The afternoon classes made Su Nuannuan sigh quietly. With PE class followed by club free time, her peaceful afternoon was about to be disrupted once again.
She just wanted to stay quietly in the classroom—even if it meant zoning out.
But looking at it from another angle, since she was so “well-behaved,” wasn’t Su Nuannuan still a good student?
As soon as the first class in the afternoon ended, many students cheered and rushed ahead to the Playground.
Zhou Qianqian excitedly ran over to Su Nuannuan’s desk. “Come on, Nuannuan, it’s PE class!”
Su Nuannuan gave a weak “hm” and slowly stood up.
Zhou Qianqian then called back to Lin Wei, who seemed distracted. Lin Wei snapped out of it, decided not to think too much for now, and followed along. The three headed toward the Playground together.
Soon, the PE class gathered. Today, they happened to have class with another grade. The Gym Teacher arranged some basic warm-up exercises and simple calisthenics.
Su Nuannuan silently felt relieved. Luckily, there was no running or other strenuous activities scheduled, or else she would probably end up falling flat again.
About halfway through the class, the teacher blew the whistle and announced, “Alright, warm-up is done. Now it’s free activity time. Stay safe!”
The students immediately cheered and scattered, each finding their favorite activity. Some rushed to the basketball court, some to play ping pong, and others formed groups to play badminton.
Su Nuannuan slipped quietly to the edge of the Playground under the shade of a tree and plopped down on the grass, wanting nothing more than to quietly be a mushroom.
Zhou Qianqian ran over, sweat beads forming on her forehead. “Nuannuan, don’t just sit there, come play something with us!” She pointed at the Playground.
Su Nuannuan’s little face scrunched up. She really didn’t like sports; her whole body resisted. “Qianqian, you go play… I’ll just watch.”
“That won’t do! PE is all about moving!” Zhou Qianqian insisted, grabbing Su Nuannuan by the arm and pulling her up from the ground. Su Nuannuan’s little strength was no match for her.
Lin Wei stood not far away. She didn’t know anyone else and didn’t particularly want to play anything alone, so she silently followed the two.
Zhou Qianqian dragged Su Nuannuan to the Equipment Room to pick out some gear. Finally, her gaze landed on a basketball.
“This looks pretty cool.”
At that moment, Lin Wei also walked in, casually picked up a racket, and tested its feel.
Zhou Qianqian’s eyes lit up. “Hehe, this looks fun! Nuannuan, let’s play this!” She pointed at the basketball.
Su Nuannuan looked suspiciously at the brown ball. “Qianqian… do you know how to play with this?”
“Of course! Watch this!” To prove herself, Zhou Qianqian picked up a basketball and dramatically threw it to the ground just like on TV.
But then, bang! The basketball hit the ground hard and bounced up at a tricky angle, hitting Zhou Qianqian right in the nose!
“Ow!” Zhou Qianqian yelped, immediately clutching her nose, tears nearly welling up.
Su Nuannuan was startled and quickly stepped forward. “Qianqian! Are you okay? Does it hurt?”
Lin Wei, watching this comical scene, couldn’t help but chuckle softly before regaining her composure.
Holding her sore nose, Zhou Qianqian stubbornly refused to admit defeat. “I’m fine! Hmph! A little leather ball won’t beat me! This is it! I’m definitely going to master it today!”
She picked up the “culprit” basketball again, storming out of the Equipment Room.
“Ah…”
Su Nuannuan sighed helplessly and followed. Lin Wei shook her head.
Zhou Qianqian brought the basketball to an empty spot on the edge of the Playground and started trying, still clearly annoyed.
Watching those students dribbling skillfully in the distance, she clumsily bounced the ball on the ground. Several attempts ended with the ball flying off or bouncing uncontrollably, creating a pretty embarrassing scene.
Biting her lip, Zhou Qianqian tried again and again until she could barely dribble two or three times in a row!
“Hehe, Nuannuan, look! I got it!” she shouted excitedly. Though awkward, her pride was full.
Su Nuannuan smiled warmly, clapping encouragingly. “Qianqian, you’re amazing!”
Lin Wei, beside them, looked incredulous, eyes wide. …Amazing where?
Flattered by the praise, Zhou Qianqian rubbed the back of her head. “Hehe, what can I say? I’m just smart. Come on, Nuannuan, I’ll teach you hand by hand!” She winked at Su Nuannuan.
Su Nuannuan quickly waved her hands and stepped back. “N-no thanks, Qianqian…”
Just then, Lin Wei pretended to be casual, walked over to Zhou Qianqian, held out her hand, and said flatly, “Let me try.”
Zhou Qianqian was taken aback and looked at her suspiciously. “Lin Wei, you know how to play?” She reluctantly passed over the ball.
Hmph, let you embarrass yourself in front of Nuannuan.
Lin Wei caught the basketball and casually weighed it in her hands, feeling its weight. Then, she bent slightly and flicked her wrist skillfully. “Pa, pa, pa…”
The basketball seemed glued to her hands, bouncing smoothly back and forth with fluid and graceful movements. She even casually performed a few simple behind-the-back dribbles. Although wearing a school uniform skirt was inconvenient, her movements still looked cool.
Zhou Qianqian’s mouth dropped open. “(・□・；) ”
Su Nuannuan—huh? How does Lin Wei know how to do everything? Her hands froze in mid-air.
Feeling Su Nuannuan’s admiring gaze, Lin Wei was a bit pleased and decided to show off a little more.
She dribbled the ball while walking a few steps toward the Basketball Hoop. Although her school uniform was not ideal for sports, relying on good coordination and touch, she executed a standard jump shot. The basketball arced beautifully and swished clean through the net!
Several students nearby playing or passing by noticed and couldn’t help but whisper in surprise, shooting astonished glances.
Lin Wei’s expression remained calm, but her slightly raised chin revealed her pride. She retrieved the ball and handed it back to a still-stunned Zhou Qianqian, silently thinking, Now that’s what being skilled looks like.
Got it?
Zhou Qianqian took the ball with mixed feelings. …What am I even playing for? That darn Lin Wei stole my spotlight again!
She frustratedly shoved the basketball into Su Nuannuan’s hands. “Nuannuan… you try next!”
Su Nuannuan held the heavy basketball with a troubled expression. “But… I really don’t know how…”
“No worries! Just give it a try! It’s easy—just like how I bounced it!” Zhou Qianqian demonstrated.
Su Nuannuan glanced at Lin Wei beside her, then braced herself to try.
She carefully held the ball with both hands and tossed it to the ground. The ball didn’t bounce up but rolled clumsily to the side.
She hurriedly ran after it, picked it up, and tried again… After several attempts, the best was when the ball bounced up but she panicked and almost dropped it on her foot.
Zhou Qianqian facepalmed at Su Nuannuan’s even clumsier attempts.
“Nuannuan, how about… you try shooting instead? Like how Lin Wei did! Maybe you have a talent for shooting!” Zhou Qianqian encouraged again.
Su Nuannuan was half-pushed, half-pulled to the basket. She looked up at the tall Basketball Hoop.
“I… I can’t throw it that high…” she lacked confidence.
“Just try! Throw it hard!” Zhou Qianqian cheered her on.
Su Nuannuan reluctantly hugged the ball and threw it upwards with all her strength. But the direction was completely off!
The basketball didn’t head toward the hoop but flew over the head of a girl a short distance away, who was seemingly tying her shoelaces with her back turned.
“Ah!” Su Nuannuan exclaimed.
Thud. The basketball struck the girl’s back of the head hard.
The girl grunted and swayed slightly.
Su Nuannuan’s face went pale. This was bad! She rushed over, apologizing repeatedly, “I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! Are you hurt? Does it hurt?”
When she got closer, joined by Lin Wei and Zhou Qianqian who had heard the noise, the three were stunned when they saw who the girl was.
It was the same cold and elegant girl they had seen in the cafeteria yesterday.
Zhou Qianqian quickly apologized, “Sorry, it really was an accident! Are you okay?”
Lin Wei also recognized Ning Baiyao and stood silently, frowning slightly.
Ning Baiyao rubbed the spot where she was hit, her brows furrowing. She looked up at the three in front of her.
She had some impression of them, especially the cute-looking girl.
Hmph, peeking at her yesterday, and now hit by a basketball today? Was this an accident… or a clumsy way to get her attention?
She said nothing, just glanced at the three—especially Su Nuannuan—before turning away as if too lazy to bother, leaving a cold silhouette behind.
The three watched Ning Baiyao walk off in silence, feeling a bit dumbfounded.
Zhou Qianqian scratched her head. “She’s pretty, but her temper seems kind of weird. At least say something…”
Su Nuannuan grew even more uneasy. How did the basketball end up hitting her? “Is she mad at me? Did it hit her badly?”
Lin Wei looked toward Ning Baiyao’s departing figure, her expression thoughtful.
“Forget it, maybe she’s mute,” Zhou Qianqian shrugged and quickly brushed it off, picking up the basketball. “Let’s keep playing, just be more careful this time!”