Chapter 35: Taylor Swift Breaks Into the Locker Room—This Is the Worst Time Chen Yan Has Been Ambushed!
The University of Florida locker room was filled with a heavy silence. Some players sat with their heads buried in their hands, tears leaking through their fingers. Others stared blankly into space, trying to make sense of what had just happened. They had come so close to winning—so damn close—but tonight just wasn't their night.
Across the court, it was a completely different scene.
The Texas Longhorns were celebrating like they'd just won the national championship. Players sprinted over to the fans' section, high-fiving, shouting, and soaking in the wild cheers erupting from the stands. The atmosphere was electric.
But one name rose above all the noise.
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
The crowd's chants echoed like thunder.
Chen Yan didn't just have a good game—he owned the night.
He wasn't just the hero of the Longhorns anymore. Tonight, he was their savior.
With just a wave of his hand, the crowd roared louder. Every move, every breath—he had the arena in the palm of his hand.
52 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks.
This wasn't just dominance—it was a statement. A complete takeover.
Chen Yan had dragged his team to the championship game by sheer force of will. After a performance like this, his name was all but locked into the top five of the NBA Draft. Top three wasn't out of the question.
He had heart. He had leadership. And behind him? The power of an entire Chinese market. NBA execs were already salivating.
It was just a matter of which team would be smart enough to take him.
Meanwhile, ESPN's sideline reporter made his way through the crowd, catching up with none other than Magic Johnson.
"Earvin, what'd you think of Chen Yan tonight?"
Magic didn't hesitate.
"I'd pay outta my own pocket just to watch this kid hoop. He dominated. Period."
Next up? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The reporter knew he was a tough interview, but still gave it a shot.
Kareem cleared his throat and said coolly:
"My thoughts? Same as Earvin's."
Classic Kareem. Straight to the point.
The reporter wasn't done. He scanned the courtside seats and zeroed in on the celebs in the crowd, eager to hear their reactions.
Jessica Alba, rocking a vintage Kobe jersey, was glowing.
"Chen played like Kobe out there. I couldn't take my eyes off him," she gushed.
High praise, especially from one of Kobe's biggest fans.
Next, Tom Cruise, with that iconic grin, shook his head in disbelief.
"I've watched basketball for years. Always thought it was a team game... until tonight. Chen made it look like a solo act."
Then came Will Smith, strolling by with his son, Jaden, in tow.
Spotting the camera, Will pointed at Jaden and said:
"Game wasn't even over and this kid was already crying for a Chen Yan jersey. I told him, 'No.'"
The reporter raised an eyebrow. "Because you didn't think Chen played well enough?"
Will smirked.
"Nah, I said, 'One jersey's not enough. We're getting two—one for me too.'"
That set the whole area off in laughter.
Whether out of genuine admiration or a bit of showbiz savvy, every celebrity interview lit up with praise for Chen Yan. He'd taken over the game—and the spotlight.
Back in the player tunnel, two other stars were having a quiet conversation of their own.
Selena Gomez leaned in close to Taylor Swift.
"Didn't you say you were gonna treat him to a drink after the game? Why'd you dip so fast?"
Taylor glanced around nervously.
"I thought he might've gone to change or something. He'll be back out soon, right?"
Selena raised a skeptical brow.
"When have you ever seen a player come back after hitting the locker room? Girl, they always sneak out the back."
Taylor frowned. "No way… So what now?"
Selena smirked.
"Go find him. March into the locker room and get his number."
Taylor blinked. "Wait, for real?"
"You said you liked him, right? Be bold."
Taylor hesitated. "Can I even get back there? Like, do they just let people walk in?"
Selena gave a knowing smile.
"Don't stress. I know someone working security tonight. He owes me a favor. I'll get you into the tunnel. The rest is on you."
Taylor grinned and planted a kiss on Selena's cheek.
"You're the best!"
"Go now, before he bounces. This might be your only shot."
In the Texas Longhorns' locker room, there was no wild champagne celebration—at least not yet.
Instead, the players were each armed with a bottle of Gatorade, standing ready and guarding the door like sentinels.
They weren't waiting for an enemy… they were waiting for head coach Rick Barnes to come back from the press conference so they could soak him in a surprise victory splash.
"Squeak—"
The locker room door creaked open.
"Now!"
Chen Yan barked the command like a general leading his troops.
"Splash!"
A wall of Gatorade burst forth like a thousand arrows—colorful, sticky, and flying through the air at full force.
But halfway through their ambush…
"Wait—what the hell?!"
They froze in horror.
Wrong target.
Taylor Swift stood there, drenched from head to toe, eyes wide in shock.
The same Taylor Swift who'd already had her drink knocked over earlier in the stands by a wayward basketball… and now, here she was, soaked like a drowned cat for the second time tonight.
Talk about bad luck.
The Texas players were stunned.
Mouths open.
Bottles halfway raised.
Nobody knew what to say.
What do you do when you accidentally soak Taylor Swift with Gatorade?
Searching for answers. Please respond urgently.
For a long, awkward beat… no one said a word.
Taylor slowly pushed her wet hair back, clearly trying to stay composed. Then she raised an eyebrow and looked straight at Chen Yan.
"So… is this what you meant earlier by buying me a drink after the game?"
Chen Yan blinked.
He'd only been trying to be polite when he mentioned it courtside. He didn't think she actually took it seriously.
Seeing Taylor drenched like that, Chen was at a loss for words.
"Uhh… let me take a quick shower and grab a clean jersey for you," he offered, pointing toward the back.
He typically brought two jerseys to games in case one got torn or too sweaty—thank God for that today.
"Splash!"
Water hit the tiles in the shower.
Chen glanced over his shoulder—just in time to realize something was off.
Where the hell were his teammates?
Gone. Every single one of them had vanished like ghosts.
Kevin Durant, the last one out, gave Chen a sly grin and a thumbs-up before closing the door behind him.
"Seize the moment, bro. You got this," he whispered like a wingman disappearing into the night.
As Durant exited the tunnel, he ran into a Yahoo Sports reporter.
"KD, did Taylor Swift just walk into your locker room?"
The reporter clearly wasn't there for basketball.
Fake sports journalist. Real gossip hunter.
Durant didn't miss a beat.
"Sorry, she's in there handling serious business with Chen."
And with that, KD walked off into the night like a true legend.
Meanwhile, back inside…
Taylor emerged from the shower, now wearing Chen's spare jersey. Despite being almost 6 feet tall herself, the oversized jersey still swallowed her frame, draping over her legs like a mini dress.
"Huh? Where'd everyone go?"
She looked around the now-empty locker room.
"Probably headed back to the team bus," Chen shrugged, toweling off.
Taylor smiled. "Well, this is a first… I've never showered in a players' locker room before. Kinda surreal, honestly."
Chen smirked. "Well, you're always welcome back—though maybe next time, dodge the Gatorade ambush."
She laughed. "Yeah… let's not make this a tradition."
The tension eased, and the two of them chatted for a bit before exchanging phone numbers. It was clear there was chemistry, but this wasn't the time or place to explore it further.
They made their way toward the exit.
"Click-click-click!"
As soon as they stepped out of the locker room, a swarm of flashing cameras exploded in front of them. The press had been tipped off.
Reporters lunged forward like a pack of wolves.
"Taylor, why are you wearing Chen's jersey?"
"Are you two officially dating?"
"Chen, how does it feel being alone in the locker room with Taylor Swift?"
"Taylor, is Chen as clutch off the court as he is on it?"
And then came the most absurd one of all:
"Chen, based on my stopwatch, Taylor entered the locker room and came out in under 15 minutes. Is that your usual pace?"
Chen froze mid-step.
He could let most of the questions slide. But this?
"Fifteen minutes??"
He turned around, exasperated.
"Come on, man. That's the worst slander I've ever received."
The media burst into laughter, and even Taylor couldn't help but giggle behind her hand.
In the chaos of flashing lights, teasing questions, and soaring rumors… one thing was clear:
Tonight, Chen Yan wasn't just the MVP on the court—he was headline news off it too.
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