Free Web NovelChapter 142: Chapter 120: Eldest Female Cousin Ruined My Plans
The match wasn’t nearly as friendly as He Zhiyu had imagined.
Right from the start, the serves between Shen Yuan and Li Zhi were full of dirty tricks.
"Young Master Li! There’s a handsome guy over there!"
Shen Yuan suddenly shouted, and before the words were even out of his mouth, he had already swiftly served the shuttlecock.
"Save that trick for the kids’ table!"
Li Zhi mercilessly hit it back, aiming straight for Shen Yuan’s face.
A citrus scent wafted from her swinging ponytail, and the crisp sound of racket meeting shuttlecock echoed through the gym.
The soles of their shoes screeched against the court floor. He Zhiyu watched the shuttlecock fly rapidly between the two, her knuckles white as she gripped a water bottle. freewёbnoνel.com
"Whoa, this is intense!" Zhuo Peipei gulped from the sidelines, stunned by the scene before her.
As the seconds ticked by, the atmosphere on the court grew increasingly tense.
Just when everyone thought the match would remain at a stalemate, Shen Yuan suddenly unleashed a lightning-fast smash, sending the shuttlecock flying straight toward Li Zhi like a cannonball. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Li Zhi failed to return it.
"One-zero!" He Zhiyu shouted excitedly.
Li Zhi looked at the shuttlecock on the court, the corners of her mouth lifting into a barely perceptible smile.
"Tsk. Looks like I’m a bit rusty from not playing for a while," Li Zhi said nonchalantly.
Shen Yuan, however, just chuckled and retorted bluntly, "Don’t make excuses. Trash is trash."
Li Zhi flicked the shuttlecock up with her racket. "Shut up, you scrub!"
The moment she finished speaking, Li Zhi had already served.
"So you’re playing dirty too!"
Shen Yuan returned the shot in a hurry.
"Look who’s talking!"
Li Zhi swung fiercely. The shuttlecock met the face of her racket as she leaped, transforming into a shooting star hurtling toward a dead corner of the backcourt.
But just as Li Zhi thought she had scored, Shen Yuan quickly took two large steps back and returned the shuttlecock from an impossible angle!
But Li Zhi was already waiting at the net, and with a light flick of her racket, she sent the shuttlecock back over.
Li Zhi’s shot was very soft, dropping just over the edge of the net.
Shen Yuan was at the back of the court with no way to return the shot. He could only watch helplessly as it landed on the ground.
"Tsk."
"One all!" He Zhiyu announced excitedly.
Shen Yuan picked up the shuttlecock, and the game quickly resumed.
"Four to three!"
As He Zhiyu called out the score, Shen Yuan wiped the sweat from his temple.
Li Zhi’s breathing had also grown slightly labored, the shadows cast by her collarbones shifting with each breath.
After picking up the shuttlecock, Li Zhi immediately served again.
After a few more rallies, Shen Yuan faked a high clear but suddenly played a drop shot instead.
But Li Zhi had already anticipated it. Her soles SCREECHED against the rubber floor as she dove forward, the side seam of her athletic pants stretching into a smooth arc. Her racket scraped just above the floor, lifting the shuttlecock back into the air.
"Trying to be tricky?"
Li Zhi raised an eyebrow as she stood up, the tips of her hair sticking to the side of her neck, damp with sweat.
Shen Yuan’s hasty return was met by her racket as she leaped, sending the shuttlecock like a shooting star into a dead corner of the backcourt.
...
"Ten-all!"
The first game point.
The shuttlecock left afterimages as it tore through the air from one end of the court to the other.
Shen Yuan crouched, his eyes glued to Li Zhi’s raised racket. Sweat dripped from his jaw, leaving dark spots on the floor.
As Li Zhi leaped up for a smash, Shen Yuan accurately received it and swept it back.
But by then, Li Zhi had already landed in the perfect position to strike.
"BANG!"
Another smash!
Shen Yuan again returned it with a high clear.
"BANG!"
Yet another smash!
Watching the shuttlecock fly back and forth, He Zhiyu’s heart was in her throat.
Watching the shuttlecock arc downward, just as He Zhiyu thought Li Zhi would go for another smash, she saw her hit a high clear instead.
Shen Yuan picked up on it immediately.
’Li Zhi is tired.’
With the buff from Vigorous and Full of Energy, Shen Yuan’s stamina recovered much faster than Li Zhi’s.
After a fierce rally of twenty shots, Li Zhi’s stamina was nearly depleted.
Every shot required more and more effort, and her breathing grew increasingly rapid.
After a high clear, Shen Yuan could clearly see Li Zhi’s exhaustion.
The way she was panting was especially obvious.
As the white shuttlecock descended from on high, the cold silver light glinting off his racket intertwined with the glare of the overhead lights, creating a brief yet unforgettable image.
His racket struck like a vicious viper, whipping the shuttlecock diagonally across the court in a sharp arc.
"BANG!"
A crisp sound echoed across the court—the sound of the last shred of hope in Li Zhi’s heart being shattered.
Even before she heard the sound, she knew she had lost the game.
Li Zhi watched helplessly as the shuttlecock landed, a wave of resignation and frustration washing over her.
Meanwhile, He Zhiyu stood on the sidelines, staring blankly at the scene, not yet having processed what had just happened.
Shen Yuan swung his racket smugly, his face beaming with a victorious smile.
"I’ve won the first game, you know. Still have the energy to play?"
Li Zhi fought back her exhaustion, propping herself up. She rolled her eyes at Shen Yuan and answered grumpily, "Nope. I’m tired."
Seeing this, Shen Yuan didn’t press the issue. He slung his racket over his shoulder and, like an agile monkey, bounded to the net in a few quick strides.
He then ambled over to Li Zhi’s side, as if still savoring his victory.
