Chapter 464: Pure Love Little Invisible (6)

Chapter 464: Pure Love’s Hidden Side (6)

Gu Yongnian slowly rose to his full height.

In that instant, everyone noticed the change in him.

It was an unmistakable aura that no one could ignore.

An unspoken thought arose in everyone's minds: He was just playing around earlier, but now he’s serious.

The authority of a natural leader seemed to unfold at this moment, drawing all eyes to him. Almost everyone’s attention was now fixed on Gu Yongnian.

His brilliance was dazzling, and inevitably, some of that brilliance reflected onto Song Chuyi.

Thus, some people took note of Song Chuyi.

They noticed the boy who had made Gu Yongnian take things seriously.

On the basketball court, a fierce back-and-forth ensued.

Song Chuyi attacked, Gu Yongnian defended—neither went for a three-pointer, even though it would have been effortless for them.

A match that should’ve ended in ten minutes dragged on for thirty minutes with no end in sight.

The score now stood at 9:8. Whoever managed a dunk would be the first to reach ten points and claim victory in this assessment match.

Song Chuyi held the ball, standing beyond the three-point line.

His forehead glistened with sweat, and his breathing was a little ragged compared to before.

Though Gu Yongnian also had a faint sweat on his brow, his breathing remained steady.

The grueling thirty-minute match hadn’t worn him down.

Perhaps the tense standoff between the two had affected the spectators, because the basketball court was now dead silent.

The crowd froze, waiting for the final shot.

Whoever scored now would bring this assessment match to an end.

Song Chuyi looked at Gu Yongnian across from him, his eyes bright.

Gu Yongnian stood beneath the hoop, his tall frame cutting off any shot attempt.

After the battle they had just fought, it was clear to everyone that Song Chuyi was capable of dunking.

But Gu Yongnian, who didn’t know the meaning of “failure,” wouldn’t give an inch to let Song Chuyi win.

Gu Yongnian’s lashes lowered slightly, and the court went motionless, as if even the wind had stopped.

Song Chuyi drove forward with the ball, as if he’d charge past Gu Yongnian to score.

At that moment, the crowd collectively held its breath.

The boy standing opposite Gu Yongnian lit up the court, his unforgettably handsome face imprinting itself vividly in their minds.

For a heartbeat, they even wished for this luminous boy to defeat the indomitable Gu Yongnian.

Yet deep in their hearts, they knew the truth: Gu Yongnian was unbeatable.

Even though he wasn’t actively playing, his mere presence made him seem like the inevitable winner of this game.

In the heat of the moment, Song Chuyi, slightly bent over holding the ball, suddenly leaped lightly.

The basketball left his hands, sailing in a perfect arc through the air.

With a crisp “swish,” the ball went through the hoop, and as the final whistle blew, Song Chuyi sealed the tryout game with a score of 11:8.

Gu Yongnian stood in place and let out a quiet laugh.

“Thought you were just gonna dunk?”

Song Chuyi took a light breath. “All’s fair in love and basketball.”

Without another glance at Gu Yongnian, he turned on his heel and left.

Gu Yongnian remained where he was and let out another quiet laugh.

“Quite adorable.”

Even in defeat, no one doubted his skills.

After Song Chuyi left the court, when he was no longer overshadowed by Gu Yongnian’s spotlight, he faded back into obscurity.

People seemed to forget the intense and thrilling match just moments ago, cheering for Gu Yongnian like always.

Gu Yongnian was the kind of guy who fit in anywhere.

Even though he hadn’t gone three-for-three, the Club wasn’t about to turn him down.

Gu Yongnian had expected as much.

After all the assessments were completed, the President handed the admission list to Gu Yongnian.

“Gu, my man, what do you think of these candidates?”

Gu Yongnian scanned the list but didn’t find the name he was looking for.

“What about Song Chuyi?”

He tapped the list pointedly with his finger.

“He defeated me. Shouldn’t he get a guaranteed slot?”

Song Chuyi had left after winning against him and hadn’t participated in the remaining matches.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t join the Basketball Club.

Defeating Gu Yongnian was proof of his chops.

Hearing this, the President rubbed his temple.

“Song Chuyi?”

He barely remembered him, but if even Gu Yongnian said so, leaving him out would be crazy.

So he immediately replied, “I’ll pencil him in now.”

Gu Yongnian nodded once and handed the list back to him.

Now that the roster was set, there was naturally no need for him to stay any longer.

The basketball court soon toned down a bit but still buzzed like always.

————

Song Chuyi finally spotted his name on the official Basketball Club roster.

Though barely noticeable, he had indeed become one of the team members.

Song Chuyi stared at the name, propping his chin on his hand, lost in thought.

"Shouldn’t have been so impulsive," he muttered, sliding the list into a book.

The Basketball Club held weekly activities, including regular training and matches.

This Friday was a practice game against a rival school, and all the rookies would get court time.

As the President put it, "You only get better by playing."

Basketball games always packed the stands, and with Gu Yongnian joining this year, the court would be standing room only on Friday.

Just imagining that circus made Song Chuyi sigh.

He had hoped to fly under the radar, but Gu Yongnian seemed to have other plans.

Closing his textbook, Song Chuyi stood up and walked out.

Today, he planned to hit the library for some research. Just as he found a seat with his chosen book, someone placed the same exact book on the table opposite him.

Song Chuyi glanced up—Gu Yongnian had planted himself right across.

Noticing him as well, Gu Yongnian nodded slightly.

The library was silent, not a word between them.

Song Chuyi buried himself in his book.

The sound of turning pages drew a faint smile from Gu Yongnian before he got back to reading.

Neither disturbed the other until the closing time chime echoed through the halls. Only then did Gu Yongnian look up—Song Chuyi was long gone.

Massaging his temples, Gu Yongnian picked up his book and returned it to the shelf.

Outside, night had fallen.

Back in his dorm, Gu Yongnian’s roommate was glued to his game and greeted him enthusiastically: "So, Gu, you went to the library today?"

"The group's been blowing up about you studying there alone."

Gu Yongnian dropped his stuff.

"Not alone," he corrected, his voice low and firm.

"Song Chuyi was sitting across from me."

He lingered on each syllable as he said the name.