Chapter 194 - 107: Horsemanship
Zeski chuckled and said, "But, marrying a girl from around here isn’t that easy. Tibetan girls admire guys with a masculine demeanor!"
At this point, Zhao Ruoxuan immediately pointed to Li Younan ahead and said, "My brother there is particularly manly."
Li Younan turned his head, speechless, and glared at Zhao Ruoxuan.
Zhao Ruoxuan cheerfully added, "And he’s a big influencer, with hundreds of thousands of followers!"
By now, of course, Li Younan wasn’t live streaming anymore. He coughed, feeling a bit speechless.
Nigmei looked at Li Younan curiously.
...
They left the Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area by 5 PM.
The inn they were staying at was in a place called Upper Four Villages, about six or seven kilometers from the entrance of the scenic area. Opposite was the Huamei Scenic Spot Resort Hotel, a large hotel and commercial center with a whole shopping street.
After returning to the inn, one of Li Younan’s fans sent a message saying they wanted to treat them to dinner.
This fan was also a Tibetan youth, named Ze Wangxiu.
He drove a cool cruiser car, just like Li Younan’s, to pick them up for dinner.
Ze Wangxiu was tall, with tanned skin, chiseled features, a rugged yet refined handsomeness, and a wild streak in his eyes.
He also had a generous personality, with an easygoing charm.
As soon as they met, he straightforwardly said, "I’ve been watching your videos, finally meeting in person, hahaha." His ease with people naturally dispelled any awkwardness.
Li Younan didn’t put on airs either. It was clear that Ze Wangxiu’s family was well-off, so there was no need to be pretentious.
Sitting in the back, Zhao Xiaofang remarked to Li Younan’s mom with a sense of pride, "Younan has really made something of himself, having friends to host him wherever he goes!"
His mom just smiled.
Ze Wangxiu treated everyone to a Tibetan meal.
It was still early, with a while to go before nightfall.
After dropping everyone off at their accommodation, Ze Wangxiu asked Li Younan downstairs, "Bro, do you play basketball usually?"
Li Younan recalled the scenes of him freely running on the court, which was years ago.
After starting work, his basketball sessions diminished, only occasionally playing with some older guys in the community court on weekends.
However, after some skill enhancement, though his touch may have regressed a little, his physical condition was better than in college.
Li Younan smiled, "I used to play, but it’s been a while."
Ze Wangxiu said, "Let’s go play some pickup basketball at Huamei Scenic Spot commercial street. They have a 3-on-3 match tonight, with some stars from our Tibetan area!"
Li Younan blurted out, "Nigmei?"
Ze Wangxiu was momentarily taken aback, surprised and curious, "You’ve heard of Nigmei?"
Li Younan, with a slightly amused expression, nodded. "Met him in the scenic area earlier."
...
At Huamei Scenic Spot commercial street, a 3-on-3 game was indeed organized by the resort.
The half-court was bustling.
As the match was reaching its end, Li Younan indeed saw Nigmei, whom he had met at the scenic area in the afternoon.
He couldn’t help but admire the fact that while others played basketball in the evening, they could still tour the scenic area during the day.
Many of Nigmei’s fans present were girls.
Li Younan sensed that Tibetan girls seemed to prefer competitive sports over singing and dancing, where the skills showcasing masculine charm were more directly visible — a nice vibe.
At that moment, Nigmei received a pass from a teammate, dribbled, planted sharply, and then leaped high for a three-pointer, the ball swishing through the net.
On the court, Nigmei was just as composed as when they had met during the day at the scenic area, speaking little and remaining calm.
His skills were precise, with minimal movement in his dribbling but extremely steady, showcasing a solid fundamental.
This shot directly sealed the victory.
Li Younan and Ze Wangxiu watched for about ten minutes before the game ended.
Afterward, the crowd started to disperse, but Nigmei and his team stayed for another session of pickup basketball.
By then, the number of people had dwindled, with one guy not managing to form a team, looking over to Ze Wangxiu and Li Younan by the court.
Observing their heights looming over most, he said, "You guys want to play? Let’s form a team!"
Ze Wangxiu was eager, hesitating for a moment, "Yeah, I can play, but I’m not that good, though!"
Ze Wangxiu wasn’t being modest; his playing was indeed quite rough.
The guy didn’t mind, "No worries, just grab rebounds for me when you’re on."
Naturally, he assumed Li Younan wasn’t much of a player either.
Li Younan blinked, "Sure, let’s play a bit then."
By that time, Nigmei’s team had won several rounds in a row.
Upon seeing Li Younan, Nigmei recognized him immediately and smiled in greeting.
After getting on the court, Li Younan’s teammate immediately passed the ball to him.
Li Younan felt the weight, deciding to first shoot to regain his touch, then directly leapt up for a shot.
Unexpectedly, despite not having played for a long time, it felt as if his skills returned instantly.
The shot felt comfortable, possibly also due to wrist and finger strength from rock climbing, allowing him to precisely control the power, the basketball swishing through the net.
Everyone on the court was a bit surprised, and Nigmei clapped, showing an earnest expression.
Li Younan quickly reacquainted himself with basketball, regaining his past court sense after a few offensive and defensive rounds.
Had he not enhanced his body, Li Younan’s skills wouldn’t compare to Nigmei’s. But now, his physical condition surpassed the Tibetan king’s, and with Nigmei’s team a bit tired after their earlier match, ultimately, Li Younan did a fade-away jump shot, ending Nigmei’s team’s winning streak.
After losing a round, Nigmei and his crew were planning to leave.
He curiously asked Li Younan, "Bro, from a sports university?"
Li Younan just chuckled, "Nope, just a hobby."
After Nigmei and his team left, Li Younan completely dominated the court.
No team coming up could beat them.
Afterwards, Ze Wangxiu felt exhilarated, saying with some admiration, "Didn’t expect you to play basketball so well."
Li Younan then asked about tomorrow’s camping barbecue plans.
Ze Wangxiu smiled, "Don’t worry, I’ve got the place arranged, and it’ll be totally authentic!"
Li Younan hesitated a bit, expressing a hopeful look, "Do you guys have... horses? The kind you can ride?"