Tonight, Let's Play Together

Xue Tao couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Su Bai had claimed he’d only just met Wan Xinyan.

But why would someone he barely knew offer to hold onto his personal belongings—and why would Su Bai agree to it?

Something was definitely going on between those two.

Xue Tao wasn’t the type to keep his thoughts to himself. Lacking any real tact, he blurted out, "Did you and Wan Xinyan chat on WeChat before?"

"Oh, a little," Su Bai replied with a cryptic smirk. "What, do I need your permission to talk to her now?"

"...No, hey, that’s not what I meant."

There’d been a hint of accusation in Xue Tao’s tone earlier, but the moment Su Bai pushed back, he instantly backed down.

Su Bai had always carried a rugged, masculine energy, but now, with the "system" backing him, his confidence was off the charts.

With a mischievous grin, he slung an arm around Xue Tao’s shoulders. "Come on, Tao, focus on the game. The girls are watching. You don’t wanna embarrass yourself and have Wan Xinyan ignore you during the trip, do you?"

"...What kind of nonsense is that?" Xue Tao forced a laugh. "That last round was just a fluke. This time, I’m crushing them!"

"Alright, I’m counting on you!"

After that, Su Bai wandered off to chat with Chu Mingzhe.

Classic psychological maneuvering.

Though Su Bai and Wan Xinyan’s strange dynamic had left Xue Tao reeling, he figured this was his chance to turn things around and make an impression.

Look on the bright side—Wan Xinyan was just holding Su Bai’s stuff, not dating him!

Maybe she was just stringing him along because he was good-looking.

A naive, broke guy like Su Bai would probably fall for it.

Sigh. Thank goodness for Xue Tao’s sharp instincts and keen perception.

He knew how to stay in control when it came to relationships.

Total win.

Meanwhile, after getting "handled" by Su Bai, Chu Mingzhe also perked up.

He’d had a realization.

Sure, the Wan sisters were eye-catching, but they probably had terrible taste.

They weren’t on the level of someone like him—a man of many talents: audiophile, amateur host, writer, folk singer, oil painter, hand-drum artist, leatherworker, silversmith, and even a disciple of Linji Chan Buddhism.

Anyway, it was Wan Xinyan who was cozying up to Su Bai.

Not Jiang Qiuran… or Chen Yusheng.

Those two weren’t the type to show up at a basketball court just to ogle guys.

So, win… Well, maybe not a win, but at least he wasn’t losing!

The revitalized trio from Room 510 faced off against another group of nameless randoms.

The local guys and the "Shanghai elite" played to their usual standards.

Thanks to his boosted physique, Su Bai dominated the paint, grabbing rebounds and scoring putbacks.

Somehow, they pulled off a 5-4 victory.

Xue Tao sank the final shot—a wide-open look after Su Bai set a solid screen for him.

As he basked in the glory of his "epic" shooting form, a girl’s voice drifted over from the sidelines:

"Why does that guy in the No. 23 jersey shoot like a bowlegged monkey…?"

Xue Tao nearly choked.

A bowlegged monkey?! That was called hang time—pure elegance!

They played two more games, trading wins.

It was the ideal scenario—both sides were evenly matched, making for intense, back-and-forth action.

Su Bai was having a blast.

Sure, his skills were mediocre, but his body was a beast now!

After an exhausting round of jumping and sprinting, the system unexpectedly chimed in:

[Ding! Host has engaged in reckless energy expenditure. Reward: +¥1,000 cash and full stamina recovery.]

Holy crap, hacks!

Su Bai was stunned. The "Indulgence System" was even more broken than he thought?

So if he burned through his stamina fast enough to trigger his body’s recovery response, he’d get it all back?

He could dominate any sports event.

Sign up for a long-distance race, sprint the first lap like a madman…

Go hard early, stay winning forever!

"Su Bai, I bought some cold drinks. Pick whichever one you want~"

Just as Su Bai was marveling at the system’s absurd mechanics, Wan Xinyan approached, holding a bulging plastic bag.

She’d bought a bunch of chilled beverages from the convenience store near the court.

Meanwhile, Su Bai’s phone and watch had been entrusted to her sister, Wan Xinyue.

She’d somehow procured a large, rigid evidence bag—the kind used at crime scenes—and placed his belongings inside.

The transparent seal made it clear she wasn’t tampering with his stuff while also respecting his privacy.

Damn, this was next-level…

Su Bai was floored. Was this the power of money? Turning every pretty girl into a Zhou Jialu-esque simp, falling over themselves to please him?

He casually grabbed a blue Gatorade, twisted off the cap, and took a few gulps.

The icy drink slid down his throat—perfect.

"Xue Tao, Chu Mingzhe, grab one too," Wan Xinyan called out to the other two.

Both looked surprised, especially Xue Tao, who frowned and stammered, "Uh… you know me?"

"Of course! You’re Xue Tao, the guy with the Magotan."

"..."

"Consider these drinks a thank-you for handling snacks on the trip. But drinks are too cheap, so we’ll treat you to lunch too—the spicy stir-fry at South Campus is great."

Wan Xinyan rattled off her plans effortlessly.

It was all so reasonable that Xue Tao couldn’t argue.

But what he really wanted to ask was: Why haven’t you accepted my friend request?

Yet some primal instinct warned him that voicing that question here would instantly turn him into a clown.

…Whatever.

Su Bai sipped his drink, studying the younger twin.

She was lively, with less of Zhou Jialu’s sharpness and more of a playful, girlish charm.

But she was also shrewd—flattering Su Bai naturally while framing their group as casual friends, never exploiting her looks to take advantage of Xue Tao.

Nice.

The "playful companion" role was still up for grabs, at least for now.

Su Bai mentally cataloged his social circle:

Xia was the face, his senior was the doting girlfriend, Chen Yusheng was the soulmate…

Speak of the devil—a tall, slender figure approached from a distance.

Black stockings, a knee-length knit dress, and a light jacket.

The whole look screamed "elegant Japanese lady," but paired with Chen Yusheng’s icy, intellectual beauty and her silky, straight black hair, she radiated "anime genius scientist" vibes…

Chen Yusheng strode forward, her gaze locked onto Wan Xinyan.

Wan Xinyan shivered, her "buns" trembling.

Yikes.

Scary much?!

The onlookers were pleasantly surprised—who would have thought Chen Yusheng, usually holed up in the lab, would come watch the boys play basketball?

Then they saw her walk straight up to Su Bai, pull a tissue from her pocket, and wipe the sweat from his face.

With a touch of awkwardness but undeniable determination, she said:

"Tonight, let's hang out together."