A crowd quickly gathered around.
Zhang Chen tossed the basketball to Xu Mu. "Brother Xu, you go first. Same as I said—spot you three points. First to five wins."
"Whether you spot me or not, the result will be the same."
Xu Mu casually dribbled.
He actually liked "dribbling"—just… usually not this kind of ball.
Ever since becoming a martial artist, his speed, reflexes, and bodily control had far surpassed an ordinary person's.
How could Zhang Chen compare?
"Everyone! I'm having a man-to-man showdown with Brother Xu. Whoever loses will walk a wide circle around Ye Yu from now on—or else he's a dog!"
After blurting it out, he thought it sounded pretty rhythmic. Maybe he had some rap talent besides basketball.
He said it on purpose for a reason: to keep Xu Mu from denying it later.
With so many witnesses, even for the sake of face, Xu Mu wouldn't dare pester Ye Yu again.
"Agreed," Xu Mu nodded lightly. "Let's begin."
People around were chuckling; everyone thought they knew how this would end.
Maybe this guy was someone Zhang Chen had found just to help him show off.
After all, almost no one at school could beat Zhang Chen.
At midcourt, Xu Mu held the ball. Zhang Chen bent slightly, ready to poke it loose at any time.
Xu Mu bounced twice—then rose straight up for a shot.
Zhang Chen was startled. A midcourt shot?
And from Xu Mu's confidence… had he run into a real expert?
Ye Yu's eyes widened too. Was Xu Mu hiding his skills? Was he actually good at basketball?
Then again, it made sense—he was that strong in that department. His physique shouldn't be weak.
[Favorability +10]
Just as her Favorability ticked up, the ball clanged—then thudded to the floor. Classic airball.
[Favorability -10]
Ye Yu rolled her eyes. That was a total wild throw. Could he even play basketball?
The onlookers burst out laughing. Their initial tension seeing the face-off vanished—so he was a rookie after all.
Zhang Chen smirked. For a moment, Xu Mu had spooked him.
"Brother Xu, my turn!"
Ball in hand, and with so many people watching, it was the perfect time to show off a dunk.
He lowered his stance, then exploded past Xu Mu's left side.
Right then, Xu Mu pulled out his phone—the call was from Lu Xueyao.
Ye Yu was about to explode. What was Xu Mu doing?
Was he so eager to pawn her off just because she'd benefitted from him?
They were in the middle of a match—and he was checking his phone.
But then something happened that stunned everyone present.
Zhang Chen rose high, ready for a picture-perfect dunk—when he realized someone had appeared in front of him.
That someone blocked his shot with one hand—while holding a phone in the other.
Bang!
The ball hit the floor, then bounced out of bounds.
The whole court went silent—then erupted.
"Did you see that? His head went above the rim!"
"That's not the point—the point is he did it while on the phone! "
…
Ye Yu's eyes sparkled. What was happening?
Xu Mu… actually looked pretty cool!
[Favorability +15]
Especially in a suit—moving like that made him even more attractive.
Some girls in the crowd screamed.
Jaw tight, Zhang Chen forced himself to calm down. "Brother Xu, your ball."
He'd gotten overeager just now. If he'd just taken a three, he would've scored.
"Xueyao, wait at the school gate. I'll be right there."
Xu Mu hung up and slipped the phone away.
At midcourt again, he took a couple of easy dribbles—and shot from midcourt again.
Zhang Chen's expression was ice-cold. What was this guy trying to pull—make him fetch the ball?
"Holy—! It went in!"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Zhang Chen froze. What was that?
Luck?
Most people figured it was luck. Only Xu Mu knew it was just body control.
That first shot had already let him gauge the ball's weight and the rim's distance.
This time he used the exact same motion—just a touch more force—and it dropped.
"Continue."
Xu Mu glanced at him calmly.
Zhang Chen drew a deep breath. "Brother Xu, I'm getting serious!"
He burst left again—only for the ball to pop free without his knowing.
Xu Mu, behind him, had nudged it out from under his arm.
"My turn."
Xu Mu took the ball, patted it twice, and launched another midcourt shot.
He didn't even watch—just slipped both hands into his pockets and walked toward Ye Yu on the sideline.
"Counting the three you spotted me, that makes five. From now on, stay away from Ye Yu—or I won't be polite."
As his words fell, the ball swished through the net.
The onlookers were dumbstruck. A real man doesn't need to look to see the shot go in?
This was absurdly strong.
Zhang Chen stood there, head lowered, speechless. Was Xu Mu a monster?
[Favorability +10]
Xu Mu noticed the black text pop above Ye Yu's head, then checked his Justice tally—the girl's Favorability had finally turned positive.
Ye Yu was Destiny Level 9; anything from her got multiplied ninefold.
Just 10 points of Favorability had converted into 90 Fate Points—almost enough for another draw.
"Brother-in-law, you're amazing!"
Ye Yu hugged his arm, grinning from ear to ear.
Thinking that Zhang Chen wouldn't be bothering her anymore made her downright giddy.
"Basic ops," Xu Mu said coolly. "Come home with me."
…
At the school gate, Lu Xueyao spotted Xu Mu from afar.
At 1.85 meters, he stood out in any crowd.
She opened her mouth to call him—then noticed the "little potato" beside him: Ye Yu.
Ye Yu was holding onto Xu Mu's arm, looking up and chattering with a sweet dimple flashing.
Xu Mu also saw Lu Xueyao and her grandmother.
He immediately leaned down to tell Ye Yu, "In a minute, say you're my blood sister, okay?"
"Planning to cheat on the sly?" Ye Yu narrowed her eyes, then followed his gaze and saw Lu Xueyao.
"I just don't want to worry her grandma," Xu Mu said softly.
If the old lady learned he was married and Lu Xueyao still wouldn't give up, she'd never approve.
That could drive a wedge between the two.
They walked up to Lu Xueyao and Wang Xiuzhen. Xu Mu spoke first: "Grandma, sorry to keep you waiting. Let's get in the car."
Wang Xiuzhen glanced curiously at Ye Yu. "And this is…?"
"My younger sister. I came to attend her parent meeting today." Xu Mu ruffled Ye Yu's hair with a smile.
"Hello, Grandma," Ye Yu chimed sweetly.
"Oh, I see." Wang Xiuzhen nodded, smiling.
With Xu Mu and Lu Xueyao helping her into the back seat, the old lady sat down. Ye Yu and Lu Xueyao got in as well.
They drove off without much small talk.
First they took Wang Xiuzhen home.
Xu Mu was about to say goodbye, but Ye Yu spoke up first: "Grandma, I want to go out and play with Lu Xueyao for a bit. Is that okay?"
She figured this was the perfect chance—right in front of Xu Mu—to make things clear and send this "homewrecker" away from her brother-in-law.
"Of course. Just come back early," Wang Xiuzhen said, thinking it'd be good for her granddaughter to bond with her future sister-in-law.
Once the three of them left together, Ye Yu still clung to Xu Mu's arm.
Seeing that, Lu Xueyao hooked her hand around his other arm as well.
Being escorted by two bright, beautiful girls on either side, Xu Mu felt awkward—he could already guess what Ye Yu had in mind.