Returning to '97, creating a new life

Seven o'clock in the morning.

Without Xu Kai going to the Yun family's house, Yun Shang carried the tofu pudding and fried dough sticks she bought at the entrance of the alley, took the Xu family's front door key that was on her keychain, opened the gate, and entered the courtyard.

Xu Kai heard the noise at the courtyard gate and pushed open the door. Their eyes met, and they smiled knowingly.

I get up early for you; I don't need you to come to my house and awkwardly integrate yourself.

"I'll skip breakfast for now."

"Stop... I'll go with you to the competition in Yanjing. I've already booked a room in a five-star hotel."

Faced with such a request, how could Xu Kai not pull back from the brink? They locked eyes at close range, he gently kissed her, and whispered, "Thank you."

Yunshang wrapped her arms around Xu Kai's waist, holding him tightly. This embrace was enough for them at this moment, because they both knew that they had a ritualistic explanation regarding trust and each other. There was no need for impulsive actions, no need for guessing, and no need for any taboos or concerns.

I once said that if you get into university, everything will be yours.

It's been moved up now because I don't want to wait any longer.

The situation, which had been getting increasingly tense due to the increased time the two spent alone after the college entrance exams, completely cooled down at this moment.

Both preferred to embrace quietly or sit side by side, enjoying time that belonged only to the two of them. The youthful passion couldn't be ignited, because they both knew that they longed for the day when they could give themselves completely to each other and burn out all the energy in their bodies.

When Xu Kai isn't training, the two of them spend all their time together.

While Xu Kai was training, Yun Shang, who had already obtained her driver's license, drove his car to go shopping and have fun with her best friends and classmates. Yun Shang would definitely return when Xu Kai finished training.

Within the province, Songcheng No.1 High School fought its way through the competition, winning the regional championship with almost effortless ease and advancing directly to the finals without needing to participate in additional matches.

With the summer break underway, the school and the competition organizers are covering all the students' needs for food, lodging, and transportation, giving them ample time to travel to Beijing for the finals.

Given the height issue, the school still made an effort to arrange lower and middle berths in hard sleeper berths for all team members, so that they wouldn't have to suffer in the cramped and confined upper berths.

Because of Xu Kai, the card game "Pao Da Wang" has become popular in basketball teams and even high schools. Given that everyone is very familiar with the game and the stakes are small, it is perfect as a way to pass the time. It has so much fun, and the number of cards is large enough to match the style of poker that young people like to play with lots of cards.

It's not about who plays better or who gets the biggest "bomb." It's all about the four, six, five, and six of a kind. Every time I bombard you with surprises, it's always accompanied by verbal provocation. The main point is to ask you if you're convinced. There's endless fun in playing cards with middle-aged and elderly people on the street.

On the train, as soon as they boarded, two suitcases were stacked on the floor between two berths to form a table. Four people sat on the berths on either side, and one sat in the aisle between the berths. For this entertainment after boarding, Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin brought the old man's folding stools from home, making up a suitable five positions.

Strength determines mentality. Throughout the entire regional competition, Xu Kai has not yet exerted his full strength, and Fei Wenxin even boasted that he has not used his full strength either. Hu Yuxuan and Fang Jinyao, these two guards, have made great progress in both physical fitness and shooting. As backcourt players, if any team dares to underestimate them, they will definitely show their opponents with surgical precision shooting.

Park In-ji and Yoo Da-sung were both with the group this time. The school also sent two support staff members who were responsible for logistics and taking photos and videos throughout the trip to create ample audio-visual materials for publicity. In addition, the two had some connections at the school, so this trip was essentially a publicly funded trip.

Seeing the children's energetic appearance, they also found it quite interesting. They first went to the middle bunk and lay down on the bunk to watch the game from above. After a while, they understood what was going on. They found that watching was much more interesting than participating. These kids didn't play according to the rules at all. They played randomly. If they didn't like you, they would beat you up. If they liked you in the next round, they might let you get 20 points with a single 2.

The young people never felt bored on their journey. Each of them had plenty of food brought by their families. After playing enough, they would eat something. Xu Kai even bought them a few bottles of beer so they could completely relax.

Inside the train carriage under the cover of night, most of the basketball team members were still awake. They were excited, having the opportunity to achieve their moment of glory at such a young age, and thinking of the highlights of their teammates in the previous three-on-three challenge.

Sports news from CCTV.

The basketball section of Sports Weekly was the top story of the day.

A 30-second news segment on the provincial capital's television news program.

The certificates were awarded to the school by leaders from the city's sports department and district leaders.

The honor roll at the school hung high for a month.

The campus radio broadcast the message to the entire school several times in a row.

Walking on campus, you become the center of attention.

A "celebrity" among their peers outside of school.

Everyone wants all of this. Even if you're not the most dazzling one, being able to raise the highest honor trophy together in a group photo will be the first highlight of your life.

"Don't worry, we have Brother Kai."

When Dong Bin, Fei Wenxin, and others, as eyewitnesses at the center of the storm, were asked about their experiences, they ultimately offered only one explanation: when we were unsure whether we could win, we trusted Xu Kai and believed that his rigorous training, which has yet to be replicated, would transform into a fighting force beyond our comprehension, leading us to victory.

Amid the clanging of the train, the chatter gradually faded away. In the perpetually quiet carriage, the basketball team members drifted off to sleep. In their dreams, they dominated the battlefield; in reality, they conserved their energy.

Xu Kai, after answering the phone, told Park In-ji that they didn't need to take the subway when they went out.

Right outside the train station, a tour bus was already parked in the designated area.

"Wanwan, I miss you so much."

"Yunyun, I miss you too."

Su Xingwan and Yun Shang greeted each other with a warm hug, like best friends, while Xu Kai secretly rolled his eyes at them, thinking they were two drama queens.

The two of them knew each other's true colors and were having a great time playing around. As for those lovey-dovey things, how could they compare to the fun of playing together?

The members of the Songcheng No. 1 High School basketball team, who had never met Su Xingwan before, were all stunned.

If Yunshang's beauty is universally acknowledged and even aggressive, and the boss can only admire her from afar, then apart from Xu Kai, who dared to approach her during their high school years? Every single one of them was severely punished and ended up either staying far away or becoming the boss's underlings.

Su Xingwan evokes the most beautiful fantasies deep within everyone's heart; she can perfectly replace the image of the most innocent and beautiful first love that everyone has ever imagined.

Every smile and frown tells everyone that you must protect her, cherish her, and not let her suffer any harm, otherwise you are not worthy of being a man.

"It's so beautiful." Several people were on the verge of drooling. Dong Bin and Fei Wenxin finally found their balance. You know, they weren't much better off than them back then. Now, each of them gave them a kick. It felt so good. You bunch of scraps, you still dream of toads eating swan meat. Do you even have the ability to compete?

Hu Yuxuan strode forward. He knew Su Xingwan's background and was deliberately teasing the basketball team. He was telling them that all they could do was drool, and that he was just watching him.

He opened his arms as if to give Su Xingwan a hug. He knew she wouldn't mind, as long as you didn't have any dirty thoughts. It was just a matter of courtesy or a hug between friends, and she was very accommodating.

result……

"Hahahaha..." Dong Bin, Fei Wenxin, Fang Jinyao and others were laughing hysterically. Hu Yuxuan was embarrassed. He could only awkwardly lower his arm and pretend to be normal, smiling as he said to Su Xingwan, "Wanwan, you're handsome again."

Originally, he had planned to turn the tables, but his once-unbeatable tactics were now useless. He cursed inwardly, "Fine, Su Xingwan, you bastard! You used to use me as a shield, but now you're playing these tricks on me. Don't ever come begging to me again."

Su Xingwan ignored him and instead gave Xu Kai a hug that sparked the imagination. It wasn't a polite hug; it was a very real one.

[Using a shield is no fun compared to using your own kind. When your own kind comes, I'll definitely treat them well.]

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes darting around, occasionally meeting, all conveying the same message—what's going on? Has the boss had a rival?

According to everyone's conventional understanding, if another woman showed extraordinary enthusiasm for Xu Kai, then her relationship with Yun Shang must be competitive. So why is the boss standing to the side with a maternal smile and no other reaction?

Even after boarding the tour bus brought by Su Xingwan and seeing Yunshang chatting enthusiastically with her, everyone was still confused and didn't understand the situation.

Hu Yuxuan, the only one who felt he had figured out the truth, would glance at Xu Kai from time to time. "You kid, you didn't notice anything at all, did you? How could you let the boss get so close to that Su Xingwan guy? Aren't you afraid your hometown will be robbed?"

Once again, Xu Kai looked over, seemingly unperturbed, and quietly gave him the middle finger.

Hu Yuxuan moved closer to the empty seat next to Xu Kai, sat down, and looked at him carefully again. It shouldn't be like this. How could he not see through him after so many interactions?

Xu Kai said in a low voice, "You still dare to get close to me? Aren't you afraid she'll think you're a traitor and punish you later?"

Hu Yuxuan said, "Damn, so you knew everything."

"You should really consider your luck. You'll have to draw lots. What if you end up in the same section as the affiliated high school? What will you do if you happen to be matched against them?"

Hearing this, Hu Yuxuan looked embarrassed and sighed. He could only hope that he would be lucky and not be drawn into the same half of the bracket. With the strength of the affiliated high school, he would definitely not be able to meet them, and he would not have to bear the reputation of a traitor and be booed by his former school students during the competition.

On the other side, Su Xingwan invited Yunshang to go out that evening.

"Wanwan, not tonight. I made plans with Xu Kai. Tonight is just for the two of us."

The critical strike from Yunshang did not cause much actual damage.

Su Xingwan laughed. Interesting. This is more fun. The woman I've set my sights on is indeed extraordinary. Little brat, you even know how to fight back now. Let you run the first fifty meters, and we'll take it slow.