TAO | Chapter 52

Wei Xiaochi stared blankly at the ball flying towards him at high speed, his mind going completely blank.

Just as the ball was about to hit Wei Xiaochi, a long hand suddenly stretched out, blocking it in front of the omega’s cheek.

The surrounding noise faded away, a slick cold sweat ran down his back, and his carotid artery thumped wildly.

Wei Xiaochi heard only a loud thud—a heavy blow to flesh. He instinctively closed his eyes, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.

Jiang Zhan forcefully slapped the ball away, but lost his balance and crashed sideways onto the bench, sending several empty benches flying.

Gasps filled the spectators’ seats while the referee’s whistle blew, halting the game.

Wei Xiaochi opened his eyes to see Jiang Zhan on the ground. His face went pale, and he rose to help Jiang Zhan.

Jiang Zhan, sitting up while holding his waist, suddenly looked at Wei Xiaochi, his face ashen as if doused in molten iron.

“Who told you to stay here?” Jiang Zhan roared at Wei Xiaochi, “Go back to the stands!”

Wei Xiaochi’s hands froze in place, staring at the uncontainably angry alpha, his eyelashes trembling slightly, lips pressed pale.

Han Ziyang and the others rushed over, surrounding Jiang Zhan with concern. “Brother Zhan, are you okay?”

Even the coach was quite worried. “Should we check you out in the medical room? Can you still stand?”

The coach didn’t know if there were any bone injuries from the fall. Although he valued this game, he wouldn’t joke about the team’s health.

Jiang Zhan, looking over the crowd at Wei Xiaochi, tried to suppress the irritation in his heart, turned his head away, and said, “I’m fine.”

The coach, still not reassured, suggested, “Better get checked out by a professional just to be safe.”

Jiang Zhan stood up, unable to stop looking at Wei Xiaochi again, his voice louder, unclear whom he was addressing.

“I’m fine, no injuries.”

The referee approached just in time to hear this and confirmed again with Jiang Zhan, then urged them to return to the court to continue the game.

The coach watched Jiang Zhan’s retreating figure toward the court, his gaze filled with concern, fearing Jiang Zhan was just being stubborn.

He had wanted Li Suilin to keep an eye on Jiang Zhan’s condition, and if anything seemed off, to call off the game, but then he saw—

Li Suilin standing on the free throw line, hands on his knees, catching his breath, taking every second he could to rest.

Yiyang’s players were exceptionally fit, plus Bo Lun was a versatile pitcher, quick-minded and agile. Li Suilin, guarding him, was exhausting a lot of energy.

With seven minutes left in the game, the two teams were still 11 points apart. If Jiang Zhan left the court now, No. 2 High School would undoubtedly lose.

The coach could only hope that Jiang Zhan was truly alright.
•

The whistle blew, and the game resumed.

The coach anxiously sat back in the resting area, his eyes constantly on Jiang Zhan on the court, watching his every move to determine if he was injured.

Soon enough, the coach sensed something was off.

Jiang Zhan’s attention wasn’t focused, his gaze repeatedly drifting towards the spectator stands.

At first, the coach thought he was trying to distract himself from the pain, but then he realized that the little omega who had been sitting in the rest area was gone, along with his backpack.

Realizing Jiang Zhan was watching Wei Xiaochi, the coach turned to look behind, searching for the omega’s figure.

Wei Xiaochi, holding his backpack, returned to the spectator seats.

But he didn’t sit down; instead, he walked up the steps towards the gym’s entrance.

Seeing Wei Xiaochi leaving, Jiang Zhan slowed his run and finally stopped, watching the retreating figure, instinctively wanting to chase after him.

“Calm down,” Li Suilin grabbed Jiang Zhan, “We’re over forty kilometers from the school, do you think he’ll take a taxi back?”

This statement made Jiang Zhan halt.

Knowing Wei Xiaochi’s spending habits, Jiang Zhan knew he wouldn’t spend that money.

“The gym’s public restroom is also over there; he might have gone to the restroom,” Li Suilin said, breathing lightly, “Now focus on the game.”

Jiang Zhan clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white.

Under the concerned gazes of Han Ziyang, Jiang Rui, and others, Jiang Zhan ran again.

The harsh white light in the gym cast a frosty glow on Jiang Zhan’s face, his expression cold and lips tight.

Jiang Zhan charged to the basket, recklessly blocking Yiyang’s forward with a fierce move.

This block was brutally aggressive, as if purely to vent excess hormones.

The forward, caught off guard by Jiang Zhan’s sudden appearance, stumbled back two steps as the basketball thudded heavily to the floor.

Jiang Zhan’s obvious defensive foul, colliding physically with the forward, led the referee to blow the whistle for a foul.

Though penalized with a technical foul, giving the opponent a free throw opportunity, Jiang Zhan successfully disrupted Yiyang’s offensive rhythm, making it a worthwhile block.

“Well blocked,” Li Suilin approached to remind Jiang Zhan, “But you’ve already committed four fouls, be careful they don’t bait you into a fifth and get you ejected.”

Jiang Zhan didn’t respond, his gaze anxiously sweeping the spectator stands.

The ball didn’t go in for Yiyang, so they got two free throws.

If the ball had gone in, they would have gained two points and then an additional free throw, commonly known as a 2+1.

The sudden interruption by Jiang Zhan caused a dip in performance, and Yiyang’s first free throw surprisingly missed entirely, not even hitting the rim.

Fortunately, the forward quickly adjusted, took a deep breath, raised his hand, and shot the ball smoothly into the net, securing one point for Yiyang.

After the free throws, the game continued, and Wei Xiaochi still hadn’t returned, making Jiang Zhan even more agitated. He wiped sweat off his wristband, lips pressed tightly.

While Jiang Zhan was returning to defense, he caught a glimpse of a thin, slender figure in the spectator aisle, holding a black backpack, slowly walking down.

His heart instantly calmed, his agitation swept away.

Jiang Zhan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, his tense body relaxed, and he refocused on the game.
•

Because he had ‘made enemies’ with a few big shots in moral education, Wei Xiaochi didn’t dare return to his original seat.

He carried his backpack, stopping now and then, and found a seat with a decent view in the fourth row from the back.

After a trip to the restroom and returning, with five minutes left in the game, No. 2 High School had narrowed the score to a nine-point difference.

But soon, Yiyang pulled the score back to an eleven-point lead.

The game was excruciating for No. 2 High School; the physical difference between the teams became more apparent towards the end.

Each time No. 2 High School caught up, Yiyang immediately responded, keeping the game tightly contested.

With two minutes left, Jiang Zhan intercepted a ball from Xue Feng and turned for a fast break.

Xue Feng, having lost the ball, looked frustrated as he turned back to defend.

Jiang Zhan, amid a pincer attack from Xue Feng and a center, jumped in the air and switched hands to make a layup, elegantly dropping the basketball into the hoop, his tense abdomen showing a firm line, like a blood-fed curved blade, tough and sharp.

A very beautiful railing move.

Even though Wei Xiaochi didn’t understand basketball, he thought this shot was elegantly clean.

Jiang Zhan landed steadily, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily, looking towards the spectator seats.

With no spare time for Jiang Zhan to catch Wei Xiaochi’s gaze, Yiyang regained the ball and started their offense, forcing Jiang Zhan to return to defense.

He had to stop Yiyang from scoring at all costs.

Now, with the teams only nine points apart, there was one minute and thirty-seven seconds left on the clock.

Jiang Zhan’s explosive power gave him a definitive advantage on the court; he was the only one from No. 2 High School who could physically compete with Yiyang.

The alpha running on the court was like a fierce wild beast, with long, muscular limbs, swift reflexes, and terrifying instincts.

Yiyang’s center had just brought the ball to the inside when Jiang Zhan intercepted him.

The center lowered his body, centering his weight at his waist, back to the basket, guarding against Jiang Zhan’s steals while glancing around.

Jiang Zhan didn’t give the center a chance to pass to his teammates, sticking close, the intense physical collision leaving the center with no room to think.

Sweat dripped down, but he couldn’t find a way to break through Jiang Zhan’s defense.

After 24 seconds, the referee whistled, turning the ball over to No. 2 High School.

The rules state that the offensive team must attempt a shot within 24 seconds of gaining possession; failing to do so results in a turnover.

Jiang Zhan and Li Suilin executed a classic screen and roll, narrowing the score difference to seven points.

With 58 seconds left in the game.

Jiang Zhan pushed hard, catching up to a five-point difference at 35 seconds, but soon No. 2 High School scored a basket to extend the lead to seven points.

In the last five seconds, Jiang Zhan assisted Li Suilin in scoring a three-pointer.

The timer hit zero, and No. 2 High School narrowly lost to Yiyang Vocational High by a score of 78 to 82, a four-point difference.

Despite the loss, the players’ spirit of fighting valiantly to the last second earned the approval of the entire audience; it was a glorious defeat.

Not only was it tough for No. 2 High School, but Yiyang, having had a smooth run up to this point, faced a challenging opponent for the first time.

If Li Suilin hadn’t been injured and had stayed on the court, the outcome might have been different.

Watching the zeroed timer, Han Ziyang felt frustrated, but a loss was a loss; he pounded the floor to vent his spleen.

Li Suilin, catching his breath, went to pat Han Ziyang, Jiang Rui, and Zhao Zifeng on the shoulder.

“Group up, let’s respectfully bid farewell to our opponents.”

Jiang Zhan’s face was unusually serious and solemn, and without a word, he walked to the center of the court.
•

After the game, the atmosphere in No. 2 High School’s locker room was downcast.

The coach, however, took it in stride. Winning this game would have been great, but there was no need to be discouraged by the loss, especially since the opponent had won the championship for five consecutive years. They had made the game tough for them, which was enough to prove that No. 2 High School was not a weak team.

The coach comforted them, “Let it go, it’s not a big deal. After high school, you’ll still have time to play basketball.”

Han Ziyang rubbed his face vigorously. “It’s mainly embarrassing. The moral education folks came to watch today; they’re probably waiting outside to mock us.”

The coach didn’t quite understand, “What’s there to be embarrassed about?”

Yiyang wasn’t a weak team; frankly, it would have been more surprising if they had beaten Yiyang.

Jiang Rui explained to the coach, “After the last game against moral education, when he and Li Chenyang were trash-talking, he said we’d definitely beat Yiyang today.”

He glanced at Han Ziyang, “But we got beaten instead, I told you not to talk big, but you didn’t listen, now it’s embarrassing, isn’t it?”

Han Ziyang also regretted, “I got carried away.”

Every team has a chatterbox, No. 2 High School’s was Han Ziyang, and Yiyang’s was Li Chenyang. They would trash-talk before and after the game, discussing things that couldn’t be broadcasted.

Zhao Zifeng noticed something, “Hey, where’s Brother Zhan? I haven’t seen him.”
•

As soon as the game ended, Jiang Zhan strode towards the spectator seats.

Wei Xiaochi originally planned to wait for the people in the stands to leave before heading to the locker room. Seeing Jiang Zhan walking towards him, he hesitated and slowly stood up.

Jiang Zhan, in his number eight jersey, was still fresh in many people’s minds for his on-court performance. Many paused to watch the handsome, upright alpha.

Jiang Zhan ignored these gazes, walking up to Wei Xiaochi and grabbing his hand.

Wei Xiaochi reacted quickly, sidestepping to avoid Jiang Zhan.

Jiang Zhan paused, watching a flicker of confusion cross Wei Xiaochi’s face.

After a long while, he said stiffly, “The spectator stands are safer than the team resting area. The ball doesn’t know when it might come flying over.”

Huh?

Wei Xiaochi looked up, realizing Jiang Zhan thought he was upset.

He knew why Jiang Zhan had yelled at him, and he wasn’t angry, but there were too many people around. He didn’t know if there were any No. 2 High School students watching; it wouldn’t look good for them to be seen together so intimately.

And Jiang Zhan was too conspicuous. Many people were looking their way, making Wei Xiaochi uncomfortable.

Wei Xiaochi sat back down in his previous seat, his head lowered, tapping the seat next to him with his hand, signaling for Jiang Zhan to sit.

Jiang Zhan, seeing Wei Xiaochi’s gesture, sat next to him.

Other people lingered for a while, seeing Wei Xiaochi and Jiang Zhan sitting quietly without talking, and gradually found it boring and left.

With fewer eyes on him, Wei Xiaochi relaxed and said softly, “Thanks for earlier, did you get hurt?”

Jiang Zhan’s voice was muffled, “No.”

Seeing his low mood, Wei Xiaochi didn’t speak further, waiting for the others to leave before heading back to the locker room.

During this time, Jiang Zhan kicked the back of the seat in front of him with the tip of his shoe. The force wasn’t strong, but he did it repeatedly, each tap reflecting his irritation.

Wei Xiaochi observed him, unsure how angry he was now, and whether the early love formula could apply to his post-game mood.

If Wei Xiaochi had made Jiang Zhan angry, the early love formula worked well, but for other situations, Wei Xiaochi wasn’t sure.

As the gym emptied, Jiang Zhan showed no intention of leaving, and Wei Xiaochi sat with him for a good while.

Thinking of ending the day early to go back, Wei Xiaochi had added several WeChats for handing out flyers in the streets, earning sixty yuan a day, collecting the money after distributing three hundred flyers.

As time ticked by, Wei Xiaochi could no longer wait, breaking the silence first, “Let’s go back.”

If Jiang Zhan was upset, then he’d try the second part of the early love formula.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Zhan agreed readily, even eagerly, suddenly looking up, “Okay.”

Wei Xiaochi was startled by his reaction.

After a moment, the alpha looked down again, shyly asking, “Then, are you staying over tonight?”

Wei Xiaochi didn’t understand, “Staying where?”

Jiang Zhan: “Aren’t you thinking of going back with me, staying over at my place tonight?”

Wei Xiaochi: …

When had he said he wanted to go back with Jiang Zhan?

Realizing his earlier words might have been ambiguous, Wei Xiaochi clarified, “I meant let’s go back, back to the locker room.”

“Okay,” Jiang Zhan nodded like a docile wife, not even looking up at Wei Xiaochi, “First to the locker room to change clothes, then back to my place, staying over tonight, right?”

Wei Xiaochi: …

He began to suspect there was something wrong with the way he expressed himself.