The young nobles of Wuling, east of the Golden Market, rode white horses with silver saddles through the spring breeze. Chapter 42 The Freshmen Competition (Conclusion)

There were less than twenty seconds left on the clock. The score stood at 55 to 56, and the Computer Science Department had possession of the ball.

“Keep it steady! Run down the clock!” Hua Chen, no longer caring about maintaining the dignity of a varsity team captain, barked out orders. This was a game he simply could not afford to lose.

The Computer Science players were clever enough to understand that this was no time for heroics. They did not pass the ball to Hua Chen. The three hapless substitutes from the Foreign Languages Department were so exhausted they could hardly lift their feet. All that remained was to run out the final dozen seconds and victory would be theirs.

A gleam of cold light flashed in Fang Yu’s eyes just as the chorus of the song blaring courtside reached its most stirring note. He decisively abandoned his defense on Hua Chen and instead doubled up on the ball handler.

“Give me the ball!” Hua Chen shouted immediately. He had felt suffocated this entire match, and now, with the outcome hanging on a single shot, this was his moment.

The Computer Science point guard lost no time in passing him the ball. At that moment, Xiang Yi, the Foreign Languages' post player, was busy dragging the opposing center on a leisurely stroll around the paint, leaving the three-second area completely unguarded.

“Out of my way!” Hua Chen, still brimming with stamina, dribbled forcefully into the key, planted his feet, and sprang up for a dunk.

In that split second, Fang Yu appeared behind him like an apparition.

“I told you, you’re a hundred years too early!” A not-so-large hand clamped down on the ball just as it was about to be slammed through the hoop.

Click! The courtside camera caught the moment perfectly: the captain of the varsity team, Hua Chen, sent sprawling to the floor by a thunderous block from the Foreign Languages Department’s mysterious ace.

“Fast break!” This time, Fang Yu snatched the ball and accelerated with all his might, dribbling past half-court, shaking off the defender with a deft move, and soaring towards the basket.

“Heh!”

No suspense at all—the backboard creaked and groaned as he dunked, and the crowd erupted.

“The game is over!”

Final score: 57 to 56. The Foreign Languages Department clinched the game by a razor-thin margin. Fang Yu scored 39 points and was the undisputed MVP.

Hua Chen stood dumbfounded beneath the basket, his right foot unsteady. No one came to congratulate him; all eyes were fixed on the radiant youth who seemed to glow from within.

“Fang Yu, you were amazing! I’ve never seen such an exciting game!” Qin Lu’s eyes were wide with wonder as she clutched his sleeve, too excited to care about modesty.

“Whew, I’m exhausted.” He plopped down on the bench with a beaming grin. The game had taken everything out of him; his calves were already starting to throb.

Xiang Yi, still dripping with sweat, forced his way through the crowd of girls, his face full of astonishment.

“Damn, Fang Yu, you’re incredible! Who blocks a dunk like that?”

“I’m wiped out. Let’s find somewhere to rest before we talk.” He waved weakly, his body drained and his face suddenly pale.

“Here, drink some water.” Qin Lu handed him a sports drink, her expression full of concern.

After gulping down half the bottle, he felt marginally better and managed to stand, meeting the admiring gazes of the girls around him.

“Alright, alright, thank you all for your support. We need to rest for a bit.”

Under the envious stares of the crowd, Qin Lu carefully gathered his towel and other belongings, following at his heels. Once they reached the classroom set aside for resting, she handed him a towel with gentle care.

“You’re drenched in sweat. Want to shower at Xiang Yi’s place?”

“Mm, I really need to. Feels like I’m about to dehydrate.” Fang Yu frowned. He’d really pushed himself too far today.

“Hehe, remember our deal—you can’t let anyone else steal you away. I’ll treat you to dinner tonight, alright?” The girl looked up at him with a playful smile.

Fang Yu was about to agree, grinning, when his phone suddenly rang. Seeing that it was Xia Churan calling, he broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly hung up.

“Who was that? Why didn’t you answer?” Qin Lu asked, confused.

“Uh, just some telemarketing,” he replied, evasively nodding.

But a few seconds later, the phone rang again—Xia Churan clearly wasn’t giving up.

With no choice, Fang Yu picked up the call.

“Hello, what is it?”

Xia Churan’s voice came through, calm and indifferent. “Fang Yu, the department head is looking for you. You haven’t been to class in a while. Don’t blame me if you end up repeating next semester—I warned you.”

Her words sobered him instantly. That’s right, even with this new lease on life, he was still a student. He glanced at Qin Lu, who remained adorably clueless, and replied carefully,

“Hehe, could you please let the department head know I’m still in the city? I’ll be back soon.”

“Alright. I’ll wait for you at your shop entrance. Let me know when you arrive.” With that, Xia Churan hung up.

Qin Lu, having overheard, looked at him with concern.

“Fang Yu, is everything alright? Was it your department head?”

“Yeah, well, skipping class is nothing new for me. Worst case, I get a good scolding.” He tucked his phone away with a mischievous grin.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault for asking you to help with the game.” The girl’s eyes dimmed with guilt and self-blame.

He couldn’t bear to see his “white moonlight” upset and quickly waved his hands.

“No way! I was the same in high school. Besides, what’s the big deal? This technical college acts like it’s so prestigious. I’ll just go back, say a few nice words, and pass over a couple of packs of cigarettes—problem solved.”

Qin Lu nodded obediently and didn’t insist on treating him to dinner.

“Hurry back then. Are you too tired? Should I call a taxi for you?”

Thinking about the hour-long bus ride, Fang Yu hesitated.

“It’s fine, I’ll call one myself. And if Hua Chen comes looking for you again, you’d better not hide it from me, understood?” That, more than anything, was his main concern.

For no apparent reason, the girl blushed and lowered her head, biting her lip.

“Alright, I promise. I won’t give him the time of day.”

Ignoring the ache in his calves, Fang Yu quickly gathered his things. With Qin Lu accompanying him to the school gate, he hopped into a cab and handed over fifty yuan.

“Hurry, take me to Blue Ocean College.”

At 4:30 in the afternoon, Fang Yu jogged breathlessly to the entrance of “Green Dew” and spotted Li Jing and Xia Churan, both with flowing hair and holding cups of milk tea, laughing and chatting with Cheng Chen.

“Senior, I’m back. What did the department head want with me?”

Xia Churan turned, flipping her hair with a haughty toss.

“Humph, now you decide to come back? Too late. The department head wants you to see him tomorrow morning. You can come with me.”

“Alright, it’s just that it’s a long way and I couldn’t make it back in time.”

“Tch, you seemed plenty energetic playing basketball.”

Just then, Cheng Chen poked his head out. “Fang Yu, you’re back just in time. Li Jing and I are heading out for a bit—you hold down the fort.”

“Come on, I haven’t even showered after a whole day. I can’t manage. Let Zhao Bin and Lu Zhen cover for me.”

At that, Lu Zhen hurried out of the shop. “Don’t worry, Fang Yu. Rest up. Zhao Bin and I can handle it.”

“Yeah, as long as the overtime pay is good, you can have me here twenty-four hours a day,” Zhao Bin added, still busy packing milk tea.