She stood up, too, shouting his name. Pei Chen high-fived his teammates, and then, in the next moment, his deep gaze swept over the crowd, landing directly in her direction.
In that glow, he looked only at her.
Their eyes met.
A sudden wave of emotion surged through her, and her nose stung with the onset of tears.
In that moment, she realized she had completely fallen for him.
The boy with a heart as clear and bright as the moon, kind and gentle, yet fighting his way through the darkness—he was the unforgettable presence in her youth, someone she would cherish for a lifetime.
On the court, the referee signaled the game to resume.
No one on No. 3 High expected this to be the turning point.
Liang Tongzhou dribbled the ball, and with an unexpected, brilliant pass, sent it straight to Pei Chen. Moving with sharp, fluid precision, Pei Chen dodged the defense and drove the ball toward the basket. The No. 3 High players tried to intercept, but Pei Chen jumped and slammed the ball into the hoop with a powerful dunk.
As the game continued, Pei Chen repeatedly broke through the defense, scoring time and time again, leaving the No. 3 High players utterly bewildered.
The spectators, watching Pei Chen’s performance, were wide-eyed with astonishment—
Is this how he plays when he’s injured? How does it seem like he’s even better now???
Pei Chen had always been the type to get stronger when faced with tougher opponents. As Xuan Xia watched him, he finally realized that Pei Chen was giving it his absolute all—100%.
The Pei Chen from before the car accident—the unstoppable force who could defeat anyone—was back.
By the end of the third quarter, the score was tied.
The students supporting No. 1 High were now filled with adrenaline, their cheers drowning out the support for No. 3 High.
Fourth quarter.
The final ten minutes that would determine the victor.
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, wondering if No. 3 High would continue their streak with a fourth consecutive championship or if No. 1 High would break through and claim their first title in school history.
Both teams gave it their all, fighting with every ounce of strength.
Song Anchen dribbled the ball, with Pei Chen guarding him closely.
He still remembered their middle school days, when Pei Chen would often surprise him by stealing rebounds, something that had always been a source of shame for him.
He stared intensely at the person in front of him, made a feint, and then tossed the ball in the opposite direction. But Pei Chen, as if he had anticipated the move, lightning-quick, intercepted the ball in a flash.
Pei Chen immediately launched a counterattack, driving to the basket in mere seconds and dunking the ball with force.
How is this possible?!
Song Anchen’s face turned an angry shade of green.
What followed was a series of plays where it seemed like Pei Chen could read Song Anchen’s every move. Twice more, Song Anchen was stripped of the ball by Pei Chen.
Despite the pain in his leg, Pei Chen executed a powerful windmill dunk, taking the lead.
As the ball exchanged hands several more times, Pei Chen got the ball again. Two defenders closed in on him, and when he tried to break through, a third player joined in to block him.
Surrounded by three players, Pei Chen raised his hand and barely managed to get a shot off.
Song Anchen saw the awkward shot and yelled, “Rebound!” signaling his teammates to focus on securing the rebound.
In an instant, the No. 3 High players swarmed the basket, all aiming to grab the rebound. But to their shock, Pei Chen leaped up, snagged the ball himself, and slammed it back into the hoop.
Song Anchen froze, realizing too late that Pei Chen hadn’t intended to make the initial shot at all—he had simply aimed to bounce the ball off the backboard to set himself up for the dunk!
After making the shot, Pei Chen hung from the rim for a couple of seconds before dropping to the ground with ease. His dark eyes, cold and unyielding, locked onto Song Anchen, radiating a powerful and defiant aura.
When Song Anchen met Pei Chen’s gaze, he felt as though Pei Chen was silently telling him: You have no idea what I’m going to do next.
Once again, Song Anchen’s abilities were crushed by Pei Chen’s dominance on the court.
The memory of being utterly overpowered by Pei Chen two years ago came rushing back, filling him with frustration and pushing him to the brink of losing control.
As Liang Tongzhou leaped to take a shot, Song Anchen, in a panic, grabbed at his hand, but the ball still found its way into the hoop. The referee blew the whistle, awarding Liang Tongzhou an extra free throw.
With the full cooperation of all No. 1 High players, they completely turned the game around.
No. 3 High was in total disarray.
In the final ten seconds, Pei Chen was blocked outside the three-point line. After faking a pass, he lifted his hand and took a shot.
“Swish!” The ball sank into the hoop.
*Beep*—the game was over!
No. 1 High had overturned the odds, winning against No. 3 High with a score of 79 to 73, claiming the final victory!
The arena erupted in thunderous cheers as the entire No. 1 High team stormed the court, several of the boys embracing each other in excitement.
Applause filled the air.
They shouted in exhilaration.
Despite being underestimated, despite losing to No. 3 High five times and enduring countless taunts and doubts, they had shattered all skepticism with their strength—they had done it!!!
“Pei Chen is incredible!”
The crowd roared with cheers as they joyfully lifted Pei Chen into the air, throwing him up in celebration.
On the other side, the No. 3 High players wore solemn expressions; no one paid them any attention now.
After a while of celebrating, Pei Chen walked over to the sidelines, stopping in front of Liang Zhiyi. He looked down at her, his emotions swirling in his eyes, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
“Zhiyi, I did it.”
Even when no one believed in him, even when everyone thought he couldn’t make it, he had done it—he had proved them wrong. He had returned to the court and finally achieved his dream.
The girl nodded, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked up at him, her lips curving into a smile:
“Pei Chen, I told you, you’re the best.”
As long as you hold onto your dreams, you can overcome anything.
After a while, the award ceremony began, and the entire No. 1 High team and their coach stood at the center of the court.
The host announced that the champion of the 10th Lincheng High School Inter-School Basketball Tournament was Lincheng No. 1 High School.
Despite not playing as a starter in the first two group matches, Pei Chen still averaged 19.8 points, 10.2 assists, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.3 steals per game, making him the undeniable winner of the Most Valuable Player award.
From the first game to now, Pei Chen’s abilities were evident to everyone, and the recognition was well-deserved.
Amidst the applause and fireworks, the boys of the No. 1 High School basketball team stood in the spotlight, lifting the trophy high together:
“No. 1 High rules!”
…
After the award ceremony, the audience gradually left the venue. News of No. 1 High’s victory had already spread across the forums, with many people sending their congratulations.
In contrast to No. 3 High’s arrogance and underestimation of their opponents, everyone admired how No. 1 High had fought their way through every challenge this year, giving their all in each match to claim the championship.
After receiving his award, Pei Chen walked to the side and encountered Song Anchen.
Seeing Pei Chen now basking in glory, Song Anchen felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over his head. With a self-deprecating smile, he said, “Congratulations, you won.”
“I just can’t accept it. Why are you always one step ahead of me?” Song Anchen’s eyes dimmed. “Life is so unfair.”
Pei Chen looked at him and finally spoke:
“Have you ever been in a car accident like me, almost losing the ability to ever play basketball again? You were recruited into No. 3 High, receiving professional training that many could only dream of, and you’ve won numerous championships. And that’s what you call unfair?”
Song Anchen froze.
He suddenly remembered how, back in middle school, he had gloated over Pei Chen’s car accident, thinking that Pei Chen would never play again.
Pei Chen continued, “If you really can’t accept losing to me, then beat me fair and square on the court, not with those underhanded tactics.”
With a calm voice, Pei Chen added, “I’ve never considered you my rival because people who don’t matter to me aren’t worth my attention.”
Song Anchen clenched his teeth, lowered his gaze, and finally walked away.
Xuan Xia walked over, watching Song Anchen’s retreating figure with a sneer. “Even after all his dirty tricks to force you out of the game, he still lost. That’s the ultimate slap in the face.”
After Song Anchen left, the No. 3 High team, defeated and dejected, also departed.
The No. 1 High team, along with a few school leaders who had come to watch the game, took photos together, including the logistics team.
After all the celebrations, nearly an hour had passed.
Since it was already late, they decided to postpone the victory banquet until the next day.
Everyone was concerned about Pei Chen’s injury. “Pei Chen, is your leg hurting? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
During the game, there was some pain, but it was bearable.
He applied some medication and rested for a while, feeling much better and able to walk normally.
“It’s too late tonight; let’s all head home. We can celebrate tomorrow,” Sun Jing suggested.
“Alright, everyone, let’s head home…”
The group, full of energy, left the arena. By the time they exited the Provincial Sports Center, the night had already deepened, with the neon lights from the tall buildings across the street casting a colorful glow.
Liang Zhiyi and Ji Fei’er walked at the back of the group.
At the entrance, Ji Fei’er noticed that the car she had called through a ride-sharing app had arrived. She turned to ask, “Zhiyi, how are you getting home?”
“There’s a subway station up ahead. I’ll just take the subway.”
Ji Fei’er playfully pinched her cheek, “Alright, then. I’ll head off.”
“Okay, message me when you get home.”
Ji Fei’er waved and headed toward the curb. Meanwhile, Xuan Xia, with an arm around both Pei Chen and Liang Tongzhou, turned to Liang Zhiyi with a mischievous grin:
“Our team is going out for a late-night snack. Why don’t you come with us?”
“Yeah, Zhiyi, we’re planning to hit up a seafood place for some late-night grub. Come join us!”
The others chimed in, teasingly encouraging her. Pei Chen, his ears slightly reddening, couldn’t help but cast an expectant glance in her direction.
Liang Zhiyi met Pei Chen’s gaze and smiled before politely declining, “You guys go ahead. I think I’ll head home for now.”
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to join them.
She just felt that this was a special moment for the boys to celebrate freely together, without the presence of a girl possibly making things a bit awkward. Besides, if she went along, they’d undoubtedly tease Pei Chen, and she didn’t want to make him uncomfortable.
She assured them that they would have other opportunities to hang out and told them to enjoy themselves. Xuan Xia sighed with a grin, “Alright then, we’ll head out.”
“Okay.”
Liang Zhiyi caught Pei Chen’s gaze once more, her eyes curved in a smile. “I’m off. Get some good rest tonight.”
Pei Chen looked at her intently, his gaze deepening. “Okay.”
With a wave, Liang Zhiyi bid them farewell and walked away.
As she turned the corner, she disappeared from view.
She hadn’t called for a driver tonight, thinking that since it was late, it would be more convenient to take the subway home herself, avoiding the trouble of bothering anyone else.
Under the streetlights, the cool breeze brushed against her, and she pulled her long lambswool coat tighter around herself. She walked past rows of Bauhinia trees, the sound of her shoes crunching the fallen leaves beneath them.
At a red light, she stopped.
The girl looked down at the tips of her Martin boots, her warm face half-buried in a fluffy scarf as she softly hummed a tune.
Just as she was singing, she heard a familiar, gentle voice behind her, cool yet warm:
“The light’s green.”
Liang Zhiyi heard the familiar voice and froze for a moment, quickly turning around—
Pei Chen was standing behind her, tall and slender. The streetlight above cast shadows that accentuated the sharp lines of his face, and at that moment, his gaze was fixed on her.