The whistle blew, and the basketball was tossed into the air.

China's center, Luo Yan, had an absolute advantage. She pushed the basketball aside, and China's point guard initiated a fast break by passing the ball to the small forward.

The Chinese team's small forward received the ball and dribbled into the paint, but his shot missed.

Fortunately, the Chinese team had a clear advantage in rebounding, and center Luo Yan secured the ball.

Luo Yan then jumped up with great force and shot a fadeaway jumper without hesitation.

The Chinese team took the first two points.

The host, Liu Du, was visibly excited. "That was a beautiful shot! Luo Yan got into the game very quickly."

"It seems Luo Yan's old knee injury is healing well. If Luo Yan can maintain this level of performance, I think the P country's interior defense will be easily broken down," Feng Xu commented.

The game continued, and the P country team broke through the Chinese team's defense with a long pass and scored in response.

It's China's turn to attack.

After dribbling the ball across half-court, the Chinese team's point guard immediately passed it to Weng Pei on the outside.

The passing route was not good, and the corresponding defender for Ongpe reacted and stood in front of Ongpe to intercept the ball.

Fortunately, Ong Pei had solid fundamentals. With two shoulder feints and a right-side acceleration change of direction, he got past the opposing defender and caught the basketball.

A dangerous long pass almost cost the Chinese team possession.

The small forward of country P covered for defense.

Ong Pei dribbled the ball on the outside, then suddenly made two quick dribbles, combined with a shoulder feint and a shift in weight, to get past the opposing small forward, and then immediately jumped to shoot.

Three point hit!

Host Liu Du exclaimed, "Perfect! Weng Pei's butterfly step was so beautiful, just like her performance in the league. Teacher Feng, I've observed that her sudden stop rhythm is very special. As far as I know, no one in China can defend against this move right now."

Feng Xu chimed in, "Yes, in recent years, there have been more and more dribbling skills on the perimeter, and all teams are making all-round improvements. However, there were once people who could defend against Weng Pei's butterfly-like footwork."

Liu Du, after all, has been a commentator for seven or eight years and has a certain understanding of Chinese women's basketball players. "Yes, in the last league cycle, Lu Yu was able to defend against this butterfly step."

"Weng Pei's butterfly step was personally taught by Lu Yu, and the rhythm of their sudden stops is slightly different. They were selected for the national team in the same batch. At that time, the 'Fisherman-Weng Pei combination' was unbeatable and dominated the Asian Games."

Feng Xu spoke calmly, yet it struck a nerve with Jiao Yuyin.

The story only tells the most exciting part, and the long, dark period that followed is tacitly omitted by the narrator.

Jiao Yuyin turned his head to look at Lu Yu.

She remained focused on the competition, as if the name "Lu Yu" was just some random passerby she didn't care about at all.

Jiao Yuyin suppressed his many questions and turned his attention back to the game.

The two teams have distinct styles. The Chinese team excels in the paint, while the P country team withstood the pressure from the Chinese team with their outside shooting.

The score remained very close, with the P country team keeping a tight grip on the game.

Lu Yu finished the fruit in the glass bowl and watched the game with a frown.

Jiao Yuyin glanced at it and asked, "The Chinese team has been in the lead the whole time, so why are you still looking so worried?"

Lu Yu stared at the TV and said, "Our real advantage hasn't been brought into play. P country's weakness under the basket is very obvious, which is why we can frequently grab rebounds and score with stationary shots. But so far, our lead hasn't exceeded 5 points, which also shows that we haven't put enough pressure on our defense."

In the third quarter, Luo Yan was substituted off the court for a rest. As expected, China's advantage under the basket was reduced, and the P country team immediately launched a counterattack. After a few rounds, the score was reversed.

Fortunately, two three-pointers from Ong Pei stabilized the situation.

At the end of the third quarter, the Chinese team was down by 3 points.

The television footage showed Luo Yan's knees wrapped in ice packs, with a fleeting look of concern from Weng Pei.

The host used conciliatory language to explain the unfavorable situation.

Lu Yu found it a bit noisy, so she turned the volume down a bit, then glanced at Jiao Yuyin several times, looking troubled.

Jiao Yuyin understood immediately, and with a natural expression, asked, "Want to...hold hands?"

Lu Yu felt a little embarrassed. When she was in a good mood, she complained that Jiao Yuyin was not good enough for her. Now, her inner turmoil was bothering her, but she shamelessly said that she would hold hands with him.

It makes sense. Jiao Yuyin slept in an awkward position every day just so that she could get a good night's sleep, but he never complained to her.

In comparison, it seems that she has a tendency to favor those she uses and discard those she doesn't.

Lu Yuxin told himself that he should be more understanding of Jiao Yuyin in the future.

Lu Yu grinned ingratiatingly, revealing her two adorable canine teeth once again. She tilted her head back, blinked her almond-shaped eyes, and the shadow of the ceiling light played two frames in her eyes.

Jiao Yuyin suddenly felt a sense of utter despair, as if he were about to be completely defeated. He took Lu Yu's hand, stiffly turned his head, and looked at the commercials playing on television.

The fourth quarter began, and Luo Yan returned to the court.

The Chinese team's offense under the basket and their high-percentage three-point shooting finally paid off.

In the end, the Chinese team won the game by a narrow margin of 4 points.

Lu Yu breathed a long sigh of relief.

The television continued to broadcast post-match analysis and interviews.

Jiao Yuyin got up, heated up a cup of milk, and placed it on the coffee table in front of Lu Yu. He said casually, "I watched that Asian Games match before. Your teamwork with Weng Pei was indeed seamless."

Lu Yu squinted and smiled, "Yes, Weng Pei's strength has always been quite good."

"Lu Yu, when did you learn to fake a smile?"

Lu Yu lowered her head and stopped talking.

Jiao Yuyin adjusted his glasses and tentatively asked, "Have you ever had any unpleasant encounters with your old teammates Weng Pei and Luo Yan?"

Lu Yu was clearly taken aback and replied, "What are you thinking? Athletes' lives are all about training, and their minds are very simple. There's nothing unpleasant about it."

Lu Yu picked up her milk glass, took a sip, and put it back on the coffee table. She continued, "I just feel bad for them. This year might be Luo Yan's last year in her athletic career. She's been plagued by injuries. The last Olympics was Luo Yan's peak; that should have been the closest we ever got to our dreams..."

Jiao Yuyin took Lu Yu's hand and held it in his palm. "When it comes to winning or losing in a competition, the burden shouldn't be entirely borne by one person."

Lu Yu shook his head, expressionless, and said, "Do you know how desperate the whole team feels when the point guard can't dribble the ball across half-court?"

The light from the ceiling light shone on the smooth, flat coffee table, reflecting the bitter expression on Lu Yu's face...