SSD 5. He Jiang vs Xu Fanming

He Jiang was walking down the corridor behind the gym when a clear voice suddenly called out behind him.

“Hey, wait!”

He Jiang turned around slowly and saw Xu Fanming rushing toward him in a bit of a mess. He was still in his jersey, knee pads still strapped on. It looked like he had come chasing right after the game.

He Jiang’s gaze softened a little.

Xu Fanming bent over, catching his breath with his hands on his knees. After a moment, he straightened up and looked up with sharp, focused eyes.

“I knew it was you, just now at the game.”

He Jiang was silent for a few seconds, then gave a small nod. “Yeah. It was me.”

His straightforward response caught Xu Fanming off guard. He hesitated for a second, then continued. “You clearly still love basketball.”

This time, He Jiang didn’t reply.

“But,” Xu Fanming pressed on, “I don’t get it. He Jiang, after last year’s finals, why did you suddenly disappear?”

A year ago, after that climactic match, He Jiang was named MVP of the high school division. He should have been on the rise, stepping into the spotlight of the basketball world. But overnight, he vanished without a trace and gradually disappeared from public view.

The high school MVP had walked away on his own. Rumors spread, but no matter how curious people were, news in the sports world moved quickly. Before long, He Jiang was forgotten by most.

But Xu Fanming couldn’t let it go. Basketball had always just been a hobby for him. He was used to playing casually on outdoor courts by himself. That final match, led by He Jiang, was the first official game he had ever seen live. It stirred something in him, lit a fire in his chest. From that point on, challenging He Jiang became an obsession.

He never expected things to change so suddenly. From that day forward, there was no news at all about the legendary No. 10 in red.

Why? Why would someone like He Jiang, who could have entered a sports academy and gone pro, end up in an ordinary university like this?

Xu Fanming’s gaze grew more conflicted, but he couldn’t look away. He stared straight at He Jiang, unwilling to back down. The other seemed reluctant to explain anything and simply said, “It was just an accident.”

“What kind of accident?” Xu Fanming asked instinctively. “Then what are you planning to do from now on?”

He Jiang didn’t answer. There was something unreadable in his eyes. Xu Fanming repeated the question. He Jiang almost laughed, raising a brow as he asked, “Why do you care so much?”

Xu Fanming’s face turned red. Damn it. Why was this guy always dodging the question?

“Who cares what happens to you. I just want a one-on-one match,” Xu Fanming snapped. “What, you scared to take me on?”

The little raptor was already bristling with anger. He Jiang’s lips curved into a smile. “You really want to play me that badly?”

Xu Fanming froze for a second, then gave a firm nod without hesitation. He Jiang turned to face him, eyes searching his expression. Xu Fanming stood his ground, full of determination.

Finally, He Jiang gave a clear reply. “Alright. Let’s give it a try.”

Xu Fanming couldn’t help but grin. It seemed today’s match had paid off.

So, let’s have a game.

They settled on Saturday afternoon at four thirty, at the outdoor court.

He Jiang woke from a nap at half past three. After drinking a bottle of strawberry milk, he stood in front of the wardrobe, flipping through his clothes, only to realize he hadn’t brought any basketball jersey with him.

Forget it, a regular sports T-shirt would do.

After changing and putting on his shoes, He Jiang arrived at the field as agreed. To his surprise, besides Xu Fanming holding a basketball, there were a few other familiar faces.

He Jiang scanned the group, but his gaze still settled on Xu Fanming. Today, he wore a sleeveless jersey with kneepads on both legs, and a white headband tied around his head. His fluffy hair was pulled back, revealing a smooth, broad forehead.

The curls that lifted slightly in the wind made him look a little cute.

As He Jiang quietly took in the sight, someone suddenly reached over and ruffled Xu Fanming’s head, laughing. “Look at you, kid. You actually got him to come.”

“Get lost,” Xu Fanming turned red and quickly ducked away, fixing his messed-up hair. “Don’t mess me up. I never asked you to come. You insisted.”

Another person standing between them raised a hand in a half-hearted attempt to stop the bickering. “Alright, it’s almost time. He should be here soon.” Just as he looked up, his eyes lit up at the sight of He Jiang approaching from a distance.

He Jiang had assumed this would be a one-on-one game, just the two of them. He hadn’t expected an audience, which made him feel slightly uneasy. But before he could say anything, the guy from earlier walked over confidently and held out his hand.

“He Jiang, right? Hello, I’m Fang Ruihan, captain of the campus basketball team. I was the one who asked to come and watch your game today. I hope you don’t mind.”

He Jiang looked toward Zhu Xuyao, who was standing beside Xu Fanming. Zhu Xuyao step forward to explain, a bit belatedly, “Oh, I’m also on the campus basketball team. Name’s Zhu Xuyao. I think we met briefly during the match the other day.”

He Jiang didn’t say much. He simply reached out and shook hands with Fang Ruihan in a casual manner. From behind, Xu Fanming called out, “Let’s get started.”

He Jiang took a few steps closer. “How do you want to play?”

Xu Fanming hesitated, bounced the ball a few times, then said, “Let’s go with shooting. First to make five shots wins.”

He Jiang agreed. “Alright.”

“Hold on,” Fang Ruihan suddenly raised his hand to stop them. Both He Jiang and Xu Fanming turned to him, only to see a pleasant smile on his face.

“It’s not often we get to watch a game like this. Why not raise the stakes a little?”

“Yeah,” Zhu Xuyao chimed in enthusiastically as he walked over. “I’m in.”

He Jiang paused, while Xu Fanming looked a little confused, unsure what the captain was getting at. Fang Ruihan caught their puzzled expressions and began explaining slowly.

“Our team is currently preparing for an important provincial tournament. The winning team gets a shot at the national competition, which could eventually lead to the CUBA circuit. He Jiang, I’ve heard about your high school record. Our team’s always done well in the past, and if we had you on board this year, we’d be even stronger.”

His message couldn’t have been clearer.

“If Xu Fanming wins this match, the wager is that you join the campus team. How does that sound?”

Zhu Xuyao added, “And if you win instead, you get to name the terms.”

He Jiang glanced at Xu Fanming, who suddenly got goosebumps for no reason. A few seconds passed before He Jiang curved his lips into a faint smile.

“Fine.”

Fang Ruihan looked pleased. “Alright. Zhu Xuyao and I will act as referees. To decide who starts, you can play rock-paper-scissors.”

“No need for that,” He Jiang bent down, picked up the ball from the ground, and handed it to Xu Fanming. His eyes held a subtle smile.

“You go first.”

What a smug bastard.

Xu Fanming snatched the ball and slammed it hard on the ground.

The match officially began.

He kept his eyes fixed on He Jiang, studying every slight movement while feeling the basketball bounce freely beneath his palm.

He Jiang stood like a human wall. He was ten centimeters taller, and that kind of height difference made it tough to break through his defense. But it wasn’t impossible.

Xu Fanming shifted his weight and feinted left. It was deliberate and obvious, enough to draw a reaction. He Jiang caught the detail and shifted his attention for just a moment, though his body remained firmly in place.

He Jiang really was experienced. Any ordinary player would have taken the bait and given up a second’s worth of time for a clean breakthrough.

Xu Fanming curled his lips into a sly smile.

That was enough.

He abruptly withdrew, and just as He Jiang’s focus eased for a fraction of a second, he slammed the ball down. The ball hit the floor hard between He Jiang’s legs and bounced straight through.

He Jiang turned, but Xu Fanming was already past. He snatched the ball, took three quick steps, and scored with a layup.

The whistle blew. “One point for Xu Fanming,” Fang Ruihan called out.

Xu Fanming dribbled the ball and stood in front of He Jiang with a teasing grin, the corner of his lips lifted in triumph.

“First blood. I got it.”

He turned back, bouncing the ball at his side, a grin tugging at one corner of his mouth.

He Jiang lowered his gaze. When he looked up again, a faint, amused smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes grew darker.

“Alright. Let’s keep going.”

It was only then that Xu Fanming realized the earlier round had just been a warm-up for He Jiang. What came next was the real match.

As soon as He Jiang got the ball, it was like he had turned into a different person. Xu Fanming quickly adjusted his stance, lowered his body, and spread his arms wide, trying to lock him down.

But He Jiang didn’t even seem to take his defense seriously.

He had a clear height advantage over Xu Fanming. While Xu Fanming was still thinking about how to work around it, He Jiang had already raised the ball above his head and took the shot.

Clang.

The ball dropped straight through the net and bounced off the court. A clean shot.

Again. That devilish shot.

A swish means the ball touches only the net when it goes in. It’s known as the most perfect way to score. Xu Fanming’s eyes widened. His face suddenly burned.

A precise shot. A proper shooting stance. He must have a deep foundation in basketball.

Beep—

The whistle blew again. The score was tied, 1–1. He Jiang hadn’t given Xu Fanming any opening. Fang Ruihan unconsciously rubbed the bridge of his nose, a bit nervous.

In just a few moves, Fang Ruihan had already gauged He Jiang’s true level. At this point, he not only admired He Jiang’s skill, but also started worrying whether Xu Fanming could win.

The game continued. But Xu Fanming was growing more unsettled.

It was his turn to control the ball. He dribbled and tried to break past He Jiang’s side, only for He Jiang to catch up immediately. The way He Jiang stuck close with every step made Xu Fanming feel increasingly suffocated. He kept telling himself to stay calm.

He had prepared for this match for a whole year and had full confidence in his own ability. He just needed to make the most of his strengths. What were those? Good vertical leap, fast reflexes and movements, smooth ball handling…

But He Jiang wasn’t just a lifeless training dummy. This time, Xu Fanming wasn’t lucky enough to fake him out. Wherever he moved, He Jiang followed. The tall figure cast a shadow over his face. The only sound in the air was the thudding of the ball hitting the ground, gradually weighing heavier on his mind.

Every advantage Xu Fanming had was completely blocked off by He Jiang, leaving him no room to show what he could do.

Xu Fanming finally lost his patience. He tried once more to fake He Jiang out, but this time He Jiang caught the flaw in an instant. Just as Xu Fanming pulled his hand back, He Jiang seized the chance and snatched the ball from him.

He dribbled, turned, and scored with a reverse layup.

The whistle blew. Fang Ruihan glanced at Xu Fanming. “1 to 2.”

He Jiang held the basketball in one hand and rubbed his eye with the other. When he looked up again, there was a faint smile on his face as he looked at Xu Fanming.

Xu Fanming grew even more agitated.

He had always taken pride in his ball handling. During practice, he often complained about his teammates being too careless and getting the ball stolen. Now the tables had turned. Karma had come back around. His own ball was taken.

He was already one point behind. How was he supposed to make a comeback?

Every flaw he had was laid bare before He Jiang. Meanwhile, He Jiang seemed completely unrestrained.

He was no longer holding back, no longer hesitating. Once his eyes locked onto the ball, he turned into a fearless warrior charging straight ahead.

In the moment of hesitation, He Jiang turned and scored again with a quick jump shot. 1 to 3.

Xu Fanming’s mindset began to fall apart.