Chapter 20: Beast
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Everyone present gasped. A vertical slam dunk while throwing three players off their feet… were they actually watching a professional match? Moreover, Nie Fan was only around one point seven five meters tall—not only was he incredible for reach the basket at that height, he even sent three other players flying before forcing the dunk!
What horrific physique. It was basically a beast’s!
Meanwhile, Nie Fan had returned to the floor and was flexing his limbs, unscathed. At that level of collision, the only ones getting hurt would be Xu Hong’s team!
Wu Hongfei was standing at a corner blankly, not quite believing his eyes even as his heart roared. What a monster! Nie Fan would never have a problem making it to the professional scene!
The onlooking crowd had burst into wild discussion as well, with audible exclamations of awe from time to time.
“That is one fierce fellow!” One of the boys declared excitedly. “To think that Xu Hong’s team would be beaten so horribly… with that guy, our basketball team is definitely going to be national champions!”
“Yeah! He’s so modest too—if Xu Hong’s team didn’t foul him deliberately and anger him, he definitely wouldn’t have bothered. Before him, Xu Hong is an amateur.”
“No wonder Lin Xinyan never cared for Xu Hong. With such a great cousin, Xu Hong is just sub-par.”
“You’re being too loud. Xu Hong lost all face in today’s match… be careful, or he will come looking for you if he heard you insulting him behind his back.”
The girls were equally noisy, with a few of them who were dressed naughtily feeling especially amorous.
“So cool, I can’t stand it anymore… I want him. Don’t try to steal from me, girls!” A girl dressed in black stockings exclaimed excitedly.
“Forget it. He looks so quiet and serious—he definitely is not into flirts like you.” Another girl with a voluptuous figure mercilessly blew her off.
“That might not be the case.”
“He is so good at basketball… his chest must feel good to touch.”
“How fierce would he be at night? Actually, I won’t mind sharing with you gals.”
2
The conversation of the girls beside them was leaving Lin Xinyan utterly red-faced, and she was already cursing inwardly.
“Look! Wouldn’t it better if you let me take advantage of him than them?” Xu Xiaoshuang was chuckling at her side.
Compared to those girls, Xu Xiaoshuang was indeed much better.
“You’re no different from them.” Lin Xinyan muttered, a complicated emotion rising within her as she watched Nie Fan standing proudly at the center of the basketball court.
What did that idiot think he was doing, creating such a huge scene?
Nonetheless, Xu Xiaoshuang sniggered at her words. “Hurry, hurry, tell me what’s your cousin’s type!”
“Don’t know,” Lin Xinyan replied just a little jealously.
“I smell… strong jealousy. Could you be nursing a brother complex? And here I was thinking why you would refuse every boy’s advances! No wonder Xu Hong was so keen on stirring trouble with Nie Fan—I get it now.” Xu Xiaoshuang said as if gaining epiphany with humor in her eyes.
“Silly girl. You’re the brother complex here!” Lin Xinyan was almost gritting her teeth now.
***
Xu Hong pushed himself off the ground, holding a hand over his head but leaving one eye glaring hatefully. It was a terrible humiliation: Nie Fan had embarrassed him completely just now, and even Lin Xinyan was watching.
There is no turning back now! Someday, he would repay the humiliation he suffered with interest!
“Are you alright, Xu Hong? Sorry about just now, I forget my strength. It was a good match.” Nie Fan spoke stiffly, and anyone near him could tell that he was not apologetic at all. Still, Nie Fan was aware that he had really crossed Xu Hong from his eyes, but he was fearless—Xu Hong could challenge him as much as he liked, since Xu Hong himself started it.
Meanwhile, Xu Hong threw him a deadly glare before leaving the gym straightaway, perhaps to the nurse’s office to patch himself up. He would only earn more disdain if he burst out right then, but since revenge is a dish best served cold, he could wait.
Wu Hongfei dashed up to Nie Fan after watching Xu Hong leave. “Be careful. Xu Hong is very petty and might try something with you. Take my number, and call me as soon as you need assistance. I might not exactly be too helpful, but you would at least have support.”
“Thanks, but I don’t have a cellphone.” Nie Fan smiled. Wu Hongfei was really a good person who cares about loyalty and self-sacrifice, but Nie Fan feared no one in a fight, and he would entertain Xu Hong whatever tricks he might try.
“No… cellphone?” Wu Hongfei almost fainted right then. He could gouge his eyes out in disbelief—to think that there was someone who didn’t use a cellphone!
Nonetheless, as Xu Hong’s team left for the hospital and Nie Fan was ready to leave, a crowd of girls flocked around him.
“Handsome, how can I stay in touch?”
“Come have lunch with us. Our treat.”
Nie Fan felt dazed right then. Those girls could not be more direct in their spiciness, and he was feeling a little numb in the presence of their overt devilish suggestiveness. One of them had even reached out with a very lewd hand to touch his chest!
He felt toyed right then.
That being said, the girls mostly came from rich families and were widely sociable, maturing at the early age of seventeen or eighteen and appearing quite open-minded on certain fronts. In comparison, Nie Fan of Ningdong was very plain.
“Look, he’s blushing!”
“Tsk, tsk. Are you a virgin? Could have fooled me.” A girl wearing a short skirt said while deliberately rubbing her ample bosom on Nie Fan’s arm.
His face turned a total crimson at those words, and his head might as well be blowing out smoke.
What is this place, a cave of succubus?
1
Naturally, the ones really flirting were just a handful—the other girls were not that direct.
“Hey, hey, hey! Are you guys done? Then go home and flirt away.” Lin Xinyan scolded with her hands on her hips, before squeezing her way into the crowd and shielded Nie Fan from the front, her bold and impressive look surprising everyone.
“Come on, Xinyan. Let your cousin have a chat with us.”
“Yeah! Don’t be so dull.”
“Keep dreaming, all of you.”
Lin Xinyan frowned, before turning to Nie Fan and hissed quietly, “Hurry up, let’s go!”
With that, she pulled him toward the direction of the classroom.
Some of the girls pouted unhappily, but could only watch as Lin Xinyan dragged Nie Fan away.
“Why did you catch so much attention? Look, now you have a bunch of troublesome women all over you.” She grumbled.
“Well, I didn’t know that the other girls in your school are so passionate. That said, their figures are quite fine.” Nie Fan sniggered, suddenly feeling a heavy blow on his leg and was left gritting his teeth in pain.
Lin Xinyan was flashing a false smile. “Tell me. Which of them has the better figure?”
“I mean that they have fine figures, but they are very much lacking compared to you.” Nie Fan quickly corrected himself, albeit suddenly realizing that he might have added a little tease since he did see her naked.
Lin Xinyan clearly thought of that too, but snorted even as her cheeks became a little hot. “Try to be discreet in school from now on, or I’m telling daddy not only did you not protect me at school, you’re flirting everywhere and ignoring my wellbeing.”
“I was wrong. Won’t do it ever again,” Nie Fan said sullenly. Having basically thought of Uncle Lin as his own father, Lin Xinyan’s coercing him with Uncle Lin was definitely no different from grabbing his weakness.
“At least you understand.” Lin Xinyan found his sullen face rather funny.
It seems that only her dad could keep him on a leash.
3
***
News that an auditing student from Class One, Year Three had tormented Xu Hong on the basketball court soon spread across the school, with several busybodies recording the match between Nie Fan and Xu Hong’s teams, and those footages had quickly circulated even if everyone was avoiding using Xu Hong’s name like it was taboo. Having considered himself the only one suitable to woo Lin Xinyan, Xu Hong had made every other one of her admirers suffer and as such the hate against him was only imaginable. Still, no one could have expected that someone would finally stand up against him—and it was Lin Xinyan’s cousin no less, immediately making Nie Fan an idol in the hearts of many.
He had always kept a low profile back at Ningdong and rarely got into disputes, having no presence of existence at all to most of his classmates. He naturally was a little caught off guard, never imagining that he would suddenly be making waves after coming here. It was therefore fortunate that he wasn’t a student here and could come and go as he wanted, so it would be fine to stir some trouble.
That being said, that lass Lin Xinyan was being quite strict with him.
After the match, Xu Hong did not attend any other class. Each lesson was therefore peaceful, with Nie Fan feeling very comfortable. Still, many other students would come to talk to him during breaks, some of them girls who were rather good-looking. Be that as it may, Nie Fan would only respond nonchalantly and did not say particularly much, because he could see Lin Xinyan frequently shooting him death glares.
When the day’s classes were over, Nie Fan, Lin Xinyan and Xu Xiaoshuang walked together to the underground car depot.
“Cousin, Xinyan was saying she will introduce you a girlfriend.” Xu Xiaoshuang grinned mischievously then.
“Really? Who?” Nie Fan chuckled—there wasn’t a moment when Xu Xiaoshuang was actually serious, and he was already used to it.
“Me! What do you think? When it comes to looks, I only lose out a little compared to Xinyan in our class, but that wouldn’t disqualify me, and I’m quite confident with my figure too! So? Why not think about it?” Xu Xiaoshuang assumed a model pose where she stood. Even if she was a little short, her curves were dainty and distinct, and she certainly had the talent for further growth as a beauty.
“Alright, stop that posing. When did I ever say that I would introduce my cousin to you?” Beside them, Lin Xinyan could no longer bear to watch—Xu Xiaoshuang was indeed a beauty and had her own suitors in class, which in turn pressured her slightly. Even if she wasn’t really sure that she liked Nie Fan, she definitely thought well of him.
“But you just promised a moment ago!” Xu Xiaoshuang said and stared at Lin Xinyan with much grief, as if Xinyan had really said it.
“I never said that!” Lin Xinyan roared like a lioness.
“Fine, we’ll pretend you didn’t.” Suddenly shifting her tone, Xu Xiaoshuang simply flashed a flirty wink at Nie Fan. “I’m going home, but come look for me when you’ve made up your mind.
“I’m dying here.” Lin Xinyan was stamping her feet, but Xu Xiaoshuang had already turned and left.
Nie Fan grinned. Even if she often bickered with Lin Xinyan, he must say that Xu Xiaoshuang was quite interesting, although he certainly would not take her words seriously.
As he looked up some distance away, he found Xu Xiaoshuang getting into a Maserati convertible, its engine bellowing as it left.
Even the worst car in the depot was a luxury salon—no ordinary family could afford school fees that numbered up to a few hundred thousand after all. That was why Nie Fan believed that he would never be a suitable partner for girls like Lin Xinyan and Xu Xiaoshuang who had it all. Indeed, his greatest dream was to accomplish his father’s will and clear his family’s debts. After that, he would get himself a lady who was gentle, caring but did not have to be especially good-looking, and live a quiet, peaceful life.