The host announcing the cheering messages paused for a few seconds and then announced the name. Qiao Songyue?
Su Qinian slowed down his pace and scanned the area, but he didn't see Qiao Songyue.
"Qiao Songyue? She wouldn't have sneaked in again, would she?"
Lin Jinran said calmly, with no hint of emotion in her eyes, as if she were just stating an ordinary thing.
"I don't know. I haven't seen her for a long time." Su Qinian lowered his eyes. In his line of sight, a wisp of the girl's hair was gently blown up by the wind and fell in front of her ear.
He stared intently, looking very carefully.
"Forget about her. Let's hurry over there, or we'll be late."
Lin Jinran nodded and quickened her pace. Su Qinian followed closely behind.
There were a total of ten teams in this basketball game, competing in pairs.
The game venue was in the stadium. The two strongest teams would be selected in the morning, and the final would be held in the afternoon.
Lin Jinran separated from them at the entrance of the stadium. She bought a bottle of water when she came in and managed to get a seat in the first row, which was closest to the court.
Gradually, students from various classes came in.
Xie Wanyu came late. Lin Jinran saved a seat for her, right next to her.
"I can't take it anymore. The 50 - meter race nearly killed me." Xie Wanyu plopped down on the seat and fanned herself vigorously, complaining, "I'm so tired. It really tests one's explosive power. I'd rather sign up for a long - distance race than run this 50 - meter race. I've completely lost face."
Lin Jinran smiled slightly and said, "I remember you also have a 400 - meter relay race. How about we swap?"
Xie Wanyu shivered and shook her head repeatedly like a rattle - drum. "Suddenly, I think the 50 - meter race is quite good. Hehe."
"Look! The class monitor and Jiang Xiubin are coming out. They're so handsome!" Out of the corner of her eye, Xie Wanyu caught sight of Su Qinian and the others coming out. She curled her hands into the shape of a megaphone and screamed like the other cheering students.
"Of course. Qinian has always been handsome."
Suddenly, a lazy voice rang out.
Lin Jinran looked in the direction of the voice. It was Qiao Songyue.
She didn't know when Qiao Songyue had taken the seat on the left, right next to her.
"Qiao Songyue, why are you here? This is No. 1 Middle School, not No. 3 Middle School. You can't just do whatever you want." Like a mother hen protecting her chicks, Xie Wanyu quickly shielded Lin Jinran behind her and stared at Qiao Songyue warily.
Qiao Songyue glanced at her and snorted. "It's just No. 1 Middle School. It's not difficult for me to get in."
Lin Jinran remembered the basketball game at No. 3 Middle School more than half a month ago. She had gone out during the game and bumped into Qiao Songyue seemingly sharing some information with someone.
Immediately afterwards, there was the subsequent violent incident.
"Qiao Songyue, during the basketball game at No. 3 Middle School, during the halftime break of the second game, I saw you sharing my information with someone, right?"
"What? Do you mean Qiao Songyue was involved in that incident last time?" Xie Wanyu got angry all of a sudden. Her voice was sharp and shrill, attracting the attention of many students around.
Qiao Songyue's face instantly turned ugly. She stared at Lin Jinran. Her beautiful eyes were like deep, dark jade, but the jade seemed to be hidden in the deep mountains and dense forests, making it hard to see clearly.
"They just came to me to ask for information. I didn't know they would do such a thing. Lin Jinran, I didn't instruct Wei Liang at all. I'm too proud to do such a despicable thing."
"Moreover, Wei Liang and his gang are used to being brainless. Wei Liang himself relies on his brother who is a petty official in the imperial capital and acts recklessly. He doesn't know what fear is."
"You're talking nonsense. You're too proud to do despicable things? Then why did those girls who liked the class monitor get injured or transfer to another school after being warned by you? Tell me why?"
Xie Wanyu didn't believe Qiao Songyue's explanation at all and refuted her.
"How could I know why they got injured or transferred?" Qiao Songyue raised her eyebrows slightly and said casually, "Maybe they were scared and got injured absent - mindedly. Or maybe they were so scared that they transferred in a hurry."
"I'm too proud to do such a boring thing."
True or false, false or true.
Lin Jinran didn't say a word. She squinted her eyes and observed Qiao Songyue carefully.
She saw that Qiao Songyue looked lazy. She uttered each word slowly without even wrinkling her eyebrows. It didn't seem like she was faking it.
"Still saying it wasn't you. Who else could have done this if not you? You're not brave enough to admit it. What a great quality." Xie Wanyu said sarcastically.
Anger flashed in Qiao Songyue's eyes. She raised her voice. "Don't wrong me. I didn't do it, and you can't just pour dirty water on me. Have you no shame? Otherwise, I'll send you a lawyer's letter and sue you for slander!"
"You!" Xie Wanyu was about to say something else, but Lin Jinran pulled her back.
Lin Jinran whispered to comfort her. "It's okay. Don't get angry for nothing because of her. The game is about to start. Do you still want to watch your Jiang Xiubin?"
"Watch, of course I do. How could I not watch?" Xie Wanyu's anger came and went quickly. At the mention of Jiang Xiubin, she immediately sat up straight and craned her neck to look at the basketball court.
The referee introduced the two teams on the court. With a whistle, the game began.
Su Qinian scored the first basket, and the whole stadium erupted into cheers.
"Su Qinian, come on! Su Qinian, come on! Su Qinian, you're the best!"
A megaphone voice drowned out all the cheers and came out first.
The voice was as loud as a bell, resounding through the sky, and it made Lin Jinran, Xie Wanyu and the surrounding students' ears ache.
"Qiao Songyue, are you crazy? Where did you get that megaphone?" Xie Wanyu shouted.
Lin Jinran also looked at Qiao Songyue speechlessly.
She clearly hadn't seen Qiao Songyue with a megaphone before the game started.
Qiao Songyue raised her eyebrows, looking very proud.
She stared at Lin Jinran deliberately and provocatively said, "Unlike some people, even if they shout their throats out, Qinian won't hear them."
Lin Jinran had thought that Qiao Songyue would give up on Su Qinian after the last basketball game.
But now, it seemed that the more setbacks she suffered, the more courageous she became?
Lin Jinran glanced at her silently, didn't respond, and continued to look at the people on the basketball court.
Qiao Songyue was fearless, like a rose that would never wither in the fire, bright red and incredibly beautiful.
She had no scruples and rushed forward passionately. When she was sad, her family would comfort her.
In any case, Qiao Songyue had a way out.
Unlike herself, there was only confusion ahead and an abyss behind. She couldn't move forward or backward.
Actually, sometimes, Lin Jinran was really envious of Qiao Songyue, envious of her bravery, her wantonness, and her flamboyance.
She was a person favored by God.
Lin Jinran quietly watched the orange figure on the court. Her hand resting on her leg curled up slightly, which was inconsistent with her current calm expression.