Chapter 22

Friday, Basketball Court

As Class 1 practiced on the court, Zhang Rongbao's arrival caught everyone's attention.

"Qian Sanyi, Ye Bai, can you come here for a moment?" Zhang Rongbao called out.

Ye Bai and Qian Sanyi exchanged a glance before making their way over to Zhang Rongbao. Standing side by side in front of their teacher, they waited for his words.

"Qian Sanyi, how could you participate in such an intense sport? What if you accidentally injure yourself? How will I explain it to your parents?" Zhang Rongbao's tone was stern as he reprimanded.

He was struggling to stop his laughter. Ye Bai quickly composed himself as Zhang Rongbao turned his gaze toward him. "Why are you laughing? You know your parents are in the States. The school won't take kindly to any accidents involving you either," Zhang Rongbao warned.

When Qian Sanyi listened to Zhang Rongbao's reprimand, he smirked at Ye Bai, 'Now it's your turn.'

"If something happens to you both, the principal will skin me off," was Zhang Rongbao's cautious remark.

"Teacher Zhang, please rest assured. If I am injured, I am responsible for myself." Qian Sanyi retorted defiantly.

Zhang Rongbao's eyes widened in disbelief. "Take responsibility for yourself. That's simply shifting the blame onto me," he retorted, turning his attention to Ye Bai. "Will you say the same?"

Ye Bai scratched his head, considering his response. "You needn't worry about me, Teacher Zhang. I'll inform my parents about the situation. Besides, I'm not a 500,000-yuan-worth student like him," he added, pointing towards Qian Sanyi.

"No, no, no. You know the principal has high hopes for you too. If your parents contact the principal, I will let you off the hook." Zhang Rongbao sighed, feeling the weight of the responsibility.

He looked at Qian Sanyi; this was the student the school had invested so much in. "I'm afraid I can't convince you otherwise. Jiang Tianhao! Come over here for a moment," he called out.

Jiang Tianhao approached them, curious about the summons. "What's the matter, teacher?"

"You need to make sure to protect Qian Sanyi well. Don't let him get hurt, understand?" Zhang Rongbao reminded.

Jiang Tianhao was taken aback but couldn't help but smile. "Teacher, I have a suggestion."

"Go ahead," Zhang Rongbao prompted.

"Why not request the school to provide Qian Sanyi with a suit of iron armor and a golden bell?" Jiang Tianhao suggested with a grin, causing Ye Bai to chuckle. Qian Sanyi, though slightly embarrassed, joined in with a smile.

"What armor and golden bell?" Zhang Rongbao muttered, resisting the urge to reprimand Jiang Tianhao.

"Teacher, you know it's his problem. You can't keep pushing the responsibility onto me," Jiang Tianhao said before making a hasty retreat.

...

In the intense basketball game at the school court, Class 1's team, led by Jiang Tianhao, Qian Sanyi, and Ye Bai, faced off against Class 2. With the score tied and only a few minutes left, the pressure was on.

Jiang Tianhai dribbled down the court smoothly, evading defenders. He passed to Ye Bai, who was at the three-point line. Ye Bai made a perfect shot, giving Class 1 the lead.

Lin Miaomiao and Deng Xiaoqi cheered the loudest as the shot was made. 

Deng Xiaoqi: "Did you see it?"

Lin Miaomiao: "I saw it, I saw it."

While they were cheering, they overheard the conversation of the three students near them.

Girl 1: "Look, did you see it? That was the prince who sang beautifully. He can also play basketball."

Girl 2: "We should get his contact information next time."

Girl 3: "I will send my love letter next time to the broadcasting club."

Girl 1 and Girl 2: "Let's do it."

Miaomiao's face displayed an awkward smile as she heard the girls talk about Ye Bai.

Deng Xiaoqi said, "Wow, Brother Bai will have a group of girl fans after this game."

She suddenly noticed Miaomiao's change in mood. "Is there a problem, Miaomiao?"

"I'm just nervous about the game," and she started cheering again, attempting to conceal the uneasiness in her heart.

Inside the court, Class 2 fought back hard, making fast breaks and accurate passes to even the score.

With time running out, Qian Sanyi took charge. Using his height and agility, he dominated near the basket, scoring crucial points.

As the clock wound down, Ye Bai stole the ball and dashed to the basket for the winning layup. Class 1 erupted in cheers as they celebrated their hard-earned victory.

Ye Bai, Qian Sanyi, and Jiang Tianhao jumped as they won their first game. 

...

~BELL~

"Okay, class is over," declared the teacher.

The entire class stood up. "Goodbye, Teacher."

As the teacher left, students hurriedly surrounded Qian Sanyi and Ye Bai.

Ye Bai, your shooting form on the court is really awesome," complimented Sun Chuanchu.

"Yes, even the opposing students couldn't help but cheer for Ye Bai and Qian Sanyi," added another student.

Deng Xiaoqi said excitedly, "Qian Sanyi, you're not only great in academics but also in basketball."

Miaomiao also chimed in, praising Ye Bai, "That three-pointer you made really turned the game around!"

Jiang Tianhao, sitting beside Qian Sanyi, found himself overshadowed by the two handsome guys.

"It's a team effort that won us the game. Captain Haozi made some great decisions, especially when Class 2 tried to come back." Ye Bai praised Jiang Tianhao. During their game against Class 2, Tianhao didn't seek the spotlight for himself but made crucial team decisions that led to victory.

When he heard Ye Bai praise him, Jiang Tianhao wanted to hug Ye Bai. 'My brother is really loyal'.

When the surrounding students' enthusiasm decreased, Sun Chuanchu suggested to Qian Sanyi, "Let's do some Qian Family Forum right now; let's talk about something."

The 'Qian Family Forum' was a tradition where Qian Sanyi shared trivial knowledge with his classmates. As the Vice-Monitor of the Study Committee, he often provided simple tutoring sessions. After teaching a lesson, he would hold the Qian Family Forum.

Qian Sanyi welcomed their suggestion. The Qian Family Forum was his moment to shine, satisfying his vanity each time.

"Alright, today let's discuss the topic of names," Qian Sanyi proposed.

Overhearing this, Ye Bai's calm demeanor changed a little. He knew Miaomiao would be upset because he used her name as an example.

"Lin Miao Miao, this name—just hearing it, you'll know there's no meaning in it. It's just a name, just a symbol. Who cares?" Qian Sanyi remarks.

Lin Miaomiao, angered by his words, turned around. "Names are like your hair and skin, determined by parents. They shouldn't be made fun of."

Miaomiao didn't finish her outburst when she felt Ye Bai's hands on her shoulder.

"I disagree with your words."

All eyes turned to Ye Bai, whose usually friendly demeanor now bore a hint of seriousness. The students around Qian Sanyi instinctively gave them space.

"I disagree with your interpretation of Miaomiao's name. 'Miao' in Chinese means 'wonderful, clever, brilliant, and creative.' In Japanese, 'Miao' is a combination of 'mi,' meaning 'beautiful,' and 'ao,' meaning 'blue' or 'green.' I believe Miaomiao's name suits her perfectly; she is clever, creative, and beautiful," Ye Bai defended.

Miaomiao's heart fluttered at Ye Bai's defense and his final words. 'Does Ye Bai really think I'm beautiful? ' she wondered.

Qian Sanyi, intending to tease Miaomiao, didn't expect Ye Bai to defend her. Seeing Miaomiao's soft gaze on Ye Bai, he felt an unexpected annoyance.

Ye Bai tapped Qian Sanyi's shoulder. "We're classmates. It's best to apologize to Miaomiao for hurting her with your words."

Deng Xiaoqi also felt sad to see Qian Sanyi mock her best friend's name. She hoped he would apologize.

Realizing his mistake, Qian Sanyi said, "Miaomiao, I'm sorry for making fun of your name."

Miaomiao looked at Qian Sanyi and replied, "Apologies accepted."

And with that, the Qian Family Forum came to a close.

...

Principal Yang sat behind his desk, his expression serious as he spoke with Qian Sanyi, the academic student of Class 1. The atmosphere in the office was tense as Principal Yang brought up the delicate subject of Qian Sanyi leaving the team.

"Qian Sanyi, you can't participate in the school basketball team. Playing casually in class to exercise is good enough. The school already has Jiang Tianhao, and now another student is coming to Ye Bai. There is no meaning in adding another person. What we lack is an excellent university student," Principal Yang said.

Qian Sanyi replied, "If you don't let me join the school's basketball team, I will also withdraw from the math competition."

The principal stared at Qian Sanyi for a long time, but he compromised with Qian Sanyi's wants.

...

Basketball Court

"Jiang Tianhao, Ye Bai, and Qian Sanyi, you three work very well in the class competition. You guys will stay on the same team on the school basketball team," the basketball coach said. "Okay, if there's no problem, we can start practicing."

The trio looked at each other, and they started practicing.

...

Lin Miaomiao and Deng Xiaoqi watched as three of their classmates engaged in a game of basketball.

"Great shot, Sanyi!" Deng Xiaoqi cheered as Qian Sanyi made a jump shot.

Ye Bai noticed them and offered a friendly wave, prompting Miaomiao to reciprocate. "Our class's boys are really handsome."

A nearby female student overheard Miaomiao's comment and retorted condescendingly, "These are the school basketball team players. Since when did they become 'your class's boys'?"

Miaomiao responded with equal confidence, "Jiang Tianhao, Ye Bai, and Qian Sanyi are all in our class. So yes, they are our class's boys."

The girl, not pleased with Miaomiao's response, whispered, "I don't want to be involved with you."

Nonchalantly, Miaomiao shot back, smirking, "I don't want to be involved with you either." The girl hastily left her seat.

"Miaomiao, why the sudden change in attitude? It's like an infinitely variable function. Aren't you and Qian Sanyi supposed to be enemies?" Deng Xiaoqi inquired, observing their interaction while the game continued.

"It's not the same," Miaomiao began, her expression suddenly changing. "Let me tell you, once we step out of the classroom door, he's a model classmate who brings honor to our class."

"Ahhhhh!" the girls watching exclaimed as an accident occurred on the basketball court.

...