This girl was the one Li Yuan liked the most—the one who looked innocent and shy, harmless to everyone around her. Whenever she spoke, she would lower her head, her cheeks blushing as her voice became a gentle murmur.

Zhong Tingyue had carefully observed Li Yuan’s expressions and actions when he was with her, Bai Weixi, and Xia Zhijin. It was only when facing Xia Zhijin that Li Yuan would inadvertently reveal an indulgent and affectionate look. Even in front of the other two, he couldn’t resist the very intimate gesture of the head-pat. It was a relaxed and comfortable attitude that he simply didn’t have when he was with her or Bai Weixi.

Bai Weixi wasn’t foolish; she was a very clever girl. After hearing Zhong Tingyue’s words, she instantly understood their meaning. Following Zhong Tingyue’s gaze toward the two figures on the basketball court, Bai Weixi’s heart grew turbulent. She could also sense the difference in how Li Yuan treated her compared to the other girl. She glanced at Zhong Tingyue with a complex expression, feeling deeply wronged and unsettled. This entire situation, with all the girls competing for Li Yuan’s affection, was not the perfect romance she had dreamed of.

With another complicated look at Zhong Tingyue, Bai Weixi sighed faintly. "Tingyue, this isn’t the love I was hoping for. I feel so exhausted by it all lately. I’ve tried so hard, but it feels like the distance between us is only growing. I can’t even get a moment alone with him... I’m so envious of the other couples on campus. They can go to the cafeteria together, walk around campus together, study in the library together, attend self-study sessions in the classroom, and participate in club activities together... but I have none of that."

"Tell me about it," Zhong Tingyue also sighed, glancing at the evening sun. It was now setting between the skyscrapers, bathing the entire city in a crimson glow. "But be honest with yourself, can you really let him go?"

Bai Weixi fell silent. As she thought about their relationship, tears began to stream down her face, wetting her cheeks. Like Zhong Tingyue, she was in too deep. She couldn’t let go.

***

Li Yuan led Xia Zhijin to the edge of the basketball court.

The game wasn’t over yet, but the crowd of spectators had mostly dispersed, leaving only some students from the two computer science classes.

Li Lanrong and the other girls hadn’t left. Seeing Li Yuan approach with Xia Zhijin, they asked curiously, "Li Yuan, Zhijin, you’re back? Is everything sorted out over there?"

"Yeah," Li Yuan smiled. "I came back to see the final score."

The score on the court was 82-68. The lead held by Computer Science Class One had diminished significantly, but fortunately, there were only three minutes left. Closing a 14-point gap was an incredibly difficult task, but not an impossible one. All it would take was shutting down a few plays, forcing a few turnovers, and sinking a few more shots. After all, the basketball court was a place where miracles happened.

On the court, Lu Kangze and the other players from Computer Science Class Two were stunned to see Li Yuan suddenly reappear on the sidelines. A wave of unease spread through them as they began to whisper among themselves.

What the hell? Why is Li Yuan back? Don’t tell me he’s planning to get back in the game just because he sees we’re about to make a huge comeback? Shit, if Li Yuan gets on the court again, that would be shameless. What would be the point of us fighting so hard? We might as well just surrender... But there’s no rule that says he can’t come back on. If he does, there’s nothing we can do...

In contrast, when Liu Jia, Ren Jun, Wu Hao, and the rest of their team saw Li Yuan on the sideline, their spirits soared. The pressure of being relentlessly chased down vanished in an instant, the invisible weight lifting from their shoulders.

Panting, Liu Jia roared, "Brothers, Yuan’s back! Everybody, get your heads in the game! Let’s get a good stop this possession and run out these last three minutes!"

"Defense, defense!" Ren Jun yelled, directing his teammates as his eyes locked onto their opponents. Exhausted, he stood with his hands on his hips. He had rarely played full-court games in high school and never imagined it would be this tiring.

Li Yuan’s arrival shocked the players from Class Two and invigorated the players from Class One as if they’d been shot with adrenaline. Their momentum surged.

The possession ended with Class Two clanking a three-pointer off the iron.

Xu Ziqiang dribbled the ball, burning the clock. The moment a defender lunged for him, he whipped the ball into the paint, where Liu Jia stood wide open.

Liu Jia caught the pass, and with a gentle bank shot, the ball obediently dropped through the net. The lead was back to 16 points, with only two minutes remaining.

On their next possession, Computer Science Class Two missed another three-pointer. The game’s outcome was no longer in doubt.

When the referee blew the final whistle, Li Yuan’s first class match since his rebirth ended in a resounding victory.

Liu Jia, Ren Jun, and Wu Hao crowded around Li Yuan, shouting with excitement.

"Yuan, we won! Where are you taking us tonight?"

"Haha, Yuan, you lost the bet, so you’re treating tonight! I want a feast!"

"You came back just to see the last few minutes, so you must have been planning to treat us, right, Yuan?"

Liu Jia, Wu Hao, and the others chattered away, practically wishing Li Yuan could conjure up a luxurious feast on the spot.

Li Yuan looked at them and smiled. "A feast is no problem. I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."

Seeing Li Yuan agree, Liu Jia’s eyes lit up. He licked his lips and chuckled, "So generous, Yuan! We’re definitely going to make this an expensive one for you tonight."

Wu Hao, Ren Jun, and Xu Ziqiang all wore expressions of eager anticipation. They came from average families and rarely had the chance to eat out; even in the school cafeteria, they were reluctant to splurge on meat dishes. Hearing that Li Yuan was really treating them to a big meal, their stomachs began to growl.

Just then, Li Lanrong, Ge Chenchen, and Gao Xin joined the group.

"Talented Li," Li Lanrong chuckled, "we’ve been cheering for you this whole time. How about you reward us, too?"

At her words, Gao Xin, Ge Chenchen, and the other girls looked on hopefully. As Xia Zhijin’s roommates, it wasn’t too much to mooch a big meal off her boyfriend, right?

Li Yuan smiled. "I couldn’t be happier to have such beautiful ladies grace us with their presence." He then winked teasingly at Liu Jia and the others. "Look at these wolves. Their eyes are practically glowing now that they heard you’re coming."

Li Lanrong suppressed a giggle. "It’s settled then. Do you guys need to go back to your dorms to change?"

"Of course," Liu Jia, having already learned to answer quickly, nodded eagerly. "We’ll head back to shower and change."

Ren Jun rolled his neck and added, "Yeah, a full-court game is seriously exhausting. I feel like my bones have turned to jelly."

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze wafted over, and Li Yuan’s vision blurred with a flash of white. A voice arrived before its owner.

"Li Yuan, Liu Jia, what are you talking about that’s making you laugh so happily?"

Li Yuan glanced over and saw the Big Breast Girl in her JK skirt and long, sexy legs standing right in front of him.

Before Li Yuan could speak, Liu Jia answered, his voice a little shy, "Rongrong, Yuan was just saying he’s going to treat us classmates to a big meal tonight."

Wang Jierong’s eyes lit up. Staring at Li Yuan, she asked with a grin, "Hey handsome, do you mind one more moocher?"