Chapter 56. Brother Ji isn't conservative, he's upholding male virtues...
The school basketball tournament proceeded as scheduled.
The preliminary round was a 16-to-8 elimination round.
Class 2 vs. Class 12.
Class 12 is a humanities class, and there aren't many boys to begin with. They barely managed to put together a team, and their skill level was quite poor.
The only one whose skill level is passable is their class's sports committee member.
Unfortunately, one man's strength is no match for four; running around the field alone was simply not enough to turn the tide.
In the stands, the students from Class 12 initially cheered for the team on the field, but they completely lost heart in the second half. Ironically, right next to them were the students from Class 2, whose shouts of encouragement grew louder and louder.
The contrast between on and off the field was stark.
"It's a complete massacre."
"What's wrong with Ji Jingyu? He doesn't give Chen Xilin any face at all."
Why should we give Chen Xilin face?
"Aren't they in that kind of relationship?"
"Are you a caveman? Your information is so outdated."
"What's the meaning?"
"Ji Jingyu himself clarified that he has no relationship with Chen Xilin."
“When I asked her before if she was Ji Jingyu’s girlfriend, she didn’t deny it.”
"She didn't deny it, but she never admitted it either. I think she did it on purpose, using an ambiguous and vague attitude to make everyone think that she and Ji Jingyu are a couple."
"No wonder she didn't come to watch the basketball game this time. I guess the truth has come out, and she was afraid of running into Ji Jingyu and feeling awkward."
"Some people are saying that Ji Jingyu suddenly denied having any relationship with Chen Xilin because he really has a girlfriend, and that his girlfriend was probably unhappy, so he did it."
"Really?"
"How would I know? Just take these things with a grain of salt; they're all hearsay."
“True.” As he spoke, the man took out his phone from his pocket. “Move closer to me, I’m going to sneak a few pictures. He’s so handsome, it would be a loss not to take some.”
Not only her, but anyone you glance out of the corner of your eye is secretly taking pictures with their phone.
"Be careful, the head of the grade might just pop out from some corner and catch you red-handed!"
"That's why I asked you to cover for me. Keep a good cover, and I'll send you a copy of the photos later."
"make a deal."
—
Yu Xiaocheng glanced at Jiang Sui, her expression puzzled, "Everyone else is taking pictures, why aren't you?"
Jiang Sui replied, "Someone helped me take the picture."
The filming team she hired was scattered throughout the basketball court, recording the game from all angles. When the time came, it would be easy for her to create a highlight reel of Ji Jingyu playing basketball.
The gymnasium at Xunning No. 2 Middle School was built some years ago, and the facilities were simple and the surrounding people were noisy, but this did not affect Jiang Sui's interest at all.
Yu Xiaocheng's wishful thinking ultimately failed.
Unlike Jiang Deyu and his teammates who only wore jerseys, their abs were visible when they made slightly larger movements, eliciting screams from the audience.
Ji Jingyu wore a white short-sleeved shirt under her red jersey, as if afraid that no one would see even a little bit of it.
Even so, he remains the most dazzling presence on the field.
The usually reserved and aloof boy transforms completely on the court, becoming arrogant and domineering, conquering territory and refusing to yield an inch.
The match is nearing its end.
In the final seconds, the ball was passed to Ji Jingyu again, and the class's sports representative, who was closest to him, rushed over to block it. Ji Jingyu dribbled the ball slightly to the left, making a flawless feint that successfully fooled his opponent. He leaped high into the air, his slender, pale arm rising sharply.
The basketball arced through the air and landed perfectly in the hoop with a "thump".
A perfect three-pointer.
The game ended with the final whistle.
Class 2 won the match without any suspense and advanced smoothly to the semifinals.
"Damn, Brother Ji is awesome!" Jiang Deyu was the first to rush over and try to hug Ji Jingyu, but he nimbly dodged him.
"I'm covered in sweat, don't touch me."
His cool voice carried obvious disdain.
The victorious team hugged each other, laughing and jumping, while Ji Jingyu stood aside with her arms crossed, forming a unique and charming scene.
If it weren't for the faint smile on his lips, one might almost think that this match had nothing to do with him.
"You've worked hard, wipe your sweat."
As soon as the players left the field, Jiang Sui immediately surrounded them and handed Ji Jingyu a towel.
Several blue veins stretched across Ji Jingyu's pale neck, and his body was warm from vigorous exercise, mixed with the cool scent of mint. Even at such close range, Jiang Sui didn't find the smell unpleasant at all; on the contrary, she felt a slight burning sensation in her ears.
As if trying to hide something, she reached for the energy drink next to her, intending to open it and give it to Ji Jingyu.
I twisted it, but nothing happened.
Twist it again, and my palm hurts.
Jiang Sui gritted her teeth, just as she was about to pinch him a third time, when a faint chuckle came from above her head. It was not malicious, but rather carried a hint of doting.
Then, the drink in Jiang Sui's hand was taken away.
Ji Jingyu draped the towel around her neck and easily unscrewed the bottle cap. Her slender, fair fingers gripped the dark bottle as she leaned slightly over Jiang Sui, a hint of amusement flickering in her eyes. "Thirsty?"
So Jiang Sui, somewhat confused, took the bottle of beverage back.
The slightly sweet taste in her mouth brought her back to her senses.
She gave this drink to Ji Jingyu, so how did it end up back in her hands?
"This is for you to drink."
Ji Jingyu didn't take it. His gaze traveled from the bottle opening to Jiang Sui's pink lips, which were wet with water, and he subconsciously swallowed hard.
Jiang Sui didn't react at first, tilting her head and blinking at him, as if asking him why he wasn't drinking.
“If Brother Ji doesn’t want to drink, I will. I’m thirsty.” A tanned hand reached in from the side, and Jiang Deyu praised her with a grin, “Jiang Sui, you’re so thoughtful. You even screwed the bottle cap on for me.”
Seeing this, Yu Xiaocheng couldn't help but facepalm, speechless at this clueless idiot.
Just as Jiang Deyu was about to take the drink, someone else was faster.
Ji Jingyu calmly tightened the bottle cap and gripped the bottle firmly. "This is mine."
"That was given to Brother Ji by Jiang Sui, why are you taking it?" Tong Xia stretched out his long arm, put his arm around Jiang Deyu's neck, and pulled him away from that area.
Jiang Deyu was completely unprepared and stumbled as he was pulled, almost causing both of them to fall to the ground.
He snapped, "What are you doing?"
"Didn't you say you were thirsty? I'll take you to get some water." Tong Xia guiltily withdrew her hand and reached out to tug at Jiang Deyu's wrinkled jersey. "I just finished playing basketball and I'm still a little excited, so I used a bit too much force. Sorry."
"Judging from the way you acted just now, I thought you were going to discard me after I've served my purpose!"
"Why kill the donkey? The preliminary rounds have just ended. You'll still be very useful."
Yu Xiaocheng was afraid that Jiang Deyu was still eyeing the bottle of drink in Ji Jingyu's hand, so she bent down and stuffed the cardboard box on the ground, which still contained half a case of drinks, into his arms, and patted his shoulder with a smile, "Don't be shy, it's all yours."
After a two-second silence, Jiang Deyu accused with a look of grief and indignation, "...Do you think I'm a water buffalo?"
In a corner where no one was watching, Yu Xiaocheng quietly gave Tong Xia a thumbs up.
That's a good level of awareness!
Tong Xia gave a wry smile.
For a love rival to go to such lengths, he is truly unprecedented and likely to remain so.
When Jiang Sui and Ji Jingyu get married, he must sit at the head table.
—
But overall, water buffaloes are quite easy to coax.
After drinking his fill of water, Jiang Deyu once again revealed his carefree smile, "Come on, let's take a shower and change clothes."
Although the gymnasium at No. 2 Middle School is old, it is small but complete, and it still has everything you need.
The changing room is equipped with showers.
The locker room felt a bit crowded when five tall boys came in.
Jiang Deyu lifted his jersey to show off his well-defined abs to everyone, saying, "Look at these abs, they're the real deal. If I'm second, no one in Xunning dares to claim to be second!"
Tong Xia wasn't going to be outdone. Since there were only boys inside, he boldly took off his shirt, saying, "Mine is clearly better looking, the real washboard! All those screams on the field were directed at me."
"Tch, it's clearly yelling at me!"
"It's me!"
"Brother Ji, you tell me, whose abs are better looking, mine or Tong Xia's?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Jingyu glanced at Jiang Deyu expressionlessly. Under the latter's expectant gaze, he draped the towel over the back of the chair, then turned around, picked up his change of clothes, and went into the shower room.
Before long, the sound of water could be heard from inside.
Standing to the side, Guan Fan couldn't help but laugh at them, "Brother Ji is too lazy to get involved in your childish competition."
Another boy, Qiu Le, chimed in, "Brother Ji is quite conservative; he even wraps himself up so tightly when playing basketball."
Tong Xia sighed deeply, and without controlling her voice, she shouted, "What do you know? He's not conservative, he's just... never mind, I won't say anymore."
This feeling of being the only one sober while everyone else is drunk is just too unbearable!
Tong Xia thought.
But since he promised the class monitor he would keep the secret, he will definitely keep his promise.
The locker room was poorly soundproofed, and Tong Xia's words were overheard by several girls waiting outside.
Yu Xiaocheng revealed a meaningful smile and completed what Tong Xia hadn't finished saying, "Brother Ji isn't conservative, he's upholding male virtues."
"Upholding male virtues?" Xia Fan was texting Gu Ci and hadn't heard the whole thing when she heard the last three words Yu Xiaocheng said. Her eyes widened suddenly. "Who upholds male virtues? Is there anything new going on in our class?"
“…Nobody, you misheard.” Yu Xiaocheng patted her head. “Sweetie, keep chatting with your brother.”
Xia Fan looked at Yu Xiaocheng with a suspicious expression, while Yu Xiaocheng responded with a sincere smile.
She turned to look at Jiang Sui, "Sui Sui, what do you say?"
Jiang Sui nodded. "You really misheard. What the class monitor said was that the boys in our class really uphold male virtues and didn't take off their clothes on the field."
"Oh." Xia Fan instantly lost interest and turned her attention back to her phone.
“I can understand you keeping it from that idiot Jiang Deyu, but why are you keeping it from Xia Fan too? She would definitely keep your secret.” Yu Xiaocheng asked Jiang Sui through gritted teeth.
Jiang Sui was speechless; she, as the person involved, had no idea that she and Ji Jingyu had become a couple.
"My relationship with Ji Jingyu is not what you think."
Not yet, at least not now.
Yu Xiaocheng's mouth dropped open instantly, and she stood there dumbfounded.
Did I misjudge it?
That shouldn't be the case.
"It's not that kind of relationship. You gave Brother Ji a drink you had already drunk."
Although there were many people around, Yu Xiaocheng saw clearly that Jiang Sui had taken a sip of the drink first.
"When did I give him the drink I had..."
Jiang Sui paused, finally belatedly remembering the matter.
She covered her face and whispered, "I forgot."
Unfortunately, her explanation was weak and unconvincing.
The tips of his ears turned red.
Yu Xiaocheng continued her in-depth analysis, "But Brother Ji still took the drink in the end."
"He was probably afraid that Jiang Deyu would take it and drink it."
After all, it was a beverage she had drunk from. What would it look like if Jiang Deyu actually drank it?
Do you even believe that yourself?
“I don’t believe it,” Xia Fan, who had been silent until now, replied. “Anyway, I don’t believe it.”
Seeing Yu Xiaocheng and Jiang Sui turn to look at her, Xia Fan slyly curled the corners of her mouth, "Didn't you say that I'm not that idiot Jiang Deyu?"
Yu Xiaocheng was not surprised by this. "That's true. You have a super brain assisting you behind the scenes."
Even if Xia Fan couldn't figure it out herself, as long as she was willing to ask, Gu Cilu could explain it to her.
Jiang Sui looked up at the sky... Flower Board: "Believe it or not, it's up to you."
—
Jiang Sui was not in the classroom during the second draw.
So Jiang Deyu went to the grade group to draw lots by himself.
When Jiang Deyu saw that the color of the note in his hand was exactly the same as that of the sports committee member of Class 4, his mind went blank and he immediately crumpled the note into a ball.
His luck is still as bad as ever!
Tong Xia was very dissatisfied with the draw result. "Why did we have to play against Class Four?"
Class 4 not only has members of the school basketball team, but the key point is that the people in their class play basketball dirty.
Tong Xia and his friends had all suffered losses before, and they disdained playing with people like that.
They had hoped for divine intervention to crush Class 4 in the preliminary rounds, but instead they ended up meeting them in the semifinals.
"I can't do anything about it now that I've been drawn this time, so I'll just have to follow the arrangements." Jiang Deyu was also annoyed. "This is a good opportunity for Brother Ji to smash their heads in."
—
When Su Yinian returned home, Jiang Sui had not yet rested.
"Mom." Hearing the door open, she excitedly came to greet her.
Su Yinian felt that habit was a really scary thing.
She is now completely used to coming home every day to a cute and pretty little guy calling her "Mom".
If Jiang Sui were to return to Licheng someday, she would probably find it difficult to adjust for a long time.
Thinking of this, the smile on Su Yinian's lips gradually faded.
Unaware of anything amiss, Jiang Sui ran to the kitchen and brought the glass bowl that had been kept warm to the dining table.
"What's this?"
Jiang Sui handed the spoon to Su Yinian, "It's getting colder recently, and Grandma Ji was worried that your throat would be uncomfortable if you had a lot of classes, so she specially made rock sugar pear water."
"That's so embarrassing." Su Yinian felt a warmth in his heart. "Sui Sui, did you properly thank Grandma Ji?"
"Of course I'll tell you." Jiang Sui rested her chin on her hands and looked at her obediently. "Grandma Ji said that the pears in here were bought for her by you, and that cooking them is not troublesome at all. She told you not to feel embarrassed. She also said that she is getting old and her favorite thing to do every day is to prepare food and drinks for the younger generation. She told you not to deprive her of this joy."
Having been neighbors for over a decade, Grandma Ji knew exactly how to handle Su Yinian.
Su Yinian didn't say anything more. He held the spoon, lowered his head, and took a sip of the rock sugar pear water. It tasted sweet and refreshing, not cloying at all.
"Sui Sui, do you want some?"
Jiang Sui waved her hand, "I already had a drink at Brother Ji's house."
Going to Ji Jingyu's house now is no different from going back to her own home. If she doesn't show up one day, Grandma Ji will even have Ji Jingyu come and call her.
As a senior high school homeroom teacher, Su Yinian has many and complicated things to manage, and he has very little time to spend with Jiang Sui. Fortunately, Grandma Ji and Ji Jingyu help take care of Jiang Sui.
Su Yinian didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.
If Jiang Sui hadn't received such good care, perhaps she would have returned to Jiang Yunzhao's side long ago.
It seems that Jiang Sui can really stay by her side for a long, long time.
"Mom, the draw results for the basketball tournament are out."
"Yes, I know." As soon as the draw was over, their class's sports representative told her the results.
"In the semifinals, Class 2 will play against Class 4. Which class do you hope will win?"
Su Yinian saw through Jiang Sui's little scheme at a glance: "Are you worried that I'll feel uncomfortable if Class Two wins?"
"Um."
After all, Su Yinian is the homeroom teacher of Class 4, which is related to the honor of Class 4. Jiang Sui was afraid that Su Yinian would have some resentment in her heart.
"Don't worry," Su Yinian said with a smile. "I'll be happy no matter which class wins, because it's a victory they won fair and square through their own strength."
She paused for a moment, then teased Jiang Sui, "Besides, how do you know Class 4 will definitely lose? I think our class is pretty good at basketball too."
Jiang Sui retorted almost without thinking, "Class Two will definitely win, because Brother Ji is the best!"
"Hmm." Su Yinian smiled lightly, "If your voice were any louder, Xiao Jing would know that there's a little fangirl living across from her."
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