Once the weekend was over, cold air invaded all of Pingchuan City.

In the classrooms, everyone wore scarves, hats, and gloves, and put on their thickest winter school uniforms.

Winter had officially arrived. As the temperature dropped, so did a wave of sleepiness overcome everyone. In the morning, the classrooms were filled with endless yawns as everyone felt drowsy.

The class teacher walked into the classroom, knocking on the door panel, "Wake up, everyone, wake up."

"At three in the afternoon is the Pingchuan Basketball Cup final. The remaining two periods will be changed to self-study. Those who want to watch the game can go to the City Gymnasium next to the school. Those who don't want to go can self-study in the classroom."

As soon as these words were spoken, the classroom instantly erupted into a boiling clamor of screams and cheers.

The class teacher became exasperated, "Just a moment ago, you were all listless, but the moment I mention having fun, you all come alive! If you had this much energy for studying, who wouldn't get good grades!"

Gu Meng immediately turned around, "Wanwan, Wanwan, are you going?"

"I don't think I'll go," Zhou Wan said. "I don't understand basketball."

"We're not going to watch basketball, we're going to watch the handsome guys!" Gu Meng said, then suddenly lowered her voice, "Besides, Lu Xixiao is going too. And you two recently, aren't you..." She gave Zhou Wan an ambiguous wink.

Zhou Wan was stunned for a moment, "Lu Xixiao is going too?"

"Yeah! Didn't you know?" Gu Meng said. "The Pingchuan Basketball Cup has been going on for two or three months. It's a competition between all the high schools in the city. This final should be between Yangming and 18th High School. Lu Xixiao is probably still the captain."

Zhou Wan recalled the last time she saw him playing basketball.

Gu Meng shook her arm, begging, "Please, please go. Wanwan, you're the best. I want to go watch."

Zhou Wan finally nodded, "Alright."

Gu Meng then asked Jiang Yan, who was beside them, "Are you going, Jiang Yan?"

He was doing his homework. Hearing her, his fingertips paused, and he said indifferently, "I'm not going."

Gu Meng didn't know the history and entanglement between him and Lu Xixiao, and only said that he needed to learn to balance work and rest, not just bury himself in books.

Class 1, Year 2 was the class with the best grades in the entire year, and the competition within the class was also fierce. Only half of the students took leave to watch the game, while the other half stayed in the classroom to self-study. In the other classes, almost everyone had run off. Class 7 didn't even have a single person left.

The City Gymnasium was right next to Yangming High School, just a two-hundred-meter walk from the north gate.

Zhou Wan and Gu Meng followed the crowd in and sat in the front row.

The seats were good, with an open view.

"The guys from 18th High School are all here. Why haven't Lu Xixiao and the others come out yet?" Gu Meng said.

Zhou Wan: "Maybe they're changing."

On the court stood six people. Their white jerseys had "18th High School" and their respective names in Pinyin on the back. Zhou Wan glanced over them casually, but her gaze suddenly stopped on one of them—

LUO HE.

Luo He.

When he turned, she saw his face. It was the same person who had looked for trouble with Lu Xixiao and fought with him before.

So he was a student at 18th High School.

But he didn't have the air of a student at all; he looked more like a local hooligan. It wasn't just him; the other guys from 18th High School were the same.

18th High School was the worst and most chaotic high school in Pingchuan City.

Zhou Wan heard the boys behind her discussing.

"Luo He and his gang play streetball every day. I heard they play dirty. I reckon today's game will be pretty tough."

"Even Lu Xixiao can't beat him?"

"In terms of skill, Lu Xixiao should be stronger, but he plays by the rules too much and rarely goes all out. It'll be tough against that group from 18th High School. In the semifinals, their forward got elbowed directly by one of them and his nose was broken."

...

Zhou Wan's heart tightened.

Just then, the entire arena erupted in cheers.

Lu Xixiao led the way, entering the court.

They were wearing red jerseys, each one tall with long legs.

Gu Meng screamed along with the crowd, exaggerating, "Is this a team of male models?!"

It was the first time Zhou Wan had heard such a description, and she laughed.

Lu Xixiao walked over to the bench, picked up a bandage that had been thrown on the floor, and wrapped it around his ankle.

The muscles of his calves were well-defined, his Achilles tendon high. His face was expressionless, completely ignoring the cheers and screams around him.

After wrapping the bandage, he stood up and took off his black jacket. It was then that he noticed Zhou Wan in the front row. He was stunned for a moment, then raised an eyebrow.

He leaned over, resting his hand on the railing, and asked without a care for the gazes around them, "Why are you here?"

"I came with my friend," Zhou Wan said softly.

He handed his jacket over to her, saying nothing, the action extremely natural.

Zhou Wan hurriedly took it, neatened it, and held it carefully in her arms.

He was the focus of the entire stadium, and at this moment, Zhou Wan became the center of attention along with him. There were murmurs from behind.

"Don't tell me Lu Xixiao is really dating Zhou Wan. Didn't that post on the school forum last time say Lu Xixiao picked her up from school?"

"Holy crap, my world is shattered. How do those two even know each other?!"

"Damn, damn, damn, Lu Xixiao is so handsome. He's so charming and flirty. I'd be willing to date him even if he dumped me."

"You know, Zhou Wan is actually really pretty. The more you look at her, the prettier she gets. And she looks so well-behaved. She and Lu Xixiao actually look quite good together."

"I still think the cool, mature type suits Lu Xixiao better."

"Anyway, no matter what type, Lu Xixiao won't date them for more than a month."

...

Zhou Wan hugged his clothes, stared straight ahead, and pretended she hadn't heard anything.

With a blow of the whistle, the game began.

Tip-off. Lu Xixiao got the ball and quickly dribbled toward the basket.

Several players from 18th High School all guarded him tightly, leaving no gaps. Luo He spread his arms, blocking Lu Xixiao's path.

Lu Xixiao looked at him coldly. Everyone thought that in this situation, he could only pass the ball to a teammate, but his teammates were also heavily guarded. It was practically a dead end.

No one saw it clearly. Lu Xixiao did a fake-out, and Luo He was shaken to the ground.

He jumped up on the spot, wrist flicking down—

Bang.

Score!

The entire stadium erupted.

The game's excitement flared up right from the start.

Lu Xixiao landed steadily, glanced down at Luo He on the floor, and let out a soft scoff.

Luo He's expression changed, veins popping on his forehead. He got up and roared at his teammates, "Get back on defense!"

The first quarter ended, 18 to 24, with Yangming High School in the lead.

As soon as he got off the court, many girls went up to offer him water, some from Yangming, some from 18th High School.

Lu Xixiao didn't take any, passed through the crowd, and grabbed a towel from the bench to wipe his sweat.

He straightened up and looked at Zhou Wan. "Water."

There was a case of mineral water prepared nearby. Zhou Wan hurried to get a bottle and handed it to him.

Lu Xixiao raised an eyebrow.

She then helped him twist open the cap.

Lu Xixiao took it and tilted his head back to drink.

The water level in the bottle dropped rapidly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. After finishing the bottle, he tossed it on the ground.

"Is your cold completely gone?" Zhou Wan leaned in and asked in a small voice.

Lu Xixiao didn't seem to hear clearly. He bent down, bringing his ear to her lips, "Hm?"

He was radiating heat, full of surging hormones. Zhou Wan bit her lip and repeated her question.