Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and before anyone knew it, the school sports festival was just around the corner.
But Lin Mo was swamped.
He had signed up for the mixed doubles badminton event while also stepping in to replace Ma Li in basketball.
Luckily, basketball was the easier of the two. Lin Mo didn’t need to play the entire game—only if their team was falling behind would he be called in.
For the mixed doubles, Lin Mo mainly played a supporting role, covering shots that Jiang Yunlu couldn’t reach.
Jiang Yunlu was the primary scorer.
But she didn’t seem exhausted by it.
To everyone else, it looked like Jiang Yunlu was carrying the team, earning her the MVP title while Lin Mo was just along for the ride.
The matches followed a best-of-three format.
Jiang Yunlu swept their opponents with a clean 2-0 victory.
After the match, a breathless Jiang Yunlu dug into her bag and pulled out a sports drink, handing it to Lin Mo first.
The onlookers gritted their teeth in envy, wishing they could take Lin Mo’s place.
Only Huang Xilin, standing far away, didn’t spare them a glance.
Others might not have known, but he was well aware—Lin Mo was an exceptional badminton player. He just couldn’t be bothered to show off, or perhaps he was deliberately holding back.
Thankfully, Lin Mo hadn’t entered the men’s singles event. Otherwise, he might have dethroned the school’s top-ranked player.
Lin Mo took the drink, twisted the cap off without hesitation, and handed it back to Jiang Yunlu.
She blinked in surprise.
"What? Didn’t you want me to open it for you?"
Jiang Yunlu quickly caught on, her eyes curving into crescents as she laughed. "Thanks~"
"No problem."
Then she handed the drink back to him.
Lin Mo grabbed it and immediately turned to leave. "Alright, I’m heading to the basketball court now. No idea how they’re doing over there."
"Got it. I’ll catch up later," Jiang Yunlu nodded. She still had to wait for the next match schedule.
Lin Mo arrived at the basketball court.
The crowd here was noticeably larger—after all, the gym had proper seating for spectators.
Since basketball was played by class, most students came to cheer for their own teams.
After the preliminary rounds, matches would be played in four full quarters.
Lin Mo and the others quickly found their way to Class 8’s section.
Fang Jun and the team spotted Lin Mo and immediately rushed over.
"Old Mo, hurry! Get on the court now!"
"What’s going on? Why the rush?"
Lin Mo twisted open his drink and took a sip, his spiritual sense already scanning the scoreboard.
47 to 25.
Class 8 had only managed 25 points.
No wonder Fang Jun was so frantic—they were getting crushed. But it was only the second quarter.
Lin Mo wasn’t worried. He glanced at the opposing team’s name—Class 18.
He didn’t know much about them, though.
Ma Li, still nursing an injured foot, stood up when he saw Lin Mo arrive.
"Lin Mo, you’re finally here. They’re struggling hard out there."
Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.
Truthfully, it was Su Mingzhao who was having a rough time. The opposing team had three players from the school basketball team, and all three knew Su Mingzhao’s playstyle inside out.
Worse, these were the same three who had beaten Su Mingzhao up in that alleyway.
So Su Mingzhao was playing hesitantly, completely out of his element.
"He’s lost all his edge. None of that untamed fire from before."
Lin Mo had always preferred Su Mingzhao’s old, rebellious attitude.
But facing these three, he looked more like a lone wolf.
The other four players couldn’t do much to help either.
"Surrounded on all sides."
Lin Mo reached out and patted Ma Li’s shoulder.
Ma Li instantly understood.
He raised his hand and shouted, "Time-out!"
Each team had five time-outs, and substitutions could be made during them.
Only then did the players on the court notice Lin Mo.
In an instant, all five pairs of eyes lit up.
Su Mingzhao even walked straight off the court.
"Sub me out."
But before he could finish, Lin Mo clamped a hand on his shoulder.
"What’s this? Giving up already?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m just tired."
Su Mingzhao grabbed a water bottle from the bench, took a few gulps, and poured some over his head.
"If only your mentality was half as tough as your mouth."
"My mentality’s fine," Su Mingzhao retorted stubbornly.
"Play with me, and we’ll crush them. Don’t you want that?"
Lin Mo coaxed him like the devil himself.
Su Mingzhao panted heavily.
He looked up at Lin Mo. "Can we win?"
"Have you ever seen me lose?"
"But you’re ranked second in the school."
Lin Mo’s face flushed red. "A scholar’s pride isn’t measured by rankings!"
"Fine, forget it. Gao Yuanqiang, come on! I’ll show you how to dominate. You’ll be unstoppable with the ladies after this."
Gao Yuanqiang grinned. "Well, if you insist."
With that, he jogged onto the court.
Su Mingzhao hesitated, glancing at the three opponents resting on the other side.
One of them noticed his gaze and drew a finger across his throat in a taunting gesture.
Rage +10. Fear +20.
"Su Mingzhao, are you seriously this spineless?"
Without another thought, Lin Mo strode to the bench, grabbed Su Mingzhao, and hauled him up.
"Show me that ruthless side! I want to see the untamed Su Mingzhao again—or are you just a bully who folds under pressure?"
Lin Mo tossed Su Mingzhao onto the court.
Jiang Daming watched with a headache, but this was Class 8’s business. They’d have to handle it themselves.
After Coach Long left, another PE teacher with basketball knowledge had taken over temporarily.
That was the only reason Su Mingzhao and Ma Li were still on the school team.
But Su Mingzhao had become an isolated figure—no one trained with him, and the team had fallen apart.
Su Mingzhao slid several meters across the polished hardwood before stopping.
Yet he got back up, no longer asking to be subbed out.
The player who had replaced Ma Li quickly stepped off the court.
Lin Mo walked onto the court and smirked at the three opponents.
"School team, huh? Perfect. I specialize in beating school teams."
Their expressions darkened. They knew all about Lei Qi’s fate, but they hadn’t expected Lin Mo to be this brazen.
The Class 18 crowd erupted in boos at Lin Mo's provocation.
But the moment the ball was in play—
Gao Yuanqiang passed it straight to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo darted past two defenders with ease, leaped, and scored a layup.
Still, they had a 20-point deficit to close.
As Lin Mo sprinted back, he felt three pairs of eyes locking onto him, clearly wary of his steals.
But in a ten-player game, dedicating three defenders to one man was a losing strategy.
The ball was stolen—but this time, it was Su Mingzhao who made the play.
His skills were undeniable—dribbling, shooting, all top-notch.
Su Mingzhao planted himself just beyond the three-point line, jumped, and released the ball.
Swish.
47 to 30.
The gap was shrinking.
The three opponents instantly realized their mistake.
Two of them exchanged glances before turning to the third.