The Slacker Academic Always Gets Caught (SLACKER)
By evening, when the broadcast announced the start of the intramural basketball tournament, Chi Ning felt a little disoriented.
This study session was far too comfortable.
Though he was reading by the empty field, he didn’t feel the slightest chill. Snacks and desserts kept appearing beside him.
Aside from the chair being a bit hard and small—preventing him from curling up like he could at the Tea River Parlor—everything else felt no different.
With Qin Heng nearby, the nearby clamor seemed to fade away. Within this tiny space, a private, tranquil world had formed.
It felt incredibly freeing.
Not far off, Zhang Qiuwen called out, "Qin-ge, time to change."
Qin Heng acknowledged him, then turned to Chi Ning. "The whole tournament will take about three hours. Why don’t you just come for the finals?"
"So confident?" Chi Ning glanced at Qin Heng with a smirk. "Alright then, I'll wait to see you in the finals."
The finals were scheduled to start around seven. After Qin Heng walked away, Chi Ning lowered his head to look at his book again.
The roaring crowd noise flooded his ears.
The previously ignored screams and cheers seemed to grow legs, stampeding into his eardrums.
He couldn't focus anymore.
Chi Ning closed the book and stared blankly at its cover for a while.
How strange.
It was the same place, the same billiard table, the same book—just missing one person. Could the difference really be this big
Big enough to make him find the sports meet boring again.
Chi Ning propped himself on the chair, lifted his legs, and swung them lightly.
"God Chi!" Li Qiuhe dragged himself weakly to Chi Ning's side and plopped down in Qin Heng's former seat. "The 5000-meter race nearly killed me."
He sprawled across the table while panting heavily. "Aren't you going to watch our class's basketball game?"
Chi Ning froze. Right, there was still his class's match to watch.
He patted Li Qiuhe's shoulder. "Thanks for reminding me. I'll head over now."
True to his word, Chi Ning left immediately after shoving his unfinished book into Li Qiuhe's arms before going. "Take this back to the classroom for me when you return. I won't be going back for now."
Li Qiuhe: "Huh? Oh..."
Before he could ask where Chi Ning planned to go instead, the latter had already vanished.
Arriving at the basketball court, Chi Ning scanned the area, pondered for a moment, then decisively positioned himself by the railing next to the PE teacher.
This spot was close to the teacher, relatively uncrowded, and offered a clear view.
High school basketball games weren't particularly formal—the emphasis was on fun. The so-called uniform change just meant throwing a thin vest over their school clothes for number identification.
The rules were equally casual. To speed things up, points weren't tallied per quarter; instead, the first team to score 20 points won. It was a single-elimination tournament—lose once, and you're out.
No second chances.
What might take two or three months elsewhere wrapped up here in about three hours.
The PE teacher provided enthusiastic commentary: "First up, we have the athletes from Class 1 and Class 2 of Grade 12!"
Standing beside the teacher, Chi Ning watched the "elite athletes" engage in their clumsy duel, an uncharitable smile tugging at his lips.
High schoolers were so endearing.
Even when bad luck landed them in events they disliked, they still gave their all for some inexplicable sense of collective honor.
"Class 1's number 4 steals the ball from Class 2!" the teacher announced.
"Oh! He's running with it in his arms!"
After a pause, he bellowed, "You can't run while holding the ball in basketball!"
"Dribble! Dribble it!"
"Foul! Weren't you paying attention in PE class?!"
Nearby students doubled over laughing. "Teacher! Don't you remember? We never have PE because you're always sick!"
The PE teacher: ...
As if he wanted to be sick! Wasn't it their homeroom teacher who kept making him call in sick?
"Free throw!" he growled viciously.
The first game limped to its conclusion amid constant foul shots. With Class 2 committing more fouls, Class 1 stumbled to victory.
While Class 1 and Class 2 were evenly matched in their ineptitude, on the adjacent court, Class 3 and Class 4 were locked in their own battle of equally spectacular mediocrity.
After the match between Class 7 and Class 8, the PE teacher's eyes had completely lost their spark.
He felt like he was being publicly executed.
The teacher wiped his face and muttered, "So this is what it feels like to be a PE teacher at a prestigious high school? Truly delightful."
Chi Ning: ...Pfft.
The 20-ball games went quickly, but with eighteen teams pairing up and each playing 20 balls, the process dragged on.
Chi Ning grew restless and, with a hand on the railing, hoisted herself up to sit on it.
Basketball seemed somewhat entertaining—at least better than sitting alone by the ping-pong table.
At 7:30, the exhausted PE teacher announced the finalists: "The teams advancing to the finals are Class 18 and Class 15. Please take your positions."
Chi Ning glanced toward where Class 18 was gathered.
Qin Heng wore a dark blue tank top with the number 1 on the front. He swept his hair back with one hand, revealing his bold eyebrows and smooth forehead.
Whispers from the girls nearby reached her ears.
"That Qin Heng from Class 18 is really handsome."
"He doesn't seem to have the best temper, huh?"
"Yeah, what a shame."
"Isn’t the guy next to him Zhang Qiuwen? He looks pretty approachable."
"Mhm, definitely."
Chi Ning thought to himself, What do you mean Qin Heng isn’t approachable? He’s got a great temper, is considerate, and his emotional intelligence is off the charts.
When he looked up, he saw Qin Heng scanning the crowd before his gaze suddenly locked onto him. Their eyes met.
The sharp, intimidating look in Qin Heng’s eyes instantly softened, even carrying a hint of amusement.
Without thinking, Chi Ning mouthed, "Go for it."
His voice was so quiet it was completely drowned out by the surrounding cheers and commotion.
Qin Heng probably didn’t hear that, right?
In basketball, the first play is the jump ball to determine possession. The referee stood at the center of the court, with one player from each team positioned on either side for the jump.
At the sound of the whistle, the referee tossed the ball straight up.
The moment the ball reached its peak, Qin Heng leaped and flicked it with his fingertips straight into Zhang Qiuwen’s hands.
Zhang Qiuwen turned, dribbled past a defender, and executed a flawless layup, scoring the first point before the gym teacher’s commentary could even catch up.
The gym teacher: "..."
"Blue Team’s No. 1 and No. 2 have impeccable coordination, securing the first point!"
Zhang Qiuwen smirked inwardly. This is just the beginning—the real intensity is yet to come. Qin-ge would go all out just for that "Heng-ge, let me treat you to a meal" line.
He wiped the sweat off his brow with his collar and saw Qin Heng flash a signal. Suddenly, the stadium lights blazed to life.
The entire court was illuminated as bright as day.
Chi Ning stared blankly at the figure at the center of the court.
Qin Heng seemed to have grown a little taller. Standing there while expressionlessly signaling to his teammates, an air of unshakable confidence radiated from him.
He’s amazing—he should be this self-assured.
The light fell across his brow, highlighting a small mole hidden near the tail of his eyebrow and a scar at his temple, adding an inexplicable edge to his demeanor.
Qin Heng also looked a little paler, even more handsome than before.
The kind of handsome that, if he walked a lap around the Gangnan Global Entertainment Center, might earn him a name card from a talent scout.
Lost in thought, Chi Ning barely registered when Zhang Qiuwen lobbed the ball toward the backboard. Qin Heng launched himself off the ground, colliding mid-air with a player from Class 15.
Chi Ning held his breath and fingers unconsciously tightening around the railing beneath him.
But Qin Heng merely raised an arm, palmed the ball, and slammed it down with force.
The Class 15 player, sprawled on the ground, looked stunned—clearly not expecting someone outside the sports class to be this skilled.
Beside Chi Ning, the girls who had once praised Qin Heng’s looks gasped in awe. "Whoa~"
One of them clicked her tongue. "Those abs… Damn, when Qin Heng jumped just now, his jersey rode up. Those abs—holy crap."
Another teased, "What? Feeling a little flutter in your heart?"
The first girl took a moment before replying, "Those abs—holy crap, getting punched by him must hurt like hell. No way, no way."
"Tsk tsk, if you won’t dare, plenty of others will. Those freshmen and sophomores probably don’t know about Qin Heng’s temper. They’ll definitely be lining up to hand him water after the game."
The group of girls giggled and playfully shoved each other.
Chi Ning lowered his gaze, pressing his lips together lightly.
Seems like Qin Heng is pretty popular.
Strange. When Qin Heng was basking in popularity, Chi Ning felt a subtle discomfort akin to having his patent coveted.
Chi Ning swallowed unconsciously, somewhat dazed.
Why was that?
His gaze fell on Qin Heng, scrutinizing him carefully.
Qin Heng's hair was slightly tousled from running and jumping, and the desire for victory in his eyes burned like a fierce, bright flame.
A sudden question popped into Chi Ning's mind—was this desire aimed at victory or at the promised dinner tonight?
The thought startled him, and he reflexively clutched the fabric of his knee-length shorts.
W-why would he think that?
It was just a meal. What was there to look forward to?
"Whoa!" The PE teacher exclaimed. "Qin Heng makes a one-handed shot from the side of the hoop—a close call but a beautiful streetball move!"
The teacher nearly added more but remembered this was a match and hastily swallowed his words, launching into rapid commentary instead.
"The score is now tied at nineteen-nineteen! The championship could go either way until the very last moment. Let's see how Class 18 handles this ball—Class 15 is on the offense!"
Zhang Qiuwen stepped forward with a "monkey reaches for the moon" move.
"Class 18's No. 2 steals the ball! Who's he passing to? Oh, of course—No. 1! But No. 1 is mid-court, a bit far. Will he go for a solo breakthrough or pass directly?"
Qin Heng dribbled, jogging forward a few steps. Just as Class 15 tried to double-team him, he leaped from the three-point line, wrist flicking, body leaning slightly back—sending the ball sailing.
Swish.
A perfect three-pointer landed.
Class 18 won.
In that moment, Qin Heng radiated an almost aggressive intensity. Chi Ning suddenly found it hard to breathe. His vision blurred momentarily before locking onto Qin Heng's eyes.
For a split second, he felt like prey pinned under a hunter's gaze.
Qin Heng soon looked away, and Chi Ning exhaled in relief.
Cheers surged like waves from the sidelines as Class 18 reveled in their victory.
"Qin-ge, you're insane!"
"Is this our first school award ever?"
"Yeah."
"Gotta admit—it feels amazing."
"Finally something to hang on our blank wall after three years. Took some effort."
"So this is what winning feels like. Too bad our grades suck, or we could be like Class 1—using certificates as scratch paper."
The Class 18 group suddenly erupted in monkey-like hollers. "Woo! Qin-ge, someone's bringing you water!"
Not just girls—fanboys too.
Zhang Qiuwen froze, instinctively checking Qin Heng's expression.
Oh no. The future... no, the Elementary School God was right there, and Qin-ge hadn't even succeeded in pursuing him yet. What if he misunderstood Qin-ge as being flirtatious?
Zhang Qiuwen glanced at Chi Ning.
Chi Ning pressed his lips together. That irritation of having his patent coveted resurfaced.
"Uh," Zhang Qiuwen said awkwardly, "Lots of water here, huh? I'll grab a bag—everyone can share."
Qin Heng nodded. "Sure, you guys drink. I've got my own."
The water-bearers: ?
Huh? Since when was this an option?
They'd hoped to see whose water Qin Heng would choose, but he'd effortlessly sidestepped the entire situation.
Qin Heng raised his hand, tugged at the hem of his vest, and pulled it off in one swift motion.
Chi Ning caught a glimpse of his shirt riding up slightly, revealing the well-defined abs beneath. Indeed...
"What are you looking at?" Qin Heng suddenly leaned in.
Chi Ning, still perched on the railing, startled and instinctively leaned back with a soft gasp, flailing for something to grab onto.
His fingers found only air, and his eyes reflexively squeezed shut—but the expected pain never came.
A firm hand steadied his waist, and the moment he opened his eyes, he felt a sudden weightlessness.
He was pulled off the railing.
Qin Heng frowned. "Don’t sit on railings like this in the future. It’s not safe."
Chi Ning: "Mm."
His palm pressed against Qin Heng’s shoulder, the heat and dampness of the boy’s body piercing through his skin like a blade, sinking deep into his core.
That scent hit him again.
The pleasant briny aroma of the sea, mingled with the subtle sweetness of mugwort.
Too intoxicating. Too complex.
Only hormones could produce such a scent.
Chi Ning thought to himself: Calm down, my MHC.
His brain short-circuited, leaving him frozen while staring blankly into Qin Heng’s eyes.
"I..."
"Biubiubiu!"
Chi Ning’s phone rang, startling him into fumbling for it, his voice stumbling. "We... hello?"
His older brother’s cheerful voice came through the receiver. "Shen Minyi is absolutely insane—he actually got that drug developed. It’s hitting the market today. Haha."
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