Chapter 29

Chapter Twelve: Faint

Over the past few days, Wen Liang's performance had left Ning Xiaoning in awe. Whether it was his decisiveness in intercepting the ball, his accuracy in shooting, his swift advances, or his meticulous defense, his skills had improved at an astonishing rate. His body coordination was excellent, and his flexibility was the best Ning Xiaoning had ever seen. Not to mention his physical strength; even a casual bump on the shoulder left her in pain for two days.

During a training session, the glass door of the basketball gym was pushed open, and four tall, muscular boys walked in. One of them, with a face full of scars, walked while cursing, "I want to see who's so blind as to occupy the sports department's training ground!" When he saw the two girls, his eyes lit up, and he immediately put on what he thought was a charming smile, "Ha, I see, it's the beauties who have honored us with their presence. You should leave, you should leave."

This guy had poor eyesight. Only after he finished speaking did he notice Wen Liang. Since they were all basketball players, he could tell from the stance that this dark-skinned boy had a special relationship with the two beauties. His expression changed again, and he scowled, "Which department are you from? The basketball gym has been requisitioned by the sports department. No one else is allowed in, so leave quickly!"

The quick change in his attitude clearly demonstrated a principle: in this era, the appeal of single beauties surpassed that of married women. In the future, the difference between single and married women would not be so significant, and both groups would have large followings.

Ning Xiaoning and Xu Yao were drinking water and wiping sweat, not even standing up. Wen Liang smiled bitterly and stepped forward to act as a buffer: "We are freshmen from the foreign language department. We saw the door open and came in to play. Senior, don't misunderstand, we really didn't know this was the sports department's..."

The two girls behind him snorted loudly.

The scar-faced man, seeing Wen Liang's compliance, showed a look of disdain that could be seen from a mile away. A lecherous-looking guy behind him laughed softly, "What a wimp, these days beauties are all blind." He deliberately tried to disgust Wen Liang, pretending to lower his voice, but his words were just loud enough for Wen Liang and the two girls to hear.

The scar-faced man was about to wave them away, but after hearing the lecherous man's words and seeing the two beauties glaring at the wimp, he changed his mind: "So you're freshmen, no wonder these beauties look unfamiliar. This is our first meeting. Actually, it's not a big deal. The court is big enough; a few more people won't make a difference. But..." He glanced at the two girls on the ground, and the lecherous man immediately chimed in, "If these two girls can sing karaoke with us, everything will be fine."

Karaoke had just become popular in Qingzhou. Not only in professional venues, but even on the streets at night, crowds of men and women would gather, holding cheap microphones and singing along to the MTVs on TV, quickly becoming one of the three famous places for dating, alongside dance halls and bars.

Ning Xiaoning suddenly stood up, revealing her smooth, long legs in her short shorts. The scar-faced man was stunned, swallowing hard. They were used to flirting with girls in school, but they didn't really mean to do anything. The quality of students in this era was generally good, but the four of them had been admitted to the teacher's college on sports scholarships, and their academic performance directly reflected their personal cultivation. They had never encountered such high-quality girls like Ning Xiaoning and Xu Yao, and their blood rushed to their heads, making them act without thinking. Taking advantage of the freshmen's naivety, they spoke without restraint. The scar-faced man stared at Ning Xiaoning and said, "Beauty, if you sing with us once, I guarantee no one in the college will dare to bother you." He pointed at Wen Liang and mocked, "You submit to us, but following him will only get you bullied."

This time, even Xu Yao stood up. Ning Xiaoning ignored them, just giving Wen Liang a cold look and taking a step forward to act. She came from a military family and had never been afraid of anything. Behind her, Wen Liang's lazy voice said, "I suddenly feel the air quality has gotten really bad since you guys came in!"

Ning Xiaoning knew Wen Liang's skills and relaxed, letting go of her fist and standing still.

Wen Liang had initially wanted to talk them out of it, prioritizing safety on someone else's turf. However, the scar-faced man, as a college student, spoke without any tact, making Wen Liang furious. He walked over with a smile. Xu Yao stood to the side, waving her hand in front of her nose and wrinkling her cute nose, "Not just bad, it's downright stinky!"

Wen Liang praised her silently, "Senior, why don't you go back where you came from? This place has been requisitioned by the foreign language department."

The scar-faced man was still lost in the moment of seeing the beauties and didn't react. The other three, who had been staring at the girls, couldn't help but point at Wen Liang and start cursing.

"Damn, a freshman dares to talk to us like that? Do you want to practice standing on your head in the dorm tonight?"

"Trying to mess with us? Kid, today you'll see how we beat you so badly your mom won't recognize you!"

"Why bother with words? A slap will make him behave."

The scar-faced man's face turned green. People from the sports department were always domineering, and no one had dared to speak to him like that in the college for a long time. He stepped forward, pointed at Wen Liang, and shouted, "Who do you think you are? I'm talking to the beauties, and you dare to interrupt?" He grabbed Wen Liang's collar with one hand and punched at his face with the other. The punch was swift and fierce; if it landed, it would at least cause a bloody nose.

Impulsiveness is the devil!

Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning exchanged glances, both feeling uneasy. Although Wen Liang was skilled, the four opponents were tall and strong, and people from the sports department were used to fighting. They might be at a disadvantage. Ning Xiaoning was about to rush over to help, but Xu Yao held her back, her eyes fixed on the scene, "I know him. He definitely doesn't want us to take risks. It's fine, I trust him!"

Ning Xiaoning saw the determination and trust in Xu Yao's eyes, and something in her cold heart was touched. She turned to look at the dark-skinned, ordinary boy and said softly, "Be careful!"

Wen Liang let out a "Oh!" and awkwardly dodged the punch, grabbing the man's wrist and pulling him forward. The scar-faced man felt a strong force from his arm, causing him to fall forward. Wen Liang had bent his knee, and it was right in the path of the man's fall.

"Bang!"

The collision between the knee and the stomach produced a sound like a heavy hammer hitting a drum. The scar-faced man's eyes widened, his hands clutched his stomach, his mouth opened wide, and he let out a silent scream. His face was contorted in pain, but the shock and frustration in his heart were even greater. This wimp who had submitted at the start, this guy he had barely glanced at, was actually so strong? The force from his arm was undeniable, a powerful, irresistible force!

Wen Liang calmly retracted his knee, and the scar-faced man fell to the ground. He clapped his hands and smiled at the other three, who were stunned, "I'm nothing, but I happen to be the guardian of these two beauties..."

"Phew!"

The two girls spat at him, one smiling and the other still cold, but both felt relieved.

The lecherous man gave a signal to the other two, and they all roared and pounced. Wen Liang punched and kicked, quickly taking them down. He then dragged the lecherous man to Ning Xiaoning and smiled, "He spoke rudely first. You can take your revenge."

Ning Xiaoning said coldly, "I don't want to dirty my hands."

"Actually, he did say something that made sense," Wen Liang said.

Ning Xiaoning remained silent, but Xu Yao, who was good at playing along, asked, "What did he say?"

"Being a smartass, a slap will make him behave." Wen Liang's eyes flashed with a fierce look, and he suddenly slapped the man hard.

"Slap!"

Instantly, five red marks appeared on the lecherous man's face, and his cheek swelled up, but he didn't dare to resist.

Wen Liang kicked each of the four in the buttocks and told them to get lost. They limped out, and at the door, the scar-faced man turned and said fiercely, "Kid, you better watch out, don't run!"

Wen Liang made a move to chase them, and they all ran away. Xu Yao didn't take it seriously; she had practiced boxing since childhood and had been in more fights than Wen Liang in two lifetimes. She picked up the ball and started playing. Ning Xiaoning, however, suddenly stood in front of Wen Liang, her face flushed, and said coldly, "Thanks!"

She knew that Wen Liang wasn't the type to provoke trouble, but he had fought for her and even considered her feelings by slapping that man. This care was something she had never felt before, except from Xu Yao.

Wen Liang smiled, and the ordinary boy looked somewhat sunny, "You're welcome!"

Xu Yao and Ning Xiaoning sat on the ground drinking water, while Wen Liang practiced free throws. A serious person is the most charming. The 16-year-old boy performed his actions meticulously, and water droplets occasionally ran down his short black hair, dripping onto the floor with a "plop" as he jumped. Xu Yao nudged Ning Xiaoning and said softly, "What are you looking at, Ning Ning? Do you think he's a bit different now?"

Ning Xiaoning nodded and suddenly said, "Yao Yao, tell me about what happened after you met him. I didn't hear much before." Xu Yao had already told Ning Xiaoning about her encounters with Wen Liang, but at that time, Wen Liang was a distant figure, and Ning Xiaoning hadn't paid much attention. She had only investigated Wen Liang out of responsibility for Xu Yao, leading to the later testing incident.

Xu Yao looked at Wen Liang's back, a faint smile on her face, and said, "That day I went to No. 7 Courtyard to find Aunt Yun, and I happened to see a silly boy jumping around in the sun..."

Xu Yao's voice was soft and sweet, as if she was savoring the memories. When she talked about the jewelry store incident, her eyes showed fear, and when she talked about the trip to the reservoir, her cheeks blushed slightly. That day, the two of them had let go of the steering wheel and raced down the hill, like two streaks of light in the colorful season, a memory that would never fade.

Ning Xiaoning looked at the simple Xu Yao and suddenly felt a sense of melancholy. She thought about how the Gu family had shamelessly pushed Gu Wen yuan into Class 7, and her own elders seemed to approve, making her even more restless. In most people's eyes, Gu Wen yuan was handsome, tall, and well-mannered, with few of the typical vices of a rich kid. His academic performance, though not the best, was still respectable, making him a favorite among friends and elders.

Compared to him, Wen Liang, in old-fashioned terms, was just a nobody!

Ning Xiaoning wasn't really clear about the dirty deeds Gu Wen yuan did in private, just rumors, but that didn't stop her from disliking him. Women, or rather, little girls, trust their instincts. Every time she saw Gu Wen yuan's gentle smile and handsome face, she couldn't help but want to spit at him.

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