Last Saturday night, when the news of No. 1 High School’s victory in the first match of the finals spread to the forum, it immediately exploded:
“Whoa! No. 1 High actually beat No. 3 High? No way!”
“Just got back from the scene—No. 1 High really stood tall tonight!”
“I usually don’t like watching basketball games, but a friend dragged me along. After seeing a few of No. 1 High’s handsome guys play tonight, I declare myself a die-hard fan of No. 1 High!”
“Player No. 16 from No. 1 High totally killed it tonight. Later, I found out he’s not only the most handsome guy at their school but also ranked first in his grade. Wow, this is like a novel coming to life! I’m dead, sob sob sob.”
“So, the guys who play well are all from other schools. I’m crying.”
“The rhythm of today’s game was completely controlled by No. 1 High. The usually dominant No. 3 High was led by the nose instead. What was up with No. 3 High’s poor performance tonight?”
“Did No. 3 High underestimate their opponent?”
“As a No. 3 High student, I also wondered the same. Song Anchen’s several passing errors tonight left me confused. He might as well have stayed home doing homework.”
“Song Anchen was a bit off tonight…”
“Are you from No. 3 High? Talking like that about our school… Are you trying to stir things up? Winning and losing is normal in sports. No. 3 High just had an off day.”
“Exactly. Look at how smug you guys from No. 1 High are just because you won one match. You had five straight losses before this, remember? Maybe No. 3 High just went easy to make the game more interesting.”
“LOL, brothers, if No. 3 High is so generous, why don’t you hand over the championship too? But no worries, we don’t need it. Just don’t try to save face after losing.”
“There are still two more matches, no need to rush. I hope No. 1 High won’t try to save face when they lose six times in a row later on. [Smile]”
“No. 3 High, you don’t have to be so arrogant. Every team is different each year. Just because you won three consecutive championships before doesn’t mean you’re that great this year.”
“Ha! You guys at No. 1 High haven’t even won a single championship, and you still dare to talk big…”
The forum was buzzing with heated debates, and everyone was eagerly anticipating the second match.
A week passed, and Saturday rolled around again.
Today is the second final match, and if No. 1 High wins again, they will take the championship with a 2:0 victory.
In the evening, at the Provincial Sports Center, No. 1 High’s players had just finished dinner. There was still some time before the game, so everyone could rest freely for a bit.
Inside the practice hall, a few players were chatting. Pei Chen sat on a sideline seat, casually checking his phone. After a while, he opened the basketball forum.
Lately, he had often heard his classmates talking about the forum. Liang Zhiyi, in particular, frequently shared the fun content with him and mentioned how No. 1 High was currently a hot topic on the forum. Pei Chen suddenly felt like checking it out himself.
He usually didn’t care for these social circles, but perhaps because the lively and energetic Liang Zhiyi had been around him for so long, his once stagnant heart had started to take an interest in the things around him.
After registering an account, he entered the forum and saw all kinds of posts, such as match reviews, predictions, live game updates, black histories of the teams, gossip, and even fan pairings. It was a treasure trove of content.
Pei Chen slowly scrolled down and even saw a post about himself:
“Why are the guys on No. 1 High’s basketball team so good-looking? I want to date the No. 16 player, sob sob sob, there are pictures in the thread!”
“…”
Why are these people so bored?
He didn’t bother clicking on it and continued scrolling until a hot post caught his eye:
“Is the girl from No. 1 High’s support team really this pretty? Is that kind of beauty even real?”
His gaze paused for a moment.
Liang Zhiyi’s face subconsciously appeared in his mind.
After all, he always thought she was beautiful.
After hesitating for a couple of seconds, he clicked on the post, and sure enough, the main post featured a photo of Liang Zhiyi.
The original poster, a girl from another school who had come to watch a match at No. 1 High, wrote:
“When I got to the gym, there were no seats left. This lovely girl personally helped me find a seat, she was so friendly! Ah, she’s so pretty, and so fair-skinned too. I couldn’t resist secretly taking a couple of photos. If this offends her, I apologize and will delete them if she contacts me via private message~”
In the photos, Liang Zhiyi was wearing a lavender wool coat, sitting by the sidelines watching the game, only half of her face visible. Her almond-shaped eyes were bright, and her facial features were delicate and beautiful, exuding a pure and youthful charm.
The replies were full of people excitedly commenting on how beautiful she was, saying that even a random candid shot could be used as a profile picture. Some even chimed in with additional information:
“She’s pretty famous at our school. She transferred here in her second year, and I think she should be our school’s top beauty. I’ve heard that she’s not only beautiful but also kind-hearted. I really like her.”
“She’s also really good at her studies, a true academic achiever. She’s both pretty and smart, I’m so envious [crying].”
“Didn’t you recognize her? She’s been in a movie!”
“Oh my gosh, I knew she looked familiar! I just want to pinch her soft cheeks…”
Pei Chen carefully read through all the replies praising Liang Zhiyi, his expression softening unconsciously.
Who wouldn’t like her?
However, as the post gained more comments, other voices began to emerge:
“Funny, don’t forget who’s on No. 1 High’s basketball team. No need to guess, it’s obvious she joined the support team because of him.”
“Don’t be fooled, she’s just playing around in the support team. She’s not there to help anyone; she’s just using her position for personal gain.”
“Ah, is this girl really that kind of person…?”
The comments sparked an argument in the thread, with some people making snide remarks about Liang Zhiyi supposedly chasing after someone, others defending her, and a few students from other schools utterly confused, watching the drama unfold.
As Pei Chen read these replies, his expression gradually darkened.
A few minutes later, a new reply popped up:
Pei Chen typed out the following response:
“The support team’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordinating with visiting teams, arranging transportation, managing meals and necessary items for both teams, cleaning the gym, maintaining order during the game, and contacting relevant teachers or calling an ambulance in case of emergencies to ensure the smooth running of the match. Do you really think it’s as simple and easy as you imagine?”
After a few minutes, surprisingly, the person responded: “So what if the support team has a lot of work? She could still be just coasting along. Anyone could do it.”
Pei Chen calmly replied: “She’s the head of the support team, responsible for supervising all the work. Do you really know what the support team does? Anyone can join, but just being able to type on a keyboard isn’t enough.”
His opponent, clearly losing ground, lashed out in frustration: “Who are you to keep defending her? I bet you’re just her lapdog!”
Pei Chen: “…”
He remained composed as he replied: “I’m just stating the facts. Who’s maliciously slandering her here? You know that well enough.”
After Pei Chen’s response, the other party was left speechless. Soon, others began to back him up:
“I’ve been educated. I didn’t realize the support team worked so hard. Stop slandering the girl.”
“56th floor, can you stop jumping in with your bitter comments? You sound like you’re just jealous.”
“Speaking as a basketball player, the support team works very hard. If you’re just here to complain, get lost.”
“89th floor, someone with the username ‘Pei’—that’s not a common surname. My first thought was No. 1 High’s campus heartthrob, Pei Chen…”
“Pei Chen defending her? Suddenly, this story makes sense. Whoa, whoa?!”
Pei Chen: ? Did they recognize him?
Luckily, most people didn’t take it seriously. The girl who had been arguing with him fell completely silent. As Pei Chen continued to look at the thread, he suddenly heard a playful voice beside him:
“Pei Chen, what are you up to?”
Pei Chen turned to see Liang Zhiyi standing next to him. He quickly locked his phone screen and cleared his throat, “Just sitting here for a bit.”
Liang Zhiyi noticed his uneasy expression, “What’s up with you? Why are you acting all sneaky?”
“…”
Liang Zhiyi didn’t pay much attention to it. She held out something in her hand for him to see and smiled, “Pei Chen, look at this StellaLou headband I got! Isn’t it super cute?! I just met a nice girl outside who gave it to me.”
Pei Chen looked up to see her wearing the headband with StellaLou’s bunny ears, smiling sweetly at him.
It was so cute it made his heart flutter.
Pei Chen forced himself to look away and said, “It’s just okay.”
“What do you mean ‘just okay’? It’s clearly super cute…”
The girl huffed, took off the headband, and said, “Fine, I won’t talk to you anymore. I’m going back to work.”
She turned around and left in a huff, while Pei Chen watched her, a faint smile appearing in his eyes.
Liang Zhiyi walked out of the practice hall to find Ji Fei’er and continue working. When Ji Fei’er saw her, she said, “Zhizhi, I’m so upset.”
“What happened?”
Ji Fei’er grabbed her hand. “I just heard from Gao Jia that some girls in our class were talking bad about you.”
Liang Zhiyi chuckled softly, “Isn’t that pretty normal?”
She was long used to it.
Liang Zhiyi asked what they were saying about her this time, and Ji Fei’er replied, “They said you’re unscrupulous, joining the support team just to chase after someone.”