TAO | Chapter 105

Worried that Jiang Zhan might start developing an aversion to studying, Wei Xiaochi decided to give him half a day off. He privately contacted Han Ziyang, hoping he could round up a few people to play basketball with Jiang Zhan.

Only after Han Ziyang gathered everyone did Wei Xiaochi tell Jiang Zhan about it.

At first, Jiang Zhan didn’t agree. Sure, he wasn’t happy that Wei Xiaochi had sided with Li Suilin the other day, criticizing his poor study habits—but he knew exactly where he stood academically.

Time was already tight, and his foundation was shaky. Right now, he wished he had two brains to study with, so wasting even one minute felt like a bad idea.

If he didn’t fulfill his promise by the first semester of senior year, then he’d have to break up with Wei Xiaochi.

But Wei Xiaochi firmly believed in the importance of balancing work and rest. After some strong persuading, Jiang Zhan finally caved and agreed to “waste” an afternoon.

When Han Ziyang heard over the phone that his Zhan-ge had been holed up at home studying non-stop, he was like—this won’t do. None of them were the studious type, and Han Ziyang knew exactly how brutal studying could be. He figured Jiang Zhan needed a good sweat and some stress relief.

So he not only called up the basketball team from No. 2 High, but also pulled in people from Deyu’s basketball team—even Yan Shen, who had late-stage laziness syndrome, got dragged out after a barrage of calls.

They met up at the indoor sports arena. The place had central A/C and a proper basketball court.

The cooling system was running full blast. Since Wei Xiaochi wasn’t moving around, the cold air had him shivering a little. Luckily, he’d had the foresight to bring a jacket.

Jiang Zhan had clearly been cooped up too long. The second he stepped on the court, he went full beast mode, bombarding the opponent’s hoop like he’d been shot full of adrenaline.

Yang Shuo from Deyu was going insane trying to keep up. When he tried to block Jiang Zhan’s dunk just now, Jiang Zhan’s shoulder had rammed into him so hard his whole arm went numb.

Flexing his wrist, Yang Shuo looked like he was dealing with constipation. “What, did he have gunpowder for breakfast?”

Han Ziyang jogged up behind him and clapped him on the back. “Can’t help it. That’s what being a top-tier alpha is like. Be patient, alright? Zhan-ge’s been under hella pressure from studying lately—he needs an outlet.”

“Besides, getting absolutely wrecked like this is a great way to sharpen your defense skills, no?”

Classic Jiang Zhan hype from Han Ziyang. Full-on humble-brag mode activated.

Yang Shuo’s temple twitched. He turned and flipped Han Ziyang off. “Screw you and your whole family. You call that comforting? And I don’t need him to train my defense, thanks.”

“Ah, the helpless fury of a noob—I get it, I get it.” Han Ziyang made a dramatic little heart shape. “Love you, mwah~”

“Get lost.” Yang Shuo nearly had a heart attack from the rage. “Call me out again next time and I swear I’ll change my surname to yours.”

—

Since it wasn’t an official match, the trash talk was flying. Foul language, rough plays, and frequent scuffles weren’t unusual.

Basketball was all about that violent elegance, and alphas were aggressive by nature. It was rare for games like this not to end up in conflict.

Even someone as calm as Li Suilin didn’t play like a gentleman when it came to basketball. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have earned the nickname “Sneaky Bastard.”

Wei Xiaochi watched nervously as Jiang Zhan got double-teamed by Yan Shen and some massive alpha who looked like he was over 190 cm. His heart was in his throat.

On the court, the usual immature, tsundere alpha was nowhere to be found. Jiang Zhan’s expression was focused, his features sharp and chiseled, lips pressed into a cool line. His profile was striking, bold and refined.

He dribbled low, and his black eyes narrowed, suddenly sharp as blades.

Charging forward, Jiang Zhan broke through with lightning speed, faking out the tall alpha and sending the guy stumbling.

Yan Shen, whose reflexes were top-tier, immediately recognized the feint and dropped into a crouch, guarding Jiang Zhan like a wall.

But Jiang Zhan caught him with a quick glance and passed the ball to Jiang Rui on the side.

Yan Shen had seen that look in Jiang Zhan’s eyes and thought for sure he’d go one-on-one, not pass it. Especially since it wasn’t a real match and they didn’t need to worry about teamwork or score.

That pass caught Yan Shen completely off guard. In the moment of hesitation, Jiang Zhan darted past him.

Realizing it was a textbook pick-and-roll, Yan Shen tried to recover, but it was too late.

Jiang Rui’s shot had already arced through the air in a clean parabola and landed right back in Jiang Zhan’s hands.

Jiang Zhan jumped and slammed the ball into the hoop with a powerful backward dunk. Hanging onto the rim with both hands, his body arched in mid-air, facing away from the basket.

As he dangled from the hoop, he turned his head and locked eyes with Wei Xiaochi.

His breathing was uneven, hair damp, jawline glittering with sweat. Muscles flexed beneath outstretched arms—smooth, tight, and strong.

He looked at Wei Xiaochi like he was fueled by pure adrenaline, every inch of him radiating alpha heat, his eyes burning.

Wei Xiaochi forgot to breathe. He stared, completely mesmerized.

There was no denying it—Jiang Zhan on the court was magnetic. The kind of apex predator energy that made your instincts stand up and pay attention.

—

The moment Jiang Zhan dunked and hung from the rim, flirting with his omega across the court, everyone watching had the same thought:

Bro. Seriously?

Even Han Ziyang, the self-proclaimed Jiang Zhan fanboy, couldn’t take it anymore. He rubbed his forehead and groaned.

Alphas in love were just… stupid. And not even his Zhan-ge was immune.

At that moment, Han Ziyang made a life decision: either stay single forever, or date a hundred people but never get attached.

He averted his eyes like he couldn’t bear to look, only to meet Yang Shuo’s expression of pure mockery.

“Go on, keep hyping him up. Aren’t you the one always praising your Zhan-ge?” Yang Shuo had a face like, let’s see you spin this one.

Han Ziyang snorted, not backing down. “Better to be a love-struck dog than a loser dog like you.”

Yang Shuo rolled his eyes and didn’t bother replying.

After more than twenty minutes of getting steamrolled, Yang Shuo finally couldn’t take it and called a break. Ten minutes to rest and recover.

Because Jiang Zhan hadn’t come here to play basketball. He came to show off his boyfriend.

As soon as the whistle blew, Wei Xiaochi walked over with a towel, about to offer it when Jiang Zhan leaned in close, eyes on him without a word.

Wei Xiaochi froze, then reluctantly raised the towel to help him wipe his sweat.

Watching this scene, even steel-hearted Han Ziyang almost spit out his drink. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he silently retreated from the couple radiating pure romance from every pore.

When Han Ziyang walked over, Yang Shuo looked annoyed. “Why’re you coming to our side?”

Han Ziyang answered with full confidence, “Visiting relatives.”

Yang Shuo: “…What relative? Since when can different species be related?”

Han Ziyang was about to clap back with some fresh trash talk, but then caught a glimpse of a familiar silhouette in the distance. His gossip senses lit up like a bonfire.

“Hey, hey.” He nudged Yan Shen, raising his brows teasingly. “Isn’t that whatshisname… something-Chi?”

Lazily sipping water, Yan Shen’s fox eyes blinked open at the word “Chi.”

Yang Shuo picked up on the name too. “Xie Chi?”

“Yeah, yeah, Xie Chi! Isn’t that him?” Han Ziyang pointed at the figure walking toward them.

—

Author’s Note:

Also, in the main story, every character exists to serve the plot—so don’t worry, no side CP is going to take over. Relax~