39

 “Damn!”

“Zheng Fuxin lost the showdown!”

“What’s up with this kid? He’s pretty strong!”

“Did you see that last move? He left Zheng Fuxin with no options!”

“He’s a master!”

“...”

Zheng Fuxin, who lost the game, looked furious. He stood on the court, slamming the basketball down onto the floor with a dull thud.

His eyes were fixed on Xiang Ran, as if he wanted to swallow him whole.

“Are you messing with me?!”

Zheng Fuxin gritted his teeth, his voice filled with resentment.

Xiang Ran, however, seemed unfazed. He stared blankly ahead, as if Zheng Fuxin didn’t exist.

This indifferent attitude only fueled Zheng Fuxin’s anger. He stepped in front of Xiang Ran, speaking urgently.

“The last game doesn’t count; let’s do it again!”

Zheng Fuxin's tone revealed his frustration and determination. He desperately wanted to redeem his earlier loss.

With so many people watching, especially in front of their classmates, he couldn't possibly admit defeat!

Before Xiang Ran could respond, Liu Shuyiao rushed onto the court.

“Zheng Fuxin, are you done making a scene?!”

After saying that, she angrily pulled Xiang Ran away. At that moment, Qi Dong had already joined the group, and they all headed out of the venue together, leaving Zheng Fuxin standing alone on the basketball court like a clown.

As soon as they exited, the Fatty enthusiastically threw his arm around Xiang Ran's shoulders, excitedly pressing down on him.

“Wow!”

“Xiang Ran! You were amazing today!”

“Honestly, have you been pretending not to know how to play with the brothers before?!”

Qi Dong, also surprised, commented on Xiang Ran’s skills during the match.

“Seriously!”

“Why didn’t you join the basketball team if you’re this good?”

“Our team captain even came over to ask! Looks like he’s really interested in you.”

“What do you say? Should I help you get in touch?”

Xiang Ran shook his head. To him, basketball was just a casual way to exercise. Joining the university team to practice seriously would probably take up too much time and interfere with his studies.

After the match, they realized it was already past dinner time. Since there were so many of them, the Fatty suggested they go for Sichuan cuisine.

“Sichuan again?”

“Fatty, don’t tell me you’ve got your eye on that cashier girl at the restaurant. You’ve been going there every few days!”

Qi Dong joked.

“Don’t spout nonsense!”

“I go there purely because the boss’s wife makes great food; her boiled fish is simply the best!”

“Well then, what do you want to eat?”

Qi Dong was taken aback. He could eat anything and didn’t have a specific craving. Plus, compared to other options, the Sichuan restaurant did have pretty good food.

So, they all continued toward that direction.

Once they entered the restaurant, they took their seats.

The Fatty was always the same, but this time Xiang Ran noticed. Before he started ordering, he passed the menu to Liu Shuyiao.

“You go ahead and order first.”

In front of everyone, Liu Shuyiao felt a bit shy. A hint of embarrassment crossed her face as she bit her lip and quietly tugged at Xiang Ran's sleeve.

“Isn’t this a bit awkward? I can just order the same as everyone else...”

“It’s fine. The Fatty will just order boiled fish; you should see what you want with the others.”

“Exactly! Ladies first! We’ll eat whatever.”

Qi Dong chimed in.

Hearing this, Liu Shuyiao nodded and placed the menu in front of Zhao Ying and the others.

The girls couldn’t handle spicy food, so they ordered a blueberry yam dish and sweet and sour pork.

The Fatty had been there often recently, so he was familiar with the owner.

After they finished ordering, they were also given a bottle of Coke.

The restaurant served food quickly, and everyone was hungry, especially Qi Dong, who had played for most of the game before finally being substituted out.

At the dinner table, everyone brought up Xiang Ran's basketball skills again.

“Xiang Ran! You still haven’t explained how your basketball skills got to this level!”

“It’s nothing, just something I played casually in high school.”

Xiang Ran lowered his head to scoop some rice.

“I don’t believe that!”

“If you were just playing casually, you’d be at my level, which is only beginner!”

The Fatty took a sip of Coke, completely unconvinced by Xiang Ran’s words. Given his speed and reaction today, that level of skill couldn’t come from just casual play.

“Come on, you’re barely at the entry level.”

“If it weren't for some expert guidance or secret techniques, come on, spill!”

“Uh...”

“Xiang Ran was the captain of the school team in high school. When we played against other schools, we always won.”

At that moment, Liu Shuyiao, who had been silent, suddenly chimed in.

“Seriously?”

“Xiang Ran has that history?”

“Quick, tell us more!”

The Fatty perked up with curiosity, his eyes shining, but then he realized something felt off.

“Wait...”

“In high school?”

“You two?”

Liu Shuyiao didn’t realize the Fatty was unaware of this detail and nervously bit her tongue, hoping she hadn’t said anything wrong.

When she turned to Xiang Ran, seeing his calm expression reassured her.

“Yeah, we went to the same high school.”

“What?!”

“You’ve known Liu Shuyiao all along, and you never mentioned it?!”

Xiang Ran didn’t understand why the Fatty was so worked up.

After all, he hadn’t been close to Liu Shuyiao in high school, so mentioning being "schoolmates" didn’t seem relevant.

“Xiang Ran was already a big deal back then, so it makes sense he wouldn’t know me~”

Liu Shuyiao playfully stuck out her tongue, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Liu Shuyiao intentionally followed the Fatty and called out to Xiang Ran, who felt a bit awkward hearing it for the first time.

“Don’t call me that.”

“Well then, master~~~?”

“You were amazing today~~~”

Liu Shuyiao leaned closer, softening her voice, whispering sweetly in his ear.

As expected, it had the same effect as last time.

Xiang Ran instantly straightened his back, freezing like he’d been shocked, with only his Adam's apple moving.

He closed his eyes and silently chanted: "Three giants! Three giants!"

Last time, they had been alone in the hospital room.

Now, they were surrounded by a whole table of people, and she dared to call him that!

“Stop it~”

Seeing him flustered, Liu Shuyiao decided to back off.

Lately, she had been testing Xiang Ran’s limits, hoping to lower them just a bit more.

Unaware of her thoughts, Xiang Ran was caught off guard by her sudden flirtations.

He instinctively glanced at the others, only to find the Fatty eagerly waiting for more gossip.

“What are you two whispering about?”

“Keep going!”

The Fatty sounded a bit impatient.

“Xiang Ran, why is your face red?”

“The boiled fish is a bit spicy.”

“...”

That excuse was so weak even a dog wouldn’t buy it. Wasn’t he the one who used to handle super spicy food?

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