“Hold on a sec.” Ben leaned on the railing, watching Nie Chuan being lifted high by Heishan.
“What’s up?” Sethston asked.
“Don’t you feel like every time you see Nie Chuan’s layup, your eyes burn? Even if he can’t run anymore, I still want to keep watching him.”
“Because you respect him,” Sethston glanced sideways.
By now, Heishan had carried Nie Chuan around the court once.
The applause from the audience was continuous, even the governor who supported KSU stood up to applaud DK.
“It’s not just respect… it’s like I’ve always hoped to meet an opponent like this,” Ben said.
Nie Chuan tilted his face up, sweat sliding down his cheeks, with waves of cheers in his ears.
The world was spinning.
He turned his head, almost leaning back, looking towards Reese.
Just as he was about to fall off Heishan’s back, Carlo rushed over to support him.
Heishan finally carried Nie Chuan back to DK, where Coach Gordon and the other players stood up to applaud this victory.
When Nie Chuan was set down, he fell forward into an embrace.
In front of everyone, Reese held Nie Chuan, gently patting his back, helping him catch his breath.
“Many who have watched DK’s games know that Nie Chuan and Reese are a very synchronized duo. Not seeing them play together today was a bit of a regret. But Nie Chuan’s performance was remarkable, especially his game-changing play in the last five minutes! Congratulations to DK for making it to the Final Four! This is DK’s best achievement in five years! Today, they proved they are not a fallen king!” Espenson’s voice was strong and clear.
“Both KSU and UDK’s teamwork will be a model for future players to study and learn from! This game was exhilarating, not a dull moment!”
Engel patted his chest, knowing every second of the game had him on edge.
“And Nie Chuan, I want to say… after today, many NBA teams will notice his brilliance. I hope he continues to grow in future games,” Robert praised Nie Chuan highly.
At this moment, Nie Chuan was utterly content in Reese’s embrace.
The strength of his arms, the rhythm of his heartbeat, the warmth pushing his blood to surge—Nie Chuan wished time would stop right there.
He wanted to kiss him.
Ignoring what everyone thought, even if it turned the world upside down, he wanted to kiss him.
Madly wanted to.
How lucky to have someone like you!
Reese said nothing, but Nie Chuan understood everything.
KSU’s Raven walked over to Nie Chuan and Reese. “Hey, kid.”
Nie Chuan turned his face from Reese’s embrace to look at Raven.
“You were great.” Raven extended his hand to Nie Chuan.
Raven had returned to the cheerful big boy Nie Chuan had first met in the warehouse gym.
“You were great too.” Nie Chuan shook his hand.
“Ah… ah…” Raven sighed. “This year’s journey ends here. But I’m glad to have met an opponent like you. I thought Reese was the only one in DK who could challenge me, but after this game, I realized that’s not the case. Nie Chuan, you always exceed my expectations. I’m glad I met you this year; if it were my last year in college, I wouldn’t have another chance to beat you.”
“Raven, get stronger next year,” Nie Chuan said.
“Of course.”
“Because I’ll get stronger. If you don’t, beating you won’t mean anything.”
Raven looked at Nie Chuan, speechless for three seconds. “You brat! Don’t think you can be so cocky just because Reese has your back!”
“See you in the finals next year.” Reese bumped fists with Raven.
As Raven turned away, Nie Chuan saw a hint of loneliness in his back, and many KSU players had already started wiping their tears.
In the next game, barring any surprises, they would face CBU with Owen Wishaw.
Nie Chuan looked up and saw Owen in a red and white tracksuit. He smiled at Nie Chuan, with a hint of British gentleman’s restraint, but his throat-slitting gesture was infuriating.
The DK players left the gym, but before they reached the bus in the parking lot, they were surrounded by fans and sports reporters!
A dizzy Nie Chuan almost walked into the crowd of fans, but Reese quickly pulled him back.
In just a moment, Nie Chuan found several business cards in his sports jacket.
Some were from sports reporters, others from scouts.
The fans grew crazier, and Nie Chuan noticed the group wearing white T-shirts with his name on their chests had tripled in size!
“Hey, Nie Chuan! Did you use up too much energy? Want me to carry you to the bus?” Carlo asked kindly, really worried Nie Chuan might “fall into” the crowd of fans.
Who knows how they’d get him back then.
Even if they did, Nie Chuan might not have any clothes left.
“No need, no need! I can still walk!”
A large number of security guards and even police cars arrived, and Nie Chuan and the others finally got on the bus smoothly.
“Today’s game took a lot out of the players. And the day after tomorrow, there’s a game between CBU and JGU. To make it easier for everyone to watch and to adjust without the hassle of travel, the team has arranged a hotel in the city. I hope everyone rests well and remembers three things: First, don’t easily accept media interviews; second, don’t easily sleep with your fans…”
At this point, everyone laughed.
“And lastly, and most importantly: Enjoy your finals time!”
Applause erupted.
Nie Chuan sat next to Reese, gripping his fingers tightly, their hands clasped together.
Reese’s grip was strong, almost crushing Nie Chuan’s fingers. In the past, Nie Chuan would have complained about the pain and pried Reese’s hand away, but now, this pain assured him that the Reese who had been watching him on the court was real.
Back in their hotel room, as soon as Nie Chuan opened the door, Reese pushed him inside.
The moment the door locked, Reese pulled Nie Chuan back, holding him tightly, kissing him with force. His tongue surged into Nie Chuan’s mouth like a fierce wave, turning the world upside down.
“Mm…”
Nie Chuan had wanted to kiss him too, ever since the game ended. But Reese’s kiss was beyond his expectations.
Nie Chuan’s energy had been drained by the game, unable to withstand Reese’s pressure, he fell back, but Reese caught him, sliding his hand down Nie Chuan’s waist, lifting him up.
Nie Chuan’s heart raced, but Reese’s kiss never stopped. He turned his head, his strong tongue completely occupying Nie Chuan’s mouth. The exchange of breath, the clash and fusion of strength, made Nie Chuan give up resisting, wrapping his arms tightly around Reese.
After who knows how long, Reese turned around, stepping back until he sat on the bed.
Nie Chuan was in his arms, kneeling on his lap.
Finally, Reese withdrew from Nie Chuan’s mouth, but the madness and heat hadn’t subsided. He pressed his nose against Nie Chuan’s, gently rubbing, his arm around Nie Chuan’s waist wanting to hold tight but restraining, afraid of hurting him.
Reese slowly lifted his head, gazing up at Nie Chuan.
His voice was cold, but his gaze was deep and hot.
“I really love you,” Reese said.
Nie Chuan’s fingers gently traced Reese’s brows and eyes. He had never cherished anyone so much, worried that the Reese who was so madly in love with him might disappear the next moment.
“More than math and basketball?” Nie Chuan asked.
“Those can all disappear, but you can’t.”
Nie Chuan laughed, his eyes filled with inexplicable tears.
They were wild, and Nie Chuan felt this indulgence was more joyful than the victory of the game.
When he woke up, it was already evening. He had slept for over four hours.
Reese’s arm wrapped around him, holding him close, but he was holding a few business cards.
Nie Chuan laughed, pressing his head against Reese’s. “What are you looking at? Checking if any female fans left me their number?”
“Yes.” Reese didn’t hide his possessiveness at all.
Nie Chuan chuckled, “Did you find any female fans’ numbers?”
“No. They’re all from sports reporters and scouts. We’ll set the reporters aside; Coach Gordon doesn’t want us dealing with too much media before the games are over. Most of these scouts are from second-tier teams. If you ever play in the NBA, you should aim for a better platform,” Reese said casually, kissing Nie Chuan from his forehead to his cheek.
“Hey, I’m just a rookie in the NCAA basketball tournament. It’s great that scouts are interested in me!” Nie Chuan was about to take back the scouts’ cards. Even though he didn’t plan to accept their offers, he wanted to keep them as a memento since it was his first time receiving scouts’ cards. But Reese tossed them into the trash bin by the bed.
“Hey, those are mine!” Nie Chuan protested.
Reese suddenly flipped Nie Chuan onto his back, pinning him down with a clear intention for another round. “You’ll have better ones in the future.”
Nie Chuan felt Reese’s heat and instinctively moved aside. “Hey, is your ankle okay?”
“My ankle doesn’t affect my ability to hold you.”
