But…
The boy’s competitive spirit only fueled Fu Yi’s determination.
Since childhood, he had participated in countless competitions. Over the past eighteen years, the number of times he had lost could be counted on one hand, and one of those losses was to…
Fu Yi glanced at Lin Yue.
He saw her sticking her tongue out at Xie Yan Si’s retreating back.
The gesture was both playful and adorable.
Fu Yi’s peach blossom eyes couldn’t help but curve slightly. She was still just like when he first met her—someone you couldn’t help but want to be near, inexplicably radiating a warmth, especially when she smiled, like a brilliant and dazzling morning sun.
Seeing Xie Yan Si’s back in the photo, Lin Yue turned her gaze back to Fu Yi and said, “Don’t mind him. He probably just didn’t sleep well and is in a bad mood.”
She might not have realized it herself, but her words carried a hint of protectiveness toward Xie Yan Si.
Fu Yi looked at Lin Yue and asked curiously, “Do you two know each other?”
He could clearly sense that this wasn’t their first meeting.
Lin Yue repeated the same words she had said to Shen Weiwei: “No, we don’t.”
Hearing this, Fu Yi raised an eyebrow. Since she didn’t want to talk about it, he tactfully didn’t press further. He gathered his draft paper and stood up.
“Alright, let’s go. I’ll take you to the conference room to submit the class registration forms.”
Lin Yue: “Okay.”
The conference room was opposite the senior high school building, and they had to pass through the playground.
Today, the basketball court was livelier than yesterday, likely because everyone was feeling more relaxed after finishing their exams.
Carrying a stack of documents, Lin Yue passed by the basketball court and spotted a familiar figure.
The boy had taken off his blue-and-white school uniform and tied it around his waist, the open hem fluttering in the wind.
He caught a pass from a teammate, dribbled the ball between his legs twice, and with a feint, swiftly bypassed the opponent’s defense, charging straight toward the opposite hoop.
Xie Yan Si’s basketball shoes scraped against the plastic court, producing a sharp “squeak” that sent shivers down the spine.
His calves erupted with astonishing power as he leaped into the air. With a resounding “clang,” he slammed the ball into the hoop.
He hung from the rim with one hand, revealing a glimpse of his cool, pale, and toned waist.
And the faint outline of his abdominal muscles.
The move sent the girls gathered around the court into a frenzy of screams, accompanied by a wave of excitement from the corridors of the senior high school building.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!!”
“So handsome, so handsome!”
“Who is he? That move was so damn cool!”
Lin Yue: “…”
Truly the passion of high school students. Such powerful voices are wasted on studying—they should enroll in a music academy. Who knows, they might become future divas.
Lin Yue genuinely felt her ears were being assaulted by the noise and unconsciously quickened her pace.
But because she was walking too fast, she didn’t notice the basketball flying toward her until it was too late to dodge.
Instinctively, Lin Yue turned her face away, bracing herself to take the impact with her body—at least that way, she wouldn’t get disfigured.
The next second.
A gust of wind brushed past her, followed by a loud “thud,” but no pain struck Lin Yue.
Instead, a scent of lemon mixed with sandalwood, like intertwining vines, wrapped around her nostrils.
The fragrance was both familiar and unfamiliar.
When she turned her head, she found a boy standing in front of her, his silhouette especially familiar.
So familiar that Lin Yue’s mind flashed back to the flamboyant and eccentric outfit she had seen in class.
Xie Yan Si grabbed the basketball he had caught and hurled it toward Lu Hao.
“Are you blind?”
Lu Hao hurried over with a sheepish grin and apologized to Lin Yue, “Sorry, sis—”
Xie Yan Si shot him a glance.
Lu Hao hesitated, then tactfully changed his address. “Sis, sorry about that, sis. I just had my eyes on the top of my head and didn’t see you over here. My bad, my bad.”
Lin Yue found his apology style rather unique and couldn’t help but smile. “It’s fine, I wasn’t hurt.”
As she said this, she glanced at Xie Yan Si’s retreating figure.
This lifetime’s Xie Yan Si still had a bit of a conscience, at least.
At least he didn’t bully girls.
Perhaps…
It was because she and Xu Qiao had swapped identities, so Xie Yan Si was different too?
Of course, this was just Lin Yue’s speculation.
Fu Yi walked over with concern. “Are you okay?”
Lin Yue waved it off. “I’m fine. Let’s go hand in the documents.”
She didn’t forget to say to Lu Hao, “Keep playing, I’m fine.”
But as she brushed past Xie Yan Si, the boy heard a faint, almost imperceptible whisper.
—”Thank you.”
Lu Hao felt that his “sister-in-law” was really understanding. He grinned and called out to Xie Yan Si, “Yan-ge, let’s keep—”
Before he could finish, he saw Xie Yan Si’s lips curl into a slight smile.
Lu Hao’s eyes widened. So this big shot smiled like this… so radiantly.
Not bad, pretty handsome.
If other female classmates saw this, their screams would probably lift the basketball court off the ground.
Before he could finish admiring it, he heard a teasing, flirty whistle from the adjacent basketball court.
Lu Hao looked over—it was that jerk Wang Chen.
And the girl he was whistling at was none other than the girl his Yan-ge was fiercely protective of!
Oh-ho, oh-ho.
Lu Hao had a feeling that jerk Wang Chen was about to meet his doom.
………
Wang Chen loved to show off and had been competing with Lu Hao for attention for years.
Teenage boys all liked to stand out, but some were just exceptionally exaggerated.
Today, when he heard that Lu Hao had called people to play basketball, he got a bit excited. He picked up a basketball, ready to show off on the court and steal Lu Hao’s thunder.
But instead of outshining Lu Hao, he ended up letting the new transfer student steal the spotlight.
Not only did he take over their court, but he also made the girls watching scream.
Including his goddess, Ye Yiran.
His goddess had never watched him play basketball like this before, let alone stood by the court holding water, looking so shyly at someone.
How could he tolerate it?
No man could.
Since he stole his goddess, he’d just mess with the girl he just saved.
But upon closer look, wasn’t that girl the transfer student who was blowing up on the school forum yesterday?
Wang Chen remembered the rumors on the forum—were these two transfer students really a couple?
Even better. Provoke this transfer student a bit, and he’d see just how capable he was.
A loud, flirty whistle, aimed straight at Lin Yue.
“Hey, pretty classmate, let’s get to know each other.”
Lin Yue paused and glanced at him.
She really hadn’t expected Chengbei No. 1 High School to have such a hooligan.
“What are you looking at? Think I’m handsome?” Wang Chen thought he was being cool as he flipped his hair.
“How about leaving your contact info? We can chat alone after school?”
Wang Chen was completely unserious, spouting one cheesy line after another.
Lin Yue’s lips twitched. She felt like she’d traveled back five years to when she first started middle school—the cocky boys in her class were exactly like this.
The long-dead non-mainstream vibe hit Lin Yue like a wave.
Even elementary school kids probably wouldn’t say something so tacky these days.
Wang Chen was still chattering away over there, his words growing increasingly unrestrained.
Lu Hao felt the aura of the person beside him scorchingly intense, the pressure making him shiver involuntarily.
He swallowed hard and hurriedly said, “Brother Yan, should I go help you punch him a couple of times? That damn mouth of his must have eaten shit this morning!”
Xie Yan Si narrowed his eyes, staring in that direction, grinding his molars as he said calmly.
“No need.”
Lu Hao tilted his head: “Huh??”
That wasn’t how you acted yesterday, old man. The stool that fell from the sky left an indelible shadow, and even today, I still hear you sitting on a wobbly stool.
So you won’t stand up for sister-in-law when it’s someone else?
Hmph, drawing circles, condemning you on behalf of sister-in-law!
Before he could finish his condemnation, he heard Wang Chen let out a particularly miserable “wail.”
He looked over with a pitiful expression.
There, Wang Chen was covering his right eye in a disheveled state, staring at Lin Yue in front of him with both vigilance and fear.
Lin Yue hadn’t changed into her school uniform yet today, still wearing yesterday’s outfit: a white shirt with a short skirt, knee-high socks, and little black shoes.
She looked exactly like the good student and well-behaved girl in the teachers’ eyes.
Yet it was precisely this seemingly obedient girl who shook her sore fist, blinked her clear amber-like almond eyes, and stared innocently and sweetly at Wang Chen, asking with a faint smile.
“Still want to chat?”