It wasn’t until the next morning that Xie He and Ying Xiaoxiao finally showed up at the hospital.

Shi Xing couldn’t help feeling that something about the atmosphere between the two of them had subtly changed. Before she had a chance to ask Ying Xiaoxiao about it, however, Ying Xiaoxiao grabbed her and dragged her off to take wedding photos.

“What? You’re still planning to marry him?” Shi Xing stared at her, exasperated, as if disappointed beyond words.

“No, of course not,” Ying Xiaoxiao hurriedly denied. “I’m taking them for myself. I just want to give my youth a proper ending.”
As she spoke, the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.

Shi Xing understood very well that although Ying Xiaoxiao always claimed she didn’t care, feelings that had lasted for so many years couldn’t simply disappear overnight. She gently took Ying Xiaoxiao’s hand and said softly, “Alright. I’ll go with you.”

Watching the scene unfold, Xie He raised his thumb and gestured back and forth between himself and Ji Yu, trying to ease the mood. “So you two are just leaving the two of us behind like this?”

“Hold it. I’m not the same as you,” Ji Yu said lazily, leaning against the wall with a relaxed posture.

Shi Xing glanced at them and instructed, “Ji Yu, your IV is finished. This afternoon, you should head back to Jinggang City with Xie He. Missing training for so many days isn’t a good idea.”

At that, Xie He’s shoulders trembled as he covered his mouth, barely suppressing his grin.

Ji Yu tugged at the corner of his lips and replied helplessly, “Mm.”

After Shi Xing and Ying Xiaoxiao left, Xie He finally burst out laughing. Ji Yu shot him a calm glance and said slowly, “Your laughter is loud.”

Xie He glanced over—and laughed even harder.

Ji Yu: “……”

When Shi Xing and Ying Xiaoxiao arrived at the original wedding photography location, the photographer froze when he saw two women. Instinctively, he looked past them, searching behind them.
“The groom hasn’t arrived yet, right?”

Ying Xiaoxiao smiled and shook her head. “It’s just me today. My wedding was canceled, but I still want to take a set of bridal photos—for myself.”

The photographer was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered and nodded. “Alright.”

Throughout the entire shoot, the photographer was extremely patient, carefully guiding Ying Xiaoxiao’s poses at every location. Shi Xing sat nearby, quietly watching.

A female staff member struck up a conversation with her. “Are you close friends?”

“Yes,” Shi Xing nodded, then added sincerely, “Your team is really professional.”

The girl lowered her head shyly with a smile and said, “If you ever take wedding photos yourself, you can come here too. We can give you a discount.”

Shi Xing fell into brief contemplation.
“Wedding photos… with Ji Yu?”
She quickly shook her head. She was thinking too far ahead.

By the time Ying Xiaoxiao finished shooting, it was already afternoon. The two of them found a nearby café and sat down to chat.

The café was quiet and tranquil, the air filled with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee. Perhaps because it was close to a school, a few high school students were scattered around the shop.

Just then, a girl in a black-and-white school uniform caught their attention. She had a delicate, pretty face, rosy lips, bright teeth, and smiling almond-shaped eyes that naturally drew one’s gaze.

She took a cup of coffee and jogged outside, handing it to a boy standing nearby.
“Here. Now we’re even,” she said.

Her voice was clear, but her tone was icy cold.

The boy beside her was tall and slender, dressed neatly in his uniform. Black headphones hung around his neck, and his dark eyes concealed complicated emotions. His thin lips pressed together as he replied calmly, “No need,” before turning to leave briskly.

Hearing that, the girl shrugged and casually tossed the coffee into a nearby trash can.

When the cup hit the bin with a dull thud, the boy paused slightly. Then the two walked off in opposite directions.

Watching the scene, Ying Xiaoxiao shook her head while sipping her coffee.
“What a dramatic idol-drama opening.”

Shi Xing gently nudged her head, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.

Early the next morning, Ying Xiaoxiao drove Shi Xing to the airport. Just before parting, Ying Xiaoxiao spoke as if she had made up her mind.

“I’m going to prepare for a PhD.”

“So suddenly?” Shi Xing froze slightly.

“Not really,” Ying Xiaoxiao replied. “I’ve thought about it before, but I never had time to prepare. Now I’ve figured it out—men can’t compare to a career.”

Hearing this, Shi Xing smiled and ruffled her hair.
“Then when you come back with your doctorate, I’ll still be relying on you, Dr. Ying.”

Ying Xiaoxiao lifted her chin smugly.
“Of course. And we’ll see each other again soon—I’m applying back to Jinggang.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Shi Xing replied with a soft smile.

“Deal.”

After saying goodbye, Shi Xing boarded the plane. Two hours later, she landed smoothly. Yu Jing called her immediately, urging her to return to the team and get back to work.

Shi Xing went straight to the training base. With the new season approaching, every team was dealing with unexpected issues, and the workload for team doctors had naturally increased. Under her guidance, Liu Yu’s rehabilitation training had shown significant improvement.

Ji Yu and Xie He also returned to training without delay. The entire base was steeped in a tense, competition-ready atmosphere.

It wasn’t until evening, after most people had left, that Xie He finally called out, “Wait! I really don’t get you—don’t you ever take a break?”

Ji Yu glanced at him calmly while continuing to swing his racket.
“You can go back to the dorm first.”

“Are you going home tonight?” Xie He asked after gulping down a large mouthful of water.

Ji Yu looked out the window. Night had fallen, twilight deepening, with only a few scattered stars dotting the sky.

“No. Dorm. I have to get up early tomorrow.”

“Then I’ll wait for you.”

Ji Yu took the bottle Xie He handed him, lifted his racket, and tilted his chin slightly.
“Let’s go.”

Xie He froze for a moment, then quickly followed.

After returning to the dorm, Ji Yu showered first. When he came out, he found that Huo Sikai had appeared at some point. He was sprawled across Yi Fushu’s bed, the two of them chatting on their phones, laughter breaking out from time to time.

Seeing Ji Yu, Huo Sikai greeted him first. Ji Yu gave a slight nod and was about to message Shi Xing when he suddenly heard Huo Sikai say,

“I told you her body was good—you didn’t believe me.”

Yi Fushu hurriedly tried to grab the phone.
“Let me see—let me see!”

Ignoring him, Huo Sikai suddenly stood up and shoved his phone in front of Ji Yu, showing off.
“Look—explicit photos of that girl who used to like you.”

Ji Yu glanced at it briefly. The girl looked vaguely familiar. He said meaningfully, “Let me see.”

Huo Sikai laughed smugly and handed the phone over. Ji Yu took it, swiftly hit delete, then tossed the phone back.
“Deleted.”

As soon as he spoke, he walked out to the hallway and started a video call with Shi Xing.

Behind him came Huo Sikai’s furious shouting.
“Ji Yu! On what grounds did you delete my photos?!”

Shi Xing had just answered the call when she heard noisy commotion from his end.

“What’s going on over there?” she asked curiously.

“Dogs barking,” Ji Yu replied with a low, mocking tone.

She didn’t quite understand what he meant. Just then, Ji Yu fixed his gaze on her, his tone unusually serious.
“Tell the girls around you to stay away from Huo Sikai.”

“What’s wrong with you today? Why say that all of a sudden?” Shi Xing asked, confused.

He lowered his eyes slightly, his expression darkening.
“Nothing.”

It wasn’t until the next day, when Shi Xing went to work, that she vaguely heard what had happened.

Yu Jing called her into the office and arranged for her to temporarily cover the table tennis team.

“Isn’t Qiao Yushan in charge there?” Shi Xing asked in surprise. Last-minute changes of a team’s primary doctor before competitions were rare.

“She took leave recently,” Yu Jing sighed, a complicated, regretful look flickering in her eyes.

Since it was a leadership decision, Shi Xing couldn’t refuse. She hadn’t expected that after going in circles, she would end up back at the table tennis team—the one she had originally hoped to join.

As she packed her things and prepared to report in, she overheard colleagues whispering nearby.

“Why did Qiao Yushan take leave?”

“You didn’t know? She got involved with someone, and he secretly took intimate photos of her. They spread everywhere. How could she still show her face?”

“That’s not her fault, though. Shouldn’t the blame be on the guy who took the photos?”

“Well, that guy’s a championship favorite. Leadership chose to quietly suppress the issue. Qiao Yushan had no choice but to swallow the injustice.”

Though they didn’t mention his name, Shi Xing connected the dots with what Ji Yu had said the night before.

Her fists clenched. It felt unbearably unfair. Whether it was Ying Xiaoxiao or Qiao Yushan, they were clearly the victims—yet social pressure left them unable to truly defend their rights.

When Shi Xing arrived at the table tennis team, she unexpectedly spotted Qiao Yushan standing in a corner. Her face was pale. When she saw Shi Xing, she averted her gaze, her former confidence gone.

Shi Xing called out to stop her from leaving.

“If you want to laugh at me, then laugh,” Qiao Yushan said, turning her head away, her eyes reddened.

Shi Xing frowned deeply.
“Why would I laugh at you?”

Qiao Yushan froze.

Stepping closer, Shi Xing continued, “If you leave now, aren’t you giving him exactly what he wants? He dared to spread those photos openly because he thought you wouldn’t pursue it.”

Qiao Yushan sniffed, helpless.
“It’s useless. If this blows up, I won’t even be able to go home and face anyone.”

“It won’t,” Shi Xing said firmly. “I’ll go with you.”

Tears welled in Qiao Yushan’s eyes as she looked up at her. After a long moment, she whispered, “Thank you.”

“Thank you for still being willing to stand on my side.”

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