The criticism was relentless.

“Did you see the latest badminton match? Ji Yu unexpectedly withdrew!”

“Wasn’t it all over the trending searches? He was reported to have a serious back injury before, but his team kept it under wraps. I didn’t expect him to perform so poorly in this match!”

“Don’t you guys know? He was called the ‘prince’ years ago. The resources of the badminton world have always favored him. Now Su Qingbei’s team is just reaping what they sowed—they deserve this criticism.”

“They say he’s talented, and honestly, if I had been given that much support, I might have won all the championships too.”

“Poor Xie He… he’s been forced to play the role of the prince’s companion for years.”

“I heard that Ho Sikai being removed from the team was also his doing. Most of Ho’s endorsements afterwards were snatched by him.”

“I knew it—Ho leaving was part of a bigger plot. Didn’t expect the water to be so deep behind the scenes.”

…

Comments on trending searches kept increasing, most filled with malicious speculation.

Shi Xing stared at the screen, her breathing growing rapid, until Xie He’s call came through.

“Come to the hospital and see him,” said the exhausted voice on the other end, likely worn out from handling this mess.

Shi Xing nodded, asked for the address, and took a taxi directly to the hospital.

When she arrived, the area outside was swarming with reporters. Eventually, Xie He appeared from an unnoticed corner and quietly led her inside.

Inside, it was a stark contrast: quiet, almost serene, filled with the sharp scent of disinfectant.

They followed directions to the ward, where Coach Su and a few others stood outside, their expressions serious.

Seeing them approach, Coach Su furrowed his brow, glancing at Xie He, his voice sharp: “Who brought her here? Didn’t you think things were chaotic enough?”

Xie He froze, unable to respond, but Shi Xing quickly interjected to take the blame: “I asked him to bring me.”

Coach Su snorted lightly, saying nothing more, waiting for the doctor to appear.

Unfortunately, the news wasn’t good. The doctor’s tone was grave:

“Why did you wait so long to seek treatment? His back was already seriously injured before. Recently, he had a steroid injection and continued high-intensity training. From now on, only conservative treatment is possible. Don’t think about competing in the short term.”

Shi Xing’s heart sank. This meant Ji Yu’s professional career could very well be over.

Coach Su’s phone rang incessantly—reporters seeking breaking news. After giving a brief explanation to Shi Xing and Xie He, he left to handle the press.

Xie He exchanged a heavy look with Shi Xing. “You should go in. Right now, he probably doesn’t want to see anyone but you.”

Shi Xing nodded and entered the ward. She found Ji Yu sitting sideways, his back to her, lost in thought.

She spoke softly, calling his name, but he didn’t respond.

She moved closer, sitting beside him. When he saw her, he forced a faint smile, but the exhaustion and defeat in his eyes were impossible to hide.

They sat in silence for a long moment, the tension palpable.

Finally, the clock on the wall ticked softly. Shi Xing stood, gently testing the waters: “Are you hungry? I can go get you something to eat.”

Ji Yu didn’t respond. Just as she began to step out, he spoke slowly: “For now… it’s better if you stay away from me.”

Shi Xing froze, unsure, then looked at him. His eyes met hers, serious and dark, repeating the same words.

She realized then what he meant—was this a subtle way of breaking up? She understood how deeply this had affected him.

Shaking her head quickly, she said, “I understand you’re upset, but I don’t want you to treat this as a trivial matter.”

Ji Yu let out a bitter smile. His tone was heavy with complexity: “Do you realize how intense the public backlash online is? If you continue to be with me…”

Shi Xing interrupted firmly: “I don’t care.”

Their eyes met for a long, charged moment until Ji Yu reluctantly looked away.

As he had feared, photos of them together had surfaced online, along with her previous anonymous account posts and interactions with his own alternate account. The online chatter had shifted from casual gossip to various conspiracy theories:

“So they’ve been together for a while—did Ji Yu help her get into the national team as a team doctor?”

“Weren’t there leaks before? Everyone in her cohort was from prestigious universities, and she alone was assigned to the least demanding event. If that’s not favoritism, I don’t know what is.”

“They were even spotted in Norway recently. He has time for his girlfriend but not for training?”

“Is this really necessary? He just had one bad match. Why the sarcasm?”

“People who say they sympathize, why don’t you refund my tickets first? How am I supposed to empathize otherwise?”

“Honestly, if it were an ordinary athlete, I’d feel sorry, but someone with his income comparable to 208—why feel sorry? I’d rather worry about my untouched breakfast bun!”

Shi Xing watched these vicious comments, shocked and heartbroken. Many were completely baseless. She could only imagine how Ji Yu must feel reading them.

Then Ji Yu posted a new status on Weibo:

“You can criticize me, but leave the innocent out of it.”

As expected, the comment section was instantly flooded:

“Where’s your sense of responsibility as an athlete? You withdrew from the first round—how do you face us fans?”

“So losing the first match is worse than your girlfriend being criticized?”

“I saved up for years to see you play, even though you lost early. I worried about the online backlash affecting you. Turns out, I was wrong—you deserve the criticism!”

“Explain how your girlfriend got into the national team through favoritism. Now that something’s wrong, you’re distancing yourself? Ridiculous.”

“Fans who feel sorry for him, remember: you’re not his girlfriend. Think about the regular people pushed aside by privilege.”

Within an hour, tens of thousands of comments flooded the section.

Shi Xing, about to leave, received a call from Wei Shufen:

“Xing, what’s happening over there? People are coming to our house.”

Alarmed, Shi Xing quickly instructed, “Don’t let them in. Stay silent.”

But Wei Shufen sighed: “Too late. Your father already let them inside.”

Shi Xing rubbed her temples, worried, and hung up after giving a few final instructions.

Everything was happening too fast, spiraling in directions she couldn’t predict.

As she reached the ward, she was surprised to see a familiar figure—Ji Yu’s mother had arrived, anxious.

“Are you crazy? Delete your Weibo post! Don’t you know it’ll get blown up?” she scolded.

Ji Yu’s lips pressed in a thin line, but he didn’t reach for his phone.

Shi Xing calmly stepped forward. His mother turned sharply, slightly taken aback, then composed herself.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, frowning.

Before Shi Xing could answer, Ji Yu said softly from the shadows, “I asked her to come.”

His mother, silenced, glared at them both, snorted, and slammed the door on her way out.

Shi Xing ignored her, slowly approaching Ji Yu, who immediately pulled her into a tight embrace.

His rapid breaths enveloped her. Shi Xing gently patted his shoulder, offering silent comfort.

“I’m sorry… I really caused you trouble this time,” Ji Yu said, voice low, eyes glistening.

This was the first time he had apologized so earnestly. Shi Xing shook her head. It wasn’t his fault. Leaning closer, she smiled softly:

“Look at the photos they leaked. Honestly, we look pretty good together.”

Ji Yu glanced at the photo—a candid shot of him sitting on the steps, hair slightly disheveled, a thin sheen of sweat on his neck, smiling at Shi Xing, who was tending to a bandage on his hand, brows lightly furrowed.

He stared at the image thoughtfully, his expression darkening with emotion.

Since Ji Yu needed to stay at the hospital for treatment, Shi Xing left to pick up Xiyu and take care of him at her place.

On the way, she noticed some unfamiliar figures lingering outside Ji Yu’s home.

As she approached, they hesitated, then asked, “Are you his girlfriend?”

Before she could respond, Xie He appeared, pointing at them sharply:

“Loitering outside someone’s house at night? Careful, I’ll call the police!”

The strangers exchanged glances and quickly fled.

Shi Xing watched their retreating backs and sighed. She hadn’t expected things to escalate to this level.

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