Chapter 123

Xia Xi didn't blush, but Zhao Lei, who was likewise being watched by the audience beside her, blushed first. She used one hand to shield her face so that when others photographed Xia Xi they wouldn't also capture her, and with the other hand she furtively tugged at Xia Xi's hem, indicating that this ancestor should quickly sit down and not cause a scandal.

A moment later, Xu Yanfeng withdrew his gaze, the roar of the crowd unable to drown out his heart pounding like a drum.

His heart slammed wildly against his chest, each beat louder than the last, about to burst through that barrier and leap out.

This isn't normal.

This is the second time; he can't control his heartbeat. Last time it was in the library during a power outage, when she pretended to be afraid of the dark and dove into his arms.

But he could control his expression, he strained to keep a calm face as he followed his teammates to the waiting area.

A few sturdy teammates bumped into each other, their eyes full of envy as they looked at Xu Yanfeng and teased, 'Being confessed to by a great beauty really boosts your face; when will I also get this treatment?'

'Next life then! Remember to grow better looking.'

'Before you criticize others, you'd better first take a look in the mirror.'

'That Xia Xi is so alluring, yet unexpectedly also kinda cute. Even if she weren't confessing to me, my heart would go all soft,' the boy said, rubbing his chest.

'Don't entertain random thoughts; she already belongs to someone.'

Xu Yanfeng heard them talking about Xia Xi, and for some reason he felt a bit uneasy, even though their words held no malice.

He furrowed his brow slightly, then quickly relaxed, sitting with legs spread on the bench, elbows on knees, back slightly bent, head bowed, remaining silent the whole time.

The teammates chattered, taking seats beside him one after another, glancing at him, really wanting to ask, 'Do you really have no thoughts about Xia Xi?' But seeing he clearly didn't want to talk, they could only suppress their gossip.

In the stands, Xia Xi finally sat down properly. Turning her head, she saw Zhao Lei's face flushed crimson; turning the other way, she saw Wu Qinglu's face also red. Xia Xi was a bit bewildered: 'Why are your faces red?'

The two looked at Xia Xi's fair complexion and admired her strong mental fortitude.

Zhao Lei said, 'I'm blushing for you! You suddenly confessed, with all those people looking over, I—I—I… I can't handle it!'

Wu Qinglu nodded, wanting to add: 'Me too.'

Xia Xi felt a little guilty; she herself didn't think it was a big deal, but she had implicated them: 'Sorry.'

Zhao Lei calmed a bit and said, 'Why didn't you wait until after the game to confess?'

Xia Xi fiddled with the camera strap and said honestly, 'I just saw him walk in, he was so handsome I couldn't help blurting it out.' She smiled at Zhao Lei, 'Now thinking about it, this is actually good; after the game, surely lots of girls will flock to him, and with my injured body could I even squeeze through them?'

Zhao Lei gave her a thumbs-up; although it was a spur-of-the-moment impulse, it also showed deep foresight—no wonder it's Xia Xi.

The game started, and Xia Xi had no other thoughts; her attention was wholly focused on that running figure on the court, sometimes forgetting to take photos, until Zhao Lei seated beside her reminded, 'Are you just lugging that camera around for show?'

Xia Xi realized, 'Oh,' raised the camera, and shot Xu Yanfeng with her shaky, half-bottle-of-water level of photography.

Zhao Lei witnessed her unprofessional stance, shook her head, and wondered what kind of divine photo she could possibly produce.

Xia Xi read Zhao Lei's expression and said, 'Although my technique isn't great, I can't help it—my Xu Yanfeng is so handsome that even casual shots turn out superb. Look at those bulging veins, those crystal-clear sweat droplets, those gorgeous abs—there's no flaw anywhere; it's practically Nuwa's final project!'

What she said was true, but Zhao Lei still got goosebumps, rubbed her arms, wore a look of disgust, and drew out a 'yi' sound: 'Your Xu Yanfeng—when did he become yours? I had no idea.'

Xia Xi wasn't embarrassed either, declaring openly: 'Sooner or later.'

On the court, the boys' sneakers scraped the smooth floor, occasionally emitting a sharp sound. Sweat soaked the jerseys' collars, and another three-pointer swooshed beautifully into the hoop, the whole crowd leaping to their feet and screaming.

At halftime, Xu Yanfeng yanked off the sweat-drenched headband on his forehead, casually swept his bangs up to the crown, revealing a clean forehead that made his face look smoother and his features more three-dimensional. He stood with his back to the rest chair, bent over, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his face and neck.

A girl ran across half the court to bring him water, not just one; they were all dressed beautifully, their clothes and makeup perfect.

No matter how fervently Xia Xi pursued Xu Yanfeng, as long as he hadn't agreed, they still had a chance.

They might not be able to match Xia Xi's fervor, but they could still muster the courage to hand him a bottle of water.

Who knows? Maybe he'd notice them.

Seeing this, Zhao Lei worried for Xia Xi, tilted her head and whispered in her ear, 'Such a good opportunity, aren't you going to go over and fawn?' She shoved an unopened sports drink into Xia Xi's hand, urging, 'Go quick.'

Xia Xi shoved the drink back, pointed at her injured foot, and said with clear self-awareness, 'With this busted leg of mine, hobbling over there would mean the yellow flowers would be cold by the time I arrived.'

Zhao Lei felt both pity and amusement.

The cheerleaders came onto the field to dance, the venue's atmosphere staying high; Xia Xi had no time to watch them, and even if Xu Yanfeng was resting, her gaze never shifted, mainly to see which girl he accepted water from.

A group of girls surrounded him, apparently praising him, their faces flushing as they spoke.

Zhao Lei again whispered to Xia Xi, 'Can you really hold it in? Aren't you jealous?'

Xia Xi took it in stride: 'Xu Yanfeng is single, everyone's competing fairly, that's nothing.' But to say she felt no jealousy would be too hypocritical, so she nodded, admitting openly, 'Yeah, I do—after all, I'm just watching to see which girl he treats specially.'

Xu Yanfeng didn't take the girls' water; a teammate tossed him a bottle, he caught it with a raised hand, lifted it slightly toward the girls to indicate he already had water, his attitude aloof yet polite.

Xia Xi didn't miss this scene; the corners of her eyes and mouth curled up, her heart a little pleased, impossible to hide.

Zhao Lei also noticed, crossed her legs, and gave a sharp comment: 'Hmm, a plus point—not flirting with girls who like him, thus giving them hope.'

Before Xia Xi could respond, Zhao Lei added a twist: 'But he's also not being ambiguous with you, not giving you hope.'

Xia Xi: 'That last sentence actually didn't need to be said.'

In the rest area, Xu Yanfeng gulped a few mouthfuls of water, his gaze sweeping over the spectators in the stands, pausing for two seconds at one spot, then looking away, he tightened the bottle cap, set the water aside, and began discussing tactics with his teammates.

The whistle blew, and the break ended.

In the second half, Xu Yanfeng played fiercely, completely disregarding the opponent's wellbeing—three-pointers, two-pointers, steals, slam dunks, without catching his breath, the scoreboard representing the Architecture Department flipping pages nonstop.

The court boiled with fervor, the stands likewise erupting in continuous cheers, the venue's ceiling about to be lifted by wave after wave of sound, each louder than the last.

The game ended, the outcome without suspense; Xu Yanfeng's team crushed the opposition with an overwhelming victory and snatched the championship title.

Like the silence after fireworks, as the game concluded the audience departed in order, and the venue returned to its former stillness.

Several players in the locker room took off their sweat-soaked jerseys, put on their own clothes, heading out while reviewing the exciting moments on the court, discussing them heatedly.

They thought the audience had all left, but there was still one person.

It was Xia Xi, standing on the court where just moments ago fierce battle had taken place, now empty of anyone, awkwardly patting a basketball someone had left behind.

'Thud, thud, thud.'

The basketball hit the ground, and the sound echoed in the spacious venue.

Xu Yanfeng saw her, and his steps visibly stalled.

The toe of Xia Xi's injured foot touched the ground; she limped back to beyond the three-point line, her gray skirt swaying gently with her movement. She held the basketball with both hands, turned her head to look at Xu Yanfeng, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly—clearly not intentionally trying to entice him, yet she smiled in such a bewitchingly charming way.

'Xu Yanfeng, let's make a bet,' she said. 'If I can sink a three-pointer, will you add me on WeChat? If I lose, I'll stop bothering you from now on.'