Chapter 7: The Ice-Cold Man Versus the Fiery Man

The next afternoon, the air was filled with the fresh scent that lingered after rain, and golden sunlight filtered through layers of green leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

Qiao Zhen and her roommate, Sheng Lulu, had both signed up as spectators for the basketball game, logging two hours of volunteer time.

On the court, Sheng Lulu looked at Qiao Zhen with wide-eyed surprise, propping her chin and whispering, “You’re not fooling me, right? You really don’t like Ji Xian anymore?”

Though they’d only been roommates for a few short months, Sheng Lulu had noticed Qiao Zhen’s feelings. During course selection, she’d pick the same electives as Ji Xian. Whenever she saw him, her eyes would light up with a bright smile. When she spoke to him, she was always cautious and gentle.

Even signing up as a spectator for this basketball game had originally been for the purpose of cheering Ji Xian on.

It seemed that whenever Ji Xian appeared, Qiao Zhen’s whole being lit up.

How deep must her feelings be…

Qiao Zhen scooped up a spoonful of double-skin milk, nodded obediently, and raised her little hand to solemnly swear, “Really, really! Otherwise, I’d be lying~”

“Hmph,” Sheng Lulu hooked Qiao Zhen’s arm and raised her chin, “I’ve never liked him, but since you were so smitten, I didn’t say anything bad about him in front of you. From now on, I’m going to let loose!”

“He always has that cold, expressionless face, like a refrigerator. And when those rich kids mock you right to your face, he just stands there like a mute! It makes me furious, absolutely furious—no gold miner could dig up someone like him…”

Sheng Lulu spoke animatedly, her eyes almost blazing with anger. “See, am I right or not?”

Qiao Zhen pressed her lips together and nodded obediently. “Mm-hmm, you’re right.”

Just as her words faded, the girls around them suddenly craned their necks and erupted into excited squeals:

“Oh my god! The president is here—he’s so handsome, even better than my old idol!”

“His looks are insane, I had no classes this afternoon so I snatched a spectator spot at random, who knew Ji Xian would actually show up…”

“Hey, hey, did he just look our way? That face… flawless!”

Qiao Zhen kept her head down, silently put on her headphones, and listened to music, not sparing the entrance a single glance.

If it weren’t for the rule that an unexplained absence after signing up would land her on the blacklist, and that volunteer hours required both check-in and check-out, she wouldn’t have bothered coming.

Not far away, Ji Xian withdrew his gaze calmly, the harshness on his face easing considerably.

The boys nearby also noticed Qiao Zhen, their eyes filled with disdain, as if to say, “Told you she couldn’t hold out for long. Look, she’s still here to cheer us on.”

Yu Wenjian grinned, “Of course. She was like this in high school too.”

Back at No. 1 High, when they played basketball against other classes, Qiao Zhen would sit quietly outside the court, cheering them on and handing out water to each of them.

She was sweet-natured, obedient and gentle—easy to order around, easy to bully…

As soon as Ji Xian entered the court, the campus forum’s basketball game thread exploded, even getting a red HOT tag.

[The president is actually playing basketball! Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!]

[LOL, Jing University’s “High Mountain Flower” isn’t just hype]

[Argh, damn it! Who stole my milk tea delivery at the court entrance? How shameless!]

The next moment, Sheng Lulu lightly bumped Qiao Zhen’s shoulder. “Hey, Zhen Zhen, isn’t that your childhood friend?”

Qiao Zhen paused her music and looked up.

Qin Yichi wore a red-and-black jersey, his figure upright and striking. His jet-black short hair was clean and neat, his facial features bold and sharply defined, exuding a wild and rebellious aura.

He stood out remarkably among the crowd.

Qiao Zhen suddenly recalled memories from her previous life—on the racecourse, he’d always been this spirited. The moment he crossed the finish line, fans cheered wildly, and every camera flash was trained on the Asian champion racer, Qin Yichi.

He was dazzling, radiant.

Riding his red-and-black motorcycle, his gaze was razor-sharp, even wilder and more untamed than now, his raw masculinity nearly bursting from the screen.

During a post-race interview, a reporter raised the microphone and asked eagerly, “People are saying, ‘The line of girls wanting to ride on Chi’s motorcycle stretches all the way to France.’ What do you think?”

Qin Yichi’s eyes were deep as night, his ear stud gleaming like obsidian. He answered earnestly, “Sorry, only one girl has ever sat on my backseat.”

“She’s the only one who can.”

——————

This basketball game was a match between schools at Jing University: the School of Economics versus the School of Information Technology.

There was Ji Xian, a sophomore in Finance, and Qin Yichi, a freshman in Computer Science.

The two campus legends appeared together, immediately drawing countless girls’ attention:

“Oh my god, stop fighting, stop fighting~” (Hurry up and fight, hurry up!!!)

“Hey, hey, who do you think is more handsome?”

“Only kids make choices…”

The forum even posted their admission photos, analyzing their looks:

[Ahem, let me objectively analyze: Ji Xian has a cool, refined beauty—regular features, peach blossom eyes, light-colored pupils, a temperament like a high mountain flower, an ice-cold beauty.]

[Qin Yichi, on the other hand, is wild and charismatic—strong features, a high-class world-weariness, phoenix eyes, a soulful beauty mark, a vibe like a lone wolf running under the sun.]

The votes were split almost evenly—neither outshone the other.

[I’ll vote for the president; he looks expensive, like a young master from a wealthy family, and probably has a good character!!]

[Personally, I prefer the QYC type—so wild, seems like he has boundless energy…]

[Uh, this is a basketball game, not a beauty contest! Can you guys not be so superficial? By the way, I think Qin Yichi is a bit more handsome. (dog head emoji)]

[Summary: The ice-cold man vs. the blazing fire]

[So who stole my delivery??]

Sheng Lulu munched on chips, browsing the forum with relish and commenting now and then.

Qiao Zhen, on the other hand, never paid attention to such nonsense. She zoned out, propping her chin in her hand, lost in thought.

On the court, the match was about to begin.

Qin Yichi, looking languid, slipped off his jacket to reveal the red-and-black jersey, his arm muscles smooth and defined.

His gaze fell on Qiao Zhen’s face, his posture stalling for a moment.

He followed her line of sight—there was only one person standing there: Ji Xian.

She was watching Ji Xian.

Again, she was watching Ji Xian.

Qin Yichi pressed his lips together, his limbs stiff, his chest growing heavier as even the air around him seemed to turn bitter.

Well, after all these years, he should be used to it.

His roommate, Niu Yifeng, was warming up and suddenly threw an arm around his neck, boisterously saying, “What’s wrong, Chi? Bad mood?”

With a sullen face and corners of his mouth turned down, he looked as if someone owed him millions.

Qin Yichi stayed silent, his shoulders slumped and his throat dry.

But the next second.

Qiao Zhen suddenly looked straight at him, her eyes brightening as if filled with starlight, sparkling and radiant.

Their gazes met, locking onto each other.

Qin Yichi stood frozen.

The girl raised her arm toward him, her eyes curved in a smile, two playful dimples appearing at the corners of her lips, her smile blooming like a pear blossom about to unfurl.

She mouthed silently to him:

“Good luck!”