In the first half, No. 2 High School trailed behind Yiyang Vocational High by fourteen points under the latter’s fierce attack.

This gap was dangerous, not only because it was quite large, but also because in order to defend against Yiyang Vocational High, No. 2 High School had exhausted a lot of energy.

Especially Li Suilin, whose foot injury had mostly healed, but he had fallen behind in physical training during his recovery. Now facing an opponent like Balun, he needed to concentrate all his energy on defense.

Twenty minutes later, Li Suilin was visibly fatigued, sitting in the locker room and rehydrating.

Sweat formed thin streams, trickling down from his clean jawline, staining his white jersey with dark wet marks.

The coach handed him a towel, “You alright, Suilin?”

Li Suilin wiped the sweat off his face, “I’m fine, just need a little rest.”

The others were also drained, leaning against lockers and guzzling sports drinks.

The coach, looking worried, glanced over everyone and suddenly realized someone was missing, “Where’s Jiang Zhan?”

Han Ziyang and Jiang Rui looked at each other, both clueless.

Han Ziyang was the first to speak, “Wasn’t Brother Zhan right in front of you just now?”

Jiang Rui rolled his eyes at Han Ziyang, “Do you think I’m like you? Wanting to tie Brother Zhan to my belt? I didn’t even notice he was in front of me. Besides, keeping track of Brother Zhan is your job, isn’t it?”

Han Ziyang snapped back, “Get lost.”

Zhao Zifeng wiped his sweat, “Where did he go?”

Han Ziyang’s eyes sparkled, “He might have gone to fight that wild ox. I’ll go check.”

“He didn’t go to find Xue Feng,” Li Suilin spoke up, his eyes faintly flicking towards Han Ziyang, “You just stay put here, don’t go anywhere.”

Han Ziyang’s usual trouble-making demeanor dimmed instantly, muttering under his breath.

Seeing him unable to retort against Li Suilin, Jiang Rui smacked his butt in a schadenfreude manner, “Little Han, give your brother a break, will you?”

Han Ziyang retaliated with a Monkey Steals the Peach move, “Get lost.”

Jiang Rui bent over, face grimacing as he cursed softly.

“Seeing you guys still have the energy to mess around, I’m relieved,” said the coach clapping his hands. “But we don’t have time to waste, gather around, let’s discuss the tactics for what comes next.”

Zhao Zifeng looked towards the door, hesitating, “But Brother Zhan hasn’t come back yet.”

The coach patted Zhao Zifeng on the shoulder, speaking in a seasoned tone, “Don’t worry, he’ll be back soon.”

Right now, who knows where he is probably sweet-talking some little omega.

Jiang Zhan had been blocked in the first half, and his haughty nature was definitely bruised.

The coach let him be, figuring his little partner might as well soothe him.

—

Wei Xiaochi was pressed against the cold, stiff corner of the wall, a vice-like hand clasped behind his head, forced to tilt his head back to accept the fiery kisses of the other.

Jiang Zhan’s lips pressed against Wei Xiaochi’s, greedily enveloping them, the angles shifting as he sucked passionately.

His arms encircled Wei Xiaochi’s shoulders and back, pressing the omega tightly against him, the heat he exhaled nearly melting Wei Xiaochi.

Jiang Zhan’s kisses were intense yet without any particular pattern.

Wei Xiaochi’s lips tingled and burned under his ministrations, his nose filled with the alpha’s scent, his heart pounding violently against his chest.

The large hand at the back of his head caressed his neck, moving up to his jaw—Jiang Zhan held Wei Xiaochi’s face in his hands, finally pausing the fervent kissing, though their lips still touched.

The room’s only window was covered with a black velvet curtain, good at insulating heat as well as blocking out light.

Wei Xiaochi, forced against the dimly lit corner, was surrounded by an eerie quiet, only the heavy, chaotic beating of their hearts audible.

Both their hearts thudded fast and wild.

Afterwards, Jiang Zhan licked Wei Xiaochi’s lips again, making a wet sound.

The alpha lifted his head, gently rubbing his forehead down to Wei Xiaochi’s nose, his actions tender and intimate in a way that didn’t seem like him at all.

He seemed like a massive yet clingy beast, his eyes naturally brimming with warmth, as if being close to Wei Xiaochi was instinctual.

Wei Xiaochi held his breath, his back rigid against the wall, his throat dryly moving up and down.

“What, what’s wrong? Did I accidentally release some pheromones again?” Wei Xiaochi could only think of this as a reason for Jiang Zhan’s abnormal behavior.

Jiang Zhan lowered his head, his forehead rubbing against Wei Xiaochi’s shoulder, murmuring a soft ‘hm.’

In reality, there were no scents of pheromones on Wei Xiaochi; he just wanted to kiss him.

Alpha instincts are primal and fierce; even the generally elegant and composed Li Suilin was no exception.

Thus, their fondness for sports, relishing the sweat spilled in athletic arenas, competing in speed and strength against their peers.

The fierce competition against Yiyang had spiked Jiang Zhan’s adrenaline, fully igniting his competitive spirit.

A game like this had his blood boiling, nerves tingling, his senses heightened, including his emotions.

His mind gradually filled with the image of a clear, serene face, bringing an indescribable joy to the depths of Jiang Zhan’s heart.

Just thinking about Wei Xiaochi, hearing his voice made him very fond of him.

That fondness seeped into his bones, surged to his brain, spreading to every nerve ending, making Jiang Zhan unsure how to act, wanting to embrace him, to kiss him, to lay all the world’s treasures at his feet.

He wanted to put him in his pocket and take him home.

Jiang Zhan’s reason faded, dominated by the primal urge to mate, eager to be close to his omega, to lock him up here where he couldn’t go anywhere else.

Jiang Zhan held Wei Xiaochi close, pressing against his chest, feeling his warmth, contentedly burying his face in his neck, like a large dog craving affection and a pat.

Every muscle in Wei Xiaochi’s body tensed, his rigid body cradled in Jiang Zhan’s embrace, rubbing against him.

Looking at the clingy alpha, Wei Xiaochi hesitated for a moment, then slowly embraced him, awkwardly patting his back, like comforting a child.

Wei Xiaochi wasn’t sure why he made this gesture, but instinctively felt that Jiang Zhan needed it at the moment.

Sure enough, the alpha stilled, leaning quietly against him, his long arms wrapped around his waist.

Wei Xiaochi gradually got used to the position, not as stiff as before, patting Jiang Zhan soothingly.

Aside from holding him tight, the alpha seemed all right, even a bit content.

Wei Xiaochi remembered the fall he took during the game; although Jiang Zhan continued to play as if unharmed, he still asked.

“Are you alright? Did you hurt yourself when you fell?”

Jiang Zhan looked up at Wei Xiaochi, then turned away sulkily, “No.”

Hearing his response, Wei Xiaochi felt relieved.

After a while, Jiang Zhan looked up again, Wei Xiaochi pausing his actions to look at him.

Then he was kissed again.

Jiang Zhan tightened his grip around Wei Xiaochi’s waist, his strength fierce as if trying to sever him in half.

Wei Xiaochi’s mouth was sealed, pain furrowing his brow, a few short, muffled moans escaping his throat.

Sensing this, Jiang Zhan paused his movements, quickly loosening his grip, appeasingly licking Wei Xiaochi’s lips.

Listening to the wet kisses, Wei Xiaochi’s ears turned red-hot as if branded.

It wasn’t the first time Jiang Zhan had kissed him, but such intimacy was new; usually, it was just a touch, at most a peck or two.

As Jiang Zhan kissed him, he rubbed his nose against him, making sticky, mushy sounds.

Wei Xiaochi’s back tingled, his waist and belly spasming as they tightened.

This kind of kissing left Wei Xiaochi at a loss, his eyes averted, not looking at Jiang Zhan.

After a while, Jiang Zhan stopped, his reason somewhat returning, his ears slowly reddening.

Wei Xiaochi’s heart pounded wildly, his face burning hot, sweat breaking out on his back, sweat beads forming on his forehead.

Unable to stand the atmosphere any longer, Wei Xiaochi blushed and stammered, “You, your coach might be arranging some plans, aren’t you going to listen?”

Jiang Zhan’s voice floated uncertainly with a ‘hmm,’ but he continued to hold Wei Xiaochi without moving.

The game was definitely continuing, and with the teams fourteen points apart, catching up with Yiyang Vocational High would be difficult.

A few seconds later, Wei Xiaochi asked again, “Is there…

 anything else?”

Before he could finish speaking, his mouth was sealed again, the alpha kissing him twice, shyly lowering his head, “Stay here, don’t go out, wait for me to come.”

Wei Xiaochi stiffly nodded.

After Jiang Zhan reluctantly left, Wei Xiaochi slid down the wall, wiping his sweat forcefully, squatting on the ground, unable to recover for a long while.

—

Locker room.

Centered around the coach, the players all sat together, and when Jiang Zhan pushed the door open, everyone looked at him simultaneously.

After a grueling twenty minutes in the first half, seeing the clear-spirited, even mood-elevated Jiang Zhan, everyone’s expression turned strange.

The coach knew Jiang Zhan’s physical condition well, seeing him energetic and robust, not too worn out from defending Xue Feng, he nodded in satisfaction.

“Suilin’s foot injury just healed, he’s not suited for a full game, so you guys need to drag out ten minutes of rest time for him.”

“In these ten minutes, as long as the score doesn’t widen, then we have a chance at victory.”

“Without Suilin defending, Balun will definitely become more active in the second half. Jiang Rui, Ziyang, you two defend him together, the outer line is yours, Zifeng.”

“If we trap Balun, then Yiyang will definitely pass the ball to Xue Feng.”

The coach looked at Jiang Zhan, “Can you defend him?”

Jiang Zhan swept away the earlier tenderness, his eyes sharp and cold, “I can.”

Seeing Jiang Zhan’s strong competitive spirit, the coach felt largely reassured.

From a certain perspective, Xue Feng and Jiang Zhan were quite similar, arrogant, with a strong desire to fight, such personalities easily provoked into confrontation.

So once up against Jiang Zhan, Xue Feng would inevitably become heated, continually initiating challenges.

As long as Xue Feng got heated, then the game would be easier because in terms of explosive power, Jiang Zhan was second to none, enough to compensate for his lack of weight and height.

As long as Jiang Zhan was in form, he could stabilize the situation.

—

The fifteen-minute halftime quickly ended.

“No. 2 must win!”

Everyone shouted together, reinvigorating their determination to win, though still feeling a trace of fatigue, the violent factors in their bones craving even fiercer confrontation.

The group walked towards the court with high spirits.

Jiang Zhan, walking at the end of the group, turned and headed for the room where Wei Xiaochi was staying.

When he pushed open the door, he saw the omega sitting there with his knees hugged, his usually pale lips now bright as if juiced or rouged.

Jiang Zhan’s heart instantly softened unbelievably.

Seeing it was Jiang Zhan, Wei Xiaochi quickly stood up, “Is it time for the game?”

Jiang Zhan extended his hand, “Yeah, let’s go.”

Wei Xiaochi looked at his hand, pursed his lips, and stepped forward, placing his hand in Jiang Zhan’s palm.

Jiang Zhan clasped Wei Xiaochi’s hand, leaning in to touch his lips properly, then led him towards the court.

—

Before Jiang Zhan returned to the field, he wrapped a towel around Wei Xiaochi’s neck.

Wei Xiaochi sat dazed in the spectator’s seat, his face’s heat never subsiding from earlier.

Hadn’t Jiang Zhan’s sensitive period just passed?

Why did he seem clingier today than during those two sensitive days?

Wei Xiaochi had an empty seat in front of him, afraid Jiang Zhan wouldn’t find him, so he remained in his original spot.

Wei Xiaochi slowly sat down, and the spectator’s area suddenly erupted.

On the court, Xue Feng warmed up, single-handedly dunking the ball with a powerful back slam, drawing cheers.

Several players from Yude who came to watch the game sauntered over, each one towering over 1.85 meters, large and imposing, slightly blocking Wei Xiaochi’s view even when sitting down.

Wei Xiaochi had to sit up straight.

Yang Shuo, sitting in front of Wei Xiaochi, couldn’t help but exclaim, “That power is terrifying, the basketball hoop is shaking.”

His teammate asked, “Shuo, do you think he’s strong, or is Jiang Dog more formidable?”

“Purely in terms of strength, definitely Xue Feng, but Jiang Zhan, well.” Yang Shuo propped his chin, pondered for a long time and shook his head, “Hard to say.”

“But I sincerely hope Xue Feng teaches Jiang Zhan a lesson,” Yang Shuo leaned back in his seat, hands clasped behind his head, his posture relaxed.

Wei Xiaochi frowned.

Remembering being completely crushed by Jiang Zhan last time, nearly driving him to autistic withdrawal, Yang Shuo scooped up a handful of heartache tears.

He said solemnly, “Let Jiang Zhan also experience the shadow of being blocked under the basket.”

Just as he finished, the back of his chair was suddenly kicked from behind.

Yang Shuo looked back puzzled, only to see a face that looked honest and studious, recognizing at a glance that the person was an omega.

Wei Xiaochi bowed his head, saying timidly, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

“No worries,” Yang Shuo glanced at Wei Xiaochi, “Did I block your view of the game?”

Wei Xiaochi’s heart clenched, shaking his head.

“If I block you, just say the word, I’ll lower my body,” Yang Shuo said, then turned around.

Wei Xiaochi sighed in relief.

—

The whistle blew, the second half of the game began.

Yang Shuo spoke up, “No. 2 is in trouble, Li Suilin is off the field.”

Yan Shen, who had been silent, suddenly said, “Tsk, Han Ziyang and Jiang Rui are going to tackle Balun.”

Yang Shuo: …

De Yi’s other players: …

They were used to Yan Shen’s reluctance to speak, but whenever he did, it always involved something lewd.

Yang Shuo ignored him, “Blocking Balun from performing, it seems No. 2’s coach wants Jiang Zhan to go against Xue Feng, now this will be interesting to watch.”

“But I feel something’s off,” Yang Shuo’s expression was strange, “Is it because I keep bringing up Jiang Zhan, or why do I seem to smell his pheromones?”

“I smelled it just now too, thought it was my imagination.”

“Me too.”

“+1.”

The few big guys sitting in front of Wei Xiaochi, smelling each other, searched for that unique pheromone scent.

Jiang Zhan’s pheromones were notoriously peculiar, unforgettable once smelled, damn pungent, highly aggressive, with an absurdly high A-value.

Wei Xiaochi watched them sniffing around, swallowed nervously—could it be Jiang Zhan’s towel on him that was detected?

Wei Xiaochi stealthily pulled the towel from around his neck, stuffing it between his knees.

When Yang Shuo looked over following the scent, Wei Xiaochi forced out a stiff, friendly smile.

Yang Shuo paused his gaze, then turned his head away.

—

As soon as the game started, the atmosphere between No. 2 and Yiyang was explosive.

With Han Ziyang and Jiang Rui’s airtight defense, Balun could only pass the ball to his teammates.

Just as No. 2’s coach had predicted, they started feeding the ball to Xue Feng continuously.

Only Jiang Zhan could match him on the court, his combativeness needing to be stirred.

Li Suilin watched every move on the field, his eyes calm and steady, he turned to a substitute and said, “Go to the spectator’s seat and bring Wei Xiaochi over here.”

In the animal kingdom, males fight with each other over mating rights to demonstrate their strength.

Alphas possess such instincts, loving to show off in front of their partners.

As for Jiang Zhan.

He was very much that type of person.

—

De Yi’s few people hadn’t given up searching for Jiang Zhan’s pheromones, Wei Xiaochi’s heart raced, hardly daring to breathe.

Fortunately, as the game intensified, their attention was drawn away.

Wei Xiaochi had just breathed a sigh of relief when a No. 2 substitute came over, “Mr. Wei, Brother Lin asked you to come over and watch Brother Zhan play.”

This statement attracted the attention of De Yi’s basketball team’s bigwigs, all turning to look at Wei Xiaochi.

Wei Xiaochi’s scalp tingled.

Yang Shuo’s gaze was the most profound.

So, you did that on purpose just now, right?

Wei Xiaochi: …

Author’s Note

I see people in the book review section asking about Jiang Zhan’s hang time ability, and I don’t want to mislead everyone, so let me explain here.

The basketball god, Jordan, had a hang time ability of 0.92 seconds, the human limit is 0.98 seconds.

But this is an ABO novel, and I’ve set alpha physical abilities to be super strong, so I gave Jiang Zhan a hang time ability of 12 seconds.