Chapter 31: Brother, is it really you?

Who threw this basketball so carelessly?

Smack!

Qin Xuan reached out a hand and effortlessly caught the basketball. The speed of the ball was remarkable; had it been anyone else, they might not have caught it so easily, and an unwary person could have been injured.

Qin Xuan glanced in the direction from which the ball had flown, his brows furrowing.

There stood a burly fellow, mouth agape, staring at Qin Xuan with an incredulous look in his eyes. Beside him was none other than Dongfang Qingwan’s younger brother—Dongfang Wenhao.

At that moment, Dongfang Wenhao looked both surprised and somewhat relieved.

"Girl, come," Qin Xuan called to Liu Qianqian, then strode toward the basketball court. Liu Qianqian hesitated, then realized something interesting was about to happen, and eagerly followed.

"Whose ball is this?" Qin Xuan asked with a hint of amusement as he stepped onto the court.

"It’s mine. Not bad, buddy. Hand the ball back and you can leave," the burly man beside Dongfang Wenhao said arrogantly, beckoning to Qin Xuan.

"You threw it so hard—were you trying to hurt someone? Was it on purpose?" Qin Xuan didn't return the ball, but instead walked straight up to the big man, casting a glance at Dongfang Wenhao. The ball had flown so fast that, had it struck an ordinary person in the head, it could easily have caused bleeding or even a concussion. Given the severity, Qin Xuan felt compelled to teach them a lesson.

Dongfang Wenhao quickly shook his head and waved his hand, "No, it was just an accident..."

"Nonsense. Wenhao, why are you afraid of him?" the burly fellow cut him off, looking at Qin Xuan with disdain. "Just a lousy bodyguard, right? We were testing your skills—how else can you protect Qingwan?"

"So you admit it was deliberate," Qin Xuan nodded, tossing the basketball behind him.

"Girl, go play," he said.

Liu Qianqian caught the ball with one hand, grinning mischievously, "What’s so fun about this? Let’s make it interesting. If anyone can take the ball from me, I’ll leave it be. But if you can’t, this ball belongs to me."

Only then did the group of boys notice the girl behind Qin Xuan—a cute, petite beauty.

Dongfang Wenhao scowled, "Taking the ball from a girl? If word gets out, we’ll be laughed at. Qin Xuan, if you’re a real man, play us yourself. Using a girl as a shield—aren’t you afraid of becoming a joke?"

"Little Qin Xuan, they’re underestimating me," Liu Qianqian complained, her playful demeanor catching the attention of nearly every boy on the court.

"Underestimating others never ends well," Qin Xuan said, rubbing his nose. He ignored Liu Qianqian and turned to the burly man and Dongfang Wenhao. "I’m not here to play, nor to challenge you at basketball. Did you say you threw the ball on purpose?"

"Yes, on purpose. What can you do about it?" the big man replied fearlessly, puffing out his chest. At his words, several boys nearby cracked their knuckles, ready to join in at a moment’s notice.

"What’s your name?" Qin Xuan asked, careful not to resort to force, especially since they were students.

"I’m Zhao Xu. Ever heard of me?" the burly man said with pride.

"Zhao Xu?" Qin Xuan frowned slightly.

The boys around him laughed.

"So much for being tough. Looks like he’s scared silly just hearing Zhao’s name."

"Exactly. Doesn’t he know who Zhao Xu is? Who would dare mess with the Zhao family here in Jinling?"

"This bodyguard should apologize and run off with his tail between his legs, ha ha."

They discussed openly, not caring if Qin Xuan heard. In their eyes, Zhao Xu was out of his league for a mere bodyguard to challenge.

Compared to Qin Xuan, their interest was clearly drawn to Liu Qianqian.

Liu Qianqian leaned leisurely against the fence at the edge of the court, her slender finger spinning the basketball ceaselessly—a sight that left many boys slack-jawed.

The move wasn’t impossible for them, but to spin the ball on a fingertip for several uninterrupted minutes, as Liu Qianqian did, was rare indeed.

Now, the boys unanimously agreed: this beauty was a basketball ace!

Alas, how could such a girl be with that timid bodyguard? It was baffling—they resolved to advise her to choose a better path, to abandon the wrong for the right.

"Do you know Zhao Long?" Qin Xuan asked.

"You know Zhao Long?" Zhao Xu, the burly man, looked surprised. "Why? Zhao Long is my big brother. Now you know who I am? Hurry up and apologize, then get lost."

A faint smile crossed Qin Xuan's lips. Previously, Zhao Long had said the Zhao family was the most powerful business clan in Jinling; it seemed he was right, as there were indeed arrogant, unruly heirs among them.

"Wenhao, don’t hang around with this guy in the future. You know what they say—a man is known by the company he keeps," Qin Xuan advised Dongfang Wenhao.

"You have no right to tell me who I can be with," Dongfang Wenhao protested.

"Exactly, who do you think you are? Looks like you don’t know how tough I, Zhao Xu, am!" Zhao Xu was incensed, and the boys behind him edged closer to Qin Xuan.

"Wait a moment," Qin Xuan gestured.

"What, scared? Apologize now or get beaten," Zhao Xu sneered.

"I’ll make a call," Qin Xuan said, taking out his phone and smiling, "to Zhao Long."

"You know my big brother? Yeah, right," Zhao Xu scoffed, thinking the bodyguard was just pretending to call for backup to avoid a beating.

"Let him call. When he’s done, we’ll teach him a lesson," Zhao Xu chuckled, eager for things to get more exciting.

"Qin Xuan, just apologize and leave. If you get beaten, I won't be responsible," Dongfang Wenhao warned. He was worried about explaining things to his sister; after all, he feared Dongfang Qingwan.

Qin Xuan ignored him. Soon, the call connected.

"Hello, Senior Zhao..." Qin Xuan briefly explained the situation, then handed his phone to Zhao Xu with a smile.

"What’s this?" Zhao Xu asked suspiciously.

"Zhao Long wants to speak to you," Qin Xuan replied.

"Really?" Seeing Qin Xuan’s confidence, Zhao Xu began to feel uneasy. In truth, he was only a collateral member of the Zhao family—nothing compared to Zhao Long, the future family head. The Zhao clan was strict with its heirs; if the family learned he was causing trouble outside, he’d be in serious trouble.

Zhao Xu thought this over, then scoffed. This bodyguard was said to be hired by the Dongfang family for their eldest daughter—how could he possibly know Zhao Long?

He took the phone anyway.

"Hello? Who the hell dares pretend to be my big brother?"

"Zhao Xu?" Zhao Long’s voice came through, cold and stern.

Zhao Xu was immediately terrified, almost dropping to his knees.

"B-big brother, is it really you?"