Hao Ren put down his cell phone and lightly bumped Zhao Jiayi who was beginning to doze off. "How about we go to the stadium and play a match after lunch?"
Zhao Jiayi looked at him in astonishment. "You are offering to play a match?"
"Ugh… The match is the day after tomorrow. We play a warm-up match today and smooth the cooperation among the teammates." Hao Ren put on his serious face. If Zhao Jiayi had known he only offered to play a match at the command of a little girl, Zhao Jiayi would probably have killed him with his contemptuous look.
"Good! We'll go over together after lunch!" Zhao Jiayi agreed. Since he had witnessed Hao Ren's shooting, he had some expectations for Hao Ren's performance in the match.
Hearing they would play a warm-up match, Zhou Liren and Cao Ronghua wouldn't miss the opportunity to watch. The news spread and Yu Rong and others all decided to go. Finally, even Xie Yujia sitting in front of them knew Hao Ren would play basketball in the stadium after lunch.
After class, Zhao Jiayi and his three buddies went to the cafeteria for lunch, and so did Ma Lina and Xie Yujia.
Coming out of the Academic Building, Xie Yujia walked her bike with Ma Lina while Zhao Jiayi and others walked behind them.
Looking at Xie Yujia's back in her crisp white shirt, Cao Ronghua lamented, "It was a surprise that Xie Yujia is the younger sister of the captain of the basketball team. She is a great beauty, though."
Hao Ren looked up and saw Xie Yujia's white shirt, plaid skirt, black leather shoes, white socks, and a slightly curved ponytail… Even her back was perfect.
If she dressed up, she would definitely be several times more beautiful than the so-called most popular in school, Lin Li. Although she was as quiet and plain-dressed as a little white flower, Hao Ren found his gaze would turn to her involuntarily.
Zhao Jiayi was also secretly enjoying the view Xie Yujia presented. He had thought Hao Ren would win this elegant Class Belle, but it proved to be an ungrounded speculation of the guys.
"If the guys had kept their mouths shut, Ren would probably have had a chance with Xie Yujia. These guys were just jealous of him, and their gossip ruined the opportunities they had with each other," at this thought, Zhao Jiayi cast a sympathetic glance toward Hao Ren.
"Poor Ren is probably fated to be girlfriendless," he thought.
Beep… Xie Yujia's cell phone rang.
She dug out her cell phone while continuing to walk. "Dad, how come you're calling me now?"
Hao Ren's ears perked up.
"What are you talking about? Has my Little Older Brother visited me in the past couple of days?" Xie Yujia raised her voice. "Dad! What are you talking about? Please make it clear!"
Walking several meters behind Xie Yujia, Hao Ren's heart began to pound like crazy.
"Really?!" still on the phone, Xie Yujia stopped walking, and her voice sounded excited. "You mean he will come looking for me in a couple of days? Does he know my name? How is he now?"
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Oh, don't tease me and tell me now!" Xie Yujia stomped her foot anxiously. Ma Lina stood by her side and waited for her to finish the call.
Zhao Jiayi and his three buddies glanced at her in passing.
"Surprise? What surprise? But he didn't come!" Xie Yujia yelled over the phone.
Hao Ren looked back and saw her frown and the anxiety and hope on her face.
"His father's identity is also a surprise? Dad! What on earth are you talking about?" Xie Yujia stomped her foot and wished she could drag her father out of the phone.
"Hello? Hello?" She yelled at the phone and looked at it disappointingly; she looked shaken.
"What's the matter?" Ma Lina asked with concern.
"I don't know," Xie Yujia answered in confusion. Her eyes looked far away, and it seemed she would be distracted for the remainder of the day.
Walking ahead of them, Cao Ronghua looked back at Xie Yujia's expression and commented to Hao Ren and his other buddies, "I never imagined that the Class President could get so excited."
"I've seen her more excited when we were at the book signing session in Building F," Hao Ren thought. They entered the cafeteria and bought combo meals. Xie Yujia, still unsettled, entered the cafeteria in the company of Ma Lina. While she waited in line, she checked her cell phone expectantly, which told Hao Ren that her father had not told her everything. Maybe her father wanted to make it a surprise for her when her Little Older Brother found her.
"Our fathers in the U.S. talk riddles and play surprises on us, totally oblivious of our anxiety." Hao Ren sighed.
After lunch, Hao Ren and Zhao Jiayi walked to the gym while Cao Ronghua, Zhou Liren, and Yu Rong, having nothing else to do, went to the gym to watch them play.
On the way, they saw Xie Yujia, riding her bike with Ma Lina in the back seat, was also heading in the direction of the gym.
They entered the stadium and saw Xie Yujia was talking to Xie Wanjun on the outer edge of the court.
"Captain, Ren wants to play a match today!" Zhao Jiayi called Xie Wanjun.
"Good! Go warm up first!" Xie Wanjun answered before turning back to listen to his sister.
Hao Ren could guess what Xie Yujia was telling her elder brother. Swinging his arms, he entered the court and picked up a basketball to warm up.
He had not found an excellent opportunity to tell her about the whole thing relating to "Little Carrot". Knowing her high expectation for her "Little Older Brother", he was at a loss as to how to begin.
"I'll tell her after the match on Thursday," Hao Ren shot the ball into the basket and thought.
"Damn! When did Ren become such a good shooter?" Zhou Liren's eyes widened in surprise.
Xie Wanjun, who was impatient with his sister's talking, saw Hao Ren's perfect shot and his eyes lit up. He threw some words at her carelessly before walking over. "Good! That was an excellent set shot! Bear, Drill, Little Fatty! Come over and warm up. Divide into teams and get ready for the match!"
Xie Wanjun had no interest in his younger sister's "Little Older Brother". Instead, he thought well of Hao Ren. In his eyes, his sister was being silly to waste her time waiting for a so-called "Little Older Brother" while ignoring all the boys around her; she even forced herself to give up Hao Ren even though they liked each other.
He has made up his mind. If the "Little Older Brother" did appear and were unworthy of his sister, he would not allow them to be together.
"Come here! I have something to tell you," Xie Wanjun drew Hao Ren to the other side of the court.
"If you really like Yujia, go for it! I give you permission to chase her, but you will answer to me if you are not good to her. There's one more thing I had intended to tell you last time. She can't forget a damn 'Little Older Brother' whom she met in her elementary school years. She is so silly. On the other hand, Yujia is true to her feelings, and I'm sure she likes you! The decision is yours to make! And that's all I wanted to say."
Xie Wanjun shot out the words like bullets before going back onto the court. "Zhao Jiayi, Hao Ren, Bear, Fatty, Iron Ball! The five of you form one team, and the others will join me and form the other team!
"A damn Little Older Brother…" thinking of Xie Wanjun's words, Hao Ren didn't know if he should feel happy or sad.
He entered the court and stood beside Zhao Jiayi. Xie Wanjun tossed him a bright green jersey which Hao Ren pulled on over his shirt.
"Go! Hao Ren!" Standing outside of the court, Xie Yujia clenched her fists and called to Hao Ren abruptly.
Hao Ren gave her a radiant smile before waving a V sign at her.
Xie Yujia froze for a moment before returning a dazzling smile.
"Silly girl, how could you say you don't like Hao Ren? That so-called Little Older Brother definitely can't compete with Hao Ren, and I will see whom you choose." Xie Wanjun glanced at her and said, "Yujia, come and toss the ball!"
Xie Yujia walked in the center of the court. She took the basketball and was about to toss it high when Xie Wanjun stopped her and said to Hao Ren, "You have too many trinkets on your wrists. Take them all off!"
"I'm fine with them," Hao Ren answered.
Exasperated, Xie Wanjun explained to the basketball newbie, "I don't care if you are fine with them or not. The point is you could hurt others when you wear such things like a watch or bracelets in the match."
"Oh." Hao Ren's indifferent response frustrated Xie Wanjun.
Walking to the edge of the court, Hao Ren silently chanted the spell before taking off the Mount Tai Bracelets and the little bell the Lu sisters gave to him.
Hao Ren wondered what the sisters were doing right now.
Swoosh!
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili rushed into the gym. "Gongzi, what can we do for you?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Ugh. Nothing. I happened to think of you when I took off the bell," seeing them rush to him like the wind, Hao Ren explained to them in a whisper.
Zhou Liren and others were all startled when the sisters dashed in as if they were in a 100-meter race.
"Oh, Gongzi can play basketball. We'll cheer for you!" Lu Linlin said to Hao Ren.
It seemed that they would stay.
Hao Ren exhaled and returned to the court.
Looking back at the beautiful sisters, Xie Yujia wanted to ask Hao Ren about them. But on second thought, she refrained from asking, reminding herself that Hao Ren was no one special to her. She tossed the basketball high up in the air.
Swoosh!
Zhao Jiayi, Hao Ren, and Xie Wanjun jumped up like three rockets shooting into the air!
Hao Ren's fingers touched the ball and easily flicked it toward his side.
Xie Wanjun, who was more than two meters tall and a high jumper, looked at Hao Ren in astonishment as the latter had jumped a little higher than him!
"Go! Go! Gongzi!" dressed in the Bohemian-style dresses Zhao Hongyu had given them, Lu Linlin and Lu Lili called out at the edge of the court.
They were oblivious of the envy their call had roused in the guys in the gym. Zhou Liren, who was most vulnerable to beauties, shivered all over and almost fell to the ground.
Even Hao Ren's teammate Zhao Jiayi felt such a surge of jealousy that he was tempted to kick him in the butt.
At this moment, two people walked into the gym.
One was a little super beauty in a sky-blue school uniform, and the other was a super beauty dressed in a long sweater wearing a necklace.
They were Zhao Yanzi and Su Han!
Hand in hand, they walked toward the court in the center of the stadium.
Yu Rong and other guys who had come to watch the match were all dazed at the sight of such a large group of beauties.
Even Su Han, the iceberg beauty who rarely walked out of her office, came to watch Hao Ren's warm-up match!
And there was a pretty and elegant little beauty in a school uniform!
And the fresh and elegant Class President Xie Yujia who had cheered for Hao Ren!
And the two beautiful girls calling Hao Ren "Gongzi"!
Who on earth was this guy named Hao Ren?