The School Prince is a Girl - Chapter 10

Amidst a wave of cheers, Bai Xi and Yang Qi walked to the center of the basketball court. They stood back-to-back for a one-minute shooting challenge: whoever made the most baskets would be the winner.

“Let’s put something on the line! It’s no fun without a bet!” The onlookers below began to jeer, with the students from the two International Classes being the most enthusiastic.

“How about the loser treats the whole school to Michelin-starred dining? That shouldn’t be too much to ask, right?”

“How is that enough? No way, are you trying to go easy on them? That’s too simple; it has to be harder!”

“Forget it. The other side probably couldn’t even afford that. They’re just a bunch of poor losers—how can they compete with Young Master Bai? Just give up! If you kneel and call us ‘Daddy’ three times right now, we’ll let you off the hook!”

As suggestions for the stakes poured in, people—mostly from the International Class—began shouting heartless insults. Over in the Competition Class, the voices were noticeably quieter, and the atmosphere grew awkward. Meanwhile, the International Class’s excitement surged, their provocations never-ending.

Frowning at the scene, Bai Xi reached out, picked up a basketball from the rack beside her, and dribbled it twice to test its weight.

Unaware of Bai Xi’s movement, Yang Qi looked embarrassed. His family was reasonably wealthy, but they couldn’t compare to the “Super-Nth Generation” heirs of Nanluo Academy. Treating the entire school to a Michelin meal wasn’t like buying street food for everyone.

BANG!

Just as the Competition Class was looking troubled and Yang Qi was about to grit his teeth and endure the humiliation, a loud crash echoed. The ball that had been in Bai Xi’s hand just a moment ago flew straight toward the spectator stands.

The student from the International Class who had been shouting the loudest was now clutching his stomach, howling on the ground. The crowd quickly scrambled away, leaving a cleared space where a brand-new basketball was still bouncing beside the fallen student.

The crowd turned their shocked gazes toward the culprit. Bai Xi had picked up another basketball and was idling bouncing it. She looked toward the stands with an unfriendly glint in her eyes.

“This is my match. Since when did it become your turn, you pieces of trash, to run your mouths?”

The Crowd: !!! Competition Class: So arrogant! International Class: …Young Master Bai really has a violent temper; he even hits his own allies.

Everyone was stunned. This was their first time seeing someone so arrogant that they would resort to violence right in front of the teachers. After all, the teachers at Nanluo Academy were no ordinary people; most were experts in their fields or backed by powerful families. At Nanluo, the Principal might give your family face, but the teachers wouldn’t necessarily do the same—they weren’t people to be messed with, and they only taught there out of personal interest.

As the crowd looked around for the PE teachers, they spotted four small dots sitting in the far corner of the soccer field. They were sitting in a circle, apparently playing cards. Despite the commotion over here, they didn’t react at all.

The Crowd: …

Bai Xi, who had already observed this, casually tossed a ball. It went straight through the hoop. “Are we doing this or not? If we are, hurry up. Also, certain pieces of garbage better disappear on their own. The noise is making my ears hurt.”

It seemed the teachers couldn’t be counted on. The onlookers watched as the injured student was quickly carried away, feeling a spark of sympathy. This Young Master Bai looked like a frail, gentle, and sickly youth, but no one expected him to be so ruthless. The guy from earlier hadn’t even been able to stand up; he was drenched in a cold sweat from the pain and could barely make a sound, yet he was still being scolded for being “noisy.”

Because of this interlude, the mood of the spectators grew heavy. The stands fell silent, everyone fearing that if the young master got into a bad mood again, he might “gift” them a basketball too.

The two participants were ready. Yang Qi looked at Bai Xi with a complicated expression. The “Young Master” appeared arrogant and conceited, but he was far better than those other people. Comparison really was the thief of joy; looking at it this way, perhaps Bai Xi wasn’t so bad after all?

“Ready!”

At the signal from Ye Ying, who was acting as the temporary referee, the two immediately focused, pushing everything else aside.

“Start!” At the sound of the whistle, they moved instantly, grabbing balls from the racks and shooting.

Yang Qi’s speed was noticeably faster than Bai Xi’s. After all, the gap in physical stamina was obvious, and Yang Qi’s athletic ability was quite good. Of the balls he threw in rapid succession, eight or nine out of ten went in.

In contrast, Bai Xi’s movements were leisurely, showing no sign of urgency. While she wasn’t slow, she couldn’t keep up with Yang Qi’s pace. The International Class students felt this was “outside of expectations but within reason.” After all, while Young Master Bai looked cool hitting that guy earlier, it didn’t change the fact that he had a weak, “sickly” constitution.

Feeling somewhat dejected, the crowd shifted their eyes to the scoreboard. One look, and they were startled!

On the scoreboard, Bai Xi was actually three points ahead of Yang Qi! This meant Bai Xi had made one more basket than Yang Qi, and this lead had remained consistent!

When the crowd looked back at the court, the scene felt entirely different.

Although Yang Qi looked fast and had a decent accuracy rate, Bai Xi—with her steady pace and 100% accuracy—was as precise as a calibrated machine. The balls didn’t even rattle around the rim; they snapped straight through the center of the net every time!

The crowd grew excited, and the cheers typical of a basketball court finally began to erupt.

“Go, Young Master Bai!” “Go, Young Master Bai!”

On the other side, the students from the Competition Class refused to be outdone.

“Go, Yang Qi!” “Go, Yang Qi!”

As the battle grew more intense, the shouting from both sides rose in waves.

“Go, International!” “Go, Competition!”

With ten seconds left, the slogans on the stands suddenly shifted. Bai Xi’s hand faltered slightly, and the basketball grazed the rim and bounced out.

If it were just a match between her and Yang Qi, it would be fine. But thinking about the “fire and water” hostility between the two factions and the current chanting, Bai Xi’s expression cooled.

When the final second ticked down, Bai Xi remained composed. Yang Qi, however, looked like he had been fished out of a river, drenched in sweat. Looking at the identical numbers on their scoreboards, Yang Qi turned to look at Bai Xi—who was standing in the sunlight with her eyes downcast, deep in thought—and let out a sigh of relief.

A tie.

The playground fell silent. It was actually a tie! This was the first time such a match had ended in a draw.

“What do we do now? It’s a tie!” “Should they go again?”

“Obviously, Young Master Bai won. He looked relaxed the whole time. Look at that guy on your side—he’s exhausted like a dog!”

“Who are you calling a dog? The score is right there! They just have different shooting and movement styles. Who uses ‘exhaustion’ as a judging rule?!”

As a shouting match threatened to break out, Ye Ying, the referee, kept her eyes straight ahead, preparing to announce the draw. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Bai Xi’s body sway slightly beside her.

Bai Xi slowly opened her eyes and swept her gaze across the stands. Three seconds later, the noisy crowd fell silent. That earlier basketball hit had left a significant shadow on their hearts.

“The result of this match: a tie!” Ye Ying announced. The people in the stands looked at each other but didn’t dare say anything else.

If anyone else had acted this way—being from the International Class yet hitting their own person and effectively helping the Competition Class—they would have been cursed out long ago. After all, the tradition at Nanluo was that the senior International and Competition classes were like mortal enemies.

But Bai Xi was different. The International Class didn’t think she was helping the Competition Class; they simply thought she disdained bullying them. Given her arrogant and conceited temperament, how could she possibly help the Competition Class on purpose?

“What about the tie? Do they play again?” someone asked. In past matches, a tie always led to overtime.

As soon as the question was asked, all eyes fell on Bai Xi. It was clear who called the shots on this court.

“Play my ass. It ends here. A tie is a tie.” Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough for those nearby to hear, and the word spread back through the crowd.

Upon hearing the result, the crowd fell silent. After all that work, it was just a wash.

However, since Bai Xi said it himself, no one in the International Class dared to object. They could only look at the Competition Class, hoping they would protest.

But the Competition Class had seen the match. Bai Xi’s strength was obvious. Moreover, he wasn’t as excessive as the other International Class students and had even maintained the fairness of the game. They weren’t stupid enough to jump out and oppose Bai Xi now.

Thus, both sides fell into an eerie silence, no longer raising objections.

Seeing the dust settle, Yang Qi felt completely at ease. This was the best possible outcome. Turning around, he began walking toward Bai Xi. Regardless of the rivalry, it was customary to exchange pleasantries after a match, even if such a precedent had never existed between these two factions before.

However, before Yang Qi could reach her, he saw Bai Xi move to leave. But as soon as she stepped forward, her body swayed. Her hand reached out helplessly but caught nothing as she began to fall backward uncontrollably!

A chorus of gasps erupted. The crowd stood up in unison, watching the falling figure with tension. What happened?!

Just as Yang Qi sprinted forward to reach her, a slender, elegant arm wrapped around Bai Xi’s waist. Bai Xi fell into the other person’s embrace, stabilizing her before she hit the ground.

Yang Qi exhaled in relief and followed the arm to its owner. It was Ye Ying, the temporary referee. Yang Qi considered the distance and realized that as the referee, she was indeed the closest to Bai Xi and could act in time. As expected of my goddess, he thought.

“Your waist is so thin… and so soft.” After pulling Bai Xi fully into her arms, Ye Ying felt the soft, slender waist in her grip. For a moment, she wasn’t paying attention and whispered her thoughts aloud.

Yang Qi, the only one close enough to hear: …I’m losing my mind!

Bai Xi, who was finally recovering from her initial dizziness, froze when she heard those words. Her face, which had been as pale as paper, instantly flushed a deep crimson. She looked at Ye Ying in disbelief. This female lead!

Facing this situation for the first time, Bai Xi didn’t know if she was shaking from the lingering effects of low blood sugar or from being incensed by Ye Ying’s comment. Her face burning, she looked at Ye Ying’s hand still firmly around her waist. Her voice was weak, but her aura was undeniable.

“Hand… let go!”

Ye Ying hadn’t realized how much of a shock her words had caused the two of them. Seeing Bai Xi’s face turn red all the way to her neck, she found it quite novel. Was this Young Master Bai actually this innocent?

Like she had discovered a new continent, Ye Ying watched the embarrassed and angry Bai Xi with a pleasant mood. Instead of letting go, she tightened her grip on Bai Xi’s waist. “If I let go, won’t you fall and die?”

“You!” Bai Xi wanted to argue, but seeing the crowd gathering, she forced herself to swallow her words. She glared at Ye Ying—who was blatantly “taking liberties” with her while wearing a “gentle” smile. Bai Xi reluctantly placed her hand on Ye Ying’s shoulder, her knuckles turning white from the force. She spoke through gritted teeth: “Take me to the infirmary!”

“Alright, I’ll take you to the infirmary. No need to thank me; helping others is a traditional virtue of ours.” Taking advantage of the fact that the approaching crowd hadn’t heard what Bai Xi said, Ye Ying struck first. Her words nearly caused Bai Xi to choke on her own frustration.

When did I ever thank you? Bai Xi thought, looking irritably at Ye Ying as she was supported toward the exit. The surrounding crowd instinctively made a path. Occasionally, whispers of praise for Ye Ying’s kindness drifted into Bai Xi’s ears, making her want to cough up blood.

This female lead is just a rogue, okay?