Chapter Seventy: The Goddess's Tissue

Five hundred rounds, completed!

Because of the afternoon's matches against the robots, Geng Haoshi didn't dribble rapidly towards the basket as often as he had in the morning, but instead opted for mid-to-long range jump shots. So, although it was still five hundred rounds, the afternoon training was somewhat easier than the morning's.

Standing there catching his breath, Geng Haoshi looked at the now-motionless robots labeled "1", "2", and "3", and thought begrudgingly: If my body ran on electricity too, you three little things would be no match for me!

"Thirty-one made, a shooting percentage of 6.2%... Still, that's an improvement," Yu Manman remarked, glancing at the numbers on the display in front of her. "Number Two, from now on, you must practice at least a thousand rounds of this exercise every day."

A thousand rounds every day?! You really do have a special fondness for me, don't you!

Though he was disgruntled, Geng Haoshi didn't dare say anything. After all, he was still far from achieving the first goal he'd written in his notebook.

He left the now-open X-6 room, leaned against the wall outside, took a deep breath, and pulled a small packet of tissues from his pocket. Carefully, he peeled open the packet—inside was a single tissue, and a used one at that—the very tissue Yang Mimi had used the first time she wiped the sweat from his brow.

Geng Haoshi had kept this tissue all along.

To prevent this sweat-soaked tissue from growing moldy or smelly over time, he had even dried it out in the sun for several days.

Now, he cupped the tissue in his palm, grinning foolishly.

9527, sweating: Master, are you daydreaming again?

Geng Haoshi 2.0, disdainfully: You're a super-repressed pervert who has the nerve but not the guts!

Geng Haoshi stared intently at the tissue in his hand, seemingly oblivious to the voices of 9527 and Geng Haoshi 2.0.

"Senior, what are you doing?"

Because she had no classes that afternoon, Li Shishi had tidied up the kitchen after lunch and spent nearly an hour reading in her dorm room at the gym. Coming out to stretch her legs, she found Geng Haoshi leaning against the wall, staring at his hand and grinning like an idiot.

Before he could react, Li Shishi snatched the tissue from him. "Senior, why are you grinning at this tissue like that?"

"It's nothing... Give it back," Geng Haoshi replied, a bit flustered.

"Oh?" Li Shishi didn't believe him. She waved the tissue in her hand. "If you don't tell me, I won't give it back."

Seeing Geng Haoshi's nervous expression, Li Shishi became even more certain this tissue must hide some shameful secret. While he hesitated, unsure what to do, she gave him a mischievous smile. "Hehe, Senior, if you won't say, then come and get it yourself."

With that, Li Shishi tugged open the neckline of her tank top with her left hand and slipped the tissue down the front with her right, tucking it against her chest.

Geng Haoshi's eyes widened—why was she always able to do things so indecent?!

Li Shishi pursed her lips, her big, adorable eyes staring straight at him.

Well then, I'll have to rely on my exceptional wit to get out of this. Geng Haoshi feigned sadness. "Sigh, this was the tissue my grandmother held in her final moments."

"Since my mother was always busy with farm work, I basically grew up with my grandmother."

"She loved me dearly when she was alive... This tissue was in her hand during her last moments, so I kept it as a keepsake."

"Holding it feels like holding her warm hand..."

As he spoke, Geng Haoshi wiped at the corner of his eye.

Geng Haoshi 2.0, sweating: Damn! You can really make things up!

In fact, Geng Haoshi's grandmother had passed away before he was even born.

After listening to his story, Li Shishi's lips trembled, and she burst into tears. "Senior, my grandmother also passed away when I was very little." With that, she flung her arms around him and cried even harder.

Geng Haoshi had just wanted an excuse to get the tissue back, but things had taken an unexpected turn. Caught off guard, he could only gently pat Li Shishi's back, trying to comfort her.

Yu Manman, hearing the weeping from the boss's room, stepped out and saw Li Shishi hugging Geng Haoshi, both standing in the corridor. "Number Two, why aren't you on the court training? What are you doing here? And why is Shishi crying?"

How was he supposed to explain this? Geng Haoshi froze, managing only an awkward smile.

Hearing Yu Manman's voice, Li Shishi wiped her tears, pouting. "I'm fine, beautiful sister."

As she spoke, Li Shishi reached into her tank top and retrieved the tissue, then handed it back to Geng Haoshi. She gazed at him with deep emotion. "Senior, from now on, I'll be by your side."

Then, head lowered, she returned to her room.

Geng Haoshi stood there, tissue in hand, blankly staring, relieved that he'd finally gotten it back.

Yu Manman, recalling how Li Shishi had just been hugging Geng Haoshi, then pulled a tissue out from her chest and handed it over... What on earth was this bizarre sequence of events? She eyed Geng Haoshi with suspicion.

Yu Manman was an only child, and because her parents were often relocated for work, she had hardly any close friends growing up. Though Li Shishi's quirky personality didn't quite match her own, ever since Li Shishi started calling her "beautiful sister," Yu Manman had begun to treat her as a real little sister.

Seeing Yu Manman fix him with an interrogative glare, Geng Haoshi felt a chill run down his spine and decided he'd better make a quick escape. "Coach, I'll go back to training now."

He had just turned to leave when Yu Manman clapped a hand firmly on his shoulder. "Number Two, you know, a man should never make a woman cry... especially one who loves him."

Her words were casual, but her grip on his shoulder only tightened.

"Coach, I didn't bully her! I don't even know why she suddenly started crying." Clearly, Yu Manman had misunderstood, and Geng Haoshi hurried to defend himself.

"Number Two, do you know what kind of man I hate the most?" Yu Manman asked, her gaze icy. "The kind who messes up but refuses to admit it!"

"Ah!"

Yu Manman tightened her grip, making Geng Haoshi yelp in pain.

"Do you admit you were wrong?"

"I was wrong! I was wrong!" He had no choice but to confess, desperate to escape her iron grasp.

"Don't let it happen again," Yu Manman said, releasing his shoulder.

Geng Haoshi gritted his teeth, rubbing his shoulder, thinking: All I did was look at my goddess Mimi's tissue to restore my spirits—how is that a crime?

He thought that was the end of it, but little did he know...