He was the focus of attention, and now Zhou Wan also became the focus, with discussions behind her.
“Is Lu Xixiao dating Zhou Wan? Last time on the forum, didn’t they say Lu Xixiao was picking her up after school?”
“Damn, my worldview is shattered, how did those two get to know each other?!”
“Shit shit shit Lu Xixiao is handsome, so suave and flirty, even if you got played by him it’d be worth it.”
“You know, Zhou Wan is quite pretty, the more you look at her the better she looks, and she’s so sweet-looking, they look quite good together.”
“I still think the femme fatale type suits Lu Xixiao better.”
“Anyway, no matter what type, Lu Xixiao never dates anyone for more than a month.”
…
Zhou Wan held his clothes, looking straight ahead, pretending she hadn’t heard anything.
With a whistle blast, the game began.
Jump ball, Lu Xixiao controlled the ball, quickly dribbling toward the basket.
Several No. 18 players marked him tightly, not giving an inch of space, Luo He spread his arms, blocking Lu Xixiao’s path.
Lu Xixiao looked at him coldly. Everyone thought in this situation he could only pass to a teammate, but his teammates were also tightly defended, seemingly at a dead end.
No one saw clearly, but Lu Xixiao made a fake move, causing Luo He to fall.
He jumped up from his spot, wrist pressing down—
Bang.
Score!
The whole venue erupted.
The opening immediately raised the temperature.
Lu Xixiao landed steadily, lowering his eyes to glance at Luo He on the ground, letting out a soft sneer.
Luo He’s face changed, veins bulging, as he got up and shouted to his teammates: “Get back on defense!”
The first quarter ended 18:24, with Yangming Middle School in the lead.
As soon as they left the court, many girls went up to offer water, both from Yangming and No. 18.
Lu Xixiao didn’t accept any, walking through the crowd to grab his towel from the seat to wipe his sweat.
He straightened up, looking at Zhou Wan: “Water.”
There was a box of mineral water prepared nearby, and Zhou Wan quickly went to get one, handing it to him.
Lu Xixiao raised his eyebrows.
She then helped him twist off the cap.
Lu Xixiao took it, tilting his head back to drink.
The water level in the bottle rapidly decreased, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. After finishing the bottle, he threw it on the ground.
“Has your cold completely recovered?” Zhou Wan asked softly, leaning closer.
Lu Xixiao seemed not to hear clearly, bending down to bring his ear to her mouth: “Hm?”
His body was radiating heat, full of surging hormonal energy. Zhou Wan bit her lip and repeated herself.
He laughed lightly, straightening up: “Been better for a while.”
As the second quarter began, many people noticed that No. 18’s playing style had changed. They weren’t giving Lu Xixiao any chance to get the ball, and whenever other teammates controlled the ball and jumped, they would use the momentum to knock them down.
Backs scraped against the green plastic court, making harsh sounds.
“Fuck! They’re not calling this! That’s a foul!” a boy cursed from behind.
“Damn it, Luo He’s group must have bribed the referee, not calling fouls like this, is the referee blind?!”
Lu Xixiao’s expression didn’t change, his gaze calm as he said coldly: “Everyone plays properly.”
But No. 18’s group was used to playing street ball, and the game got increasingly dirty.
Even Lu Xixiao was pushed down while shooting.
But the referee only called a few insignificant yellow cards, and the dissatisfied voices from below grew louder.
By halftime, it was 48:32, with No. 18 scoring 30 points in one quarter to take the lead.
“This game is eye-opening, winning by playing so dirty, what’s the point?”
“Heard Luo He and Lu Xixiao have been at odds for several years, he’s deliberately provoking him. Didn’t see them play this excessively in the semi-finals.”
…
Zhou Wan rarely watched such games, her hands tightly clenched throughout, her nails leaving red marks on her palms.
Lu Xixiao and his teammates stood together, discussing tactics for the next quarter.
Two players were more seriously injured earlier, one with a twisted leg, another with bruised arms from collisions.
Zhou Wan’s heart clenched watching this, feeling very uncomfortable.