Chapter 74: The Riddler
1334 Words
“Then you’re really smart.” Su Bai Zhu said with a deadpan expression.
Watching her sit on the playground, Luo Ye couldn’t help but ask, “Senior, what are you doing?”
Su Bai Zhu replied coolly, “Someone still hasn’t asked me to recite today’s twenty‑page knowledge points.”
Hearing that, Luo Ye’s innocent face froze.
His expression went dark in an instant.
He’d forgotten that he still had to find his senior every day to recite twenty pages of Computer Fundamentals Theory.
He’d already recited twenty pages yesterday, and today he’d have to do it again.
Sighing, Luo Ye hung his head and muttered, “Got it, let’s go, senior.”
“Sure.”
Seeing Luo Ye’s wounded little expression, Su Bai Zhu wanted to laugh, but kept a stern face on the outside.
This wasn’t something to mess around with—failing a college class is a huge hassle, and with Luo Ye’s current knowledge level he was a prime candidate for a fail.
Unless he cheats on the final.
Cheating on college finals happens a lot; some professors even turn a blind eye.
But that’s just luck, and you can’t bet your whole result on it.
Luo Ye trailed behind the “little bunny,” obediently leaving the playground.
On the field, Yu Qiu Yu, who had witnessed the scene, sighed, “Wow, Luo Ye, only two months into school and he already has a boyfriend.”
Next to her, club president Meng Chao shook his head, “He’s a guy, that’s a girlfriend.”
“Oh, sorry, my bad, president. Who’s that girl?”
Meng Chao glanced seriously, then shrugged, admitting he hadn’t spotted anyone either.
“Xiao Yu, you like Luo Ye?”
Yu Qiu Yu blinked, then quickly shook her head, “No way. I just think he’s a great person.”
“Hahaha, relax, I was only kidding.”
The little girl was so startled she started speaking in a regional dialect.
“So who do you like? You’re the jewel of our Track and Field Club, spill it. The president can give you some advice.”
Seeing Meng Chao’s eager face, Yu Qiu Yu retorted, “I’m ugly and dark‑skinned, who would want me?”
“Don’t say that. Our Xiao Yu’s charm isn’t something everyone can notice.”
Meng Chao patted Yu Qiu Yu’s head like he was soothing a kid.
On the other side, Luo Ye burst through the door, flopped onto the sofa, opened the book on the coffee table and started reciting.
When he finished it was past eight in the evening. He’d not only eaten in the dormitory building, he’d also squeezed in a shower.
Back in his room, he found Wang Da Chui sprawled on his bed with the same expression he’d had yesterday.
Seeing that, Luo Ye’s heart ached.
How did the once‑indomitable Da Chui end up like this?
“Ye… Ye kid, revive… revive me…”
Wang Da Chui stretched out a trembling hand toward Luo Ye.
His color changed instantly; he understood.
Luo Ye pulled out his phone, opened the viral song, and blasted it at full volume.
“Ji Ni is so beautiful… Ji Ni is just too beautiful…”
The intoxicating melody revived Wang Da Chui. He sprang from the bed, performed a quick dance for Luo Ye, then ripped a basketball out from under the bed, grinned, and said, “Let’s play.”
“Let’s go.”
The two slung arms over each other and left the dorm.
Going downstairs, Wang Da Chui’s nose twitched. He leaned into Luo Ye’s shoulder and sniffed hard.
“Whoa, Ye kid, why do you smell so good?”
“‘Cause I just showered.”
Hearing that, Wang Da Chui pushed Luo Ye away, his eyes on Luo Ye like he’d just been betrayed.
“There’s no body wash like this in the dorm. I didn’t see you shower. Where did you wash?”
“Obviously somewhere else.”
Luo Ye gave a mysterious smile and said nothing more.
At that moment Wang Da Chui’s mood resembled a male version of a drama‑queen, about to lose it.
Riddlers should just disappear from Earth.
The two headed to the ping‑pong table.
By the side of the table, on the public bench, two silhouettes—a tall skinny one and a short chubby one—sat at opposite ends, cigarette butts dangling, bathed in moonlight, looking downright cool.
Seeing Wang Da Chui and Luo Ye, they stomped out their butts. The short chubby one, Liu Guang Fu, stood up and announced, “Men’s doubles, best of three, eleven points each game.”
Wang Da Chui snarled, “I’m not playing ping‑pong, I brought my basketball.”
“Bro, I said ‘play ball,’ I didn’t specify which. You missed the memo.” Liu Guang Fu’s expression was even sleazier than Wang Da Chui’s.
“Ping‑pong is ping‑pong. I’ll still crush you two little ‘Karami.’”
Both sides already had four paddles, more than enough.
Luo Ye paired with Wang Da Chui, while Liu Guang Fu teamed up with Wang Kai.
Surprisingly, the tall‑short combo clicked and played pretty well.
Luo Ye whipped a smash and scored first.
But soon the other pair rallied three straight points, pulling ahead 1‑3.
In the end Wang Da Chui felt utterly frustrated because they lost.
“Wanna try basketball?”
“Please, you think basketball would fix it?”
Liu Guang Fu sneered, “We can play something else. Three‑on‑three, each of us calls one person, but there’s a condition: you have to call a girl.”
“What?”
Wang Da Chui instantly started arguing with Liu Guang Fu.
Neither could think of a girl to call, so the condition was just self‑sabotage.
Suddenly Wang Da Chui’s phone buzzed.
Yu Qiu Yu: Want to play?
Seeing the message, Wang Da Chui’s face lit up. He made a goofy face at Liu Guang Fu, stuck out his tongue, looking totally ready to be punched.
“You think you can call a girl? How about you? Got anyone? Hahaha.”
Liu Guang Fu’s face went black. He should’ve never suggested that condition—he’d just shot himself in the foot.
Wang Kai and Luo Ye, watching from the side, just shook their heads.
Immature, seriously.
When Yu Qiu Yu arrived, Li Hao Yang also freed up his schedule.
Now six of them gathered and headed to the court.
Yu Qiu Yu joined the tall‑short duo, standing in the middle, looking like a goofy villain leading a clueless tag team.
There was no basketball tournament during the sports meet, but a basketball event would be held right after.
The sports meet featured ping‑pong and badminton.
Luo Ye didn’t sign up.
Even though he was the elementary school champion in men’s singles ping‑pong, that didn’t matter—college competition is a different level, and he wasn’t interested.
After the games, the group rested beneath the basketball hoop. Yu Qiu Yu, curious, asked, “Luo Ye, who was that girl on the field tonight? Your girlfriend?”
The moment she finished speaking, Wang Da Chui’s eyes sharpened like copper bells, locking onto Luo Ye.
“Huh…”
Luo Ye glanced at Yu Qiu Yu, gave her a “you know what I mean” look.
She immediately caught on and returned the same look.
Got it. Got it.
“It’s just your goddess, right?”
“Little dude, you’re trying to hide it.”
But Wang Da Chui was on the verge of a breakdown.
Riddlers are bad enough, now with encrypted calls?
Shared interests can turn strangers into fast friends—just ask anyone who plays basketball.
After two rounds, Yu Qiu Yu was fully integrated into the guys’ circle.
- Writer
