Fortunately, in the second half, the opponents might have exerted too much energy in the first half, and they clearly seemed to be running out of steam. At this moment, Zhang Qi and his teammates pulled together and finally managed to keep the score at a decent level.
Time flew by, and the result of the game was obvious. They won.
As the final whistle of the game sounded, it was ultimately Zhang Qi and his team who emerged victorious. Instantly, the crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheers.
Of course, the opposing team's cheerleaders were muttering and complaining.
Some were happy while others were sad.
Zhang Qi finally spotted Tang Tang. The young boy, fresh from the game, was sweating profusely. Amid the crowd, he was shining brightly.
Even his rather ordinary face was full of charm at this moment.
He saw where Tang Tang was and looked over happily, only to find that Tang Tang didn't even notice him. Instead, she was about to leave with Huang Xiaoli.
Zhang Qi got anxious. He immediately left his teammates and the congratulating classmates behind and chased after Tang Tang.
The crowd made way for him.
"Tang Tang!" Tang Tang was walking towards the exit of the stadium when she suddenly heard her name called from behind.
She turned around and, sure enough, it was Zhang Qi.
Thanks to Zhang Qi's outstanding performance, everyone's attention was on him now.
Seeing Zhang Qi approaching a pretty girl, some people even whistled.
Tang Tang felt a bit at a loss.
"What, what are you doing..." Watching Zhang Qi getting closer, Tang Tang was a bit flustered. Had she not rejected him firmly enough? If Zuo Mu found out, it would be a disaster.
Tang Tang herself didn't know why she instinctively thought of Zuo Mu.
"Did you enjoy watching the game?" Zhang Qi still had a good - tempered look, completely different from his dynamic self on the basketball court.
Tang Tang averted her gaze uneasily. After all, he had just won, and it wasn't good to pour cold water on him. She forced a smile and said, "It was great. Congratulations on winning the championship."
Zhang Qi looked pleasantly surprised. "I'm already very happy that you came. Thank you, Tang Tang."
"Thank me for what? It's all your strength." Tang Tang felt very uncomfortable. What should she do? It seemed that the more she said, the worse it got.
No, Tang Tang looked at Zhang Qi's blushing face and wanted to say something to give him a hint not to waste his time.
But Zhang Qi was already looking at Tang Tang with bright eyes and said, "I'm glad you like it. Tang Tang, I have a request. Can you promise me?"
A request? Tang Tang looked at the increasing number of eyes around her. She got a bit annoyed and asked, "What request?"
She asked tentatively.
Zhang Qi's eyes continued to sparkle, making it hard to look directly at him. "Wait for me after school this afternoon, okay?"
Some people who liked to stir up excitement around them started to cheer, "Promise him! Promise him!"
Tang Tang was in a dilemma. At this moment, Huang Xiaoli stepped forward bravely. "I, an outsider, can't interfere in your business, but at this time, Zhang Qi, have you ever thought that you're forcing Tang Tang to agree?"
Zhang Qi's face instantly fell.
The cheering people around also stopped.
The atmosphere became a bit awkward.
Seeing Zhang Qi's face turn red then pale, Tang Tang felt sorry for him. She walked up to him voluntarily and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you. This afternoon, I'll be next to the teaching building. I also have something to say to you."
Zhang Qi's face finally showed a bit of relief.
Huang Xiaoli still wanted to say something, but Tang Tang dragged her away forcefully.
"Why are you dragging me? Didn't you see what just happened? I don't even know if Zhang Qi did it on purpose. With so many people around, he clearly forced you to agree!"
Huang Xiaoli kept muttering all the way out of the stadium.
Tang Tang was so annoyed that her head was about to explode.
"I know you couldn't stand it and wanted to help me," Tang Tang said earnestly, "but in that situation just now, Zhang Qi lost a lot of face. What if he holds a grudge against you?"
Huang Xiaoli spat and cursed, "Hold a grudge against me? I'll give him three times the courage. If he really dares to do something to me, that would be looking down on him."
Tang Tang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Huang Xiaoli's only flaw was that she was too impulsive.
"Think about it. Just now, they had just won the game, and the classmates in their class were very happy. If we made him lose face in public, that would be really hateful. But don't worry, I have my own way."
There were quite a few pedestrians outside. Zhang Qi's semi - public confession to Tang Tang just now had basically attracted everyone's attention.
So wherever Tang Tang passed, people couldn't help but look at her.
This situation made Huang Xiaoli even angrier.
"Zhang Qi is really thoughtless. Has he ever considered your feelings? Do you like being gossiped about in public? And we're all students. If we're caught in puppy love, we'll have to call our parents!"
Tang Tang just smiled and didn't say a word. Huang Xiaoli was really right.
"Moreover," Huang Xiaoli continued slyly, "I think if Big Brother Zuo Mu knew about this, he'd be really angry."
Zuo Mu...
Hearing this name from someone else suddenly, Tang Tang felt a bit dazed.
"He's just an older brother." Tang Tang blushed instantly and retorted desperately.
Tsk tsk tsk...
This shy look was so different from her usual fiery self.
Huang Xiaoli couldn't even bear to look.
Since there were no more classes in the afternoon, the two of them decided to sneak out of school and go for a stroll outside.
The street near the school was very bustling.
All kinds of small stalls lined the street. Although the urban management had tried hard to ban them, these small stalls were like weeds that could never be completely eradicated because it was easy to earn money from students.
The whole street was filled with all kinds of food and daily necessities. It was very lively. There was the smoke from barbecues, the sizzling sound of pancakes on the griddle, the wobbly ice jelly when poked, and the cotton candy that was full of girlish charm. It was extremely lively.
Huang Xiaoli, who loved snacks, was almost drooling. She excitedly ran here and there, wishing she could buy everything.
Tang Tang, who was following behind, looked at her speechlessly. At this moment, Huang Xiaoli was like a runaway husky.
"Do you want some?" In the blink of an eye, Huang Xiaoli was already munching on a large bunch of cotton candy and barbecued food.
Tang Tang was convinced. "Are these junk foods really that delicious?"
"You don't understand!" Huang Xiaoli knew that Tang Tang's taste buds had been spoiled by Zuo Mu's cooking. "My parents are too strict. I never have the chance to eat these. You should try everything. It's so boring if you're afraid to eat this and afraid to use that."
It made so much sense.
Tang Tang was instantly speechless.
She could only watch Huang Xiaoli enjoy her food.
She was also just a kid. Looking at the shiny ice jelly with syrup on it, she couldn't help but ask, "How's this ice jelly?"
"Hehe." Huang Xiaoli was as protective of her food as a hamster. "Don't you look down on our food?"
Tang Tang was so angry that she ignored her.
She had forgotten about her good friend as soon as she got something to eat.
"Tang Tang?" From a distance, they unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.