At dusk, the setting sun painted the sky a magnificent orange-red. The two of them arrived at the private basketball court on the estate.
It had been built entirely to NBA standards, with the Knicks' logo and Li Fei's personal logo printed on the floor.
Julie sat on the bench by the court, hugging her knees as she quietly watched Li Fei practice.
Li Fei had taken off his shirt, revealing bronzed, sharply defined muscles.
He wasn't doing any high-intensity drills, merely repeating the simplest shooting motions.
Dribble, spin, fadeaway, jump shot... Every movement flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and running water, brimming with power and beauty.
The basketball traced one perfect arc after another, and the crisp sound of nothing-but-net rang especially clearly through the quiet court.
Julie watched him in a daze. The lingering sunset outlined his strong frame, sweat gleamed across the muscles of his back, and that focused, steadfast expression was more captivating than any leading man in a film.
At that moment, he wasn't the founder of a business empire, nor the leader who spoke so eloquently before the media. He was simply an athlete with a pure love for basketball.
Finally, when the last ball swished through the net, Li Fei stopped. He turned around and saw Julie gazing at him with eyes that were nearly entranced.
He smiled faintly and walked toward her.
"Have you seen enough?" His voice carried a trace of post-workout rasp, rich with magnetism.
Julie said nothing. She simply rose to her feet, walked up to him, and extended her slender fingers, lightly tracing the firm muscles of his chest as she felt the scorching warmth and powerful heartbeat beneath them.
"Li," she said, lifting her head. Her gaze was unfocused, and her voice was as soft as