Elbow

The relationship between Lin Yu and Tao Yaoyao couldn't be considered friendship; they had just crossed paths a few times, so they weren't exactly strangers either.

After giving a brief response, Lin Yu continued playing ball with the others.

In a close-contact, confrontational sport like basketball, some bumps, elbows given and received are unavoidable.

However, if someone is deliberately targeting you, specifically trying to elbow you, that's pretty easy to sense.

And now, Lin Yu had encountered such a person. This guy's elbowing had nothing to do with the ball; it felt like he was elbowing just for the sake of elbowing.

After having the ball elbowed away from him yet again, Lin Yu frowned and looked at the guy, who had just taken a shot and missed.

Turning around, the man met Lin Yu's gaze. His expression was cocky, his eyes full of resentment and provocation, clearly saying, "Yeah, I elbowed you, so what?"

Seeing that look, Lin Yu's temper instantly flared.

You son of a...

Looking for an elbow, huh?

Just you wait!

From then on, Lin Yu targeted that buzz-cut guy, bumping and shoving him hard.

The man showed no intention of backing down either, insisting on going toe-to-toe with Lin Yu.

Lin Yu's physical fitness was not something these casual basketball players could compare to. Coupled with the agility from his martial arts foundation and a slight height advantage, elbowing this guy felt like elbowing a child.

After a particularly well-hidden "Jiamusi Big Turn" (a sneaky, forceful move), Lin Yu stole the ball from Buzz-cut. Using his height, he pulled up for a fadeaway jumper.

The coffee-colored basketball traced a near-perfect arc through the air, heading straight for the hoop. Everyone's eyes followed its trajectory.

Anyone could see that shot was going in.

But in a corner no one noticed, a foot stealthily extended forward, stopping right where Lin Yu was about to land.

When the ball was still about a meter from the rim, a sharp cry of pain grabbed everyone's attention.

"Damn it!"

Lin Yu fell sitting on the ground, clutching his painfully throbbing ankle, his face contorted in agony.

But compared to the pain, the fury in his heart burned even hotter.

Even through the thick sole of his shoe, you don't need direct skin contact to feel some things.

What he had stepped on was softer than the concrete court tiles and had a certain slope. He didn't even need to think about it; Lin Yu knew some bastard had definitely foot-checked him!

Lin Yu already had a suspect in mind. He turned his head, scanning the area, and quickly spotted that buzz-cut guy.

He looked the same as before, provocative, full of hostility towards Lin Yu, but now the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, his face wearing a hint of smug satisfaction.

"You bastard!"

"Your mother's dead!"

"Foot-checking me?"

"Did the stray dogs by the roadside stop fertilizing your mom's grave, so you came here to mess with me instead?"

""

""

"..."

Furious, Lin Yu sat on the ground cursing like a fishwife, his words exceptionally foul, yet strangely coherent, almost like weaving a story.

Buzz-cut was equally pissed at Lin Yu. Provoked by the tirade, his anger boiled over. He strode up to Lin Yu, who was sitting helplessly on the ground unable to move, and lifted his foot to stomp on him.

He roared angrily at the same time:

"Go to hell, you m—"

Watching the dirty sole of the shoe magnify before his eyes, a fierce, sharp glint erupted in Lin Yu's gaze.

He had been waiting for this opportunity.

As the saying goes, a gentleman seeks revenge even after ten years.

But Lin Yu was no gentleman. He was a delinquent now, and hadn't been any saint before either.

Wait ten years?

Couldn't even wait until tonight!

But with a severely injured foot, Lin Yu couldn't walk over to punch that bastard Buzz-cut. He could only use words to provoke him, to make him come over himself.

Now that the man was within attack range, Lin Yu dropped the act. He leaned back slightly, dodging the stomping foot, while simultaneously reaching out to grab Buzz-cut's calf and yanking it forward hard.

Pulled off balance, Buzz-cut started toppling right onto Lin Yu.

Lin Yu's eyes were fixed like torches on his target. He threw a punch just as Buzz-cut was falling forward, creating opposing forces. A heavy iron fist landed with full force right in Buzz-cut's gut.

Actually, Lin Yu had missed his intended target with this punch.

Where he wanted to hit was far more vulnerable than the stomach.

But because of his awkward position, Lin Yu was a fraction of a second too slow and had to change his plan, settling for a punch to the belly.

Lin Yu had put every ounce of his strength into that punch, so much so that it sent the toppling Buzz-cut flying backward instead.

Whew.

Satisfaction!

Watching Buzz-cut fly backward and crash heavily onto the ground, Lin Yu felt the pent-up fury in his gut clear away, as if his whole being had been elevated.

Buzz-cut was clearly a regular at this court. Who knew how many people here were his friends, his classmates from the same department.

As soon as he hit the ground, seven or eight people immediately crowded around to check on him. Among them, a few who were close to him and had short tempers glared, then strode towards Lin Yu, wanting to get revenge for Buzz-cut.

Watching the group approach menacingly, Lin Yu wasn't flustered in the slightest.

No big deal.

So he was going to get beaten up?

What was the big deal?

Hmmm...

Though getting payback for this might have to wait until tonight, or even later.

Lin Yu wasn't an idiot. With this many people coming over to start something, stubbornly trying to act tough would just be asking for trouble.

He planned to switch to another coping strategy: Turtle Shell Mode.

That meant curling up, protecting his head and other vulnerable areas with his arms, using his tougher, broader back as a shield to minimize the damage from their kicks and punches.

They were only about two or three meters away. In a few steps, they were right in front of Lin Yu. Just as he was preparing to transform into Turtle Shell Mode and take the beating, a voice rang out. Its tone was light and soft, but the command was exceptionally firm and sharp.

"Stop!"

Before Lin Yu could even process what was happening, a snow-white figure had already appeared in front of him, placing herself between him and the group seeking revenge for Buzz-cut.

A breeze lifted the soft hem of her skirt, carrying the unique, delicate fragrance that belonged to her, washing over Lin Yu.

Lin Yu was momentarily stunned, finding this pleasant scent faintly, vaguely familiar.