The boys on the side watched the scene unfold with disbelief.
"How is this possible? He can't gain the upper hand in a test of strength against He Qiang?"
"What is he doing? If he loses again, he'll be utterly humiliated."
"He Qiang, are you not eating? Come on!" someone shouted urgently.
He Qiang was also anxious, his expression solemn. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he had already realized that his proud physical strength was no match for the guy in front of him. Since that was the case, he could only rely on skill.
He began to dribble rapidly, using various feints in an attempt to trick Qin Tian and find an opportunity to break through. However, this also proved ineffective. With Qin Tian's reaction speed, there was no need to guess how he would break through.
"Senior, cheer up!" Bai Weiwei suddenly shouted from beside Zhao Zi.
Many people around them were stunned and looked at her in surprise. Bai Weiwei's face blushed slightly, but she mustered the courage and shouted again: "Senior, cheer up!"
After a moment of silence by the court, some other girls who were smitten by Qin Tian's handsomeness joined in, unwilling to be outdone.
"Senior, cheer up!"
"Handsome guy, keep it up!" The voices grew louder and louder.
"Hey, seriously? You're cheering for him? He Qiang is our classmate!" some boys shouted indignantly.
"It's none of your business. Who we cheer for is our freedom."
"Exactly, it's just that the senior is more handsome and plays better than him."
"It was He Qiang's fault from the beginning. He lost and refused to admit it, insisting on being beaten twice. Who would cheer for him!"
"That's right, that's right!!" The girls chimed in, completely siding with the opposing party.
For a moment, the boys from both classes were so angry that their teeth itched, wishing they could rush over and kick He Qiang, that embarrassing fellow.
On the court, He Qiang became even more flustered upon hearing these discussions. He changed his approach, feigning an intention to break through to Qin Tian's right side. In reality, he had already realized that the chances of breaking through Qin Tian's defense were slim, so he decided to take a gamble and attempt a jump shot.
Qin Tian had already sensed his intention. He decided to play along, cooperating with the feint and making a defensive move to the right. As expected, He Qiang fell for it. He suddenly took a step back, leaped high into the air, raised the basketball above his head, and shot it towards the basket with a rather standard shooting posture.
"Got it!" He Qiang's eyes lit up, and he was overjoyed. Having played basketball since childhood, he had a certain sense of whether his shots would go in. This shot, he felt, had a very high probability of success.
However, at that moment, his vision was suddenly obscured. To everyone's astonishment, Qin Tian's tall figure soared into the air like a soaring roc, easily surpassing He Qiang.
"Boom!" A resounding clap echoed through the air. Qin Tian swatted the basketball He Qiang had just shot. The ball flew over He Qiang's head, smashing into the ground like a cannonball with a loud noise, and then bounced high up.
The vast basketball court fell eerily silent, with only the sound of the basketball hitting the ground repeatedly. He Qiang was completely stunned. This powerful block felt like a slap to his face, leaving his cheeks burning.
"I win," Qin Tian's calm words broke the silence.
The crowd snapped out of their shock. The boys looked displeased, unwilling to accept the reality. However, the terrifying jumping ability, explosive power, and basketball skills Qin Tian had displayed left them without any confidence. The girls were all excited, their eyes filled with admiration and affection as they looked at Qin Tian.
"I lost. I'm sorry," He Qiang apologized, his head hanging like a defeated rooster, looking dejected. Everything else was insignificant now. He had lost, not only completely but also his dignity.
Qin Tian was not one to press his advantage. Seeing his apology, his slight anger subsided. "Be calmer in your actions from now on. Chasing girls isn't done like this," he said. As he walked past He Qiang, Qin Tian gently patted his shoulder and walked past him, heading towards the distant teaching building.
He Qiang was stunned for a moment, then turned to shout at the gradually receding Qin Tian, "Senior, let's play basketball together sometime!" Qin Tian didn't stop, but slowly raised his right arm and waved goodbye without looking back.
Bai Weiwei opened her mouth, about to call out to Qin Tian to ask for his contact information, when she suddenly saw a cute, slightly plump girl run towards him. The boys and girls from both classes watched as Qin Tian accepted the mineral water the girl handed him, drank half of it, and then walked away with her, talking and laughing.
"Is that the girl he likes?" Bai Weiwei asked with a sense of loss.
"Sigh!" Zhao Zi sighed and squeezed her hand in comfort. "Don't mind it too much. A guy like him will never lack female admirers. It's his freedom to choose who he accepts." The meaning behind her words could be summarized by a popular online phrase in later years: the right of first choice in mating.
"How did you know I was here?" Qin Tian asked curiously.
"Heh heh..." Xia Nuannuan's eyes curved, and she pointed towards her examination hall, smiling as she said, "My exam seat was by the window, which directly overlooked the basketball court. I saw you playing here, so I came over."
Qin Tian glanced in the direction she pointed and exclaimed, "You can see from here? Your eyesight is that good!"
"Yes, yes, my eyesight has always been very good," Xia Nuannuan replied, her face slightly flushed as she feigned composure. In reality, it was impossible to see the faces of the people on the basketball court clearly from the examination hall without binoculars. Her Chinese scores were quite good, and after finishing, she still had time. Bored, she gazed out the window and spotted a familiar figure on the basketball court. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, for some reason, she knew it was Qin Tian. So, she submitted her exam early, hurried downstairs, and casually bought a bottle of mineral water from the campus convenience store, which she then brought to the basketball court.
"Why are you playing basketball?" Xia Nuannuan changed the subject, asking curiously.
"I finished my exam early and couldn't return to the classroom, so I went to the court to play for a while, and then some things happened," Qin Tian replied with a smile.
"What happened?" Xia Nuannuan asked like a curious child.
Qin Tian glanced at her, hesitated, and then frankly explained: "It's nothing much. Just two underclassmen came to talk to me, and then a guy playing basketball who likes one of those girls got into a confrontation with me."
"So that's how it is..." Xia Nuannuan nodded in understanding, her bright eyes looking directly into his.
"Don't look at me like that. This was truly an unprovoked disaster for me," Qin Tian said with a wry smile.
"So, the underclassman likes you?" Xia Nuannuan asked directly.
"This..."
"I understand."
"Huh? Understand what?"
"Hmph! I don't want to talk to you." Xia Nuannuan pouted angrily and turned her head away haughtily. Qin Tian's forehead was covered in dark lines, and he regretted not slapping himself. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have told the truth.