Lin's parents weren't tactless people, of course. They knew better than to press him and smoothly changed the subject. Still, in their eyes, Xiao Xiao had undoubtedly become even more impressive and mysterious.
Given Xiao Xiao's age, Lin's parents were more inclined to believe he was the disciple of some reclusive master.
And weren't so-called masters all fond of keeping a low profile?
Besides, Xiao Xiao had saved Lin Zhenzhen. They were too grateful to him to be pushy. If they offended a master because of it, they wouldn't even know where to cry.
So, since Xiao Xiao didn't want to talk about it, they naturally wouldn't ask.
After an unspoken understanding and a relaxed conversation, Xiao Xiao happily took his leave, his task accomplished.
Over the next few days, aside from going to class, Xiao Xiao spent all his time getting reacquainted with his bed. Even his meals were brought back by his roommates.
If Xiao Xiao hadn't genuinely looked so unwell, Zhang Bo and the others would absolutely have dragged him outside to get some sunlight.
That day, seeing that some color had finally returned to Xiao Xiao's pale face, Zhang Bo felt relieved, but couldn't resist teasing him.
"Third Brother, are you Lin Daiyu? You just caught a chill one night, but it took you this many days to recover?"
Xiao Xiao could only suffer in silence. He wasn't naturally frail; how could catching a chill leave him feeling awful for days? But he couldn't explain the real reason, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and accept the baseless accusation.
"You're better now, and that's what matters." Zhuge Yun waved a hand. "I haven't even dared to play games properly these past few days. I was afraid I'd disturb your rest."
"What a huge sacrifice."
"But, Third Brother, you got better just in time."
"Hm?" After a moment of confusion, Xiao Xiao quickly caught on. "What's happening?"
"There's a basketball game between our school and Polytechnic University tomorrow," Zhao Luzheng explained.
"The Eldest Brother's playing, too," Zhuge Yun said with a suggestive grin. "As a substitute, though."
The next day, while dawn was still breaking, Zhang Bo had already washed up and headed to the basketball gym.
Xiao Xiao and the others weren't in a hurry. The game didn't start until nine.
Besides, Eldest Brother had saved them seats, so they took their time and arrived just before the game.
It was still dark outside. As soon as Xiao Xiao and the others stepped into the gym, the bright lights nearly blinded them.
They blinked, and the clamor of the crowd swept over them. The gym was already buzzing with excitement; even the air seemed to shimmer with heat.
"Wow, there are a lot of people."
They barely had to look around. Everywhere they turned, they saw a sea of heads.
"But I guess that's to be expected. I heard our school's basketball team and Polytechnic University's team have a long-standing grudge."
"A long-standing grudge?"
"I don't know the details. It happened several years ago, but the resentment has lingered ever since."
"Yeah, supposedly one of Polytechnic University's players was a bad sport. When it looked like they were about to lose, he resorted to dirty tricks and seriously injured one of our players."
"Of course, our team lost that game, too."
"And those people from Polytechnic University refused to admit they were at fault. They just said there were no guarantees on the court and it was an accident. They accused our team of being sore losers and making things up because they weren't good enough. It was clearly their fault, yet they turned around and blamed us. They were incredibly arrogant."
"Didn't anyone look into it?"
"That's the infuriating part. They were careful to cover their tracks, and they refused to admit anything. There was no third party who could testify, either, so in the end, the whole thing was swept under the rug."
"I heard one of their players came from a pretty influential family..."
"Anyway, that's how the matter got buried."
"But after that, the two basketball teams became enemies."
Zhuge Yun and Zhao Luzheng took turns giving Xiao Xiao a rough rundown of what had happened.
Eldest Brother had told them all about it over the past few days. Xiao Xiao had been resting most of the time, so he hadn't heard.
"So, over the past few years, we've played Polytechnic University countless times. Sometimes we win, sometimes they do. Both sides are always trying to crush the other, but neither has ever gained a decisive upper hand."
"Whenever they come here to play, the stands are always packed. After all, what happened before isn't exactly a secret, and it hasn't been that many years. Everyone's still holding a grudge. They all want to see those bastards from Polytechnic University get trounced."
Xiao Xiao and the others made their way to the front row of the stands and greeted Eldest Brother when they spotted him.
Eldest Brother ran over, showed them to their seats, and then left.
The game was about to start. Even as a substitute, he had plenty to do.
As expected of seats in the very front row, the view was excellent. They could clearly see both teams on the court below.
"I heard Polytechnic University's team has a really strong freshman this year," Zhao Luzheng said, looking worried.
"There. That's him." Zhuge Yun pointed to the only person sitting on a bench on the opposing team's side.
He had his legs stretched out, looking somewhat relaxed.
Even sitting down, he looked tall and powerfully built. His head was tilted back, hidden in the shadow cast by the stands above, making his face hard to see.
"He's at least six feet tall, right? He looks pretty formidable," Zhao Luzheng said, growing more worried as he watched the imposing figure sitting quietly.
"Six feet? He's six-two. That's his official height."
"And he doesn't just look formidable. He really is."
"I heard a professional team tried to recruit him when he was in high school, but he turned them down. He said basketball was just a hobby."
"He's that good?" Zhao Luzheng was stunned. "Then..."
"Relax. Our team isn't weak, either. It'll be fine." Zhuge Yun waved his arm with great confidence.
Deep down, he was worried, too. Seriously, why did the other team have such a powerful freshman?
Were they going to lose?
Bah, what a jinx.
How could he undermine his own team and boost the other side?
So what if he was the strongest rookie? It was a flashy title, but who knew how good he actually was?
"Hey, Third Brother, don't worry, either. Who knows if he's actually as good as people say? Besides, no matter how famous he is, he's still just a freshman. He can't turn the whole game on its head." Seeing Xiao Xiao stare at the other player, Zhuge Yun assumed he was worried about the game, too. He patted Xiao Xiao on the shoulder and tried to reassure him.
"Hm? Yeah, yeah." Zhuge Yun's slap brought Xiao Xiao back to himself. He hadn't heard a word and could only respond at random.
But his gaze remained fixed on the new player—not on the player himself, but on the space above his shoulder.
There was a huge creature there, something like a griffin.
Half its body was hidden in darkness, but Xiao Xiao's increasingly sharp senses let him see it clearly. He could make out the creature's entire form—and the fearsome horns on its head.
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