Basketball tournaments were considered one of No. 1 High School’s special features. Last year, the local television station even came to broadcast it live. So, despite the tight study schedule, students were still organized to watch the basketball games together.

Naturally, Shi Niannian would be going too.

After warming up in the afternoon P.E. class, it was free activity time.

Xu Fei’s enthusiasm for the basketball tournament was extremely high. Even though Jiang Wang maintained an indifferent attitude throughout, it didn’t diminish Xu Fei’s enthusiasm in the slightest.

Xu Fei: “Brother Wang! You’re the best player in our class. You play forward, and everyone else will coordinate with you!”

Jiang Wang sat on a basketball, his long legs bent: “The other team will try to shut me down. Just coordinating with me won’t work. In the end, it depends on the shooting guard.”

Xu Fei thought to himself that just Jiang Wang’s presence on the court would be intimidating enough: “The shooting guard is Huang Hao! Play a game first and see how the coordination works!”

Next to the basketball court was the track field, separated by the high wall of the stands. Jiang Ling stood on the top step of the stands, with both hands on the railing, leaning back against it. Shi Niannian sat beside her.

This person Jiang Wang, one could see that he didn’t match his rumored fierce image.

When he first transferred to their class, no one dared to even look at him, afraid of triggering some unpredictable nerve of the school bully and getting beaten up. Later, they discovered that he rarely seemed to truly lose his temper.

To the point where everyone was now beginning to doubt the authenticity of those initial news reports and bloody photographs.

Shi Niannian propped her chin with her hand, squinting slightly because of the glaring sunlight.

She recalled what her aunt had said when Jiang Wang first transferred: “He’s on good terms with your brother. No one knows what happened that time, but fortunately, that person’s life wasn’t in danger. Otherwise, with him carrying two lives on his young shoulders, his future would be even more difficult.”

And then there was last night, when Jiang Wang coldly and brutally grabbed someone and slammed him “bang” against the railing, his muscle lines tightening and bulging, his jaw clenched—a terrifying sight.

Then, an image flashed through her mind.

A young man in a white shirt, squatting at the roadside, the huge illuminated advertisement sign from the bus stop across the street shining on his drooping, cold, white arm skin, giving off an icy luster.

“Hey,” he said, “do you want to be my girlfriend?”

Shi Niannian unconsciously widened her eyes, and her slight drowsiness in the scorching sun instantly vanished.

She unconsciously touched her ear, feeling it was a bit hot.

“Niannian, why is your face so red?” Jiang Ling squatted down and lightly touched her cheek with her fingertips.

Shi Niannian took out a clip from her pocket and pinned up her bangs: “…A bit hot.”

Jiang Ling: “Is it too hot? Why don’t we go to the school store and buy some popsicles?”

“The P.E. teacher…” Shi Niannian turned to look at the teacher by the red plastic track.

“It’s fine.” Jiang Ling looked at her watch. “There’s still a while before class ends. We can find some shade, finish eating, and come back just in time.”

Jiang Ling hopped down the steps of the stands. The two girls had just turned the corner arm in arm when they ran into Cheng Qi’s group.

They had barely come to school since the monthly exam, and they had rarely bothered Shi Niannian since that time at the hospital.

She paused in her steps, and her first reaction was to avoid them.

Just as she was about to step back, Jiang Ling pushed her from behind, whispering in her ear: “What are you afraid of? You’ve got someone backing you now!”

Cheng Qi looked at her sideways with her red lips curled: “Stutterer, you’re pretty amazing, getting together with Jiang Wang so quickly. You think I don’t dare to touch you anymore?”

Arrogant and imperious.

Shi Niannian clenched her fists and said calmly: “Go ahead and try.”

Cheng Qi widened her eyes in disbelief.

Beside her, Jiang Ling burst out laughing and said, borrowing the tiger’s might: “Jiang Wang is right there on the basketball court. Go ahead if you have the guts.”

Shi Niannian tugged slightly at Jiang Ling’s sleeve.

Cheng Qi snorted and glared at her viciously: “Just you wait.”

—

On Wednesday at noon, the basketball tournament draw was held. After the draw, Xu Fei returned to the classroom at midday like a bomb, plopping down on his chair, panting heavily.

Chen Shushu was sleeping with her head turned to his side. When she opened her eyes and saw him like that, she was startled: “…Why do I feel like you’re about to explode with anger?”

“I’m practically giving off a burnt smell,” Xu Fei said angrily.

“…” Chen Shushu sat up and leaned over a bit. “What happened?”

“The tournament draw has us playing against Class 9.”

“Aren’t they full of sports students? Does that mean our class might be eliminated in the first round?” Chen Shushu was stunned, then asked, “Wasn’t it someone from their class who tripped you during the last sports meet? And aren’t they still really upset with our class because their scores were disqualified?”

“Yes, and that idiot who tripped me is even their team’s key player!”

In short, Class 3’s prospects in this basketball tournament seemed grim because of this draw. Xu Fei hadn’t expected his luck to be so bad. He had prayed and begged not to draw Class 9, but when he opened the drawing paper, he almost blacked out and fainted.

Mid-October, after the sultry heat of the previous two days, the temperature had finally dropped.

It was tinged with the cool dampness of autumn.

On Wednesday, the evening self-study session was changed to the basketball game.

Although they were divided into liberal arts and science classes, Class 9’s basketball team hadn’t been broken up. They had won first place in last year’s basketball tournament, crushing every game they played, which was terrifying.

After dinner, Xu Fei sat in front of Jiang Wang’s desk, introducing him to the opponent profiles he had spent the entire afternoon putting together.

Not sure where he got the photos from, but he had their portraits, positions, strengths, and weaknesses—all quite detailed.

Jiang Wang leaned back in his chair, sitting lazily, and it was hard to tell if he was listening.

Huang Hao ran into the classroom and called from the doorway: “Class 9 is already at the gym. Let’s get ready and head over!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!”

Xu Fei looked like a soldier heading to battle, and a battle where death was certain. His eyes already showed a resolution to face death.

Jiang Wang pulled the red jersey Xu Fei had given him a few days ago over his white t-shirt.

He usually looked quite sickly. When angry, his ferocity almost seemed to overflow; normally, he was lazy and casual, appearing as if he had no interest in anything. Add to that his cold, pale skin—if he had a pair of fangs, he could probably play a demon.

But once he put on the red jersey, he looked different.

Jiang Ling covered her mouth and stamped her feet, then leaned back on Shi Niannian’s desk, suppressing her urge to scream as she whispered in her ear:

“Doesn’t he look exactly like Rukawa Kaede?!”

“…”

Jiang Wang stood to the side, bent over, his hands on his knees, rubbing them.

It had been over a month since Shi Niannian first saw him at the detention center entrance. His hair, which had been very short then, had grown longer, with loose strands falling between his eyebrows, casting a shadow under his eyes.

Shi Niannian bent down to take a bottle of water from the drawer under her desk. Just as she was about to open it, Jiang Wang took it from her.

With a slight twist of his wrist, he opened it easily and placed it back on her desk.

The whole series of actions was incredibly natural. Jiang Ling watched in astonishment.

Shi Niannian dazedly said “thank you,” looking at the sweat on his temple, and softly asked: “Are you a bit…”

“Hmm?” Jiang Wang raised his head to look at her.

“A bit… nervous?”

Jiang Wang raised an eyebrow.

He had never been nervous about anything in his life.

He smiled and seemed a bit troubled as he let out an “Ah” and said: “Yeah, I’m getting old now, afraid my stamina won’t keep up.”

“…”

Jiang Wang’s hand reached out and covered the top of Shi Niannian’s head, messing up her bangs: “Remember to cheer for me, little one.”

—

By the time Shi Niannian and Jiang Ling arrived at the gymnasium, it was already bustling with activity.

Along the way, Jiang Ling had been fangirling, holding her face and continuously explaining to Shi Niannian about the term “little one.” According to a survey, among couples’ pet names, the most endearing one ranked first was “little one,” surpassing all sorts of “baby,” “darling,” “silly,” “fool,” and the like.

“…” Shi Niannian was a bit speechless. “We’re not… a couple.”

She said the words “couple” vaguely and softly, too embarrassed to say them clearly.

Shi Niannian had just sat down in the assigned class seat when her gaze paused. She tilted her head, trying to recognize the man standing under the basketball hoop not far away.

Xu Ningqing stood with his arms crossed next to a P.E. teacher, seemingly acquainted and chatting familiarly. He scanned the audience seats and found Shi Niannian sitting quietly among the excited, enthusiastic crowd. He waved to her.

“I came to check on you,” Xu Ningqing said after she walked over. “When it’s over, you won’t need to squeeze onto the subway. I’ll drive you home.”

Shi Niannian said: “You clearly… came to watch the game.”

Xu Ningqing was stunned for a moment, then laughed: “Not bad, Shi Niannian, now you won’t even give your big brother face? I just came to see how you little ones are squabbling like chickens.”

“…”

“Little one,” again. Shi Niannian raised her eyes and touched her ear.

The game began. Jiang Wang jumped for the ball and was the first to get it.

He bent forward, dribbling the ball. The captain of Class 9, the one who had deliberately tripped Xu Fei last time, was blocking Jiang Wang with his arms spread. Jiang Wang looked up, his gaze sharp and calm.

The next second, Jiang Wang quickly turned and stepped, easily dribbling past the defender.

He ran outside the three-point line.

Class 9’s basketball skills were indeed good, but more importantly, their coordination was extremely tacit. Jiang Wang and his classmates had only practiced together for a few days, and their coordination wasn’t up to par.

The other four players were all tightly defended, creating no conditions for passing.

Jiang Wang stopped outside the three-point line, bounced the ball once, and caught it again without moving.

He panted lightly, raising his chin to look at Shi Niannian, tilting his head slightly.

Then he suddenly leaped up, his wrist exerting force. The basketball traced a beautiful parabola in the air and went in.

A cheer erupted in the gymnasium.

Class 9 got the ball. Jiang Wang backed up to the other side: “Get back on defense!”

—

By the end of the first quarter, Class 3 was leading by 7 points.

The two teams were neck and neck, with very tight scores.

Beside them, Xu Ningqing frowned and made a “tsk” sound: “The situation doesn’t look good for your class. The odds of winning are pretty slim.”

Shi Niannian asked: “Aren’t we leading by 7 points?”

As Jiang Wang ran off the court, he heard Xu Ningqing talking to Shi Niannian: “Next half, there’s a good chance Amang will be completely shut down. The guard on the other team towers over your classmate, not to mention the skill difference. Once they contain Amang, they’ll dominate the court as they please.”

Shi Niannian didn’t quite understand, but nodded somewhat comprehendingly.

Jiang Wang lifted his jersey to wipe his sweat, causing the white t-shirt underneath to rise as well, revealing a section of his well-defined abs.

The crowd below instantly erupted.

“Fuck, don’t look,” Xu Ningqing took the mineral water bottle in his hand and placed it horizontally in front of Shi Niannian’s eyes. “That’s so damn shameless.”

Jiang Wang made a “tsk” sound and squatted down with his back to the court.

He raised his chin at Shi Niannian: “Get me a bottle of water.”

There was a box of mineral water right behind him, actually closer to Jiang Wang than to her.

But Shi Niannian still went to get a bottle for him.

He took it and immediately drank half the bottle.

Once again, screams and discussions erupted from the surroundings.

Shi Niannian was stunned for a moment before realizing this person was being deliberate again. She felt both angry and annoyed, grinding her teeth unhappily.

Jiang Wang saw her reaction and smiled: “Are you angry?”

Xu Ningqing felt like he couldn’t bear to watch anymore. He made a “tsk” sound and turned his head to look elsewhere.

Shi Niannian didn’t want to respond to his words and, looking down, said: “You should go… prepare for the second, second half.”

Jiang Wang retightened the bottle cap and took her hand, placing the bottle in her palm.

The gymnasium was noisy and bustling. The young man’s expression was lazy yet arrogant, with a hint of barely perceptible indulgence. His highly distinctive voice said, “I’ll win this for you.”

—

In the second half, Shi Niannian watched as Jiang Wang repeatedly broke through the defense. When three-pointers became impossible, he switched to dunking—sprinting, breaking through, jumping, dunking in one smooth motion.

At the final whistle, Jiang Wang made one last dunk.

His arm hung on the rim, pulling up once, displaying his arm muscles—smooth, proportionate, and beautiful.

However, when he jumped down and his feet touched the ground, his whole body seemed to pause for a moment.

Sweat dripped from the tip of his nose onto the court.

He didn’t show much sign of anything wrong, except that his palm was pressed tightly against his knee. He lowered his head and let out a soft “hiss” that no one noticed.

Xu Fei had been prepared for a crushing defeat, but not only did they barely win in the first half, due to insufficient coordination, they had struggled to lead by 7 points. But in the second half, Jiang Wang seemed like a completely different person.

He played ferociously and fiercely, practically rubbing the opponent’s face into the ground with humiliation.

In the end, Class 3 won by a lead of 23 points.

Even Xu Ningqing hadn’t expected it.

The power of love was truly great.

Xu Fei was so excited that his entire face had turned red. He was enthusiastically waving his hand and saying something.

Suddenly, with a “bang”—

A ball flew straight across the center line of the court toward Jiang Wang. He caught it and looked over with a cold face.

The Class 9 captain, Li Lu, came over, shaking his wrist. He smiled stiffly: “I’m sorry, it slipped.”

Jiang Wang’s playing style had been so damn infuriating that halfway through, he had been ready to just fight it out.

The surroundings quieted down.

Jiang Wang looked at him expressionlessly, his tongue touching the roof of his mouth. The ball bounced twice in his palm, and in the next second, he hurled it hard at Li Lu’s face with a dull, heavy sound.

Li Lu immediately covered his nose and staggered back a few steps before sitting down, blood flowing through his fingers.

Jiang Wang bent down on one knee, his voice cold and hard, keeping his voice low: “Whether it’s playing ball or running, don’t play dirty. Mine didn’t slip—I aimed for you.”

Xu Ningqing ran over: “What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Jiang Wang raised his hand to take off the jersey covering him, then wiped sweat away with his hand. “Let’s go.”

He walked a few steps, then stopped, his muscles tensing from the sharp, sudden pain in his knee.

Shi Niannian had noticed something was off when he jumped down from his last dunk. She walked over and asked softly: “Is your leg alright?”

The young girl’s gaze was lowered, looking at his knee.

Jiang Wang wrapped one arm around her shoulders, transferring half of his body weight onto her, looking pitiful: “It hurts so much.”

Xu Ningqing looked up to see this scene and hit Jiang Wang’s back with his fist. Without support, Jiang Wang leaned forward a bit, his knee bending, instantly causing cold sweat to break out on his back from the pain.

Shi Niannian was startled and didn’t even have time to mind his overly intimate posture, instinctively reaching out to support him.

As a result, Jiang Wang simply put his other arm around her waist, bending down to hold her tight in his arms.

The height difference between them was too great. Jiang Wang hunched his back, burying himself in the crook of her neck.

The stabbing pain in his knee exploded layer by layer. He sucked in a breath and broke out in another layer of cold sweat.

He cursed “fuck” in a hoarse voice.

Yet despite the pain, he nuzzled closer to Shi Niannian’s neck, greedily and somewhat basely taking a sniff.

“Shi Niannian.”

He said, the end of his words trembling slightly from the pain.

“Why do you smell so good?”