114: People who are needed

Just after two o'clock in the afternoon, the basketball gym began to buzz with excitement.

The stands were scattered with quite a few people, mostly students who had come to watch the spectacle.

Bai Xinran had come along with her roommates.

All four girls from their dorm had arrived, finding seats in the section designated for the Comics Department.

As Bai Xinran sat down, her eyes drifted toward the court. The participants were warming up, and Yu Heng was among them.

Yu Heng didn't have his phone on him at the moment, so he glanced toward the stands every now and then, wanting to see if the people who said they would come watch his game had arrived.

He had changed into a red jersey with a white number 3 printed on the back.

This number belonged to his favorite basketball star, Iverson.

Bai Xinran was staring blankly at Yu Heng, feeling as though the burning sensation from the ginger hadn't completely faded yet.

"Xinran, look over there!" Her roommate, Liu Fangrui, nudged her arm and giggled in a low voice. "Isn't that your club president?"

Bai Xinran hummed in response. Liu Fangrui had also submitted an application to join the club along with her, but she hadn't been accepted.

She actually wanted to sit in the opposite section to cheer for Yu Heng, but with her roommates there, it was a bit inconvenient.

It felt a bit like an act of open betrayal to run off and cheer for the opponent during her own department's game.

Ning Yutong and Shen Yueling arrived together.

They arrived a bit later and found two empty seats near mid-court.

As soon as Ning Yutong sat down, she craned her neck to look around. Her eyes lit up when she saw Yu Heng warming up.

Qin Lu had also brought Qin Ya. She hadn't originally wanted to come, but Lin Liyan had called again today, which annoyed her.

However, Qin Ya had made a fuss about wanting to see the game, and unable to refuse her, she had no choice but to bring her along.

After entering the gym, the mother and daughter found a sparsely populated corner to sit in.

Yu Heng was talking to his teammates when he noticed Qin Lu out of the corner of his eye and smiled at her.

Seeing him look at her so brazenly, Qin Lu couldn't help but lower her head, pretending to straighten Qin Ya's collar.

The game soon began.

The match wasn't particularly intense, and the result was the same as in his past life: Yu Heng's team won.

Yu Heng high-fived his teammates and walked to the sidelines to grab a towel and wipe his sweat.

People in the stands began to leave, and the noise grew louder.

Bai Xinran stood up with her roommates, but her eyes were fixed on the opposite side.

Ning Yutong pulled Shen Yueling down toward the court, and Qin Lu also led Qin Ya out from their corner.

Several women approached the same target from different directions.

Yu Heng was tilting his head back to drink water when he saw them approaching and set the bottle down.

"Congratulations!" Ning Yutong spoke first, her voice filled with smiles. "That was amazing!"

"It was alright," Yu Heng said, wiping away sweat while feigning ignorance. "What are you all doing here?"

"To watch your game, of course," Ning Yutong replied.

Shen Yueling didn't say anything, she just stared at the injury on his elbow.

He had taken a bump while diving for the ball earlier.

Qin Lu walked closer but maintained a bit of distance, her tone casual: "You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine, just a bit of scraped skin," Yu Heng said.

Qin Ya poked her head out from behind Qin Lu: "Big brother, that three-pointer you made just now was so cool!"

Yu Heng smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair.

Bai Xinran also walked over, but she didn't get too close, standing a few steps away. She had already sent her roommates back first.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they couldn't just stand there, so Yu Heng said, "Shall we go?"

As the group walked out of the basketball gym, Qin Lu looked at Yu Heng and said, "I'm taking Qin Ya over for her livestream, you guys..."

"Then you might as well take us there too," Yu Heng said, glancing at Bai Xinran. "It'll save us the walk back."

"Fine, let's go then!" Qin Lu glanced at them, thinking to herself that as a mistress, she even had to chauffeur him and his other little lover.

——

The car stopped in front of the Villa. Qin Lu turned off the engine but didn't unbuckle her seatbelt immediately.

"Thank you, Teacher," Bai Xinran spoke first, her voice soft.

"It's nothing." She turned to look at the backseat. Yu Heng had already pushed the door open and gotten out, and Qin Ya was already waiting at the door.

Yu Heng glanced at Qin Lu: "Aren't you getting out?"

"No, I'm not. I'll leave once you guys go inside," Qin Lu said.

Hearing this, Yu Heng gave the keys to Bai Xinran and told her to go open the door first, then he opened the passenger door and sat back down.

"What's wrong?" Yu Heng asked. "Did he call again?"

"Yeah..." Qin Lu pulled out her phone with some helplessness. "He's calling again."

"It's fine, go ahead and answer," Yu Heng said, looking at her. "I'm right here."

"What are you planning to do?" Qin Lu raised an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing," Yu Heng smiled. "Don't worry, I definitely won't interfere."

Qin Lu knit her brows but eventually answered. With Yu Heng there, she did feel a sense of confidence.

She took a deep breath and pressed the answer button.

"Hello." Her voice was deliberately kept calm.

"Why did you hang up just now?" Lin Liyan's voice carried obvious impatience. "Qin Lu, can we stop dragging this out? I've already drafted the agreement. The house and car go to you, the savings will be split in half, and you get custody of Qin Ya. I'll pay monthly child support. Is that good enough?"

Sitting in the passenger seat, Yu Heng could clearly hear the voice coming from the receiver.

He didn't say anything, just watched Qin Lu's profile.

Qin Lu felt her cheeks burning.

Being so desperately dumped by one man in front of another brought a level of embarrassment that made her breathing turn heavy.

"Are you really in such a rush?" she said, a bit vexed. "Lin Liyan, why do you have to be like this?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"What do you mean 'why do I have to be like this'?" Lin Liyan said. "Is there any point in us dragging this out? Can't we just have an amicable split?"

"I wasn't trying to drag it out with you," Qin Lu said. "I just can't figure it out. Where exactly did I fall short that you look down on me so much? Is she really making you that impatient?"

It wasn't that she wanted to win him back; she was simply unwilling to let it go.

Where was she lacking?

Why did she have to be treated like this?

"There's nothing wrong with you." Lin Liyan's voice betrayed a sense of exhaustion. "Qin Lu, you're great. You used to have a good family background, you were beautiful, and your personality was fine. But after all these years of being married to you, I've felt too suppressed."

Qin Lu didn't speak.

"I have no sense of presence in this house. No matter what I do, I have to watch your parents' expressions, and it's the same with you. I can't find any sense of achievement with you either. You have no sense of romance at all; sometimes you don't even seem like a woman," Lin Liyan laughed, with a hint of self-mockery. "On the rare occasion we do it, you're like a dead fish in bed. But she's different. She makes me feel like a man, do you understand? With her, I am needed."

Qin Lu's fingernails dug into her palms.

Listening to this, Yu Heng's brow furrowed.

He hadn't intended to interfere, but Lin Liyan's rhetoric was infuriating to hear.

This was the pure logic of a pathetic loser.

Qin Lu opened her mouth, but her throat felt as if something was blocking it.

A sense of humiliation mixed with anger surged up. She wanted to retort, but she didn't know which sentence to refute first.

Just then, Yu Heng reached over and took the phone directly from her ear.

Qin Lu turned her head in astonishment, seeing that Yu Heng had already pressed the phone to his own ear.

"Hello," Yu Heng spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear.

The person on the other end was clearly stunned: "Who are you?"

"Me?" Yu Heng chuckled and said, "I'm the person Qin Lu needs. If she's not romantic with you, that's your problem. I think she's quite feminine right now. As for wanting to hear her moan? I can satisfy you with that right now."