Chapter 58: The School Basketball Tournament? [Second Update]

Bai Qingxia sat in her seat, hugging her small hands, her gaze flickering between Lu Yuanqiu’s profile and Tan Le’s face. It was the first time she’d heard such a saying, and it struck her as novel.

At that moment, Lu Yuanqiu, leaning against the desk, turned to glance at her with a peculiar expression. Bai Qingxia hurriedly wiped away her smile and lowered her head.

"Are you sick?" Lu Yuanqiu shook off Tan Le’s hand.

"You think doing these things will improve your grades? What good are they except to disgust the examiners?"

Tan Le frowned. "Don’t interrupt, I have more. Nine to three says: I’m still you, only you..."

"Get lost!"

"...Lu Yuanqiu, why are you so boring?"

"You’re just a four."

"What does that mean?"

"Except for two, you’re still two."

"Oh, you’ve learned to draw inferences now?"

Lu Yuanqiu seemed to think of something and ignored Tan Le, instead turning to the girl behind him, who kept her head down. "I’m one, you’re zero."

Bai Qingxia raised her watery eyes, framed by long, curled lashes, shyly placing her hand over her chest and asking softly, "What does that mean..."

She could guess it was another odd remark.

Lu Yuanqiu replied, "Without you, nothing else matters."

Bai Qingxia was momentarily stunned, her ears growing red as she quickly lowered her head, picked up her pen, and began scribbling busily on her scratch paper, though it was unclear what she was working on—she simply felt suddenly occupied.

Well, it was a little dull.

Lu Yuanqiu turned back, his body suddenly tensing when he sensed another gaze settling onto him.

Mao Sheng’s stifled voice sounded from beside him. "Lu Yuanqiu, I hear you’re pretty good at basketball. After National Day, there’s an inter-school basketball tournament. You’re participating, right?"

Lu Yuanqiu turned, somewhat surprised, and couldn’t keep a straight face when he saw Mao Sheng’s expression. He quickly looked away.

For the first time, he spoke without facing the person. "What basketball tournament?"

"You didn’t know?"

"I’m focused on my studies, how would I pay attention to that?"

Strange, he hadn’t heard of this in his previous life either.

Oh, right. He remembered now.

After the monthly exams last time, during National Day, he’d been scolded harshly by his uncles for his grades, left school in a fit of pique, and missed classes, so he’d never heard about any basketball tournament.

Damn, he missed such an important game?

Who won the championship last time?

It certainly wasn’t Class 28.

Without him as the backbone of the basketball team, Zheng Yifeng, Wang Haoran, and Zhong Jincheng alone could never take the title.

Lu Yuanqiu smiled. "Of course I’ll participate."

Mao Sheng said, "I’ll be playing for Class 29. When the time comes, you and I will battle it out."

Lu Yuanqiu snorted coldly, suddenly realizing something and hurriedly asking, "Wait, you won’t be guarding me, will you?"

"Of course. I’ll lock you down!"

Mao Sheng spoke with an air of resentment.

Well, then I’ll probably end up laughing throughout the game, unable to dunk...

Who can withstand playing basketball under such a curse?

At that moment, Su Miaomiao entered, carrying a file folder.

Half an hour into the exam.

Pinching her nose, Su Miaomiao couldn’t hold back any longer and stood up. "Students near the windows, please open them all!"

Seated by the door, Zheng Yifeng was roused by the smell, groggily opening his eyes and standing.

He glanced at Tan Le, seated at the third-to-last row, puzzled.

Everyone in the exam room knew Tan Le liked to fart during tests, but this time he was particularly aggressive.

Normally, those seated at the door wouldn’t notice anything.

Lu Yuanqiu, wearing a nose plug, knew the reason: Bai Qingxia was seated here this time, so Tan Le was trying doubly hard to earn a top spot, to prove he wasn’t a poor student.

Poor students sometimes do care about their grades; it’s just that most of the time, they give up. They haven’t yet met someone who motivates them to change.

Unfortunately, Tan Le never slacked off, yet he still lagged behind. After this monthly exam, the last place would surely be his.

He was truly the type who, no matter how hard he tried, couldn’t get the points.

Perhaps “fart-forgetfulness” made him unique.

A barrage of farts echoed, but Tan Le remained oblivious, fully absorbed in answering questions; in terms of focus, no one could match him.

Lu Yuanqiu and Bai Qingxia sat in the back row wearing nose plugs, their calm demeanor making them seem like they were in a different world from the others.

When the exam ended, Su Miaomiao hurriedly collected the answer cards and escaped in heels.

Tan Le turned, holding his test paper, his solemn, charcoal-dark face meeting Lu Yuanqiu’s gaze.

They stared at each other for a long while.

Lu Yuanqiu raised a trembling hand, threatening, "I warn you, don’t say those three words."

Tan Le replied earnestly, "Check the answers."

"I told you not to say it!"

Lu Yuanqiu’s right arm shook... but he still couldn’t resist.

In school days, after every exam, there were always two kinds of people.

First, those eager to check answers with others.

Second, those who desperately avoided it.

Lu Yuanqiu belonged to the second group, but his resolve was weak.

Tan Le urged, "Come on, let’s check."

Lu Yuanqiu insisted, "No, no! Absolutely not!"

Tan Le said, "First question, choose C?"

Lu Yuanqiu replied, "Wasn’t it B?!"

Immediately, they pressed their papers together and began comparing answers.

Bai Qingxia quietly looked at her own first question—the answer was A.

She wanted to speak up, but after thinking it over, she silently closed her mouth.

After some time, Lu Yuanqiu turned back in sorrow, looking at Bai Qingxia like a lost child.

"We have ten answers different. Quick! Let me see your paper!"

Bai Qingxia obediently picked up her sheet from the desk and handed it to Lu Yuanqiu with both hands.

After comparing, Lu Yuanqiu joyfully slapped Tan Le on the back, bursting with victorious glee. "I have five answers the same as Bai Qingxia! And you, my brother, all wrong!"

Hearing this, Tan Le slumped, utterly deflated.

Lu Yuanqiu, holding two test papers, stood with one foot on the bench, feeling as though he were announcing his glorious achievements to the world—it was a sense of accomplishment he’d never felt in his decades of life.

Bai Qingxia, meanwhile, sat in the back, head held high, a smile on her lips, her eyes full of youthful spirit.

...

Evening.

Lu Yuanqiu returned home early.

Bai Qingxia, who had stayed behind to study in the classroom for a while, left school alone and walked toward the Four Seasons Fresh Market.

As soon as she entered, Lu Tian spoke up in surprise. "Xiaxia? Didn’t I give you the day off? Why are you here at the supermarket?"

After speaking, he glanced behind her and saw that Lu Yuanqiu hadn’t followed.

That boy must have gone home.

Bai Qingxia quickly stepped forward. "Hello, Uncle. I made arrangements with the old man who collects recyclables a few days ago. I planned to sell him those empty bottles tonight."

Lu Tian sighed. "For just a few bottles, you came all the way here? How much money could that possibly be? Shouldn’t you be home revising instead?"

Bai Qingxia stood where she was, head bowed, retorting, "It’s actually quite a bit..."

Lu Tian suddenly remembered telling her recently that all money made from selling the empty bottles collected at the supermarket would go to her. She’d refused at the time, but it seemed she actually wanted it after all.