Chapter 16

Chapter 16

One of the men cleared his throat, trying to break the strange atmosphere, but it didn't work.

In the testosterone-filled male locker room, a beautiful girl sat. For a second, the usually wild guys couldn't help but let their imaginations run wild, thinking of strange plays, but they quickly suppressed their dirty thoughts upon realizing them.

This is the hero who can throw a 90-meter pass, a legendary hero—no inappropriate thoughts allowed.

Plus, it's illegal to have dirty thoughts about someone who's mentally challenged.

Only Feng Yiyan acted like nothing was wrong, calmly replying, "Change here, we'll step out. Come out after you've changed."

"Uh..."

Yang Yuguo's ears had gone red without him noticing, but his face remained natural and serious. He told Lu Ke like he was talking to a bro, "We'll wait for you at the door, hurry up."

Even though he was the baby of the group, he was usually the wildest and was one of those who let his thoughts wander for those two seconds. He didn't even look at Lu Ke when he spoke.

Nan Feng wasn't as much of a player and didn't let his mind wander into indecent thoughts like the others.

But seeing Lu Ke sitting obediently on the brown leather stool where he usually changed, her skin fair, her spread skirt like soft gardenia petals, he felt himself getting a little warm. Assuming it was just impatience, he reflected for a second, then said in a deep voice to Lu Ke, "Take your time, no rush, don't listen to him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Zheyuan jabbed him hard in the gut.

Nan Feng glared at him in shock and anger.

Lu Zheyuan's good-looking face had a teasing look, leaning in to tease in a low voice, "Take your time, who was it that thought it was a waste of time, who... oof!"

Someone chucked a baseball glove at Lu Zheyuan's face.

"Too much talk."

A cool voice cut in, sounding annoyed.

Feng Yiyan glanced impatiently at Lu Zheyuan; it was he who had thrown the baseball glove at Lu Zheyuan's face.

The leather mitt slid down Lu Zheyuan's face and was caught by him, somewhat startled.

"Let's go." Feng Yiyan grabbed a baseball cap from the wall hook, his beautiful phoenix eyes looking at Lu Ke, pausing slightly, then said, "I've got your cap and glove, just come out after you've changed."

...

When Lu Ke stepped out, the guys were hanging by the door. Some slouched against the wall, some playing catch with a baseball in their left hand, looking bored. Some were chatting, their dimples showing, the morning light casting a golden outline on them.

Some were stretching, their muscles on full display.

Seeing Lu Ke come out in her changed clothes, these ridiculously good-looking guys turned their heads towards her, like a feast of beauty.

Even the system had to admit, "It must be said, these jerks are all easy on the eyes."

Red Soul sneered several times, her resentment overwhelming, "How do you think plain-looking poison mushrooms trick people into picking them?"

Pink Soul leaned in and whispered to the system, "What's her deal?"

The system also leaned in and whispered, "Of these five toxic dudes, she's fallen for three."

Red Soul said expressionlessly, "I can hear you."

Pink Soul and the system each coughed, quickly separated, and fell silent.

Lu Ke didn’t experience much eye candy, and it was indeed too difficult for a natural-born dog to appreciate such things. After coming out, Lu Ke eagerly gazed out at the green field, her eyes sparkling with excitement, already eager to play.

She didn’t look at them, but the gazes of several boys were all focused on her.

After changing into the baseball uniform, Lu Ke had a whole new vibe.

Lu Ke is 1.72 meters tall, which is considered tall for a girl, but this set of Feng Yiyan’s jerseys was still too big for her. She had to roll up the pant legs, the narrow collar became loose, and her slender, snow-white neck was fully exposed, even revealing her collarbone.

Her exposed skin was strikingly white, almost blinding, like fresh snow.

Feng Yiyan quietly handed her the baseball cap.

Lu Ke put the baseball cap on her head, pulling her ponytail through the hole at the back, adding a dashing look to her, appearing full of energy.

Several of the guys thought to themselves, no wonder many social media influencers like to take baseball-themed photos, it really does look good. If the baseball uniform fit properly, it would probably look even better.

"Come on, I'll show you around the field and explain how baseball works."

"See that small, dirt-colored circle? That's home base. Going clockwise, the one on the right is first base, then second base, and the last one is third base."

"The batter is the one holding the bat, and they'll stand on home base later."

"The pitcher stands on the pitcher's mound, right here. The pitcher and catcher work together. The pitcher tries to throw the ball so the batter can't hit it, but at the same time, the ball has to be in the strike zone."

"The strike zone is..."

"A ball is..."

Everyone jumped in, trying to stuff Lu Ke's head with as much baseball knowledge as they could.

"After the batter hits the ball, they need to run the bases quickly, from first base to second base, from second base to third base, in an irreversible order..."

"The defensive team needs to try to get the other team out. You can do this by catching, tagging, catching is..."

"Tagging is..."

"They might steal bases..."

The more Lu Ke listened, the more tangled up she got, her blue eyes growing more and more bewildered. The baseball she had played since childhood seemed much more complicated than she had thought. She admitted, a bit embarrassed, "Sorry, I didn't understand."

Feng Yiyan quickly cut off the endless explanations and said to Lu Ke, "It's okay, it just sounds complicated. Once you play more, you'll get the hang of it. You can start out as an outfielder."

He showed her around the outfield.

"Later, you'll be the left fielder. Your job is to catch any balls that come your way in left field and keep them from hitting the ground."

"If it's just the batter running, you don't need to throw the ball. If there are others running, you throw the ball to the infield as quickly as possible."

Lu Ke asked, "Who should I throw it to?"

"If someone is running from first base to second base, throw it to the second baseman or the shortstop. If someone is running to third base, throw it to the shortstop or the third baseman. You'll have to make the call in the moment."

Lu Ke finally understood. She nodded vigorously, full of fighting spirit, like a general ready to defend the gates, her eyes burning with determination as she stared towards home base: "No problem, I will definitely defend this side well!"

Feng Yiyan paused for a moment.

The next moment, she saw him tilt his head and touch the bridge of his nose with his index finger. At the same time, she barely caught a soft chuckle from him, but when she looked at him, he still had that 'too cool for you' look.

Red Soul wondered, "Did he laugh?"

Pink Soul thought to herself, "It seems like it, but I'm not sure..."

"The master laughed!" said Lu Ke.

The system grumbled, "What's he laughing at? Our kid is so serious about playing. What's so funny?"

When they started playing, the two souls and the system understood why Feng Yiyan laughed.

Because Lu Ke, the general sworn to defend the city gate, didn't even get a chance to face any action! For two whole hours, not a single ball came her way in the left outfield. It was already the ninth inning!

Red Soul, Pink Soul, and the system were fuming.

Every time the opposing batter swung, the silly dog focused intently, giving it her all.

But the batter didn't connect every time, and when he did, the ball always landed in the infield, never giving Lu Ke a chance to catch it in the outfield.

Finally, when a fly ball was hit, it always went to center or right field, and Lu Ke couldn't leave her position to catch it.

It was a hot day, already past eleven. The sun hadn't reached the infield yet, but it was blazing over the outfield. Lu Ke was drenched in sweat, her forehead and back soaked.

Even though she hadn't had a chance to catch any balls, Lu Ke stayed focused on every pitch.

Sweat clung to her eyelashes, stinging her eyes.

Lu Ke wiped them away with the back of her hand and continued to focus intently on the batter.

As the ninth inning approached and the game was about to end, Lu Ke still hadn't caught a single ball.

The two souls and the system were heartbroken, silently cursing.

"Is that batter starving?! Hit it this way, hit it higher!"

"Damn it, they're making our little dog stand here like a mannequin. The midday sun is almost here, ah! Why did it go over there again, why not to our side!"

"Ugh, I'm so mad! Can't we switch spots?!"

"Did they bring us here just to stand here doing nothing?"

The game was nearing its end.

First and second were taken, and the situation wasn't favorable for Lu Ke's team. They were about to lose.

On the mound, Nan Feng, the pitcher, was also soaked in sweat.

The pitcher and fielders like Lu Ke were teammates, while the batter was on the opposing team. Nan Feng needed to pitch so the batter couldn't hit it.

Now, it was clear the opposing batter was better.

The fact that their team was about to lose made Nan Feng irritable. He tugged at his cap, spat out his gum, and got ready to throw an inside pitch, hoping with a grim expression that it wouldn't be hit.

But hope was futile.

The opposing batter was one of their star hitters, already familiar with Nan Feng's pitching patterns and anticipating an inside pitch.

With a crack, the bat connected hard with the ball.

It was a fly ball, speeding towards the left outfield.

The two souls were so thrilled they nearly leapt up.

"Here it comes! Ahhh, be careful, be careful!"

"Grab it! Lu Ke, grab it!"

The system was also extremely excited: "It's coming, it's coming, you got this!!"

It had bound ninety-nine hosts before, but this was the first time it was playing baseball with the male lead and male supporting characters. In the past, it had always stayed with the host in the stands, and would get hyped when the game was thrilling, but it couldn't compare to the feeling of being on the field. When the ball flew over, it felt like an adrenaline rush! It wanted to scream!

Of course, the system didn't have adrenaline, but its code was going haywire with excitement.

Unlike their excitement and tension, Lu Ke remained calm when the ball finally arrived. Her blue eyes locked onto the flying baseball, and almost as soon as the ball was hit, she sprinted along its path.

But how could a person's running speed compare to that of a ball?

The left outfield was large, and Lu Ke's original position was quite a distance from the ball. The place where the ball was falling was already close to the center field, but the center fielder, maybe dazed from the sun, didn't manage to cover the position in time.

Just as the ball was about to hit the ground, Lu Ke dove for it!

The leather glove extended her fingers, and she barely managed to catch the ball, snagging it mid-air in a miracle catch.

As if in slow motion, she quickly rolled on the ground, effortlessly and swiftly getting up, her white baseball T-shirt covered in grass stains, her black ponytail swinging in front of her.

But then the drama unfolded.

Lu Ke wasn't very familiar with the awkward baseball glove, and the ball she had already caught actually slipped off the leather glove!

If the ball hit the ground, it was game over!

When the ball was hit, everyone looked towards the previously forgotten left outfield, and they saw the slender figure making a desperate grab for the baseball.

Nan Feng, Qiu Jiapo, Feng Yiyan, and others were ecstatic when they saw Lu Ke dive to catch the ball, but before that joy could even show on their faces, they saw the ball roll off the glove, their hearts almost skipping a beat, their expressions shifting dramatically.

But as the ball was falling, they saw Lu Ke swiftly snatch it up with her ungloved hand, barely managing to grab it.

Their expressions shifted once more.

Everyone was terrified to the brink of collapse.

"Damn damn damn damn! This is a heart-stopper."

Red Soul, who witnessed it firsthand, was on the verge of breaking into a cold sweat, and Pink Soul and the system's hearts were racing.

Just now, the two souls and the system had unconsciously squeezed tightly together under extreme tension, and only when Lu Ke caught the ball did the three differently colored entities collapse in exhaustion.

Who would have thought that playing baseball could be so thrilling?

Mainly because the outcome of the entire team was at stake, and no one wanted to be the one to let the team down.

Lu Ke, the fielder, caught the ball, and the opposing batter was out—they scored a point.

First out!

The burly opposing batter regretfully threw the bat, almost pulling his hair out in frustration—she actually caught it!

In reality, from the moment Lu Ke dove to catch the ball to getting up and rolling, to the ball slipping off the edge of the glove to Lu Ke catching it with her other hand, it might have only been a second.

After a fly ball is caught by the defense, the runners can run the bases, and that's all about sprinting. If the opponent reaches the base, then it's their point—it's all about whether the defense is faster or the runners are faster.

So after Lu Ke caught the ball, the two opposing runners sprinted at full speed.

Lu Ke's pupils constricted, and she immediately shouted, "Feng Yiyan—!" Then, with a quick step, she hurled the ball towards the infield like a tornado!

A sharp whistling sound cut through the air!

This throw was even more intense than Lu Ke's previous long-distance practice throw. Both players and the system clearly heard the sharp sound of the ball slicing through the air, like a blade cutting through the wind, carrying an unstoppable momentum, and moving at an incredibly fast speed.

Lu Ke's arm seemed to transform into a powerful bowstring, flexible yet strong, launching the ball towards Feng Yiyan at a speed exceeding 130 kilometers per hour.

Feng Yiyan was playing shortstop, located between second and third base, close to both.

Lu Ke's throw was incredibly accurate. Feng Yiyan didn't even need to adjust his position. With a loud *bang*, the ball landed squarely in his glove.

Such precise passes were rare in games of this level. Feng Yiyan's pupils contracted, his adrenaline surged, and his face lit up with excitement.

His jaw tightened, the muscles in his left arm tensed, and he swiftly hurled the ball towards the second baseman! The ball rocketed toward Yang Yuguo.

Yang Yuguo snagged the ball with a dive.

At this moment, his boyish face was drenched in sweat, radiating a rugged, heroic vibe. He flashed a triumphant, excited smile, his teeth gleaming white.

When the second baseman catches the ball, the runner heading from first to second is out, known as a tag out. The runner was just two steps away from second base, so close, but he could only slump to the ground in frustration.

Lu Ke's team racked up another point!

Double play!

But it wasn't over yet.

Yang Yuguo's arm muscles bulged as he swiftly threw the ball towards the third baseman.

Maybe miracles are catching. Yang Yuguo, who usually had average accuracy, managed to deliver the ball precisely near Qiu Jiapo. Qiu Jiapo, already prepared, snagged the ball with a dive.

Almost simultaneously, the runner heading to third base reached the base, just a fraction of a second too late. Qiu Jiapo, having caught the ball, tagged him out. The runner angrily punched the ground in frustration.

They tagged out the last runner.

Triple play!

Three outs, and Lu Ke's team pulled off a miraculous triple play. The game ended, and they won.