Chapter 9: The Basketball Challenge

Two days had passed since Su Mian sent Xiao Moyuan the photos of himself in women’s clothing.

Over these two days, Su Mian had distinctly noticed Xiao Moyuan’s replies to his messages becoming much swifter. This, indeed, was welcome news.

However, there was also a troubling development: his childhood friend, Shen Zhixia, had recently grown unresponsive to his messages.

Normally, she would offer friendly greetings, but now, an entire day might pass without a single reply from her.

“Oh, dear!” Su Mian sighed, sitting on his bed, consumed by worry.

“Mianzi, are those… props of yours truly gone?” Lu Yang asked, lifting a dumbbell, his gaze darting towards Su Mian’s closet for the umpteenth time, a knowing glint in his eyes that seemed to say, ‘I understand, bro.’

Su Mian’s scalp prickled, and he yearned to bury his face in a book. “Lu-ge, please, let’s move on!”

“I’ll send you the link; you can buy them yourself.”

Lu Yang chuckled mischievously. “I’m a grown man! How embarrassing would it be to order something like that?”

Su Mian retorted, “And if you’re a grown man, am I not?”

Qin Xuan, who was perpetually engrossed in his books nearby, overheard their conversation and looked up curiously. “What are you two talking about?”

Su Mian’s eyes sharpened, fixing Lu Yang with an intense stare.

“Nothing, just some trifles,” Lu Yang quickly interjected, understanding Su Mian’s implied warning. He swiftly changed the subject. “Mianzi, why have you been sighing so much today?”

Su Mian then briefly recounted the situation with Shen Zhixia.

“Campus Belle Shen’s mind is entirely on Xiao Moyuan, so how could she have time to reply to you?”

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, then added, “I heard Xiao Moyuan is playing basketball at the stadium today. Campus Belle Shen might be there too.”

Upon hearing this, Su Mian immediately dashed out of the dorm room.

Lu Yang chuckled, following close behind him.

***

The basketball court was abuzz with activity, a boisterous crowd gathered around a fiercely competitive three-on-three match. Yet, the most captivating sight on the sidelines was undoubtedly Shen Zhixia.

Clutching a bottle of water and a clean white towel, her gaze remained fixed on the most dazzling figure on the court: Xiao Moyuan.

Xiao Moyuan executed a crisp jump shot, scoring a point that ignited a burst of cheers from the spectators.

Shen Zhixia immediately stood up, a bright smile gracing her face, ready to approach him.

“Xiao Moyuan, have some water!” she called out, her voice clear and brimming with obvious concern.

Xiao Moyuan didn’t even turn his head; he merely waved a hand dismissively. He walked directly to where his bag lay on the sidelines, picked up his own water bottle, and drank with an indifferent expression.

The water and towel Shen Zhixia had offered remained suspended in mid-air, a flicker of imperceptible disappointment crossing her face. However, she quickly regained her composure, continuing to follow closely in his vicinity.

This entire scene unfolded before the eyes of Su Mian, who had just arrived. That familiar, suffocating surge of jealousy once again welled up within him, burning through his very core.

When had his own childhood friend ever treated him with such careful attentiveness?

Seeing this, Lu Yang quickly grabbed him. “Hey, calm down, Mianzi! With your small frame, don’t even think about getting into a fight with him!”

But Su Mian’s reason had already been completely drowned in a sea of jealousy.

He broke free from Lu Yang’s grip and strode purposefully towards Xiao Moyuan, who had just finished a round and was resting on the sidelines.

“Xiao Moyuan!” Su Mian’s voice, sharp with agitation, drew numerous glances from the surrounding crowd. “Do you dare to challenge me? One-on-one, five points! The loser…”

He paused, a surge of fierce determination rising within him. “The loser is forbidden from ever accepting anything from Shen Zhixia again!”

This wager, both childish and domineering, laid bare the insecurity festering within him.

Xiao Moyuan slowly turned his head, his deep-set eyes devoid of any emotion, save for a thin, unmistakable layer of annoyance.

This was the second time this boy had actively sought trouble, his intentions clear: it was, naturally, about the girl, Shen Zhixia, who was currently clinging to him.

He didn’t even bother to look Su Mian squarely in the eye, as if a prolonged glance would somehow defile his vision.

“No interest,” he uttered, his thin lips parting to release three icy words, before he prepared to turn away.

“Are you scared?” Su Mian goaded, his words reckless.

At that moment, Shen Zhixia rushed over, pulling Su Mian with a hint of anger. “Ah Mian! What nonsense are you stirring up now!”

Xiao Moyuan’s steps faltered.

He turned back, his gaze piercing Su Mian like an icy probe, and the air around them seemed to freeze.

“Since you insist on bringing this humiliation upon yourself,” his voice was not loud, yet it carried an absolute sense of oppression, “I shall grant your wish.”

***

The match held no suspense.

Su Mian defended with all his might, but against Xiao Moyuan’s sheer physical prowess and skill, his efforts appeared utterly pale and laughable.

Xiao Moyuan didn’t even resort to flashy moves; with simple changes in direction, bursts of speed, and jumps, he consistently scored over Su Mian’s head.

One to zero.

Two to zero.

Three to zero…

Each successful shot felt like a heavy hammer blow to Su Mian’s heart. The crowd grew, their whispers and low chuckles pricking his eardrums like needles.

He could see Shen Zhixia’s anxious and helpless expression from the sidelines, a sight that pained him more than the loss itself.

For the fifth point, Xiao Moyuan executed a clean fake, shaking off Su Mian, his gaze briefly sweeping over Su Mian’s pale, sweat-beaded neck and the faint hint of his collarbone, before effortlessly scoring.

Five to zero. A complete shutout.

Xiao Moyuan hadn’t even broken a sweat. He walked up to the ashen-faced Su Mian, re-evaluating the boy before him.

‘Aside from his fair skin, he possessed virtually no other redeeming qualities, and his personality was thoroughly unlikable.’

‘It must have been my imagination just now.’

Without another glance at Su Mian, he picked up his belongings, disregarded Shen Zhixia who still seemed to want to speak, and walked straight off the court.

Su Mian stood frozen, the elongated shadow of the basketball hoop engulfing him completely. Lu Yang walked over, let out a heavy sigh, and put an arm around his shoulder. “Let’s go, Mianzi.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Moyuan, who had already walked some distance away, heard the faint sound of Shen Zhixia comforting Su Mian from behind him, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his lips.

‘It seems that during my time at N University, besides tracking down demons, occasionally enjoying the performance of a clown is a rather pleasant diversion.’

‘I just wonder when that elusive “Sweetheart Marshmallow” will finally dare to reveal their true identity?’

Over the past two days, he had spent a considerable amount of time observing the girls in various classes he passed.

He hadn’t found a single girl who bore even the slightest resemblance to Sweetheart Marshmallow.

This, surprisingly, had caught him off guard.

‘Perhaps the other party was intentionally avoiding him.’

‘Still, he wasn’t in a hurry; this game of cat and mouse was only enjoyable when played slowly.’

‘Otherwise, if it ended too soon, the days before he found clues about the demon would simply become boring again.’

***

Back in his dorm room, just as he finished showering, a message from Sweetheart Marshmallow popped up on his phone.

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Wuwuwu, big brother, I miss you. Someone bullied me again today.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: That person was a complete scoundrel! Big brother, you’re the best.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Big brother, what are you doing?]

[Yuan: Just finished showering.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Showering… [blushes], Big brother must have a great physique.]

[Sweetheart Marshmallow: Kiss kiss big brother [photo].]

The photo showed only half a face, with a small tongue playfully peeking out in a cute pose.

…….