Kayce coaxed and tricked a crying Britney back to his dorm room.
The many gossiping glances along the way made his scalp tingle; he figured things with Annie would probably go south again.
A big tree is not easy to deal with, and if the forest catches fire, he can only put it out first.
Looking at Britney, who was acting like a timid quail, Kayce's heart softened.
This girl was good in every way, except she was too clingy, and sometimes she spoke without thinking. Her group of girlfriends had already gotten her into trouble several times.
Annie had a big chest and a brain, but Britney was just the opposite.
"Why are you crying so much? What happened with Annie isn't your fault; she told me she's already forgiven you."
Kayce asked softly, afraid she would start crying again.
At the mention of Annie, Britney immediately looked up.
"I don't need that cow's forgiveness!"
Seeing Kayce's helpless expression, she then whispered, "Okay, I'll apologize to her."
Seeing Britney's wronged expression, Kayce quickly went forward, kissing and coaxing her.
Finally, Britney, with her face slightly flushed, laid in Kayce's arms, her mood completely brightened.
"I thought you were ignoring me and were with that big-chested woman!"
Britney panted, speaking into Kayce's ear, her breath like orchids.
"You know, we're just good friends, and you're the most important person in my heart."
The soft touch made Kayce reluctant to let go. At this moment, he had to say sweet things!
Sure enough, Britney hugged Kayce tightly, and a kiss immediately followed.
Kayce almost let this little temptress delay his important business, so he quickly pulled away from her.
"I have to go lift weights at the gym later. Let's go out for dinner tonight!"
Britney first buttoned her shirt, tidied her messy top, and gave Kayce a charming glare:
"Hmph, all you know is lifting weights. Come to my place tonight; I'll pick you up at 5 PM. I have the steak you love."
Britney was a rich woman. Her father was a real estate developer in New York, though Kayce had never asked for specific details.
But her house and car in Los Angeles spoke volumes, and the gifts she bought him were never cheap.
Seeing Kayce, who was showing off his six-pack abs and about to get dressed, Britney's eyes darted around, and she jumped directly onto Kayce.
She wrapped herself around Kayce like an octopus, whispering in his ear:
"I've prepared some sexy lingerie at home. You're not allowed to run away tonight; come home with me obediently!"
Kayce almost choked on his own saliva; that sounded familiar. But thinking of her sexy figure, his heart immediately burned.
Although her chest was small, she had many tricks up her sleeve. It seemed he would have to increase the intensity of their 'battle' tonight!
Kayce was sweating profusely at the gym. He loved lifting weights and enjoyed the feeling of his body gradually getting stronger.
Especially after falling asleep every night, the clearly visible data showed that he was on the right path. It was a pity that the functional drinks in the dream space couldn't be materialized.
Otherwise, Kayce would definitely form a research team to study the ingredients of the beverage.
He also wanted to form a team to study the changes in his body, but all of this would have to wait until after March Madness.
At 5 PM that afternoon, Britney picked up Kayce. Looking at Britney chattering in the passenger seat, Kayce smiled knowingly. She was truly a carefree, silly girl.
The 'battle' that night was intense, 48 minutes of high-intensity 'battle' that left Britney flushed and limp like mud.
After a 20-minute overtime in the bathroom, Britney directly surrendered.
Holding the sleeping Britney, Kayce adjusted his position, slowly drifted into a dream, and his daily routine in the training space officially began.
At 5:30 AM the next morning, Kayce woke up on time, feeling the wonderful sensation on his body, almost starting another morning 'workout'.
Being too fit also had its troubles.
Pulling away from the entangled Britney, Li Ze got dressed and went out for a jog.
The morning air in Los Angeles was good; breathing the fresh air, he felt joyful!
Returning to Britney's house, she was still asleep. Kayce shook his head; her defense still needed practice; she collapsed with that level of 'intensity'!
He placed the bought breakfast in the dining room, left a note, and drove off.
By the time Kayce arrived at the training gym, the team members were already all there. Coach Ben began to gather everyone, preparing to give a speech.
"Alright, boys, we'll continue our combined practice this morning. This afternoon, Oklahoma University will play a scrimmage against us. That's it!"
The team members immediately erupted. This was a direct opponent in their group.
Today was March 7th, and the first round started on the 17th. To actually play a scrimmage against a team in the same group at this time, Head Coach's connections must be incredibly strong.
Kayce, however, was pensive. Deals under the table were one thing, but he guessed the other side truly didn't consider UCLA a strong opponent.
After all, all the major media outlets and bookmakers indicated how likely UCLA was to be eliminated in the first round this year.
Holiday poked Kayce:
"Will Blake Griffin play too? This guy is a hot prospect this year; there's a good chance he'll be the first overall pick."
Kayce felt a little sour too. Look at his exposure; he played so well last year, but few people were optimistic about him.
"The draft is just for fun; to truly make a name for yourself, you have to rely on yourself," Li Ze said, feigning coolness with a poker face.
Collison also felt a bit sour. Who could blame him when Griffin was so popular now, plus there were so many guards in this year's draft, so it was false to say he wasn't depressed.
The morning training slowly ended with the team members' various sour remarks.
At lunchtime, the UCLA players met their opponents. Having spoken ill of them behind their backs in the morning, they were now surprisingly eager to take photos together.
Kayce wasn't that cheap. He greeted Griffin with a hug, adopting the stance of a local celebrity.
The two had interacted last year and could be considered 'superficial brothers' who had fun together.
"Kayce, you'll be entering the draft this year, right? I remember you were born in 1990; you're old enough, aren't you?"
Griffin chatted while eating.
"Of course. You'll definitely be the first overall pick, congratulations in advance," Kayce began their mutual flattery.
Griffin appeared modest:
"No one can say for sure about the draft. Hey, the girls here in Los Angeles are really good."
The guy gave Kayce a knowing look.
Scumbag! This is all my forest!
But the 'superficial brother' act had to continue. Kayce said that he would pay tonight, guaranteeing satisfaction!
In the training gym, watching Griffin show off his dunks during warm-ups.
The surrounding players and curious onlookers who had come to watch let out gasps of amazement, and Kayce's heart felt a pang of jealousy again.
In fact, Kayce's current physical data was very good. His wingspan and standing reach were both excellent.
But he knew his own situation; his explosiveness, core strength, flexibility, and body coordination had not been fully unleashed yet.
It was all because the enhanced beverage was too slow, Kayce secretly complained. If only there was some kind of super soldier serum or something, it would directly turn him into a beast.
It seemed he absolutely had to assemble a training team to serve him; his speed in developing his body was still too slow!
Warm-ups were almost done, and Coach Ben called everyone over:
"Play according to the tactical requirements. I won't say it again. Protect the rebounds, and set good off-ball screens. Go, boys."
"Slap!"
Griffin won the tip-off, and the game began.