Lu Ruoruo stamped her foot in anger. “Then don’t even think about it. Pei Jiayou would never fancy you.”
With that, she stormed off with her friends.
Lu Wanmian couldn’t be bothered with her and turned to leave, but overheard passing students say, “Hurry and go watch the basketball game! I heard this time the school heartthrob Pei Jiayou’s opponent is Gu Shijin’s team. Gu Shijin is pretty handsome too, even though his temper is a bit odd. A showdown between two hunks—it’s a real feast for the eyes.”
“Yeah, let’s go! If we’re late, we won’t get good seats.”
Lu Wanmian’s eyes lit up. Gu Shijin was playing ball too? Then she’d go watch as well.
She quickly followed along.
Before long, Lu Wanmian arrived at the basketball court in the gymnasium. The spectator stands outside the court were already packed, mostly with female students, all eagerly chattering about Pei Jiayou.
Lu Wanmian wasn’t interested in Pei Jiayou. She found a seat in the front row and sat down. Unfortunately, Lu Ruoruo happened to be sitting right across from her.
Lu Ruoruo ignored her, excitedly chatting with her friends.
Just then, someone gasped, “Look! The school heartthrob Pei Jiayou is here!”
Everyone turned their gaze toward the entrance in unison, watching as Pei Jiayou, clad in a blue jersey, strode in with his teammates, exuding an imposing presence.
Pei Jiayou was tall and handsome, carrying a hint of idle, playboy charm about him.
The moment he appeared, he set the whole arena ablaze. His fervent fans screamed, “Pei Jiayou, go go go!”
Lu Ruoruo across the way was the loudest of them all.
Sensing the enthusiasm of his fangirls, Pei Jiayou blew a series of kisses toward the stands. Lu Wanmian’s lips twitched slightly. Tsk, how greasy.
Not long after, Gu Shijin led his teammates onto the court.
Gu Shijin wore a red jersey that made his skin look especially fair. His features were exquisitely sculpted, and his dark, ink-like eyes radiated a cold, distant light. He was quiet and aloof, somewhat out of place amid the fervent atmosphere.
The girls in the audience didn’t cheer for him when they saw him—after all, his reputation on campus wasn’t great, and he was known for being withdrawn and ignoring people.
Gu Shijin didn’t seem to mind. He simply walked in low-key alongside his teammates.
Lu Wanmian looked at him and felt he was like a lotus rising unstained from the mud—standing out uniquely, far better than the flashy, vain Pei Jiayou.
The stands began to buzz with discussion.
“That Gu Shijin is really handsome too, but what a shame his personality is so weird and unlikeable.”
“Yeah, what a waste of that face. Anyway, let’s stop debating who’s better-looking. Who do you think will win this game?”
“Pei Jiayou, of course. He’s been playing basketball since he was a kid. The Pei family hired several world-class basketball coaches to train him. Every time he steps on the court, he wins—he’s known as the undefeated champion.”
“Wow, that’s impressive. I heard Gu Shijin comes from a poor family. Every day he’s either working a part-time job or on his way to one. With him being that busy, his skills must be terrible. He’s bound to lose for sure.”
“Yeah, I really don’t get why they even invited him.”
Amid the chatter, Lu Ruoruo was the most disdainful of Gu Shijin.
Lu Wanmian couldn’t stand her. She recalled that in the original story’s extra chapters, it was mentioned that although Gu Shijin rarely had time to practice, he was exceptionally gifted and an incredible player.
An idea struck her, and she retorted to Lu Ruoruo, “Then I think Gu Shijin will win. How about it, want to make a bet with me?”
Lu Ruoruo shot her a look as if she were an idiot before agreeing readily, “Fine, the stakes are 50,000.”
Lu Wanmian agreed happily, “Sure.”
Seeing the two make their bet, a few of Lu Ruoruo’s friends joined in on the fun, piling on one after another.
Soon, the referee took the court, and the crowd fell silent as both teams took their positions, ready to start the game.
“Shhh—”
The whistle blew, and the game began.
Pei Jiayou charged ahead and grabbed the ball, dribbling as he weaved left and right, swiftly dodging the red team’s encirclement. Reaching the basket, he leaped up with a graceful shooting motion, and the ball swished cleanly through the hoop, drawing a burst of enthusiastic applause from the crowd.
Pei Jiayou flicked his bangs with a smug look, showing off on the spot, which earned another round of cheers.
Lu Wanmian, however, let out a disdainful “yuck.”
Soon, the second round of ball possession began.
This time, Pei Jiayou’s teammate snatched the ball and scored successfully. The blue team followed up with several more shots, while the red team remained at zero.
Pei Jiayou’s fans were thrilled, and Lu Ruoruo glanced at Lu Wanmian with a face full of smugness.
Lu Wanmian ignored her and kept watching the game.
Just as everyone was waiting to see the red team lose miserably, Gu Shijin suddenly kicked into gear. He swiped the ball straight out of Pei Jiayou’s hands, and from a long distance, tossed it with both hands. The ball arced gracefully through the air and—thud—dropped cleanly into the basket.
The crowd erupted in gasps.
Pei Jiayou cursed under his breath and ran to grab the ball, but it was quickly stolen by a red team player, who passed it to Gu Shijin. Gu Shijin casually tossed it up for a shot.
Over the next few exchanges, Gu Shijin sank several baskets in a row, and the red team’s score surged past the blue team’s.
The spectators were too stunned to speak.
Gu Shijin was actually this good at ball.
Pei Jiayou and his teammates grew tense—with so many eyes on them, they couldn’t afford to lose.
At that moment, desperation turned to malice in Pei Jiayou. He charged straight at Gu Shijin and, under the guise of going for the ball, kicked out at him. Gu Shijin reacted swiftly, dodging while passing the ball to a teammate.
When that failed, Pei Jiayou hatched another scheme, signaling to the two teammates behind him. They caught on and rushed forward, double-teaming Gu Shijin and clinging to him relentlessly.
Gu Shijin’s gaze turned icy. He dribbled while deftly shaking them off, and the two lunged at empty air, tumbling to the ground in a clumsy heap, eating dirt.
Gu Shijin raised his hands and sank another shot, drawing another wave of cheers.
Pei Jiayou gritted his teeth in frustration.
Soon, the game ended, and the red team won by a landslide over the blue team.
Pei Jiayou and his teammates wore grim faces, and those who had predicted Gu Shijin’s defeat were thoroughly humiliated.
Lu Wanmian was delighted. Grinning, she looked at Lu Ruoruo and the others. “A bet’s a bet—pay up. Come on, send me the money.”
She pulled out her phone and showed her payment code. Lu Ruoruo and the others, faces dark, transferred the money over.
Lu Ruoruo shot her a resentful glare. “Brother Jiayou just didn’t play his best this time. He’ll definitely win next time.”
Lu Wanmian didn’t argue, just smiled. “Really? Then I’ll look forward to his performance next time.”
On the basketball court, Pei Jiayou refused to believe he had actually lost. He walked up to Gu Shijin and berated him, “Gu Shijin, you barely have time to train and play basketball on a regular basis, yet you managed to beat me this time. It’s obvious you cheated.”
Gu Shijin’s face darkened as he retorted, “I didn’t cheat.”
His teammates also stepped forward to vouch for him.
But Pei Jiayou sneered, “Denying it won’t help. You definitely cheated.”
Pei Jiayou’s brainless fans also piled on, angrily accusing Gu Shijin and his team of cheating and demanding they apologize and admit their fault.
Gu Shijin’s expression grew colder and colder, anger flashing in his eyes. “We didn’t cheat.”
However, no one believed him. Just as the situation was turning dire, a loud shout came from behind: “Pei Jiayou, you’re truly shameless. The one who cheated is clearly you, and yet you dare to falsely accuse Gu Shijin and his team.”