiao’s ball!

The moment Xia Chiyi turned around, the dynamic between offense and defense switched. Zhou Zhexiao chased behind Xia Chiyi. Xia Chiyi didn’t overthink; in one vigorous effort, he charged to the basket and released a floater. Zhou Zhexiao’s hand perilously swiped over it, but was a step too late. That ball smoothly entered the hoop.

“Woah—”

Xia Chiyi clenched his fists, an excited expression on his face.

Resting one hand on his hip, Zhou Zhexiao pressed his other hand down hard on Xia Chiyi’s head.

Very cute.

Every time he saw Xia Chiyi grow, a wondrous heart-fluttering sensation blossomed within Zhou Zhexiao.

On the sidelines, Yuan Tingxuan spread his hands. “Why do I feel like tomorrow, it’s going to be very hard for me to bypass Xia Chiyi’s defense using the shoulder-steal technique again?”

“Do you not have other techniques?” Jiao Yingfeng countered with an amused smile.

“How is that possible! Old Yuan’s skill package is endless!”

And just like that, Yuan Tingxuan accepted his setting as “Old Yuan.”

Regardless, Yuan Tingxuan had come from afar as a guest. Ling Huanzhen played host and treated him to a meal.

Because Yuan Tingxuan was a professional athlete and needed to be careful with his diet, Ling Huanzhen didn’t treat him to ordinary chicken or beef. Instead, he brought out the seafood he had treasured for a long time, making black pepper pan-seared black tiger shrimp, red wine and lemon-infused silver cod, chive stir-fried sea intestines…

Even the beverage was celery and carrot juice; there was no chance to even chug a beer.

Yuan Tingxuan felt that he was highly valued.

Right as he was eating a black tiger shrimp, Ling Huanzhen suddenly dropped a line: “Sigh, I heard that despite being young, you can’t go on once the afternoon hits?”

“Ah… can’t go on? What do you mean?”

“When practicing defense with Xia Chiyi, right at 5:00 PM, you couldn’t run anymore.”

“Coach Ling, when we evaluate whether someone can or cannot, we have to have a conscience, right? In the morning, I followed Coach Jiao to learn various step-back three-pointers, and Zhou Zhexiao was the one playing defense during my practice. I went up against him for at least a hundred rounds in the morning. I used behind-the-back lateral shifts, right-hand pound dribble step-backs, figure-eight dribble step-backs… and guess what?”

Ling Huanzhen gave him a slightly sympathetic look. “No need to say it, I understand.”

You got KO’d.

“You don’t understand!”

Bringing up the defensive beating he suffered at the hands of Zhou Zhexiao in the morning made Yuan Tingxuan doubt his identity as a CBA professional player 100,000 times over.

“It’s like he has a radar in his brain; he knows exactly what I want to do! Are my fake moves too awkward? Or is my dribbling not fluid enough? How could he keep up so quickly? And he strips the ball exactly when he wants to! Every harassment hits the bullseye, making it impossible for me to shoot.”

Jiao Yingfeng patted Yuan Tingxuan’s shoulder. “We really do understand.”

“How do both of you understand? Have you both suffered his defense?”

“Uh, his defensive fundamentals were honed with Ling Huanzhen and me acting as his sparring partners,” Jiao Yingfeng said.

This wasn’t a lie. Back in the NCAA, the three of them played basketball together quite often.

The fact that Jiao Yingfeng could shoot three-pointers so fast was also related to Zhou Zhexiao defending him every week.

“So that’s how it is. Zhou Zhexiao is truly too lucky. Having you two act as sparring partners for him together… if he doesn’t make the Olympic roster in the future, he would really be letting down the cultivation you two gave him.”

“Hahaha…” Ling Huanzhen whispered, “We are also very grateful for his ‘cultivation’.”

As Yuan Tingxuan expected, by the second day, Xia Chiyi had already adapted to his shoulder-steal blow-by. Out of ten attempts, Xia Chiyi could strip the ball three or four times, and Yuan frequently couldn’t even find the angle to execute the move.

The faster Xia Chiyi grew, the more fired up Yuan Tingxuan became.

Anchor step between-the-legs crossovers, push crossovers, half-spin misdirections—Xia Chiyi used these techniques with consummate skill himself, but defending against them wasn’t easy, especially when the one using them was a professional-level athlete like Yuan Tingxuan.

The more he experienced Yuan Tingxuan’s breakthrough techniques, the more Xia Chiyi could appreciate the top-tier defense Lu Yingnan had displayed at the Qing Da training camp.

He recalled those intricate details and applied them to real combat.

His stature wasn’t as tall and big as Yuan Tingxuan’s; his wingspan put him at a disadvantage, limiting his defensive range.

If he blindly spread his arms wide, the moment Yuan Tingxuan engaged in contact, his center of gravity would become unstable.

So the correct method was…

Xia Chiyi lowered his center of gravity and widened his foot stance, using this method to enhance his defensive range.

To limit Yuan Tingxuan’s height advantage, Xia Chiyi pressed his forearm against Yuan Tingxuan’s hip, making it difficult for him to either break through or turn around.

In the first few days, Yuan Tingxuan bypassed Xia Chiyi with ease, but as time went on, it became increasingly difficult.

Sensing heavy resistance, Yuan Tingxuan grew more and more impatient. Several turnovers and fouls finally made Xia Chiyi understand that truly high-end defense wasn’t really about stripping the ball, but rather increasing the opponent’s psychological burden, making it difficult for them to do anything.

Three days passed, and Yuan Tingxuan was about to return to Shenghai.

He smiled and said to Xia Chiyi, “As far as defense goes, you’ve already graduated from me. I hope that when you enter the CBA, we will be teammates, not opponents.”

Xia Chiyi patted Yuan Tingxuan’s shoulder knowingly. “Old Yuan, don’t worry. No matter where I go in the future, you and I will definitely reach the same destination via different paths.”

Yuan Tingxuan froze for a moment before understanding the meaning behind “reaching the same destination via different paths.”

The Asian Championship, the World Championship, the Olympics—they would definitely have the chance to become teammates.

“Good luck in the National Tournament. I’ll definitely watch every single one of your games. If you don’t make it to the Final Four, I’ll livestream two hours of trash talk directed at you.”

“Hahaha, to ensure your livestream isn’t banned by the platform, our Ningchang University will definitely charge into the Final Four!”

After seeing Yuan Tingxuan off, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao took the bus back to school together.

The setting sun filtered through the bus window and landed on the tip of Xia Chiyi’s nose; he looked as if he could capture all the light in this world.

Zhou Zhexiao remained silent, just looking at him. In his mind, he inadvertently recalled the scene of Xia Chiyi sprinting low to the ground to intercept him.

Like a fiercely burning star, it had crashed into his heart.

But Xia Chiyi was completely oblivious to what Zhou Zhexiao was feeling at this moment; he merely stared tirelessly out the window.

“Are you thinking about Yuan Tingxuan? Feeling that having only me to practice defense with you for the remaining days will be boring?”

“Hmm?” Xia Chiyi turned his head, meeting Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes.

No way, this guy is inexplicably jealous again?

“I was thinking… can we go eat Mala Xiangguo (Spicy Dry Pot) tonight? A new place opened on the way back, and I heard it’s incredibly, incredibly fragrant!”

While speaking, Xia Chiyi swallowed his saliva, visibly craving it.

“So you were constantly looking out the window, searching for where that shop is?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“Yeah…”

Zhou Zhexiao lifted his chin slightly. “Is it that shop with the line?”

Xia Chiyi immediately turned his head and saw the “Auntie Zhang’s Mala Xiangguo” sign. Without a second word, he grabbed Zhou Zhexiao and got off the bus.

They got in line. Visually, there were about a dozen tables ahead of them.

“There are so many people, are you sure you want to wait?”

“Wait, why wouldn’t we wait?” Xia Chiyi closed his eyes and sniffed. “Smells so good!”

Today was Xia Chiyi’s cheat day; he didn’t have to eat from the menu Jiao Yingfeng provided.

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his eyes, his lip line curving slightly upward.

He thought Xia Chiyi would be reluctant to part with Yuan Tingxuan, but looking at it now, Yuan Tingxuan was far less important than a meal of Mala Xiangguo.

After a hearty meal, Xia Chiyi was paying the bill when he discovered several messages from Liu Suchen on WeChat.

Liu Daji: [I heard Brother Geng is going to Ningchang to learn three-pointers? I want to sign up to go learn too!]

Liu Daji: [Brother Geng is a kind-hearted person. If he goes, you must treat him nicely.]

Liu Daji: [I originally wanted to buy a ticket to go find you guys, but Song Boyun tattled on me, saying I was running to Ningchang to challenge your dojo! How is that possible? Am I that kind of person?]

…

Xia Chiyi thought to himself: You’ve already become a 1v1 legend in the Division I League, how do you have the nerve to say you’re not that kind of person?

Truly, his skin is thicker than his basketball skills.

Wait, who is this Brother Geng?

Xia Chiyi leaned toward Zhou Zhexiao. “Hey, do you know who the next person coming to strengthen their three-pointers with my Master is?”

While pushing aside the Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers on his lotus root slices, Zhou Zhexiao said, “Geng Lu.”

“Which Geng Lu?” Xia Chiyi felt the name was super familiar, but couldn’t immediately recall it.

“The point guard from Qing Da last year. The one who synergized with Liu Suchen’s help defense, acting like a tripwire that tripped Yang Huaiyu up time and time again—that Geng Lu.”

Xia Chiyi’s eyes instantly lit up. “The Geng Lu who was drafted 12th overall in last year’s CBA draft by the Northeast Fengche Auto Men’s Basketball Team?”

“Mhm.” Zhou Zhexiao nodded.

“He’s very formidable! His dribbling is very agile; he’s super hard to defend!”

“Yeah.” Zhou Zhexiao nodded. “You’ve already experienced a forward with Yuan Tingxuan. Tomorrow, it’ll be a guard.”

Xia Chiyi’s lips curled into a smile as he rapidly replied to Liu Suchen: [I will play happily with Brother Geng tomorrow.]

Liu Suchen’s reply came extremely fast: [What are you two going to play together?]

Xia Chiyi: [What else can we play? Basketball, of course. Sticking out tongue.GIF]

Liu Suchen: [Thinking about Brother Geng actually giving you private tutoring makes me jealous to the point of plasmolysis!]

Xia Chiyi: [Hypocrite. Coach Li also found CBA teams to play practice matches with you guys. Don’t think we don’t know.]

The two bickered childishly for a while. Xia Chiyi finished paying the bill and led Zhou Zhexiao toward the school.

With his hands in his pockets, Zhou Zhexiao followed behind Xia Chiyi. They walked for a bit before Xia Chiyi frowned, turned around, and stared into Zhou Zhexiao’s eyes: “You’re so quiet, it’s like you’re acting autistic again?”

“No.” Zhou Zhexiao took a step forward and added, “I just feel that now that you have other people practicing defense with you, it seems I can only watch you from the sidelines.”

Xia Chiyi didn’t expect that Zhou Zhexiao was actually emo over this!

The Zhou Zhexiao who never suffered from internal friction was actually showing such a slightly aggrieved expression just because he couldn’t practice defense with him.

“I was still wanting to compete with you all the way back.”

“Hmm? Compete in what?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

Xia Chiyi dug a basketball out of his bag, held it up with his left hand, and smiled. “Left-handed dribbling!”

Zhou Zhexiao’s lip line finally curved up slightly. “My left-handed dribbling is very formidable.”

“I know! Especially your left-handed drop-step push dribble; that’s your signature move for blowing past people with your left hand!”

“What if I win?”

Zhou Zhexiao lowered his head slightly, drawing closer to Xia Chiyi.

If it weren’t for the fact that this guy looked too arrogant with both hands still in his pockets, Xia Chiyi would have suspected he wanted to kiss right on the street.

---

[Author’s Note]
Zhou Zhexiao: If I win, you kiss me. If you win, I kiss you.
Xia Chiyi: You really grasp the essence of win-win. Keep dreaming! If you win, you have to sleep on a clothesline like Little Dragon Maiden!