Chapter 67 The Competition Begins!

Shi Xuetong immediately fell silent, shooting a warning glare at Cao Yue before hurrying over to Huo Shuyue.

Huo Shuyue looked at her in surprise. “How come you’re with Cao Yue and the others?”

A few of Xiao Yang’s friends also glanced at Shi Xuetong with suspicion.

Forcing herself to appear calm, Shi Xuetong replied, “It’s nothing. I just got here early and happened to bump into them. They stopped me for a bit, that’s all.”

Huo Shuyue grew instantly worried. “Are you alright? They didn’t do anything to you, did they?”

Shi Xuetong shook her head.

Xiao Yang’s friends were a rowdy, easygoing bunch and didn’t notice anything unusual.

Only one of them felt the slightest hint that something was off.

Somehow, he thought, Shi Xuetong’s expression didn’t quite match her story about just being stopped.

But he didn’t dwell on it and soon put the matter out of his mind.

They made their way to the special stands reserved for the players. Not long after, Cao Yue and his swaggering gang arrived at the other end.

Cao Yue gave a loud whistle, lounging back with an air of nonchalance. “So, what, your school tyrant Xiao Yang isn’t coming today?”

Huo Shuyue shot back coldly, “You’d better worry about yourself, Cao Yue! Don’t go losing the match and throwing a tantrum!”

Clutching his chest in mock fear, Cao Yue exclaimed, “Oh, I’m so terrified!”

With that, he burst out laughing, and his cronies howled with him.

“By the way, Huo Shuyue, can Xiao Yang even stand up these days? Did he get out of the hospital today?”

Laughter erupted again.

Huo Shuyue glared daggers at him, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened. “Just you wait!”

Cao Yue remained unfazed. “Alright, I’ll wait!”

Time ticked by, and the agreed-upon match time was fast approaching.

Still, there was no sign of Xiao Yang on the court.

Even Huo Shuyue and Xiao Yang’s friends couldn’t help but start worrying.

Cao Yue sat with his legs crossed, utterly at ease, like a king on his throne. “Looks like it’s our win this time! You’d better remind Xiao Yang not to forget our little wager!”

He grinned at Huo Shuyue. “Of course, I’m not heartless. Xiao Yang’s leg is still injured, after all. I don’t mind giving him a few days to recover before he comes to be my dog!”

“You!” Huo Shuyue seethed at his humiliating words, nearly bursting with the urge to punch him.

But with Xiao Yang still nowhere to be seen, she was frantic with anxiety.

Cao Yue, emboldened, pressed on. “What? Cat got your tongue? Why not just announce my victory now?”

Just as he finished, a cocky male voice rang out from nearby. “Cao Yue, the time’s not up yet. Why are you in such a hurry?”

And there he was—Xiao Yang, who should have been confined to a hospital bed, was walking steadily onto the basketball court!

Cao Yue’s gaze fixed on Xiao Yang’s legs, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.

Xiao Yang’s steps were firm and steady, with no sign of weakness whatsoever.

Stunned, Cao Yue gaped at him, his words catching in his throat. “Xiao Yang?! What—what’s going on?! How can you stand?!”

Xiao Yang sneered, deliberately showing off his perfectly healthy legs in front of Cao Yue. “What, you thought I’d never get better? Well, sorry to disappoint you!”

Cao Yue’s face alternated between green and white, completely unprepared for this turn of events.

Still, recalling how serious Xiao Yang’s injury had been, he couldn’t believe there wasn’t some trickery involved. Maybe Xiao Yang was only pretending to be recovered.

With that thought, Cao Yue regained his confidence and asked with feigned concern, “Xiao Yang, are you sure your leg’s fine? If you want to admit defeat, now’s your chance. Otherwise…”

Impatient, Xiao Yang snorted, “Enough talking. I’m going to change—let’s start already!”

Shi Xuetong stared in disbelief. While Xiao Yang was changing, she quietly asked his friends, “What happened? Brother Xiao…”

One of his friends turned to her, speaking in a tone of pride and admiration, “Oh, it was Sister Ci who made Brother Xiao stand again. Shi Xuetong, you misunderstood her before. You should find a chance to apologize to her.”

After witnessing Gu Ci help Xiao Yang stand in the hospital, they’d realized they’d wrongly blamed her, and had sincerely apologized. Now, only Shi Xuetong hadn’t done so.

But Shi Xuetong didn’t see it that way.

She muttered a vague reply, but inwardly her fists clenched in resentment.

Gu Ci, always Gu Ci!

Why was it that even Xiao Yang’s friends were all siding with Gu Ci now?

What was so special about her, that they insisted Shi Xuetong apologize?

And what exactly had Gu Ci done to Xiao Yang to make him stand again?

Xiao Yang soon returned in his uniform, and at the referee’s whistle, the basketball match began!

Cao Yue had assumed that even if Xiao Yang’s leg could move, it would still be stiff.

But to his shock, Xiao Yang’s movements were more agile than ever!

In fact, his skills seemed even sharper than before.

As the score widened, beads of sweat began to form on Cao Yue’s brow.

Seeing Xiao Yang about to sidestep and snatch the ball from his hands once more, a flash of malice crossed Cao Yue’s eyes. Suddenly, he bent his knee and viciously kicked at Xiao Yang’s injured leg!