Don't drool~

It was Saturday again.

Xie Yuling woke up early but lingered lazily in bed.

She picked up her phone.

"Are you going to watch Jiang Yunlu’s match today?"

She typed the message, then deleted it.

"Where are you going today? (╹▽╹)"

She typed again, then erased it once more.

"Ugh! So annoying!"

Xie Yuling grabbed a half-human-sized fox plushie and punched it hard.

Truthfully, she already knew—Lin Mo was going to watch Jiang Yunlu’s badminton match.

Jiang Yunlu had announced it openly in the group chat.

Unlike her, Jiang Yunlu had no qualms about sharing details of her interactions with Lin Mo.

Like the time Lin Mo bought her a jianbing guozi, or when he lent her a pen, or even when he helped her with a problem.

It infuriated Xie Yuling so much that she almost posted about Lin Mo coming back to spend New Year’s Eve with her.

So later, she retaliated by posting pictures of Lin Mo eating supper at her place.

And photos of the two studying together in her room.

A full-blown rivalry.

Only Chu Miaomiao enjoyed the drama.

Ding dong~

Jiang Yunlu sent another photo.

"GOGOGO, let’s go!"

The picture was taken facing the window, but since Jiang Yunlu sat in the aisle seat, Lin Mo’s profile—gazing at the scenery—was captured in the frame.

Clearly, it was intentional.

A provocation.

A blatant one.

But Xie Yuling could only fume silently. She couldn’t explode—rules were rules. The three of them had formed an alliance, and breaking it required progress first.

--System: I once saw a harem system assign its host dozens of wives, yet that host remained Xiao Chunan in the end--

Wang Yiping didn’t bar Lin Mo from attending the match just because he had beaten up Qi Tao.

Banning him would only truly offend Lin Mo.

At the moment, Jiang Yunlu and Lin Mo were sitting together.

Qi Tao was also on the bus, though much farther away.

He wasn’t competing today—he was just leading the team.

When they gathered at school earlier, Qi Tao had already spotted Lin Mo.

But he didn’t dare make a move.

After the beating, he had looked into Lin Mo’s background.

He’d defeated a drill instructor in arm wrestling, crushed local troublemakers, and most impressively, aced the city’s Olympiad math competition, earning first prize.

A prodigy like that? The school would bend over backward to keep him.

After all, if they didn’t, plenty of other schools would.

He’d also heard from other P.E. teachers that Lin Mo had forced out a basketball coach.

A G1 student driving out a tenured P.E. teacher?

No matter how justified, that wasn’t something just anyone could pull off.

Bottom line: Lin Mo was not someone to mess with.

So Qi Tao decided to steer clear of Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu for now. Once the semester ended, he’d graduate and move on to university.

A whole new world awaited him there.

With that in mind, he resolved to keep his distance.

His hands were meant for badminton, not brawls.

Still, one thing puzzled him. After the beating left him sore all over, he’d gone to his usual massage parlor.

When he took off his shirt, the masseuse couldn’t find any obvious injuries. Instead, he remarked that Qi Tao’s muscles were in great shape—many of his usual problem areas had improved significantly.

He even asked if the badminton team had some top-notch therapist.

Qi Tao was baffled.

Aside from this masseuse, he’d never had anyone else work on him.

In the end, he kept the matter to himself.

Lin Mo sat by the window, watching the bus head toward Haizhu Sports Center.

Even on weekends, the trip took an hour and a half.

Sunlight streamed through the window.

It was just past 8 a.m.—the sun wasn’t scorching yet, but it was bright enough to sting the eyes.

Suddenly, a weight settled on his shoulder. Lin Mo turned to see Jiang Yunlu.

Her head rested lightly against him, strands of hair brushing his neck, sending faint tingles across his skin.

Her uneven breathing gave her away—she was pretending to sleep.

Even her eyelashes fluttered restlessly, like a child squeezing their eyes shut when parents check if they’re asleep.

But Jiang Yunlu seemed to be struggling to suppress something.

Lin Mo understood. A faint smirk curled his lips.

He didn’t call her out. Instead, he adjusted his posture slightly, letting her lean more comfortably.

The movement made Jiang Yunlu stiffen for a second before she relaxed again.

Her head even nestled deeper into the crook of his shoulder, her breaths now more audible.

"Asleep?" Lin Mo murmured, his voice low, his breath ghosting over her ear.

Jiang Yunlu didn’t respond, though her breathing hitched briefly before steadying again.

Lin Mo didn’t press further. He reached up and tugged the curtain shut.

A moment later, he mused aloud, "Don’t drool on me if you’re really asleep."

Instantly, the head on his shoulder shifted slightly.

Her breathing faltered again.

Lin Mo chuckled but didn’t tease her further.

Somehow, Jiang Yunlu ended up genuinely dozing off.

Light filtered through the curtains.

Lin Mo lifted a hand to shield her face.

Then he sensed something—a female classmate across the aisle, phone in hand, caught in the act.

She hastily put it away.

Nothing was more awkward than getting caught taking sneaky photos.

Well, maybe walking in on the wrong room during a cheating scandal.

But Lin Mo simply averted his gaze without comment.

The ride wasn’t too long—just a trip from one district to another.

When the bus pulled into the sports center, Wang Yiping stood up.

"Alright, we’re here. Warm up as soon as you get off. These are just prelims, but I expect all of you to advance."

His words carried genuine passion. A former national team member, Wang Yiping could still play occasionally, but coaching had taken its toll on his stamina.

If he couldn’t compete himself, he’d train the next generation—for the school, for the country.

Qi Tao might have questionable character, but his skills were undeniable.

Lin Mo gently patted Jiang Yunlu’s cheek.

"Hey, sleepyhead. Wake up. You drooled on me."

Half-asleep, Jiang Yunlu jolted upright at those words.

Her first instinct was to check Lin Mo’s shoulder—thankfully, no wet spots. Otherwise, she’d never live it down.

"You liar!"

Her tiny fists thumped against his chest.

Not that it hurt.

"Alright, time to get off. You’ve got a match to play."

Lin Mo gave her shoulder a light squeeze, channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into her.

It sharpened her mind instantly.

More than that, it optimized her physical state—not beyond human limits, but enough to push her to her personal peak.