Though he knew the situation, Xiao Mu didn’t show panic. Instead, he stayed perfectly calm.

He avoided forcing skills to break through Class 7’s defense—it drained too much energy and could knock him out.

Time ticked away. Only three minutes remained in the second half, and the scoreboard still read “0-0” for both teams.

The crowd outside felt unsatisfied; the fierce showdown they’d imagined never happened.

With just thirty seconds left, Xiao Mu stopped abruptly beyond the three-point line.

Everyone wondered: Was Xiao Mu giving up?

Zhang Lilin frowned, staying alert. Ten seconds remained.

Then, Xiao Mu jumped!

His shooting form was textbook perfect. The ball arced gracefully through the air—it was a three-pointer!

“No!”

Zhang Lilin lunged forward, leaping desperately to block it.

But he was too slow!

All eyes followed the spinning basketball as it sailed over Class 7’s players and swished cleanly through the net.

The stadium erupted. After a stunned silence, cheers exploded—especially from the girls.

Zhang Lilin walked to Xiao Mu, no trace of defeat on his face. He extended his hand. “You’re a rare opponent. I hope we can play again someday.”

“I’d love that,” Xiao Mu replied, appreciating Zhang Lilin’s spirit. He shook his hand lightly.

The gesture sparked even louder applause.

“I declare Class 2 the winner!”

Xiao Mu was surrounded by Jie Wu and others as they left the court. He was the center of attention, radiating confidence.

This feeling was familiar. Xiao Mu took a deep breath, savoring the spotlight.

Suddenly, a figure jogged toward them.

Xiao Mu looked up. A girl in a white dress stood there—ethereal and breathtakingly beautiful. One glance made it hard to look away.

He recognized her: Gu Qingyi, a sophomore. Like Night Glass and Lin Hanyun, she was one of Huazhong High’s Four School Flowers.

*Ding* Congratulations, Host! You’ve discovered the fifth goddess, Gu Qingyi. Difficulty level: three and a half stars. Initial favorability: 68.

Initial favorability 68?

Xiao Mu paused. Chuxingyue also had a three-and-a-half-star difficulty, but her initial favorability was only 60—eight points lower.

“Maybe Gu Qingyi watched my games these past days,” he guessed silently. “Her favorability increased before the system even detected her…”

He wondered why she’d come. She held a pretty towel, her cheeks flushed with shyness.

“Um… please take this!”

Gathering courage, Gu Qingyi bowed her head and thrust the towel toward Xiao Mu with both hands.

Seriously?

The meaning was obvious.

The entire playground fell silent. Xiao Mu scratched his head but accepted the towel.

“Thanks.”

“Y-you’re welcome!”

Gu Qingyi beamed—a radiant, flower-like smile. Xiao Mu’s heart raced uncontrollably.

*Ding* Gu Qingyi’s favorability toward the Host increased by 1 point. Keep it up!

Gu Qingyi ran off, head down. Xiao Mu watched until her figure vanished before snapping back to reality.

The towel’s faint fragrance confirmed it was real.

“An unexpected win…”

Xiao Mu smiled softly, ignoring the envious stares.