The next afternoon, the air was filled with the fresh scent after rain, and golden sunlight filtered through layers of green leaves, casting dappled shadows.
Qiao Zhen and her roommate Sheng Lulu had both signed up as spectators for the basketball game, earning 2 hours of volunteer credit.
On the court, Sheng Lulu looked utterly astonished, propping her chin on her hand and whispering in disbelief: “You’re not kidding me, right? You really don’t like Ji Xian anymore?”
Even though they’d only been roommates for a few months, she’d seen Qiao Zhen’s feelings with her own eyes.
When picking classes, she’d choose the same electives as Ji Xian; when she saw him, her eyes would sparkle and she’d smile; when talking to him, she was always so careful and timid.
Even this basketball game spectator spot—she’d signed up for it before, to cheer for Ji Xian.
It seemed like the moment she saw Ji Xian, her whole being lit up.
How much did she like him…
Qiao Zhen scooped up a spoonful of double-skin milk, obediently nodded, and raised her little hand to make a solemn vow:
“Really, really, or else I’m fake~”
“Hmph,” Sheng Lulu hooked her arm around Qiao Zhen’s, lifting her chin, “I’ve long found him insufferable, but since you liked him so much, I never said anything bad about him in front of you. From now on, I’m going to trash him hard!”
“He walks around with that icy, deadpan face all day, like a damn refrigerator. And when those rich brats were making snide remarks at you to your face, he stood there like a mute and said nothing! Pisses me off, pisses me off—even a gold miner couldn’t dig up someone this gold-plated stupid…”
Sheng Lulu was getting more animated, her eyes practically shooting flames. “See, am I right or what!”
Qiao Zhen pressed her lips together and obediently nodded: “Mm-hm, you’re right.”
As she finished speaking, the girls around them suddenly craned their necks and went wild, screaming:
“Holy crap, holy crap! The Student Council President is here! So handsome, ughhh, even hotter than my ex-bias!”
“His face is insane. I had no classes this afternoon, so I grabbed a random spectator spot—who knew Ji Xian would actually show up…”
“Hey hey hey, did he just glance in our direction? That face… incredible!”
“…” Qiao Zhen kept her head down, silently putting on her earphones to listen to music, not sparing a single glance at the entrance.
If it weren’t for the fact that skipping out after signing up would land her on a blacklist, and that she needed to check in and out for the volunteer hours, she wouldn’t have come at all.
Not far away, Ji Xian casually withdrew his gaze, his darkened expression softening considerably.
The guys beside him also noticed Qiao Zhen, a hint of disdain rising in their eyes, wearing expressions of “just as I thought”: “Told you she couldn’t keep it up. See, she still came to cheer for us.”
Yuwen Jian grinned cheekily: “Of course. It’s been like that since high school.”
Back at No. 1 High School, whenever they played basketball against other classes, Qiao Zhen would sit on the sidelines quietly cheering them on, and she’d even hand out water to every one of them.
She looked sweet, was obedient and gentle, and was especially easy to boss around and push over…
Almost the moment Ji Xian stepped into the arena, the campus forum posts about the basketball game suddenly exploded, complete with a red HOT tag.
[The Student Council President really came to play basketball, holy shit holy shit holy shit]
[LMAO, Jing University’s “Unreachable Flower on the Peak” isn’t just for show]
[Ahhhh goddammit, at the basketball court entrance—who stole my milk tea delivery? How shameless can you get! [angry]]
The next second, Sheng Lulu suddenly nudged Qiao Zhen’s shoulder: “Hey, Zhenzhen, isn’t that your childhood sweetheart?”
Qiao Zhen paused the music and looked up.
Qin Yichi stood in a red-and-black jersey, his posture tall and striking, short black hair neat and sharp, facial features hard and defined, radiating a wild, rebellious aura.
He stood out especially among the crowd.
Qiao Zhen inexplicably thought of her past life memories—how he had been just as spirited on the racetrack.
The moment he crossed the finish line, the entire crowd of fans screamed and cheered for him, with cameras and flashbulbs all focused on the Asian champion racer—Qin Yichi.
The man was dazzling, radiant, brilliant.
He rode a red-and-black motorcycle, his gaze razor-sharp, even wilder and more defiant than now, his raw magnetism practically shattering the screen.
In the post-race interview, reporters thrust microphones forward and fired questions: “Everyone is saying now that ‘the girls who want to ride on the back of God Chi’s motorcycle are lined up all the way to France.’ What do you think about that?”
Qin Yichi’s eyes were pitch-black, his earring like obsidian, refracting glimmers of light.
His tone was calm and serious: “Sorry, only one girl has ever sat on my back seat.”
“And only she ever will.”
This basketball game was a match between colleges within Jing University: the School of Economics versus the School of Information Technology.
There was Ji Xian from the Finance Department, sophomore year, and Qin Yichi from the Computer Science major, freshman year.
The two biggest names on campus sharing the same court instantly drew the attention of a large crowd of female students:
“Ahhh, you two, stop fighting, stop fighting~” (Hurry up and fight, hurry up!!)
“Hey hey hey, who do you think is hotter?”
“Only kids make choices…”
The forum even directly posted their enrollment photos and started analyzing their looks:
【Ahem, let me give an objective analysis here: Ji Xian is a cool, refined kind of beauty—regular features, peach-blossom eyes, light-colored pupils, with a vibe like a high mountain flower, an iceberg beauty.】
【As for Qin Yichi, he’s a flamboyant, wild kind of handsomeness—hard features, a high-end world-weary look, phoenix eyes, and a soulful tear mole, with a vibe like a lone wolf galloping under the sun.】
The votes were almost split down the middle; the two were evenly matched.
【I’ll vote for the president. He looks so aristocratic, a young master from a wealthy family, and he probably has a great personality!!】
【Anyway, I still prefer QYC’s type of looks—too wild, feels like he’s got amazing stamina…】
【Ugh, this is a basketball game, not a beauty pageant. Can you people stop being so shallow? By the way, I think Qin Yichi is hotter. [Dog head]】
【Summary: Cold iceberg guy VS scorching flame guy】
【So who stole my takeout anyway??】
Sheng Lulu munched on potato chips while lurking on the forum with great interest, occasionally throwing in a comment or two.
Qiao Zhen, on the other hand, never paid attention to any of that nonsense. Her mind blank, she propped her chin on her hand and sat there in a daze.
On the court, the game was about to begin.
Qin Yichi, with a lazy demeanor, took off his jacket, revealing his red-and-black jersey, the muscle lines on his arms smooth and defined.
His gaze landed on Qiao Zhen’s face, and his figure paused slightly.
Following her line of sight, there was only one person standing there—Ji Xian.
She was looking at Ji Xian.
She was looking at Ji Xian again.
Qin Yichi pressed his lips into a straight line, his limbs stiff, his chest growing heavier and heavier, feeling as if even the air around him had turned bitter.
Right. After all these years, he should have been used to it by now.
His roommate Niu Yifeng was warming up when he suddenly threw an arm around his neck and said boisterously:
“What’s up, Chi-ge? Not in a good mood?”
With a sulky face and downturned lips, anyone who saw him would think someone owed him millions.
Qin Yichi remained silent, his shoulders slumping, his throat dry.
But then, the next second.
Qiao Zhen suddenly looked straight at him, her eyes lighting up as if filled with a river of stars—crystal clear and dazzling.
Their gazes met, four eyes locking.
Qin Yichi froze in place.
The young girl raised her arm toward him, her eyes curving into crescents, two playful dimples forming at the corners of her lips as she broke into a radiant smile, like a pear blossom just about to bloom.
She mouthed silently to him:
“Go for it!”