Redemption from the Abyss: The School Beauty Insists on Pulling Me Out of the Mire

Thursday afternoon, on the top floor of the library.

Xie Wang is currently struggling with a complex dynamic programming algorithm problem.

The phone on the table suddenly started vibrating wildly.

Shen Hao: [Hurry to the basketball court! We're about to get spawn-camped!]

Shen Hao: [Song Yiben from Class 3 next door is too arrogant! He said our Class 1 is full of bookworms who only know how to study, and that the basketball court will be their Class 3's priority use from now on! How can you tolerate this?!]

Xie Wang glanced at the screen and frowned slightly.

Song Yizhi? Which school team?

Before he could reply, Shen Hao sent a voice message. The background noise was loud, but a cheerful yet somewhat provocative male voice could be vaguely heard:

"Shen Hao, stop struggling. Quickly call Xie Wang and ask him to come and see if he's as fierce on the court as he is in a fight."

Su Qinghe put down the red pen in his hand.

She looked up, glanced at Xie Wang, and then at the sweltering playground outside the window.

"Go."

She closed the book, adjusted her glasses, and spoke calmly:

"Since they specifically asked to see you, hiding isn't your style. You might as well make some contact."

Xie Wang raised an eyebrow, put his phone in his pocket, stood up and stretched his stiff neck, making a crisp cracking sound.

"Alright, then I'll go teach him a lesson."

He looked at Su Qinghe, "You..."

"I'll be there shortly."

……

Outdoor basketball court.

It was rush hour after school, and the area around the sports field was packed with people.

On the court, Shen Hao was panting heavily, his hands on his knees, but his eyes remained fierce. Standing opposite him was a boy with a buzz cut and healthy tan skin, holding a basketball in one hand and smiling broadly—it was Song Yiru.

"What do you mean? Xie Wang isn't coming?" Song slammed the ball on the ground, making a loud thud.

"Who said I wasn't coming?"

A lazy, husky voice pierced through the crowd.

Xie Wang casually walked into the court with one hand in his pocket. He took off his black windbreaker and tossed it to the chubby guy cheering him on from the sidelines. Underneath, he wore a simple black T-shirt tucked into his sweatpants, outlining the boy's lean and strong waistline.

"Oh, the main character has arrived." Song's eyes lit up, and he tossed the ball to Xie Wang.

Xie Wang caught the ball with one hand, weighed it in his hand, and a smile appeared on his lips:

"Okay, don't cry if you lose."

The whistle blew, and the game began.

The atmosphere in the entire venue was instantly ignited.

Song, as expected of a key player on the school team, possesses well-rounded skills. However, Xie Wang has a completely different style—unorthodox, fast, ruthless, and with astonishing intuition.

And today, Shen Hao seemed to be on a high.

"Bang!"

Song's shot bounced off the rim.

Shen Hao roared and used his strong body to forcefully push aside the two opposing defenders, leaping high into the air and grabbing the rebound!

"Wang Ge! Catch the ball!"

The basketball was passed to Xie Wang, who had already started his run, like a cannonball.

Xie Wang received the ball, accelerated, made a quick change of direction to shake off Song Yi, and scored with a reverse layup!

"Great shot!! Wang Ge is awesome!!"

The fat guy on the sidelines, holding a bag of potato chips, was waving his arms and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Beat them!"

For the next ten minutes, the two sides traded blows.

Xie Wang's sharp breakthroughs, combined with Shen Hao's relentless defense in the paint, kept the score close.

Sweat dripped down Xie Wang's jawline, dampening his collar, and the surging aura of hormones made many girls on the sidelines blush and their hearts race.

……

Intermission.

The intense confrontation has temporarily come to an end.

Everyone was exhausted and went to the sidelines to rest.

Just then, a girl with a high ponytail and wearing a short skirt ran over with a towel and water.

She ran straight to Song Yiru and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead in a natural and affectionate gesture.

"How are you? Are you tired?" the girl asked with a smile.

Song lowered his head and let her wipe him, a doting smile on his face: "I'm not tired. With you watching over me, how could I dare to get tired?"

"You're such a chatterbox!" The girl handed him the water. "Drink up, it's Lin Lan's special iced water!"

"Thank you, honey~"

The two flirted and teased each other without a care in the world, their open and uninhibited intimacy under the sunlight delivering a devastating blow to the single people around them.

Xie Wang stood to the side, adjusting his wristband while glancing at it.

That was Song Yiwei's girlfriend, Lin Lan.

That kind of open and aboveboard romance, where you don't have to hide, is indeed... quite enviable.

Immediately afterwards, a small figure squeezed out from the crowd.

Xu You, clutching a bottle of mineral water, her face flushed red, lowered her head and moved like a thief in front of Shen Hao.

"Shen... Shen Hao."

Xu You's voice was barely audible as she pushed up her glasses and handed over the water, saying, "Here you go."

Shen Hao was wiping sweat from his collar when he saw Xu You. He froze for a moment, then his big face instantly broke into a wide grin, and he even stammered:

"Huh? For...for me? Thank you! Thank you, Class Representative Xu!"

He took the water, turned it on, took a big gulp, and grinned foolishly, saying, "This water is so sweet!"

The surrounding classmates made a good-natured commotion, and Xu You's face turned even redder. She quickly hid behind the crowd.

At this moment, all eyes in the room were focused on Xie Wang.

Song Yi has a girlfriend who brings him water, and Shen Hao has Xu You who brings him water.

What about Xie Wang, the MVP who was the most handsome player on the field?

Several bolder girls on the sidelines held water and were itching to go forward, but they were too intimidated by Xie Wang's aura that kept strangers at bay.

Xie Wang was panting and didn't acknowledge anyone's gaze.

He simply looked quietly toward the stadium entrance.

Just then, the crowd suddenly fell silent.

The wall of people that had been tightly packed together automatically parted to both sides.

A cool, aloof figure walked in.

Su Qinghe was wearing a neat school uniform, and her high ponytail was tied up meticulously.

She held an unopened bottle of pink sea salt lychee soda in her hand, followed by Lin Lu, who was watching the show with an excited expression.

On this sweaty and sweltering court, she was as clean as a handful of snow, standing out from her surroundings yet extremely eye-catching.

"Oh my god, it's Su Qinghe..."

"Why is she here?"

"It can't be..."

Under the watchful eyes of hundreds of people in the audience.

Su Qinghe walked straight past the girls holding bottled water without glancing to the side, and stood in front of Xie Wang.

Xie Wang looked at her, his originally cold and stern gaze softened instantly, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up.

Su Qinghe stopped in his tracks.

She looked at the boy in front of her, who was covered in sweat and exuded heat and wildness.

Then, she reached out and handed over the bottle of pink soda.

"Finish it."

Su Qinghe's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, cool, and pleasant enough for those around him to hear clearly:

"If we lose the second half, we'll have to practice two extra sets of test papers tonight."

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Then a suppressed scream erupted.

"Holy crap! It really is for Xie Wang!"

"Goddess Su personally delivered the water!"

Xie Wang chuckled softly.

He took the water, lowered his head slightly, and leaned closer to Su Qinghe. A roguish smile played in his dark eyes as he spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Thank you, Teacher Su."

Xie Wang tilted his head back and took a big gulp.

The cool, fizzy soda water rolled down my throat, suppressing the heat, but igniting another fire in my heart.

He casually placed the remaining half-bottle of water on the ground, glancing arrogantly at Song Yiru, who was watching him with a gossipy expression not far away.

Thanks.

Xie Wang turned and ran back onto the field, waving his hand with his back to Su Qinghe:

"Watch closely, I'm definitely going to win the second half."

Watching this scene, Song whistled and shouted to Xie Wang:

"Wow, bro! School beauty Su personally brought me water, that's better treatment than mine! I'm so jealous!"

Xie Wang smiled, his eyes sharp as knives:

"Enough talk, let's fight."

On that day on the basketball court, Xie Wang was like a tireless war god.

It's not just about winning.

More importantly, it was because of the gaze fixed on him from behind.