In the next instant, the stands erupted with deafening cheers. The entire arena boiled over again at Yichen’s shot.

Huang Bowen stared blankly at Yichen.

*Impossible. He knows fadeaway jumpers? Why didn’t he use them earlier?*

*Heh. Probably just learned it.*

*What?!*

Huang Bowen gaped at Rong Tianyu.

*Fadeaways demand insane body control. No way he mastered it without practice.*

*Heh. Who knows? Some people just can.* I *didn’t misjudge his talent.*

With under five minutes left, the game reached a fever pitch. Fifteen points separated the teams.

The guard assigned to Yichen thought he’d locked him down—until Yichen’s sudden fadeaway caught him off guard. But unaccustomed to the new move, Yichen’s three-point accuracy had dropped to 60%.

130–145.

140–150.

150–152.

Five seconds on the clock. Yichen caught the inbound pass cleanly. Down by two—if this shot fell, they’d win.

The defender refused to leave fate to chance, lunging desperately to block Yichen. Yichen shifted his weight, ready to jump—

*Trip.*

His foot snagged. Panic jolted through him as his balance vanished. No time to wonder *foul or stumble*—a miss meant certain defeat.

Across the court, all five opponents grinned, victory already in their eyes.

*(Don’t give up!)*

Teeth gritted, Yichen whipped the ball to Zheng Hong at the two-point line just before crashing down. His usually clumsy pass landed perfectly in Zheng Hong’s hands. One shot now meant at least a tie.

*"SHUT HIM DOWN!!!"* Huang Bowen’s roar cut through the noise.

Chengkong’s defense had already regrouped. Zheng Hong faced a wall of defenders.

*"YICHEN!"*

The ball flew back to him.

Yichen caught it mid-leap. Every eye had been on Zheng Hong—no one could contest him now.

The ball arced flawlessly through the air. *Swish.*

The buzzer blared. 153–152.

A one-point lead snatched in the final second. The stands exploded.

Panting, Yichen looked up. Zixuan stood in the crowd, hands clasped over her heart, beaming.

"Yichen! That last shot was incredible!" Zheng Hong gave him a thumbs-up.

"Haha. Didn’t expect you’d pass to me. Almost froze."

"Only passing to you could win it. Why settle for a tie when we could win?"

Zheng Hong slung an arm around Yichen’s shoulders, grinning slyly. "Admit it—you heard your sister cheering and got fired up."

"W-What? Of course n—" Yichen started to deny it, then gave a resigned smile, eyebrow quirking. "So what if I did?"

Teammates swarmed to congratulate him. Yichen glanced at Chengkong’s players—they’d lost, but their eyes promised a rematch.

Rong Tianyu approached. "Lin Yichen. How’d you feel about this game?"

"Fun. Though I nearly cost us the win."

Rong Tianyu seemed pleased. "Haha. That’s not the point. Ever thought about joining the basketball club?"

"Uh… I’ll think about it."

Surprise flickered across Rong’s face—he’d expected an instant yes—but he shrugged easily. "Haha. Fair enough. My club and I await your answer."

Suddenly, the crowd ahead parted. Zixuan stepped forward.

Her cheeks flushed crimson, a sweet smile blooming. Ruby eyes shimmered with unshed tears, hands pressed tightly over her heart as if to still its frantic beat.

*"Kiss her! Kiss her!"*

A chant rose from the stands, swelling into a roar. Titles meant nothing now. Everyone craved the hero’s kiss.

Zixuan’s face burned like a ripe apple. Her lips trembled; a sheen of moisture glazed her eyes.

Yichen’s heart hammered wildly. *This can’t happen—not here. What if she actually…?* The thought of public scandal made his stomach lurch.

Before he could react, Zixuan rose on tiptoe. Her long lashes fluttered as her lips brushed his.

Softness. Sweetness. The scent of her skin flooded his senses, painting his mind pink.

She pulled back after the briefest peck.

*"WOOOOOHHHH!!!"*

Whistles and cheers erupted. Phones flashed like strobe lights.

The ghost of her fragrance, the memory of that soft touch—they clung to him like an addictive drug.

Yichen’s face flamed. "Sis! What was that?! In public?!"

"I couldn’t help it!" Zixuan giggled, head ducked, cheeks glowing. "You were so cool just now."

His pulse roared in his ears. For a dizzying moment, the girl before him wasn’t his sister—but his girlfriend.

Aware of dozens of staring eyes, Yichen grabbed Zixuan’s hand and hurried her out of the spotlight.

"Zheng Hong," Rong Tianyu murmured, bewildered. "Isn’t Chairman Zixuan Lin Yichen’s sister?"

"Y-Yeah…" Zheng Hong still looked dazed.

***

Shiyue had watched it all from the stands.

"Yi… chen…" Her voice cracked on his name.

Tears pricked her eyes.

"Senior Shiyue? Are you okay?" Du Xiaoyi, the underclassman beside her, frowned with concern.

"I’m fine. I’m leaving."

Shiyue stood abruptly and strode toward the exit. At the doorway, she broke into a run.

"Yichen, Yichen, Yichen, Yichen—"

His name tore from her throat between sobs. Tears scattered like stars behind her.

*No, no, no—I won’t accept this!*

Ignoring curious stares, she fled the campus, racing toward home. Lungs burning, legs aching—she ran as if pain could drown the ache in her chest. Bursting through her front door—

"Shiyue? Home so early?" Her mother’s voice held surprise.

"Mm. Hi, Mom."

Head down, Shiyue rushed to her room and locked the door. She collapsed onto her bed, face buried in the pillow. One hand twisted the fabric fiercely; the other pounded the mattress in ragged bursts.

Eventually, the pounding stopped.

Only muffled sobs filled the room.

The pillow beneath her face grew dark with tears.

***

After declining the basketball club’s victory dinner, Yichen and Zixuan returned home. Sweaty and flustered, Yichen headed straight for the shower.

Cold water sluiced over his skin, trying to wash away the heat coiling in his chest.

*Why can’t I think straight whenever I think of Zixuan? She’s just my sister—why does it feel like she’s my girlfriend?* he muttered under the spray.

That evening, they dined at a high-end rooftop Western restaurant. Yichen wore a black suit; Zixuan shimmered in a crimson gown.

"Sis," Yichen grumbled, "it’s just dinner. Why the formal wear?"

"Would you show up here in street clothes? How rude."

"Yeah, yeah. Only *you* have manners." He sighed, though honestly—he wasn’t complaining. Zixuan was breathtaking. The gown’s strapless neckline revealed shoulders flushed with warmth, and above the lace trim, the soft swell of her cleavage caught the light.

"Yichen. What are you staring at?" Zixuan’s voice snapped him back.

"N-Nothing! You just look… really pretty." *Never admitting he’d been eyeing her chest.*

"T-Thank you." A blush spread across her cheeks. She thrust the menu at him. "Order already."

Over dinner, Yichen recounted how he’d tilted his body to sink the game-winning shot, dodging the defender.

Zixuan listened, smiling. "Was it my cheering that sparked your genius?"

Yichen’s face flushed. "D-Don’t flatter yourself! I’d have figured it out faster without your noise!"

Zixuan’s eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh? Then why’s your face red? Did hearing your sister cheer make you all warm and strong inside?"

Goosebumps prickled his skin. Worse—she was right.

"Sis! Stop bragging about yourself! Eat your food!"

After dinner, they wandered the restaurant’s sky garden. Fountains glittered under amber lights; slow music wrapped the space in romance.

At the garden’s edge, overlooking the city’s glittering night, Zixuan turned her back to him.

"Sis?"

"Yichen. Hold me."

She leaned back into his arms. Her hair’s faint fragrance filled his nose; her body melted against his chest. His hands settled on her flat stomach.

She relaxed completely, trusting his embrace. The scent of her, the warmth of her—Yichen’s selfish thought surfaced: *I want to hold her like this forever.*

Unconsciously, his arms tightened.

"Mm…" Zixuan let out a soft whimper.

"Sis?"

"You’re crushing me. I can’t breathe."

Yichen loosened his grip instantly. "Sorry."

Silence settled between them. Then—

*Ring. Ring.*

Zixuan’s phone broke the moment. "I’ll take this." She stepped away, answering only after putting distance between them. Yichen caught only murmured "Mm-hm"s.

"Sorry, Yichen." She returned, apologetic. "I have to leave. Now."

"But you said you’d stay until tomorrow? What happened?"

"Well, that was the original plan. But something came up, so I have to leave now."

"I-I see."

Zixuan had suddenly left like this many times before, but this time, Yichen felt particularly downcast.

"Let's go home first."

"Okay."

They returned home. Zixuan hurriedly prepared to leave. Before going, she lightly kissed Yichen's cheek. Her ruby-red eyes held a hint of infatuation.

"Yichen, goodbye."

Yichen smiled.

"Mm. Goodbye."

Then Zixuan walked out the front door.

Watching her retreating figure, Yichen clenched his fists tightly.

Zixuan spent most of her time working outside. She returned only five or six days a month, and her return times were highly unpredictable. This time she left; her next return could be next week, next month, or even longer.

Yichen had no control over the time he could spend with her.

He wanted to grab Zixuan's hand to stop her from leaving. He also wanted to chase after her right now and go with her.

Yichen suddenly gritted his teeth.

"Chairman...? What a joke..."

After saying that, he turned and walked quickly back to his room.

Though he didn't know when things would change, for now, all Yichen could do was keep striving within his capabilities.