League

The basketball league semi-final match between Linjiang No.1 Middle School and Experimental Middle School ignited the atmosphere in the gymnasium to a fever pitch. The stands were packed, and cheers and the banging of batons created a sea of ​​noise.

Fang Chi, Tan Si, and Qing Jiuyue sat in the best viewing seats in the front row. His gaze was always following that familiar figure on the field—Xing Jiayan.

This was Xing Jiayan's first official match after recovering from his foot injury. Wearing the red and black team uniform of Linjiang No.1 Middle School, he stood tall and straight, running, jumping, and turning with smooth and powerful movements, showing no trace of the fact that he was still walking with crutches a month ago.

"Jiayan's in great form today!" Tan Si slapped his thigh excitedly. "Look at that crossover, he completely shook the other side!"

Qing Jiuyue pushed up her glasses and calmly analyzed, "His explosive power is even stronger than before his injury, which should be the result of rehabilitation training."

Fang Chi didn't reply. His gaze was fixed on Xing Jiayan, watching him receive the pass from He Chen, execute a clean and crisp fake to get past the defender, and then pull up for a jump shot—

The basketball traced a perfect arc in the air and swished through the net.

"Ahhh—Xing Jiayan!" A deafening scream erupted from the stands.

Xing Jiayan landed, casually wiped the sweat from his forehead, and turned to defend again. The moment his eyes met Fang Chi's, he blinked his left eye very quickly, and a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Fang Chi's heart skipped a beat.

"Hey, did you see that?" Tan Si nudged him with his elbow. "Wasn't Xing Jiayan just giving us the eye?"

Qing Jiuyue chuckled: "Obviously, it wasn't something they were putting on a show for us."

Fang Chi coughed lightly, then calmly looked away, saying, "Focus on the game."

On the field, the Experimental Middle School team clearly noticed Xing Jiayan's threat and intensified their defense against him. Whenever Xing Jiayan received the ball, two defenders would immediately double-team him, their actions becoming increasingly rough.

During a fierce scramble for the basket, the opposing center, while positioning himself, struck Xing Jiayan's ribs hard with his elbow.

"Ugh!" Xing Jiayan groaned, his brows furrowing instantly, his movements noticeably faltering for a moment.

The referee blew his whistle, ruling that the opposing team had committed a foul.

Fang Chi stood up from his seat almost immediately, his hands unconsciously clenching.

"Are you alright, Jiayan?" He Chen and his teammates immediately surrounded him.

Xing Jiayan waved his hand, took a few deep breaths, and indicated that he was fine. He stepped to the free-throw line and calmly made both free throws.

But as he ran back to defend, Fang Chi keenly noticed that his right hand was always subtly pressing on his right ribs.

The whistle blew for halftime, and both teams headed to their respective rest areas.

"I'm going to the restroom." Fang Chi suddenly got up, walked through the noisy corridor, and went around to the back door of the home team's locker room.

The locker room was bustling with noise. The coach was loudly giving tactical instructions, and the players were busy replenishing their fluids. Xing Jiayan sat alone on a bench in the corner, his back slightly hunched, as the team doctor examined his ribs.

"How is it?" Fang Chi walked to his side, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching Xing Jiayan's ears.

Xing Jiayan looked up, saw it was him, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which quickly turned into a faint smile: "Why are you here?"

"Just happened to be passing by." Fang Chi's gaze fell on his reddened ribs, his brows furrowing slightly. "Is it serious?"

The team doctor replied, "There's a bit of bruising, but the bone is fine. He can play in the second half, but he might be in pain."

Xing Jiayan shrugged indifferently: "It's just a minor injury."

Fang Chi stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly pulled a small spray bottle from his pocket and handed it over: "Pain relief spray, I bought it when I injured my foot before, and I didn't finish it."

Xing Jiayan was stunned. He looked at the spray bottle, then at Fang Chi's seemingly calm face, and the smile in his eyes deepened: "So thoughtful, Academic Master Fang?"

Fang Chi's ears burned slightly, but he forced himself to remain calm: "I don't want to see you lose the game for this reason."

Xing Jiayan took the spray and casually brushed his fingertips against Fang Chi's palm, bringing a slightly tingling sensation.

"Don't worry," he said in a low voice, with a certain certainty, "I promised to teach you how to shoot, and I won't go back on my word."

The second half began, and Xing Jiayan returned to the court as expected. His movements were still agile, but the observant Fang Chi noticed that he reduced physical contact and relied more on skills and shooting.

The Experimental Middle School clearly noticed this as well, and became even more brazen in their physical assaults on Xing Jiayan. During one fast break, the opposing guard deliberately stretched out his foot, tripping Xing Jiayan in his running path.

Xing Jiayan stumbled and almost fell. Although she managed to regain her balance, her expression clearly showed that she was in pain.

The referee did not call a foul.

"Damn it!" He Chen was the first to swear. "You're not even going to brag about this?"

Discontented boos also rang out from the stands.

Fang Chi frowned deeply, watching Xing Jiayan rub his ribs that had been hit again, his face grim.

In the following rounds, Experimental Middle School resorted to more and more dirty tricks, but the referee's calls remained lenient. The players from Linjiang No. 1 Middle School began to get impatient, making more mistakes, and the score was gradually caught up.

After being shoved by the opposing center yet failing to draw a foul, He Chen finally snapped and rushed forward to argue with the opponent.

"He Chen!" Xing Jiayan grabbed him, her voice frighteningly calm, "Don't fall for it."

He looked at the scoreboard—68:70, they were down by 2 points with only 3 minutes left in the game.

Xing Jiayan's gaze swept over the opposing players' smug faces, finally settling on Fang Chi's worried face on the sidelines. He took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly sharpening.

In the next possession, Xing Jiayan called for the ball. Instead of driving to the basket, he stood firmly a step outside the three-point line.

The opposing defender scoffed and symbolically stretched out his hand, clearly not believing he could make the shot from that distance.

Xing Jiayan jumped and made his move. The movement was as fluid as a bow, and the moment his wrist pressed down, it carried an undeniable determination.

The basketball sliced ​​through the air, spinning as it precisely pierced the net.

"Swish—" A crisp sound of something entering the net.

Three points made! 71:70!

The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in deafening cheers!

"My God! A three-pointer from way beyond the arc!" Tan Si excitedly grabbed Fang Chi's arm. "He's gone mad!"

Fang Chi looked at the figure surrounded by his teammates on the field, at his slightly furrowed brows due to rib pain, yet his spine remained straight, and his heart felt as if it had been struck heavily by something.

The next two minutes became Xing Jiayan's personal showcase. Instead of attacking the basket, he relied on accurate shooting to hit two consecutive mid-range jumpers, completely extinguishing the Experimental Middle School's hopes of a comeback.

As the final whistle blew, Linjiang No.1 Middle School narrowly defeated Experimental Middle School 75-72, advancing to the finals.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers. The team members rushed towards Xing Jiayan and surrounded him.

Xing Jiayan looked up from the crowd, looked past his cheering teammates, and his gaze found Fang Chi in the stands.

Sweat soaked his hair, trickling down his jawline. His face was pale from the pain, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light, burning with the flames of victory and a deeper light that shone only for one person.

He slowly raised his right hand towards Fang Chi's direction, making a gesture that only they understood—a gesture that Fang Chi had made unintentionally that day in the seminar room when they agreed to "see who finishes the last question first."

Fang Chi stood still, looking at him across the noisy crowd.

At that moment, all the sounds seemed to fade away, leaving only the pounding of his heart and that gaze that had traversed the sea of ​​people, coming solely for him.

“Let’s go,” Qing Jiuyue patted Fang Chi’s shoulder, her tone filled with knowing smiles, “It’s time to congratulate our hero.”

Fang Chi then came to his senses and realized that his palms were already sweaty.

He followed the crowd down from the stands, but his gaze never left the red and black figure surrounded in the center.

Xing Jiayan seemed to sense his approach and turned around from the crowd. His face showed the exhaustion and excitement of victory, and sweat glistened under the lights.

Amidst the deafening cheers around him, he silently mouthed three words to Fang Chi, who was walking towards him.

Fang Chi saw it clearly.

He was saying—

"It's your turn."