Chapter 172: Needs

Actually, Ye Qingchang wasn’t very fond of PE class.

In all her school memories, every single PE class was practically inseparable from the words “free activity.”

Whether it was middle school, high school, or now in university, PE class was really just about getting through the most painful, properly scheduled time, and then earning the opportunity to stroll around with good friends and chat idly.

At this time on the sports field, all you needed to do was casually find any small gathering of more than three people sitting together. The topics would either be about chopping off the heads above, or chopping off the heads below.

She always felt that these classes hadn’t really given her anything.

Of course, maybe it was because she hadn’t been good at sports since she was little, and now, in a class she didn’t even like, she had to worry about failing. It probably wouldn’t take long for “don’t like” to turn into “hate.”

Next to her, Liu Xie was playing a game on her phone, asking her to act as a lookout and keep an eye out for any supervisors coming around.

Ye Qingchang herself didn’t really have any particular desire to play on her phone.

If, at this moment, on this youth-filled, not-yet-hot sports field, she could have a book in her hands full of the brilliance of youth, wouldn’t that be wonderful.

But she couldn’t.

With her eyes closed, resting, Ye Qingchang heard a wail from Liu Xie, who was sitting next to her on the same bench.

She must have lost the game. She checked her phone—the time had only passed six minutes.

So, just to play a few more rounds, she’d forced each round to be this short?

Ha, Liu Xie, you…

Ye Qingchang’s mind was wandering when suddenly she felt a pat on her shoulder.

She turned her head to see Liu Xie pointing at the basketball court not far away. “Look who’s playing against our PE teacher?”

Ye Qingchang adjusted her glasses and looked over.

It was Xiao Yi’an.

Why was Xiao Yi’an suddenly playing one-on-one against their teacher?

Ye Qingchang couldn’t figure it out.

With two urgent thuds of the basketball, the one-on-one began.

Xiao Yi’an’s physique wasn’t as outrageous as Gou Yu’s, so of course he couldn’t go all out at the start and risk causing permanent damage to the school’s basketball hoop.

So he strolled leisurely, looking for an opening in the PE teacher’s defense.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t find one.

After all, this was a teacher specializing in teaching basketball—he certainly wasn’t going to be outdone by a half-baked Xiao Yi’an, especially one who’d even slacked off for a while.

And in this kind of one-on-one situation, none of his usual advantages could come into play. Even Xu Nian, who was busy teasing kids by the court, would have an easier time than he did.

Still, he stood in front of the teacher, dribbling slowly, as if trying to lure the PE teacher in with his rhythm.

He still failed.

No matter what he tried, the teacher’s footsteps remained steady, pressing in on him like the tide.

He could barely trick a single extra step out of him.

After a few dribbles, he had no choice but to take a shot.

A couple of feints got him nowhere, and when he finally took the real shot, his space was blocked.

The ball missed.

They swapped offense and defense—it was the PE teacher’s turn to attack.

“You play too by-the-book. It’s easy to guess your next move, and just as easy to defend,” the teacher said.

Xiao Yi’an froze.

Was he really too by-the-book?

It seemed he understood something.

He scrambled to keep up with the teacher’s footwork, and when the teacher finally took a shot, Xiao Yi’an used his arm span to successfully block the attack.

The ball was in his hands again.

This time, Xiao Yi’an was on the offensive.

Still, it was the same back-and-forth as before. When he was right under the basket, Xiao Yi’an spun with the ball in his arms.

He flung off his glasses.

As the teacher turned to look at the flying glasses, Xiao Yi’an, now without his vision aid, took the shot.

A crisp sound—the basketball swished through the net.

“Teacher, I scored.”

“I heard it.” The PE teacher, not the least bit angry, instead smiled and patted Xiao Yi’an on the shoulder. “Not bad! Good intuition, good game. I hope you can do as well in other areas.”

“I’m trying my best.”

“Good, good.” The PE teacher pulled out his class list, found Ye Qingchang’s name, and made a checkmark in a specific column. “Ye Qingchang, right? You’re all set.”

Only then did Xiao Yi’an breathe a sigh of relief and turn around.

He was face to face with Ye Qingchang’s calmly expressionless face.

“Why do I get the feeling this is about me?” Ye Qingchang came over from the resting bench, looked at the PE teacher, then at Xiao Yi’an.

The teacher, with a knowing look, moved aside and completely gave this spot over to the two of them.

“I was just playing basketball, and it has to do with you.” Xiao Yi’an was straightforward.

“How is you playing basketball related to me?” Ye Qingchang tilted her head.

Xiao Yi’an thought for a moment. “The teacher said if I won, I could get full marks on the end-of-term exam, so I played as you and got you a full score.”

“You got me a full score?” Ye Qingchang raised an eyebrow. “You think I nee—”

Halfway through, Ye Qingchang was stunned.

She actually did need that damn full score for the final exam, otherwise, with her failed PE score, even if the teacher wanted to help, it might be too hard.

“Thank you.”

She thanked him honestly.

When she looked up, Xiao Yi’an was deep in thought.

“Do you feel like help like this is unnecessary and annoying, or does it make you feel relaxed and at ease?”

“I think it depends on what I need. Helping is always presumptuous before the other person actually asks.” Ye Qingchang was in a pretty good mood right now, so she didn’t mind chatting with Xiao Yi’an about this kind of random topic.

Though she knew most of what Xiao Yi’an was saying was probably just him trying to win her over.

“Then will you tell me if you ever need help?”

“No.”

“Oh.” Xiao Yi’an seemed to have expected that answer.

Then Ye Qingchang spoke again: “This doesn’t really seem like something you’d come up with. You learned it from someone else, didn’t you?”

“Oh, yeah, I did learn it from someone. Over there.”

Xiao Yi’an pointed to Gou Yu, who was watching the girls’ volleyball match with Zhu Niao. “He was the first to help the person next to him get full marks. I thought it was worth learning. Why? Did I learn it wrong?”

“No, keep learning. If you can really master it, that’d be great.”