As dawn breaks, a gentle breeze stirs the leaves, casting shadows on the branches.
The paths near the grapevine courtyard are full of newly sprouted flowers and plants.
Two figures, one in front and one behind, along with the shadow of the rolling bicycle wheels, crushed the shadows of the trees.
"Along this road... Whew..." Lu Yu half-sat up and pedaled hard on the bicycle pedals, taking a breath, "After we get past this hill, we can see the bright red sun."
The long uphill road is the final challenge of the ride.
In the blink of an eye, Jiao Yuyin accelerated and swerved to block the road in front of Lu Yu, saying, "How about we slowly walk up?"
"It'll be hard to get back on after you rest," Lu Yu said, supporting her bicycle with one leg on the ground. She hesitated.
Jiao Yuyin tilted his head to indicate this, parked his bicycle, and a smile appeared at the corners of his eyes and lips. "Let's go."
As soon as Lu Yu got off the bicycle, Jiao Yuyin took it from him and pushed it a couple of steps.
"Why are you pushing my car?" Lu Yu took two steps to catch up.
"I'll give you a ride back," Jiao Yuyin said with a forced smile. "My car is parked on the side of the road, it won't get stolen, will it?"
"You won't lose your car even if you lose your bike."
"..."
After crossing the long slope, the bright red sun danced at the end of the path.
Jiao Yuyin gazed into the distance, his voice seemingly drifting from afar. "There's no rush on the uphill road. Even if you fall, the worst that can happen is just taking it slow."
Lu Yu enjoyed the morning light massaging her cheeks.
So... it's okay to fall...
The return journey was a long downhill road.
Lu Yu sat in the back seat of the car, taking deep breaths, waiting for Jiao Yuyin to start the car at any moment.
"Going uphill is tough, going downhill is exciting!"
Lu Yu felt Jiao Yuyin's voice brush past her ears in the wind, and her hands gripped Jiao Yuyin's waist tightly, sinking into the safety folds of his dark windbreaker.
"Jiao Yuyin—" Lu Yu's voice was drawn out and sped up.
The morning light was left behind, leaving only elongated shadows to guide the way.
...
The crucial semi-final match has arrived as scheduled.
The beautiful mountains, rivers, and scenery of Jiang City failed to excite the Qingbei team members; a sense of oppression and tension lingered in their minds.
The stadium where Jiang team played was already packed with spectators, and the cheers and shouts from both teams were equally loud.
Before the team went on the field, Sun Meng came over and gave Lu Yu a hug. "Go for it!"
These two words were the only thing Sun Meng could say, and for Lu Yu, they were enough encouragement.
Jiao Yuyin, sitting in the stands, glanced at Qin Meng with a detached expression. Qin Meng, usually so composed, was waving her cheering stick and shouting "Go Qingbei Team!"
"Lu Yu, keep going!" Jiao Yuyin's low voice was drowned out by the cheers from the crowd.
Lu Yu took his position, lowered his center of gravity, and waited for the kickoff.
The basketball was tossed high into the air, and Yang Lingling seemed to jump higher than ever before. Her all-out leap contained the pent-up energy of the Qingbei team.
Lu Yu stared intently at the direction the basketball was flying.
The rapidly spinning basketball magnified in Lu Yu's pupils. Lu Yu stretched out his long arm and retrieved the basketball.
Yang Lingling's jumping advantage allowed Qingbei team to score the first point, and Jiang team immediately returned to defense.
Just past half-court, Jiang's two defenders immediately marked Lu Yu, using the same tactics as in the previous game.
Lu Yu slowed down his dribbling pace, but the two defenders on the Jiang team dared not relax for a moment. Lu Yu's feints and dribbling speed put immense pressure on the defenders.
Neither of Lu Yu's two probing steps broke through the encirclement. Lu Yu immediately retreated, and Chu Feiyu made an off-the-ball run to receive the pass. However, Weng Pei immediately followed up and blocked the passing path between Lu Yu and Chu Feiyu.
Team Jiang's strategy was clear: shut down Qingbei's outside scoring.
In the blink of an eye, Lu Yu swayed his shoulder to the right and immediately dribbled behind his back, accurately passing the ball to Yang Liu not far away.
Small forward Yang Liu received the ball and drove to the basket. Jiang's small forward blocked the inside, forcing Yang Liu to stop abruptly. Yang Liu immediately bounced the ball to the back, and Lu Yu, who was running, caught the ball, turned around, and successfully drove into the inside.
Just before Jiang's two defenders were about to close in and form a pincer movement, Lu Yu suddenly stopped and shot.
Score.
Liu Du's voice rang out from the commentary booth. "Lu Yu and Yang Liu's quick pass combination gave Qingbei the first goal. Judging from their opening performance, Qingbei is in good form and has not been greatly affected by Sun Meng's absence."
"Captain Jiang and Qingbei Team are indeed old rivals. Captain Jiang knows Chu Feiyu too well. This young player, Chu Feiyu, has a big heart, but she relies heavily on her touch. It seems that Captain Jiang will definitely not give Chu Feiyu a chance to gain momentum." Feng Xu's words were incisive.
Luo Yan added, "Right now, Lu Yu is the only one on the Qingbei team who can organize the offense. Team Jiang is forcing the Qingbei team to make inside breakthroughs, which is a huge test for Lu Yu's mentality and physical strength. Lu Yu is under a lot of pressure in this game. The key is whether the Qingbei team's defense can improve."
It's Jiang's turn to have possession of the ball.
Jiang's point guard had just dribbled the ball across half-court when he immediately passed it to Weng Pei.
The Qingbei team adopted a one-on-one man-to-man defense. If you were to ask who on the Qingbei team understands Weng Pei best this season, it wouldn't be his former teammate Lu Yu, but rather Chu Feiyu, who has repeatedly analyzed Weng Pei's offensive moves.
After all, to Chu Feiyu, the little donkey, Weng Pei was like a carrot. Chu Feiyu's long-suppressed emotions seemed to be waiting for a real opportunity to prove herself.
Chu Feiyu stayed close to Weng Pei, maintaining the optimal defensive distance.
Just as Weng Pei suddenly lowered her center of gravity and bounced the basketball quickly, Chu Feiyu watched Weng Pei's dribbling rhythm and suddenly reached out to try to steal the ball.
Just as Chu Feiyu reached out to shift her weight, Weng Pei suddenly stepped back, seizing the opportunity to adjust Chu Feiyu's center of gravity, and decisively shot from beyond the three-point line.
The basketball flew past and slammed into Chu Feiyu's heart.
In one round, Jiang team immediately took the lead.
“They’ve started to actively intercept the ball,” Ong Pei said with a smug smile, “but it’s not enough.”
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