Chapter 46

On a late spring afternoon, the sunlight was not scorching.

On the wide playground, groups of students stood around, and the quiet murmur of their discussions gradually spread.

Lu Fengfeng’s steps did not slow, but a feeling of unease rose in his heart.

He hated the attention constantly directed at him. In the past, it was just an annoyance in his life. But now, even wanting to get closer to her, he had to be disturbed by these gazes.

He just wanted to talk to her in a place where no one would interrupt, or even just sit quietly by her side without saying anything.

He missed the time on the island when he could approach her without reservation, listen to her speak, and go through all those rough and strange challenges together.

Lu Fengfeng suddenly felt he understood those girls who relentlessly pursued him. It turned out that emotions were so uncontrollable, even though he knew she would be scared, withdraw, or even dislike it.

Yet, he still couldn’t help himself, wanting to get closer to her, just a little closer.

In his mind, he thought of Chen Nuan, Shu Yue, and others—those crazy and nightmarish behaviors that made him stop in his tracks.

He couldn’t become like that.

Because he understood the ugliness of indulgence in madness, he stopped.

Just as Lu Fengfeng was standing still and the atmosphere grew somewhat awkward, Yan Ning smiled at him, her gaze open and gentle: “Fengfeng, good luck.”

In an instant, the barrier in Lu Fengfeng’s heart was broken down, and light slowly drove away the dark waves hidden deep inside him. Eventually, the light turned into a warm, comforting ball that remained in that barren place in his heart.

He lowered his eyes, the beauty mark beneath his eye resembling a crescent moon, like a falling star. He responded in a low voice, “Okay.”

Around them, there were faint gasps and teasing sounds. Lu Fengfeng turned and prepared to head back to the court.

The physical education monitor of Class 5 suddenly stood up: “Yan Ning, even if that’s the case, isn’t it a bit inappropriate to cheer for another class publicly?”

The sports committee member spoke with a serious expression, but his tone clearly carried a hint of teasing.

Yan Ning turned to look at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

The sports committee member took another step forward, unable to hold back his laughter as he spoke: “I also want some ‘good luck.’“

Shu Yue, standing beside her, couldn’t stand it anymore: “Li Yan, play your game, don’t bully our Ningning.”

Li Yan was about to say something when suddenly an arm was placed on his shoulder. He felt an inexplicable pressure and turned his head.

Lu Fengfeng’s grip tightened as he pulled him toward the basketball court, his face holding a half-smile, half-sneer: “The loser just lies down.”

Li Yan had originally been joking, but suddenly realized that he had triggered a sore point with the guy in front of him.

However, he wasn’t scared. This boy from Class 9 only seemed to rely on his looks to deceive girls, and how could he be a match for him in basketball?

Li Yan wasn’t just the sports committee member of Class 5, he was also a student with athletic skills.

Although basketball wasn’t his primary sport, his physical condition was far superior to most academic students, and besides, the guy in front of him seemed so fragile.

Once he took down this pretty boy, he could talk to Yan Ning.

He didn’t need to hide his intentions, he liked her looks. She seemed much more spirited than the school beauty.

And she was tall, which suited his height.

Li Yan glared at Lu Fengfeng, elbowing him to shove him aside.

Lu Fengfeng went with the motion, pushing him back and returning to Class 9’s team.

Chen Wen, holding the ball, looked away from Yan Ning and turned his gaze to Lu Fengfeng, a smile hidden in his eyes: “Have you developed some feelings?”

Lu Fengfeng took the ball from his hand, not responding, and the corner of his lips, which had been a straight line, curved slightly.

With the sound of the whistle, both sides contested for the ball, with Li Yan from Class 5 and Lu Fengfeng from Class 9 fighting for possession.

The reason was simple: both of their heights and jumping abilities were the best in their respective teams.

Yan Ning’s gaze followed the ball as it soared and fell, then saw Lu Fengfeng easily stretch out and grab the ball, her heart secretly jumping with excitement.

Although she didn’t fully understand the rules of basketball, as long as she saw who had the ball and who scored, she quickly became captivated by… Lu Fengfeng’s smooth, flowing movements.

Although there were ten players on the court, the ball was frequently passed to Lu Fengfeng. When no one passed it to him, he would intercept the ball himself.

Whether by coincidence or not, Lu Fengfeng almost always managed to steal the ball from Li Yan, then quickly dribble and shoot.

If he was guarded closely, he would pass the ball under or around a defender to Chen Wen.

He would then take the opportunity to break free, run to the basket, catch the ball, and score smoothly.

After making three consecutive shots, Lu Fengfeng and Chen Wen were preparing to continue their teamwork to score.

Li Yan exchanged glances with his teammates, signaling to switch positions and block Lu Fengfeng, preventing him from entering the paint by keeping him outside the three-point line.

Chen Wen was also outside the three-point line, dribbling the ball. Seeing that Lu Fengfeng was blocked, he raised his hand as if he was about to take the shot himself.

With one defender already on him, other players immediately came to assist, preparing to double-team him. Chen Wen quickly turned his wrist and passed the ball to Lu Fengfeng.

Lu Fengfeng caught the ball, jumped, and released it in one smooth motion.

Li Yan jumped almost simultaneously with him, but didn’t manage to touch the ball, turning around to look at the basket.

The basketball arced beautifully through the air, landing perfectly in the hoop.

“Three points!!!” Someone beside them immediately shouted excitedly.

The girls from Class 9 couldn’t contain their excitement, shouting Lu Fengfeng’s name. Some even jumped up, cheering loudly with flushed faces.

Lu Fengfeng turned his head, and his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the crowd.

He immediately spotted Yan Ning standing there, her gaze gentle, with a faint smile.

This was enough.

What he had once disliked—the calm, quiet demeanor, lacking in personality—had now become the most reassuring presence for him.

As long as she stood there, looking at him, he felt at peace and content.

The first half had just ended, and Class 9 was leading by a large margin, with two-thirds of the points coming from Lu Fengfeng.

At the start of the second half, Li Yan tried his best to turn the game around, but it didn’t make much of a difference.

In the second half, Lu Fengfeng only played for five minutes before being substituted, and other classmates took the court.

He stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, seemingly observing the game, but his gaze was actually searching through the crowd across the court, looking for Yan Ning.

He didn’t see her in her previous spot, and his heart sank.

“Water.”

A bottle of water was suddenly handed to him. He turned his head and saw her offering him a bottle of mineral water.

His face remained calm, but his heart felt like it was racing with the speed of ten little rabbits, thumping wildly.

With his eyelashes half-lowered, his eyes glanced sideways, and he reached out to take the bottle, whispering, “Thank you.”

He actually wanted to ask why she was here, and why she was giving him water, but in the end, he just thanked her simply.

Yan Ning leaned slightly forward, looked at him seriously, and said softly, “I saw you sweating a lot from playing, so I went to buy some water.”

Lu Fengfeng looked up at her, his thoughts exposed, his surprise evident in his eyes. He blankly repeated, “Thank you.”

In his heart, he couldn’t help but think, Don’t come any closer, I won’t be able to control myself…

Yan Ning stood up straight, her gaze calm: “Why suddenly becoming so polite?”

“Huh? No… not at all.”

“I thought about it. Before the agreement, we were friends. So, after the agreement ends, is there… a chance we could go back to how we were before?”

Her eyes were intense as she boldly took a step forward.

She was never someone who hesitated. She tried to understand her feelings for him, but it seemed like something in her mind was always blocking her.

Unable to make sense of it, Yan Ning could only act on instinct.

If she wanted to talk to him, she walked toward him, if she wanted to take care of him, she bought water, if she didn’t want to lose contact with him, she boldly asked.

If he rejected her, she would step back and rethink her strategy.

Lu Fengfeng’s eyelashes fluttered, his heart shaken.

It was likely that the way things were before the agreement couldn’t return.

Because I’ve developed selfish feelings for you.

But if this is what you want, then as you wish.

“Alright.” He lifted his gaze to her, his eyes curving as his lips curled into a smile.

It was that same look—he was smiling, but it seemed like he was on the verge of tears.

Yan Ning took a step forward, subconsciously imagining how things used to be, teasing him, but then realizing it was no longer appropriate given their current situation.

Her raised hand hesitated for a moment, the corner of her lips twitching. She tiptoed, then stretched out her hand to gently ruffle his slightly sweaty hair: “Good boy.”

She did what she wanted to do, prepared for the possibility of being disliked or pushed away.

Because—

This guy’s gaze was like the little puppy she had raised in Xinghua Village—moist and soft, making it hard for her to control herself.

Lu Fengfeng stiffened. When her hand came down, he actually had a chance to dodge.

But he stood there, his body tense, even slightly bending his knees without it being noticeable.

When that soft, warm hand touched the side of his head, it felt as if a current had been switched on there. A tingling sensation spread from his scalp all the way to his heart.

Then he remembered—his hair was sweaty.

Suddenly, he grabbed her wrist, bent down to pick up his jacket that had been placed to the side, and took out a tissue. He carefully wiped her fingers, his face flushed red.

There was no moment more awkward than this. How could he be sweating at a time like this?

Lu Fengfeng experienced his fourth social death after being carried like a princess, bathed, and changed. This time, in full consciousness, the impact was stronger than any of the previous ones.

He felt embarrassed, yet there was also a faint… sweetness…

Yan Ning quietly watched his movements. Just a moment ago, she thought he was going to push her away, but instead, he was wiping her hands.

Yan Ning increasingly felt that he resembled her own little puppy. She pursed her lips and said, “Actually, it’s fine. I don’t mind.”

Lu Fengfeng glanced at her and decisively grabbed her wrist, turning to walk toward the large sports field.

They passed the soccer field, and beside a row of sports classrooms, there was a washbasin.

The basketball game behind them had entered a heated stage. Without him on the court, Li Yan had closed the score gap, and the atmosphere had become tense.

Most people’s attention was on the game. Even if someone noticed them, they just smiled and whispered to the person next to them, without loudly interrupting.

Yan Ning finished washing her hands, and as class was about to end, the two of them walked back toward the meeting point along the track.

She suddenly remembered something: “By the way, are you going to the Shengyi banquet tonight?”

Shengyi had sent a message around noon, saying there would be a banquet at 8 PM at the Golden Tower, inviting the finalists to attend.

Yan Ning wasn’t particularly interested at first, but Tutu had told her privately that Tang Chengtian wanted to meet her and discuss something important.