21: Stadium Focus

After class in the afternoon, Chen Li had just returned to the Dormitory when he was pulled aside by Zhang Yixi and the others.

"A Li, let's go, let's go play ball." Guo Zihong threw his arm around his shoulder, "It's been a long time since we played together."

These roommates were all sports enthusiasts with straightforward and cheerful personalities; they never engaged in any scheming, so they got along exceptionally well.

Chen Li nodded with a smile, "Alright, let me just change my shoes."

Just as he was about to change his shoes, his phone suddenly vibrated. It was a message from Song Lingyun:

"Chen Li, what are you doing?"

Two minutes later, another message: "Are you busy?"

"Getting ready to go play ball, what's up?"

"Which basketball court are you going to? Um... are you free tonight?"

Looking at this message, Chen Li couldn't help but recall Song Lingyun's innocent and moving appearance that night, and his heart fluttered a little.

He replied, "The hilltop basketball court. I'll look for you tonight."

Song Lingyun replied eagerly, "Mm-hmm, then... can I come to the hilltop basketball court to find you later? There's something I want to tell you in person."

"It's just that my roommates want to have a meal together and get to know you... If you're busy, then forget it!"

Between the lines, there was a sense of caution and anxiety, as if she were afraid of being rejected.

Looking at this message, Chen Li could almost imagine her nervously staring at her phone screen right now: "Alright!"

"That's great, then I'll go to the basketball court to find you in a bit."

The outdoor basketball court on the university Campus was always full of vitality and could be considered one of the liveliest places in the school.

On the court were players sweating, and the sidelines were never quiet—there were people running around the perimeter for exercise,

couples walking hand in hand, and many girls who came specifically to watch their boyfriends play.

Whenever there was a match between classes or departments, the atmosphere would become even more heated.

The sounds of cheering, shouting, and basketballs hitting the ground rose and fell, and the entire court was filled with a vibrant youthful atmosphere.

At this moment, Song Lingyun had already arrived at the basketball court, and as the recognized campus belle, her appearance immediately attracted many gazes.

She was dressed particularly refreshingly today, wearing a simple white T-shirt paired with a light blue denim skirt.

Her fair skin was particularly striking in the sunlight, and her long, straight, beautiful legs attracted even more attention.

She held a bottle of mineral water in her hand, slightly tiptoeing as her gaze darted back and forth between several courts, clearly looking for someone.

"Wu Tao, look! It's Song Lingyun."

A boy resting on the sidelines nudged his companion with his elbow and said in a low voice, his eyes never leaving her.

The boy named Wu Tao turned his head abruptly upon hearing this: "Damn, it really is Lingyun... Is she here to watch the game?"

Several other boys resting nearby also noticed the commotion and began whispering to each other.

It wasn't just the boys; even some of the girls watching the game couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, their gazes filled with appraisal and a hint of envy.

Song Lingyun seemed long accustomed to this kind of attention and didn't pay much mind to the surrounding discussions and gazes.

She just focused on continuing to search for that familiar Figure, not noticing at all that a burning gaze from not far away was tightly following her.

That gaze came from the aforementioned Wu Tao—the captain of the school basketball team.

Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, with excellent basketball skills, and a fairly handsome appearance, he had become a heartthrob in the hearts of many girls.

Yet, the Song Lingyun he liked had absolutely no interest in basketball, which left him with all these skills but nowhere to showcase them.

Precisely because of this, when he saw Song Lingyun appear on the basketball court, Wu Tao couldn't believe his eyes.

His heart surged with wild joy: Could she be here to watch a basketball game? This was the opportunity he had been looking forward to for so long.

Usually, trying to ask Song Lingyun out for a meal was as difficult as ascending to heaven; he had to get her roommates to organize a gathering just to see her once.

Now that the opportunity was right in front of him, he immediately adjusted his jersey, put on a confident smile, and walked over quickly.

"Lingyun," he stopped beside her, "It's truly rare to see you on the court. Are you here to watch the game?"

Song Lingyun turned her head and saw it was Wu Tao; her brows furrowed imperceptibly. It was him again.

Of course she knew this school basketball team captain. Previously, this person had tried all sorts of ways to ask her out, sending endless messages until she was so annoyed that she simply deleted his contact information.

She hadn't expected this person to be like a dog-skin plaster that couldn't be peeled off, actually going through the trouble of having her roommates organize gatherings just to see her once.

"No," she said with a distant tone, her gaze continuing to search the crowd, "I'm looking for someone."

"Looking for who? I'm familiar with this court; maybe I can help."

Wu Tao seemed unable to hear the coldness in her words and still enthusiastically stepped forward.

"No need." Song Lingyun finally looked him in the eye and said bluntly, "Wu Tao, I'm serious, stop wasting your time on me."

"Lingyun, I genuinely like you," Wu Tao not only didn't retreat but stepped even closer, his voice lowering with a hint of pleading, "Is there something I'm doing wrong? Tell me, I can change."

Just at this moment, Song Lingyun's eyes lit up—she finally saw Chen Li's Figure on the half-court diagonally across from her.

He was dribbling the ball, running, and with a clean change of direction, he dribbled past a defensive player.

She had no interest in continuing to deal with Wu Tao and tossed out one sentence: "Then you should start by changing the part where you always come to annoy me."

After saying this, she didn't look at Wu Tao again, clutched the mineral water, and quickly walked in the direction of Chen Li, leaving Wu Tao frozen in place, his face turning a shade of pale green.

Seeing Song Lingyun leave, Wu Tao remained frozen in place, and a few teammates who usually played basketball with him gathered around.

"Brother Tao, rejected by the campus belle again?"

A boy with a crew cut hooked his arm around Wu Tao's shoulder, his tone filled with sympathy.

The boy next to him with chestnut-dyed hair clicked his tongue: "But honestly, Song Lingyun's looks and Figure are top-tier, so it's normal for her to have a cold temper."

"Yeah, Brother Tao, good things take time," another shorter teammate patted his back, "As long as she doesn't have a boyfriend, you still have a chance."

Wu Tao managed a forced smile and was about to say something, but his gaze inadvertently followed the direction Song Lingyun had walked off in—the next second, his entire body froze.

He saw Song Lingyun stop under the basketball hoop diagonally across from them and was handing the bottle of mineral water in her hand to a boy who had just finished playing.

She tilted her head up to speak to that person, her side profile soft, and the corners of her mouth carried a faint smile he had never seen before.

Was she specifically here to bring water to this person? This scene felt like a heavy blow, smashing hard into Wu Tao's heart.

A burning sensation mixed with jealousy, unwillingness, and loss instantly surged through his whole body, making his throat tighten and leaving him almost unable to breathe.

Could it be... that this is her boyfriend?

Chen Li had just finished a round and was standing on the sidelines with Zhang Yixi, Guo Zihong, and the others, discussing the previous tactics.

Sweat dripped down his temples; he wiped his face casually, and as soon as he looked up, he saw Song Lingyun walking across the court toward them.

She clutched a bottle of mineral water tightly in her hand and, under the gaze of many people around, walked straight up to Chen Li.