SSD 37. Second Match Against Yangsheng

What shocked Xu Fanming was that the guy standing in front of them was from the Kongxin Team, the same dark horse that had blindsided Qinghuo in last year’s provincial tournament, just like the captain had mentioned.

The defeat had cast such a long shadow that their captain even joked about changing the team name and starting over. No one on the team liked bringing up that humiliating match again.

And now this man standing in front of them turned out to be one of the legendary members of that team?

But He Jiang clearly had a different reason for being surprised.

“Yuan Dan?” He took a step forward and looked at the man, a flicker of astonishment crossing his face. “Is he with your team now?”

Xu Fanming blinked. He had no idea how the conversation had shifted into a rhythm he couldn’t follow.

Xing Yunyang noticed that He Jiang still hadn’t taken his outstretched hand. After a moment, he slowly lowered it, and his gaze darkened a little.

“Yeah. He’s our shooting guard now.”

At those words, He Jiang’s lips curved into a faint smile, as if something distant had resurfaced in his memory. There was even a trace of nostalgia in his expression.

“Who’s Yuan Dan?” Xu Fanming finally gave in and asked, unable to hold back his curiosity.

He Jiang narrowed his eyes slightly and stared at him for a few seconds. Xu Fanming frowned under the weight of the look, but He Jiang just drawled, “…He was my teammate in high school.”

Before Xu Fanming could fully process that, He Jiang added, “He used to wear No. 8 and played point guard.”

That jogged Xu Fanming’s memory.

In that match a year ago, there really had been a No. 8 on the other side.

He had been on the slimmer side, pale and clean-cut, with delicate features. During the game, he mostly hovered around the edges and didn’t stand out much at all. In that sense, he reminded Xu Fanming a little of Wen Qin on their own team.

But unlike Wen Qin, he didn’t have any remarkable talent. His skills were average, his height was average, and he was one of those players who, in a crowd of athletes, wouldn’t catch your eye at all.

So average that in the final seconds of the match, he botched a crucial shot. It ended up being He Jiang who cleaned it up with a rebound and a follow-up score.

What surprised Xu Fanming was that someone so completely ordinary, the kind of guy who would only exist in a hot-blooded sports manga to make the protagonist stand out, could actually be someone He Jiang seemed to care about.

“He’s still playing, huh…” He Jiang spoke like he was talking to himself. Halfway through the sentence, he broke into a quiet smile.

Standing off to the side, Xing Yunyang glanced at Xu Fanming again, though he didn’t say anything. Instead, he turned to He Jiang and paused for a few seconds before finally speaking in a low voice. “He still brings you up sometimes. Says he’s looking forward to playing against you.”

That word “playing” caught both He Jiang and Xu Fanming off guard. They froze, and Xing Yunyang raised an eyebrow as he added, “You didn’t check the schedule? We’re playing you in the final match of the placement round. It’s coming up soon.”

He Jiang and Xu Fanming exchanged a look. Maybe this was just something they were never going to be able to avoid.

They couldn’t help but think back to the start of the semester, when Fang Ruihan was recruiting players from every corner of campus and practically begged He Jiang to join after seeing him dominate the court… Looking at it now, maybe it all made sense.

Fang Ruihan’s cautious respect toward Kongxin clearly came from somewhere. Even though neither He Jiang nor Xu Fanming had witnessed last year’s match firsthand, it was starting to become clear. And if that was the case, then they might as well find out for themselves how this year’s game would compare.

He Jiang finally reached out his hand and shook Xing Yunyang’s, his lips curving up in a smile. “I’m looking forward to it too. Seeing Kongxin again on the court.”

By the time He Jiang and Xu Fanming returned to the stands, the game had ended. The scoreboard read 98 to 75. Yangsheng had won.

The match had been a blowout, and the result spoke for itself.

Zhu Xuyao and the others were already packing up and getting ready to leave. Fang Ruihan remained in the stands, eyes fixed on the court, quietly watching the players he had once faced. It looked like he had something on his mind.

Xu Fanming walked over and told him what had just happened with the Kongxin Team. Fang Ruihan furrowed his brows for a moment, then relaxed again.

Then, with a thoughtful expression, he murmured, “So he came to watch too…”

“Captain,” Xu Fanming asked, curious, “do you know Xing Yunyang?”

Fang Ruihan smiled, but there was a trace of bitterness in it. He was clearly thinking back to last year’s game. “Yeah. When we played against Kongxin last year, he left a strong impression.”

Fang Ruihan sighed and said slowly, “Xing Yunyang is Kongxin’s center. He’s a very strong opponent. He’s always took every match seriously. If he came to watch Yangsheng’s game today, it was probably for the same reason we did. Studying the opponent and understand both their strengths and weaknesses.”

“No wonder,” Xu Fanming murmured, “he recognized He Jiang the moment they met…”

“He Jiang’s a highly anticipated rookie,” Fang Ruihan said with a smile. “He was the MVP in high school, so almost everyone knows who he is. But I’m guessing Xing Yunyang did his research ahead of time and found out He Jiang joined our team this year.”

Fang Ruihan glanced toward He Jiang. He was bending down to grab his jacket from the seat, and the loose T-shirt he wore outlined the full curve of his lean muscle and athletic build.

“He Jiang is an outstanding center. But compared to him, Xing Yunyang is definitely no less capable. This year’s match between them will be full of unknowns.”

So that guy from Kongxin really was that impressive? Xu Fanming blinked in surprise. Just then, Fang Ruihan turned toward him and said seriously, “But that’s all for the final game of the placement round. Right now, the most important thing is figuring out how to break through Yangsheng.”

Xu Fanming nodded and turned to look at Tian Yi, who was standing on the court with his teammates taking a group photo. His calm smile and thoughtful eyes lingered in Xu Fanming’s mind.

That first game against Yangsheng had been tough to swallow.

Especially in the first half, when the opponent’s strength completely caught them off guard. It had been a brutal struggle. Xu Fanming could still recall the frustration of being shut down, the fear of facing a player who seemed capable of everything. The stinging regret of turnovers, missed calls, and fouls. He didn’t want to live through that again, and he wouldn’t.

Every practice had to feel like the real thing. In those simulated scenes, he placed every ounce of belief and focus into the ball, trying to rewrite those painful endings. That way, when he finally stood on the court, he would be the one controlling the game. That was the psychological strategy He Jiang had taught him, and it was the most powerful weapon he had.

After that day, Xu Fanming often stayed behind to train alone. In the quiet gym, he would place himself back into those unforgettable moments of failure. He repeated his shots, his drives, again and again. He experimented, adjusted, pushed himself further. It became a battle inside his head.

And now, the moment had finally arrived to put it all to the test.

He was finally going to see just how far that practice had taken him.

Under the anticipation of everyone around them, the day of the match came in the blink of an eye.

Qinghuo and Yangsheng were old rivals by now, and facing each other again brought a strange sense of familiarity.

This time, Qinghuo had home court advantage. Playing in their own university’s gym gave them a certain degree of comfort and mental stability. At nine o’clock in the morning, Yangsheng’s team arrived right on time. The captains from both teams stepped forward.

Tian Yi stood in his white jersey, the number 9 gleaming on his chest. With a smile on his face, he gave Fang Ruihan’s hand a firm shake.

“Nice to see you again. Let’s make it a good game today.”

Fang Ruihan returned a calm smile. “Welcome to X University.”

In the locker room, while they made their final preparations, Zhu Xuyao noticed that Xu Fanming wasn’t pacing or panicking for once and decided to tease him.

“Fan-dad’s got that determined look today. What’s the deal, not searching for the nearest toilet this time?”

Xu Fanming snorted with disdain. “Tch. Can you be any more immature?”

Zhu Xuyao laughed so hard his shoulders shook and launched into a story for the whole team’s enjoyment. “Who was it again who kept shouting that their stomach hurt before the last game, then came back from the toilet with a black face and murder in his eyes, all clawed up and ready to kill? Awooo…”

He even raised his hands and mimicked a dinosaur bite, sending everyone into fits of laughter. Xu Fanming turned red and chucked a basketball at him.

“Get lost, you asshole! Would it kill you to shut up for once?”

He Jiang had just finished changing and was adjusting his jersey in front of the mirror. He caught sight of Xu Fanming’s flustered outburst and couldn’t help but smile. He called out teasingly, “Looks like Fan-dad’s ready to carry the whole team today. Better get the applause ready.”

Xu Fanming saw the back of He Jiang’s head and instantly felt his thoughts start to spin out of control. His face flushed again, and he had to force the mess out of his mind before standing up and saying seriously, “It’s been a while since I played a game that felt good. Today I’m going all in.”

He spoke those words to the team, but deep down, he was also saying them to himself.

Just before they left the locker room, Fang Ruihan looked toward Wen Qin, who had just finished warming up. Wen Qin returned a shy smile that said, I’m ready.

Fang Ruihan turned back to the others with a calm smile. “We’ve played against Yangsheng before, so there’s no need for a long speech. I trust every one of you. From this moment on, give it everything you’ve got, but don’t let your guard down. On the court, a single second can shift everything. No matter what the outcome is, let’s make sure we leave with no regrets.”

Everyone shouted together, “Go, Qinghuo!”

The whistle blew.

The basketball soared into the air, and for a moment, it felt as if a spotlight had lit up the court. Two figures sprang upward, swift and fierce, like arrows loosed from a bow.

Pan Yuan felt her heart jump into her throat. She couldn’t help but shout, “Go, Captain!”

Same opponent. Same opening tip-off. But somehow, something already felt different.

Fang Ruihan held his breath and locked eyes with Tian Yi on the opposite side. In that instant, his gaze changed, and the momentum on court flipped like a mountain crashing down.

Thump!

The basketball slammed hard against the floor, the sound echoed through the gym. Charging toward the bounce was Qinghuo’s No. 5 in black: Wen Qin.

Tian Yi’s eyes widened.
Shit. He was still in mid-air, and Fang Ruihan had already snatched the ball and knocked it away toward his own side.

Yangsheng had already slipped up on the very first play.

Wen Qin touched the ball and immediately pivoted, sprinting down the court toward Yangsheng’s side. His speed was impressive, but just as he crossed half court, a defender in a white jersey stepped up to block him. Wen Qin didn’t hesitate. He turned and passed the ball to the nearest teammate, Xu Fanming.

With the ball now in his hands, Xu Fanming shut out the noise around him. In his eyes, there was only the basket.

The match had truly begun.