Chapter 73: The Unseen Talent and the Locked Door

“How could Lin Qing behave this way? To outright ignore Su Yao’s kind gesture was truly unbearable.”

“Su Yao, don’t mind him,” one girl consoled. “Lin Qing already looks so gloomy; he’s definitely the unapproachable type.”

As Lin Qing silently prepared to practice shooting, the other three girls in their group clustered around Su Yao, their faces etched with concern that Lin Qing’s unspoken rejection might have caused her embarrassment.

The boys observing from the sidelines were even more incensed, practically seething with the desire to teach Lin Qing a harsh lesson.

They had all dreamed of being paired with Su Yao, yet Lin Qing, that fool, was clearly oblivious to his good fortune.

He had even dared to refuse the ball Su Yao offered him…

Lin Qing was utterly finished!

As these thoughts churned in their minds, the boys instinctively glanced toward Liu Hong and his companions, eager to witness Lin Qing’s impending misfortune.

Liu Hong, being Su Yao’s foremost suitor, could not tolerate even the slightest hint of injustice befalling her.

Now that Lin Qing had publicly rejected Su Yao, causing her to lose face, Liu Hong would certainly not let him off lightly. Even if Lin Qing shared a good relationship with Zhou Lin, Liu Hong would not relent.

“Why are you all staring at me? Go practice your shots, or do you want me to practice *on* you instead?”

Upon receiving their collective stares, Liu Hong’s expression turned frigid. He raised a hand, slapping the basketball repeatedly with sharp, resounding thuds, as if striking an unseen opponent. This immediately caused the other students to avert their gazes.

Something was amiss!

Liu Hong had clearly witnessed Lin Qing’s rejection of Su Yao, so why did he now appear utterly unconcerned?

He was even happily dribbling his basketball.

“Hehe, Brother Liu,” Zhou Lin chuckled, “a lot of people are quite confused right now!”

As the crowd remained perplexed, Zhou Lin, a joyful grin on his face, deftly snatched the basketball from Liu Hong’s grip. He executed a swift dunk, then retrieved the fallen ball and returned to Liu Hong’s side.

Had Zhou Lin not been privy to the inside story, he too would likely have been as utterly bewildered as everyone else.

Alas, he knew the truth.

He couldn’t help but inwardly laugh.

“Go on, get out of here,” Liu Hong scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Even if my little brother-in-law is a bit clueless, if Su Yao isn’t upset, why should I be? Besides, without Lin Qing’s help, Su Yao and I would have absolutely no chance.”

As Liu Hong listened to Zhou Lin’s words, he rolled his eyes at him, then swiftly snatched back the basketball, bouncing it rhythmically in his hands.

He then turned his head, observing the students around them. He noticed several boys casting venomous glances toward Lin Qing, and he knew, deep down, that these individuals harbored intentions of teaching Lin Qing a harsh lesson.

That simply wouldn’t do.

He had sworn an oath to himself this very morning: he absolutely had to protect his little brother-in-law.

“Zhou Lin, you and Wang Jian go over there,” Liu Hong instructed. “Tell them to keep their intentions away from Lin Qing. If they want to curry favor with Su Yao, they’ll have to do it over my dead body.”

“Alrighty then~”

Following Liu Hong’s directive, Zhou Lin promptly nodded his assent.

He then began to ‘borrow the tiger’s might’ [TL Note: An idiom meaning to use someone else’s power to intimidate others] to warn off the other boys. For a brief moment, he reveled in the exhilarating sensation of being a mountain chieftain.

Lin Qing, meanwhile, silently held the basketball, oblivious to the commotion around him. His gaze was fixed intently on the hoop, and he quietly calculated the distance, resisting the impulse to simply toss the ball out immediately.

While merely throwing the ball and retrieving it for repetitive practice might seem sufficient, Lin Qing did not believe that such mechanical actions alone would lead to rapid success.

Everything had its own trick, its own knack.

And now, he needed to discover it…

“Lin Qing, why are you just holding that basketball and not shooting?” Su Yao asked. “You grabbed it so early, I thought you were really good!”

As Lin Qing continued to observe the basketball hoop, Su Yao approached him, accompanied by the three other girls.

One of the girls, unable to stomach Lin Qing’s sullen demeanor, spoke with a clear note of provocation. She then quickly sprang up, launching the basketball from her hands.

With a resounding *clank*, the ball sailed directly into the hoop.

As the basketball descended to the ground, the girl turned her head, casting a triumphant glance toward Lin Qing.

“Wow, Liu Fei, you’re incredible!”

“Seriously, you can actually play basketball?” another girl exclaimed. “How did I never know that?”

After Liu Fei’s successful shot, the others immediately voiced their surprise and admiration, which only made the triumphant expression on her face more pronounced, her lips curving upward in a satisfied smile.

Her usual recreational games of basketball with her younger brother had, unexpectedly, proven useful today.

Meeting the admiring gazes of the others, Liu Fei felt an overwhelming sense of delight.

“Oh, it’s just average,” she demurred.

Though inwardly brimming with pride, she maintained a façade of humility.

As Liu Fei spoke, she didn’t forget to cast another glance at Lin Qing, musing that if she subtly avenged Su Yao, it might bring them closer.

For a woman like Su Yao, who possessed both beauty and a prestigious family background, even a minor association could yield unforeseen advantages.

The girls in their class who had already forged connections with Su Yao frequently received various branded items from her, which they invariably flaunted within their private chat groups.

The thought of those expensive brands made Liu Fei’s resolve waver even further.

She prepared to continue her taunts toward Lin Qing, determined to ensure Su Yao noticed her efforts.

“Lin Qing, are you finally going to shoot?” another girl chimed in. “Your shooting posture is all wrong. Haven’t you ever learned how to shoot a basketball?”

Before Liu Fei could dwell on anything further, amidst the girl’s remarks, Lin Qing ceased his idle standing. He finally raised the ball in his hands.

Yet, his movements and posture were utterly unconventional, betraying the awkwardness of a novice.

Liu Fei, upon seeing this, allowed a mocking smirk to play on her lips. ‘A total amateur like Lin Qing, with such incorrect shooting form, actually expects to score?’ she thought.

He was only making a fool of himself.

People, truly.

They ought to know their place.

Clearly knowing nothing, what was he trying to pretend at?

Lin Qing paid no heed to the voices rising around him. His gaze remained intently fixed on the basketball hoop, and he felt no significant pressure. After all, he was merely a basketball novice.

Failure wouldn’t be fatal.

Yet, he refused to fail, and he certainly could not allow such a straightforward defeat…

With these thoughts, Lin Qing immediately acted. The ball launched from his hands, soaring in a perfect arc before falling cleanly into the basketball hoop.

A perfect shot.

Despite his unconventional posture and the skepticism of others.

The undeniable truth was, he had scored.

“It must have been a fluke!”

Though surprised to see Lin Qing’s shot go in, Liu Fei still regarded him with disdain.

Yet, no sooner had the words left her mouth than Lin Qing, having already retrieved the basketball, successfully made another shot.

Then came a third, a fourth…

Every single shot found its mark.

“Th-this… how is this even possible!”

By now, Liu Fei’s earlier triumph had completely evaporated. She stammered in astonishment, her eyes fixed on Lin Qing and the basketball, utterly refusing to believe the scene unfolding before her.

Lin Qing’s flawed posture remained unchanged, yet the damned basketball kept finding its way into the hoop!

Liu Fei was not the only one stunned; all the others observing the scene shared her shock, utterly unable to comprehend how Lin Qing could be so adept at basketball…

*Ring, ring, ring!*

At that moment, the dismissal bell rang, signaling the end of physical education class.

Lin Qing, ignoring the lingering stares around him, lifted the basketball and placed it into the storage bin. He intended to find a quiet spot to change back into his school uniform.

“Lin Qing, you and Su Yao, put the basketball hoop back in the warehouse,”

However, amidst the students’ laughter and playful antics as they departed, Wu Gang’s persistent voice echoed once more.

Hearing this, Lin Qing could only nod in silent acknowledgment. He pushed the basketball hoop toward the warehouse within the basketball gym, intent on finishing the task swiftly.

At least within the confines of the school, he could maintain his distance from Su Yao.

He did not wish to compromise that.

Therefore, he needed to move quickly.

*Creak!*

However, even as Lin Qing was immersed in these thoughts, Su Yao appeared before the warehouse door, her arrival unnoticed until that moment. She stepped inside, then swiftly pulled one side of the door, closing it with a decisive motion.

The warehouse door swung shut with a soft *click*, and then, just as quietly, it was locked.