"What did you say?" Lu Ziyin didn't hear clearly.

"He didn't say anything!" Ding Kemeng shook her head, not wanting to talk to him anymore.

Lu Ziyin didn't dwell on it. She glanced at the time; school was about to let out, and it was time to take the little girl home.

"If you didn't say anything, then you didn't say anything. Pack your bag, and I'll take you home in a bit."

Ding Kemeng paused as she packed her schoolbag, looked up at Lu Ziyin, and opened her mouth, but ultimately remained silent.

After packing everything up, Lu Ziyin was about to see Ding Kemeng off when Tang Zhizhou suddenly called out to him.

"Brother Lu, Brother Lu!"

Lu Ziyin turned around, looking helpless: "Something else?"

Lin Changmao also came over and spoke up before Tang Zhizhou could, "Yes, yes, yes, our school has a friendly basketball game with the neighboring No. 3 Middle School after school next Monday, right? Brother Lu, are you coming?" Their school's basketball team has always been short of players, and if it weren't for his forceful suppression, the basketball team would probably have disbanded long ago!

This time was no different. When they heard that they were going to play against No. 3 Middle School, they all acted like chickens that had been infected with the plague, refusing to play no matter what. With no other option, Lin Changmao had to turn his attention to his own class.

"It's just a friendly match, but my team is short-handed. Can you help out, Brother Lu?" Lin Changmao was afraid that Lu Ziyin wouldn't agree, so he hadn't dared to ask him. If Tang Zhizhou hadn't come over and struck up a conversation, he might not have come to ask Lu Ziyin.

"Zhou'er knows how, so let him go." Lu Ziyin found it troublesome and didn't really want to participate.

"I only contacted you because we were still short-handed after adding him, Brother Lu!" Lin Changmao was almost in tears. What bad luck he had! Half of the basketball team members were top students from Class Two. He went to the teacher to argue for a replacement, but the teacher still wouldn't agree!

Now look what's happened! Every time there's a competition, all these good students get sick!

This forced him to find people from his own class to take the blame! Not to mention Tang Zhizhou, he also dragged in Lin Heng, Huang Zhe, Bai Yushen, and several others!

However, apart from Tang Zhizhou and Lin Heng, the others weren't very good at basketball. They were just brought along to make up the numbers!

So, "Brother Lu, I'm in a real emergency!" Lin Changmao rushed forward and hugged Lu Ziyin's waist. The scene of a boy who was taller and stronger than Lu Ziyin hugging Lu Ziyin and crying was just too weird!

Lu Ziyin: "..." The veins on her forehead throbbed. Lu Ziyin gritted her teeth and forcefully pried Lin Changmao's hand away: "Let go first!"

"No, I won't get up if you don't agree!" Lin Changmao hugged him even tighter. He was willing to throw away his dignity for the sake of the basketball game!

"Is basketball particularly difficult?" Ding Kemeng had never been involved in basketball before, and after hearing Lin Changmao's words, she asked curiously, "With so many of you, aren't you short enough people?"

"Sister Meng~" Lin Changmao looked up at Ding Kemeng and said with a wronged expression, "There are at least five people in a game, but only three people in our basketball team know how to play basketball, and two others don't! But Brother Lu is different. He's really good at basketball. Why don't you persuade him to join us?"

Ding Kemeng was also a little embarrassed, glancing at Lu Ziyin. Judging from her expression, Lu Ziyin didn't seem very willing to participate in the basketball game…

Lu Ziyin noticed Ding Kemeng's gaze but remained silent. After a long while, she sighed helplessly, "Fine, I'll participate, okay? Let go!" Lin Changmao reeked of sweat; it was almost unbearable!

"Brother Lu, you agreed?" Lin Changmao was overjoyed and continued, "No backing out, see you on the playground after school on Monday!"

"Okay, I know, hurry up and let go!" Lu Ziyin urged.

Lin Changmao released his grip, stood up, and the pitiful expression on his face vanished instantly: "Alright, Brother Lu! Brother Lu is awesome, have a good journey!"

Lin Changmao's change of expression was so quick that Ding Kemeng wondered if she had just been hallucinating!

Lu Ziyin was very familiar with Lin Changmao's tricks. She rolled her eyes at him and left the classroom with Ding Kemeng.

Tang Zhizhou watched the whole thing from behind, and looking at Lin Changmao, he said with admiration, "Brother, you're awesome!"

"Hehe..." Lin Changmao chuckled slyly, glancing at Xie Sichen sitting in his seat, "I have to thank my brother Chen, he's so resourceful, I admire him!" Lu Ziyin is so stubborn, so asking Ding Kemeng is the right thing to do!

Xie Sichen raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

The remaining students in the classroom looked at Lin Changmao, then at Xie Sichen: Insidious enough, they liked it!

After the midterm exams, the teachers of Grade 11 at Xiushui High School worked over two days to finally finish grading all the exam papers.

On Monday, as soon as Ding Kemeng entered the school gate, she saw a group of people gathered in front of the bulletin board. Since the grades would be handed out back in class anyway, Ding Kemeng only glanced at the crowd before leaving.

When they arrived at the classroom, only a few students were there; Lu Ziyin and the others hadn't arrived yet.

Huang Zhe and Bai Yushen were mocking each other while holding the score sheets. When they saw Ding Kemeng arrive, they quickly handed the score sheets to her and said happily, "Sister Meng, Sister Meng, you're number one again this time!"

Ding Kemeng took the score sheet and glanced at it. She was indeed in first place, and she also saw that Tang Qiushui was in second place.

"Sister Meng is amazing! I knew she was better than Tang Qiushui!" Huang Zhe laughed smugly, even happier than if he had gotten first place himself.

Ding Kemeng was amused by him, "She has excellent grades, and I don't always get first place either, you don't need to brag about me like that."

"Sister Meng, this is different!" Huang Zhe exclaimed. "Tang Qiushui has always been arrogant and unrealistic, with a spoiled princess temper. If you do better than her this time, she'll definitely be furious. Just thinking about how angry she'll be makes me happy!" Huang Zhe was one of the kids who was often bullied by Tang Qiushui when they were young, and he harbored a deep resentment towards her!

“Yes, it’s different. This time he even placed a bet!” Bai Yushen glanced at Huang Zhe and said casually, without any remorse for undermining his friend.

Ding Kemeng realized: So they even used her grades as a bet...

Huang Zhe's secret was exposed, and he was furious: "Bai Yushen, will you die if you don't talk?!"

Bai Yushen: "Hehe..."

Huang Zhe was even angrier!

...

The new week began, and Lu Ziyin and her classmates were late again, only to be caught by their homeroom teacher. As a result, the corridor in front of Class 10 was once again packed with people.

Ding Kemeng secretly glanced at Lu Ziyin, intending only to take a look at him, but unexpectedly, Lu Ziyin caught her. Ding Kemeng panicked instantly and quickly looked away.

Lu Ziyin looked at Ding Kemeng's lowered head, her ears were red, and she looked so cute!

After being punished by standing for a whole class period, Lu Ziyin and the others were finally allowed to enter the classroom and quickly walked to their seats.

Lu Ziyin took out a box of milk-flavored cookies from her pocket and handed it to Ding Kemeng, "They're delicious, want some?"

Ding Kemeng was doing her homework when she heard this. She glanced at Lu Ziyin and then prepared to take the cookie, but Lu Ziyin suddenly took it back!