Basketball: Starting from Defeating LeBron James

　　From Taylor's confused and puzzled silence (which he misread as shy acquiescence!), Lin Feng read a "death sentence"!

　　He seemed to have all his strength drained away.

　　A tangible dark cloud drifted over his head, drizzling rain, and his whole person turned grayish-white. His voice was so mournful it could squeeze out bitter melon juice: "So... it's true... I knew it... Rudy Gay... is your boy... friend..."

　　(Inner barrage: Farewell! My first love that ended before it even began! Mr. Backboard! I'm coming to pour my heart out to you again!)

　　"That's—not—true——!!!"

　　Taylor, like an angry little cat whose tail had been stepped on, frantically crossed her hands in front of her chest, her little face flushing with urgency!

　　"Lin Feng, your imagination is running wild!"

　　Then, as if remembering something, her voice suddenly dropped. She awkwardly scraped the ground with the tip of her shoe, two shy red clouds floating across her cheeks, and whispered softly:

　　"Rudy Gay... he... he doesn't even know me... I just... just think he's super amazing at playing basketball..."

　　"Hah——?!!"

　　Lin Feng abruptly opened his eyes, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a whole basketball!

　　A huge wave of surprise instantly swept away the tragic drama set from a moment ago!

　　Not her boyfriend!

　　The sky cleared! The rain stopped! Lin Feng felt he could do it again!

　　He triumphantly turned his head, wearing a "See? I told you so!" winne's grin—

　　His gaze locked precisely on the bush hiding those "fortune-tellers (who crashed and burned)!"

　　With a silent, extremely annoying mouth shape, he mocked:

　　"See? No! Boy! Friend! At! All! A bunch of idiots with bad analysis!"

　　(Eyes: Is that all you've got?)

　　But!

　　The moment his triumphant gaze zeroed in on the flower bed...

　　The scene before him made the smile on his face freeze instantly, shatter, then "crack" and fall to the ground!

　　There, the four "good brothers" who'd just looked so somber, as if mourning for him...

　　At this very moment!

　　Were crammed into the bush with no regard for dignity!

　　Long Yi was clutching a wad of crumpled bills!

　　Long Er was shoving a large note into Long Si's hand!

　　Long San, looking like he was in physical pain, was fishing coins out of his piggy bank!

　　They were even muttering:

　　"Dammit! Long Si, you dog! You actually bet right! Goddess Taylor is single! Pay up, pay up! Hurry! A bet's a bet!"

　　"Fuck! That fool Lin Feng has such good luck! I should've bet on single too!"

　　"Tsk, the odds on 'Does the goddess have a boyfriend' were 10 to 1! What a bloodbath!"

　　Scattered on the ground were a few small notes, apparently marked "has boyfriend/has no boyfriend"—bet slips!

　　So these four bastards!

　　Took the scandal about me and the goddess's innocence...

　　And set up a live gambling ring!!!

　　Taylor Swift seemed to suddenly remember something, and her sapphire-blue eyes "swish" lit up.

　　"Oh right, right! Rudy Gay, he..."

　　 (Her tone was filled with starry-eyed admiration.)

　　Lin Feng jolted, quickly wrenching his fire-breathing gaze away from the bush and forcing a professional smile: "Ah... yeah!"

　　(Inner monologue: Dammit! Why did the goddess suddenly switch into fan mode! What kind of love potion did that Rudy Gay give her?!)

　　Taylor didn't notice his little movements. She was completely immersed in memories of the "basketball god," her small hands gesturing excitedly:

　　"He's the ace of Rich Hill High (the legendary basketball powerhouse)! A nuclear weapon! I went to the neighboring high school!"

　　She wrinkled her little nose, looking a bit "unbearable to recall":

　　"Because we were close, I was often dragged to be a practice partner (a punching bag)! Every game, our coach would roar like a maniac: 'Guard that Rudy Gay all over the court! Lock him down! Don't even let him breathe!!'"

　　She spread her hands helplessly, her golden hair swaying gently with the movement:

　　"But it was useless. In the end, driven to desperation, the coach slapped the tactic board and unleashed the legendary——THREE-MAN STRANGLE FORMATION!"

　　 (Her small hand made a "three" sign, her expression tragic.)

　　"Damn?!! Three people guarding one guy?!!" Lin Feng's eyelids twitched as he listened!

　　"Yep! Three people! Sticking to him like glue!" Taylor nodded vigorously, her little face radiating "just how miserable we were back then":

　　"There are only five people on a basketball court! Three of ours were all over Rudy Gay... The poor remaining two had to guard two opponents each?! And the result..."

　　She mimed a "crashing collapse" with her hands, her expression pitiful:

　　"The scene... was too horrible to look at!"

　　Taylor suddenly shifted tone, her eyes blazing with awe (and longing?) for strength:

　　"But! You know what, Lin Feng? Even with three people defending him! Rudy Gay still pulled off four dunks!"

　　She lowered her hands, her cheeks flushing with excitement at the memory, her eyes shining brilliantly:

　　"That game... it was practically his one-man slaughter show! That glarin '51' on the scoreboard... it was all his! Half the gym turned into his fans!"

　　 (Her tone carried a hint of vicarious pride?)

　　After speaking, Taylor seemed to realize she'd gotten a bit too worked up. She dipped her head slightly, two deeper,shyer blushes blooming on her cheeks.

　　Her fingers curled unconsciously around a lock of hair, her voice soft as a feather—tinged with a girl's unique longing and a touch of wistfulness:

　　"...Even now... when I close my eyes... I can still clearly see... Rudy Gay back then... under the spotlights, facing three defenders, leaping into the air like a god descending... that invincible dunking figure..."

　　(Her voice trailed off, dreamy and distant.)

　　Lin Feng: (▼皿▼#)!!!

　　His mood, which had been clear and sunny just a moment ago, was instantly swallowed by a massive "Rudy Gay" cloud!

　　Thunder cracked! Lightning flashed! A sea of jealousy churned!

　　After Taylor finished recounting that "god descending" memory, she suddenly realized she'd spilled all the little secrets she'd hidden in her heart for years!

　　"Ah——!" A short, delicate exclamation!

　　She instantly turned into a steam locomotive, her little face "boom" flushing red enough to bleed! Pink steam "puff puff" gushed from the top of her head!

　　Both small hands flusteredly covered her burning cheeks, so ashamed she wished she could dig a hole and bury herself on the spot!

　　Even her golden hair curled at the ends from shyness. Her voice, soft and sticky ,carried a hint of chagrin and little pout:

　　"S-such a nuisance! H-how did I... how did I blurt out such thoughts!"

　　She peeked at Lin Feng through her fingers, her eyes wet like a deer that had done something wrong.

　　"It's all your fault, Lin Feng... talking to you feels so kind,like I can say anything... I just... just let it all slip out!"

　　(She stamped her little foot, her embarrassment meter maxed out!)

　　Lin Feng was still drowning in the shadow of "god descending" when he heard this, and his CPU instantly overloaded and restarted!

　　He jolted suddenly, as if grabbing a lifeline (or maybe a lemon branch), his voice stuttering badly from nervousness and some ominous premonition:

　　"C-could it be! Th-then does that mean! Taylor you... you have feelings for that Rudy Gay... are... are...?!"

　　He really couldn't bring himself to say the last word.

　　Taylor completely missed the stormy waves (and churning sea of jealousy) in Lin Feng's heart.

　　She was still immersed in the shyness of having her girlish thoughts exposed.

　　She lowered her hands from her face, dipped her head slightly, her curled eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.

　　Her cheeks were flushed, and in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum—yet surprisingly clear and firm—she dropped a bomb comparable to "Little Boy":

　　"Well... it's just a silly one-sided crush..."

　　(As soon as she finished, she buried her face in her palms again, steam practically shooting out the top of her head!)

　　Boom——!!!

　　Lin Feng felt as if the top of his skull had been struck by a bolt of heavenly thunder named "one-sided crush"!

　　His brain crashed instantly! His CPU burned out completely! His soul floated three thousand miles away!

　　He was like someone stared down by Medusa—from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet, completely, thoroughly—petrified!

　　 Frozen in place, not moving a muscle! Only his pupils trembled as if in a magnitude 10 earthquake! His expression was solidify in a cosmic-level daze of "Who am I? Where am I? What did I just hear?".

　　A bolded bullet chat seemed to float above his head: One-sided crush!!! The goddess herself admitted to secretly loving my rival aaaaah!!!

　　Not far away, in the bush—

　　"Thud!" "Ouch!" "Damn!"

　　Four dull thuds and exclamations rang out almost simultaneously!

　　The four-person team, who'd been look on and got hit by a nuclear bomb, lost their balance due to excessive shock.

　　Like dominoes being knocked over, they fell into a rolling pile in the grass on the spot!

　　Finally catching her breath from the peak of embarrassment, Taylor lowered her hands from her face, took a deep breath.

　　Her blue eyes glistened with moisture, carrying a hint of a little girl's nervousness and plea:

　　"Aaaaah... Lin Feng! I've never told anyone these things before! Y-you must! Must! not tell anyone else! This is our little secret! Pinky swear!"

　　 (She subconsciously held out her pinky, then thought it was a bit childish and quickly pulled it back, her face flushing even redder!)

　　But...

　　When she looked up with those deer-like clear eyes, a little shy and expectant, ready to seek Lin Feng's promise...

　　In front of her—there was nothing!

　　The Lin Feng who'd been standing there just a moment ago, radiating a strong petrified aura...

　　Had dis! ap! peared!

　　Not even a single hair left! It was as if he'd evaporated into thin air!

　　Taylor: (⊙_⊙)???

　　She blinked her big eyes in confusion, her little head turning left and right perplexedly, like a lost little penguin:

　　"Huh??? L... Lin Feng?"

　　Taylor's soft voice was filled with deep confusion,

　　"W-where did he go??? He was just here a second ago..."