This humble Taoist priest wants to take the college entrance exam.

Chapter 183 How come winning feels the same as losing!
As everyone knows, any gossip related to the class monitor is something you can only look at, not touch.

Even so, just looking at it can prolong life!

The students in Class 5 could all see that Lin Mengqiu had a special feeling for Dao Ye that was completely different from the other students;

Wen Zhixia, needless to say, was often seen going to school and eating with Dao Ye, and even switching classes to visit Dao Ye several times.

Only a Taoist master, who is enlightened and detached from worldly affairs, can remain so calm. If the guys in my class put themselves in his shoes, they would all be torn and not know which option to choose.

On the left is Lin Mengqiu, who ranked first in science, and on the right is Wen Zhixia, who ranked first in humanities...

This is no longer a simple badminton match; it's clearly a grudge match!
Seeing the two girls on the field locked in a tense standoff, the students from Class 5 and Class 11 watching from the sidelines got excited.

Fight! Fight!

"let's start."

As soon as referee Chen Shian finished speaking, Wen Zhixia served first.

The girl gripped her racket, lowered her shoulder, and unleashed a beautiful high clear that headed straight for Lin Mengqiu's backcourt, taking the initiative!

Lin Mengqiu had anticipated this, and with nimble footwork, she quickly stepped back, extended her racket, and flicked the ball lightly. The movement was not loud, but the trajectory of the ball was extremely tricky, and the ball fell off the edge of the net.

Wen Zhixia knew her playing style well and was already prepared. She took a step forward and once again flicked the ball into Lin Mengqiu's backhand area.

After exchanging blows for a few rounds, Wen Zhixia's eyes suddenly lit up as she seized an opportunity!
As the ball reached its highest point, she gripped her racket tightly, bent her knees, pushed off the ground, and jumped slightly. The power from her waist was transferred to her arm, which suddenly rotated inward and exerted force. At the moment the racket face touched the ball, she pressed her wrist down, and the power went straight to the racket head!

[Smack!]
A crisp, clear sound of a smash echoed across the court.

Lin Mengqiu hurriedly tried to make amends, but still missed.

"One to zero."

Chen Shi'an smiled.

"Wow--!"

"Zhizhi is so competitive—!"

The students watching from the sidelines spontaneously burst into applause, their expressions showing even greater excitement.

Some classmates who had never seen the two girls play before thought it would be a match between old people, but they didn't expect that both girls were quite skilled. In particular, Wen Zhixia's powerful and aggressive style immediately made the game very competitive, and she took the first point with a beautiful smash.

"Zhi Zhi is invincible!" Yao Jingyan quickly chimed in.

Qiu Yufu looked somewhat worried and glanced at Lin Mengqiu.

Lin Mengqiu didn't say anything, but silently went to pick up the ball, used her racket to lift it up, and then hit it back to Wen Zhixia's side with a backhand stroke, waiting for her to serve again.

Looking at Wen Zhixia again, the girl's aura was clearly stronger now, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Little cicada did a good job."

Chen Shi'an praised her, then looked at Lin Mengqiu and said, "Go for it, class monitor!"

Lin Mengqiu remained silent, but it was clear that she was somewhat angry. She took off her coat, revealing a short-sleeved shirt similar to Wen Zhixia's.

Qiu Yufu breathed a sigh of relief; sure enough, the class monitor was hiding something!

Squad leader, step up your game!
"Two to zero!"

"Three to zero!"

Qiu Yufu: "..."

As a staunch supporter of the class monitor, Qiu Yufu was genuinely worried for Lin Mengqiu, given the 3-0 score difference...

On the other hand, Yao Jingyan was as excited as if she had won the game herself, handing Wen Zhixia a bottle of water and fanning her with a folding fan.

"Zhizhi is so strong!"

"Hehe, it's alright, just a warm-up. Stop fanning me, stop fanning me, you'll cool me down in a bit."

“××××!”

It would have been better if she hadn't seen the fan, but once she did, Lin Mengqiu was truly angry this time!

Then--

"Four to zero!"

Qiu Yufu: "..."

Yu Fu is exhausted. Supporting the class monitor is really a difficult thing. It's one thing to be slow to warm up, but why is she so slow to warm up to sports too?

If they lose two more goals, Yao Jingyan will have to prepare her acceptance speech!
Fortunately, Lin Mengqiu, who was slow to warm up, finally woke up. After Wen Zhixia scored four points in a row with a series of sharp smashes, Lin Mengqiu calmed down. She stared at the moment Wen Zhixia swung her racket to smash, seized the opening when Wen Zhixia was in mid-air and returned the smash. Then she backhanded the ball to the gap in Wen Zhixia's defense and finally broke the deadlock.

"Four to one!"

"Good shot, squad leader!"

Qiu Yufu immediately clapped her hands! Her face was full of satisfaction!

Chen Shi'an blinked and looked over with a smile. It seemed that the class monitor was gradually getting into the zone.
Lin Mengqiu managed to turn the tide, and a hint of seriousness appeared on Wen Zhixia's pretty face. However, she still held a huge advantage, which prevented her from becoming anxious.

Lin Mengqiu finally served, and Wen Zhixia assumed a defensive receiving stance. The battle continued.

"Five to one!"

"Five to two!"

"Six to two!"

"Six to three!"

……

At this point, the badminton battle between the two girls had entered a completely heated phase.

Wen Zhixia continued her powerful attacks, her ball speed as fast as a shooting star, and cheers echoed from the sidelines every time she smashed the ball.

Once Lin Mengqiu got into the game, she began to play steadily, constantly disrupting Wen Zhixia's rhythm with net shots and cross-court drops, repeatedly causing Wen Zhixia's powerful shots to miss.

The gap between the two players did not continue to widen, and they maintained a three-point difference, alternating in their gains.

Although they seemed to be locked in a tight battle, Chen Shi'an could tell that the squad leader was gradually gaining the upper hand...

Little Zhiliao was still smashing, but the power was no longer as fierce as before. After all, she was small and had a heavy burden, so her stamina was obviously depleted faster than that of the class monitor who was attacking with a backhand counterattack.

Of course, as a girl herself, Lin Mengqiu's stamina was depleted more slowly, but after a high-intensity battle, she wasn't much better off than Wen Zhixia.

"11 to 8!"

The first half has ended.

Wen Zhixia took a three-point lead and won the first half.

When they switched places, both girls were covered in sweat and breathing heavily.

"Squad leader, have some water."

Qiu Yufu handed over a bottle of mineral water.

"……Thanks."

Lin Mengqiu didn't stand on ceremony, took the water, and gulped down two mouthfuls.

"Class monitor, I have some tissues here."

"……Thanks."

Lin Mengqiu took the tissue and wiped the sweat from her face and neck. In the sunlight, the beads of sweat clung to the girl's fair skin and lingered between her delicate collarbones.

She looked up at Wen Zhixia over there.

"Zhizhi, you really got the short end of the stick! If only we had played eleven balls," Yao Jingyan whispered in her ear.

"What are you saying? Do you think I'll lose after 21 goals?"

"I'm worried you won't have the stamina to keep up."

"I'm just hot, Xiaoyan, where's my fan?"

"I'll shake it for you."

"Give it to me, I'll do it..."

Wen Zhixia took the Ningxin shaker from Xiaoyan's hand and shook it a few times.

The redness on her face visibly subsided.

Like some kind of law of conservation of energy, Lin Mengqiu, who was also wiping her sweat, felt that the more the tattered fan was shaken, the higher the temperature on her face became.

"Are you all done with the halftime break? It's starting now."

Chen Shi'an looked left and right, then spoke up to offer a reminder.

The two girls then picked up their rackets and returned to their respective sides of the badminton court.

I was so engrossed in the game that I didn't pay much attention until now. When I came to my senses, I realized that the court was already surrounded by a huge group of classmates, all of whom were familiar with each other from Class 5 and Class 11. They were all as enthusiastic as if they were watching a top-level match.

Wen Zhixia and Lin Mengqiu felt a chill run down their spines. They were doomed...

If we lose the game, I'll have to do sit-ups in front of so many people. I'll lose all face!

We absolutely cannot lose!

"Come on, squad leader!"

"Go Zhizhi!"

The second half began, and the two girls switched sides.

Chen Shi'an took a new ball out of the ball tube and accurately flicked it into Wen Zhixia's hand.

After a short rest, Wen Zhixia recovered some of her strength, but Lin Mengqiu's fighting spirit only intensified.

Wen Zhixia once again started the game with a high clear, a shot she was known for!
Relying on her momentum, the girl launched a fierce attack from the start. She focused on Lin Mengqiu's weak backhand position and smashed two consecutive diagonal shots, widening the score gap by two points again!
"13 to 8!"

They were already leading by a full five points! The cheers from the students of Class 11 grew even louder, and even Chen Shi'an couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, feeling that Xiao Zhi's momentum was indeed unstoppable.

But Lin Mengqiu was not disrupted. She wiped the sweat from her forehead, her eyes brightened, and she began to use ball control to tightly entangle Wen Zhixia.

After all, they are both girls, and compared to Chen Shi'an's powerful smashes, Wen Zhixia's smashes are far inferior.

Although the girl's spirit remained undiminished, her physical strength was clearly declining, and this was the opportunity that Lin Mengqiu had been waiting for.

When Wen Zhixia spiked the ball, she responded with a high clear to the opponent's backcourt.
Wen Zhixia wanted to play a fast attack, but she suddenly dropped a short ball to the net, making Wen Zhixia run back and forth between the front and back courts.

After several rounds, Wen Zhixia's breathing became noticeably heavier, and the force of her swings weakened.

"13 to 9!"

"14 to 9!"

"14 to 10!" "14 to 11!"

"14 to 12!"

Lin Mengqiu scored three consecutive baskets, narrowing the gap to two points!
Wen Zhixia's expression turned serious. Large beads of sweat rolled down the girl's delicate cheeks and slid into her collar. She didn't have time to wipe the sweat away; she simply raised her arm and dabbed it with her sleeve.

She could tell that although Lin Mengqiu was in hot form, her stamina wasn't much better than hers. It was just that her defensive and counter-attacking style was more suitable for the physically demanding second half of the game.

"Go Zhizhi!"

"Come on, squad leader!"

"15 to 12!"

"15 to 13!"

……

"19 to 19!"

When the score was tied, Qiu Yufu couldn't help but get excited, while Yao Jingyan's heart clenched.

Chen Shi'an blinked. He could tell that both girls in the arena were already at their limit. Now it was a battle of who could make fewer mistakes. Even Wen Zhixia had reduced her aggressive attacks and started to use defense and counterattacks to conserve her energy.

Unexpectedly, Lin Mengqiu launched a fierce attack!

"19 to 20!"

For the first time in their match, Lin Mengqiu has taken the lead and secured match point!

After taking the lead, Lin Mengqiu's offensive became even more aggressive, with every shot landing in the most difficult position for Wen Zhixia to receive.

But Wen Zhixia was clearly no pushover either. Seeing that she was just one point away from losing, the girl was about to unleash her full power!
This ball went back and forth for a long time, resulting in a stalemate.

"20 to 20!"

Unlike the previous seven-point game, this time it's a more standard 21-point game, where you need to lead by at least two points to win.

At this point, it's purely a contest of physical strength and mental fortitude.

Neither side wanted to lose, so the score remained close as they continued to move forward.

"21 to 20!"

"21 to 21!"

"21 to 22!"

After falling behind by one point again, Wen Zhixia's knuckles were turning white as she gripped the racket. She took a deep breath, suddenly lowered her center of gravity, raised her racket, and leaped up to deliver one last smash!
[Smack!]
With a crisp sound, the badminton shuttlecock whistled through the air and struck Lin Mengqiu's left side of the court. However, Lin Mengqiu seemed to have read her mind beforehand. She touched the ground with her right toe, turned to the side, and met the shuttlecock with lightning speed. She gently deflected the shuttlecock with her backhand and then flicked it upwards!
The shuttlecock suddenly changed its trajectory, grazing the top of the net with a slight spin, heading straight for Wen Zhixia's backhand.

Wen Zhixia's pupils contracted, and she quickly retreated, extending her racket to its maximum length, but only barely grazed the shuttlecock's feathers.

[despair]
The shuttlecock landed.

The barely audible thud sounded like a deafening roar to the girl's ears.

There was a moment of silence on the sidelines, then the cheers from Class 5 erupted the next second:
"21 to 23!"

"The squad leader won!"

"A major comeback!"

"Ouch~~~ Zhizhi... you didn't catch that ball just now, it must have gone out of bounds!" Yao Jingyan sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Wen Zhixia was clearly still in a daze, staring blankly at the ball on the ground. She was so engrossed in the game that she didn't dare to gamble on whether the ball would go out of bounds!

I'm not convinced! I'd rather die than accept this!!
Lin Mengqiu stood still, racket in hand, her chest heaving. She was completely devoid of her usual aloofness. When she looked at the girl on the other side of the court, the class monitor's lips kept curving up and down, and she didn't know what expression to make!
Cool! !

Ahhhhh! !
I really want to scream "Ahhh!!"

If it weren't for so many people watching, Lin Mengqiu would have really shouted out loud to vent her feelings of exhilaration.

but.

The thought of so many people watching made her even more excited for what was to come!

"you lose."

Lin Mengqiu said to Wen Zhixia.

Wen Zhixia ignored her and looked at Chen Shi'an, who was acting as the referee.

Chen Shi'an's heart tightened.

no……

Don't make me announce the results!
"21 to 23, the class monitor wins."

Adhering to the principles of fairness and impartiality, referee Chen Shi'an announced the result of the match.

Lin Mengqiu smiled even more smugly.

"Woo!"

Wen Zhixia was furious! Frustrated, she grabbed her racket and was about to hit Chen Shi'an's butt.

"Hey, what are you doing? Hitting the referee will deduct two points from your score!"

"It's all your fault!"

"It's the two of you playing ball, what did I do..."

The class monitor, who had been laughing, stopped laughing as she watched the interaction between the two.

What are you two doing?!

"I remember there was a prize before we started fighting, right?"

Lin Mengqiu suddenly spoke up.

Wen Zhixia was stunned.

"It's just twenty sit-ups! I'll do them!"

With a flushed face, Wen Zhixia resolutely walked back to her half of the field. She first laid her school uniform jacket on the cement floor to prevent her sweaty short-sleeved shirt from getting dirty, and then plopped down on the ground.

"Holy crap! Zhizhi, you're serious!" Yao Jingyan exclaimed in shock.

Lin Mengqiu looked satisfied and was about to watch her do sit-ups when Wen Zhixia called out to Chen Shi'an again.

"Taoist priest! Come help me stretch my legs!"

Yao Jingyan realized what was happening and quickly added, "That's right, Chen Shi'an, you're the referee, so you do the leg stretches and supervise Zhizhi!"

"How about I do it?" Qiu Yufu said.

“Yu Fu, we don’t need you to come, the referee will come!” Yao Jingyan said.

"alright."

Chen Shi'an stepped forward, squatted down, and helped her stretch her legs.

Lin Mengqiu: "???"

Before she could stop her, Wen Zhixia started doing sit-ups.

Yao Jingyan and several close friends thoughtfully surrounded her, preventing others from seeing her.

But Chen Shi'an can see.

"one two Three……"

Chen Shi'an kept count, while Wen Zhixia, with her hands behind her head, knelt on the cement floor covered with her school uniform jacket, repeatedly lying down and sitting up.

Having just exhausted herself, Wen Zhixia found it quite difficult to do twenty sit-ups.

Hopefully, she didn't cheat after losing the bet and performed the movements correctly, one after another.

Chen Shi'an squatted down to help her press down her legs, his palms pressed against the warm ankles under the girl's school uniform pants. He deliberately used light pressure, just enough to hold her legs in place, without pressing too hard.

When Wen Zhixia sat up, her face suddenly came close to his.

The girl, still warm from exercising, breathed on Chen Shi'an's face as she opened her mouth.

When she met his gaze, the girl's ear tips felt a little hot, and then she leaned back and lay down again.

When the two faced each other again, Chen Shi'an lowered his gaze and said:
“…Little cicada, your belly is showing.”

Lin Mengqiu: "××××××!"

Because of repeatedly sitting up and lying down, the hem of the girl's clothes was pulled and shifted slightly, revealing a bit of her fair and tender belly.

Even though the girl was doing sit-ups, her little belly looked exceptionally soft and rather cute.

"Then why are you still watching!"

Wen Zhixia blushed with embarrassment, quickly pulled up the hem of her clothes, and then lay down again.

She bit her lip and continued to exert force, tightening her waist and lifting herself up. With each movement, she could feel the warmth of his palms spreading from her ankles to her knees. With each movement, her hair would sway.

"Sixteen...ten...seventeen? Hey, hang in there, just three more to go."

"Hey...ya!"

With Chen Shi'an's encouragement, Wen Zhixia swayed and sat up again.

"Keep going, little cicada, there are two left."

“┗|｀O′|┛Awoooooo!”

“××××××××!!”

What are you wobbling about?

Every time you get up and get so close, why don't you just kiss her?!
Finally, after doing twenty sit-ups, Wen Zhixia felt dizzy and weak. She hugged her knees and gasped for breath.

He thought she would behave herself now, but instead she reached out her hand to Chen Shi'an—

"Taoist priest, help me up, I can't go on..."

"Are you okay?"

"Pull me up..."

The moment their hands clasped together—

Lin Mengqiu's eyes widened, and she was so angry that she almost experienced plasmolysis.

She was the one who won!

Why does this feel like I've lost?

(End of this chapter)