Lin Yi had to thank the scouts. Outside the lottery, most of the prospects were being written off. Analysts called it a weak draft year, and several teams already in full rebuild mode were practically giving away their first and second-round picks.
For Javier and Donny Walsh, that made things so much easier.
After finishing the last of Olsen's pastries, Lin Yi leaned back in his chair and took a sip of water, trying to let his mind rest for a moment.
Olsen approached, her tone light but curious. "So? How was it?"
"It's good," Lin replied automatically.
He clearly wasn't all there — his thoughts were still drifting somewhere between team strategy and summer plans — but Olsen smiled anyway.
"Lin," she said after a pause, "there's something I want to tell you."
Lin turned to her, surprised by the seriousness in her tone. Only then did he notice she'd dressed up a bit today — not her usual casual look.
Olsen bit her lip. They'd known each other for nearly two years now. She understood that if she didn't speak up, their relationship would probably never move past friendship.
She didn't want to wait any longer. Graduation was around the corner, and her schedule would soon be filled with filming. And truthfully, she was worried — worried that someone else might take the chance she'd never voiced.
After all, those two vixens, Scarlet and Taylor, occasionally joked with Lin Yi on Twitter.
"I… like you," Olsen finally said.
Lin froze. Before he could even process it, Olsen beckoned him to lean down and kissed him — quick, nervous, but full of conviction.
He blinked, caught completely off guard. Olsen had clearly thought this through. Maybe that's why she'd been watching all those soap operas with Yuna lately — practicing, rehearsing for this very moment.
"I know basketball takes up most of your heart," Olsen said softly, her voice trembling but steady. "But if it's possible… just give me a tiny part of it. And if you can't right now, I'll wait."
Lin felt his face heat up. For so long, he'd seen Olsen as a close friend — a partner in daily life, not romance. He liked her, yes, but… liking someone and loving someone were different things.
Ever since he'd thrown himself into basketball, emotions like this had been distant — almost foreign.
Yet in that moment, hearing her voice and seeing the sincerity in her eyes, something inside him softened.
His heartbeat quickened — thump, thump — like he was about to take the final shot of a tied game.
Olsen laughed quietly, breaking the silence. "You really haven't dated before, have you?" she teased. "Oh my god… does this make me your first love?"
Lin tried to protest, but his words tangled.
She only smiled, stepping closer and wrapping her arms gently around him.
"Don't worry," she said, resting her head on his abdomen. "I'm not afraid. Even if you change your mind someday… I'm still glad I told you."
Lin huffed in faux arrogance. "Liz, you know I am a chick magnet, right?" he said.
She looked up at him, grinning. "Liar. You can't even flirt properly. You might as well just be my boyfriend."
Lin couldn't help but laugh — half embarrassed, half defeated.
Looking deep into those big, expressive eyes of Liz, he then summoned every ounce of courage he lifted her gently into his arms. Her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist as their lips met in a passionate kiss.
Desire bloomed between them, slow and electric. Olsen clung to him, fingers threading through his hair, her breath warm against his cheek, and she started to grind on him.
Lin didn't hold back either, palming Olsen's butt like a basketball and giving a squeeze which elicited a moan from her.
They soon found their way to the Lin's room and started their praise to Aphrodite.
...
Lin Yi woke up early the next morning and slipped out of the room for a run like a fugitive.
Olsen almost burst out laughing. The man who looked so calm and commanding on the basketball court had turned into a nervous wreck overnight — and somehow, that made him even more endearing.
By the time Lin Yi returned, Olsen had already made breakfast and was waiting in one of Lin's big white shirts with that teasing smile of hers.
Talk about temptation.
"Well, good morning, my charming boyfriend," she said playfully. "Care to admit that last night was your first time actually being in a relationship?"
Lin Yi's face twitched. He wanted to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out. The great Lin Yi — MVP, Finals hero, unstoppable on the court — had suddenly become the guy who couldn't even win an argument at home.
Olsen, sensing his embarrassment, giggled softly. "Relax, I'm just teasing you. But… if you're really that bothered, maybe you could redeem yourself tonight?"
Lin Yi froze, realizing she was challenging him again. Something in his pride as a man — and competitor — kicked in.
Before Olsen could react, Lin Yi scooped her up effortlessly in his arms. "Oh, so that's how it is? You're asking for trouble, Liz."
"Hey! It's daytime!" Olsen squealed between laughter as Lin Yi carried her off.
The villa was filled with laughter — the kind that comes from two people still learning how to balance affection with mischief.
…
Later, as the morning sun streamed through the windows, Lin Yi slapped Olsen's butt one last time before stepping outside the room feeling unusually light-hearted — like a massive weight had been lifted off him. The tension from last night was gone, replaced by a quiet confidence he couldn't quite explain.
A few hours later, Lin Yi's phone buzzed. It was Javier.
"Lin! Good news — the Rockets are willing to trade their first-round pick with us. And we might even be able to buy two second-rounders in cash!"
Lin Yi tried to focus, but his mind was still wandering somewhere else.
"Lin? You there?"
"Yeah, I'm here," Lin said quickly, clearing his throat. "Good work. Keep it up."
Javier paused. Something sounded… off.
"You sure you're okay? You sound kinda distracted. Don't tell me you're actually taking a break from basketball for once."
Lin Yi laughed awkwardly. "Just… resting the mind a bit."
If only Javier knew what kind of training Lin Yi had been doing recently.
Ah, youth.
...
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