Just because the girls weren’t talking didn’t mean the gossip-loving students around them had stopped their discussions.

As the focus of the entire court, Li Yuan attracted the attention of all the female students, the vast majority of whom were fans of his music or his books. Meanwhile, most of the boys instinctively focused their attention on the three campus-belle-level beauties. After all, an appreciation for beauty is universal, and real men are rarely exceptions.

"Haha, just as I suspected, the girl in the sunglasses is also one of Li Yuan’s girlfriends," a boy from Computer Science Class One said enviously from under the basketball hoop.

"The moment she took off her sunglasses completely stunned me. How can such a beautiful girl exist in this world? My heart skipped a beat," another fairly handsome boy of average height lamented wistfully.

"Unfortunately, she’s already taken. Sigh, with looks like that, what kind of boyfriend couldn’t she find? Why would she be willing to share one with other girls?"

Some were simply resentful. "Damn it, Li Yuan has all the luck! All three of his girlfriends are campus-belle level, even prettier than most celebrities. To think he snagged them all, leaving no chance for the rest of us brothers!"

While some reveled in the gossip, others felt a wave of gloom, deeply shaken by the situation.

Fang Yanni glanced at her roommate, who was staring blankly at Li Yuan and his girlfriends. She gently patted her on the shoulder and said comfortingly, "Rongrong, stop pining after Li Yuan. Give it up. You can’t compete with his three girlfriends."

There was something else Fang Yanni left unsaid, afraid of crushing Wang Jierong’s spirit. Looking at the three girlfriends Li Yuan had chosen, one could tell how high his standards were; an ordinary girl simply had no chance of catching his eye. Besides, you’ve already had several relationships in high school. For a guy as selective and outstanding as Li Yuan, that’s definitely an indelible stain...

Wang Jierong stared blankly at Li Yuan and his three girlfriends, feeling truly crushed. With four such impressive competitors, how could she possibly win Li Yuan over? Even just one intimate moment with him seemed incredibly difficult to achieve.

Wang Jierong murmured to herself, "Should I really give up?"

Li Yuan frowned slightly as he listened to the discussions around him. He didn’t like the feeling of being watched like a monkey in a cage, nor did he want to publicly display his complicated relationships for a crowd of strangers.

He turned to Liu Jia, Ren Jun, and Wu Hao with a smile. "Liu Jia, Mouse, Jun, you guys keep playing. I’ve got something to take care of. We’re already up by more than forty points. You guys can’t possibly blow it in the second half even without me, right?"

Liu Jia, Wu Hao, and the others immediately understood what he meant. Although a bit surprised, they could understand his decision. It was just a class match, and they were already leading by forty-four points at halftime. The players from Computer Science Class Two had been utterly crushed by Li Yuan alone; their morale was broken, and they had no will to fight. There was no point in Li Yuan playing the second half other than to make a few more dunks. The skill gap was too wide, making it unsatisfying, like a college student bullying an elementary schooler.

If they still managed to lose under these circumstances, they might as well die to atone for the shame.

Liu Jia quickly replied, "Yuan, go take care of your business. Leave the second half to us!"

Ren Jun also chuckled. "Yuan, your business is more important!" As he spoke, he glanced at Xia Zhijin and Zhong Tingyue, who wore unusual expressions. A flicker of envy appeared in his eyes.

Li Yuan nodded, then turned to Bai Weixi, Zhong Tingyue, and Xia Zhijin with a smile. "I have something to take care of at the company, so I’m not playing the second half. Let’s go."

Without explaining further, Li Yuan simply gestured to the three of them and began walking off the court.

Xia Zhijin followed him immediately, without the slightest hesitation.

Bai Weixi paused, her mind racing. But when she saw Zhong Tingyue linger for only an instant before also following, she stomped her foot in frustration and called out to Wang Lisha and Deng Meiqi, "Meiqi, Shasha, I’m heading over!"

Although Wang Lisha and Deng Meiqi were dying to follow and see how Li Yuan would handle his three girlfriends, they noticed that Li Lanrong, Gao Xin, and the other girls hadn’t moved, so they managed to contain their curiosity.

"Okay, Weixi, you hurry on over!"

Bai Weixi glanced at Li Yuan’s retreating back and quickly followed suit.

The moment the subjects of the gossip departed, the court erupted into chaos.

"I was waiting for the drama of the year! Why’d they suddenly leave? It’s torture getting only half the story! Li Yuan is a real piece of work."

"Ahhh, I’m going crazy! I really want to follow them and see how he handles this. But I don’t dare. Li Yuan is pretty scary when he’s angry."

"So sad! Why did Xia Hua have to go? I got to see him play basketball, but I didn’t even get to hear him sing today! I’m so sad I could cry!"

"Hey, Li Yuan’s gone. Is he not playing the second half? If he isn’t, maybe we can stage a huge comeback!"