Nie Chuan saw a world he never imagined in Reese’s eyes.
“In your eyes, what kind of small forward would I be?” Nie Chuan turned his face, observing Reese from different angles, always seeing something new.
“In your eyes, there’s an army. You constantly surpass others’ imaginations. You’re good at disguising as ordinary, striking with precision from silence.” Reese raised his hand, his knuckles brushing Nie Chuan’s brow, kissing him with a sense of reverence. “There are many ways to be beautiful. It can be glamorous, powerful, or like you, capturing the world’s attention.”
Nie Chuan closed his eyes and hugged Reese tightly.
Even if it was just encouragement, it was the most beautiful thing Reese had ever said.
He would go all out to reach the heights he aspired to.
The next morning, before Reese woke up, Nie Chuan was already watching KSU’s game footage on his phone.
He watched carefully, repeatedly analyzing KSU’s teamwork and Raven Harvey’s habitual play style.
Reese woke up and saw Nie Chuan curled up on his side, holding his phone.
He ruffled Nie Chuan’s hair, pulling him into his arms. “Not having breakfast?”
Nie Chuan paused the video. Usually, Reese prepared everything, but today Reese’s ankle was injured and needed more rest.
“I’ll make breakfast!” Nie Chuan tossed his phone aside and got up.
“You mean you’re going to buy it from the school cafeteria?” Reese sat up slowly, his gaze tracing Nie Chuan’s leg lines.
He watched as Nie Chuan bent over by the bed, pulling on his pants, his waist and back forming smooth, tense lines.
Reese’s throat trembled slightly, his gaze darkening.
“Of course not the cafeteria, I’ll make it for you! It’s a new breakfast I learned!” Nie Chuan turned around with a big smile.
He took some toast, cut a square with a small knife, and pressed the square part down with a spoon, leaving a sunken shape. Nie Chuan cracked an egg into it, layered cheese on top, and put it in the microwave. After three minutes, the whole dorm was filled with the rich aroma of milk toast and cheese, making anyone’s mouth water.
Nie Chuan cut the toast diagonally with a small knife, the runny yolk almost oozing out between the bread.
“Hehe!” Nie Chuan was very satisfied with his creation and brought it to the bed. “Try it. It might not be as good as your steak sandwich, but it should taste great!”
For the first time, Reese didn’t brush his teeth or wash his face, just sat lazily on the bed. He pulled Nie Chuan close, and they leaned against each other. Reese took a bite, the cheese stretching into long strings, and even the sound of him eating became incredibly sexy.
“It’s delicious.” Reese quickly finished the whole plate of cheese toast.
Nie Chuan was happy to receive the praise.
Reese placed the plate on the bedside table, folded his legs, and propped his chin, looking at Nie Chuan. “Now, can you tell me who taught you to make this?”
Nie Chuan’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly forced a smile. “I learned it online!”
“You love eating, but you have no interest in cooking.”
Reese’s gaze was teasing.
“But making it for you is different!” Nie Chuan quickly declared his loyalty.
Reese didn’t say anything, his eyebrows slowly raising, clearly not believing Nie Chuan.
Nie Chuan was embarrassed.
Tell the truth? He’d definitely be doomed!
Not tell the truth? If Reese found out, he’d still be doomed…
He could only hope for leniency through confession…
“A fan made this cheese toast for me. I thought it tasted great, thanked her in person… then casually asked how she made it. It turned out to be so simple, so I tried making it for you…”
Nie Chuan lowered his head, Reese’s gaze was too penetrating.
“Oh, what’s the fan’s name?”
“How would I remember a fan’s name… haha…” Nie Chuan laughed awkwardly.
“You don’t remember her name but casually asked her how to make cheese toast?”
“She… you know her name…”
“Oh, what’s her name?”
“…Victoria…” Nie Chuan suddenly felt so stupid, not knowing how to change the subject.
“The one who wrote you love letters and had your name on her chest, always showing up at your games, Victoria?”
“Well, I never even read those love letters because you confiscated them… and my name wasn’t on her chest, it was on her t-shirt…”
Chest and t-shirt are two different things!
“Xiao Chuan, don’t you think you should change your bad habit of casually eating things from others?”
Reese slowly leaned in.
His hand covered Nie Chuan’s waist, slipping under his pajama hem.
Nie Chuan instantly understood what Reese wanted to do.
“I have regular training this afternoon!”
“It’s just regular training.”
So, that afternoon, Nie Chuan’s shooting posture was a bit odd.
“What’s up with Nie Chuan? Besides Ewin and Reese, isn’t his shooting accuracy the highest on our team?” Carlo looked worriedly at Nie Chuan’s back.
“Though his posture is a bit… strange, the shots are going in, right? Maybe he’s nervous since we talked to him?” Ewin said.
After Nie Chuan finished shooting and returned to Carlo and the others, Coach Gordon called him over.
This made Carlo and Ewin nervous, but Nie Chuan knew exactly what Coach Gordon wanted to say.
They went to a corner of the basketball court. Although the other teammates were still practicing, everyone’s attention was on Nie Chuan.
Coach Gordon crossed his arms, leaning against the wall. His posture was relaxed, but his expression was serious. “Have you thought it through, Nie Chuan?”
He skipped the prelude.
“If you make me a small forward, I can’t match Raven Harvey in strength.”
“Raven Harvey is a power forward. If it comes to a head-to-head battle under the basket for strength and explosiveness, we have Carlo. As a small forward, there’s only one thing you need to do.”
“Score,” Nie Chuan furrowed his brow.
“Exactly. Don’t worry, I’ll have Carlo cover you, minimizing the threat from Raven Harvey.”
“Then who’s playing point guard? KSU isn’t just about Raven Harvey. Their point guard might not be as famous as Sethston Lind, but his ball-handling skills are formidable. Plus, KSU’s small forward is top-notch, a scoring powerhouse.”
The more Nie Chuan watched the games, the more he realized how bleak their chances against KSU were without Reese.
“I’ll have Chuck take the point guard position. Chuck may not be as flashy as Connor or grow as fast as you, but he has a steady and delicate side. I trust him. I hope you trust Chuck too.”
Nie Chuan looked at the basketball court. During the team scrimmage, Chuck, Carlo, and Heishan were working well together, successfully stealing the ball from Ewin in the first minute.
“Yeah, I trust Chuck,” Nie Chuan nodded.
“Great, then it’s settled. Go back to practice.”
As Nie Chuan walked away, the assistant coach approached Coach Gordon.
“Nie Chuan is an excellent player, but he always seems to lack the desire to score and perform. He doesn’t have that killer instinct to finish off opponents,” the assistant coach said worriedly.
“But this time, he’ll develop that instinct. He’s a responsible person. Once he agrees to replace Reese, he’ll push himself to match Reese’s intensity. And if he can’t grow through the game against KSU, it’ll be tough for us to win against CBU with Owen Whishaw,” Coach Gordon squinted. “Maybe Reese’s injury is just the push he needs to grow up.”
After finishing his regular training for the day, Nie Chuan was on his way back to the dorm when he got a call from Larvin.
“Hey, dear, I heard Reese Reddington got injured. Can he play in tomorrow’s game against KSU?”
“No.”
“…Really?” Larvin’s voice dropped. “Then who’s playing small forward tomorrow?”
“Me.” Nie Chuan could already imagine Larvin’s expression.
Sure enough, he heard a sound like Larvin choking on the other end.
“You… you’re playing small forward?”
“So you think I don’t have the ability?” Nie Chuan asked with a laugh.
“Do you know what position I play on the team?”
“Small forward,” Nie Chuan replied.
“Exactly. You’ve scored on me more than once, so in terms of ability, you definitely can. But as a small forward, Allen, you have to want victory more than anyone else,” Larvin’s voice was serious and deep.
“I will, thank you.”
Because this isn’t just his battle as a small forward; he has to lead the whole team to the finals.
He wants to win the final victory with Reese.
“Remember, against Raven Harvey, don’t fight him under the basket. I’ve watched your games; you rarely shoot, so not many notice you. But when you do, your ball sense is great, and your shooting percentage is high. So look for opportunities to score.”
“Thanks for the advice. Hey, Larvin…”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t lose to AZU, and make sure to completely defeat Sethston Lind!”
“Tch, don’t worry about me. I’ll be watching your game in person tomorrow.”
Nie Chuan’s fingertips tingled with excitement, more eager than ever for tomorrow to come.
