Before long, Xu Zhi returned to Li Yuan's side. "Yuanzi, it seems like that girl of yours is really angry! Why don't you go and coax her?"
Li Yuan replied calmly, "I already said I have nothing to do with her anymore."
"Damn, are you really willing to let go? I feel like Bai still likes you," Xu Zhi said in surprise.
Li Yuan's brow quirked slightly. "Whether she likes me or not, don't I know best? Let's not talk about it anymore. Let's just put that unpleasant memory behind us."
Xu Zhi didn't know what to say. He felt that Li Yuan's behavior was a bit strange.
Isn't it normal to be rejected by a girl?
Besides, Bai Weixi's refusal was tactful, not a firm rejection. If Li Yuan put in some effort, he still had a chance. To win Li Yuan back, she had even come to the court with Wang Yuchen specifically to bring them water. In his eyes, Li Yuan and Bai Weixi were a match made in heaven. It would be a real pity if they didn't end up together.
In fact, quite a few boys in their class secretly had a crush on Bai Weixi. Xu Zhi knew of several, and even he himself had once harbored a youthful crush. But with someone as outstanding as Li Yuan standing before them, they couldn't help but feel daunted and retreat.
Wang Shuai came over and reminded them, "Brothers, the game's starting. The guys from Class 23 are all here, including that simp Luo Jingwei."
Luo Jingwei was the guy from Class 23 chasing after Bai Weixi. He was a standard 'nice guy'—tall and broad-shouldered—but his looks and grades couldn't match Li Yuan's. He often came to pester Bai Weixi. Because the students of Class 22 saw Li Yuan and Bai Weixi as the real couple, they all looked down on the simp Luo Jingwei.
Zhang Zhongding said viciously, "I've been sick of them for a long time. Today, we have to crush them. Let's make them ask around and find out who's the real boss on the sports committee's courts."
Women aren't as important as basketball.
Li Yuan and the others quickly started warming up, discussing tactics and settling on the simplest 2-3 zone defense. The game started quickly. Neither class had brought a referee, so fouls were called on the honor system.
Feeling the basketball in his hands, Li Yuan sensed a vigorous energy he hadn't possessed in his previous life. With a height of 1.83 meters, he could now touch the rim, though he couldn't dunk yet.
"Yuanzi, come set a pick for me! Watch my fadeaway jumper."
"Brothers, fall back! Defend! Don't give them an easy fast break."
"Yuanzi, where's your three-pointer? Why are you shooting so poorly today? Are you distracted?"
"Damn, Yuanzi, you're really playing weird today. At this rate, we're going to lose."
"Yuanzi, that's an offensive foul! How did you suddenly get so much stronger?"
Once the game started, Zhang Zhongding, Xu Zhi, and the others quickly noticed Li Yuan wasn't in the zone. His shots were off, he couldn't hold his position, and he couldn't execute their plays and tactics. The only thing that seemed different was that his strength had increased a bit.
At the final buzzer, Class 22 lost 64-72, an 8-point deficit. The main responsibility for the loss lay with Li Yuan. He had let his basketball skills get rusty in his past life, and having just been reborn, he couldn't just pick them up again instantly.
Li Yuan was feeling down when a voice suddenly sounded in his ear.
"Li Yuan, is this the best you can do? Heh, no wonder Bai Weixi rejected you."
Li Yuan turned to see a tall, skinny guy about his height with some acne on his face, staring at him with a provocative gaze.
Li Yuan scoffed, "Who the hell are you to judge me? Are you that idiotic simp who wrote 108 love letters, only for Bai Weixi not to give you a single glance?"
"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. She gave all those love letters to me. I'm using them as toilet paper at my house."
Luo Jingwei's face flushed with anger and he clenched his fists. This was his dark history, and also one of the reasons he was so full of envy, jealousy, and hatred for Li Yuan.
Although Bai Weixi hadn't accepted Li Yuan's confession, the two had maintained a good relationship throughout their three years of high school. Not only were they deskmates, but they were also often seen together and would even occasionally hold hands. In the eyes of many classmates, Li Yuan and Bai Weixi were already an item—a talented and good-looking couple with great grades, a perfect match.
But only Li Yuan himself knew their relationship had stalled at occasionally holding hands. They were stuck in a state of ambiguity, unable to take things further. More than friends, but less than lovers. This was the classic move of a seasoned green tea, giving just enough sweetness while always maintaining distance.
Luo Jingwei switched to mockery mode. "Li Yuan, how are you any better than me? You call me a simp, but what about you? You tried for three years and still got rejected, didn't you?"
Li Yuan just let out a cold laugh. "Heh!"
Seeing Li Yuan's meaningful sneer, Luo Jingwei's temper flared. "Li Yuan," he shouted, "if you're a man, let's have a duel, man to man! We'll compete fairly and see who can win Bai Weixi in the end."
Li Yuan raised an eyebrow, not even bothering to reply. With a contemptuous sneer, he turned to leave.
"Li Yuan, why aren't you answering? Are you scared?"
"What league are you in to think you're worthy of being my rival?" Li Yuan paused, his disdainful words reaching Luo Jingwei's ears and instantly sending him into a rage.
Luo Jingwei blocked Li Yuan's path, his eyes blazing with fire. "Li Yuan, you're so arrogant! You're just a rejected simp, same as me! How are you any better? I'll definitely win Bai Weixi over."
Li Yuan shoved Luo Jingwei aside, sending him staggering to the ground.
Then came Li Yuan's voice, lethal and cutting.
"I've had my hands on her."
...
The county town had many food stalls at night, with several right outside No. 1 High School. They ordered some barbecue and Snowflake beer. The five of them sat there in their sweat-drenched jerseys, bragging and shooting the breeze while devouring meat and guzzling beer. Youth was their capital, unlike middle-aged men who had to worry if barbecue, beer, and crayfish would lead to the "three highs."
The guys chatted about the future, daydreamed about college life, and shared the latest gossip.
"Yuanzi, now that senior year is over, I know of several couples in our class who confessed and got together. Uh, it seems like you, the one everyone was betting on, were the only one who failed."
"My dear boy, you really know how to pick at a scab. As a penalty, down a drink! No, chug a whole bottle."
"Dazhi, from the sound of it, does that mean you've already won over Wang Yuchen?"
"Hehe, we've already agreed to go to college in the same city..."
Their alcohol tolerance was still pretty low. After five or six bottles each, they were already getting tipsy. Wang Shuai clutched a beer bottle, slung an arm around Li Yuan's neck, and slurred, "Yuanzi, bro, let me tell you something from the heart. Brothers are like limbs; women are like clothes. When you get to college, find a real relationship and forget about Bai Weixi. Come on, let's chug these bottles! To your happy breakup!"
Yang Zhen also raised his bottle. "The handsome guy is right. A man has to experience one heart-wrenching breakup before he can find a better love."
Zhang Zhongding raised his glass too. "Come on, Yuanzi! Out with the old, in with the new. There are plenty of fish in the sea, so why get hung up on one flower?"
"Happy breakup, I wish you happiness... you can find someone better... Happy breakup, please be happy... waving goodbye to the wrong one is the only way to meet the right one..."
Wang Shuai started singing "Happy Breakup," and Yang Zhen and Zhang Zhongding joined in. Their caterwauling made a few people at the neighboring tables frown in annoyance.
Tears actually welled up in Li Yuan's eyes.
Damn, listening to them sing, you'd think Bai Weixi and I really broke up after a three-year relationship… In reality, we just held hands, hugged, and I kissed her on the cheek once. We didn't do anything else, didn't even get to first base… Shit, the more I think about it, the more I feel like I got the short end of the stick. Am I really just going to let her off the hook like this?
Xu Zhi glanced at a text message on his phone from Wang Yuchen. He hesitated for a moment, then silently raised his beer bottle, leaned close to Li Yuan's ear, and whispered, "Yuanzi, I still think you and Bai can end up together."
"Dazhi, I can't handle a high-level green tea like her."
Li Yuan was also feeling the alcohol. He drained his bottle in one go, knowing full well his good friends were just trying to comfort him over his "heartbreak." This drinking session was different from his past life; it was deeply painful, yet also incredibly freeing. Alcohol truly was the best medicine for a man's troubles.
...
「The next day.」
Li Yuan slept until the sun was high in the sky, and his head still felt foggy when he woke up.
Drinking too much beer gives you a headache. I can't drink that much again.
Last night, the five of them had each drunk seven or eight bottles of beer. With the barbecue, the bill came to 230 yuan, which was quite a feast for them. He checked the time; it was already past 11:00 AM. Not feeling like eating lunch, he quickly washed up and slipped out to the internet café to continue his grand writing project.
In the blink of an eye, two days passed. It was now June 16th, and the fifth game of the NBA Finals kicked off as scheduled. Just as he expected, the Lakers won, bringing the series score to 3-2. At 1.8 odds, once he cashed out, he would have 149,400 yuan. His initial investment was only 20,000 yuan. In just six days, he had made a net profit of nearly 130,000 yuan.
This was his first pot of gold. No, that's not right. There's still one more crucial game to go.
Li Yuan rode his bicycle to the sports lottery shop near the entrance of No. 1 High School. As soon as he walked in, the young owner greeted him excitedly. "Great God, you're finally here! I've been waiting so long I was about to wilt. Who are you betting on for the game the day after tomorrow?"
"Let me see the odds first," Li Yuan said calmly, having anticipated this scene.
He had won three bets in a row, making over 20,000 yuan from this shop alone. It would have been strange if the owner hadn't taken notice. However, the sports lottery was different from other lotteries; it mainly depended on one's knowledge of sports. This was earning money with his own skills. In the shop owner's eyes, Li Yuan had become a basketball fan with uniquely sharp insight.
After collecting his winnings, Li Yuan looked at the latest odds.
The odds for a Celtics win were 1.4. The betting companies were also optimistic that the Celtics, returning to their home court, would ride their momentum to secure the final victory.