38

 Zheng Fuxin clearly didn’t take Xiang Ran seriously.

He raised an eyebrow, his arrogant demeanor filling the air, as if the entire world should revolve around him.

“Zheng Fuxin, what do you want?!”

Liu Shuyao found Zheng Fuxin utterly unreasonable.

“We have plans, so we’re not participating in your childish game.”

She impatiently dropped that line and tried to pull Xiang Ran away.

Fatty felt confused; how did their conversation go from friendly to this sudden battle?

And what was with Zheng Fuxin targeting their Xiang Ran for no reason?

Just as they were about to leave with the school belle, unexpectedly,

Xiang Ran released Liu Shuyao’s hand and took Zheng Fuxin’s basketball instead, his expression calm and composed, as if he hadn’t noticed the provocation.

“Sure!”

He spoke lightly, his gaze locked onto Zheng Fuxin, showing no sign of retreat or anger.

Zheng Fuxin didn’t expect this. Not to mention he had just won the match and was feeling good, but even without that, this guy, who looked like he spent all his time writing papers in the lab, shouldn’t be his opponent.

“Not bad, kid, you’ve got some guts!”

Zheng Fuxin was pleased to receive a response to his provocation.

He glanced at Xiang Ran’s worn-out sneakers with a raised eyebrow, his tone dripping with disdain.

“Those shoes of yours okay? If you lose, don’t say I bullied you.”

Xiang Ran didn’t want to waste words. The two entered the court one after the other.

The atmosphere on the basketball court quickly shifted back to Zheng Fuxin, with everyone watching this scene in silence.

Fatty was utterly bewildered by the sudden change.

“Hey, wait a minute!”

“Why are we even paying attention to him? Just ignore him!”

“Why did Xiang Ran step onto the court?”

“What if he loses?!”

“How good is Xiang Ran at basketball?” Zhao Ying asked the guy beside her.

Fatty recalled the few times they had played basketball in college.

Xiang Ran, aside from coding, was usually not very proactive in activities, especially basketball, which seemed more like casual fun for him.

Though he could shoot, he never really gave it his all, but he had good court awareness and often passed the ball to them.

All things considered, plus Zheng Fuxin’s performance today,

“Xiang Ran’s skill can only be described as competent.”

“Why do you want to raise others’ spirits while lowering your own?”

Zhao Ying was not impressed with Fatty’s analysis; she was wholeheartedly supporting Xiang Ran!

“I’m being rational here!”

Fatty protested.

“If you think that way, why ask me?!”

“And you? You should support your Xiang Ran!”

Zhao Ying lightly nudged the school belle’s shoulder.

“What school belle? Xiang Ran is clearly mine!”

Fatty felt Zhao Ying was talking nonsense, wanting to avoid upsetting the school belle, so he explained.

“Okay, okay!”

“Yours then.”

Zhao Ying didn’t want to argue with Fatty.

Liu Shuyao’s gaze was fixed on the basketball court as she casually replied, “Of course, Xiang Ran will win~”

“Then I support Xiang Ran too! After all, we’re family!” Fatty chimed in.

...

Bright lights illuminated the entire venue. As students prepared to leave after the game, they saw Zheng Fuxin back on the court and decided to stay and watch.

After all, 1v1 matches test a basketball player's skills and abilities.

Xiang Ran and Zheng Fuxin stood on the court, eyeing each other.

The atmosphere was much less tense than during the earlier game, with even the spectators chatting and laughing.

The whistle blew, signaling the start of the match.

Zheng Fuxin paid no attention to Xiang Ran. He quickly launched into action, dribbling the ball at a rapid speed, like a whirlwind.

Xiang Ran focused intently on Zheng Fuxin's movements, their figures weaving in the air. In no time, a thunderous dunk appeared before the crowd.

The basketball swished perfectly through the hoop.

Cheers erupted from the audience!

“Wow, that was awesome!”

“Truly the best!”

Zheng Fuxin's first shot went in smoothly, exactly as he expected. He thought this kid was simply overestimating himself.

The second shot was taken by Xiang Ran. Having not played for a while, he was a bit rusty, resulting in his shot just missing.

If Zheng Fuxin’s first shot showcased his skills, then that miss revealed Xiang Ran’s level.

He chuckled.

“I told you, don’t humiliate yourself.”

Zheng Fuxin regained possession of the ball, facing Xiang Ran, who was defending him.

He wanted to wrap up this boring match quickly!

What a waste of time!

Feeling like showing off, he decided to try a new move, hoping to get past Xiang Ran in a more flashy way.

A gust of wind sliced through the air as Zheng Fuxin moved with agile footwork, feigning to one side before quickly changing direction.

However...

In the blink of an eye, Xiang Ran was even faster than Zheng Fuxin. He predicted Zheng Fuxin's move.

Just as Zheng Fuxin was about to make his next move, Xiang Ran accurately anticipated his intention. He moved like lightning, jumping even higher than Zheng Fuxin and blocking the shot with a loud “smack,” sending the ball flying out of bounds.

What?!

This is impossible!

Zheng Fuxin’s face showed disbelief, but soon he thought it might just be luck.

Next, the basketball returned to Xiang Ran.

The atmosphere on the court became tense again.

Zheng Fuxin was now fully focused, determined to prove this guy couldn't score again.

Xiang Ran didn't stop. He smoothly switched the basketball to his other hand.

In an instant, the offense turned to defense, catching everyone off guard.

With a “thud,” the basketball once again settled into the hoop.

Xiang Ran's face remained calm, as if everything was perfectly natural.

This unexpected twist left the entire venue silent, with only the sound of shoes squeaking and the players' heavy breathing.

The sudden turn of events left the audience in shock, as if time had frozen at that moment.

Liu Shuyiao was the first to react, excitement flashing in her eyes as she stood up and clapped enthusiastically. This caught the attention of the others.

“Ran, you’re amazing!”

“Ran, you’re my hero!”

Soon, the other spectators reacted, and loud applause filled the entire court.

Zheng Fuxin was caught off guard by the score; the momentum had shifted dramatically.

Xiang Ran didn’t give him any chance, weaving, driving past him, dribbling so quickly that Zheng Fuxin couldn’t keep up.

Zheng Fuxin gradually lost control; his defense became fragmented, unable to stop Xiang Ran’s agile attack.

The outcome was clear as Xiang Ran easily made his final shot.

The game ended in the blink of an eye!

As expected, the time flew by quickly.

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