Chapter 0099: True Colors Remain Unchanged

Yang Huaiyu arrived at the sideline carrying two basketballs. The atmosphere among the audience was feverish; even the director had a premonition that the broadcast effect would be absolutely stellar.

Could Yang Huaiyu, hailed as the “King of the Double Clutch,” actually pull off the “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl” (Two-ball dunk)?

His gaze settled, and he lunged toward the basket like an arrow. With one hand, he forcefully bounced a ball off the floor, then launched himself into a flying dunk. Thrillingly, he snatched the second ball out of the air and slammed it in as well. The extension of his body in mid-air carried immense visual beauty.

Xia Chiyi’s mouth hung half-open. His own two-ball dunk relied more on agility, but Yang Huaiyu’s truly had a momentum that pierced the rainbow. It was way too badass.

After landing, Yang Huaiyu smiled and said, “I did it. 3 to 1 now.”

Xia Chiyi scratched the back of his head, looking a bit cute. He frankly gave Yang Huaiyu a thumbs-up. “Amazing.”

“Am I amazing, or is Zhou Zhexiao amazing?” Yang Huaiyu asked deliberately.

Everyone’s curious gazes focused on them.

“Zhou Zhexiao is the most amazing,” Xia Chiyi answered without a second thought.

“Alright, we’ll see the day after tomorrow.” Yang Huaiyu smiled openly and tapped Xia Chiyi on the forehead.

Next, Yang Huaiyu executed a super elegant double-clutch (mid-air adjustment). He took off from the left side of the paint, drifted horizontally all the way to the right side, and then released the ball into the hoop.

The audience clapped until their hands turned red.

Xia Chiyi rubbed his nose. This one, I can actually try.

Seeing his eager-to-try expression, Yang Huaiyu smiled, thinking to himself, No way this kid can actually do it, right?

Xia Chiyi did a few high knees at the sideline, then held the ball and sprinted forward. Just as he reached the paint, he jumped and drifted across with that heaven-defying hang time. Reaching the other side of the paint, Xia Chiyi released the ball. Although it hit the rim, it still went in thrillingly.

“Hah!” After landing, Xia Chiyi did a cheering motion for himself.

The corners of Yang Huaiyu’s mouth curled up. It was a good thing he participated in this show before the game; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to test where Xia Chiyi’s limits under the basket were.

Like a triumphant little lion, Xia Chiyi ran over, his broken bangs flying up with youthful spirit. He stopped in front of Yang Huaiyu and raised both hands to high-five him.

“Turns out I can do it!”

“Yeah, you can.” Yang Huaiyu smiled, marveling once again at this kid’s rapid progress.

He clearly should have been worried that this guy’s growth would bring more variables to the finals the day after tomorrow, but looking at his bright, clear eyes, he couldn’t help but feel happy for him.

Now the score was 3 to 2.

The live audience’s expectations were maxed out. After watching several rounds of intense and thrilling battles under the basket, everyone wanted to see a shooting contest even more.

Xia Chiyi rolled his wrists. “Old Yang, here comes the part you’re not good at.”

“Bring it on, bring it on. Maybe a blind cat can catch a dead mouse?”

Yang Huaiyu thought to himself: Don’t get too cocky, brat, I’ve been practicing my long-range shooting relentlessly these past few days too.

“Alright, then let’s compete at being blind.” Xia Chiyi revealed a bad smile like a little fox.

Everyone saw Xia Chiyi step up to the three-point line, turn his back, and casually toss the ball backward over his head. Before anyone could react, the ball went in.

Xia Chiyi didn’t even turn his head back. He just raised his right hand high, pointing at the ceiling, and lifted his chin toward Yang Huaiyu.

Yang Huaiyu closed his eyes and said helplessly, “I’m requesting outside help. I really need to call for outside help.”

Xia Chiyi shook his head smugly. “No can do! I didn’t ask for outside help earlier, so you can’t either!”

Left with no choice, Yang Huaiyu stood at the three-point line, turned his back, and threw the ball. As expected, it was an airball.

Xia Chiyi laughed triumphantly, his two little canine teeth sparkling under the lights.

The score was tied at 3 to 3.

The production crew was well-versed in balancing the scales. This was the most harmonious and perfect ending.

Mo Xiaojie’s eyes held appreciation for Xia Chiyi. She originally thought Xia Chiyi would choose only long-range shooting contests in order to win. If he shot from half-court or from the opposite half, given his abilities, he’d likely make it, while Yang Huaiyu’s chances would be much lower.

But with so many people watching, he was able to put aside his desire to win and compete with Yang Huaiyu under the basket. Rather than saying he had guts, it was more accurate to say he purely enjoyed basketball.

“Alright, the second segment: Rapid Fire Q&A! Within one minute, for every question you answer, you get to shoot one free throw! The person with the most shots made after one minute wins! So… the most important thing isn’t shooting accuracy, but answering the questions quickly!”

Yang Huaiyu laughed: “The production crew is biased! If it’s a shooting contest, how many people in the entire Southeast Region can beat Xia Chiyi!”

Mo Xiaojie blinked and tilted her head at Yang Huaiyu. “That’s why we’re using the Rapid Fire Q&A to distract him!”

“Oh.” Yang Huaiyu showed an expectant expression.

The audience also jeered, throwing out all sorts of embarrassing questions.

It made the palms of Xia Chiyi’s hands, which were holding the ball, sweat.

“Don’t worry, this is a proper show, they definitely won’t ask inappropriate questions,” Yang Huaiyu said.

“But your answers might lead to a Shura field (a disastrous/awkward situation),” Mo Xiaojie kindly reminded.

Xia Chiyi swallowed hard and took his position at the free-throw line. With the blow of a whistle, Mo Xiaojie’s questions began.

“Who is the basketball star you admire the most?”

“Sheng Xingming!”

This question was very simple; the whole team knew it.

“What is your favorite food?”

“Bubble tea!”

The audience started discussing. It was actually bubble tea; everyone had assumed it was fried chicken.

Only Xia Chiyi’s heart was pounding wildly. His shot bounced off the backboard, but thankfully it went in.

Bubble tea was Zhou Zhexiao’s favorite. Xia Chiyi’s food delivery app order history was filled with various brands of bubble tea.

When asked this question, what flashed through Xia Chiyi’s mind wasn’t just ‘double boba,’ but the image of Zhou Zhexiao puffing out his cheeks, playing with the tapioca pearls in his mouth.

“What’s your favorite TV show!”

“Return of the Condor Heroes!”

In truth, Xia Chiyi didn’t really have a favorite TV show, but since Zhou Zhexiao had been watching it constantly recently, and it was the only drama in their watch history, that had to be it!

So far, these questions were very safe. Xia Chiyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Which teammate do you dislike the most!” Mo Xiaojie wore a wicked smile. The rumored Shura field question had arrived.

“Zhou Zhexiao!”

After saying that, Xia Chiyi took his shot.

The audience shouted, “Liar!”

Anyone could see those two were the closest. The audience had captured photos more than once of Zhou Zhexiao carrying both their sports bags on his shoulder, waiting for him at the bathroom door. They had also seen Zhou Zhexiao resting his chin on top of Xia Chiyi’s head with a half-asleep expression more than once.

Not to mention the countless times Xia Chiyi had jumped onto Zhou Zhexiao’s back, wobbling around, yet never being thrown off.

And then there was that incomprehensible chemistry on the court. Xia Chiyi threw all kinds of extreme passes that only Zhou Zhexiao could catch, and upon catching, it always ended in an attack—never wasted.

Mo Xiaojie asked, “What do you dislike about him?”

“He’s a professional at saying one thing and meaning another!”

After Xia Chiyi said that, his shooting motion carried a bit more force. It seemed this flaw truly infuriated him.

Mo Xiaojie almost forgot to ask the next question, while Yang Huaiyu on the sideline was clutching his stomach, laughing until his eyes curved into crescents.

“Have you secretly eaten chicken drumsticks recently?”

“No!”

Because what he secretly ate was pizza.

“Has Zhou Zhexiao secretly eaten any?” Mo Xiaojie thought to herself, This question is just forcing Xia Chiyi to expose his teammate.

Maybe the moment he stepped into his room, he’d get a severe beating from Zhou Zhexiao and then be crowned with the title of “Traitor.”

“No!” As soon as Xia Chiyi answered, he made another shot. “He always eats them right in front of the coach!”

Yang Huaiyu sighed in amazement. “His main goal is to piss the coach off? Couldn’t tell Zhou Zhexiao was such a rebel.”

“What kind of girls do you like?”

“Xiaolongnü!”

After saying it, Xia Chiyi realized that Xiaolongnü was actually very similar to Zhou Zhexiao.

They were both silent and spoke little, indifferent to fame and fortune, and didn’t care about worldly affairs; but once they committed, they never looked back.

Even so, Xiaolongnü still asked Yang Guo if he felt attached to the dazzling outside world.

Even in his past life, there was never a trace of romance in Sheng Xingming’s world. He had no gossip, no intimate relationships with anyone. Even when his agent gave a eulogy at his funeral, he said that in his eyes, Sheng Xingming was so ascetic that he only had basketball.

His heart had been sealed in dust for many years, and even after waking up in Zhou Zhexiao’s body, only Xia Chiyi was special.

At that moment, Xia Chiyi’s eyes grew red. He finally understood that Zhou Zhexiao’s phrase, “reining in the horse at the cliff’s edge,” was actually meant for himself.

“Then are you a boy like Yang Guo?”

Mo Xiaojie asked this question casually.

“No! Yang Guo lost an arm, how could he play basketball!”

After saying that, Xia Chiyi made another shot, and laughter erupted across the arena.

Most importantly, Yang Guo left Xiaolongnü for eighteen years, and he didn’t want that.

Eighteen years… the most crucial time for playing basketball. He wanted to be with Zhou Zhexiao the whole time!

As the one-minute mark approached, Mo Xiaojie asked the final question: “When you get married, if you could only choose one teammate to be your best man, who would you choose?”

Another Shura field question.

Once he went back, the ones who weren’t picked would definitely ask Xia Chiyi if they had no place in his heart.

The audience in the stands were all shouting “Zhou Zhexiao’s” name. They had such great chemistry, how could he not be the best man?

“Ye Chaoying—not only can he be the best man, but he can also cosplay the bridesmaid!”

Mo Xiaojie instantly understood this answer.

Ye Chaoying was a famous cosplayer; his Elf Queen cosplay was so androgynous it went viral outside of their circle.

The staff tallied the results: Xia Chiyi made 22 shots in one minute.

The pressure shifted to Yang Huaiyu’s side.

Xia Chiyi ran over to Mo Xiaojie, leaning in to peek at the questions prepared for Yang Huaiyu, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Sure enough, lots of lethal questions.

As Xia Chiyi drew near, Mo Xiaojie smelled a refreshing orange scent with a faint hint of sweetness.

For a guy, it might lack depth.

But it suited Xia Chiyi unexpectedly well—a pure scent that made people feel happy and want to get closer.

Mo Xiaojie glanced at Xia Chiyi. He was oblivious, tilting his head back to drink water. His eyelashes were slightly damp, and the broken hair on his forehead carried a bit of moisture.

“Xiaojie, it’s time to ask Yang Huaiyu his questions!” a staff member reminded her.

Mo Xiaojie coughed. “First question: What is Liu Suchen’s flaw that you hate the most?”

Jeers erupted all around.

Yang Huaiyu originally thought these crematorium-level questions would pop up suddenly when his guard was down. He didn’t expect the production crew to launch a frontal assault right away. It seemed the following questions wouldn’t be easy to answer either.

“Narcissism.” Yang Huaiyu’s mid-range jumper was quite stable; the first shot went in.

“If Xia Chiyi and Liu Suchen fell into the water at the same time, who would you save first?”

“Xia Chiyi!”

On the sideline, Xia Chiyi felt a little touched.

“If Liu Suchen asked to borrow money from you, would you lend it?”

“I would call the police.” Yang Huaiyu said with utmost sincerity. “Unless he’s running a pyramid scheme, he wouldn’t ask to borrow money from me.”

At that very moment, Liu Suchen was shelling pistachios when he suddenly let out a huge sneeze, sending shells flying all over the floor.

His roommate Huo Cheng went into berserk mode: “Liu Suchen, you better lick every piece of trash off the floor clean!”

Mo Xiaojie’s questions continued: “Between Xia Chiyi and Liu Suchen, who would you rather have as a teammate?”

“Xia Chiyi! Liu Suchen and I have overlapping roles!”

Following the river incident, Liu Suchen was abandoned by Yang Huaiyu once again. Who asked them to both play small forward? They had to compete for the starting spot. In Yang Huaiyu’s choices, only the decision to discard Liu Suchen was consistently achieved.

“Between Liu Suchen and Lu Yingnan, who is harder to deal with?”

“Lu Yingnan—he’s an ace killer, a defensive nightmare!”

Hearing this, Xia Chiyi also clenched his fists.

He still remembered the way Lu Yingnan looked at him—inorganic, revealing an intense feeling of scrutiny.

If even Yang Huaiyu was wary of Lu Yingnan’s defense, this person would eventually become Ningchang University’s great enemy.

Mo Xiaojie announced Yang Huaiyu’s shooting score for the minute: “Twenty-one attempts, nineteen made. Although it’s not bad, unfortunately, you lost to Xia Chiyi.”

Yang Huaiyu smiled broad-mindedly. “This was the expected result, with an unexpected shooting percentage. I’m very satisfied.”

His deep eyes easily made people feel goodwill toward him. Xia Chiyi didn’t even understand how this guy could look so handsome when he smiled.

The recording of the show ended, and Mo Xiaojie expressed her anticipation for the Southeast Regional finals.

Yang Huaiyu reached out his hand to Xia Chiyi. “The throne of the Southeast Region… you guys might not be able to take it this year.”

“Even if we can’t take it, we’ll still take it. We love forcing melons off the vine; even if it’s not sweet, it quenches thirst!”

Yang Huaiyu smiled. Originally, he had felt a bit of regret that Xia Chiyi wasn’t his teammate.

But if they really were teammates, he’d probably be angered to death by this little brat.

The first time they played on the public basketball court, Yang Huaiyu thought that if this kid could enter Qincheng University, joining forces, they would definitely be invincible in the Division I league.

But thinking about it now, having him as an opponent wasn’t bad either.

“See you in the finals, brat.”

The show recording ended, but the live audience hadn’t had enough and kept shouting for it to continue.

The staff hurried out to pacify them, saying that after all the Southeast Regional matches were over, they would definitely record another episode, and asked everyone to look forward to it.

Xia Chiyi returned to the lounge, where Cheng Qing was waiting to head back with him.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out the door, he saw Mo Xiaojie standing there with her arms crossed, waiting for him.

“Xia Chiyi, I have something I want to tell you.”

“Ah, what is it?”

“When the Southeast Regional matches are over, can you come to my live stream?”

Mo Xiaojie’s smile was very bright. Anyone who wasn’t blind could see her affection for Xia Chiyi.

Beside them, Cheng Qing smiled knowingly, recalling the question Xia Chiyi had asked him earlier. It seemed this kid’s springtime of romance had arrived.

“Alright then, you chat with Mo Xiaojie, I’ll head back first.”

“Ah?”

Ah what ‘ah’? Cheng Qing thought, frustrated that iron wouldn’t turn into steel.

Cheng Qing took two steps, then remembered something and turned back to warn him: “Don’t eat or drink randomly outside, the finals are the day after tomorrow.”

“Oh.” Xia Chiyi nodded.

After Cheng Qing left, Mo Xiaojie gave Xia Chiyi a look. “Let’s go, we’ll go eat something healthy together.”

As a dancer, Mo Xiaojie’s dietary control was actually no less strict than an athlete’s.

She took Xia Chiyi to a very unique little restaurant and sat down by the window.

“Don’t worry, the food here is both delicious and healthy. My other dancer friends brought me here.”

Xia Chiyi looked left and right, then nodded.

Mo Xiaojie ordered avocado salad, herb shrimp, and red wine baked beef. Hearing it, it did sound very healthy; the only carb was steamed yam with blueberry jam.

But after taking just one bite, Xia Chiyi felt his appetite open wide.

Mo Xiaojie rested her chin on her hands, watching Xia Chiyi eat intently, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Delicious, right?”

“Mm, it’s delicious! After the matches are over, I’m going to bring… my teammates to eat here.”

What he was thinking was that he wanted to bring Zhou Zhexiao to eat here.

He wondered how Zhou Zhexiao was doing right now, whether he had eaten dinner properly.

Without him pretending to push the food he didn’t like onto Zhou Zhexiao, would the guy just pick up two spoonfuls of fried noodles and then go back to sleep?

“Um, you said you had something about a live stream to talk to me about. What live stream?” Xia Chiyi used his fork to peel the shell off a large shrimp and subconsciously pushed it across the table.

He was used to sharing delicious food with Zhou Zhexiao, only this time, the person sitting opposite him was Mo Xiaojie.

Xia Chiyi felt a bit awkward and was about to move the plate back. “Sorry about that, I poked it with my own fork…”

“When you peel a shrimp for a girl, you can’t just take it back!” Mo Xiaojie laughed. “I was just thinking that when you see good food, your eyes light up and you don’t even wait for me. But seeing you peel a shrimp for me, I realize you actually have a lot of gentlemanly demeanor.”

And being able to peel a shrimp shell using only a knife and fork showed that Xia Chiyi wasn’t clumsy either.

“Actually, it’s because… Zhou Zhexiao is a bit of a picky eater. When we first became roommates, he refused a lot of things, like mustard and cream sauce. Even star anise, he’d use his chopsticks to pick it out before eating. When our roommates first took him to eat skewers hotpot, he wouldn’t eat heart or lungs, duck intestines, beef tripe, or chicken feet. Now…”

“How is he now?” Mo Xiaojie asked curiously.

“Now he can eat spicier food than I can, he’ll devour spicy strips (latiao) like it’s nothing. Chicken feet, tripe, heart, liver, spleen, lungs—nothing is off limits. Don’t be fooled by how he dares to challenge anyone on the court; when it comes to eating fish, he’s useless. When everyone eats boiled fish (shuizuyu), he just frowns, crosses his arms, and watches. I have to help him pick the bones out of the fish slices.”

Listening to him, Mo Xiaojie laughed.

Her affection for Xia Chiyi was shooting straight up. A guy who would pick fish bones out for his teammate definitely had a very gentle heart.

“But he still can’t do mustard and cream sauce. I don’t even get it—how can an ABC (American-born Chinese) not be used to cream sauce?” Xia Chiyi shrugged.

Mo Xiaojie took out her phone. “Hey, we’ve even eaten together, and we don’t have each other’s WeChat?”

“Oh, right!” Xia Chiyi immediately took his phone out.

Mo Xiaojie’s WeChat avatar was a cute cartoon character with two little hair buns.

“By the way, your live stream is for aerobics, right? Do you want me to do aerobics with you?” Xia Chiyi asked.

Mo Xiaojie covered her forehead and laughed. “Actually, it’s an invitation from the organizers. They want to drive more traffic to the Division I league. Think about it—across the ocean, the NCAA is incredibly famous; it’s the cradle and outpost of the NBA. During the NCAA finals, even NBA games have to make way. But look at how our Division I league has developed so far… although it also supplies fresh blood and young combat power to the CBA, its popularity and attention among college students are far behind the NCAA. The organizers want to build our own basketball culture.”

“So they just want to leech off your traffic?”

Xia Chiyi spoke too directly, but it was also a kind of compliment to Mo Xiaojie. She smiled and nodded.

“Then shouldn’t they look for Yang Huaiyu? He’s more popular than me, and has more fans. Or Liu Suchen, he has the face of an idol drama male lead.”

“Because Ningchang University had a counterattack! Also, across the ocean, they’ve entered the small-ball era. As a famous shooter in the Division I league, your significance is extraordinary. Yang Huaiyu and Liu Suchen are naturally synonymous with being the strong ones, but you’re different… I watched you fight all the way from the group stage to the Southeast Regional finals. For ordinary, average college students without a dazzling halo, you are the symbol of a counterattack.”

Xia Chiyi almost choked. “The symbol of a counterattack? That… that’s too exaggerated. Actually, when the official reporters came to interview us, they already analyzed it. Ningchang University inherently had a ‘King’s roster’—from the coach to the offensive and defensive ends, everything was a top-tier configuration…”

“I just think you’re handsome, is that so wrong?” Mo Xiaojie picked up a piece of fish with her fork and looked at Xia Chiyi with a smile.

No matter how emotionally dense his brain was, Xia Chiyi understood that Mo Xiaojie liked him.

His face flushed red instantly, burning so hot that Xia Chiyi wanted to find a popsicle to stick on his face.

“Wow, you look like a tomato right now… but you’re still a very handsome tomato!”

Xia Chiyi’s head drooped even lower. For an 188cm tall guy, the hair whorl on top of his head was unexpectedly cute.

His reaction made Mo Xiaojie want to tease him even more.

“During the show recording just now, you said your favorite is Xiaolongnü. So you like the pure, flawless, older sister type?”

Xia Chiyi’s head dropped even further.

Does Zhou Zhexiao count as pure and flawless? He probably did. From his past life to this one, this guy had no messy scandals. While his teammates were passionately dating female models, he was teaching kids how to play basketball at a youth training camp.

As for being the older sister type… in daily life, this shopaholic never restrained his desires, like an evil dragon that absolutely had to hoard jewels in its cave. He was also a giant baby who needed someone to pick out fish bones when eating boiled fish.

But when it came to basketball, he was very mature.

His persistence in training, his attitude toward winning and losing—without him, Xia Chiyi doubted if he wouldn’t have already given up on his basketball dream.

“Mm.” Xia Chiyi nodded.

“Xiaolongnü is a very idealized existence. She has no worldly desires. From the moment she fell in love with Yang Guo, her world consisted only of Guo’er. But in reality, people like that are too resolute. Falling in love with her means you have to lock your own desires in the ancient tomb too. Even a man like Yang Guo would feel attached to the colorful outside world. First there were Guo Fu, Cheng Ying, and Lu Wushuang, and later there was Guo Xiang’s wholehearted admiration. If it weren’t for sixteen years of separation and experiencing all the vicissitudes of life, Yang Guo’s heart might not have found peace to stay in the ancient tomb with Xiaolongnü.”

Mo Xiaojie propped her chin up and said.

Xia Chiyi paused. So that was the reason Zhou Zhexiao watched every single version of Return of the Condor Heroes?

It wasn’t because he liked Xiaolongnü, but because he liked Yang Guo.

Experiencing the ways of the world, yet keeping his original intention unchanged.

I really am too stupid.

“Although Xiaolongnü is an ideal, I’ve already found him.”

“Ah?” Mo Xiaojie was stunned for a moment.

“It’s just that I was too childish and didn’t understand his insecurities.”

Mo Xiaojie never expected that she had only just developed a crush on Xia Chiyi, and was already heartbroken?

But who was Mo Xiaojie? A streamer with hundreds of thousands of fans. What kind of scenes hadn’t she seen? Even if she suffered a light-speed heartbreak, she had to carry the whole room.

“Is she very pretty?” Mo Xiaojie asked.

“Pretty? I guess so. His eyes are especially beautiful. Every time he gets close and looks at me, I want to kiss his eyes.”

“Does she understand basketball? Will she come watch your games?”

“He understands basketball incredibly well, and has taught me so, so many things. From the grassroots qualifiers onwards, he hasn’t missed a single one of my games.”

“Xiaolongnü is four or five years older than Yang Guo. Is she older than you too?”

“He… he…”

Xia Chiyi paused. If they were talking from the perspective of life experience, Zhou Zhexiao was way older than him!

“What’s wrong with her?” Mo Xiaojie was now suspecting if Xia Chiyi liked a senior schoolmate, and since she could teach Xia Chiyi so much, was she a female coach?

“He has been to the highest level of competition, and has seen scenery that I haven’t seen. He knows the extravagance and dissipation that follows huge success, he has resisted the temptations from the colorful world, and has always followed his true heart. He’s constantly challenging what others think is impossible for him to achieve; there is no ceiling in his world. So… he…”

“So what about him?”

“So when he looks at me in the ivory tower, it’s probably like looking at a fool.”

Looking at Xia Chiyi, Mo Xiaojie suddenly really wanted to pat the top of his head.

If there truly was someone like the person Xia Chiyi described in this world, who had always accompanied him, it was perfectly natural and justified for him to like them.

“He has seen the twilight of heroes in competitive sports, and the bleak exits when the curtain falls. In my eyes, as long as I work hard, I’ll win, but he has seen the cruelest reality. This is probably the ‘time difference’ between him and me. So I… seem to have been rejected.”

Xia Chiyi didn’t know why he was telling Mo Xiaojie these things either. Perhaps it was because he refused to give up on Zhou Zhexiao, and he shouldn’t let a girl harbor illusions about him.

Mo Xiaojie suddenly slapped Xia Chiyi’s head. “You’re such a coward.”

“Yeah, I’m such a coward.” Xia Chiyi’s nose felt a bit sour.

“Do you know when was the first time I thought, ‘this guy is so handsome’?”

“The three-pointer?”

Mo Xiaojie shook her head. “It was when you shouted at Du He, ‘Don’t hesitate, hesitation means defeat.'”

Xia Chiyi looked at her blankly.

“Matches are like that, and so is love.” Mo Xiaojie’s fingers tightened around the handle of her knife. “Your future will inevitably not lack love, because you have such a good personality. Parents, coaches, fans, teammates, and even opponents like Yang Huaiyu—there will definitely be lots and lots of love pouring toward you. But if you give her up, it’s very likely that no matter how much love you receive in the future, it will never be able to satisfy you.”

Xia Chiyi’s heart started beating forcefully, thump by thump.

“She wanted to leave the choice to you. This is her way of cherishing you the most. But perhaps only by her side will every choice you make in the future be the optimal solution. Then she is the best future.”

“…Thank you.” Xia Chiyi almost stood up, but out of politeness, sat back down.

“You look like you’re eager to fly back,” Mo Xiaojie said.

“I… I want to go back and see him.”

“It’s your treat.”

“Okay!” Xia Chiyi nodded firmly.

“And you have to be a guest in my live stream.”

“Okay!”

“You may withdraw now. This Queen still wants to eat another portion of seafood stew.”

“No problem!”

Watching Xia Chiyi hailing a taxi outside the window, Mo Xiaojie smiled. “Ah, he’s kind of cute. I’m almost unwilling to be heartbroken.”

---

Cheng Qing returned to the hotel and went straight to the restaurant for the buffet dinner.

Seeing that Cheng Qing came back alone, Ling Huanzhen asked, “Why is it just you? Where’s Xia Chiyi?”

The other teammates at the dining table also looked up to ask.

“Yeah, where’s Xia Chiyi?” Ever since Ye Chaoying found out the host of the afternoon program was Mo Xiaojie, he felt like he had missed out on a hundred million.

“He left with Mo Xiaojie,” Cheng Qing answered calmly.

Ling Huanzhen clasped his hands behind his head. “Coach Cheng, I told you to go to keep an eye on him! Mo Xiaojie is from the Southeast Dance Academy. If she and Xia Chiyi develop feelings for each other and start a long-distance relationship, video-calling while training later on… how are we going to manage that!”

Cheng Qing said, amused, “They’re college students, it’s not puppy love. We control the heavens and the earth, do we even control people dating?”

Shuai Bei put his chopsticks down. “I’m sour (jealous). Are there lemons in today’s buffet dinner?”

Du He looked up, bewildered. “It’s not sour, I didn’t eat any.”

Ye Chaoying stomped his feet on the spot. “I don’t care, I don’t care! We agreed to all be single dogs, brothers walking together for life!”

Ling Huanzhen took a deep breath and looked at Zhou Zhexiao: “Hey, keep an eye on him. Not returning to the dorm at night is not allowed…”

Zhou Zhexiao shoved the fried noodles from his plate into his mouth. “If you want to manage him, do it yourself.”

“He listens to you the most…”

“But why does he have to listen to me?”

After saying that sentence, Zhou Zhexiao put down his chopsticks, turned around, and left.

Ling Huanzhen froze for a moment. He seemed to sense something, but didn’t completely understand.

“I feel like Emperor Zhou is a bit unhappy,” Ye Chaoying whispered.

“Obviously. Those two do everything together. Suddenly Xia Chiyi participates in a show and flies solo. If it were you, would you be happy?” Chen Chuan shook his head.

He Bin knocked him on the head. “Don’t talk nonsense, the Southeast Regional finals are the day after tomorrow. If they aren’t good, the whole team won’t be good.”

“That’s true… What should we do? Who’s going to quickly text Xia Chiyi and tell him to come back fast?” Chen Chuan asked.

---

Zhou Zhexiao didn’t return to the room, but instead walked out of the hotel doors.

The sun was setting in the west, casting a faint orange layer over the ground.

It reminded Zhou Zhexiao of the scent on Xia Chiyi.

He just walked aimlessly, even if people on the street recognized him.

“Look, it’s Zhou Zhexiao!”
“Which Zhou Zhexiao? Ningchang University’s Zhou Zhexiao?”
“This guy really… has an aura.”

The road beneath his feet was clearly real.

The honking cars in the distance, the sound of the evening wind, the voices of people talking around him—they were so clear.

But Zhou Zhexiao felt as if he didn’t belong to this world.

He passed by Junyang Stadium, walking further than usual. He didn’t care where his destination was; he just wanted to keep running, running until the name “Xia Chiyi” evaporated from his brain.

Xia Chiyi worshipped him like a god, but in reality, this boy was the fateful grace bestowed upon him by the gods, connecting his past and future.

He thought he was very strong. He had broken through prejudice, waded through injuries, and crossed chasms that the world deemed insurmountable. Rumors and gossip had failed to break him.

He thought that as long as he was stronger than Yang Huaiyu, stronger than Liu Suchen, stronger than all the opponents they would face in the future, he would always be the center of Xia Chiyi’s world.

It wasn’t until a few hours ago that he suddenly realized how fragile he was.

Xia Chiyi’s single word of praise, “pretty,” for Mo Xiaojie was enough to stab him, and wake him up.

An eighteen-year-old Xia Chiyi would be attracted to anything dazzling.

That girl didn’t need to know how to do a double-clutch layup, she didn’t need to master the three-point shot, she didn’t even need to understand any basketball terminology. Just by standing there and giving a radiant, romantic smile, she could destroy everything he had painstakingly built.

What he wanted wasn’t Xia Chiyi’s worship and reliance, but his unique, one-and-only love.

But in fact, the former required no effort for him to obtain.

While the latter was as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Xia Chiyi’s life would be very long. He would treat him as his most important comrade-in-arms, because ahead lay the Southeast Regional finals, the National Tournament, and also the professional league, the Asian Championship, the Olympics, and even the NBA.

He had many championship rings left to win. He could be inducted into the Hall of Fame just like Sheng Xingming. There would be an even more glorious apex.

Then, when he could no longer play, he would retire with honors. He would definitely be outstanding as a coach too, or as a commentator, or an ambassador for the basketball association.

Just thinking about Xia Chiyi’s future, Zhou Zhexiao found it incomparably beautiful.

But for Xia Chiyi’s future… he himself wasn’t a necessity.

Many years later, he might run into Xia Chiyi playing a basketball shooting game with his children, and they would smile at each other—youth gone, never to return.

If he held onto that boy with the death-grip determination of winning a championship, would the future Xia Chiyi end up battered and bleeding just trying to step toward more and better choices?

But what if the rest of my life only goes up to here?

Just like that world-spinning, shattering car crash in his previous life.

An immense unwillingness surged into Zhou Zhexiao’s heart.

He had never shed a tear, not even when he missed out on the NBA championship for consecutive years in his past life.

Not even when he failed to win the gold in his final Olympics.

But right now, he felt the bones in his entire body creaking from the force of his restraint. As he tilted his head back, his eye sockets filled with so much water that the whole sky seemed to ripple and shimmer.

“Zhou Zhexiao—”

Xia Chiyi’s voice rang out, so loud and clear it made the dead ashes of his heart reignite.

It was almost like a hallucination.

Xia Chiyi was riding a shared bicycle, with a basketball sitting in the front basket.

“Why are you here?” Zhou Zhexiao asked.

“I went back to the hotel and saw you weren’t there. I checked the location tracking and found you,” Xia Chiyi said, while using his phone to search for a nearby basketball court.

“Cheng Qing said you left with Mo Xiaojie.”

“Yeah, we had a meal, she invited me to join her live stream, and I agreed. Then I came back.”

Xia Chiyi found a public basketball court nearby, locked the bike, walked up to Zhou Zhexiao, and grabbed his wrist.

A warm strength circled Zhou Zhexiao’s wrist. The blood flowing through it carried Xia Chiyi’s temperature, surging straight into Zhou Zhexiao’s heart.

Even if the other person might let go at any time, Zhou Zhexiao wished this moment could last forever.

Xia Chiyi lowered his center of gravity and executed a few beautiful crossovers.

“Today during the show recording, Yang Huaiyu had a few amazing moves, and I failed my challenges. Tell me, is it that I lack explosive power, or is there a problem with my technique?”

“What moves?”

“The first one is the mid-air double between-the-legs pass, followed by a dunk. Whenever I finished passing the ball through, I wouldn’t have time to dunk.”

After saying that, Xia Chiyi dribbled and took a running start from the sideline. He jumped, and his super-long hang time allowed him to complete the under-leg passes, and then he fell.

Indeed, there was no time to dunk.

Xia Chiyi tossed the basketball to Zhou Zhexiao. “You try it.”

Zhou Zhexiao caught the ball. With a chilling, imposing momentum, he took a running start and soared into the air as if riding the wind. With ease, he passed the ball under his left leg and then his right leg, looking as if he were running in mid-air. The power and beauty in the instant of the dunk seized Xia Chiyi’s heart in a death grip; his blood felt like it was going to burst out.

“It should be because you started passing the ball too early. Try doing it a little later…”

When Zhou Zhexiao turned around, he saw Xia Chiyi staring fixedly at him with a gaze more passionate than worship, instantly burning Zhou Zhexiao’s ears bright red.

“Then there’s this one. Jumping from the left side of the paint, drifting all the way to the right side before releasing. Before I could even shoot, I sank.”

After saying that, Xia Chiyi demonstrated it once.

He flashed past in front of Zhou Zhexiao. The hem of his T-shirt lifted from the air resistance, revealing a section of powerful waist and abdomen.

“I remember you did this during a game. Although the distance wasn’t that exaggerated…”

Zhou Zhexiao took the ball, dribbled and sprinted from the sideline, and jumped from the paint. His mid-air posture was simply like a bow drawn to the full, and finally, he tossed the ball into the hoop with perfect ease.

“You sank before drifting across because your body muscles tensed up too late.”

“Amazing.” Xia Chiyi clapped forcefully.

“Anything else? If not, we’re going back.”

“Yes. I had dinner with Mo Xiaojie, and the restaurant she picked tasted really good.”

Zhou Zhexiao remained silent, unsure for a moment whether he should take a step forward or not.

---

[Author’s Note]

Xia Chiyi: Emperor Zhou also has his little insecurities, but playing a good game of basketball will fix it.
Zhou Zhexiao: One game won’t fix it.
Xia Chiyi: Then two games!
Zhou Zhexiao: …
Xia Chiyi: Then three games, four games, a whole lifetime!