Chapter Three: Whose Script?

Harbor scored twelve unanswered points. Yunzhou's coach threw his board and called another timeout. Passing the scorer's table, Xinglan heard the crowd chant her name. It was not judgment. It was a tide. In the final minute, the score was tied at eighty-four. Yunzhou denied Xinglan without the ball, willing to leave Zhou open if Xinglan could not receive it. Du called his last timeout. “Play One. Xinglan comes off Qiao's double screen. Everyone else clears.” From outside the huddle, Luo said, “They're waiting for her. Use Zhou. Surprise them.” Everyone looked at Xinglan. In her first life, she would have seized the board and demanded the final shot. Now she saw Zhou's white knuckles and the fire in Tang's eyes. “Let Zhou initiate,” she said.