Chapter 0081: Kissing the Heart

“Our goal isn’t just to beat Ningchang University; it’s to wear down their fighting strength. Perimeter shooting isn’t our forte. If their He Bin or Xia Chiyi want to shoot, let them. Our objective is to crush their interior to secure an advantage. Furthermore, Jin Province’s head coach, Ma Hongming, has always favored big men with fierce combativeness and explosiveness. He’s never really recognized perimeter scorers.”

“Because perimeter scoring relies too much on pick-and-rolls and the shooter’s condition on any given day.”

“Exactly. Only inside scoring is reliable. We are going to crush Ningchang University under the basket! Does everyone get it?”

“Understood!”

“To be honest, Fugong U lost partly because their interior fighting power was just average! We might not have a perimeter scorer like Shao Jin, but our interior is as steady as a mountain!”

“We won’t play as gently as Fugong U did. Ling Huanzhen will probably think they were just tickling him!”

Understanding their objective, the Tanjiang Sports Academy players were brimming with motivation.

For the third match of the group stage, Ningchang University faced Tanjiang Sports Academy on Court 2. The spectator stands were even more packed than before.

The deafening roars of Tanjiang Sports Academy’s cheering squad echoed relentlessly through the stadium.

Once again, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao were not in the starting lineup.

Hearing the opponent’s cheers, the Ningchang University camp felt a deep sense of pressure.

“My god… As expected of sports students, their lung capacity is massive. My eardrums are vibrating from their shouting!”

The alumni organized by the student union shouted their slogan in unison:

“Cast aside past humiliations today, our Southeast conquest spirits soar high! With Ningchang University’s flying generals here, Tanjiang shall not pass the Yin Mountains!” (Note: Adapted from Wang Changling’s classical poem “Out of the Frontier”)

Separated by half a basketball court, the Tanjiang Sports Academy side couldn’t make out exactly what Ningchang was yelling, but they knew it was a provocation.

“Tanjiang Sports Academy will send you packing back to Ningchang!”

“We’ll reimburse your high-speed rail tickets—!”

“We’ll even give you some Tanjiang melons to eat on the way—!”

Many neutral spectators were cheering for Tanjiang Sports Academy, which was completely unexpected for the class monitor and the student union.

“I thought our school team was pretty popular! I didn’t expect Tanjiang Sports Academy to be the real popularity kings…” Liang Qin from the student union looked bewildered.

The class monitor was also puzzled. “I just heard people from Shenghai Jiaotong University cheering for Tanjiang too… I thought since we played a practice match together, we were friendly schools!”

It was Pang Shuai who pointed out the obvious truth: “Isn’t it because they all want to see Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi play? The stronger Tanjiang Sports Academy proves to be, the earlier Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao will have to take the court.”

Looking at the current players warming up, if Tanjiang Sports didn’t take an early lead, Xia Chiyi and Zhou Zhexiao would just stay on the bench the whole time.

“Ah, that makes sense.”

“Now even I want to cheer for Tanjiang Sports Academy.”

Pang Shuai quickly stopped them. “What are you thinking? They’re a ‘Sports Academy,’ their entire student body consists of sports students. They definitely won’t be weaker than Southeast Jiaotong U!”

Sure enough, barely a minute into the game, Tanjiang Sports launched a ferocious offensive. They forced their way into the paint time and time again. The physical confrontation under the basket was intense; Du He nearly lost his footing. In just one minute, they went on an 8-0 run.

Watching this situation unfold, Xia Chiyi felt a surge of nervousness and clenched his fists. “Their interior is so strong!”

Zhou Zhexiao had little reaction. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze calm.

The audience exclaimed in continuous awe. Shenghai University, who had just been cheering for Tanjiang Sports, fell silent and actually started worrying for Ningchang University.

“Damn, Tanjiang’s interior playstyle is like a rolling tank! Nothing grows where they tread!”

“Yeah. Everyone focuses so much on perimeter scoring nowadays; it’s rare to see a team like Tanjiang that exclusively attacks the paint.”

“Holy crap, Ningchang needs to release Xia Chiyi quickly to get some perimeter points…”

“What’s the use of bringing out Xia Chiyi? If Tanjiang sends a player to crash into him hard for an extreme one-for-one trade, it could sideline Xia Chiyi for the rest of the tournament!”

“So they should release Zhou Zhexiao instead!”

Shenghai University debated between sending out Xia Chiyi or Zhou Zhexiao, rendering the Shenghai Jiaotong University students next to them speechless.

Do you guys really think Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi belong to your team, that you can just release them whenever you want?

After being suppressed by Tanjiang for nearly two minutes, He Bin successfully ran off-ball, caught a pass from Ye Zhaoying, and broke the scoring drought with a three-pointer.

“Phew—” Xia Chiyi let out a breath. “Finally scored.”

Xia Chiyi began simulating in his mind how he would avoid overly intense physical confrontations if he were on the court.

Zhou Zhexiao raised a hand, ruffled the hair on the top of Xia Chiyi’s head, and then just left his hand resting there.

“This Tanjiang Sports Academy’s interior level is higher than Southeast Jiaotong’s, maybe even better than Fugong U’s.”

“Of course it is. Think about how abundant a sports academy’s talent pool is. Look at their players’ heights—every single one of them is a Ma Tao!”

“Who is Ma Tao?” Zhou Zhexiao suddenly asked.

Xia Chiyi looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. “Ma Tao is the power forward from the Mining University! The guy who threatened to crush me! And you said it was impossible with you around!”

“Oh,” Zhou Zhexiao leaned back in his chair.

Xia Chiyi suspected he genuinely hadn’t remembered who Ma Tao was.

Relying on their interior advantage, Tanjiang Sports continued to forcefully suppress Ningchang University. Their power forward even dunked right over Chen Chuan, riding his shoulders, and followed it up by posterizing Shuai Bei. Their lead continued to expand.

At that very moment, in the Jin Province basketball team’s head coach office, Ma Hongming had locked his door and was watching the Cool Surf livestream undisturbed.

The viewers’ furious comments flooded the screen: “Ningchang University is soft,” “Their interior defense is practically non-existent,” “Basketball still comes down to interior dominance”…

Ma Hongming gave a very light chuckle. He had always believed this—perimeter shooters were like plug-in cheats in a game; sometimes they worked, sometimes they didn’t. A strong, powerful interior was the true foundation for a team’s survival.

When he initially rejected Xia Chiyi, it was because he felt Xia Chiyi relied too heavily on his shooting ability. If he joined the provincial team, it would set a bad precedent.

If the higher-ups eventually decided that three-pointers were a faster way to score and abandoned the big men he had spent years cultivating, his control over the provincial team would weaken.

In this match, he was waiting to see all of Xia Chiyi’s weaknesses exposed!

“Tch…” Shuai Bei pulled his collar up to wipe his sweat. Aside from playing against Qincheng University, it had been a long time since someone had dunked over him.

The opposing power forward smirked. “So this is all Ling Huanzhen’s students amount to.”

“What did you say…” Shuai Bei was about to step forward, but Ye Zhaoying grabbed him.

Ye Zhaoying whispered, “Don’t fall for it. They’re playing so aggressively, it feels like they’re trying to provoke us on purpose. They either want to force Zhou Zhexiao and Xia Chiyi out as soon as possible, or they want us to commit fouls out of desperation.”

Shuai Bei frowned, his boiling anger gradually settling down.

Ling Huanzhen also sensed something and signaled to Shuai Bei and the others, meaning: “Focus on coordination and pick-and-rolls. Don’t worry about temporary losses in the paint. Since they are focusing purely on the inside, we will score from the outside.”

Chen Chuan and Shuai Bei initiated a pick-and-roll mode, allowing He Bin to hit two consecutive three-pointers, becoming Ningchang University’s sole source of points.

“Ugh, Captain He’s off-ball movement and shooting touch are great today, but if only we had someone inside who could give Tanjiang a brutal poster dunk right back!”

Xia Chiyi shifted restlessly in his chair, looking like he would charge onto the court if no one held him back. Fortunately, Zhou Zhexiao’s hand was firmly keeping him pinned to his seat.

“Even if you went up there, you wouldn’t be able to posterize anyone.”

Finally, Shuai Bei and Du He exerted their strength in the paint, sinking three consecutive shots to keep the score close.

The first quarter ended with Tanjiang Sports leading Ningchang University 28 to 25.

When Shuai Bei and the others returned, Zhou Zhexiao finally removed his hand from Xia Chiyi’s head, only for Shuai Bei to heavily press down on Xia Chiyi’s head instead.

“You show-off, do you want to play that badly? How about we sub you in to play power forward?”

“I have self-awareness, thank you. Otherwise, sub Chen Chuan out, and I can try playing small forward…”

Xia Chiyi’s head suffered another headbutt attack, this time from Chen Chuan.

“You brat, don’t even think about it! Aside from Zhou Zhexiao, I won’t give up this small forward spot to anyone!”

“I have no intention of subbing anyone out either. Everyone has played quite well so far,” Ling Huanzhen said, joining the line of people pressing down on Xia Chiyi’s head. He bent down and spoke near Xia Chiyi’s ear. “I think you already understand why I keep holding you back on the bench.”

Xia Chiyi took a deep breath, his turbulent emotions calming down.

“We can’t rely on Zhou Zhexiao’s interior finishing ability forever. Xia Chiyi, facing Tanjiang Sports Academy, do you dare to play as a swingman?”

As Ling Huanzhen said this, he wasn’t looking at Xia Chiyi, but at the opponents across the court.

“They are very fierce. I suspect their goal is to engage you physically and break you. They have plenty of players; if one gets fouled out, they have replacements. But we only have one Xia Chiyi. Can I take the risk of putting you on the court?”

Ling Huanzhen’s words made Xia Chiyi uncharacteristically silent.

During the preliminary matches, he had also acted as a swingman, but the level of those opponents was nowhere near Tanjiang Sports Academy.

“Sooner or later, we will face the Mining University in the placement matches. And Mining U’s interior strength far exceeds Tanjiang’s. If you can’t hold your own against Tanjiang, then Mining U will be even more dangerous for you.”

Xia Chiyi didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he calmly recalled the intense fragments of the first quarter.

“The person who has always been my sparring partner is Zhou Zhexiao. Mr. Fan has also been continuously training my physical confrontation abilities. I think… I can do it.”

Ling Huanzhen smiled. He wasn’t looking for a military pledge; he just wanted Xia Chiyi to objectively evaluate himself.

“Good. I’ll let you observe for one more quarter. Chen Chuan, He Bin, play well in the second quarter.”

Chen Chuan patted his chest. “Received! We’ll make Tanjiang demonstrate every single trick they have!”

He Bin wiped the sweat from his face with a towel and nodded. “I’ll do my best to keep the score close from the perimeter!”

When the second quarter started, Tanjiang Sports realized Ling Huanzhen still hadn’t made any substitutions. Their expressions grew uglier.

“Are they looking down on us?”

“Or are they worried we’ll shatter their ‘trump cards’?”

Tanjiang’s small forward even pointed his pinky finger at Xia Chiyi.

But Xia Chiyi remained seated. He clearly lacked his previous eagerness to jump in and was much quieter now.

At the start of the second quarter, He Bin made a diagonal cut, evading two opposing guards, and shot from the deep corner of the three-point line, tying the game.

Xia Chiyi clapped loudly, shouting, “Captain is awesome!”

He Bin gave him an “OK” gesture in return.

The battle between the two sides was anxious and intense. The opposing small forward dribbled at high speed, broke into the paint, and forcefully scored.

Xia Chiyi furrowed his brows, etching the opponent’s every move into his memory.

Chen Chuan and He Bin teamed up to respond, but as He Bin released a three-pointer, the opposing power forward made a huge blocking motion and smacked He Bin right on the arm.

“Ugh…” He Bin winced. The referee blew the whistle for free throws.

“Tch, sorry about that,” the opponent raised a hand, though the apology didn’t sound very sincere.

Xia Chiyi nervously craned his neck. He Bin shook his head, signaling he was fine.

He Bin sank all three free throws, and the game continued.

Xia Chiyi frowned. That power forward had done it on purpose.

Tanjiang’s big men continued to slash into Ningchang University’s paint. Their small forward went for a baseline dunk, and when Du He jumped to contest it, he was surprisingly knocked away.

“Pay attention to this small forward’s movements. He tucks his arms in very well—no elbowing or shoulder shoving. He’s an expert. Even in the paint, you don’t need to clash with him head-on,” Zhou Zhexiao analyzed.

“Mm,” Xia Chiyi nodded.

Zhou Zhexiao’s hand gently cupped Xia Chiyi’s head, turning it toward the opposing power forward. “On the contrary, this power forward’s movements aren’t clean. Be careful.”

Sure enough, when Chen Chuan and the opposing power forward fought for a rebound, the guy swung his elbow. If Chen Chuan hadn’t tilted his head quickly, he would have been hit right in the face.

“Tch,” Xia Chiyi furrowed his brows.

Zhou Zhexiao analyzed, “In basketball, collisions are inevitable. Some people have very clean confrontation movements, but others haven’t formed good habits. For example, this power forward is very prone to being called for fouls.”

“It’s one thing if he fouls out, but he shouldn’t hurt anyone…”

The next second, the referee blew the whistle. Because when Chen Chuan went up for a layup, the guy actually raised his elbow and drove it right into Chen Chuan’s arm.

Chen Chuan lost his balance and fell hard to the floor.

A wave of boos erupted from the audience all around.

Chen Chuan’s face was flushed red. Clearly, even if he wasn’t injured, that impact hurt immensely.

Ling Huanzhen frowned and patted Xia Chiyi’s back. “If I don’t send Zhou Zhexiao up to protect you, do you still dare to charge into their paint alone?”

Chen Chuan took his free throws, making one out of two.

“I can,” Xia Chiyi nodded.

The first half ended with Ningchang University trailing Tanjiang Sports 36 to 42.

Ling Huanzhen handed water to He Bin and Chen Chuan. Cheng Qing checked Chen Chuan’s arm again; fortunately, there was no damage to his bones or tendons.

“Ye Zhaoying, you need to step up the steals and push the pace. I’ll send Xia Chiyi in for the second half.”

Ye Zhaoying’s eyes lit up. “Are we playing run-and-gun? With He Bin and Xia Chiyi as two shooters, and my speed, they can guard the paint all they want. Xia Chiyi’s shooting range is super deep…”

He Bin wiped his sweat. “Actually, while on the court, I was thinking that if Xia Chiyi comes in and we play run-and-gun, they’ll definitely fall into chaos.”

Ling Huanzhen looked at Xia Chiyi. “You decide for yourself.”

“I want to try,” Xia Chiyi looked toward the basketball hoop.

“Try what?” Chen Chuan saw that Xia Chiyi’s expression didn’t look like he was agreeing to a run-and-gun tactic.

“I want to try… and see if I can make an impact inside the paint.”

After two seconds of dead silence, everyone looked at Xia Chiyi with “Are you crazy?” expressions.

At that moment, Xia Chiyi suddenly understood Sheng Xingming’s past resentment hundreds and thousands of times over. His superb dribbling, god-tier long-range shooting, and broad court vision—traits that should have been sheer advantages—had ended up locking Sheng Xingming entirely into the guard position.

“I want to prove that I play shooting guard not because I lack the ability to play forward. This is the group stage, and we’ve already won two matches; we have room for error here. But past this match, I won’t have another chance to elevate and grow like this… I want to prove I have the ability to be a swingman. Because I still want to beat the Mining University, and I still want to beat Qincheng University.”

Xia Chiyi raised his eyes and looked at his teammates. This wasn’t him throwing a tantrum. It was because the victory they sought wasn’t just the one right in front of them—it was taking it step by step, starting with being crowned the kings of the Southeast Division!

Shuai Bei glanced at Zhou Zhexiao, only to see Zhou Zhexiao sitting in his chair with a calm expression. It seemed this was a mutual decision he and Xia Chiyi had reached after discussing it.

“I have no objections. If you play with fear in your heart, victory will probably be confiscated anyway,” Shuai Bei shrugged.

Du He scratched the back of his head. “If we play run-and-gun, it feels like I wouldn’t have much to do. With how accurate Xia Chiyi and He Bin are, I probably wouldn’t get many offensive rebounding chances anyway. But if we’re going head-to-head with Tanjiang in the paint, I, Du He, will accompany you to the bitter end.”

Ye Zhaoying raised a hand. “Alright, then I’ll steal the ball until they doubt their life choices.”

He Bin put an arm around Xia Chiyi’s shoulder. “Then I’ll be in charge of dragging their defense out to the perimeter. The moment there’s an opening, you drive for the layup. Honestly speaking…”

“Honestly speaking, what?” Xia Chiyi asked.

“Defeating opponents using the very skills they pride themselves on seems much more effective at completely destroying their confidence,” He Bin raised an eyebrow.

Xia Chiyi hadn’t expected his teammates’ fighting spirit to be this high.

Ling Huanzhen looked at them and let out a hearty laugh.

To attempt, to challenge, and to break through the definitions others forced upon you—this was exactly what youth should look like.

As the second half began, the audience was utterly surprised.

“Ningchang University subbed Xia Chiyi in! With dual perimeter shooters now, Tanjiang Sports is in danger!”

“Combined with Ye Zhaoying’s speed, Ningchang University might be going for a run-and-gun!”

“It’s about to rain three-pointers here! This is what I came to see!”

However, the watching Shenghai University players were confused.

“Why sub Xia Chiyi in for Chen Chuan? Even if they want to play run-and-gun, they could totally sub Zhou Zhexiao in too.”

“Right, Zhou Zhexiao’s mid-to-long range shooting is very strong as well. That would give them three perimeter scorers, enough to shoot Tanjiang full of holes!”

“I just have a feeling… they’re about to try some new tactic?”

Even Ningchang University’s own camp felt puzzled.

The class monitor, in particular, was worried sick. “Tanjiang Sports plays so dirty. What if they just injure Xia Chiyi?”

“They might have been harboring that exact thought this whole time,” Zhang Xiulin grew tense as well.

“Then they should have put Zhou Zhexiao in to increase their physical confrontation and interior scoring!” Liang Qin from the student union was frantically anxious.

Whether it was basketball or football, sometimes people really did resort to underhanded tactics to win. Looking at Xia Chiyi’s back, Zhang Xiulin thought to himself: Be careful, don’t get hurt!

As Xia Chiyi stepped onto the court, the gazes from Tanjiang Sports Academy swept over him, their hostility unconcealed.

Xia Chiyi touched the tip of his nose, adjusting his breathing.

The opposing power forward sneered. “Didn’t realize it before, but you’re actually so pale. You look like a porcelain doll.”

Shuai Bei frowned and stepped in front of Xia Chiyi. “What did you say?”

Xia Chiyi patted Shuai Bei’s shoulder. “He’s right, I am paler than them. Word has it that’s why girls like me.”

Shuai Bei froze for a second, then laughed. He didn’t expect Xia Chiyi to have such a great mindset. “Yeah, representing the face of the team.”

The opponent scoffed coldly and turned away.

At the start of the second half, Tanjiang Sports maintained their forceful interior presence, continuing to score.

Even the commentator grew anxious: “Ningchang University! Ningchang University needs to push the pace quickly and utilize their perimeter scoring advantage! Everyone is waiting for Xia Chiyi to stop the bleeding for Ningchang!”

Ye Zhaoying brought the ball past half-court, with Xia Chiyi and He Bin closely flanking him.

The commentator shouted, “Here it comes! Here it comes! The shooting everyone’s been waiting for is about to begin! Tanjiang’s interior defense is shifting outward—and the ball is passed to Xia Chiyi!”

With explosive speed, Xia Chiyi drove the ball straight like a dagger into the opponent’s paint. Every step he took kept the defenders’ nerves pulled taut, because they didn’t know at which moment he would suddenly stop for a pull-up jumper.

“Xia Chiyi hasn’t stopped! He’s reached the basket—!”

The commentator was stunned, unable to discern Xia Chiyi’s intentions. With such fast dribbling and such a powerful approach run, was he going to dunk, or was he going to pass?

The opposing power forward leaped to defend. He couldn’t care less what Xia Chiyi wanted to do; crashing into him would solve everything!

This was exactly the outcome Xia Chiyi had anticipated. In the moment he went airborne, his nerves were hyper-focused; it was as if he had predicted countless possibilities from the opponent.

His muscles clung tightly to his bones, his breathing and heartbeat syncing into one rhythm. Holding the ball with both hands, he spun his body mid-air, turning his back to Tanjiang’s power forward to perfectly evade the collision. Just before landing, he released a floater that banked off the backboard and into the hoop.

“Am I seeing things? Xia Chiyi, the highly-anticipated perimeter scoring expert, actually charged into Tanjiang’s paint! That mid-air evasion requires incredibly strong core strength and balance! Judgment and courage are both indispensable!”

Upon landing, Xia Chiyi stumbled backward two steps. After steadying himself, he looked at the opposing power forward. “Even in the paint, you don’t necessarily have to crash into people.”

“Tch, what are you so smug about.”

The class monitor, Pang Shuai, and the others all erupted into cheers.

The Shenghai University players were so shocked you could fit an egg in their mouths.

“Holy shit, was that Xia Chiyi just now?”

“It was like he was possessed by Zhou Zhexiao!”

That shot completely opened up Ningchang University’s momentum. Driven by Ye Zhaoying, Shuai Bei scored a mid-range jumper right in an opponent’s face.

Not long after, Xia Chiyi faked a shot at the three-point line, drawing defensive fire before passing to Du He. Du He nearly dunked the ball right onto the opposing small forward’s face.

The situation instantly became incredibly satisfying.

“Ningchang University’s Xia Chiyi—Mighty!”

“Ningchang University’s Xia Chiyi—Mighty!”

The alumni screamed at the top of their lungs, their chants of “Mighty” rivaling the dramatic execution scenes in historical TV dramas.

Meanwhile, watching the livestream, Ma Hongming furrowed his brow.

He wanted to watch the replay. He felt it was impossible; he knew Xia Chiyi’s explosiveness and core strength perfectly well. There was no way he could pull off a finish with such power and technique!

Ma Hongming’s fingers clenched and unclenched. Was Ling Huanzhen truly that magical, allowing this kid to undergo such a massive transformation in just half a year?

At the same time, Jiao Yingfeng and Fan Qingliang high-fived each other.

“This kid has truly graduated!”

“Hahaha, he’s like a little windmill in the paint, spinning so smoothly!”

Tanjiang’s small forward immediately sought revenge. Facing the double defense of Du He and Shuai Bei, he held the ball with both hands and faked them both mid-air. Just as he was falling and about to release a floater, Xia Chiyi appeared from the side for help defense and swatted the ball away with a resounding Smack!

The commentator nearly jumped out of his seat. “What did I just see? What did we just see?! Xia Chiyi’s half-court sprint speed is absolutely godlike! His defensive jump was too fast; he actually blocked Tanjiang’s small forward!”

After losing the ball, the small forward hadn’t even reacted before He Bin grabbed the swatted ball and passed it to Ye Zhaoying.

Upon landing, Xia Chiyi swiftly followed, leaving the Tanjiang players in his dust.

“Xia Chiyi receives the pass! He charges into the paint once again! With a single pump fake, he bypasses the opponent’s center and goes up for a layup!”

The opposing power forward leaped for help defense. Seeing his elbow about to smash into Xia Chiyi, the audience’s hearts dropped. Yet, with a small double-clutch, Xia Chiyi perfectly dodged the opponent’s “attack” and laid the ball into the hoop.

“That interior move was too decisive and beautiful!”

Landing, Xia Chiyi looked at the opposing power forward and tapped his own elbow. “If you can’t keep your elbow tucked in properly, you might as well break it.”

“You…” The opponent wanted to say something, but Xia Chiyi had already turned and walked away.

The audience was overwhelmed with excitement, and the comments in the Cool Surf livestream were skyrocketing.

[Is Tanjiang’s power forward trying to commit murder in the paint? Too bad he can never hit Xia Chiyi!]

[How many more interior attacking techniques does Xia Chiyi have? Bring them all out!]

[Blocked the opposing small forward, scored a layup twice while dodging the power forward’s elbow—Xia Chiyi is carrying hard!]

Tanjiang’s Coach Min was stunned. This scene was completely outside his expectations.

Xia Chiyi actually wasn’t using his specialized shooting to score, but had chosen to engage in interior confrontation—as if his sole purpose was to completely dismantle Tanjiang’s inside presence.

In the ensuing minutes, Xia Chiyi pressed his advantage. Holding the ball, he chained several fakes to shake off the defenders. His dribbling speed surged exponentially, making it look as though he were going to sprint right out of the basketball court, keeping the audience’s hearts suspended at the peak.

Tanjiang’s small and power forwards couldn’t even catch his shadow. The center leaped in a panic to defend, but completely missed Xia Chiyi’s layup timing, allowing him to score effortlessly.

Ningchang University erupted into cheers once again. This time, it wasn’t just them; even neutral spectators began chanting his name.

“Xia Chiyi—! Xia Chiyi—!”

The commentator was also hyped. “Xia Chiyi enters the paint again! Du He and Shuai Bei are right beside him! Xia Chiyi shoots in the paint again, and the opposing power forward slaps down hard! The referee blows the whistle! Reaching-in foul! But the shot still goes in!”

Tanjiang’s power forward stood frozen. “A reaching foul? He clearly offered his hand to me!”

Xia Chiyi shot him a cold side-eye.

“And one! Xia Chiyi makes the free throw!”

A teammate patted the power forward’s shoulder, warning him, “Be careful, don’t foul again. The referees have their eyes on you.”

“I know.”

Damn it, Xia Chiyi is just a scheming, black-bellied fox! He’s not nearly as innocent as he looks!

On the sidelines, Tanjiang’s Coach Min had an ominous feeling.

His players were clearly surrounding and hunting Xia Chiyi from multiple angles, so why did he feel this creeping sense of crisis, as if they were the ones being targeted by Xia Chiyi?

“Xia Chiyi dribbles again! The speed is too fast! He charges into Tanjiang’s paint once more! It’s a sudden stop pull-up jumper—!”

Knowing Xia Chiyi’s release was fast, Tanjiang’s power forward gritted his teeth and swatted toward the ball.

Unexpectedly, Xia Chiyi jumped incredibly high. His hand extended from underneath the power forward’s arm, and with a flick of his wrist, he tossed the ball in a high arc toward the hoop.

However, the power forward’s hand smacked solidly down onto Xia Chiyi’s shoulder, sending him crashing to the floor.

The referee’s whistle blew again. Tanjiang’s power forward stood frozen. What happened? How could this be?

Xia Chiyi sat on the floor, panting. The referee walked over to confirm if he was injured.

Xia Chiyi rolled his shoulder and shook his head.

Not only did the shot go in, but he was awarded another free throw.

Commentator: “The third time! This is the Tanjiang power forward’s third foul!”

On the Ningchang University bench, Chen Chuan remembered the time he had been hit and couldn’t help but clap. “That is so f*cking satisfying!”

Even Du He and Shuai Bei, who had suffered in the paint, applauded right there on the court.

The audience was also discussing it passionately.

“Even though I don’t know exactly what happened, I just feel like Xia Chiyi is so incredible! Every time he initiates an attack, he forces that power forward to foul!”

“That’s three fouls already! One more, and Tanjiang’s coach will definitely have to sub him out!”

“I’ve only ever heard of a ‘Steals King.’ With these plays, Xia Chiyi totally deserves the title of ‘Foul Drawing King’!”

At the end of the third quarter, Ningchang University had overtaken Tanjiang Sports 68 to 61.

Sitting in front of his computer, Ma Hongming rubbed his eyes hard and let out a deep breath.

He had wanted to use Tanjiang’s interior advantage to crush Xia Chiyi’s arrogance, but it had entirely backfired.

As a head coach himself, Ma Hongming could see that Tanjiang had already lost. Even their interior advantage had been shattered by Xia Chiyi again and again. In the final quarter, they would likely crumble into loose sand.

Tomorrow, the provincial sports bureau was holding a meeting, and the Division I University League would inevitably be the focal point of discussion. The leadership would definitely ask him why he had rejected Xia Chiyi, and those opposing him would seize the opportunity to stir up trouble.

Ma Hongming shut off his computer. He no longer wanted to watch Tanjiang Sports Academy suffer a crushing defeat.

Xia Chiyi returned to the bench. Zhou Zhexiao opened a water bottle, handed it to him, and draped a towel over him.

“Good job. How do you feel?” Ling Huanzhen asked.

“Not bad.”

“Just ‘not bad’? You avenged every loss we suffered out there!” For the first time, Chen Chuan found Xia Chiyi extremely pleasing to the eye.

“So do you want to call me ‘Daddy’?” Xia Chiyi joked.

Chen Chuan smacked his head with an energy bar. “Calling you ‘poop’ is more like it!”

Xia Chiyi adjusted his breathing and looked at Zhou Zhexiao. “What about you? Do you have any instructions for me?”

“Whatever you wanted to try in the paint, just try it all. Be a bit more audacious, make it completely satisfying,” the corners of Zhou Zhexiao’s lips curved up. “After all, once I get on the court in the future, you won’t have this chance anymore.”

This guy’s smile was truly too beautiful, so beautiful that Xia Chiyi wanted to tackle him on the spot and claim him for his own.

But he could only restrain himself, sealing the surging emotions completely within his chest.

And then, use an even more dazzling method to steal all of his attention.

“Didn’t you say you wanted us to be together forever? I’ll have plenty of chances,” Xia Chiyi smiled, looking at Zhou Zhexiao.

If you don’t object, I’ll take that as agreement.

“Want to be the bandit boss’s wife again?” Propping a hand on his knee, Zhou Zhexiao leaned forward and looked into Xia Chiyi’s eyes.

The next second, Xia Chiyi blew a puff of air at him, perfectly lifting Zhou Zhexiao’s slightly curly bangs.

Zhou Zhexiao paused. There was a touch of provocation in Xia Chiyi’s eyes.

“Wait until I’m done dealing with Tanjiang, then I’ll deal with you.”

Zhou Zhexiao leaned back and smiled. “I’ll be waiting.”

Yes, I’ll be waiting for you to grow your wings, waiting for your plumage to fill out, waiting to drag you back into my arms like dragging my own destiny.

It would be best if your wings pierced through my chest, letting my still-warm blood dye them a dazzling red.

If you still aren’t afraid of a ‘me’ filled with such intense possessiveness, then fly up just like this. Whether we plummet vertically to the ground or shatter the stadium dome, I will stay with you.

Even if our bodies are ground to dust and our bones broken, it won’t matter.

As the final quarter was about to begin, the audience noticed Zhou Zhexiao was still sitting perfectly upright on the bench, showing no signs of warming up. This made their discussions even more excited.

“Is Xia Chiyi going to act as the interior finisher again in the fourth quarter?”

“That Tanjiang power forward will be throwing rats while wary of the vases; he definitely won’t dare defend him anymore!”

“I thought Tanjiang was strong before, but they’re like paper tigers, instantly punctured by Xia Chiyi. I’m afraid they’ll be leaking from all sides in the fourth quarter!”

The final quarter began. Tanjiang Sports launched an all-out assault; a seven-point deficit meant they still had a chance!

Ye Zhaoying attempted a steal, but the opposing point guard spun past him and passed the ball to their small forward. Xia Chiyi rushed over at lightning speed, lowered his center of gravity, and snatched the ball away.

“Xia Chiyi with the steal! Who would have thought Xia Chiyi would make this steal!”

Xia Chiyi dribbled at breakneck speed. He knew Zhou Zhexiao was watching him intently. His gaze turned into a thousand invisible threads, melting into the air and attaching to Xia Chiyi’s skin, pulling taut in tandem with his muscles.

Zhou Zhexiao’s heart felt like an arrow piercing into the paint alongside Xia Chiyi. If gazes possessed physical force, his would act like an ascending rocket, lifting Xia Chiyi into the air!

Standing before Xia Chiyi was Tanjiang Sports’ tallest center.

The opponent’s eyes were filled with absolute resolve. He would not let Xia Chiyi run wild under their basket anymore.

More importantly, the opposing small forward also dared to come block him!

In mid-air, Xia Chiyi executed a pump fake, his entire body transitioning from tension to extension, as if captured by a 4K slow-motion camera.

He was a beautiful finisher, delivering the fatal blow to the opponent.

Zhou Zhexiao tilted his head up, his heart surging wildly. He knew he couldn’t wait to kiss him—as if, across an entire basketball court and through time and space, he was kissing his own dream and true love.

This shot completely shattered Tanjiang’s confidence in their interior offensive and defensive capabilities.

Upon landing, the Tanjiang center and small forward were still caught in the lingering shock of that play.

They couldn’t understand how Xia Chiyi had managed to fake them out in mid-air…

The comments in the Cool Surf livestream multiplied exponentially.

[He’s not just a perimeter scorer; he’s literally an interior assassin!]

[It’s been so long since I’ve seen a goal like this in the Division I League, and it was done by a guard! Absolutely incredible!]

[What does this prove? Nobody can define Xia Chiyi! Only he knows where his own limits lie!]

But Xia Chiyi’s interior journey was not over. At 7 minutes and 20 seconds, after receiving a pass from Shuai Bei, he posted up against the opposing center, spun, and scored with a fadeaway jumper.

At 8 minutes and 15 seconds, Xia Chiyi dribbled past the double-team of the power forward and center, engaged in mid-air confrontation with the small forward, shielded the ball with his left hand, and forcefully laid it in.

Even Ling Huanzhen applauded. He hadn’t expected Jiao Yingfeng and Fan Qingliang to have taught him so well—if he had known, he wouldn’t have let him play small forward today and would have saved this surprise for their matches against Mining U or Qincheng University!

In the final minute, Xia Chiyi continued to assault Tanjiang’s paint.

With two sudden stops and fakes, he nearly sent the defending power forward stumbling to the floor. The center was tricked into jumping, but Xia Chiyi calmly weaved past him and executed a powerful double-clutch right in front of the opposing small forward!

The degree of folding in this double-clutch was extremely high; the robust explosive power of his core burst through the screen.

The heat condensed from Zhou Zhexiao’s breath felt like it was going to erupt from his chest and throat.

For the first time, he experienced a maddening urge to dismantle someone and devour them whole.

Xia Chiyi… perhaps he wasn’t just his boiling blood and impulse, but also the source of all his uncontrollable desires.

“That shot was too beautiful! Xia Chiyi going head-to-head in the paint today was spectacular! It’s simply infinite possibilities, as boundless as the sky and sea! With one brilliant goal after another, he executed the role of an interior finisher!” The commentator was practically going crazy too.

Finally, the final buzzer sounded. Ningchang University claimed a massive victory over Tanjiang Sports, 98 to 71, becoming the first to break out of the group stage.

Xia Chiyi sprinted toward the bench. This time, Zhou Zhexiao very naturally bent his knees, catching the leaping Xia Chiyi in a hug exactly as desired.

The other teammates couldn’t resist frantically rubbing Xia Chiyi’s head.

Xia Chiyi pressed Zhou Zhexiao’s head against his own chest; he wanted Zhou Zhexiao to hear his heartbeat.

This was no longer confined to the Jin Province preliminary games. Even in the Southeast Division, he could hold his own.

While everyone else was pressing down on him, Xia Chiyi felt it—through his jersey, Zhou Zhexiao kissed his heart forcefully. It wasn’t the soft touch of a nose bridge pressing against his chest; it was the sensation of his skin and jersey being drawn away from his body by some force. It caused Xia Chiyi’s blood to boil frantically, rushing forth like a bursting dam.

But that sensation was fleeting, as if it had only been Xia Chiyi’s illusion.

When the referee notified the players to line up for handshakes, Xia Chiyi had no choice but to let go of Zhou Zhexiao.

__

[Author’s Note]
Question: Did Zhou Zhexiao kiss Xia Chiyi or not?
A: Xiao Xia’s illusion.
B: He just bumped into him when everyone was pressing his head.
C: Zhou Zhexiao did it on purpose.
D: It was through a jersey, how does that even count as a kiss?