296. Good Shot! 【16/122】
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Dong Juan was just planning to go to the supermarket with her brother to pick up some daily supplies.
But out of nowhere, Dong An took a detour and dashed off to play basketball, leaving her sitting there with only mild interest while waiting.
To her surprise, she ended up running into Chen Yao.
Now she was interested!
“Bro, I want to learn how to play basketball.” She rose up without hesitation and shyly asked Chen Yao, “I hope I’m not bothering you too much?”
“Not at all, if you want to learn, I’ll teach you,” Chen Yao replied with a smile as he moved to the three-point line. “Just watch me—if your form is right, shooting isn’t that technical.”
He jumped up lightly, executing a standard and suave shooting motion. Unfortunately, it had been months since he last played, and the ball hit the rim and bounced far away.
As a guy, showing off skills and physique in front of girls was a natural instinct, and he felt a bit frustrated. He shrugged off his jacket, revealing his black T-shirt-clad physique.
He noticed Dong Juan’s eyes sparkling, instantly feeling a great sense of achievement.
Sure, he hadn’t been able to work out at home, leaving his muscles a bit flatter, but charming a younger girl was no problem at all.
“You’re not doing too well,” Dong An picked up the ball, initially wanting to show off his own skills but then noticed his sister glaring at him. He reluctantly tossed the ball to Dong Juan. “You focus on your shots; I’ll get the balls. Chen Yao, you handle teaching my sis, okay?”
“Me?” Chen Yao was taken aback, suddenly reminded of Lin Nan, and quickly shook his head. “No way, I…”
Just then, Dong Juan sauntered over and sweetly asked, “Yao Ge, can you teach me? Like this?”
“Didn’t we go over this last semester?” Chen Yao hurriedly took two steps back.
Showing off was one thing, but if things got too cozy, he feared Lin Nan might crush his head tonight.
“I forgot!” Dong Juan blushed adorably. “How about you teach me hand to hand?”
Chen Yao paused. “Why don’t you sh**t a few so I can see?”
He just felt this girl was way too persistent, and that feigned coyness, combined with her floppy shooting form, didn’t seem sincere at all.
“Looks good, just like that.”
“Eh, did that miss the hoop again?”
What else would it do? With that wobbly jump, it was already impressive if she managed to throw the ball at all.
Chen Yao rolled his eyes internally, but before he could say more, Lin Nan suddenly appeared at his side.
“Chen Yao, I want to learn basketball too.”
“Weren’t you uninterested in basketball?” Chen Yao asked instinctively.
Lin Nan smiled sweetly and said, “I’m interested now.”
That gentle smile made Chen Yao’s heart skip a beat; he felt a chill as if his hair was standing on end. He immediately took a step forward, distancing himself from Dong Juan, forcing a grin as he explained, “Oh, I’m just teaching Dong An’s sister some basketball!”
“I can tell,” Lin Nan kept her smile, but her tone implied she’d be taking notes.
With how you two are playing, I bet I’ll be forgotten in three days!
Lin Nan glanced at Dong Juan, who had already whipped off her jacket to reveal a snug-fitting T-shirt. That shirt did nothing to hide her impressive chest, instantly drawing the attention of most guys on the court.
She leaped to sh**t again; though it was still an airball, Dong An enthusiastically shouted, “Good shot!”
“Yay! Good shot…” Lin Nan found herself nodding but suddenly caught Chen Yao’s quirky gaze and her face darkened. She didn’t hesitate to stomp on his foot.
“Hey, what does it have to do with me…” Chen Yao grimaced in pain, “I wasn’t even looking!”
Lin Nan huffed angrily, fixing her glare on Dong Juan, but Dong Juan only looked up with an arrogant smirk, as if she were a victorious general.
No contest.
It was a good shot indeed.
Lin Nan glanced down at her own flat chest and sighed.
If comparisons weren’t a thing, it wouldn’t sting, but next to Dong Juan, it was clear: the world truly makes you realize “no harm, no foul.”
“I’m going home!” she huffed, turning to stalk away.
“Wait for me!” Chen Yao darted to grab his jacket, intending to follow Lin Nan, but she had already vanished into the crowd.
He frowned in frustration and sighed, “What’s so jealousy-inducing about this…”
“Why do I get the feeling your relationship with her is a bit… special?” Dong An appeared at his side, wearing a strange expression. “You two aren’t… gay, right?”
“Mind your own business.” He shrugged on his jacket, lowering his head to text Lin Nan.
“Wait, no way?! Are you serious?!” Dong An was flabbergasted. “Dude, that’s not something to joke about!”
“It’s not like she’s into me anyway.” Chen Yao rolled his eyes and started walking but stopped to emphasize, “Next time, don’t bring your sister along, or I might just lose my mind—you’re driving me nuts.”
“Okay.”
Meanwhile, Lin Nan stepped outside the basketball court, only to find a crowd gathered, shouting about something. When she took a closer look, she saw that they were recruiting for a street dance team, with three students showcasing their moves in the crowd.
This was way more enticing than basketball for Lin Nan.
Forgetting her earlier irritation, she tiptoed to see inside, but she was too short to glimpse anything—unless she jumped, it was hopeless.
If only she had a magic spell to make herself taller!
She grumbled to herself but didn’t want to push through the crowd. Instead, she anxiously stood on her toes, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside.
“Finally found you,” Chen Yao clapped a hand on Lin Nan’s shoulder, grinning. “I figured you’d be here enjoying the chaos.”
“I can’t see anything inside…” Lin Nan turned, a frown set on her face. “I don’t want to push in.”
Chen Yao grabbed her hand and pulled her to a nearby flowerbed. “Stand on this.”
“What for?” Lin Nan stood on the flowerbed, puzzled, and tried peering over the crowd but still couldn’t see a thing.
Lowering her gaze, she saw Chen Yao crouching down.
“Sit on my shoulders.”
“You must be kidding! You’re going to be crushed!” Lin Nan protested, her face turning red. “Plus, how embarrassing! Isn’t that something kids do?”
“Then how about I just carry you?” Chen Yao looked up at Lin Nan.
Lin Nan still refused, her cheeks still rosy. “Don’t do anything that’ll make us stand out! Don’t you feel embarrassed? People will think you’re a fool!”
“I have thick skin,” Chen Yao said nonchalantly. “If it helps you see, what do I care? Besides, who here knows me besides our classmates? If it’s embarrassing, so be it.”
“You’re insane…”
She hopped down from the flowerbed, her heart racing for some reason, and grabbed Chen Yao’s hand, pulling him away. “Let’s go home and play on the computer! I’m done here!”
“If only you could toughen up your skin a bit more…”
“What good would that do?”
“You could come up with a ton of new tricks, like camping in the wild—whoa, watch where you’re stepping! I meant, like, actual camping!”
