Breaking Free: Love & Rebellion at Blackthorn Academy.-Chapter 70: HUA RONG VS BAI XINCHEN

After a short break for water and a very loud round of boasting (mostly from Bai Xinchen), Hua Rong clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright," she said, her clipboard tucked under one arm, "we have 13 players left. That's an awkward number — so let's split into teams."

The students groaned lightly, already guessing where this was going.

"Seven versus six," Hua Rong announced. "Random draw."

Xu Wenhan, acting like he was running a lottery, pulled slips of paper with names on them. As luck would have it, the groups split — but there was a clear imbalance.

"Wait, that's not fair!" Qiao Renjie said, pointing. "Their side has an extra player!"

Hua Rong raised a hand casually. "I'll join the six-member team, obviously."

Everyone blinked.

"You?" Bai Xinchen said, half-snickering. "You're gonna fight?"

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Xu Lingwei, standing nearby, almost choked on his water. "Wait, seriously?"

Hua Rong tilted her chin up stubbornly, folding her arms across her chest. "What? I can dodge better than all of you combined."

Some of the boys looked at each other, trying not to laugh.Still, no one wanted to argue — Hua Rong was their organizer and a bit scary when she wanted to be.

"Fine," Bai Xinchen grinned wickedly. "But if you get even one hit, you're out."

"Obviously," Hua Rong said coolly.

The two teams faced each other. Seven on one side — smug, confident, and ready to overpower. Six plus Hua Rong on the other — determined but looking at their captain (Hua Rong) with a little side-eye.

"Ready... GO!" Xu Wenhan shouted.

Immediately, chaos broke out.

Fists flew. Shoes squeaked against the polished gym floor. Shouts echoed against the high walls.

And Hua Rong? She dodged. Ducked low when someone swung at her.Sidestepped casually when someone tried a tackle.Spun around a flailing punch with the elegance of a ballerina.

Every time someone lunged at her, they ended up crashing into someone else — their own teammates more often than not.

"ARE YOU EVEN PARTICIPATING?!" Qiao Renjie shouted mid-fight, narrowly missing a punch aimed at Bai Xinchen.

"I'm participating in survival," Hua Rong called back innocently, slipping under another wild arm like she was dancing.

Xu Lingwei stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, trying desperately not to laugh."She's... incredible," he said deadpan to Xu Wenhan.

"Incredibly annoying," Xu Wenhan muttered.

Meanwhile, her six teammates — spurred by sheer irritation that she was doing absolutely nothing but staying alive — fought even harder.

And somehow, Hua Rong's team started winning.

One by one, the seven-member team got pushed back — some eliminated by rules (a clean hit), others by sheer exhaustion.

At one point, Bai Xinchen tried to corner Hua Rong personally, only for her to drop flat on the ground and watch him sail right over her head and crash into his own teammate.

"DODGE QUEEN!" someone from the sidelines yelled, wheezing with laughter.

Finally, after an intense, chaotic fifteen minutes, only Hua Rong's team remained standing.

The whistle blew.

"WINNERS — Six plus the dodger!" Xu Wenhan called out.

There was a second of stunned silence, then the entire gym erupted — some in cheers, others groaning in disbelief.

Hua Rong brushed imaginary dust off her clothes, looking as fresh as when they started.

"Strategy," she said simply, winking at her teammates.

Bai Xinchen pointed at her dramatically. "YOU. ARE. A. MENACE."

Hua Rong just grinned."Well, you should've hit me when you had the chance."

Her teammates — who had carried the whole match — just slumped on the floor, too tired to argue.

Xu Lingwei walked over, tossing her a bottle of water with a crooked smile.

"You know," he said, voice low so only she could hear, "you might just be the most dangerous one here after all."

She caught the bottle one-handed and smiled back, mischievous and victorious.

"Obviously.

As the gym's noise finally died down, Hua Rong finished her water bottle in a few quick gulps and stretched her arms lazily.

Bai Xinchen, however, wasn't done.Absolutely not.

He marched toward her, still panting a little from the match but with an unshakable fire in his eyes.

"You!" he pointed at Hua Rong."Me?" she blinked innocently, stepping slightly behind Xu Wenhan for protection.

"Don't hide!" Bai Xinchen barked. "At least spar with me properly once! How can you call this a competition if you only DODGED?!"

The other students immediately formed a wide circle around them, sensing something hilarious was about to happen.

"Yeah, boss! Spar with him once!" Qiao Renjie called out, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Even Xu Wenhan crossed his arms and smirked. "Come on, Hua Rong. It's just one little match."

Hua Rong narrowed her eyes."You guys just want to see me beaten up, don't you?"

"Nooo," they all chorused very unconvincingly.

She sighed dramatically, dropped her clipboard onto a bench, and tightened her ponytail."Fine. But if I win, you all owe me snacks."

Everyone immediately agreed.

A small, mischievous smile played on Bai Xinchen's lips.

"Ready?" Xu Wenhan asked, stepping up to referee.

Hua Rong nodded.

Bai Xinchen grinned widely, already assuming victory.

"Three, two, one— START!"

The second Xu Wenhan shouted, Bai Xinchen lunged forward, a quick, precise jab aimed for Hua Rong's shoulder—

—only for her to sidestep smoothly, grab his extended arm, pivot on her heel, and flip him right over her back with a practiced move that left everyone gasping.

THUD.

Bai Xinchen lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling with a blank expression.

The entire gym went silent for a second.Even Xu Lingwei had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing too loudly.

Qiao Renjie let out a strangled noise.

Xu Wenhan dropped his clipboard.

"...WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" someone shouted.

Hua Rong dusted her hands like it was no big deal, stepping casually away."Gymnastics club for four years," she said simply. "Not just dodging, boys."

Bai Xinchen groaned from the ground, lifting one limp hand. "Rematch..."

"No rematch," Xu Wenhan said quickly, coughing to hide his laughter. "You're dead."

"Snacks," Hua Rong said, pointing at all of them."Tomorrow. I want spicy chips, dried mangoes, cola, and chocolate bars. No excuses."

The entire boxing club groaned in defeat.

"But you didn't even FIGHT properly!" Bai Xinchen whined as Xu Wenhan helped him up.

Hua Rong just smiled sweetly."I fought smart. Not my fault you underestimated me."

Xu Lingwei came up beside her, still half-smirking."You're unbelievable."

She winked at him. "Thanks."

And just like that, the final selection was settled: Bai Xinchen and Qiao Renjie were officially noted as the top two representatives for the boxing competition.

Hua Rong wrote it neatly in her notebook, underlined it twice, and then added a tiny doodle of herself dodging a punch with a smug face.