Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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While Yan Han was stunned, Wei Ningxin was still muttering to himself, “You’re like a fighting rooster protecting him, daring to openly go against me, and you still dare to say you don’t like him?”
Yan Han: “…”
After thinking for a long time, Yan Han felt that this was truly like talking to a brick wall. Constantly talking about liking or disliking someone was a waste of energy.
So he was inexplicably annoyed: “My relationship with Brother Lin is none of your business.”
“Of course it’s my business,” Wei Ningxin said, “I need to know who my enemies are first.”
Yan Han: …
Shocked!
But seeing Wei Ningxin’s grinning face, he knew the other was probably joking with him again, so he coldly retorted, “Didn’t I already say that the person I like isn’t a student at our school…”
“Not a student, then a teacher at our school?”
Wei Ningxin interrupted him.
The most terrifying thing was that Wei Ningxin’s eyes were gleaming, as if he was scrutinizing Yan Han’s expression to judge the truthfulness of his words. His serious attitude made him seem like a completely different person, yet it also made one feel that… he hadn’t been joking at all.
“…”
Holy crap.
Could Wei Ningxin really like him?!
Yan Han’s heart was roaring.
“Um… what’s going on between you and the arts goddess? Did you have a falling out?”
Suddenly realizing the problem, Yan Han transformed into a close friend, trying his best to help his brother find his own happiness: “It’s normal for young people to bicker and argue occasionally. Don’t be impulsive. I think the arts goddess is great, very suitable for you. Maybe that’s true love between you two.”
“…Do you know Gong Yuxue?”
Perhaps his attitude changed too quickly, so Wei Ningxin asked with a face full of suspicion.
“I don’t know her. But isn’t she the goddess of liberal arts? Her reputation and abilities are a perfect match for you.”
Wei Ningxin said, “You’re right, I used to think so too.”
Yan Han: “See! I told you…”
Wei Ningxin: “I’ve liked her for a long time, and I was the one who pursued her this time.”
Yan Han: “Yeah, yeah, then you should cherish her even more.”
Wei Ningxin: “But I’ve found out she has a bad temper, is too delicate, and makes a lot of trouble.”
Thinking about this made Wei Ningxin irritable.
His face darkened when he was annoyed, after all, he was known for his bad temper.
Yan Han: “…You two have only been together for only two or three months, right?”
Only two or three months; a normal person should be in the honeymoon phase. It’s rare to see someone like Wei Ningxin already so annoyed.
If that was the case, then it might really be unsuitable. Yan Han didn’t dare to continue trying to reconcile them, even though he really wanted Wei Ningxin and Gong Yuxue to become a couple… for various reasons.
But even if he really wanted to, he couldn’t just blindly advise them; he was afraid of sending them into a fire.
Despite Wei Ningxin saying, “Yeah, only two or three months, and I’ve had enough of that,” but before Yan Han could express surprise or regret, he immediately grinned mischievously, “Now I’d like to find someone a bit rougher and less fussy, like you.”
“…”
His heart hadn’t pounded like that in a long time. Yan Han smiled on the surface, but his tone was laced with threat and murderous intent: “I’m actually quite fussy, extremely fussy. If we were together, I guarantee you wouldn’t even last two months, you’d be annoyed in two weeks.”
“Then how about we give it a try?” Wei Ningxin looked at him, his eyes shining even brighter.
Yan Han instantly regained his expressionless face: “Get lost.”
To prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.
Later, Yan Han unilaterally ended the conversation with Wei Ningxin.
Ironically, even after the conversation ended, he still couldn’t figure out whether Wei Ningxin liked him or was just joking.
Although Yan Han didn’t take it to heart at all.
As a basketball buddy, Wei Ningxin was quite competent; after all, his skills were undeniable, and playing with someone like him gave Yan Han a truly enjoyable experience.
But that was all.
He loved basketball, but it was never his whole life, so it all depended on fate— if Wei Ningxin genuinely liked him, then all he could do was apologize.
If it was just a joke, then they could continue playing together. For Yan Han, burdened by the mountain of “studies,” this wasn’t even a concern.
He forgot all about it as soon as PE class ended.
However, because of Wei Ningxin’s sudden provocation, Lin Jianlu and Wei Ningxin arranged a separate game before the match to discuss whether Lin Jianlu was even qualified to play.
The news of the university’s top student playing against the basketball god spread throughout the school in an instant. Many people, unaware of what happened during PE class, began to speculate wildly, thinking that on the first day of school, Lin Jianlu was going to “settle scores” with Wei Ningxin for the summer break.
Previously, the anonymous forum only had threads dedicated to the school beauty and the academic genius, but after a summer of rumors, other pairings for the school beauty were beginning to emerge.
Therefore, this competition was easily understood.
—Like a duel, only the victor could win the beauty’s heart.
The academic genius was unhappy that someone was bypassing him to flirt with the school beauty that he wanted to challenge someone to a duel…
Ah, just thinking about it is exciting!
Although some expressed doubt— after all, if it were a duel, why choose basketball, which Wei Ningxin excels at, instead of academics, which the academic genius excels at?
—The general public tended to believe the more dramatic and sensational versions, so many people enjoyed discussing this duel and gave it a catchy name— the School Beauty Contest.
So, the next day at noon, shortly after the bell rang for the end of class, the gymnasium was already packed.
It wasn’t just the second-year students who came to watch the spectacle; many well-informed first-year students, who had been dedicated to gossip since arriving at the school, also came.
On the basketball court, two tall boys in different colored jerseys stood facing each other on their respective halves of the court.
Let alone the freshmen who were screaming with excitement at the sight of the so-called campus heartthrob for the first time, even the sophomores were witnessing this scene for the first time.
On the basketball court, the wild and unrestrained Wei Ningxin, with his spiky, upright hairstyle, stood there in his professional jersey and shoes, as if he were born to wear such clothes and to compete on the court.
The boy opposite him, however, had a completely different aura.
Lin Jianlu was always calm and reserved, his short, jet-black hair were lying obediently on his head, while his eyes were deep and dark like the purest obsidian. A tranquil atmosphere surrounded him, as if the noise of the surrounding crowd had no effect on him.
Standing together, it was immediately clear who the academic star and the basketball team captain were.
Even before the game started, the freshmen were already agonizing over which one to support…
Meanwhile, an anonymous forum was broadcasting the event live, though it only involved uploading photos with captions and wasn’t necessarily perfectly synchronized.
But it was enough for people from other schools to learn about the competition between the two campus heartthrob and the school bully.
“I like the guy with the spiky hair. He’s wearing limited edition Jordans, so tasteful. Most importantly, those shoes look so good on him.”
“Me too! I’m a fan of his! I love that wicked look in his eyes when he smiles!”
“I’m a fan of the other one. You guys don’t understand, these days school bullies aren’t popular anymore. Quiet, studious guys are the most sought-after.”
“I’m a fan of the studious guy too. In these kinds of competitions, studious guys are at a slight disadvantage. I went through all the male god fan pages and was blown away by the reports of the studious guy participating in the math competition. Ahhh, guys who are both good at studying and handsome are the most charming!”
Others: “…”
So being handsome is the key, right?
“Actually, no matter who you’re a fan of, you can only admire them. Both the male gods like the school beauty.” Someone nearby chimed in, ruining the mood.
“…You don’t understand. These days, school beauties aren’t popular anymore.” Someone retorted, “What’s the use of just being pretty? Is the school beauty all-around perfect in every way?”
“I don’t know about virtues, morality, intelligence, physical fitness, aesthetics, and labor, but I heard that the school beauty is very athletic and plays basketball very well.”
“…”
“And the school beauty is also good at fighting for justice! Because of that incident, Luze became quite famous. When have you ever seen Luze on the front page of the newspaper except for academics? I heard that the surge in admission scores this year is also related to this.”
“…”
Hidden in the crowd, the school beauty, unknowingly being praised to the skies: “…”
Although Wei Ningxin had become more obedient after their conversation, Yan Han still supported the class monitor and others in playing against Wei Ningxin to prove that Lin Jianlu and the class monitor weren’t the “anyone can participate in the competition” type of people he claimed to be.
As a member of Class 14, Yan Han naturally wouldn’t be absent at this time.
However, since there were only two people on the class monitor’s and Lin Jianlu’s side, they couldn’t find enough players for either the traditional five-person lineup or the 3v3. Besides, it was just a test to see if they had the ability to participate in the next game, so there was no need to take it too seriously. Therefore, after much discussion, their class decided to send Lin Jianlu to play against Wei Ningxin in a 1v1 match, best of three.
The reason for sending Lin Jianlu was because he was tall, making it easier for him to grab the ball.
1v1 matches usually ended quickly, and whoever got the ball first was more likely to win. The focus was on testing the players’ ball control and shot-stopping abilities. So, after considering everything, the class monitor decided to send Lin Jianlu as their representative to compete against Wei Ningxin. “I didn’t expect all this to cause a misunderstanding.” But having heard some rumors, the class monitor looked at Yan Han and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
Around the court, many people vaguely knew that the girl surrounded by the group of Class 14 students was the school beauty, and they couldn’t help but look in Yan Han’s direction.
They looked again and again.
The school beauty was actually very easy to spot— a flower in a crowd, the tall, stunningly beautiful one with a cool, aloof expression exuding an air of asceticism was undoubtedly the school beauty.
Because her looks and demeanor were so outstanding, just a slight pointing in the right direction was enough for everyone to recognize her instantly.
Being recognized wasn’t the only thing; those who previously thought the school beauty was just a myth were automatically proven wrong. Some of them had seen photos of Yan Han on forums, but always assumed they were digitally manipulated or staged, not real.
But after seeing her in person, they could only say… who took these photos? The technique is so poor! She’s clearly more beautiful in person than in the photos!
Of course, some students who hadn’t seen the photos and simply thought the legend of the school beauty was just exaggerated also began to deeply believe— the title of school beauty is indeed well-deserved.
It’s not surprising that both the male gods like her.
“Hey, it might not be a misunderstanding.” Hearing the class monitor’s words, Wen Juerong couldn’t help but tease again: “That Wei Ningxin supposedly broke up with a liberal arts goddess. Maybe he’s hopelessly infatuated with our Yan-ge’s stunning good looks! Besides, the rumors about Yan-ge and Big Brother Lin-ge have been going on for a while now, it’s nothing.”
Surrounded by his classmates, Yan Han, standing at the front of the crowd, glared at him, his meaning clear: watch your words.
“Hehe.” Wen Juerong smiled demurely, confident that his Yan-ge wouldn’t do anything in front of everyone, and said fearlessly, “If you ask me, Yan-ge, you should just get together with Lin-ge, so everyone won’t overthink things and it’ll be too much of a hassle.”
Yan Han: “…”
So it’s my fault after all?
Silently looking up at the sky— what to do when everyone around you is love-struck? Waiting online, it’s urgent.
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