Volume 2: Riding the Wind Chapter 47: A Word of Encouragement Chu Tianyu was deep in thought when, without realizing it, Player 10 snatched the ball from him. As soon as he got it, he didn’t hesitate—kicking it off the ground to pass it immediately to Player 8, who had pulled back after abandoning his defense. After catching the ball, Player 8 didn’t even glance at the big player who was rushing forward to block him. Instead, he turned and took a perfectly timed jump shot. Before the big player could jump to block it, there was a “swish” as the ball went through the net—two points scored. It was clean and efficient, just as Wang Shengyi had said—professional-level skill. The ball was now in the opponent’s hands, and it was their turn to attack. This was when the difference between professional players became evident. Aside from Player 10, who was guarding Chu Tianyu, Player 8 kept forcing his way into the paint against the big player and succeeded. Even Wang Shengyi got a chance to drive to the basket for a score and two free throws. Bai Lei’s face turned pale; he didn’t even have the energy to get angry. His poor physical condition, combined with forcing himself to keep up with Wang Shengyi, left him out of breath after just a few attempts. Coupled with Wang Shengyi’s constant taunts, he was repeatedly forced into fouls. Truly, when skill is lacking, even genius is helpless! Five minutes passed, and the scoreboard showed 11:0. It was Player 10 organizing the attack again, passing to Player 8. Player 8 caught the ball and tried a three-step layup, but was blocked by the big player, resulting in two free throws. He made one—“clang”—but the second shot hit the back of the rim and bounced out. The big player secured the ball and quickly passed it to Chu Tianyu on the perimeter. Chu Tianyu and the big player had long had a seamless partnership. The moment he caught the ball, he feinted and stopped abruptly to deceive Player 10’s defense, then took a steady jump shot from beyond the three-point line—straight into the net. A beautiful three-pointer. Finally, they scored! The big player and Bai Lei were excited and about to hug each other to celebrate when suddenly, a clear and cheerful shout rang out: “Chu Tianyu, go! Go, Chu Tianyu…” Hearing that voice, Chu Tianyu almost fainted from happiness. Bao Cai on the sidelines was already jumping around, trying to locate the source of the voice. The big player on the court also looked eagerly in that direction. As for Bai Lei, his emotions must have been the most complicated of all.

He had always taken it upon himself to support his sister, though for various reasons he kept failing over and over again. He practiced basketball regularly, and by joining the club this time, he was aiming for the moment when his sister would cheer him on. Unexpectedly, this glorious and noble moment happened to Chu Tianyu, who was considered the most foolish, unsophisticated, and dull person around. How could this not make Bai Lei feel complicated?

“Nice voice, but the person must not look good—definitely an ugly girl, probably a dinosaur, or else a stupid woman just as foolish as him. Otherwise, she’d notice the handsome guys around her, like the genius himself!” Bai Lei cursed shamelessly while glancing toward the sidelines.

When Bai Lei finally spotted the owner of that voice, his head buzzed—it was Li Rou from the architecture department, known as the most pure beauty in Beifu. All his hopes shattered instantly, leaving him heartbroken as he sighed loudly, “God, why? Is it really fate that hates talent? Am I destined to live in loneliness? God…”

It was indeed Li Rou, whom Chu Tianyu had met that morning, who was cheering him on. Hearing her voice, Chu Tianyu immediately knew who it was. He didn’t expect her to come watch the basketball club’s trial match either. It was quite a coincidence. Although Li Rou seemed gentle, soft, and warm, she acted decisively and straightforwardly. When she noticed Chu Tianyu looking over, she smiled at him happily, waved vigorously, and shouted, “Chu Tianyu! Go for it! Go for it!”

Chu Tianyu felt warm inside and couldn’t help but smile back and nod in her direction. For the first time since high school, he felt a desire to compete—just for that cheer!

Seeing Chu Tianyu and that beautiful Li Rou exchanging glances, Bai Lei’s heart sank even more. He quickly stepped forward and said resentfully, “Great, Third Brother. I didn’t expect you to have really degenerated. I wondered why you looked so dreamy in the dorm just now… Hey, hey, where are you going? Explain things first before leaving…”

“I’m serving the ball!” Chu Tianyu replied over his shoulder. Now wasn’t the time to argue with Bai Lei. Seeing his resentful expression, this genius must be filled with grievances and dissatisfaction.

“Sigh, if he knew he already had a fiancée—plus one of Peking University’s most stunning beauties—what would he think…” Chu Tianyu thought viciously as he stepped back to the serving line.

Before the ball was passed, Chu Tianyu called over Da Ge and Bai Lei, whispered a few words to them, and then started the play. The moment the ball was passed, Bai Lei suddenly darted into the three-second zone, prompting Wang Shengyi to quickly follow. Da Ge moved forward, took the ball with his back to Player 8, and without stopping, passed it back to Chu Tianyu. Chu Tianyu protected the ball and rushed forward. Player 10, who had just made Chu Tianyu shoot a three-pointer in front of him, probably felt embarrassed, so he defended more fiercely this time, pressing closely.

Chu Tianyu brought the ball outside the three-point line and suddenly accelerated toward the side. Player 10 immediately followed. Unexpectedly, after running a few steps, Chu Tianyu suddenly stopped, turned around, and ran back. Player 10, being a near-pro player, had excellent agility and flexibility. Although he was slightly slower than Chu Tianyu, he adjusted quickly and didn’t lose his defensive position, continuing to follow Chu Tianyu along the three-point arc.

But after running a few steps, a tall dark figure appeared, blocking his path. He could only watch helplessly as Chu Tianyu drove past—it was a “pick and roll”! Indeed, that dark figure was Da Ge. This time, he didn’t compete with Player 8 for the basket but took Player 8 to the perimeter to set up a perfect pick and roll with Chu Tianyu.

“Watch out for help defense!” Player 10 shouted once he realized what was happening.

But it was too late. By the time Da Ge created space for him, Chu Tianyu had already shot. Player 8, who arrived later, only jumped symbolically to try to block the shot before immediately turning to rush to the basket to secure the rebound.

The ball traced a perfect arc, “swish!”—the net shook violently, and it was another successful three-pointer.

“Yay!!!” Bai Lei had long forgotten about Player 3’s privacy. He let out a triumphant shout at Wang Shengyi beside him, struck a victory pose, and then ran over to high-five Chu Tianyu and the others to celebrate.

This time, Bai Lei passed the ball, which was handed to Chu Tianyu again. After catching the ball while moving, Chu Tianyu continued to break through quickly. Player 10 defended while retreating this time, not pressing too closely, just maintaining a distance that allowed him to block without being easily outmaneuvered. Chu Tianyu brought the ball to the three-point arc and, without any unnecessary movements, took a step back and shot immediately. Player 10, who was defending him, never expected Chu Tianyu to shoot so simply again. Unprepared, he could only watch helplessly as the ball flew over his head…

“Ah~~~ Chu Tianyu, amazing! Keep going…” Li Rou shouted from the sidelines.

“Wow…”

“Amazing!” The other spectators on the sidelines also exclaimed in awe.
Three consecutive three-pointers—perfect form, beautiful arcs, and an astonishing shooting percentage—left everyone in awe.
The judges on the court’s stage had bright eyes and exclaimed, “What talent!”
“So, Hao Feng, are you frustrated now?” said Number 8, who was in charge of watching the big players.
“Damn it, this kid is playing like crazy. How is his shooting so smooth?” Hao Feng said resentfully.
“It’s not just smooth shooting; his dribbling and shooting form are absolutely professional. If it weren’t for his height, I think he would already be a professional player, not just an amateur participating in some basketball club,” Number 8 said calmly.
“Hmm…” Hao Feng had no objections to what he said.
“There’s not much time left. You still need to stay close to him defensively. Don’t be afraid of his breakthroughs. I’ll help cover for you and even join in a double-team. That big guy I’m watching seems pretty amateurish; he seems to rely only on his height and weight to pose a threat under the basket. Wang Shengyi, you also need to pay attention to covering and defending against their pick-and-rolls. Don’t get entangled too much with that guy. As long as he doesn’t enter the three-second zone, it’s fine to let him hold the ball,” Number 8 continued to give instructions.
“Okay, fine. It’s really strange. I thought Chu Tianyu was pretty good at playing, but I didn’t expect him to be this good. It’s really unexpected! I originally wanted to wipe the floor with them and embarrass them, but now… sigh!” Wang Shengyi said even more frustratedly.
Bai Lei took the shot again. Chu Tianyu and the big guy wisely positioned themselves on opposite sides and moved apart to avoid being double-teamed. The ball ended up in Chu Tianyu’s hands. Hao Feng immediately pressed him tightly. Chu Tianyu had already lost his position trying to get the ball, and with Hao Feng so close, he had no space to move while dribbling or breaking through. His only option was to pass. As for the big guy and Bai Lei, no matter how they moved, they couldn’t get away from their respective defenders. Especially Number 8, who was watching the big guy, not only kept a close eye on him but also deliberately blocked his passing routes, waiting to steal Chu Tianyu’s pass.
Seeing the situation, Chu Tianyu took a step back with the ball, then precisely placed it between his feet. Hao Feng, who was tightly guarding him, saw Chu Tianyu dribble the ball, but since Chu Tianyu was protecting it well, Hao Feng couldn’t steal it. So he intensified his pressure, spreading his arms out and swinging them up and down—to disrupt Chu Tianyu and also block his movement with the length of his arms.

But then something surprising happened. After Chu Tianyu swatted the ball to the side, as it returned to his hands, he rotated his toes slightly, his body swaying like willow fluff, and a shadow flashed by. Before anyone could figure out what was going on, the sound of another swat came from behind them. When they turned around, all they saw was Chu Tianyu’s back. Chu Tianyu used a slight version of the Xuanji Step, turned around behind Hao Feng, and charged straight forward. He then stopped abruptly at the three-point arc and immediately took a jump shot. Player Number 8 watched the changes on the court very clearly. Seeing Chu Tianyu miraculously break through Hao Feng’s close defense, he was shocked and reacted quickly, as if knowing Chu Tianyu would shoot another three-pointer. He burst with strength, gave up his size advantage, and tried to block his path. At the exact moment Chu Tianyu took his jump shot, he let out a loud roar, leaped up with his hands raised high, ready to swat a massive block at Chu Tianyu. Player Number 8 was over twenty centimeters taller than Chu Tianyu, and such a huge difference in height meant that even Chu Tianyu, shooting from outside, was at risk of being blocked. But once again, a miracle occurred. At the peak of his jump, instead of shooting, Chu Tianyu paused mid-air, pulled the ball back to his chest, swung it from left to right, and the ball flew out, just brushing past Player Number 8’s armpit. Player Number 8, still in mid-air, could only watch the ball fly by. As he landed, he helplessly closed his eyes, hearing the crisp sound of the ball hitting the net. It was the taller player, unguarded, who caught Chu Tianyu’s clever pass under the basket and scored an easy layup, changing the score to 11:11. By then, the 10-minute assessment time had just ended. Roaring applause erupted from the crowd, all cheering for this exciting match and praising Chu Tianyu’s superb skills. “Damn, No. 3, you’re amazing! You’re like a god today!” The taller player rushed over excitedly, lifting Chu Tianyu and speaking passionately. Meanwhile, Bai Lei chased after Wang Shengyi, saying sarcastically, “Sigh, a potential player from Team 3? Their skill level is barely on par with ours?” “And it seems like everyone’s applauding us now. Sorry, we did it to you again. We’re showing off in front of your sister again. How’s that?”

“Why is your face so pale? It’s just a tie, right? It was your luck. If not for the time running out, my brother would have scored another three points for you, you know that? Hey, do you know that? Look at me, I’m talking to you!”
Wang Shengyi’s face turned ashen; he said nothing, didn’t call out to his teammates, and simply avoided Bai Lei by darting into the crowd. As he walked away, he still heard Bai Lei’s last words of “good wishes”: “Just leaving like this without saying goodbye? How rude…” Wang Shengyi staggered, almost feeling like vomiting!
“Hi, I’m Xu Zhanqiang. They call me ‘Big Guy’!” Big Guy said warmly to Li Rou, who had come to offer congratulations.
“Hehe, I’m Bao Cai. I’m the fourth among them. I’m glad you came to cheer us on!” Bao Cai, who had also arrived, said while reaching out with his “enthusiastic” hand.
With a “slap,” Big Guy firmly hit that hand mid-reach, along with his scolding: “Go! Your dirty hands just touched the ball—how can you still shake hands? Is that polite?”
Bao Cai reluctantly pulled back his hand and grumbled unhappily, “I didn’t touch the ball at all! Your hands are dirty, so it’s awkward to shake hands. You won’t even let me?”
Facing these two troublemakers, Chu Tianyu helplessly smiled at Li Rou, signaling for her not to be offended. Li Rou smiled and said, “These two are your friends, right? Hello, I’m Li Rou from the Architecture Department…”
As she spoke, Li Rou generously extended her hand and shook hands with Big Guy and Bao Cai one after another, not feeling awkward at all because Big Guy’s hands were dirty from playing basketball. Instead, it made the usually enthusiastic Big Guy blush and become shy.
Bao Cai, on the other hand, stood there frozen with his hands clasped.
Seeing this, even Chu Tianyu felt a bit embarrassed. He didn’t expect these two who usually boasted about seducing all the girls in the world to turn red or freeze up just from shaking hands with a girl. How pathetic!
Li Rou also didn’t expect such a reaction. To ease the atmosphere, she said to Chu Tianyu, “You still need to watch the results to register, right? Then I won’t disturb you anymore. I’ll go back first!”
Though she said she was leaving, she didn’t move an inch. It was Big Guy who reacted first, quickly saying, “How can it be a disturbance? We still need to thank you for cheering us on. Without your encouragement, I, the third one, wouldn’t have performed so well. Third one, go see her off and offer her something to drink. She must be thirsty after shouting for so long. I’ll take care of the registration for you. Just make sure to see our classmate Li off properly!”

When Bai Lei finished scolding Wang Shengyi and turned back, all he saw were the fading figures of Chu Tianyu and Li Rou in the distance. Looking at Da Ge and Bao Cai again, who still looked utterly enchanted, he asked in confusion, “Where did Lao San go? And you two, what’s going on? Did you eat some wrong medicine?”
“Shut up, you’re the one who ate wrong medicine! Do you know? The one who cheered for Lao San just now was actually our college’s number one innocent beauty—Li Rou!” Da Ge said excitedly after realizing what had happened.
“I know! Who do I think I am? I recognized her right on the field, that’s why I went to look for Lao San. Hey, where’s Lao San?” Bai Lei said angrily.
“Lao San took her away. If nothing goes wrong, he’ll definitely invite her for a drink!” Da Ge said.
“What? Lao San actually went after her on his own?” Bai Lei exclaimed in shock.
“Shut up, what do you mean ‘went after her’? On the contrary, I think it’s Li Rou who’s interested in our Lao San!” Da Ge said.
“Just because of Lao San?” Bai Lei could hardly bear this blow.
“Yeah, I’m pretty puzzled too. In terms of looks, height, and temperament, there’s no way he could be with Li Rou. But indeed, it was she who came up to greet us first!” Da Ge explained.
“Yeah, yeah! She even shook hands with each of us. It was the first time I, Bao Cai, have shaken hands with a beauty—haha! I’m really lucky because of Lao San. I decide not to wash my hands for ten days! Hehe, I still smell her scent…” Bao Cai said happily, holding his hand carefully and sniffing it.
“What? You all shook hands? Then why didn’t you call me?” Bai Lei rushed over, grabbing Bao Cai’s neck, and asked excitedly.
“Cough, cough! Damn it! We did call you, but you just couldn’t hear! Tsk tsk, I never thought I, Bao Cai, would have the chance to shake hands with the number one beauty. Ah, it’s enough for a lifetime! Second brother, you’d better wait for another chance!” Bao Cai said, pulling his hand away from Bai Lei’s grip as he coughed. As revenge, he waved his hand in front of Bai Lei, then quickly pulled it back and sniffed it again, acting indulged and showing off greatly.
“Damn it! I was having so much fun scolding Wang Shengyi that I didn’t notice at all. By the way, Bao Cai, let me smell it again. It does seem pretty fragrant…” Bai Lei said, extremely annoyed.
“No way, dream on…”
“You’re ungrateful! I’ll strangle you…”
……

“I didn’t expect you to be such a good basketball player too! You seem so quiet, which is really surprising! Did you start playing basketball, just like long-distance running, in junior high?” Li Rou asked as they walked around the campus with Chu Tianyu.
“No, I started playing basketball in high school. Our school is famous for basketball—Nanjing No. 9 Middle School. I wonder if you’ve heard of it. There’s a strong basketball culture there, and that’s when I fell in love with the sport.”
“Heh, I’ve definitely heard of Nanjing No. 9 Middle School. Not only that, it’s quite renowned—always coming in first or second in national high school competitions!”
“Oh, so besides reading, you know a lot about basketball too!” Chu Tianyu teased.
“Heh, it’s not really knowing much—just a preference. I like intense competition, clever passing, accurate shooting, and watching you all run around on the court…” Li Rou said leisurely.
“You like basketball that much too! Thanks for cheering for me earlier. To be honest, I really didn’t expect you to come watch the game.” Chu Tianyu said shyly.
“Heh, I also didn’t expect you to come play here. It’s mutual…” Li Rou replied with a sly smile.
“Yes, yes… Heh, oh right, you must be tired from earlier. Let me buy you some water!”
“Sure!”
……
The bustling club recruitment event finally came to an end. For most people, life didn’t change much—just a few more places to go and circles of friends to interact with. But for the Four Heroes of Beifu, it marked a new milestone. The most affected was Bai Lei. In the previous basketball assessment, he scored 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, and even 0 touches—the judges immediately rejected him. It was only after one of the judges appreciated his movement without the ball, and Bai Lei recited the classic online plea seven times, that he was admitted as an exception and assigned his second odd job of the day…
Not only that, but that night, back in the dormitory, with the help of Da Ge and Bao Cai, they subjected Chu Tianyu to the Ten Cruel Tortures of the Qing Dynasty, forcing him to confess three times how he met Li Rou, describe his thoughts five times, and explain the progress between them seven times before releasing the exhausted Chu Tianyu.
After that, every morning, another “energetic” figure could be seen running on the playground, another reading comics in the library, and always someone carrying *Dialectical Analysis of Social Consciousness and Reactive Potential* under their arm, no matter where they went…