Chapter 0079: Defying the Heavens Alley-Oop

Just as Ai Jun and Shao Jin lunged fiercely at Xia Chiyi at the three-point line, Xia Chiyi calmly passed the ball to the other side.

Commentator Chen Hui’s voice rose high, as if a hurricane were howling through his chest: “Zhou Zhexiao! Zhou Zhexiao catches the ball! Zhou Zhexiao drives past the defender, goes up for the layup under pressure—a double-clutch! I never expected to see such a beautiful double-clutch layup in the Southeast Division aside from Yang Huaiyu’s!”

Xu Mi added, “Power and beauty, restraint and release, all perfectly captured in this moment.”

Shao Jin finally got an opportunity. He dribbled past his defender and was about to shoot, but Xia Chiyi’s defensive interference forced the ball to bounce off the rim.

“Zhou Zhexiao directly grabs the rebound, goes coast-to-coast past all opponents, and finishes with a one-handed dunk! Beautiful!”

At this point, the live chat became entirely one-sided.

[Where did this Zhou Zhexiao come from? This is a professional-level playstyle, right?]

[And that Xia Chiyi, his sudden stop and release takes only a blink of an eye. The ankles and knees of anyone defending him are going to get destroyed!]

[Ningchang University is incredibly strong. I feel like Fugong U is in danger…]

Soon after, facing a triple-team, Xia Chiyi seamlessly chained shoulder shimmies and pump fakes together. The three opponents jumped at different times to block him, yet he smoothly and fluidly evaded all three.

Chen Hui almost slammed the table and stood up. “A turnaround fadeaway jumper! Too beautiful! I really want to see the slow motion of this shot—it’s absolutely the most technically demanding shot of the game! Is this really at the level of college students?”

Although it was only a group stage match, quite a few club scouts had come to do evaluations. They originally came to watch Ai Jun and Shao Jin’s performance, but didn’t expect Zhou Zhexiao to suddenly emerge, followed by Xia Chiyi’s dead-center marksmanship. Almost simultaneously, they made phone calls and sent texts back to their headquarters, demanding more information on these two players.

Xia Chiyi’s shot froze the score at the end of the third quarter at 78 to 66.

A twelve-point deficit. Fugong U had absolutely never imagined they could fall behind by double digits.

Coach Yan hurried to lay out their strategy and tactics. His back was drenched in cold sweat, but he still had to maintain his composure.

He only hoped that Ai Jun and Shao Jin wouldn’t be crushed by this unprecedented pressure.

“Ai Jun, listen up! Getting blocked is a very normal thing! Zhou Zhexiao is a formidable small forward; I admit that. As a coach, I misjudged Ningchang University’s current strength! However, every year, formidable rookies will emerge! We have to accept it and absolutely must not give up on attacking the paint!”

Coach Yan looked at Ai Jun. Ai Jun had a towel draped over his head and was regulating his breathing. He drank water in silence, keeping his expression and eyes hidden from view.

“I know,” Ai Jun replied.

He didn’t consider himself a fragile person.

Ma Tao had blocked him, Yang Huaiyu had blocked him, and even Liu Suchen had blocked him consecutively. There was no reason Zhou Zhexiao couldn’t block him.

Coach Yan continued, “Shao Jin, we also have to admit that Xia Chiyi’s pull-up jumper is at a very high level, and his condition and shooting touch are exceptionally good today. You need to calm your mindset. We are only trailing by twelve points; ten minutes is enough time to catch up!”

“Yes!” Shao Jin answered loudly.

As if doing so could eliminate all the uncertainty in his heart.

“We’ve played against Qincheng University, Southwest Aviation University, and Qing University—falling behind by a dozen or even twenty-plus points is completely normal! Now, it’s the final quarter. I want you to focus completely, let go of last year’s impression of Ningchang University, and treat them as an opponent on the level of the national top eight!”

Ai Jun took a deep breath and stood up with his hands on his hips. “I understand. With their current level, both us and them can make it to the national tournament. We might even clash again on a narrow path in the national finals. So we will cherish every second of experience and properly feel out their playstyle.”

Shao Jin also clapped his hands. “Let’s go! The final quarter, let’s give it our all!”

The final quarter finally arrived.

The livestream chat was packed densely. Fugong U had accumulated many supporters over the years, after all, and everyone was cheering them on.

Of course, Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi had also attracted a massive wave of fans with their superb skills and stellar performance. They clamored for “Ningchang University to wipe out their past humiliation and bring about a new dynasty!”

Chen Hui took a deep breath. “Dear viewers, you can probably hear my nervous breathing. I have a feeling the pace of this final quarter will be incredibly fast. If I speak too quickly during my commentary, please bear with me.”

Xu Mi smiled, lightening the mood from the side. “After all, our commentary speed might not even be able to keep up with the speed at which the two teams switch between offense and defense on the court.”

Previously, no matter what Xu Mi said, people in the chat would attack her. They felt her assessment of Ningchang University was exaggerated and that her appreciation for Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi was purely based on their looks.

But now, many people were speaking up to defend Xu Mi.

[Who on earth said Xu Mi doesn’t understand basketball? She recognized a promising team and observed them all the way from the preliminaries to the regionals—that’s what you call professional!]

[Xu Mi’s prediction about the three-point rain was god-tier!]

[To the people who said Xu Mi only judges players by their faces: were you hiding in a cave during human evolution?]

This match was gradually exceeding the expectations of most viewers.

In the final quarter, Fugong U indeed activated their frantic point-chasing mode. They poured out in full force, pressing directly into Ningchang University’s half.

Using team pick-and-roll coordination, Shao Jin unleashed a barrage of three-pointers, clawing back nine points.

Immediately after, Xia Chiyi made a steal, dribbled past half-court, and coordinated inside-out with Zhou Zhexiao to return the favor.

“There it is again, Xia Chiyi’s fadeaway jumper! Not only is he an expert at pull-up jumpers, but his fadeaway is also so weightless. This is the pinnacle of the CUBA that I’ve ever seen!” Chen Hui stood up excitedly.

Countless people in the stands took out their phones. Some managed to capture it, while others regretted not freezing such a beautiful shot on their devices.

Yang Huaiyu watched Xia Chiyi’s figure with focused eyes, lowering his voice to say, “When we played that practice match, Xia Chiyi’s fadeaway jumper wasn’t this stable yet.”

In the row behind him, Meng Ting clicked his tongue. “I’m feeling very heavy-hearted right now. During the practice match, he could already break through the double-team from me and He Zhan to score… Now he’s added this fadeaway jumper skill. He’s even harder to lock down.”

He Zhan crossed his arms and nodded. “Yeah, what are we going to do?”

Their coach, Ren Xin, laughed out loud. “To actually give you guys a sense of crisis, Ningchang University really is the best opponent. The group stage isn’t over yet; you still have time to observe them carefully.”

As the match continued, with the clock winding down, Fugong U grew increasingly anxious.

“Ai Jun! Ai Jun charges into the paint again! Zhou Zhexiao leaps to intercept—what incredible explosiveness—!”

Chen Hui craned his neck, nearly jumping out of his chair.

But Ai Jun pulled the ball back with one hand, preparing for a floater before landing. Yet before the ball left his hand, it was swatted away by someone else.

The entire arena erupted in an uproar.

“Xia Chiyi! The one who stopped Ai Jun from scoring this time is actually Xia Chiyi!” Chen Hui’s voice almost cracked.

The viewers in the livestream were also infected by his passionate emotions.

Xu Mi shouted, “Xia Chiyi’s dribbling is too fluid! He didn’t stop at the three-point line; he’s continuing to cut inside—is he going for a layup?”

Facing a double-team under the basket, with Ai Jun and Shao Jin chasing from behind, Xia Chiyi lifted his left leg. He passed the ball from his right hand under his left leg, caught it with his left hand, and tossed it toward the rim just before landing!

“Is he going for the backboard… no…” Xu Mi’s eyes widened. In that split second, she couldn’t determine Xia Chiyi’s intention.

Zhou Zhexiao flashed under the basket and directly slammed the ball into the hoop.

The boiling screams all around seemed ready to blow off the stadium dome.

Chen Hui: “My God! A heaven-defying alley-oop from Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao! Such incredible chemistry! So dazzling! So insane!”

Xu Mi: “Many of the live spectators’ jaws are going to drop to the floor!”

Frantic applause broke out; even the Fugong U camp couldn’t help but clap for this play.

Ai Jun stood with his hands on his hips. To be honest, even if he didn’t want to concede, he had to.

Shao Jin stared blankly at Xia Chiyi. He had been so close to stealing that ball, but he never expected Xia Chiyi to pull off such a filthy pass!

The live chat on Cool Surf was practically exploding.

[Is this still CUBA? This is f*cking NBA level!]

[Ningchang University is too awesome! Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi are too awesome!]

[If anyone says Coach Ling is the only thing worth watching at Ningchang University again, I’ll gouge their eyes out!]

The camera hanging around Pang Shuai’s neck felt scorching hot, just like his heart.

“Even though Zhou Zhexiao and the guys always talked about winning the championship, I secretly just hoped we wouldn’t finish dead last in the group… What kind of trash roommate am I…”

Zhang Xiulin and his football team brothers also let out a long breath.

“The basketball team is just showing off on a cosmic level. They’re making us too ashamed to even show our faces back at school!”

Xia Chiyi ran toward his teammates, the sweat on his face glittering under the lights. Zhou Zhexiao held out a hand early in preparation for a high-five, but unexpectedly, Xia Chiyi jumped up, threw his arms around Zhou Zhexiao’s neck, and shook him vigorously.

“You really caught the alley-oop! You really did! I just had a feeling you would! That dunk was too cool, I love you to death!”

Zhou Zhexiao was just about to hug Xia Chiyi back when the other boy already let go.

His arms felt empty.

Their telepathic connection seemed to only appear when playing basketball.

“I love you to death, too.”

Zhou Zhexiao’s voice was drowned out by the surrounding cheers. He could only softly murmur it while watching the other boy’s retreating back.

The game clock was almost empty.

Ningchang University maintained their advantage. Ye Zhaoying broke through and led another fast break, Zhou Zhexiao passed into the paint, and Du He and Shuai Bei scored consecutively.

Ai Jun and Shao Jin gave it their all and didn’t give up, but unfortunately, Ningchang University was too far ahead.

When the final buzzer sounded, Shao Jin still managed to sink a buzzer-beater. Although it went in, it couldn’t salvage the scoreline.

In the end, Ningchang University pulled off a massive upset, defeating Fu Province University of Technology 112 to 102.

“We won—!”

Xia Chiyi and Ye Zhaoying hugged each other, then ran over to He Bin and Chen Chuan.

The two upperclassmen’s eyes were red. They looked like they wanted to cry but were trying hard to hold it back.

Today, they had finally conquered their past fears, stepping out of the dark shadows and into the sunlight.

“Good job,” He Bin patted Xia Chiyi’s back, hugging him tightly.

“Captain He, we did a good job,” Xia Chiyi whispered into his ear.

To Chen Chuan’s surprise, Zhou Zhexiao actively raised his hand for a high-five.

“Together, we surpassed the number of blocks you ate last year.”

Chen Chuan froze for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh so hard that tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

He felt like he had just leaped from the edge of a freezing cliff to the other side. Even if he faced even more terrifying opponents in the future, he would be able to grit his teeth and endure.

He was truly so thankful to these arrogant college freshmen!

The two teams stepped onto the court to shake hands and exchange pleasantries.

When Ai Jun walked past Ling Huanzhen, the coach smiled. “Do you still want my autograph?”

“Is it still possible?”

Ling Huanzhen nodded. “Sure. But I won’t write ‘Invincible’ for anyone. Because I know that on the basketball court, nobody can ever be truly ‘invincible’.”

Ai Jun swallowed. “Then sign something I can achieve.”

As Ling Huanzhen picked up the pen, the players suddenly started teasing.

“Oh man, he’s already retired. You’re better off getting my autograph! My handwriting is much better than our coach’s!” Xia Chiyi shouted.

A second later, he got smacked on the back of the head.

Du He chimed in, “Coach Ling’s signature is so messy you can’t tell north from south.”

Then Du He got smacked on the head, too.

But Ai Jun still put on his sports jacket, turned his back, and asked Ling Huanzhen to sign it.

After he finished, the Fugong U players gathered around, unable to decipher what Ling Huanzhen had written.

“What is this?” Ai Jun held up his jacket, completely baffled.

It was Zhou Zhexiao who spoke up: “It’s a line from Paul Valéry’s Le Cimetière marin—’The wind is rising! We must try to live!'”

Ai Jun paused. “You recognize it?”

“Back when he was playing in the NCAA in the US, he got blocked six times in a single game. His coach gave him this quote while he was crying in the locker room.”

Ai Jun exhaled. “I really do need this right now. I just can’t read it.”

Turning around, Ai Jun walked over to Chen Chuan and extended his hand. “Hey, you were badass in the first quarter.”

Chen Chuan shook his hand, his face showing a rare expression of pride and satisfaction. “Thanks. Maybe it’s because of that, but I suddenly felt like you weren’t as badass this year as you were last year.”

The two stared at each other, looking as if they were about to fight, but the next second, they hugged and patted each other on the back.

Shao Jin also shook hands with He Bin. “Your off-ball movement is incredible. It’s worth our team studying and learning from.”

“Yeah, I can still be studied and learned from. But there’s someone on our team—you know he’s incredible, but you can’t walk the path he walks.”

He Bin and Shao Jin looked simultaneously toward Xia Chiyi. He was currently draped over Zhou Zhexiao’s back, as Zhou Zhexiao held up his phone, the two of them reading the comments under the match livestream together.

After a tense and thrilling commentary session, Chen Hui and Xu Mi could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Hui looked toward Qincheng University’s section in the stands and made a gesture of respect.

This was his way of apologizing to Yang Huaiyu. During the interview outside the hotel that day, he had been too arrogant and spoken out of turn. If not for Yang Huaiyu’s reminder, his commentary today might have been a disaster.

Yang Huaiyu smiled calmly. Being misunderstood was just a normal part of life.

But not everyone could put down their ego and pride to admit they were wrong like Chen Hui did.

As the broadcast prepared to wrap up, Chen Hui took a deep breath and said earnestly, “This phenomenal group stage match has introduced us to the counter-attacking Ningchang University!”

Xu Mi’s smile was as sweet as ever. “Congratulations to Ningchang University for taking their first victory in the Southeast Division group stage! All successful comebacks come to those who are prepared! Rather than drowning in darkness, it is better to burn oneself to light the way forward! Persevering through a hundred setbacks is always more meaningful than just looking up at others!”

Chen Hui added, “And we also hope Fu Province University of Technology can look past yesterday’s glory, let go of today’s defeat, and welcome a broader future!”

After the game, the spectators began to file out.

Meanwhile, the other teams in the same group—Southeast Jiaotong University, Binhai Post and Telecommunications University, and Tanjiang Sports Academy—felt an unparalleled amount of pressure.

Only one team from each group gets eliminated in the first round. Originally, they thought advancing from this group would be a breeze because Ningchang University would be dead last.

But after this match, they realized that Ningchang University was now the uncrowned king of their group. The remaining three teams would have to slaughter each other, and the eliminated team would be one of them.

Meanwhile, powerhouse teams from other groups, such as the Mining University, had already urgently begun studying Ningchang University’s playstyle and lineup.

Xia Chiyi pressed against Zhou Zhexiao, whispering about what flavor of instant noodles they should sneak out to eat tonight, when his shoulder was suddenly bumped by someone.

The other person’s bones were rock hard, making Xia Chiyi bare his teeth in pain. He was just about to say, “Bro, watch where you’re going,” but he immediately shut his mouth when he looked up and met Ma Tao’s face.

Xia Chiyi changed his expression faster than flipping a page in a book, instantly flashing a huge smile. “What a coincidence, Ma-ge.”

“You were really in the limelight today. Crotch passes, fadeaway jumpers… Looks like you were hiding your true strength when we played at Qincheng,” Ma Tao said, keeping his hands in his pockets and giving Xia Chiyi a chilling look.

“Ma-ge, if you want to praise me, just praise me directly. No need to keep a straight face.”

Ma Tao choked on his words. “When did I praise you?”

“Didn’t you just say ‘You were really in the limelight today’?”

“Just you wait, you brat. See if I don’t crush you during the placement matches.”

Just as Ma Tao’s finger was about to poke Xia Chiyi’s shoulder, another hand blocked it.

“Who do you want to crush?” Zhou Zhexiao’s heavy gaze bore down on him.

Ma Tao sneered. “I almost forgot, you two are in cahoots. I’ll deal with both of you when the time comes.”

With that, Ma Tao walked away.

Eating some beef jerky, Ye Zhaoying bumped Xia Chiyi’s back. “I say, just how many opposing aces have you provoked?”

“I haven’t? It’s just Yang Huaiyu, right?”

“And Liu Suchen,” Zhou Zhexiao added.

“Liu Suchen initiated the conversation with me, so that doesn’t count.”

Xia Chiyi thought for a moment, then suddenly leaned close to Zhou Zhexiao’s ear and said, “And you.”

“Huh?”

Zhou Zhexiao paused. The surrounding teammates were all guessing what Xia Chiyi had said, but no one dared to ask.

They just saw Zhou Zhexiao freeze in place.

After a long while, Zhou Zhexiao touched his own ear—Are you self-aware, or are you just exceptionally flirtatious without realizing it?

That night, Cool Surf released the “Southeast Division Group Stage Round 1 Highlights.”

Players like Yang Huaiyu, Li Shunchuan, and Ma Tao were all featured.

What the audience didn’t expect was that Ningchang University monopolized a full minute of the reel.

Chen Chuan’s help-defense block on Ai Jun was just the beginning. It was followed by He Bin’s textbook off-ball baseline three-pointer, Ye Zhaoying’s ambush steal, Xia Chiyi’s pull-up jumper, his fadeaway against three defenders, Zhou Zhexiao’s block on Ai Jun, and finally, the tandem alley-oop between Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao.

Everyone following the CUBA was curious: Was this really Ningchang University?

The group match between Fugong U and Ningchang University suddenly became the most-watched replay.

After all, anyone paying attention to the Division I league had their jaws drop when they saw the result.

This was even more absurd than a failing student thoroughly thrashing a top scholar.

When news of the victory reached Ningchang University, Principal Feng was so excited he slapped the table and laughed out loud on the spot, shoving his phone in front of his wife’s face.

“Look, look! Our school’s basketball team actually defeated Fu Province University of Technology! Could you have imagined this? You didn’t dare, right? But they did it!”

Ningchang University’s official WeChat account published the news that very night, accompanied by countless handsome photos provided by Pang Shuai.

The students were incredibly enthusiastic, clamoring for Pang Shuai to post the high-res versions on the school forum so they could download them as wallpapers.

At home, the former head coach, Ma Wenhua, casually clicked on the official CUBA Weibo while bored watching TV, discovering a new match result update.

He rubbed his eyes. When he saw that Ningchang University had defeated Fugong U in their first match, he wondered if the official account had made a typo or if there was something wrong with his eyes.

“Shouldn’t it be Fugong U taking their first win against Ningchang?”

Looking at the score again, Ma Wenhua wondered if he had slipped into an alternate dimension.

When he opened He Bin’s and Chen Chuan’s WeChat Moments, he saw that they had also posted news of defeating Fugong U!

“Ling… Ling Huanzhen is this incredible? Turning decay into magic?”

Ma Wenhua’s wife walked past him and said dryly, “Maybe you were the decay all along. Ningchang University has always been magic.”

Meanwhile, Jin Province’s head coach, Ma Hongming, looked absolutely terrible.

His phone had rung for the eighth time with a call from some CBA basketball club.

As soon as he answered, it was someone asking about Xia Chiyi.

Questions like, “Do you know this student Xia Chiyi? Why wasn’t he selected for the provincial team?” or “Have you had contact with this student? How would you evaluate him?”

Ma Hongming knew that as an authority figure, he could easily list all of Xia Chiyi’s flaws.

He could say his height wasn’t advantageous, his physical confrontation skills were weak, and he had no aggressive interior finishing techniques aside from shooting…

But he had also watched the livestream. Like most mainstream media covering the CUBA, his focus had been on Fugong U, but he hadn’t expected Ningchang University to be so spectacular.

Xia Chiyi’s performance completely defied Ma Hongming’s evaluation of him.

He said his height wasn’t an advantage, yet he repeatedly scored against taller defenders?

He said his physical confrontation was weak, yet he coordinated with Zhou Zhexiao in the paint to stop Ai Jun’s layup?

He said he had no interior techniques other than shooting, yet he completed an alley-oop with Zhou Zhexiao while surrounded by four defenders!

The more he watched the stream, the more uneasy Ma Hongming felt.

Every question these clubs asked felt like a challenge to his judgment.

Not to mention, he had overruled everyone to reject Zhou Zhexiao. Now that Zhou Zhexiao’s abilities were obvious to all, voices of opposition within the provincial team were likely to rise against him.

Ma Hongming genuinely felt his cousin was useless now. How could he let Ling Huanzhen snatch the head coach position away!

He could only secretly pray that Ningchang University wouldn’t go much further.

Having commentated the match, Chen Hui didn’t even realize he had developed a slight bias toward Ningchang University.

After getting the match footage from Cool Surf, Chen Hui edited a video dedicated to Ningchang University titled: “Listening to countless inspirational stories is not as good as witnessing a bottom-tier team’s comeback with your own eyes.”

Accompanying the match footage, Chen Hui analyzed the Ningchang players one by one.

When he got to editing Xia Chiyi, he found that he wanted to include every single one of Xia Chiyi’s shots and brilliant passes in the video.

After hesitating and filtering for a long time, he finally selected a few essential highlights.

[The player Xia Chiyi is the most surprising rookie I’ve ever seen in all my time analyzing CUBA matches—don’t argue with me; if you do, you’re right. After getting the footage, I timed his release from sudden stop to shot: he only takes 1.1 to 1.2 seconds. Friends, what kind of number is that? It wouldn’t even pale in comparison to the NBA. If you think I’m exaggerating, you can go time it yourselves.]

[His dribble penetration is incredibly strong. Even double-teamed from the front and back by Ai Jun and Shao Jin, they couldn’t stop him from driving into the paint… I dare bet other teams are currently researching how to lock down Xia Chiyi!]

[And this fadeaway jumper, it’s practically textbook level… no, no, “textbook” sounds too stiff. It should be called an elegant art on the court. When he’s in mid-air, it feels like he suspends into another visual dimension. If you just watch the video, you might think my description is too dramatic, but viewers who experienced it live will absolutely never forget his silhouette!]

Chen Hui’s commentary was often labeled as “worshipping the strong.” He always gave famous teams a lot of flowery praise; people who liked him really liked him, and those who hated him loathed him. Especially when he harshly criticized certain star players for average performances, he easily attracted a swarm of anti-fans.

Consequently, as soon as this video centered on the relatively unknown Xia Chiyi was posted, the haters swarmed in.

[Chen Hui, you’ve stooped so low. You used to cling to the thighs of strong teams to siphon their fans, and now you’re even hyping up a ninth-rate team like Ningchang University? Just asking, do you feel gross?]

[Fugong U just underperformed, and that’s enough to praise Ningchang to the heavens? Nowadays, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can shoot a basketball, okay?]

[You just think this Xia Chiyi is handsome and are using his face to farm followers for yourself, right?]

Chen Hui didn’t care about these comments. In any circle, there were always people who turned a blind eye to others’ excellence, or who blindly praised the high and trampled the low.

What Chen Hui didn’t expect, however, was that many coaches and athletes from powerhouse teams were watching his video.

They wanted to analyze Xia Chiyi, and Chen Hui’s edits and commentary saved them a lot of time. Right in the middle of their research, seeing this bunch of clueless haters spouting nonsense genuinely annoyed some of them.

Ke Yan, for example, was a standout warrior among them.

[I actually want to ask if the people spouting nonsense are humans or ghosts? Ningchang University is a ninth-rate team? Did you ask Qing University if they agree?]

After posting this, Ke Yan regretted it. He had satisfied his urge to argue but risked being misunderstood by the people from Qing University.

Unexpectedly, Huo Cheng, Qing University’s power forward, directly replied using his verified account: [Qing University does not agree. Anyone who isn’t blind can see that Ningchang University is formidable.]

Ke Yan never expected to have a dream crossover with Qing University through the internet.

Meanwhile, Liu Suchen was sending tips to Chen Hui’s video, hoping he would release a few more highlight reels of Ningchang University to make their research easier.

Just then, his phone vibrated. The screen displayed: Lu Yingnan.

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Liu Suchen intentionally let the phone ring for nearly five seconds before answering.

“Hello, baby, what’s up?”

“Are you sure you want me to be your baby?”

Lu Yingnan’s slightly cool, mocking voice sounded.

“If you beat me this year, I’ll call you ‘brother’.”

“Alright, baby. I heard you played a one-on-one at Ningchang University?” Lu Yingnan got straight to the point.

“Don’t speak nonsense. I gave up on that ‘storming the dojo’ routine a long time ago. The coach would make me run three thousand meters as punishment.”

“Then if Qing University were to play against Ningchang University, what would you do?” Lu Yingnan asked.

“I’d guard Zhou Zhexiao one-on-one, of course,” Liu Suchen said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Otherwise, who do you think could stop him?”

Lu Yingnan asked again, “And what about Xia Chiyi? Are you just going to let him go on a killing spree on the perimeter?”

“Song Boyun has been working pretty hard lately.”

“Is one Song Boyun enough?”

“If one isn’t enough, we’ll send two. Qing University’s defensive talent pool is very deep.” Liu Suchen chuckled, casting his eyes down to look at the tips of his shoes. “If I were you…”

“If you only say half a sentence, you’ll die alone without a partner.”

“Then I’ll just find you.”

“I don’t want you. Hurry up and tell me, what would you do if you were me?”

“If I were you, I would personally guard Xia Chiyi. With his penetration ability and release speed, failing to lock him down is just handing free points to Ningchang. Furthermore, even if you choose to guard Zhou Zhexiao one-on-one, Xia Chiyi can still link up with him to score. The two of them are absolutely a case where one plus one is greater than two.”

“So both of them must be locked down, and their connection must be severed.”

Liu Suchen laughed softly. “Hey, Lu Yingnan, don’t you think you’re being funny?”

“What’s funny about it?”

“This was only the first match of the Southeast Division group stage, and you’ve already locked your sights on Ningchang University? For all you know, they might not even make it to the national tournament.”

Lu Yingnan said coolly, “We’re thousand-year-old foxes here, so drop the innocent act. Weren’t you the one who left a comment on his Weibo saying ‘See you in the national top eight’?”

“Alright then. I wish you guys the best in keeping your crown in the Southwest Division this year.”

Ningchang University’s first victory continued to ferment online.

Cool Surf’s CUBA special section had a sub-category dedicated to editing and reviewing star players.

Without Xia Chiyi even knowing it, he already had his own little dedicated column, and it had broken ten thousand views overnight.

Leaning against the headboard, he held his phone and opened Pang Shuai’s Weibo. This guy was incredibly fast; he had already posted several sets of photos from the match. His Weibo followers were eagerly waiting for more, complaining that he was too slow.

Pang Shuai had made a nine-photo grid for every player who took the court.

Xia Chiyi didn’t even look at his own. He scrolled straight down to open Zhou Zhexiao’s.

The first thing he saw was a shot of Zhou Zhexiao’s alley-oop dunk. It truly was like a swooping meteor, as if he were flying through the air, stirring the soul.

He opened every single photo of Zhou Zhexiao, zoomed in, and murmured softly, “So handsome.”

“Is that so?”

Warm breath rippled through the air and brushed against Xia Chiyi’s temple.

He jolted in alarm, suddenly realizing someone was right next to him.

Turning his head, he saw Zhou Zhexiao. His towel-dried, half-damp hair looked curlier than usual, with a few strands hanging over his eyes. His eyelashes were wet, making him look like a siren that had just climbed out of the sea onto the deck…

Xia Chiyi thought his imagination was running wild. A siren wouldn’t go to bed at eleven o’clock or be addicted to milk tea.

“Hey, why do you keep doing this? You walk without making a sound, like a ghost.”

“You look incredibly guilty.”

“I was just looking at your photos on Pang Shuai’s Weibo, how is that guilty? If you don’t want people looking, go buy a giant cover and wrap yourself up in it.”

“Didn’t you say I was handsome? So what part is handsome?”

“Huh?”

“My looks? Or my basketball skills?”

“Your looks,” Xia Chiyi blurted out without thinking.

He knew Zhou Zhexiao had always wanted to attract him with his basketball skills. The clearer he knew this, the more he wanted to tease him.

The next second, Zhou Zhexiao flipped Xia Chiyi over. He easily caught the phone before it hit the floor and placed it face-down on the bedside table.

“Zhou Zhexiao… what are you trying to do? Are you trying to murder your partner?”

Xia Chiyi’s face was shoved into the pillow. He tried to prop himself up against the headboard, but unexpectedly, Zhou Zhexiao grabbed his wrists with one hand and pinned them to his back.

“I didn’t bring the fascia knife.”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi’s head buzzed. “No! We have a game tomorrow! No fascia knife!”

“Then let’s do some stretching. Don’t think I didn’t see. Everyone was stretching after the game, but you were playing on your phone.”

With that, Zhou Zhexiao lifted Xia Chiyi’s legs.

“Ahhh, let go… let go! It hurts, it hurts, my tendons are going to snap! What kind of stretching is this!”

It didn’t actually hurt at all. Zhou Zhexiao’s stretching techniques were professional-grade.

But the more he felt Zhou Zhexiao’s strength, the faster Xia Chiyi’s heart beat. His blood surged, and his body hardly felt like his own.

He knew Zhou Zhexiao wasn’t using much force to hold him down, but he had locked his joints perfectly. Xia Chiyi couldn’t escape his grasp no matter how hard he tried.

Zhou Zhexiao seemed to press his weight down. Xia Chiyi couldn’t turn his head, but he could feel Zhou Zhexiao’s chest lightly pressed against his back, their breathing and heartbeats instantly overlapping.

Xia Chiyi’s heartstrings were pulled tight. He had this illusion that Zhou Zhexiao was going to kiss the back of his neck, and he even began to secretly anticipate what it would feel like for the other’s lips to touch him there.

However, Zhou Zhexiao just reached over to grab Xia Chiyi’s phone back from the nightstand.

“Hey, is it my looks or my skills?”

The guy’s voice was right by his ear. The vibration of his eardrum connected straight to his nerves, and Xia Chiyi’s blood flow suddenly accelerated.

“Skills! Skills! Skills!” Xia Chiyi didn’t have much backbone to begin with, and if this standoff continued, things might really misfire.

“Oh.” Zhou Zhexiao released Xia Chiyi’s wrists from behind his back, completely relaxing his strength and letting his entire weight drop vertically onto Xia Chiyi’s back.

“Holy crap… bro, do you know how much you weigh?” Xia Chiyi was nearly squashed breathless.

“I know. Standard athlete weight.”

Zhou Zhexiao wrapped his arms around to Xia Chiyi’s front, angling the phone screen toward his eyes.

“I don’t want to eat instant noodles tonight. I want this fish ball noodle soup.”

Zhou Zhexiao just lay on top of him like that, his chin resting on top of Xia Chiyi’s head. Every time he spoke, Xia Chiyi could hear the resonant hum in his chest.

Back in middle school, when Xia Chiyi did homework at a classmate’s house, they would often end up wrestling on the bed—sometimes having pillow fights, sometimes grappling, and pinning the other down to ask if they yielded was a common occurrence.

But at this moment, Xia Chiyi knew very clearly that his expectations for Zhou Zhexiao weren’t just playful wrestling.

He lingered on this feeling, cautiously hoping Zhou Zhexiao would stay lying on top of him forever.

I’m terminally ill, Xia Chiyi.

“Oh, fish ball noodles, high carbs,” Xia Chiyi kindly reminded him. “And you’re not starting tomorrow either.”

“Then we can do some other exercises to burn it off.”

Xia Chiyi buried his face in the pillow and asked in a muffled voice, “What… what kind of exercises do you want to do?”

“Crunches, planks, sit-ups.”

Okay, I was overthinking.

Zhou Zhexiao ordered two portions of fish ball noodles, then continued to lie on Xia Chiyi’s back while playing on his phone.

He opened Pang Shuai’s Weibo, but he wasn’t looking at photos of himself. He was looking at photos of Xia Chiyi.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“You looked at mine, so I’m looking at yours.”

Xia Chiyi was speechless. Did he even have to make this fair?

However, the clearer Zhou Zhexiao’s body heat transferred to him, the hotter Xia Chiyi’s blood ran.

Especially when, right in front of his face, Zhou Zhexiao zoomed in on the photo until the entire screen was filled with Xia Chiyi’s legs as he passed the ball under his crotch, his black compression shorts visible underneath the wide hems of his basketball shorts.

An agile sort of sexiness pierced through the screen.

It was an image that frequently appeared during games, but for some reason, Xia Chiyi felt embarrassed.

He shifted his shoulders. “Are you done? Stop looking.”

Zhou Zhexiao glanced at Xia Chiyi’s reddening ears and tilted his head to discern his expression.

Xia Chiyi immediately turned his head to the other side. Zhou Zhexiao propped himself up slightly, and just as Xia Chiyi thought he was finally going to get off, Zhou Zhexiao shifted to the other side as well, insisting on looking him in the eye.

“Hey, this Weibo post has over a thousand reposts. Guess how many views it has?” Zhou Zhexiao asked softly.

The “eyelash monster” had leaned in close again to show off his eyelashes. How annoying.

“Don’t want to know,” Xia Chiyi said sullenly.

“Pang Shuai sent you a WeChat message. Can I play it?”

“Go ahead.”

It was a voice message. Zhou Zhexiao held the speaker by Xia Chiyi’s ear, and Pang Shuai’s excited voice rang out.

[Xia Chiyi! Xia Chiyi! Your photos are blowing up! They have 380,000 views! Zhou Zhexiao only has 320,000!]

Zhou Zhexiao stated calmly, “So, 380,000 people have looked at your compression shorts.”

“Can I ask Pang Shuai to set my post to ‘visible only to self’?”

__

[Author’s Note]

Liu Suchen: Congratulations to classmate Lu Yingnan for joining the reserve ranks of the Brother-Harvester!