Xiu Gou's Taming Record

Chapter 119 A Different Ending

The final of the freshman basketball tournament was scheduled for 3 p.m. on Monday. Ten minutes before the start, the stands were already packed with people.

The dance department was full of girls, and their voices were sharp, bright, and extremely penetrating when they shouted slogans.

Their male-to-female ratio is almost 1 to 9. It's something to be proud of that they were able to select a few boys to play basketball and even make it to the finals.

Yu Heng squatted on the sidelines tying his shoelaces, seemingly without any pressure.

In my previous life, this final was also against the dance department. Losing would have been normal, winning would have been even better.

He glanced up at the audience seats on the dance department side, where He Mengyao was sitting in the first row, wearing their system's standard T-shirt and holding a plastic clapper.

She was talking to the girl next to her with a smile on her lips and her eyes crinkling.

Yu Heng looked away and heard his teammates shouting behind him.

Hao Junran patted Wang Shuo on the shoulder and said not to be nervous. Wang Shuo's ears turned a little red and he responded with "uh-huh".

The referee blew the whistle, and the players from both sides entered the field.

At the opening tip-off, the ball was tipped to Yu Heng, who caught it and dribbled it across half-court.

The dance department's defensive formation was spread out, with two defenders closing in from the left and right.

Yu Heng didn't rush to break through, but passed the ball to Hao Junran on the wing.

Hao Junran raised his hand and shot, the three-pointer arcing through the air.

Tsk, too bad it didn't go in.

It's time to strike!

The rebound was grabbed by the dance department's center, who then made a long pass to the frontcourt.

They were very fast, and with just a few passes, they reached the basket and easily scored with a layup.

2:0.

A cheer erupted from the sidelines, and the dance students jumped up, clapping their plastic hands loudly.

Yu Heng licked his lips; it had started the same way in his previous life.

The dance department scored first; they weren't really in form.

He dribbled past half-court, and the opposing guard closed in again, his arm outstretched so long it almost poked his face.

Yu Heng shielded the ball with his body, glancing towards the sidelines.

Ning Yutong and Shen Yueling sat together in the middle of the stands.

Ning Yutong clasped her hands in front of her chest, her eyes fixed on the field.

Shen Yueling sat next to her, her expression indifferent, but her back ramrod straight.

A few rows back, Bai Xinran squeezed together with her roommate.

She actually wore a skirt today?

A light blue denim skirt, slightly above the knee.

She seemed uncomfortable, constantly tugging at her skirt while sitting.

Qin Lu and Qin Ya sat in the corner. Qin Lu had let her hair down today, making her look softer than usual.

Qin Ya whispered something in her ear, and Qin Lu shook her head, but the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

Yu Heng looked away, made a change of direction, shook off the defender, and broke through to the vicinity of the free throw line.

The opposing center came over to help defend, and he pulled up for a jump shot.

Goal!

4:2.

At halftime, they were down by eight points, just like in their previous life.

Their games use a two-game format, instead of four quarters.

Yu Heng walked to the sidelines, took the water bottle handed to him by his teammate, and tilted his head back to gulp down a few mouthfuls.

Sweat streamed down his chin and dripped onto the collar of his jersey.

"Tighten the defense!" the coach yelled. "Don't let them cut in so easily!"

Yu Heng wiped his face with a towel.

He glanced at the audience opposite him and saw He Mengyao chatting and laughing with the girl next to her, her eyes narrowed into slits.

She seemed to sense the gaze, turned her head, and met Yu Heng's eyes for a second.

She paused for a moment, then looked away.

The second half begins.

He dribbled the ball across half-court, and the opposing guards closed him down even tighter.

Yu Heng protected the ball, turned around, squeezed through the gap, and headed straight for the basket.

The opposing center forward stood in the penalty area with his arms outstretched.

Yu Heng jumped, his body tilting in the air, and sent the ball upward with his right hand.

When my foot landed, I stepped on something soft.

He heard a soft cracking sound, followed by excruciating pain. Yu Heng curled up on the ground, clutching his right ankle.

Damn, this is so different from my past life.

The scene was chaotic. The referee blew his whistle, and his teammates surrounded him. The center from the dance department raised his hand as if to say that he did not do it on purpose.

Yu Heng gritted his teeth and tried to move his ankle.

A sharper pain shot through him, and he gasped for breath.

The medical team ran over carrying their kits and squatted down beside him: "Can you move?"

Yu Heng tried to rotate his ankle; he could move it, but every movement made him wince in pain.

Yu Heng was helped up by his teammates, his left foot supporting him on the ground, but he dared not put his right foot on the ground.

He hopped to the sidelines on one leg, and the coach greeted him: "How was it?"

"It's no use," Yu Heng said, "I can't go on."

The coach looked grim, but didn't say anything. He patted him on the shoulder and said, "Go and rest."

Wang Shuo was substituted into the game.

As he ran past Yu Heng, he whispered, "Get some rest."

Yu Heng was helped to sit down on the bench, and the medical team brought ice packs to apply to his ankles.

The stinging sensation was suppressed a little by the coolness, but the pain was still there, throbbing in waves.

He looked up at the field and saw Wang Shuo making a run, his movements a little stiff, with Hao Junran providing cover for him.

Yu Heng closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yu Heng!"

He heard someone calling him urgently.

Opening her eyes, Ning Yutong rushed down from the audience seats, running so fast that she almost tripped.

She rushed to the bench, squatted down in front of him, and stared wide-eyed.

"You...your foot..." her voice trembled violently, "Does it hurt?"

Yu Heng looked at her.

Ning Yutong's face was frighteningly pale, completely devoid of color.

His brows furrowed together, forming a knot.

His mouth was slightly open, and the corners of his lips were trembling, as if he wanted to speak but couldn't.

She stared at his ankle, her eyes unblinking, until her eyes slowly reddened.

Yu Heng suddenly remembered Liu Jianfen; Liu Jianfen had the same expression when his brother had the accident.

"It's nothing," he said. "I just twisted my ankle."

"But...but you were curled up on the ground just now..." Ning Yutong's voice trembled even more, "I thought...I thought..."

She thought he had a broken bone, that he was badly injured; her hands were still shaking.

"It's really nothing," he said again. "It'll be fine in a couple of days."

Ning Yutong looked at him, her eyes becoming increasingly moist.

She bit her lip, suppressing the tears, and then nodded vigorously.

"Okay," she said. "Then...you shouldn't move, just keep applying the compress."

Shen Yueling and Bai Xinran also came over. Shen Yueling stood behind Ning Yutong, glanced at Yu Heng's ankle, and said nothing.

Bai Xinran squatted down, her expression somewhat grave, and touched the ice pack: "It's swollen."

"Mm," Yu Heng replied.

Qin Lu and Qin Ya also walked over from the audience.

Qin Lu glanced at his foot and frowned: "Is it serious?"

"It's just a sprain," Yu Heng said.

Qin Ya leaned closer and said, "Brother, that was really scary."

Yu Heng twitched the corner of his mouth but didn't reply.

He turned to look at the field; the game was still going on, and their department was already trailing by almost twenty points.

Wang Shuo was trying his best to defend, but the dance students were too fast for him to keep up with.

When the final whistle blew, the score was 68-52.

Although they lost again, the score was different from the ending in the previous life.

The teammates walked off the field dejectedly. Hao Junran patted Wang Shuo on the shoulder and said, "You played well."

Yu Heng tried to stand up, but as soon as his right foot touched the ground, he stumbled. Ning Yutong immediately supported him, saying, "Let me help you."

As he walked toward the locker room, he saw He Mengyao standing not far away.

Yu Heng was taken aback because He Mengyao's eyes looked somewhat familiar.

There was heartache, worry, and even a hint of blame in his eyes.

That doesn't seem like how He Mengyao should look at him now.