Chapter 139: The Sun and the Moon

The five of them arrived at the foot of the teaching building and headed toward the basketball courts.

At the center of the North Court—the fifth court—a crowd had already gathered around the perimeter. Bai Qingxia, clutching her pink backpack, stood at the front of the crowd, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance. She stood her ground firmly, enduring the shoving from the students behind her. She was fortunate to have arrived early to claim a spot; otherwise, with her small frame, she never would have been able to squeeze in.

Beside her, another girl stood with an equally displeased expression, enduring the jostling. Liu Jianqing glanced silently at Bai Qingxia. She knew this upperclassman, who had been such a standout at the sports meet, was close with Lu Yuanqiu—perhaps even his girlfriend. Ever since her father had found out about her relationship with Zhang Yifei, she hadn't dared to be seen with him at school. Liu Jianqing knew Zhang Yifei was furious, harboring a deep hatred for Lu Yuanqiu.

Before long, a cheer rose from the crowd as two teams approached from the distance. One team wore pink jerseys, the other white. Wang Ping walked between them, his expression solemn.

On the pink team, aside from Lu Yuanqiu’s decent physique, the others were either too thin or too short. In contrast, the white team was composed entirely of tall, strong players. Most notable were a massive man over 185 centimeters tall with a build comparable to Jiao Jiao, and Zhang Yifei, who stood nearly 190 centimeters.

Zhong Jincheng adjusted his glasses, his legs trembling slightly. As he walked, he noticed the person next to him was also shaking. He turned his head and saw that Gao Qiang’s lips were quivering.

"What are you shaking for? You're making me shake too."
"You're shaking because I am? If I ate excrement, would you eat it too?"
"I won't fight you for it."

Lu Yuanqiu, walking in the middle, silently took a deep breath, choosing to ignore the bickering between the two. He turned to look at Zheng Yifeng and whispered, "Time to wake up, Old Zheng."

Zheng Yifeng’s eyes were half-closed, and he looked entirely listless. Except for the first match, Su Miaomiao hadn't attended any of the subsequent games. Just moments ago, he had heard her in the office, talking with another teacher about going to the cafeteria for lunch. Zheng Yifeng had never been obsessed with basketball; in fact, he struggled to find interest in anything. He was only obsessed with the perceptions of others—their gazes, their words. Or rather, that "other" specifically referred to one particular person.

Zheng Yifeng replied, "I'll try my best..."

Lu Yuanqiu was also nervous, but he knew he was certainly in better shape than his three teammates. The ten players stood on the court, facing each other from across the distance.

Just then, someone pointed at Lu Yuanqiu’s back and sneered, "‘Once Promised the World’s Most Base!’ Pfft!"
"No way! It really is!"
"That’s hilarious!"

Hearing this, Bai Qingxia looked over as well. Her brows knit together, and she clenched her fists in anger. Lu Yuanqiu let out a cold laugh, turned around, and displayed his back to the audience and Zhang Yifei. "Yeah, I wonder who is so petty, pulling such a boring stunt."

The audience immediately looked toward Zhang Yifei’s side. Wang Ping frowned as well.

Zhang Yifei said expressionlessly, "Has nothing to do with me. Whoever did it, may their whole family die a violent death."
Wang Ping clicked his tongue. "Hey, what are you saying? That’s unnecessary."
Among the spectators, the boy with the lip piercing, Liu Yang, lowered his gaze, his expression unnatural.

Lu Yuanqiu turned back and nodded. "Fine, let them die a violent death."
Wang Ping blew his whistle. "Why is this still going on? Competition first, friendship second, you know? Wait, no, I got that backward—friendship first!"
The crowd erupted in laughter.

The match was about to begin, but there was no music. The school staff were standing at the front of the court, looking distressed as they tried to debug the speakers. Wang Ping glanced over and asked impatiently, "What’s wrong now?"
The staff member turned around, embarrassed. "I don't know what happened, the sound won't come out..."
Wang Ping waved his hand speechlessly. "Forget it, forget it. Let’s just play."

The two teams stepped forward. Lu Yuanqiu and Zhang Yifei led their respective teams toward each other, stopping a meter apart and staring each other down.

Zhang Yifei surveyed the uneven heights and builds of the opposing team and sneered, "Good luck, Lu Yuanqiu."
Lu Yuanqiu replied, "Received, son."
Zhang Yifei didn't get angry at the remark; he just stared at him with a faint smile.

Wang Ping stepped up with the ball and blew his whistle, tossing it into the air. Lu Yuanqiu reacted with lightning speed, jumping high to intercept it in mid-air. Even with his wealth of experience, Zhang Yifei couldn't beat him to it. The third-year students cheered in unison, and Bai Qingxia clenched her small fists nervously.

Lu Yuanqiu passed the ball to Gao Qiang, received it back, and executed the opening dunk. The girl whose microphone Lu Yuanqiu had snatched on the stage cheered, and the third-year team took the lead by two points.

"Watch the defense! Forget about Lu Yuanqiu; you can't stop him! Defend the others! Leave the squinty-eyed one to me!" Zhang Yifei shouted to his teammates. He had watched several of Lu Yuanqiu’s games and knew that the offense of this brute, Lu Yuanqiu, was unstoppable—even by him.

True to their reputation as a well-trained team, Zhang Yifei’s side instantly assigned roles and tasks.

Lu Yuanqiu frowned tightly. The game was becoming difficult. Unless he stole the ball himself, it never reached him. His teammates were being guarded so tightly they couldn't even attempt an offense; any layup or shot would only lead to a steal or a block. The gap between professionals and amateurs was on full display.

Wang Ping looked on, feeling helpless. The third-year side was silent. Only now, in a match against a team that actually knew how to play, did Lu Yuanqiu realize just how important teammates were; his previous "rookie-crushing" matches hadn't meant a thing.

*Bang!*

Zhang Yifei caught the ball and executed a thunderous dunk, shot a cold smile at Lu Yuanqiu, and ran back down the court.

Zheng Yifeng was currently the team’s only hope, but he was being completely stifled by Zhang Yifei. He finally managed to shake Zhang Yifei with a crossover, but as he went for the layup, he was blocked by the massive man under the basket. Zhang Yifei grabbed the ball, and Lu Yuanqiu chased him down, jumping to block his shot. The ball flew out and was recovered by Zhong Jincheng, but the next second, it was stolen by one of Zhang Yifei’s teammates.

The second-year team scored again.

"Lu Yuanqiu, how do you plan to play one against five?" Zhang Yifei ran alongside him, mocking him lightly.

The ten minutes of the first half ended quickly.
Second-year vs. Third-year, 20:11.

Lu Yuanqiu sat down to rest, drenched in sweat. His teammates were silent. Wang Ping wanted to go over and offer some coaching, but he felt it wasn't appropriate given his role as the referee. Cao Shuang was burning with anxiety. He glanced over and noticed Ruan Yueru from the first year looking equally distressed. He had gone on a date with Ruan Yueru once and knew that although she didn't like Lu Yuanqiu, she disliked the school team even more.

Lu Yuanqiu looked at the girl wearing the pink hairpin in the front of the crowd, then silently retracted his gaze. He told his teammates, "This isn't working. You three stop all offensive attempts from now on. Just one thing: pass. Pass continuously. They’re tall, so stick to low passes."

"And Zheng Yifeng, give it everything you've got. Try to get past Zhang Yifei, then pass the ball to me."

After speaking, Lu Yuanqiu patted Zheng Yifeng on the shoulder, but the latter only hung his head and sighed silently.

The second half began soon after. With a whistle from Wang Ping, the game resumed. Once these final ten minutes were over, the winner of the basketball tournament, which had spanned nearly a month, would finally be decided.

Lu Yuanqiu didn't want to lose. He really didn't want to lose.

Under his new strategy, the situation on the court improved slightly. With more passing, the time the ball spent in the hands of Zhong Jincheng and the others decreased, reducing the turnover rate. However, the point gap between the two teams continued to widen, albeit at a very, very slow pace.

Soon, the score was 35:20.

Zheng Yifeng was dribbling the ball when it was suddenly stolen by Zhang Yifei. His hands were empty in an instant. The sleepy teenager was drenched in sweat, his steps unsteady, and a wave of exhaustion washed over his entire body. At this moment, he thought of the issue Wang Ping had pointed out earlier: his lack of stamina. In the tension of the basketball game, the weakness of poor stamina became increasingly apparent.

Zheng Yifeng heard the sound of a successful dunk behind him and wheezed powerlessly.

The sky began to darken. A dim moon appeared in the corner of the horizon before the sun had even set. In a haze of consciousness, Zheng Yifeng suddenly heard a voice.

"Zheng Yifeng! Go for it!"

He turned his head silently, sweat dripping from the hair on his forehead. Zheng Yifeng saw a sweet-looking woman in the crowd, holding two egg tarts, squeezing out of the crowd with another female teacher. He had bought those egg tarts from the corner of the first-floor cafeteria before; they tasted alright.

Su Miaomiao shouted anxiously, "Zheng Yifeng! Go for it! Don't give up!"
"Don't give up!"
"Don't give up!"

The woman’s voice grew louder in his ears. Zheng Yifeng suddenly gasped as if his heart had skipped a beat, and his handsome phoenix eyes widened with effort.

"Catch!"

Hearing that, Zheng Yifeng turned quickly. Almost instinctively, he reached out his right hand and intercepted a pass from one of Zhang Yifei’s teammates.

Seeing the ball he expected to hold snatched away, Zhang Yifei frowned and quickly stepped up to defend Zheng Yifeng. But suddenly, he noticed the rhythm of the "squinty-eyed" boy’s dribble had changed.

*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*

Sometimes fast, sometimes slow—every time the ball hit the ground, it took him by surprise. Through the legs, behind the back—Zheng Yifeng’s eyes were locked on Zhang Yifei, and the beating of his heart in his chest seemed to form a duet with the sound of the ball hitting the floor.

"You can't stop me." Zheng Yifeng spoke suddenly.

Zhang Yifei looked up and realized that the squinty-eyed boy before him had actually opened his eyes.

He seemed to realize something and shouted, "Quick! Guard Lu Yuanqiu!"

Zheng Yifeng dribbled with steady rhythm and executed a crossover, successfully shaking Zhang Yifei, causing him to stumble and nearly lose his footing. He remembered Lu Yuanqiu’s words: he didn't attempt to score himself. After penetrating the inner line, he passed the ball to Lu Yuanqiu without hesitation.

*Bang!*

The boy with the buzz cut executed a violent dunk! Two points back!

A cheer erupted from the crowd, a sound that belonged solely to the third-year students. Bai Qingxia and Su Miaomiao both smiled.

For the rest of the time, the entire basketball court seemed to turn into a two-on-five game. Zheng Yifeng constantly dribbled past defenders and passed the ball; Lu Yuanqiu caught it, drove to the hoop, and dunked violently!

Zhang Yifei wiped the sweat from his forehead. Looking at the scoreboard, where the gap was closing, he realized things couldn't go on like this.

"Stop f*cking defending! Everyone attack!" he shouted.

As Zheng Yifeng passed by Lu Yuanqiu, he said lightly, "They're panicking. Our chance is here."
Lu Yuanqiu nodded slightly.

Zhang Yifei’s side began to attack relentlessly, driving to the hoop and dunking. But because Zheng Yifeng was left unguarded, Lu Yuanqiu received more and more passes, and he, too, drove to the hoop and dunked!

In the final five minutes, the surrounding crowd constantly turned their heads to watch Lu Yuanqiu and Zhang Yifei dunking on opposite ends. The game had gradually evolved into a dunking exhibition between the two.

But the score gap kept shrinking. Before long, the score was 45:44. Only the final dozen seconds remained.

Lu Yuanqiu watched Zheng Yifeng working hard to get past defenders, but his gaze, as if by telepathy, drifted toward the girl outside the court. The girl with the pink hairpin extended her fingers, which were trembling slightly from nervousness, and pointed toward the sky.

Lu Yuanqiu retreated, looking up at the sky at the same time. He saw the direction Bai Qingxia was pointing. It was the sun and the moon appearing in the sky at the same time—a common sight at dusk.

The moon itself does not emit light; it shines by reflecting the sun’s rays. But at dusk, when both appear together, the sun in the sky can rarely receive light reflected back from the moon!

Lu Yuanqiu, while retreating, looked down at the girl again and saw her lips move slightly, forming a single word. Lu Yuanqiu read it: she had said, "Light!"

It was light...

Lu Yuanqiu grinned. He retracted his gaze, and his eyes became sharp.

"Lu Yuanqiu!" Zheng Yifeng shouted. He broke into the inner line and made the final pass to Lu Yuanqiu near the hoop.

Lu Yuanqiu caught the ball cleanly, leaped high, and dunked with violence!

*Bang!* *Crack!*

The ball went in, but there were two distinct sounds. The entire glass backboard was covered in dense cracks from bottom to top. The boy with the buzz cut held onto the rim and slowly stood up amidst a rain of shattering glass.

At the same moment, the broken speakers outside the court suddenly began to play music.

"Rain falls all night, my love overflows like the rain~"
"Leaves fall in the courtyard, piling up thick with my longing~"
"A few words of right and wrong, cannot cool my passion~"
"You appear on every page of my poetry~"

On the back of the buzz-cut boy, the word "Base" from "Once Promised the World’s Most Base" had been completely soaked through by sweat; the ink had blurred and spread, and the word "One" reappeared.

Those seven characters, embroidered by the young girl, had once again manifested in their entirety.