The young man froze completely.
The exposed skin on his body flushed pink at a visible speed.
Zhong Suian glanced over his tense muscles and swallowed.
“Sorry, I was just joking. You’re not getting flustered over something this small, are you?”
“Oh, right. Speaking of getting flustered… down there…”
Before she could finish, he abruptly turned his head away.
His lips were tightly pressed together, the veins on his neck bulging, as if he were suppressing either his anger… or something else.
The smooth muscles across his back rose and fell steadily with each breath.
No wonder everyone liked athletic guys.
That strong waist, toned hips, and long legs—it was hard for any woman not to appreciate them.
Zhong Suian’s fingers started itching again.
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway, accompanied by Zhong Yaoran’s voice growing louder as he approached.
“An’an… An’an? Where did you go?”
Zhong Suian quickly stepped back and slipped out of the young man’s embrace, though she couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
“I’m over here!”
…
Even after sitting in the stadium stands, Zhong Suian still couldn’t stop thinking about him.
He was seriously handsome.
His body was incredible too.
The only downside was that he barely spoke, like a mute.
She wondered if he’d be just as quiet in bed.
“Ahhhh! Shen Jibai! Shen Jibai’s coming on!”
“Go, Shen Jibai!!”
A wave of cheers suddenly erupted around her, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Following the crowd’s gaze, Zhong Suian looked toward the court.
One moment she was wondering who could attract such an overwhelming response.
The next, she found herself looking at a familiar face.
Wasn’t he the guy she had bumped into backstage?
Shen Jibai…
Why did that name sound so familiar?
Before she could remember, Zhong Yaoran also walked onto the court.
When he spotted Zhong Suian in the stands, he discreetly waved at her from afar.
The announcer’s voice echoed throughout the stadium.
“Next is the men’s doubles tennis match. All competitors, please come forward to draw lots.”
Partners, opponents, and the order of play would all be determined by drawing lots.
Zhong Suian noticed that after drawing his lot, Zhong Yaoran glanced at Shen Jibai.
His expression immediately became rather grim.
The very first time he played in front of his younger sister, he had ended up facing Shen Jibai, the terrifying ace.
There was no way he could smile.
To make matters worse, his partner was completely unreliable.
The referee announced,
“First match: Zhong Yaoran and Wang Hao versus Shen Jibai and Zhang Ming.”
“Players, take your positions!”
Before the match began, Zhong Suian overheard people whispering nearby.
“Strange. Isn’t this just a friendly match? Why does White God seem so serious today? Or am I imagining it?”
His companion nodded repeatedly.
“Look at Zhong Yaoran’s expression too. It’s like he wants to swallow White God alive.”
“I remember last month’s tournament. Neither of them looked this intense.”
…
Before the referee blew the whistle, Zhong Suian had the distinct feeling that Shen Jibai secretly glanced in her direction.
The outcome of the match, of course, held no suspense.
Shen Jibai displayed overwhelming skill on the court.
With his partner cooperating well, he became stronger as the match went on.
In comparison, Zhong Yaoran was also quite capable, but he still fell short of Shen Jibai.
Even worse, his partner made mistake after mistake, throwing away several crucial points.
No matter how hard Zhong Yaoran tried to recover the game, defeat was inevitable.
The moment the referee announced the result, inspiration suddenly flashed through Zhong Suian’s mind.
She remembered.
Shen Jibai wasn’t just anyone.
He was a relatively obscure supporting male character from the original novel.
Down-and-out in the early stages.
A powerful figure later on.
Most importantly, he remained pure his entire life, keeping his distance from women.
As clean as a blank sheet of paper.
For a man, chastity was the best dowry.
And according to the original plot…
His family had just suffered a devastating setback and he was at the lowest point of his life.
The perfect opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
Zhong Suian was tempted.
It was only human nature.
Just as she was making plans, a sudden commotion on the court interrupted her thoughts.
“Do you even know how to play tennis?”
Wang Hao violently threw down his racket and grabbed Zhong Yaoran by the collar.
“Getting paired with trash like you is such bad luck! You held us back the entire match!”
Winning and losing were both normal parts of competition.
Zhong Yaoran hadn’t even blamed him.
Yet Wang Hao had the nerve to accuse him first.
More importantly—
As they struggled, Wang Hao pulled too hard.
Riiip!
The collar of Zhong Yaoran’s shirt tore open.
The entire stadium instantly fell silent.
Even Wang Hao froze for a moment.
But very quickly, he let out a scornful laugh.
“What kind of garbage clothes are these?”
“They tore apart with one little pull.”
“Then again, looking as poor as you do, you’re practically too broke to eat.”
“What decent clothes could you possibly afford?”
Zhong Yaoran was furious.
His sister had only given him those new clothes today.
He hadn’t even had the chance to show them off before they were ruined.
How could he possibly tolerate that?
His eyes turned icy.
Grabbing Wang Hao’s wrist, he spoke in a frighteningly low voice.
“Wang Hao.”
“Do you know who gave me these clothes?”
Instead of apologizing, Wang Hao became even more arrogant.
“Hah! I don’t care who bought them.”
“They’re fake knockoffs anyway!”
Seeing that a fight was about to break out, everyone hurried over to separate them.
“Alright, alright. Calm down!”
“Stop arguing!”
The coach held Wang Hao back by the shoulder.
“You too. If you have something to say, talk it out properly. Why resort to violence?”
Amid the noisy crowd, a student from a relatively well-off family muttered quietly,
“Doesn’t that outfit look exactly like Hermès’ newest sports collection?”
The voice was barely audible.
Yet Wang Hao heard it clearly.
He laughed exaggeratedly.
“Hermès?”
“Yeah, right!”
“That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all day!”
“It has to be some cheap fake!”
To insult something his sister had bought…
Zhong Yaoran clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles cracked.
If people hadn’t been holding him back, he would have broken Wang Hao’s nose with a single punch.
Just as he was about to speak, Zhong Suian’s voice rang out.
“Who said it was fake?”
At some point, she had already walked onto the court.
She first patted Zhong Yaoran’s arm reassuringly before turning a cold gaze toward Wang Hao.
“It is indeed the latest Hermès sportswear.”
“The retail price is two yuan.”
“You damaged someone else’s property.”
“You’ll compensate the full amount.”
“No problem with that, right?”
Wang Hao looked utterly dismissive.
“That piece of junk costs two yuan?”
“Who are you trying to fool?”
“I’ve been classmates with Zhong Yaoran for four years.”
“I know exactly what his family’s situation is.”
“Stop trying to scam me.”