Chapter 13

It was already 1:00 am, so it was very quiet outside. Hearing a woman crying at such a time would have frightened most people and made them think they had encountered a ghost or some spirit. But Icarus knew that it was Irene who was crying. He had noticed the deep sorrow hidden in Irene's eyes during dinnertime. Perhaps she didn't want to worry Luna, so she only allowed herself to cry quietly in the middle of the night. Irene was clearly facing some serious difficulties. Icarus thought she was a good person. Ever since he moved here, Irene often invited him to share meals with them after she noticed that he was living alone. Sometimes, she would buy fruit or snacks and ask Luna to bring them to him. Although Icarus had a reserved nature, he was far from being cold-hearted, especially when it came to a kind neighbor like Irene. So, Icarus made up his mind that he would ask Irene about the troubles plaguing her the next day. … The next day, there was a physical education lesson. This lesson provided a chance for all the senior classes to take a break from their studies and engage in sports activities. Most students chose to take part in various ball games or go jogging. A few lazy ones, like Icarus and Donovan, didn't bother with these activities. They went to the convenience store to buy some ice cream and sat on a bench by the school basketball court, eating and chatting away. Initially, there were only a few people shooting hoops on the basketball court where Icarus and Donovan were sitting. But within minutes, a large group of people arrived at the scene. The center of attention was none other than Xavier, whom Icarus had met the previous day. "Why did Xavier come over here?" Donovan asked in surprise. Then, he glanced at Icarus and recalled the rumors that had spread throughout the grade yesterday. He heard from his classmates that Xavier was displeased about Icarus being Ruth's deskmate. So, he had personally come to their class the previous day to warn Icarus. Donovan had been napping at his desk when it happened, so he wasn't sure if the rumors were true. "Hey, Icarus. That rumor yesterday... Did Xavier really—" Donovan was just about to clarify with Icarus when a series of excited squeals erupted from the edge of the basketball court. "Ah!" It turned out that Xavier had removed his shirt to reveal his muscular chest and abs. All the girls swooned when they saw his sculpted body. Xavier was tall, well-built, handsome, academically gifted, and came from a prominent family. He was perfect and no doubt every girl's dream boyfriend. In short, he was the perfect definition of a modern-day Prince Charming. Xavier picked up the basketball and dribbled it. Then, with a leap from near the free-throw line, he slam-dunked the ball with ease. "Wow!" His impressive dunk triggered another round of cheers and hoots from the crowd, including the boys. Jumping from near the free-throw line to make a dunk was something even many NBA players couldn't do. However, Xavier did it effortlessly! "Oh my gosh. How can he jump so high and far?" "Yeah! He's even better than those NBA players!" "Haven't you heard? Xavier has been practicing martial arts since he was a kid, and now he's supposedly an innate… What's that word? Oh yeah! He's an innate fighter!" A few boys near Icarus were discussing how marvelous Xavier was. "He's an innate fighter?" Upon hearing that word, Donovan was so amazed that the fat on his cheek shook. He turned to Icarus and said, "Listen, if you got on his bad side, you'd better back down and apologize. You can't afford to mess with an innate fighter." Icarus smiled faintly. He had known yesterday that Xavier was a 5th-stage innate fighter. This was equivalent to being at the 5th stage of the refinement phase. To someone like Icarus, who was at the 9,832nd stage of the refinement phase, that level of cultivation was insignificant. But for ordinary people, especially for someone of Xavier's age, it was indeed impressive. By now, the crowd around Xavier had doubled. Most of the crowd consisted of girls. Every time Xavier scored, it elicited another round of screams from them. ... Ruth was walking along the track with her best friend from the honors class, Edith Zeller. "You should transfer back to our class. It's so boring without you," Edith said, holding Ruth's hand. "I want to transfer back. But when I applied for a transfer, the headteacher refused and even scolded me," Ruth replied helplessly. "What? How dare he scold you? Just tell your dad, and have him call the school. I'd like to see the head teacher try to pull rank after that," Edith said angrily. Suddenly, Edith seemed to think of something. She looked at Ruth suspiciously and said, "This isn't making sense. A mere headteacher wouldn't dare refuse your request. I think you just don't want to transfer back, so you made up an excuse. Be honest, Ruth. Do you have a crush on Icarus?" "What nonsense are you talking about?" Ruth retorted with a blush. "Aha, look at how nervous you are. It seems my guess is correct," Edith teased, narrowing her eyes. Just then, they heard the high-pitched squeals coming from the basketball court. "What's going on? Why are there so many people gathered there?" Ruth asked, trying to change the topic. Edith looked over and immediately spotted Xavier, who was shirtless. As soon as she saw him, her eyes lit up. "Xavier's playing basketball over there. Let's go take a look!" Upon hearing Xavier's name, Ruth felt a wave of disgust and had no desire to get anywhere near him. However, Edith forcefully pulled her along, and she couldn't break free. ... As more and more people gathered around, Icarus sensed that trouble was brewing. "Let's go. It's too noisy here," Icarus said, patting Donovan on the shoulder and standing up. Right at that moment, Xavier walked over to him. Icarus cursed inwardly at not having left sooner. "Fancy meeting you here, Icarus," Xavier said, flashing his trademark sunny smile. It was no coincidence. Icarus knew that Xavier was bent on challenging him. "Is there something you need?" Icarus asked. "Not really. I happened to see you sitting here looking bored. So, I thought I'd invite you to play basketball with me," Xavier said. Upon hearing Xavier's words, the spectating students became excited. They had all heard the rumor yesterday. It seemed like they would get to watch a good show. Xavier clearly didn't like Icarus sitting next to Ruth. Now, he was going to teach Icarus a lesson. To put it simply, Icarus was in big trouble! "I don't play basketball," Icarus said flatly. "Really? You're a guy, yet you don't know how to play basketball?" Xavier sneered. The crowd burst into laughter. "You should be honored that Xavier invited you to play. I suggest you take up his invitation. Besides, so many people are watching. Are you really going to chicken out and become a joke?" said one of the boys standing next to Xavier. "Yeah. Why are you chickening out? Do it!" A group of boys, who were there just for the drama, began to egg him on. The girls, on the other hand, looked at Icarus with disdain. They had no respect whatsoever for a cowardly guy. Ruth and Edith arrived just in time to see this scene unfold. "Oh no, Ruth. Your deskmate seems to be in trouble," Edith said with a smile. Ruth hadn't expected Xavier to confront Icarus in front of so many people. She didn't know what to do in this situation. "I need to stop Xavier!" Ruth exclaimed inwardly. With that thought in mind, she tried to push through the crowd. However, Edith held her back and said, "Don't get involved, or the rumors about you and Icarus will only get worse. Just stand here and watch. I want to see what your deskmate is capable of." Ruth's worried expression caused Edith's eyes to light up as a mischievous glint flashed across them. "Don't worry. With so many people watching, Xavier won't beat him up… I think," Edith added. That was far from certain. Michael had once told Ruth that the Young family members were all crazy and that it was best not to provoke them. While Ruth was busy feeling worried for Icarus, Xavier stood smilingly on the basketball court. Without warning, he suddenly threw the basketball he was holding at Icarus. The sudden move was meant to catch Icarus off guard. If he reacted slowly, the ball would hit him in the face squarely. To everyone's surprise, Icarus caught the basketball easily with one hand. "How many points are we playing to?" Icarus asked. Xavier was taken aback that Icarus had caught the ball so smoothly, but he hid his surprise. "Let's play to three," Xavier replied with a bright smile. Icarus had accepted Xavier's challenge! The crowd that was gathered around the basketball court buzzed with excitement. Some students even started clapping for Icarus. "This guy's got guts!" Ruth stomped her foot in frustration. "Why did he agree? Xavier definitely won't let him off easily!"