Chapter 30
"Brother Feng, are you sure Ms. Xia will come to watch our basketball game against Class 4?"
"No way, Teacher Braids is always avoiding us, it's not even her class, why would she come to see us on her own initiative?"
During the last class in the afternoon, the sky was cloudless and clear. A cool breeze blew the sun further away, leaving the sky so clean that only light remained.
Students from the classes that had physical education class returned to their classrooms in twos and threes. Gradually, only students from Class 3 and Class 4 of Grade 11 remained on the playground, along with a few who had heard about the competition and were planning to skip class to watch it.
On the side of the playground closest to the teaching building, Feng Xiao sat on the edge of a low flower bed, put on her wristbands, and got up to stretch a bit. "I think that with such obvious changes, the teachers will notice and take it to heart."
With less than two minutes until class started, Ye Feng twirled a basketball on one finger, turned his head to look at the tree-lined path below the teaching building, and said, "Isn't it here already?"
Cheng Mo stood not far away, having scored a three-pointer, and turned to run over with a smile, "You really came."
He Ying: "The homeroom teacher of Class 4 is also here."
"bite!"
When the school bell rang, the physical education teachers of the two classes assembled their respective teams and then led their players to stand at the dividing line in half of the field to compete for the ball.
"Beep!" The whistle blew, and the ball was tossed into the air.
"Go Class 3!"
"Class 4 will win!"
Two physical education teachers stood on either side of the playground as referees, and the cheerleading squads of both classes were very supportive.
Cheers and shouts erupted instantly on the playground. Someone yelled "Turn on the microphone!" and the students in the entire nearby teaching building were probably all excited by his shouts.
The two classes of tall boys collided like iron plates, and the ball slid from the "gibbons'" contest to a secluded corner.
Xin Ran looked at the short guy dribbling the ball and said, "Heh, don't be fooled by how tall and strong everyone in your class is; it was actually our class that got the ball."
Chi Xia saw Ye Feng and Cheng Mo flanking him with their long legs like swords, and then noticed that Class 4 had no defensive formation. "I'm afraid his teammates didn't expect him to get the ball, and they didn't even have time to react and provide support."
"Teacher, over here!" Li Yao waved and called to Chi Xia.
Chi Xia also raised her hand and waved, then walked towards the cheerleading squad with Xin Ran.
When Xin Ran saw that his classmates were excited to see him, they were also very excited, but because of their previous relationship, they were all awkward and looked at him without saying a word.
Xin Ran smiled nonchalantly, "Not bad, a good start."
"That's right, we're Class 4, whose achievements are recorded throughout the school!" a bespectacled boy shouted excitedly.
Li Yao: "It's a pity that we ran into someone whose fate is still uncertain."
The boy pointed at Li Yao, ready to start a verbal battle, but Xin Ran grabbed his fingers and pressed his hand down, then patted his shoulder, saying, "A good man doesn't argue with a woman."
The boy wanted to laugh but held it in, finally managing to squeeze out, "Yes!"
On the court, the boys from Class 4 who were dribbling the ball and charging forward were surrounded by Ye Feng and Cheng Mo. They looked for help everywhere, but unfortunately, they were outnumbered. They couldn't get past the two big men from Class 3 if they tried to fight them head-on. They were not at a disadvantage in terms of height and size. Seeing that there was no way to ask for help, they hesitated in the frontcourt.
Xin Ran: "If you're so scared, just surrender!"
Ye Feng: "..."
Cheng Mo: "..."
The two were stunned by Xin Ran's shout; it seemed that the homeroom teacher of Class 4 was probably here to drag them down.
The short boy from Class 4, his temper flaring, took advantage of the moment when his two defenders were momentarily stunned and jumped to shoot—
"Bang!"
“It’s in! It’s in!”
"Qin Zhan is awesome!!"
The boy watched as the ball went in, then turned and glared at Xin Ran, saying, "I'm not afraid!"
After the boy named Qin Zhan finished his rant, his teammates who rushed up to celebrate jumped up and bumped his shoulder. He smiled generously, then glanced at Xin Ran, who gave him a thumbs up.
Chi Xia: "You're so excited, why don't you go ahead?"
Xin Ran laughed and said, "Sure, let's go together during halftime."
Chi Xia rolled her eyes at Xin Ran without responding.
The game was intense, with back-and-forth action. The strengths and weaknesses of the underdog class were very obvious: their academic scores were dragging them down, but their physical fitness was perfect.
"Go Yefeng!"
"Go Cheng Mo!"
"Go Aisheng!"
"Go Qin Zhan!"
...
The names of the best players from both classes were all shouted out by the cheerleaders. The teenage girls were more direct and enthusiastic, and were easily attracted by the boys' youthful energy as they sweated profusely.
Ye Feng and Cheng Mo were both eye-catching figures, and before long, the girls in both classes were blushing and discussing them.
"Who do you think is more handsome, Ye Feng or Cheng Mo?"
"I like Cheng Mo. Even though Cheng Mo seems carefree, he exudes the refined elegance of a noble young man."
"Refined? You didn't see him chasing after a girl with his hands full of poop and smearing it on his face, did you? If you ask me, Ye Feng is much more handsome. That calm and composed demeanor is a casual and unrestrained quality etched into his DNA. He's lazy yet elegant, and every gesture he makes is a picture-perfect scene!"
"As an adult, what choice do you make? They're both so handsome! One is a striking, sunny, and cheerful young man, the other is a effeminate, crazy, and incredibly handsome guy. I love them both!"
A girl whispered, "Doesn't anyone think the homeroom teacher of Class 4 is handsome too?"
Several girls quietly turned to look at Xin Ran, only to see him intently watching the intense competition and cheering for his classmates. His vibrant and lively personality was quite different from those students who pretended to be old-fashioned.
The girl whispered, "I like a homeroom teacher like the one in Class 4. He's mature yet childlike, warm and healing while also a little eccentric, and always provides you with plenty of emotional support!"
"Um... having seen him being violently 'dismantled' by Class 4, it's hard to remember that he actually has a good-looking face."
“Hehehe!”
Xin Ran felt someone chirping at him. He turned around, and the girls who had been talking about him immediately focused their attention back on the basketball court, cheering excitedly, "Go! Go!"
Xin Ran: "..."
Chi Xia watched the boys fight on the court quietly. This was a rare sight of them being serious. With their desire to win and their passion for the game, they ran, and the wind outlined the unique fervor of the boys.
Ye Feng invited Chi Xia to watch the ball game, and afterwards lent her the most skilled tracker. Chi Xia couldn't figure out what the boy's intentions were, just like how there are straight men and straight women in this world.
Or perhaps it was because her heart was filled with rage to avenge her sister, and she just wanted to find those beasts as soon as possible.
Ye Feng slammed home a dunk with lightning speed, eliciting a deafening roar from the crowd. His name echoed like the clear wind in a valley. At the height of his triumph, surrounded by admirers, he looked up at Chi Xia, mouthed something, and before Chi Xia could react, Ye Feng was off to another battle.
Class 4 was indeed very strong, the whole team was like a warship, steadily pressing for goals. But as Li Yao said, they were facing Class 3, Ye Feng, Cheng Mo and Feng Xiao, a trio seemingly welded to the field, even if the other two teammates' coordination was slightly weaker, it didn't stop them from always being able to tie the score.
At the end of the first half, Class 3 was down by two points. Xin Ran excitedly rushed into Class 4's resting group and actively devised tactics for them.
For the first time, the group of students who were usually arrogant and haughty did not refute Xin Ran. They rested and relaxed while listening quietly to Xin Ran's reasoned and well-founded analysis.
On the other hand, the players from Class 3 were quite lazy after leaving the court. Cheng Mo put his arm around Feng Xiao's shoulder to get water for the girls and gladly accepted the praise and admiration.
Ye Feng walked straight toward Chi Xia, his lazy smile revealing an undisguised joy.
"How was it? Was it exciting?"
Chi Xia: "It's alright."
Ye Feng frowned, caught the water Cheng Mo threw to him, and as he unscrewed the cap, his light-colored eyes glanced at Chi Xia, "It's really hard to get a single affirmation from you."
Chi Xia: "If we win, I'll praise you."
Ye Feng laughed, took a swig of water, tightened the cap on the remaining half bottle, and tossed it to Chi Xia.
"Beep!" The whistle for the second half blew.
Ye Feng said, "Wait. I'll come and claim my reward if I win."
Chi Xia suddenly regretted agreeing to watch the game with him; it was a complete blunder.
In the second half, each team made a substitution. When He Ying came on, Ye Feng gave her a look, and He Ying nodded knowingly.
The ball landed, and the scene suddenly shifted; the battle between the two classes was brutal.
Under Xin Ran's adjustments, Class 4 became incredibly strong. They replaced Qin Zhan, who had amazing speed but slightly weaker endurance and stamina, with someone whose height and build were a better fit for the team. Their speed, endurance, and offense were noticeably improved.
On Class 3's side, Ye Feng, Cheng Mo, and Feng Xiao no longer focused solely on their own enjoyable teamwork; they clearly integrated into the team, transforming from a formidable trio into a well-rounded pentagon. He Ying, positioned in the midfield, filled the gap left by the uneven skill levels among the five players.
Wow! That was amazing!
“Come on!”
The cheerleaders on both sides were shouting like a tsunami at the sidelines of the court.
Chi Xia wasn't very interested at first, but the charm of competition is that once you're there, it's hard to stay out of it. Chi Xia was also watching anxiously, worried that Class 3 wouldn't win the game.
Both teams displayed their absolute strength, and the score remained tightly intertwined, like a Möbius strip.
The whistles for goals and the shouts of cheerleaders rose and fell, even stopping the teachers who still had five minutes left in get out of class. The entire teaching building next door ended get out of class early, and the corridor overlooking the playground was instantly packed with people; those with long legs had already run to the scene.
What was supposed to be a class competition turned into a college-wide competition due to the growing number of spectators and cheers.
"bite!"
When the bell rang for the end of get out of class, the classroom was already empty, and the playground was packed with people. Those who couldn't find a spot to watch stood in the nearest school building's corridor.
The school's after-school broadcast was replaced with a live broadcast of a ball game, and drones recording holographic footage flew everywhere over the playground. The crowds and the live broadcast made Chi Xia frown. She instinctively pushed up her large-framed glasses and subtly moved away from the taller people.
Even with so many people and so much noise, Xin Ran still noticed Chi Xia's discomfort. He pushed aside the people between them, stood behind Chi Xia, and leaned down to whisper, "Shall we go?"
Chi Xia nodded.
Xin Ran smiled and asked people to make way. Pushing Chi Xia's shoulder, they slowly drove out of the crowd like a little train. As they left the path next to the playground, the number of people gradually decreased, and the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Xin Ran: "Should we wait until the match is over?"
Chi Xia: "Mm."
Xin Ran: "Then let's go back to the office and wait."
Chi Xia: "Okay."
The two did not arrange a home visit tonight. Chi Xia had told Xin Ran about her plan last night. She contacted a few people through the bracelet Ye Feng gave her and asked a few questions about tracking people. She was not satisfied with the answers from those people.
She messaged Ye Feng, asking to borrow someone else. Ye Feng seemed unsurprised and readily agreed, but on the condition that she come to watch his match.
Ye Feng said at the time, "Come watch my match tomorrow. I'll lend you whatever people you need."
Anyone else would have been left hanging like a beak, but Chi Xia, oblivious to romance, simply said, "Fine."
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