85: slap

After speaking, Ye Xi quickly bowed, a gesture that displeased Wu Ping.

He felt that if there wasn't enough water, they should just make do. It wasn't a big deal, and Ye Xi hadn't made any mistake, so why apologize so humbly?

"Junior, you don't have to humble yourself like this."

Wu Ping glared fiercely at Lin Mo. How could this guy be so unobservant? Couldn't he see that they were making things difficult for her?

A moment later, Lin Mo waved his hand lightly and said casually, "It's fine, it's fine."

Ye Xi gently brushed her long hair from her forehead and smiled playfully, "It was my oversight. I didn't know there would be so many of you before, so I bought too little. My apologies."

Lin Mo lowered his head and secretly glanced at Ye Xi, who happened to catch his gaze and returned a smile.

She was so perfect; every frown and smile was exquisite. For some reason, Lin Mo actually felt his agitated heart ease a little.

"You're about to start playing again, right? I'll go watch over there then."

Ye Xi's eyes curved as she walked towards the stands, the sunlight making her appear exceptionally radiant.

As she was about to reach her destination, she suddenly turned around and shouted loudly to everyone, "Go, go, go!"

Her voice was full of encouragement and anticipation, and inspired by her, the boys immediately felt their blood boil.

After Ye Xi left, the boys' conversations became increasingly less serious.

"Sigh, do you guys feel like this water has a smell?" A boy sniffed the bottled water.

"Holy cow, I thought it was just me. So you guys can smell it too."

"Exactly, exactly. This scent is actually quite pleasant. It seemed to have a faint smell when I first got the water, but it wasn't particularly strong."

Hearing this, the boys all picked up their bottled water and sniffed it.

"I wonder where she bought this perfume. One whiff is unforgettable."

"That just shows your inexperience. My nose is very sensitive. This isn't the smell of cosmetics. It might be a natural body scent." A chubby guy looked at the bottle with a dazed expression.

"We've rested enough. Let's play ball."

Lin Mo was very annoyed. Everyone else had water, but he didn't, so he couldn't smell that legendary fragrance at all.

"You guys shut up! She's such a good girl. You're not allowed to speak ill of her here." Wu Ping pointed at the few who were thinking the most wildly.

"Brother Wu, we know we were wrong. We were praising Sister-in-law Wu. If you don't like it, we won't do it next time." The boys shook their heads.

Hearing the words "Sister-in-law Wu," Wu Ping's heart blossomed, and he suddenly felt full of energy.

Of course, Lin Mo and Wu Ping's mindsets were opposite. He couldn't understand what was so great about Wu Ping, who had ordinary conditions and a common background. Was this beautiful girl blind to actually take a liking to him?

The second half of the game was about to begin. Ye Xi sat upright in the stands, her gaze inadvertently falling upon Lin Mo's face. Her eyes seemed to hold an inexplicable meaning, as if both intentional and unintentional.

Lin Mo keenly caught this detail and exchanged a brief, subtle glance with Ye Xi.

The moment their eyes met, Ye Xi immediately shifted her gaze, turning her attention elsewhere.

At this moment, Lin Mo's heart was turbulent, filled with countless thoughts, and he began to self-strategize.

Does she really like me? Was not giving me water earlier meant to get my attention?

If not, why did she keep stealing glances at me with such ambiguous eyes?

"Good shot."

Wu Ping soared into the air, the basketball arcing gracefully from his fingertips before landing steadily in the hoop. A thunderous applause and cheer immediately erupted from the stands.

"Buddy, don't go easy. People will think we're throwing the game."

Wu Ping shouted loudly at Lin Mo. He wanted to take this opportunity to compete with Lin Mo and see who was better.

He had also been paying attention to Ye Xi just now and was very uncomfortable seeing Ye Xi and Lin Mo exchanging glances.

Hearing this, Lin Mo's face instantly darkened, and he secretly vowed to prove to that girl with his actions that he would surpass Wu Ping in every aspect!

"Bang!"

With a loud bang, the basketball slammed against the backboard. Lin Mo completed a stunning dunk in mid-air, and deafening gasps and cheers once again echoed from the sidelines.

The audience on the stands also discussed animatedly.

"This is getting interesting. I knew my idol wasn't just a pretty face."

"Tsk, he just scored one point. The score is still far off. Also, let me tell you, this Lin Mo is said to have a messy private life. Be careful, don't just give yourself away."

"He's handsome and good at basketball. I'd be willing to give myself away." The girl stuck out her tongue.

Ye Xi couldn't help but take another look at the girl, wanting to tell her, what's the use of being handsome? What's the use of being good at basketball? When you're looking for a man, look for one who can drive a Ferrari with one hand.

Ye Xi knew very well that these two male peacocks were about to put on a show to win her affection.

The basketball game was still in full swing. Lin Mo's performance became increasingly heroic, hitting multiple crucial shots, catching Wu Ping off guard.

Wu Ping gritted his teeth. Damn it, this guy really had some skills when he got serious. He could actually make him feel a hint of pressure.

"Hey, do you guys know if there's any reward for this game? Why does it feel like both sides are fighting for their lives?"

"Yeah, it's really intense."

"Ah, go, go, go."

As the audience's discussions rose and fell, the game gradually entered its climax.

Lin Mo's performance shone brightly on the court. In the last thirty seconds, the score remained deadlocked.

The basketball arced gracefully through the air, slowly descending.

At this moment, Lin Mo and Wu Ping, standing on the court, both yearned to snatch this point.

They reacted almost simultaneously, both thinking that even if they intentionally collided with the other, they couldn't let the other get this point.

The whistle blew, and the game ended. Clearly, neither of them scored.

"Do you have any sportsmanship? Intentionally bumping people, how can you play like that?"

"Who are you to talk? Both of us are at fault."

The two sides' younger brothers blamed each other. The two parties weren't originally close; they only knew each other from playing a lot of basketball together.

In the bustling crowd, Ye Xi's gaze searched around.

Finally, her sight caught a bright spot, and she chuckled inwardly. That green tea girl, Tan Xiaoqin, was finally here. I've been waiting for her.

"Brother Lin, when did you hurt your leg? It's bleeding. Does anyone have a band-aid?"

"It's nothing, just a bump. It's fine."

Lin Mo shook his head dismissively, appearing completely unconcerned about such a minor injury.

As Tan Xiaoqin walked towards Lin Mo with water, Ye Xi quickly followed.

"Are you okay?"

Tan Xiaoqin asked, feigning concern, carefully examining the scar on Lin Mo's leg.

However, when he noticed Ye Xi also approaching, Lin Mo couldn't help but feel annoyed. If Tan Xiaoqin was so close to him now, how could he maintain his single persona?

Although Tan Xiaoqin was also a pretty girl, ever since he had seen Ye Xi's stunning beauty, Lin Mo had lost much of his interest in her.

"I'm fine." Lin Mo quickly pushed Tan Xiaoqin away before Ye Xi could get closer.

Ye Xi walked over, her gaze falling on the injury on Lin Mo's leg. Her originally lively eyes instantly froze, as if covered by a sad mist.

Immediately after, her eyes quickly reddened, her nose turned slightly pink, and her lips trembled slightly: "Senior Lin, this injury must hurt a lot. It's a good thing I was afraid you'd get hurt before, so I prepared a band-aid in advance."

Seemingly realizing that her words were a bit ambiguous, Ye Xi quickly covered her mouth, then rubbed her eyes and added, "Everyone, don't misunderstand. I didn't prepare it in advance for Senior Lin. I was afraid someone on the court would get hurt."

Hearing Ye Xi's words, Wu Ping's face turned exceptionally grim. His heart almost collapsed. So, all along, I was just wishful thinking.

As Ye Xi prepared to tear open the band-aid and tried to put it on his leg, Lin Mo's body instantly tensed. His heart was in his throat, and he was so nervous he could barely breathe.

As Ye Xi's fair, jade-like, smooth, and delicate arms slowly moved, a faint, subtle fragrance wafted through the air.

Lin Mo's heart raced, and he recalled his buddies' previous casual chats. The mysterious scent they had mentioned was not baseless.

Now, that subtle fragrance stimulated his senses like magic, making his blood boil.

He finally understood that Ye Xi's previous actions were not accidental, but intentional. The person she truly liked was him!

Lin Mo froze, sitting motionless, quietly waiting for Ye Xi's next actions and expressions.

"You damn green tea, you're quite good at pretending."

Seeing Ye Xi about to touch her boyfriend, Tan Xiaoqin could no longer hold back. With quick eyes and hands, she grabbed Ye Xi's hand.

The moment she touched Ye Xi, she immediately smelled Ye Xi's fragrance. What kind of scent was this? It was far better than the expensive perfume she bought.

"Everything you touch smells bad. Anyone who thinks it smells good has no mother."

Tan Xiaoqin snatched the band-aid from Ye Xi's hand, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it hard with her high heels.

As soon as these words came out, the boys felt uncomfortable. If Tan Xiaoqin wasn't Lin Mo's girlfriend, based on that statement alone, a few of them would have at least scolded her if not beaten her.

"And you, with just this little scratch, you dare to pretend it hurts? Will you die if you don't put on this band-aid?" Tan Xiaoqin splashed the bottled water in her hand onto Lin Mo's face.

Ye Xi blinked her amber eyes, looking wronged, and said, "Sister, who are you? Why are you treating Senior Lin like this?"

"Being a mistress and still being so self-righteous, I'll tear you apart." Tan Xiaoqin was furious, her makeup even starting to come off due to her anger.

"Sister, I think you're very fierce. Girls should be a little gentler, otherwise Senior Lin won't like you."

Being pointed at and cursed, Ye Xi's eyes reddened slightly, her pitiful appearance making people's hearts ache.

"You..." Tan Xiaoqin gritted her teeth in anger.

"Sister, an excellent boy like Senior Lin isn't married yet. You can chase him, I can chase him. Why do you say I'm a mistress?" Ye Xi covered her face and said, feeling wronged.

Regarding Ye Xi's words, Wu Ping looked disdainful. Is having money considered excellent? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully a young man for being poor.

He really wanted to tell Ye Xi that this guy was really a playboy, a complete scumbag who had played with more women than he could count on one hand. If she got together with him, once he got tired of her, he would definitely kick her away.

However, in front of Lin Mo, he didn't know how to speak. If he did that, it would only create a mortal enemy.

"I'm his girlfriend, do you understand, you little mistress?" Tan Xiaoqin stomped her foot in anger, her voice tinged with fury and resentment.

"But Senior Lin said he didn't have a girlfriend before." Ye Xi scratched her head, feigning a look of confusion, but secretly gloating.

"Alright, I'll let you lose clearly."

Tan Xiaoqin really wanted to go and tear Ye Xi apart, but in front of so many people, she had to try to maintain her lady-like image.

"You tell me, am I your girlfriend?"

Tan Xiaoqin pointed at Lin Mo, deciding to give him one more chance. If he could admit that she was his girlfriend, she would let bygones be bygones.

Lin Mo looked at the arrogant Tan Xiaoqin, then at the wronged Ye Xi, paused for a moment, and said, "Xiaoqin, I know you're only with me for my money, you don't truly like me. So, we've never actually been together, have we?"

Tan Xiaoqin broke down again, gasping for breath, and after catching her breath, she said, "You scumbag, you slept with me last night, and today you're turning your back on me. I'm going to beat you to death."

Tan Xiaoqin's voice was filled with anger and resentment. After speaking, she picked up her handbag and was about to smash it into Lin Mo's face.

"Get lost! Playing with you was giving you too much credit. If you dare to lay a hand on me, I'll break your leg." Lin Mo snorted coldly, his true nature revealed.

"I never thought Senior Lin was this kind of person. A violent maniac, and he has no self-respect. I really misjudged him. Sure enough, all men are no good."

Two lines of clear tears immediately streamed down Ye Xi's face, her expression filled with grief.

At the same time, while others weren't looking, she shot Tan Xiaoqin a provocative look, filled with disdain and mockery.

"Where are you going?"

Tan Xiaoqin was going crazy. Seeing Ye Xi trying to run away, she decided to squeeze this soft persimmon. Her heart was filled with jealousy and hatred.

"Senior, please don't be like this? I don't want to fight. When I hit people, it hurts really badly."

Ye Xi rubbed the tears from the corner of her eyes with her wrist, her tone tinged with innocence and pitifulness.

Tan Xiaoqin's anger flared even more when she thought of the big fish she had just caught being ruined by Ye Xi.

Seeing Ye Xi's delicate appearance, Tan Xiaoqin had no intention of letting her go.

"You want to run after doing something bad? I'll break your leg today." Tan Xiaoqin said fiercely, her voice full of threats and intimidation.

Slap, slap.

Ye Xi didn't say much to Tan Xiaoqin. Her movements were swift and decisive, and two loud slaps instantly landed on her cheeks.

Tan Xiaoqin's cheeks immediately reddened, a trace of blood oozing from the corner of her mouth. She clutched her face in pain, her body involuntarily falling backward.