Dazzling

All day long, Feng Bao had been restless and uneasy. Several times, he secretly glanced at Qing Ye out of the corner of his eye, thinking that after reading the love letter he wrote last night, Qing Ye would surely react today. But to his surprise, Qing Ye was just like any other day, showing no special emotions, leaving Feng Bao feeling anxious and unsettled.

Just as he mustered the courage to turn around and find an excuse to talk to Qing Ye, he was met with Xing Wu's intimidating glare before he could even open his mouth, forcing him to retreat. As a result, he didn't get a single chance to speak to Qing Ye all day.

When Huang Mao heard that Xing Wu had signed up for the Winter Camp, he wanted to join in on the fun. However, the homeroom teacher of Class 4 outright refused to let him register. After two unsuccessful attempts, he was bluntly told not to cause trouble. Huang Mao couldn't understand—why was he considered a troublemaker when others were allowed to sign up?

He complained bitterly to Xing Wu, asking why the Old Witch had allowed him to register. Xing Wu replied with a straight face, saying it was because he was the key to Anzhong winning the David Cup. Huang Mao didn't buy it for a second. He figured even if Qing Ye took the exam with her eyes closed, she'd score higher than any of them. What kind of "key" was that? They were all just a bunch of shameless people who had abandoned him.

By the afternoon, almost everyone around Qing Ye had dozed off. The weather had been warm and sunny these past few days, making it the perfect time for napping. Yet Qing Ye remained sitting bolt upright. A few days ago, she had been listless due to being in a cold war with someone, but after reconciling yesterday, she quickly bounced back and seemed determined to make up for the time she had wasted.

Just before class ended, Qing Ye's phone vibrated. She glanced down and saw a transfer notification. When she unlocked her screen, she discovered that Xing Wu had transferred 50,000 yuan to her. Shocked, she turned around, but Xing Wu wasn't in his seat. The remaining minutes felt like an eternity. As soon as the bell rang, before their teacher, Old Zhu, had even left, Qing Ye called out to Pang Hu, "Glutton, where's Xing Wu?"

Pang Hu turned and replied, "H-he's probably on the sports field."

Without another word, Qing Ye clutched her phone and dashed out through the back door. Seeing Qing Ye rush out of the classroom alone, Feng Bao hesitated for a moment, thinking this might be his chance. After wrestling with his thoughts, he also left the classroom and headed toward the sports field.

Qing Ye ran all the way to the sports field, panting heavily, only to find Xing Wu playing basketball. This was the first time she had ever seen him play.

To be honest, since the start of the school year, she had never seen him participate in any sports activities. During P.E. classes, he would just lounge around with a group of guys like an old master, and the only time he joined a marathon, he treated it like a casual stroll.

But the Xing Wu before her now was skillfully dribbling the ball with both hands, his speed increasing rapidly. His eyes held an unstoppable determination as he fixed them firmly on the person blocking his path. Suddenly, he spun around, broke through the defense, and swiftly maneuvered past his opponent with a clean, stylish move. Sprinting toward the basket with vigorous strides, his sweat-drenched figure and agile posture radiated youthful energy under the sunlight.

In the blink of an eye, he charged under the basket. As he leaped into the air, a tall opponent jumped up almost simultaneously, reaching out to block his shot. But what happened next left Qing Ye utterly stunned. Xing Wu arched his body backward mid-air, creating an almost impossible curve to defend against, perfectly evading the block. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball soaring over his opponent's head and straight into the basket.A group of high school students watching from the sidelines cheered loudly, shouting, "Nice shot!"

Xing Wu pulled up his T-shirt to wipe his face, revealing his well-defined abdominal muscles. As he turned his gaze, he happened to see Qing Ye standing by the basketball court, her eyes shining as she stared intently at him. Xing Wu smiled at her, and she raised the phone in her hand toward him. Xing Wu glanced back at a buddy sitting on the sidelines and waved him over to take his place.

He then walked straight toward Qing Ye. By then, the others playing basketball had also noticed Qing Ye and collectively whistled at her. Qing Ye turned around and quickly left the court. Xing Wu pointed at them, and the group immediately fell silent. He quickly followed Qing Ye's retreating figure.

Past the basketball court were two rows of short, sparse trees, about as tall as a person. Qing Ye stopped and turned to look at him, asking bluntly, "Where did you get so much money?"

Xing Wu walked toward her against the light. Despite the winter chill, he wore only a long-sleeved T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up. As he approached, the scent of sweat mixed with his cool, sharp aura exuded an overwhelming intensity. He lifted the corner of his lips and said, "I saved it."

"Then why give it to me if you saved it?"

His gaze was direct and unflinching: "That money was originally taken from you by my mom. Thirty thousand of it was mine, and with Dazzle Island's business doing well lately, my mom came up with the remaining twenty thousand."

Qing Ye stared at him blankly before realizing it was the fifty thousand Sun Shu had given Li Lanfang when he brought her to Dazzle Island. But Qing Ye knew that money should have been taken by Xing Wu's father last time. She hadn't expected Xing Wu to save all the money he earned from competing in tournaments and boosting ranks for others at Shunyi, returning every bit to her.

Qing Ye frowned slightly and said, "No, you should keep this money. I've been eating and living at your place without paying any expenses."

Xing Wu smiled and replied, "Would you pay your parents living expenses if you lived at home? If not, then we can't take your money either."

Qing Ye gazed at him wordlessly, feeling an indescribable stir in her heart.

Just then, Feng Bao arrived near the basketball court looking for Qing Ye. As he turned his head, he caught sight of Qing Ye's back. Xing Wu glanced at Feng Bao in the distance and suddenly reached out, pressing Qing Ye's head against his chest while giving Feng Bao a cold look.

Caught off guard, Qing Ye buried her face in Xing Wu's chest, her hands resting softly against his chest as she unconsciously nuzzled against him.

Feng Bao's pupils dilated abruptly. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things, and stumbled backward in shock, nearly tripping over his own shoelaces before fleeing in panic.

Xing Wu let out an amused "heh" at his terrified expression.

Qing Ye looked up at the smile playing on his lips and asked bewilderedly, "What are you laughing at?"

Xing Wu withdrew his gaze, pretending nothing happened while suppressing a smile as he pinched her chin. "Laughing at how you don't mind me being all sweaty? Still nuzzling against me?"

"..." Who said boys smelled bad after playing basketball? Why did she find Xing Wu's scent so pleasant? Had love already clouded her judgment and destroyed her sense of smell?

However, when Qing Ye encountered Feng Bao in the hallway after returning to class and was about to ask if he had signed up for the Winter Camp, Feng Bao looked as if he'd seen a ghost, his face full of terror as he immediately turned and ran. Qing Ye touched her own face, completely baffled.After school, Fang Lei grabbed her bag and rushed over to Qing Ye, looking mysteriously as she tugged at her. After glancing around, she leaned close to Qing Ye's ear and said, "You're not in a hurry to leave, right? I need to talk to you about something. Hurry up and pack your things."

So Qing Ye gathered her belongings and followed Fang Lei to the deserted music classroom entrance. After making sure no one was coming their way, Fang Lei pulled a small box from her backpack and said hesitantly, "Um, can I leave something with you? Just keep it until Winter Camp day and give it back to me then."

Qing Ye stared bewildered at the small red box in her hand: "What is this?"

Fang Lei grabbed her hand and shoved the item into it. When Qing Ye picked it up to look, she nearly threw the Durex away in shock, exclaiming incredulously, "Damn, why are you giving me this?"

Fang Lei immediately shushed her, clutching Qing Ye's arm pleadingly: "Do me this favor? I don't dare keep it on me - my mom's been suspicious lately, and if she finds it I'm dead."

It was only at this moment that Qing Ye realized Fang Lei's earlier mention of "pushing him down" had been literal. Was she really this wild?

She then said, "Even if I bring it for you, how exactly are you planning to use it? With so many classmates and teachers around, it doesn't seem appropriate."

Fang Lei smiled awkwardly: "Wei Dong plans to apply to Xiamen University. If he gets in, he'll be leaving next year. I don't want to miss this opportunity, Qing Ye, please help me."

"..." Qing Ye held the item feeling like it was a hot potato. Why did she feel like she was committing some kind of sin?

With a troubled expression she said, "Wait, he's planning to go to another province for college, and you're still charging ahead like this? If things don't work out later, wouldn't you be foolish?"

But Fang Lei said calmly, "How is that foolish? It's not about lasting forever, it's about having experienced it. At least I'll have had him, successfully taken his virginity - not a loss."

"..." What a beast.

Under Fang Lei's urging, Qing Ye put the box in her bag. Although they were all adults now, legally able to use their IDs at internet cafes, it still felt somewhat sinful.

On New Year's Eve, Huang Mao, Lang Dai and the others all went to Xing Wu's place, saying they wanted to welcome the final New Year of high school together. Since school was closed for New Year's Day the next day, everyone temporarily set aside their stress. Even Pang Hu and Qing Ye stopped studying, and they even invited Shi Min along. The guys brought two cases of beer to Xing Wu's backyard for hot pot and barbecue. The barbecue was Huang Mao's idea - after all, they couldn't let the grill Xing Wu won from gaming just collect dust, they had to put it to use.

Qing Ye and Pang Hu discussed what to bring to Winter Camp. Shi Min said she'd handle snacks, secretly packing a bag of food to bring. Pang Hu specifically requested spicy strips, and when Shi Min asked Qing Ye what she wanted to eat (saying she'd buy it tomorrow), Qing Ye thought about it but didn't have any particular cravings, so she casually requested some preserved plums - the really sour kind - to stimulate her brain when bored.

Huang Mao, probably drunk, immediately interjected: "No no, don't eat that stuff. My brother Wu is afraid of sour things."

"???"

No one at the table understood what connection Xing Wu's aversion to sour things had with Qing Ye eating preserved plums. Yet Qing Ye lowered her head, blushing guiltily.