Bai Xiyue looked at the large building outside the car window. His eyes widened childishly in awe. It was almost as if he didn't live in a large mansion with expensive toys to play with.
The family driver looked through the rearview mirror at the young master. Seeing this naïve appearance, the driver smiled. The young master was already eighteen years old, but he was still inexplicably cute.
"Young Master, I can wait for you out here at eight o'clock," the chauffeur offered. Usually he wouldn't take the initiative, but since he quite liked this young master - he was willing to take an extra step to take care of him.
"Thank you." Bai Xiyue tore his eyes away from the building enough to say his gratitude.
Really, this was the school gymnasium? It was so big! So grand! It made him curious to see what the inside looked like.
"Of course, Young Master," the driver replied perfunctorily, watching as the teenager got out of the car. "Have fun and stay safe."
Bai Xiyue nodded, "I will."
After shutting the door to the black colored vehicle and watching it drive out of the main parking lot - Bai Xiyue felt a mixture of apprehension and excitement.
He was finally here! But, he had never really been out on his own before. He didn't exactly know where to go, and he was afraid he would get lost within the large halls of the building.
A few passerby's looked curiously at the dark haired boy standing nervously outside the gymnasium. They couldn't tell of his emotional state from his cool appearance, only thinking he was stalling outside for some other reason.
Other more familiar people openly looked. The classmates of Bai Xiyue silently cheered. Their lucky charm was here! Prepare to celebrate! Prepare to win! Crush the enemy!
Of course, they were to timid to actually go talk to him. He was the little prince of the school after all. It didn't matter if their own family was rich, his looks alone were on a different level!
His black hair was as neat as always, shining under the setting sun with a soft glow that made it look soft to the touch. The same glow casted onto his white skin, making it tempting to touch. Hie eyes were deep and expressive, giving off a more idol-like aura. His hands were holding onto his bag, and the knuckles were white and smooth.
Really, even the school clothes he still wore looked like something a model wore when he was in them!
They mourned quietly when walking past him. It really was a pity that they couldn't film on school property; otherwise, they would film this picturesque prince all day. It was such a pity to let this attractive appearance go to waste. Anyone would want to capture it to look at later.
Unaware of the grievances of the people around him, Bai Xiyue finally gathered enough courage to go into the gymnasium.
Upon walking in, he was greeted with the scent of rubber and faint sweat. It was a sporty smell, and it didn't arouse feelings of disgust. In fact, it added to the anticipation of competition.
Bai Xiyue found the ticket counter and moved over to get in line. It moved quickly and Bai Xiyue was able to reach the woman operating the desk within a few minutes.
The woman looked up from the counter, a bit of surprise flashing across her face when she saw the young man in front of her. She was a professional, however, and was able to transition smoothly into a service smile.
"How many tickets?"
"Just one." His voice matched his appearance well, and the woman felt goodwill creep up in her heart. Out of all the young rich students here, not only is the appearance the best - but the temperament is quite good as well.
They exchanged the money and ticket swiftly. Thanking her, Bai Xiyue followed the crowd of people towards the court.
The murmurs and exclamations of the people around him began to float to his ears. He listened silently while moving with the crowd to get a spot in the stadium. He was a little aggrieved, however, since he was too short to see his surroundings properly.
"Ah, Brother Li is still refreshing today~"
The first voice popped up with a sigh. The girl in front of him leaned over to her friend.
"He's brighter than the sun in uniform. Is it possible to have two suns like this?"
The girls laughed and Bai Xiyue felt a faint sense of amusement. Looking back, Li Wei really was a sunny person. He had an athletic appearance and bright features. Light brown hair and matching cat-like eyes coupled with his tall height made him seem like a professional athletic model rather than a high school athlete.
Bai Xiyue could tell they made it into the court when the noise level suddenly became louder by tenfold. It wasn't quite deafening, but the large amount of space compared to the people made the voices echo strongly.
He separated from the group in front of him and searched solitarily for an open seat.
Being suddenly exposed like this in front of the home crowd naturally brought attention.
Especially from his classmates who recognized him. They were a bit shocked when seeing him appear so suddenly, but they quickly gathered themselves and called out to him.
"Little Bai, over here!"
Bai Xiyue heard the familiar call and looked over to the source of the noise. He saw his classmates waving at him and felt better about being here. Of course, being with familiar people naturally eases the sense of fear when being out in public alone.
Bai Xiyue walked over to them and greeted them politely, "Hello."
Caught up in the excitement of pre-game tensions, his classmates forgot their reservations and began to talk with him enthusiastically.
"Now that our lucky charm is here, how can we lose?" One of the boys in his homeroom class boasted proudly - the same person that had first started the argument with Teacher Chen.
"Cao Hui, you might as well just put on some robes and call him Buddha," the girl who had first invited Bai Xiyue out rolled her eyes.
"If that will give me ten years of luck I'll even get on my knees and wash his feet!" Cao Hui was not perturbed at all and continued on confidently.
The girl, Luo Ming, scoffed but let him be. Instead, she turned her attention back to Bai Xiyue. "Say, have you ever been to one of these games before?"
Several curious eyes who heard the statement turned onto Bai Xiyue. The young teenager wasn't shy and spoke freely. "Yes, it's my first game. But I had done some research before so I can cheer our team on sincerely."
Cao Hui suddenly went to wrap Bai Xiyue in his arms but was stopped by Luo Ming, who elbowed him in the gut. He sobbed, but no one could tell if it was from pain or the weird emotion he had felt beforehand.
"Our Little Bai is so cute! He even did research beforehand!" His crocodile tears elicited sympathy from no one but they agreed with his statement.
Their prince was indeed perfect. So sincere even when he doesn't know anything! They felt that even if this game was not very exciting, they would at least go home satisfied because they saw their handsome prince.
The group wanted to converse a little more with Bai Xiyue, but were distracted when the other team finally came in.
"Damn, who asked them to be so cool in all black?!" Cao Hui cursed as if he had never been sobbing dramatically seconds before.
His point still stood, however. The other team did look strong and cool in an all black jumpsuit. They weren't bad looking either, and gave off a fierce aura of competitiveness.
It really was such a sight to see for his first time out, Bai Xiyue thought silently.
The rival fans screamed and caused a ruckus when seeing their players. Seeing that both teams were here, the referees called both team captains over to settle the rules before letting them warm up.
Not to be outdone, the home team's fanbase yelled loudly at the meeting, chanting their captain's name. The rival fans followed the competition and both sides went back and forth when chanting.
Bai Xiyue was focused on the middle of the court - looking at the captains of both teams. It wasn't much of a surprise seeing Li Wei hold the title of captain, but the rival team captain's appearance was unexpected.
"Eh? Isn't he too short?" Luo Ming voiced out what everyone was thinking.
He was at least a whole head shorter than Li Wei, but he had a serious look on his face and carried a tough temperament. It seemed that he had some cards up his sleeve, otherwise, why would he be team captain?
The two shook hands and listened closely to the referee. Bai Xiyue couldn't decide whether or not he wanted to watch Li Wei or the other captain more. Of course, he would root for the home team, but seeing the unexpected player of the other team aroused his deep-lying curiosity.
He wanted to see how this would play out.
After another minute, the two captains went back to their respective teams and both sides of the crowd calmed down. Showing dominance over your rival early on was good, but one had to save energy to completely defeat them at the end. So both sides tactically quieted down for the warm ups.
Bai Xiyue was captivated when watching the fluid movements of the players. Of course he had seen it on video, but watching it live was definitely a different experience. You could feel the nervous excitement of the players and the anticipation of the crowd flow like blood through your body. The tension riled up combative spirit deep inside Bai Xiyue.
Bai Xiyue listened to the pregame chatter of his classmates and waited for the warm ups to be over. As the minutes counted down, the players started to get sweaty; and thus ditched their tracksuits and played in the uniform.
Many fans felt another flood of excitement seeing attractive young men with full blooded youth running through them. Fuck! The sports scene wasn't supposed to be this tempting to look at!
Luo Ming, who could read the thoughts of such perverted audience members really felt that her classmates were a bit disgusting. It was a simple game of basketball, no need to salivate over a bit of sweat. Though it was a bit different when a handsome guy plays so wholeheartedly.
Still, such dirty thoughts should really be kept at home and locked in the closet!
Soon, the time for tip-off begin and each team respectively went to their bench for the game plan and plays. Bai Xiyue had gotten lucky to get called over by his classmates, as he had the first row bench near the middle of their basket. It was a first class seat!
Tall guys from both teams stepped into the half-court circle and prepared to jump for the ball. When the referee blew the whistle, both sides of the audience burst into cheers. The rivalry was in full heat.
The home team was able to secure the ball, and Li Wei brought it up past half-court. As point guard, his hands were very good, and he had sharp eyesight. He quickly threw a pass in between two opposing players and easily got it to his teammate in the paint.
Making a move, the teammate got around his defender and scored the basket. Within the first ten seconds, they had already scored! Many fans felt that this would be a rather exciting game.
The opposing team's point guard brought up the ball, his own skills not paling in comparison to Li Wei's. Bai Xiyue could see the captain running on the side of the court, not paying the ball any mind. Interested in his plan, Bai Xiyue watched him specifically.
The point guard passed it to the opposite side, and the player looked like he was going to shoot from three. His defender made a move to block him, but was beat when the player feinted and dribbled past him. A teammate came to help guard, but left the opposite side open.
The rival captain made his move and slipped unnoticed into the gap. His teammate passed to him and he scored an easy point.
Their fans cheered. In just another fifteen seconds, they had tied up the game. It was fast paced, but not out of control. Each time Li Wei's team made a basket, the other team would follow suite. It really was a neck and neck game to see who could outlast the other until the quarter ran out.
At the sound of the first buzzer, signifying the end of the first quarter; the score was already thirty two to thirty one. Luckily, they were still ahead, but there was the whole rest of the game for anything to happen.
Naturally, both teams were already very sweaty, but adrenaline flowed through them and they didn't even feel slightly tired. They listened attentively as both coaches drew up new plans and plays.
Cao Hui took this time and whispered in Bai Xiyue's ear, "It seems that we'll be cutting it close. But with our luck, we'll definitely pull through in the end."
Bai Xiyue felt that his reasoning was a little screwed but he didn't say anything. He wasn't exactly harming anyone anyways. Though it did make him a bit odd.
Luo Ming also commented, "I first didn't expect their team captain to be so short. But I see why he is team captain. I really didn't expect him to be this good!"
The people around her agreed once again. It was a double surprise. A surprise attack. Even though he didn't have height, he could shoot and was very clever with his timing. They had yet to see him seriously dribble, so they held onto the hope that he was a bad ball handler.
The next quarter started off at the same pace the first quarter did. The tensions only rose with each play, however. The excitement from the crowd fed the player's energies and they really played hard.
Near the final minutes of the quarter, the momentum of the game finally tilted towards the home team. Li Wei had stolen the ball on a pass, and had made it up the court for a bucket. On the rebound in, he stole it once again - but passed it off to a teammate for a three pointer.
Now up seven points, the home team was finally starting to build a rhythm. The fans cheered wildly at this sudden development. Bai Xiyue could feel a rush of excitement flow through him, and he shivered at the intense feeling. He wasn't playing, but his heart was pounding.
The rival team went to inbound the ball once again, but their coach called a timeout. The home crowd screamed, taunting the other fans and turning to each other to talk about LI Wei's feat. Bai Xiyue himself could hear his classmates around him eagerly murmuring about it.
When the timeout was over, everyone was surprised to see that the rival team captain was sitting on the bench.
"Eh? But wouldn't this be the time to use him?" Luo Ming continued to mutter everyone's thoughts aloud.
"Maybe their saving his energy." Cao Hui threw his arm around Luo Ming's shoulder. The slim girl gritted her teeth and elbowed the boy in his side. The poor boy collapsed with his hand clutching his fresh wound and cried out. "Wu wu wu! How are you so feisty? Don't you know you won't ever get a boyfriend being a brute?"
Luo Ming clenched her fist and hit his head, "Shut up!"
Cao Hui put his hands on top of his head immediately, curling up into a ball where he laid. Luo Ming huffed and looked away from her friend's fallen body condescendingly.
Bai Xiyue was slightly shocked at the interaction; but everyone else seemed used to it so he decided to brush off the unnatural feeling and pay attention to the game again.
It was entering the final minute and Li Wei had possession of the ball. He took it slowly up the court, his eyes moving from one player to the next. As soon as he crossed the half court line, he doubled his speed. His nimble movements were eye-catching and smooth.
He headed straight for his defender. They lowered themselves to greet him, but he had already crossed the ball and spun around them. Li Wei quickly put the ball between his legs as another defender went to swipe at it and passed it off to his teammate.
The teen who had been left by the second defender safely caught the ball but didn't make a move to score. Instead, he made some moves of his own before passing it off to another teammate. The rest of them continued this cycle until the shot clock hit ten seconds.
Bai Xiyue's eyes naturally fell of Li Wei, who shined even when he wasn't holding the ball. Of course, the cycle circled back to him and he gained control of the basketball once again.
His defender gave him a little space this time. It seemed like the right thing to do, but Li Wei immediately took a shooting stance. In the midst of his slight shock, the defender realized that he had been backed up to the three point line. He scowled and went to block the ball, but was too late.
The ball formed a beautiful arc in the air and the crowd collectively held their breath. Even if it wasn't a tie-breaking shot, the tension and perfect execution already drew attention. The ball seemed to be in slow motion, spinning tightly in the air for a few seconds before falling neatly through the rim and to the floor below.
After the sound of the net hitting the ball had silenced, the crowd blew up. It was a thunderous noise and it made Bai Xiyue cover his ears to stop them from ringing at the sudden outburst.
He looked at the score as the buzzer sounded. They were already entering the seventies and half time had only begun. He was a beginner at basketball, but even he knew the pace would most likely slow down in the next half. The energy used to keep up the fast pace in the first half had ran out.
Bai Xiyue could feel some of the tension leaving his body as both teams headed to the bench and eventually to the locker room. Luo Ming and Cao Hui were as energetic as always, but Bai Xiyue needed a break from the electrifying atmosphere.
"I'm heading out for a bit," Bai Xiyue looked at both Luo Ming and Cao Hui, who immediately looked back at him at the sound of his voice.
"Are you leaving already?" Cao Hui pouted.
"No," Bai Xiyue shook his head. "I'll be back."
The dual Cao Hui beamed, "That's great! Come back soon~!"
Bai Xiyue gave a small smile. "Yeah."
Leaving behind his tomato looking classmates, he exited the court with a light breath of relief. He stepped out into the gym itself and found that he had to use the restroom. It was inconvenient since he didn't know his way around, but the matter came a bit urgent so he thought that it wouldn't be bad to try and figure the way out himself.
In just a few moments, Bai Xiyue cursed his previous self. Wouldn't be bad his mother! He was lost!