Hilary Duff was from Houston. She was also the nation’s hottest teen star—a sweetheart princess meticulously crafted by Disney.

The American entertainment industry loved to create "sweetheart princesses," and Hilary Duff was the preeminent example of her generation. At just seventeen, she had already achieved immense fame. She was the most popular teen star among adolescents, a triple threat in film, television, and music. Her representative work on television was *Lizzie McGuire*, and she also had box office hits like *Agent Cody Banks*. Her accomplishments as a singer were equally impressive. Her debut album, *Santa Claus Lane*, sold 500,000 copies, and her second solo album released last year, *Metamorphosis*, sold a staggering five million.

She was always considered the pride of Texas, and she, in turn, was always proud of her home state. In the music video for "So Yesterday," the most popular track from her new album, a plot-driving T-shirt even read, "Everything is bigger in Texas!"

And tonight, she was performing that very same hit.

Though the song was criticized for bearing a strong resemblance to the style of Avril Lavigne, it was undeniably popular. You could hear it everywhere.

The moment the opening notes played, the arena erupted.

Hilary Duff ran out under a spotlight, looking both sweet and fierce. It quickly turned into a massive sing-along, with all the young fans in the crowd singing along to the upbeat tune.

Just as the chorus was about to hit, a spotlight suddenly shot over to the players’ tunnel. There, standing on a high platform, was Scarlett Johansson. She was holding a basketball and wearing Su Xi’s number 33 jersey as she was slowly carried forward by people below.

Her entrance ignited the crowd’s passion.

When she reached the center of the stage, the platform was secured by four pillars, and a ladder was extended down. Houston had really gone all out.

The spotlight then returned to Hilary Duff. Bouncing excitedly, Duff ran to the courtside, found Su Xi, and grabbed his hand, leading him toward the platform under the guiding light.

Duff’s soft, gentle hand was surprisingly strong. After she led Su Xi to the edge of the platform, she stepped aside and gestured for him to go up.

The arena erupted once more, the roar of the crowd so loud it felt like it would blow the roof off the Houston basketball arena.

In front of their TVs, members of the SS Faction screamed with excitement.

’So romantic!’

’This was the moment they had all been dreaming of—it was more exciting than their own love lives!’

Su Xi braced himself.

The roar of the crowd left him no choice.

He stepped forward and started up the ladder. Scarlett Johansson went to the edge and personally helped him up. Just then, the music changed to another one of Hilary Duff’s hit songs: "Come Clean"—a title that could be translated as "Fess Up."

Hilary Duff had said in an interview that the song was "about a boy and girl’s relationship and how they think they’re in the dark about it. He’s tired of it, and she’s tired of it. They’re coming clean, and whether it means they’re going to be together or not, they’re laying it all out on the table and getting everything out."

This was Scarlett confessing to Su Xi, laying bare her unreserved love for him.

As Scarlett gazed at him, her eyes burned with an irresistible, surging tide of affection.

Su Xi was touched.

The screams and shouts from the crowd only intensified the romantic ambiguity of the moment.

No one could tell if this was just a performance or a genuine display of affection.

But it was more than enough to make the SS Faction go wild. For them, it was like Christmas had come early!

For the fans, nothing was more thrilling than seeing their favorite pairing become real.

Scarlett sang the final lyric. The spotlight remained on them, casting everything else into darkness. It was as if they were the only two people in the world.

"Jack, I like you."

Scarlett Johansson looked up at him and spoke with utter seriousness.

She wasn’t holding a microphone; her voice was a whisper meant only for him.

Su Xi heard her words, and he could even hear the frantic THUMP-THUMP of her heart.

Su Xi looked into her earnest eyes. She was waiting for his response. Her affection was so strong, so sincere, so full of longing. Su Xi could feel it.

"Okay."

Su Xi had just granted her permission. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Hearing this, Scarlett was overjoyed. She jumped up and threw her arms around Su Xi’s neck.

And then, she kissed him.

It was a light, fleeting kiss.

But it was enough to send the entire arena—and all the viewers at home—into a frenzy.

The flashbulbs of the surrounding cameras went off nonstop. For the reporters, this was the most valuable shot of the night.

It was easy to predict that tomorrow’s headlines wouldn’t be about the "China Derby" itself. They would be all about Scarlett’s complete victory—a decisive win for the SS Faction over the SJ Faction. (SS stood for Su Xi and Scarlett; SJ for Su Xi and Jessica.)

"Xiaosu, these foreign women are pretty bold, huh? Expressing their feelings so openly," Yao Ming said to Su Xi later, as they were dotting the eyes of a lion dance costume. "Not like back in China, where it takes at least two years to get from holding hands to a first kiss."

Su Xi just smiled.

"So, are you with Scarlett or Jessica?" Yao Ming asked. "I think Jessica’s pretty great, too."

’Huh?’

’You had to read between the lines.’

’So the honest-looking, thick-browed Yao Ming was actually in the SJ Faction?’

Su Xi didn’t answer. There was no point.

...

The second half of the game began.

After the earth-shattering spectacle of the halftime show, the game itself suddenly felt rather dull.

The Rockets couldn’t seem to mount a decent counterattack. They were still relying on Yao Ming to muscle his way through the paint, but as his stamina drained, his offensive threat diminished significantly.