Chapter 18

Is It Because You Have Some Kind of Social Fear?

Xia Mo had prepared six cakes, one for each family and one for the working group.

Although there were many disputes in the Li family, she couldn’t publicly leave them out. Also, she felt like it was none of her business how the people in that family got along. It would look strange if she left one family out and gave cakes to everybody else.

Xiao Tianlin hugged Xia Mo from behind. “Hm, smells divine! I knew you were making cakes! We are going to have such a feast tonight.”

“Let go, everyone’s watching.” Xia Mo’s hands were covered in white flour. She tried to shake him off shyly.

“Oh god, you are both old but still don’t shy away from showing love. Should I, the third wheel, get out of your romantic endeavors? I am going outside to play basketball for a while.”

[Xiao Yi plays basketball? As expected, the top student really is an all-rounder.]

[Hahaha, Li Zexuan and Li Zexin are also in the court. Have they met yet? I really hope to see their interaction.]

[I heard that Li Zexin is a bad student. Will a top student like Xiao Yi fancy a conversation with him?]

[Even bad students don’t like good students, okay?]

[There’s a camera in the court. Let’s go and take a look.]

With Xiao Yi’s departure, the number of people in the Xiao family’s live broadcast room reduced by half.

At Lin Guoguo’s house, Lin Tong asked his wife whether the Li family would really come for dinner.

Shen Man told him that when he was busy picking the fruits, she had already discussed it with Lin Wan. She and her family would be having dinner at their house for the next two days. When they left tomorrow night, she would not care less what Lin Wan would arrange.

Lin Tong respected his wife’s decision, but he asked in a low voice, “Can you get along with Lin Wan?”

“Of course. Your wife has sharp eyes. I’ve never been wrong about people. Let me tell you, Lin Wan is definitely not the person we think she is. I have a feeling she hides her kind self under all the unlikability.” Shen Man’s eyes were filled with admiration for Lin Wan.

As a salesperson, she was used to observing people and how they behaved. She suddenly felt envious of Lin Wan who did what she pleased and didn’t care about anyone’s opinion of her. She was an honest person.

“As long as you say it’s good.” Lin Tong wiped his hands and prepared to make dinner.

After playing hide-and-seek with Li Zekai, Lin Guoguo had taken a liking to him. So, before dinner, she asked if she could go over to the Li family to play with him.

The friendship between children was very simple. Shen Man stroked the child’s hair. “Of course. But come back early. And tell Auntie, Uncle and the others to come for dinner, alright?”

In the Li family’s courtyard, Li Zexin and Li Zexuan took the basketball and went to the court to play. Li Zekai followed his brothers. When the fans noticed that Li Zexuan had changed into sports attire, the bullet screen turned chaotic.

[Help! Xuanxuan is so handsome in his white basketball uniform.]

[Ah! I heard that Xuanxuan is on the basketball team. Feast for my eyes!]

[My mom asked me to help her pick vegetables at the store, but I rejected her proposal for this.]

[I just had a fight with my husband, and he scolded me for being a love-struck fool. Tsk, a 30-year-old man is jealous of a 17-year-old child.]

[Quarreling? My boyfriend wants to break up with me after seeing me licking the screen.]

[Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter!]

Li Zexuan and Li Zexin were warming up when they saw Xiao Yi approach.

The three of them looked at each other with disdain. Li Zexuan thought that everyone tried to take advantage of him to gain popularity just because he was a celebrity. So, he assumed XiaoYi would greet him first. Li Zexin didn’t like him much because he disliked top students. He thought they were just nerdy bookworms who always had their nose in the book and acted like they were better than everyone else.

Besides, Xiao Yi had never ever played or even talked with them before. He thought that this was a time to increase one’s knowledge, so he didn’t care about celebrities or bad students.

The three of them walked to the court in silence.

[Xiao Yi is here too. Xuanxuan, he’s the top scorer of the college entrance examination. Let’s make some friends!]

[Did you guys notice that they don’t seem to like each other?]

[After all, they are not on the same path.]

[Wait, don’t they know that there’s only one frame in the court? They have to talk at one point if they want to play together.]

[I’m really looking forward to their interaction.]

They had two balls with them. They stood under the basket in a daze. When the director had briefed them about recreational facilities, he hadn’t mentioned that there was only one basket in the basketball court.

Li Zekai had just come to watch his brothers play but seeing them all standing there in silence, he raised a hand. “Brother, there is only one box. Do you all want to play together?”

Li Zexin was the first to jump at that. “No,” he said briskly.

Xiao Yi didn’t care about replying. He shot the ball at the basket above. It went in easily.

“One against two, one-on-one.” Xiao Yi looked at the two people in front of him.

Although Li Zexuan was in his first year of high school, he was already 1very tall. He had made the school team. He didn’t care if Xiao Yi was a top student or in the basketball team. He could easily score three-pointers.

“One-on-one, I pick you. As long as you can break through me and score a goal, the court is yours.” Li Zexuan was very confident.

“Brother, I just want to shoot the ball for fun.” Li Zexin had just entered the second year of middle school and was obviously not a competent opponent.

“You’re not fighting for it,” said Xiao Yi. “Is it because you have some kind of social fear?” He raised his eyebrows disdainfully. ‘How could throwing a ball be more interesting than playing against each other?’

Li Zexin was speechless. Xiao Yi’s words and his tone of voice seemed awfully familiar.

“If you lose, you don’t have to give up the venue. The three of us can play together. The two of you just have to guard against me.” Xiao Yi had been in the basketball club in his high school. He even signed up for the basketball club in his university.

Li Zexin Looked at him and thought he was shorter than his brother. “That line should be my brother’s. With such a short body, do you really want to fight one against two?”

“We will only know who is good or bad after the game,” said Xiao Yi. “You are a rookie, it seems. Go stand at the side and enjoy the cool air. You have ten minutes. If I don’t score in ten minutes, I will accept my loss and go away. If not, we will see how we divide the team.”

Le Zexin walked to the side of the court in contempt.

The basketball spun on Li Zexuan’s fingertip. The live broadcast room became even more lively as the competition began.

[Xuanxuan and Brainiac have a one-on-one fight. Who will win?]

[Xuanxuan is half a head taller. Xuanxuan will definitely win.]

[But Xuanxuan is three years younger than the straight-A student, and my baby is in the entertainment industry. How can he compare to the straight-A student in terms of strength?]

[Xuanxuan, you have to protect your hand that plays the instrument.]

...

[It’s starting! It’s starting!]

While the court discussed who would win the game, the two boys on the court began.

Xiao Yi attacked while Li Zexuan defended. Xiao Yi first made two slow movements as feint which Li Zexuan easily saw through. Both held on for eight minutes before Xiao Yi suddenly turned around and jumped to shoot.

The live broadcast room held their breath.

[Don’t enter]

The basketball spun a few rounds on the basketball hoop before it slowly fell into the basket.

The ball went in.

The fans looked at the screen and slapped their thighs.

[This is a standing shot. It didn’t even break through Xuanxuan’s defense.]

[But the rule of the game is to score a goal.]

[Is a top student that powerful?]

...

[Xuanxuan, don’t be discouraged. After all, you’ve been eating less for three years now.]

[Do you still want to continue the 1v2? It feels so hurtful]

“If you’re willing to bet, you must accept your loss. Let’s play together, I’ll be in the same group as Li Zexin.” Li Zexuan had to admit that Xiao Yi was skilled, even if he did not have an advantage in height.