The moment Fang Jingcheng stepped in front of Xia Fu, Bao Zhiwei’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Xia Fu might be a bit too naive to notice the details, but Bao Zhiwei could already smell the “threat” emanating from the logos on this guy’s sports jacket and sneakers. Tall frame, wild silver hair, those eerie eyes like a Persian cat, and that infuriatingly casual smile.

This was exactly the kind of guy Bao Zhiwei despised most back in high school! Guys who dyed their hair, got tattoos, wore fake designer clothes, and looked like low-level thugs. But girls would swoon over them, chasing after these so-called “bad boy” types, while treating nice guys like him as if they were invisible. Bao Zhiwei watched everyone else’s teenage dramas with secret bitterness: these kinds of guys would end up in factories after school, becoming society’s bottom-feeders. Meanwhile, those girls would lose their youth, end up with unwanted pregnancies, or worse, and the best they could hope for would be to have a bunch of poor children with their “Prince Charming.”

As for him, Bao Zhiwei, an unassuming hidden gem, would rise to success through hard work, eventually making his way into the prestigious investment circles of S City!

He powered through the college entrance exams with a grudge, even spending his summer break working and saving for designer clothes. He even gained five pounds from networking with the student council. It was all hard work—no way was he going to let some poser like this steal the spotlight!

“But…,” he stammered.

“No!” Xia Fu spoke up at the same time, cutting him off.

“It’s not convenient here,” she said with a frown. Bao Zhiwei frowned right back, waving his hand dismissively as if shooing away something unpleasant. “She’s our class’s cheerleader, and the team’s gonna need her here for breaks and snacks. You’re kinda in the way.”

Wow, he really did seem like a stressed-out Chihuahua—defending his territory by baring his teeth and marking his spot everywhere.

Fang Jingcheng looked at Bao Zhiwei’s sour face and couldn’t help but laugh. As a seasoned pro in the art of attraction, Fang Jingcheng quickly recognized the situation: clearly, this Chihuahua was trying to win Xia Fu’s heart, but it wasn’t going well.

Meanwhile, Xia Fu looked like a tiny, fluffy Pomeranian left in the waiting area of a supermarket, curling up tightly in her oversized blue shirt, wishing she could disappear.

Amused, Fang Jingcheng glanced at Xia Fu and casually slipped into the seat right between her and Bao Zhiwei.

“Whew, tough day,” he sighed. “Guess I’ll sit here, then—I can even help you pass stuff around.”

Fang Jingcheng’s solid frame was like a small mountain, completely blocking Bao Zhiwei’s burning gaze. In his black sleeveless tee, Fang Jingcheng’s chest muscles were prominently outlined as he leaned back, hands resting on his knees in a relaxed posture. Compared to the scruffy-looking Bao Zhiwei, Fang Jingcheng looked fresh and clean. Xia Fu even noticed a faint, pleasant soapy scent coming from him. His arms were lean and well-toned, with black compression socks emphasizing his leg muscles and the lines of his knees and ankles.

But Bao Zhiwei’s eyes zeroed in on something else: the dark tattoos snaking down Fang Jingcheng’s arm. A serpent from Eden, born of myth, now just a skeleton, its fangs bared on his wrist as if he held the forbidden fruit of temptation right in his hand.

Such nerve! Bao Zhiwei cursed Fang Jingcheng’s audacity in his heart, but the sight of those tattoos made him swallow his words. With a loud, frustrated snort, he grumbled, “Fine, suit yourself.”

What was Xia Fu, a village girl, doing even knowing this kind of guy? Dang it, he shouldn’t have encouraged her to wear makeup—pretty girls just attract these kinds of lowlifes.

In a mocking tone, Bao Zhiwei stretched his words, “Xia Fu, is this a friend of yours? Why don’t you introduce him?” He craned his neck, trying to see her expression over Fang Jingcheng’s shoulder.

But Fang Jingcheng wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction. Who did this guy think he was, picking on someone just because they seemed like an easy target?

With a slight narrowing of his eyes, Fang Jingcheng turned to face Bao Zhiwei directly, his voice friendly, cheerful, and charming as he introduced himself. “Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Fang Jingcheng from the Finance Department. Was planning to play some ball this afternoon, but all the courts are packed. I saw a free seat here, so I thought I’d wait until the game ended.”

“And you are?”

He gave a straightforward answer, neatly sidestepping any mention of Xia Fu and turning the focus back on Bao Zhiwei.

Bao Zhiwei never passed up an opportunity to brag. Straightening his back, he declared proudly, “I’m Bao Zhiwei, the Youth League Secretary for Applied Mathematics, as you can see, here supporting our class activities.”

Fang Jingcheng quickly scanned Bao Zhiwei’s outfit and glanced at the team on the court, coming to a quick conclusion. “You’re with the team in blue jerseys, right? You guys are playing pretty well. Have you been practicing new strategies? As a team leader, I bet you know all about it.”

“Uh…” Bao Zhiwei hesitated.

Here was this random guy, and he was asking something so specific about the game. He should’ve just brushed him off; it wasn’t like he owed him an answer.

But Fang Jingcheng’s next remark shattered Bao Zhiwei’s calm.

“Huh? Sorry, are you watching from here because you don’t quite understand it?”

Fang Jingcheng’s blue eyes blinked in sincere surprise, making it seem like he genuinely felt bad for asking. At that moment, a little head with a bow popped out from behind Fang Jingcheng: Xia Fu was watching the exchange with a confused look, peeking carefully from the gap made by his arm.

This punk! Don’t underestimate me!

“I’m organizing my thoughts!” Bao Zhiwei barked, his face turning beet red.

Xia Fu watched with fascination. Was it because they weren’t in the same class? She’d never dared speak to Bao Zhiwei like this before.

Bao Zhiwei looked like he’d swallowed a fly, his self-confidence clashing with a flash of self-doubt. The guy who always made her listen to his self-important stories was now completely off balance, struggling to maintain control.

Trying to take it all in, Xia Fu observed the exchange, hoping to learn a thing or two.

…

The free commentary was rather entertaining. Fang Jingcheng rested his chin on his hand, enjoying the game, and at a critical moment in the match, he muttered, “Wow, this is actually pretty interesting. Hearing all this, I kinda want to jump in and play too.”

Bao Zhiwei whipped his head around, staring at him in alarm.

Glaring at Fang Jingcheng, he warned loudly, “Play? You’re from Finance, which is basically the same as Econ, right? Are you actually an undercover agent? Spying on our strategies to steal points on the court?”

Fang Jingcheng didn’t bat an eye as he waved a dismissive hand at Bao Zhiwei, like calming a barking dog. “Relax, relax. I didn’t say I’d play for the Econ team.”

“Besides, so what if I know? The way you’re acting, you’d think I was a superstar or something—now you’re making me blush.”

When he wasn’t busy, Fang Jingcheng’s favorite hobby was annoying people. His friends often joked that he only kept up his fitness to deal with all the people he irritated.

Right now, his muscles seemed to be serving their purpose perfectly.

A sharp whistle cut through the tension, interrupting Bao Zhiwei’s outburst.

The class president approached the referee, calling for a break and swapping out Gu Jiashi, their main scorer, who was thoroughly exhausted.

Since the start of the game, Gu Jiashi had racked up a good number of points for the team, which made him the prime target for the opposing side. Now he was breathing heavily, nearly slipping on a sweat-covered spot on the floor. Luckily, the class president caught him just in time.

“Go take a break,” the class president patted Gu Jiashi on the back, calming him down as he looked up at Bao Zhiwei in the stands. “Where’s our backup? Wasn’t he just here?”

“Uh…” Bao Zhiwei, who’d been so focused on Fang Jingcheng, suddenly froze, scrambling to check his phone. When he read the message on his screen, his face went rigid.

“… He said his girlfriend’s stomach hurt, so he left.”

The class president had insisted on Xia Fu attending the game, but he hadn’t kept tabs on the rest of the guys. By the time the match started, only a few sports enthusiasts had shown up.

“What now? Old Bao, can you play?”

Bao Zhiwei looked at the ground awkwardly. “I, uh… I don’t know how…”

Fang Jingcheng raised his hand cheerfully, offering, “Can I give it a shot?”

“I’ve been watching from here the whole time, chatting with Bao Zhiwei and getting a sense of the game strategy.”

Bao Zhiwei’s face turned a shade of dark green.