Love is as simple as badminton.

Chapter 20 is, of course, because he was a liberal arts student.

Amidst everything going smoothly, Xiangda University entered its formal teaching week.

The number of classes for freshmen in the Academy of Social Sciences is relatively small. There is only one class in the afternoon on Mondays and Fridays, and only two classes each on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Among them, there is only a public class at 8 am on Thursday mornings.

Compared to freshmen in other colleges, they have very few class hours.

However, the courses at the School of Sociology emphasize quality over quantity, with core courses such as sociological theory and social research methods being the most essential. Not only are the teachers dedicated and thorough in their teaching, but the assessments are also very rigorous; cramming will only result in a passing grade, not a high one.

Some students felt that the social studies department was too busy, while others thought it was practical, resulting in mixed opinions.

Lin Xiang agrees with this view. He believes that it is better to focus on the few classes that are less demanding than to have time wasted on easy ones.

And this way he can spend more time training.

The first week of classes has just begun, and most courses haven't yet entered the intensive output phase, so the pressure is relatively low.

Lin Xiang maintained the pace of the previous week and had a fairly stable and fulfilling time.

"Rest time over! Last group!"

"Okay, come on."

Seeing that Shi Yuqi was already standing on the opposite side of the court, Lin Xiang picked up his racket.

Today's practice focused on consistency of movement—using the same pre-swing to hit different shots such as push, hook, drop shot, and smash.

The smaller the pre-animation, the less likely the opponent is to anticipate, and the faster your relative speed will be.

"despair--"

"bite"

"Snapped!"

Shi Yuqi held a string of balls in her left hand and tossed them to her right hand to serve.

Lin Xiang's returns are like magic; the shooting motions are almost identical, yet the trajectory of the shuttlecock is unpredictable.

Jin Xin, watching from the sidelines, nodded repeatedly.

Although he doesn't play basketball and uses romance as a theme, it has to be said that watching skilled players play is truly enjoyable. Unlike watching Xu Yue play, which is pure comedy.

"That's all~ Ten-minute rest, then we'll practice multi-ball footwork!"

After he hit the last ball, Shiyuki helped him start the timer.

Now that the roles have been reversed, she vaguely feels like a coach.

"Thank you for your hard work, senior."

After taking the drink she offered, Lin Xiang rummaged in his bag and pulled out a carton of milk and strawberries, handing it to her.

"Wow, is this for me?"

"Um."

Lin Xiang recalled the communication skills Zhao Hao had taught him and pondered for a moment.

"I am very grateful for your hard work and companionship these past few days."

"Thank you~"

Shi Yuqi accepted the food container with both hands, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Hey! Here, you can try the first one~ Is it good?"

"Mmm, it's pretty good."

"..."

Jin Xin sighed and silently recorded it in his resource library.

He suddenly understood Xu Yue's feelings a little better.

If it weren't for researching for his novel, he wouldn't want to come here and suffer this bitter pill!

However, this scene did not last long.

Just as Lin Xiang was about to continue training, a group of people wearing matching uniforms suddenly walked into the stadium and headed straight for the court.

Jin Xin blinked—according to the tropes of novels, this kind of scene usually involves the villain coming to cause trouble.

However, the typical wish-fulfillment plot didn't happen. Instead, Shi Yuqi smiled and waved to them: "Brother Ye! President Deng!"

Hearing the sound, Lin Xiang couldn't help but stop training and turn around to look.

The leader was a slender, handsome young man in a navy blue jersey, with sharp, piercing eyes. Even Lin Xiang sensed an aura of unapproachability emanating from him.

Every badminton player will recognize this face – it is none other than the meteoric genius Ling Ye.

The boy next to him was slightly shorter, but his body was as broad and strong as a lion's. His phoenix eyes were covered by a pair of thick, sword-like eyebrows, exuding a stern leader's aura.

Lin Xiang also remembered him – Deng Ziyang, the top scorer at Xiangda University, who is also the current captain of the Xiangda University team.

"You're back?"

"Yeah. I got completely destroyed, so I'm going home to calm down."

Deng Ziyang waved his hand, not very interested in chatting. "We need to use these courts for training later, so please make way for us, you and your friend."

Shi Yuqi was slightly taken aback: "But I didn't receive any notification about occupying the venue?"

"School teams don't need to notify the Badminton Association to use the courts, right?"

Deng Ziyang glanced at her. "Besides, Ling Ye is the president of the club. If Ling Ye knows, then he has been notified."

"Okay, then maybe I didn't notice Brother Ye's message. Sorry."

Shi Yuqi smiled at Ling Ye from afar.

Ling Ye remained expressionless and did not respond.

Lin Xiang saw this and was somewhat displeased—he didn't think that geniuses could put on airs, and that there should be basic respect between people, right?

What intrigued him, however, was that the senior student didn't seem to care. He wondered if it was because of her high status or because they genuinely had a good relationship.

"Oh, right, Brother Ye!"

Curious, Shi Yuqi had already run over to Ling Ye's side.

"This is Lin Xiang, the guy I told you about. He's my junior from the same department. He's incredibly strong! A few days ago, he played against a former second-year junior high student and only let the other person score 5 points!"

Moreover, he is very self-disciplined and has been consistently training these days, demanding a lot of himself.

He also wants to join the school team and hopes to play in the high school badminton league in the future. Let him join you!

Shi Yuqi gave a vivid and engaging introduction.

Ling Ye seemed unmoved, simply looking up at Lin Xiang.

Their eyes met, neither looking away.

"Are you a liberal arts student?"

Ling Ye asked softly.

"Yeah. Same as you."

Lin Xiang responded.

"Brother Ye, even though he's a liberal arts student, he's really talented! Please give him a chance."

Seeing that the atmosphere was not quite right, Shi Yuqi took the initiative to step forward and persuade him.

"The badminton association president has the authority to recommend students for the school team, right? For my sake, could you make an exception and use that privilege just this once...?"

"I'm no longer the captain."

Ling Ye glanced at her.

"The decision rests with the school team captain; you should consult Deng Ziyang."

"Okay! Thanks, Brother Ye!"

Shi Yuqi's eyes sparkled—these words sounded like a bucket of cold water at first glance, but they were equivalent to Ling Ye tacitly agreeing to the referral, which meant he had already done her a favor.

"General Manager Deng!"

She then looked at Deng Ziyang, who was cleaning his ears.

"I don't usually refuse beautiful women, but I'm sorry, I can't oblige this time."

Deng Ziyang shrugged, his gaze never lingering on Lin Xiang. "I won't agree, and neither will the rest of the school team."

Shi Yuqi's smile froze: "Why?"

"Of course, it's because he was a liberal arts student."

As he said this, Deng Ziyang's gaze fell on Ling Ye.

"A game may have its ups and downs, but there are only two outcomes: win or lose. The winner tastes glory, and the loser swallows defeat. If you can't understand this, then don't get involved in this mess."

He seemed to sigh.

The other team members tacitly remained silent and continued their training.

"But...but I believe in my junior!"

Shi Yuqi clenched her fist.

"Please make an exception and give him a chance. Let him play a game against the regular team members, then everyone will know what to expect, right?"

"That makes sense, but everything has rules. We are the university team of Xiangda University, and we must follow the university's regulations. Privately organized games will not be recognized by anyone."

Deng Ziyang shook his head and picked up the racket.

"Moreover, the pool of new talents this year is already saturated. Even the current reserve players need to be screened several times. Where would we find room to squeeze them in?"

If he can win a medal in the Freshman Cup, or show some performance in the College League, I might consider it.

Of course, if they can crush us in the school championships, that would be even simpler, and no one would object...

"OK."

Lin Xiang, who had not spoken until now, suddenly spoke softly.

"See you at the school championships then."

Deng Ziyang glanced at him with some surprise. This was the first time he had looked at Lin Xiang since he entered the room.

Lin Xiang's gaze was calm and serene, but he clearly felt an inexplicable impact. Only athletes could understand this overwhelming feeling, like the thunder reflected on the lake before a storm.

"Good momentum, but let's hope it doesn't turn out to be all bark and no bite."

Deng Ziyang shrugged and looked back at his racket.

"Alright, the school team is about to practice. Please leave now."

Shi Yuqi opened her mouth, "Are you going to occupy all the Badminton Association's facilities?"

"Yes, it's the same as last semester. Of course, we won't take up time outside of training."

"But those time slots aren't allocated to the Badminton Association either, and we're mostly in class, so we don't have time to come..."

"That's not my responsibility. If you really want to play, you can book the court yourselves."

"But Xiao Xiang..."

Shi Yuqi wanted to say that Lin Xiang wasn't just playing around, but was training very seriously. Regardless of his skill level, his attitude was no less than that of any official member of the school team.

"It's okay."

Lin Xiang waved his hand, picked up his own golf bag, and then offered to help Shi Yuqi carry hers.

"I can train on the playground too."

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