Chapter 17
For most Alphas, there aren’t many opportunities to show their face in front of Omegas. However, as this situation unfolded, Lu Jingning’s gaze instantly became heated.
Lu Jingning, however, remained oblivious and after glancing at the opposing camp, he asked, “Are we playing against the Second Faculty for our first match?”
Yu Qingcang nodded, “The Alphas from the Imperial Defense Faculty have decent physical fitness. Some of them are quite formidable.”
While they were talking, a staff member came over to confirm the starting lineup. Without much thought, Lu Jingning confidently stepped forward and said, “Count me in.”
Among the list of team members, three of Lu Jingning’s classmates were included, along with Yu Qingcang. After the intimidating effect of their first class, there was basically no opposition. They all nodded in agreement, saying, “You go. Go on.”
Apart from Lu Jingning, Jian Luan, and Yu Qingcang, two Alpha classmates from the same class also stepped onto the field. As for the Second Faculty, they quickly finalized their starting lineup.
Although the Imperial Defense Faculty’s requirements for pheromones were not as high as the Comprehensive War Faculty, they valued physical fitness when selecting their players. Therefore, the five players on the field all appeared tall and strong. Even Yu Qingcang, who was also a big guy, seemed somewhat inadequate compared to them.
“Ah, it seems like it won’t be an easy match,” Yu Qingcang observed the difference in size between the two sides and was suddenly filled with fighting spirit. “We can’t afford to lose today, brothers!”
Lu Jingning remained silent, his gaze fixed on someone in the opposing camp for a while before he pulled Jian Luan over and said, “Hey, isn’t that the ‘Straight Alpha Cancer’ from the other day?”
Jian Luan was taken aback upon hearing the term “Straight Alpha Cancer.” He hadn’t reacted yet when he followed Lu Jingning’s line of sight and suddenly realized, “Right, that’s Cen Junfeng.”
Lu Jingning’s eyes curved, and without waiting for Jian Luan’s response, he walked towards the Second Faculty’s tent.
The members of the Second Faculty were warming up, and because of Lu Jingning’s overly conspicuous presence, they were already somewhat displeased. But they hadn’t expected this Omega to be so audacious and actually come to them willingly. They involuntarily froze.
Lu Jingning casually whistled, “Don’t be nervous, I’m just saying hello to an old friend.”
During these past few days, Cen Junfeng had undoubtedly heard a series of rumors about Lu Jingning. Now that he was on the field, he had been intentionally trying to avoid this troublemaker. Sensing the seemingly smiling gaze directed at him, he knew that this person had come to see him as a joke. His face slightly darkened, “Is there something you want?”
“I already said I just wanted to say hello. What else could there be?” Lu Jingning’s expression was all smiles, and his attitude was extremely friendly. “Since the last time, we haven’t seen each other. I took this opportunity to share the joy of successfully entering the Quadruple Faculty with you. Regardless, I didn’t let you down, did I?”
Cen Junfeng’s mouth involuntarily twitched.
Damn it, who the hell expected this? If you want to see if my face is swollen from being beaten, just say it!
After giving his insincere congratulations, Cen Junfeng replied, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Lu Jingning accepted it without hesitation. Suddenly, he took two steps forward, leaning close to Cen Junfeng’s ear, and spoke with a voice that only the two of them could hear, a smirk on his face. “Aside from that, I’m also a bit curious. If you Alphas were to lose to an ‘innately weaker’ Omega like me on the court, would it be particularly interesting?”
A pleasant breath lightly brushed past Cen Junfeng’s ear, and the close contact between the two, from a distance, appeared quite intimate.
Wen Xingchen’s gaze, unintentionally drawn to them, paused slightly, and his eyes narrowed.
Cen Junfeng felt a surge of blood rushing through his body. He didn’t even have time to process the information conveyed by Lu Jingning. Acting on instinct, he took several steps back, his face filled with astonishment.
He could feel his heart beating rapidly, and in his mind, he couldn’t help but curse: These Omegas are indeed enchanting!
Lu Jingning, satisfied with his provocation, felt quite good. He raised an eyebrow and left with a pleased expression.
On the Quadruple Faculty’s side, Jian Luan glanced at Cen Junfeng, who looked completely flustered, his face revealing a thoroughly teased expression. In a shocked tone, he pulled Yu Qingcang over and asked, “Big bro, do you think Lu Jingning has taken a liking to that kid?!”
Yu Qingcang shook his head almost without hesitation, “It’s impossible. That weakling isn’t enough for Lu Jingning to play with.”
Jian Luan dismissed it, “Who knows? Aside from Cen Junfeng’s personality, he does have a pretty face. Maybe Lu Jingning likes to keep a pretty Alpha boy like him?”
As Jian Luan spoke, Yu Qingcang felt his mind suddenly open up to a new realm. “Yeah! Why didn’t I think of that before!”
The more Jian Luan thought about it, the more possible it seemed. And the more he thought about it, the more he began to associate it with Wen Xingchen. He couldn’t help but feel heartbroken.
Shaking his head and turning back, Jian Luan didn’t expect that as soon as he turned around, he made eye contact with someone, and they both froze.
Even though they had lowered their voices, due to their close distance, Wen Xingchen, with his excellent hearing, heard their conversation clearly.
Jian Luan felt a chill run down his spine, and his first reaction was a desire to die.
Then, he saw Wen Xingchen raise his head and look at Lu Jingning, who had a triumphant expression. Although there was no expression on his face, he suddenly raised his hand and lightly cracked his knuckles.
Jian Luan: “…”
…
Thanks to Lu Jingning, the match began with the Second Faculty launching a full-on offensive.
Not to mention Cen Junfeng’s incurable Straight Alpha Cancer, his personal skills were indeed impressive. It was evident that the Second Faculty’s tactics were centered around him, and their offensive rhythm was perfectly timed. Unconsciously, whenever the ball landed in his hands, it would cause waves of screams from the spectators.
Under normal circumstances, he would undoubtedly be a superstar on the court.
Unfortunately, at this moment, there was the flamboyant Lu Jingning, who overshadowed everyone else.
Physically, Lu Jingning’s height of 1.8 meters didn’t give him much advantage, but his ball-handling skills were overly dominant. Coupled with Yu Qingcang controlling the rebounds inside, he turned what should have been a normal game into his own personal show.
Seeing the opposition send a double team, Lu Jingning’s sharp gaze flickered. Suddenly accelerating his dribble, he executed a dazzling feint just before the three-point line. With a slight smirk, he released the ball in a seemingly effortless motion, and it accurately found its way into the basket.
The numbers on the scoreboard jumped once again, further widening the score gap, and the entire court erupted in excitement.
But this clearly wasn’t enough to satisfy Lu Jingning, the king of flamboyance.
Glancing at the now double-digit lead, he once again took possession of the ball.
Seeing a tall figure preparing to intercept him once again, Lu Jingning’s momentum suddenly halted just before the three-point line. His lips curled up slightly as he suddenly shifted the ball behind his head. Simultaneously, while leaning back, he released the shot.
The basketball gracefully arched through the air and, accompanied by a resounding sound, found its way into the basket.
A perfectly executed fadeaway three-pointer, as if straight out of a textbook demonstration, caused screams to erupt, and the Omegas were almost swooning over this incredibly stylish performance.
Ah, ah, ah! With Omegas like him, who needs those useless Alphas?
Jian Luan vigorously wiped the sweat off his forehead, on the verge of crying amidst such an intense atmosphere.
Indeed, the passion on the basketball court was truly moving, but unfortunately, all that passion belonged to this flamboyant king, Lu Jingning, leaving him with nothing!
With the Quadruple Faculty securing a clear lead in the first half, the entire stadium entered a brief halftime break.
As soon as the break started, Lu Jingning was surrounded by his excited teammates.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, he stepped out of the crowd and unceremoniously took a seat beside Wen Xingchen. “Got any water?”
Wen Xingchen shook the bottle of mineral water in his hand.
Without hesitation, Lu Jingning reached out to take it. However, he noticed Wen Xingchen retracting his hand and then pulling out a new bottle from the side.
Lu Jingning thought to himself that Wen Xingchen was really fastidious, but he nonchalantly took the bottle, tilted his head back, and took a sip. Then, he casually asked, “Don’t you want to play?”
Wen Xingchen curled his lips. “Do you want me to play?”
Lu Jingning pondered for a moment and said, “Not really. It doesn’t matter if you play or not.”
Wen Xingchen: “…”
…
The break ended quickly.
Jian Luan, who couldn’t find any playing time, left the court feeling disheartened and was replaced by a tall player from the adjacent class.
As for the Second Faculty, it seemed that due to their temporary disadvantage, they had some unpleasantness and ended up making three substitutions, a significant overhaul of their lineup.
As they took the court again, Lu Jingning was observing the situation around him when suddenly someone blocked his path, leaving him puzzled.
It was a mischievous chestnut-haired person who looked at Lu Jingning with interest before speaking with a meaningful tone, “Light of the Omegas, let’s have some fun together in the second half.”
Lu Jingning remained indifferent. “Oh?”
With the referee’s whistle, the game officially resumed.
Lu Jingning quickly understood what the so-called “fun” meant.
Within minutes of the second half starting, as soon as he received the ball, the chestnut-haired person’s arm made intimate contact with his abdomen.
The slight motion went unnoticed by the referee. If Lu Jingning hadn’t seen the triumphant smile on the person’s face, he would have thought it was an accidental injury.
Lu Jingning felt the stinging pain in his abdomen, and his eyes gradually darkened.
However, this kind of cheating was not a one-time occurrence; it had just begun.
Whenever the referee couldn’t see, the chestnut-haired person deliberately resorted to some underhanded tactics, either colliding or pushing, targeting sensitive and vicious areas. Especially when Lu Jingning gained possession of the ball, he became even more skillful in employing these dirty tricks.
Seeing Lu Jingning’s increasingly unsightly expression, the chestnut-haired person laughed unpleasantly, “Light of the Omegas, what happened to your arrogance from the first half? Is it all gone already?”
Under normal circumstances, such actions would be tantamount to seeking death by repeatedly jumping off the edge. But while Lu Jingning was usually unruly, he had his own bottom line in certain matters. At this moment, he could feel the faint throbbing of his veins on his forehead. Glancing at the score on the scoreboard, he ultimately suppressed the impulse to go on a rampage and sneered, “You’ll find out soon enough!”
The chestnut-haired person casually replied, “Oh? You’re talking big. Let’s see how long you can hold on.”
The second half of the game continued with intense confrontations. The back-and-forth between players was even more intense than in the first half, with collisions and clashes dizzyingly fast. Yet, something seemed to be missing.
“What’s going on with Lu Jingning?” Jian Luan, with a towel around his neck, looked puzzled. “He was so flamboyant in the first half. How come I haven’t seen him do anything since I stepped off the court? Is it because he can’t keep up physically?”
Wen Xingchen, next to him, didn’t answer. Instead, he suddenly stood up.
Confused, Jian Luan glanced at Wen Xingchen’s icy expression and instinctively shivered. The words on his lips instantly retreated upon seeing that stern look.
Wen Xingchen casually tossed his jacket onto the chair back and said calmly, “Prepare for a substitution.”
Author’s note: Couldn’t sit still.
T/N: Hey there! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~
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