The First Match

Two weeks into the new semester, the tournament finally began.

Although technically a municipal competition, S City being the capital of M Province meant the scale was practically indistinguishable from a provincial event. Every college and university in M Province was eligible to participate.

There was no shortage of participating schools. Lin Yu had glanced at the list; there were over a hundred institutions involved.

The format started with elimination rounds to narrow the field down to the top sixteen teams. From there, it would switch to one-on-one duels until a winner emerged.

In the rest area, Tao Yaoyao’s gaze was drifting. She handed a bottle of mineral water to Lin Yu, offering comfort somewhat absent-mindedly, "Don't be nervous. Just do your best."

"I believe you’ll win!"

Lin Yu took the water, gulped down a mouthful, and nodded.

Despite saying he wasn't nervous, the truth was, he actually felt a bit on edge.

How long had it been since he last competed?

He remembered the last time was back in the third year of middle school in his previous life. His old man had held a modest ring tournament at the martial arts hall.

He had gotten beaten up pretty badly back then, barely scraping by with a sixth-place finish.

It couldn't be helped; the students at the hall included high schoolers. The fact that he hadn't been beaten to death was practically a miracle in itself.

This fighting tournament was technically an open-weight class competition, meaning there were no specific weight divisions between opponents.

However, there was a general weight restriction for entry, requiring competitors to be between sixty-five and eighty-five kilograms.

The range was broad, and Lin Yu fit the criteria perfectly without needing to cut any weight.

Furthermore, due to his height, while he looked lean, he actually weighed nearly eighty kilograms. Being only five kilograms shy of the upper limit gave him a slight weight advantage in the matches.

He handed the water bottle back to Tao Yaoyao. She took it, but her gaze remained glued to Lin Yu’s body.

Realizing she had been caught staring, she tried to feign a casual, unbothered air and tease him with a "Nice body," but the words stumbled on her lips.

"Ni-ni-nice body..."

Her nervousness made her look like an innocent young girl who had never touched a man before.

Tao Yaoyao’s flustered behavior made Lin Yu feel a bit awkward as well.

He grabbed a blanket from the side and draped it over his shoulders, covering his bare torso.

The atmosphere between them relaxed slightly, but the awkwardness lingered as they sat silently on the chairs in the waiting room.

Lin Yu thought about it and felt something was off.

Tao Yaoyao was a junior in college this year.

Logically speaking, given how beautiful she was, she must have had plenty of suitors. Had she never had a boyfriend?

Something wasn't right.

Lin Yu turned his head to look at Tao Yaoyao, just in time to catch the tail end of her panic as she quickly averted her gaze.

Lin Yu’s brows furrowed even tighter. Tracing the direction of her gaze just now, he looked down and saw his abdominal muscles, exceptionally defined from long-term training.

Damn it.

The way Tao Yaoyao was acting, forget about having a boyfriend; it felt like she had barely had any intimate contact with men at all...

Right!

Lin Yu suddenly remembered that when school first started, the know-it-all Lang Hua had mentioned some information about her.

Wasn't she rumored to be a lesbian?

"Hiss."

Lin Yu sucked in a cold breath.

That didn't seem right either.

Looking at her now, she didn't seem like someone who had no interest in men...

...

Sigh.

Maybe that was just a baseless rumor spreading around.

Lin Yu stopped dwelling on it and focused on adjusting his mindset, trying to enter the match in peak condition.

Anyone participating here surely had some foundational skills.

If he got careless and was KO'd in the very first elimination round, it would be a massive embarrassment.

Soon, it was time for Lin Yu to enter the ring.

Standing on the canvas, looking at an opponent who appeared even bulkier than himself, Lin Yu didn't dare slack off. He took a deep breath, focused his attention, and assumed his fighting stance.

At the referee's command, the two approached each other with small, shuffling steps.

The burly man opposite him threw a quick jab to test the waters, and Lin Yu pulled back slightly.

As the opponent retracted his fist, Lin Yu seized the opportunity to step forward. He launched a surprise straight punch that landed squarely on the man's face.

"Thud!"

The man hit the ground, unable to get back up.

Lin Yu stood frozen in place, his mind just as dazed as the man lying on the floor.

That... that was it?

Then what was all my hard training for?!

Damn!

He’s not going to make me pay for medical bills later, is he?

The referee quickly intervened. After confirming the burly man had passed out, he declared Lin Yu the winner.

Applause and cheers erupted from below the stage. Lin Yu looked over in a daze and noticed quite a few familiar faces in the audience.

At a glance, it seemed like all those girls had hit on him before...

...

Surprised, Lin Yu felt a bit speechless.

Why were they here?

And why were they all huddled together?

Don't any of you have classes to attend?

As he stepped off the ring, Tao Yaoyao immediately welcomed him back, thoughtfully handing him the blanket.

Lin Yu took it, looked at it, and felt it was somewhat unnecessary.

The blanket was meant to keep a competitor warm and prevent catching a cold after sweating profusely from intense exercise.

Given his current state, was there really a need to wear it?

He tossed the blanket aside. After what happened earlier, Lin Yu felt a bit self-conscious being shirtless in front of Tao Yaoyao, so he immediately changed back into his clothes.

The next match was in the afternoon. Lin Yu planned to use the lunch break to go out and grab a bite; the boxed lunches provided by the organizers were truly awful.

Before the two could leave the venue, the girls who had been cheering from the audience chased after them in a pack.

"Going to eat?"

Ye You, standing in the crowd, was the first to speak.

"We've already booked a restaurant."

Gu Xinran, a girl with a hint of heroic spirit in her brows, stepped out from the crowd. She draped her arm over Lin Yu's shoulder, acting as if they were close friends.

Lin Yu frowned, displeased with her display of intimacy.

Lady, do I know you that well?

But before Lin Yu could do anything, Tao Yaoyao stepped in.

She reached out and pushed Gu Xinran's arm off Lin Yu's shoulder, smoothly inserting herself between them to separate Lin Yu from Gu Xinran. With a gentle smile, she said:

"Let's not. He still has a match this afternoon. We're just going to grab something simple and then he needs to rest."

"Uh..."

Gu Xinran paused for a moment, then suggested:

"We could all go together..."

"No need."

Tao Yaoyao grabbed Lin Yu's wrist and briskly led him away from the venue.

Seated in a noodle shop outside the arena, Lin Yu looked at Tao Yaoyao beside him and asked in confusion:

"How did that bunch end up here?"

Tao Yaoyao pulled a long wet wipe from her small bag and carefully wiped down the seemingly clean table for Lin Yu. She explained:

"They're the cheerleading squad."

"They came to cheer for you."