The next day, Shi Xing went to work as usual and happened to run into Xu Kailiang, who was calling out to her from the side.

“Xiao Xing, are you coming out with us for the competition the day after tomorrow?” he asked, warming up as he spoke.

Shi Xing froze for a moment. She hadn’t received any notification at all. She glanced around—everyone else was busy working, and it didn’t feel appropriate to ask about it openly right then.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Xu Kailiang probed carefully.
“No one told you?”

Shi Xing smiled and smoothed things over.
“Maybe they already have enough people. I’m still new—of course I can’t compare to the seniors in terms of experience.”

Hearing that, he more or less understood what had happened and went along with her words.
“I was thinking that if you went, I’d ask you to take care of me then. But it’s fine—there’ll definitely be chances in the future.”

Shi Xing nodded and didn’t forget to encourage him.
“Good luck, Brother Xu. Even if I can’t be there in person, I’ll definitely watch your match.”

“Alright—thanks for the good wishes.” His eyes were full of anticipation.

This would be the final match of Xu Kailiang’s professional career. He had already prepared thoroughly; as for the result, all he could do now was leave it to fate.

Shi Xing had originally planned to look for Yu Jing after work to ask for a few days off, but unexpectedly, Yu Jing didn’t come in at all that day.

What surprised her even more was seeing Song Lin again after so long. He was sitting in Yu Jing’s usual seat, and the moment he saw Shi Xing, he immediately started mocking her.

“Well, well—look who it is.”

Shi Xing gave him a cool glance and turned to leave, but he clearly wasn’t planning to let her go that easily.

“You don’t do any real work all day. You’re just relying on having connections, aren’t you?”

That finally pushed her past her limit. She turned back and shot straight back at him.
“You spend all day obsessing over whether other people have connections—why don’t you worry about yourself first? From what I can tell, your professional skills aren’t great either.”

Clearly not expecting her to be so blunt, Song Lin froze for a moment. By the time he recovered, Shi Xing had already walked away, leaving him standing there, furious and powerless.

She didn’t take that little incident to heart. Instead, she picked up her phone and sent Yu Jing a message to check in on her—but there was no reply for a long time.

Just as Shi Xing began to worry, Ji Yu appeared beside her at some point.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked lazily, standing in front of her, one eyebrow raised, his gaze resting on her face.

She was startled and jumped slightly. Once she recovered, she replied,
“I messaged Sister Jing, but she hasn’t replied at all. Do you know what she’s been up to lately?”

Ji Yu lowered his eyes. After a long pause, he spoke quietly.
“Maybe she’s sick.”

Shi Xing didn’t notice the unusual look on his face. She nodded and murmured to herself,
“Alright then. I’ll go check on her at her place when I have time.”

A moment later, Ji Yu draped an arm over her shoulders and asked softly,
“Do you want to go eat together tonight?”

Shi Xing quickly shook her head, looking a little awkward.
“I’ve got something to do tonight. And haven’t you been really busy lately?”

He hadn’t expected such a quick rejection. He pressed his lips together slightly and said meaningfully,
“You’ve been hard to find lately. I thought…”

“Thought what?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Thought someone had swept you away,” he said casually, the corners of his lips lifting into a half-smile.

Even though she hadn’t done anything wrong, hearing that still made her feel inexplicably guilty. She touched her nose awkwardly.

Ji Yu glanced to the side, released her, and said considerately,
“Then next time.”

Shi Xing nodded quickly, silently deciding that once she finished dealing with this matter, she’d spend more time with him.

As soon as she got off work, she caught the nearest bus to the alleyway. Coincidentally, Chen Jiayu was standing outside. When he saw her, he smiled as if it were unexpected and walked toward her with his hands in his pockets.

“You’re here?” Shi Xing was surprised to see him the moment she got off the bus.

“Picking you up.” He gave a lazy chuckle and naturally took her bag from her hands.

The two of them walked into the house one after the other. Inside, Chen Hanming had been eating at the dining table. When he saw Shi Xing, his gaze softened noticeably.

“You’re here. Sit down and eat first.”

Shi Xing instinctively checked her watch and asked in confusion,
“Teacher, didn’t you tell me to come at six?”

“Yes—six o’clock to eat.” Chen Hanming said it matter-of-factly, even picking up a piece of fish as he spoke.

She immediately fell silent. If she’d known she was coming this early to eat, she never would have turned down Ji Yu’s invitation.

But there was no choice now. She could only sit down awkwardly.

Sensing her discomfort, Chen Jiayu stepped in to smooth things over.
“She’s here to study—don’t waste her time.”

Chen Hanming snorted dismissively.
“You need to eat well before you can study properly. Food is a person’s source of energy. If you’re not full, how are you supposed to learn?”

Chen Jiayu didn’t bother arguing further. He went into the kitchen, grabbed two sets of bowls and chopsticks, and handed one to her.

Shi Xing took them, and throughout the meal, Chen Hanming enthusiastically recounted amusing stories from his days studying traditional Chinese medicine. When he got excited, he even slapped the table.

She listened attentively, quietly revising her impression of the “bad-tempered” professor she’d heard about back at school.

The three of them chatted easily, creating a warm atmosphere, when a cat suddenly meowed in the courtyard.

Turning to look, they realized a large orange tabby had appeared at some point, staring at them pitifully—it looked absolutely starving.

Chen Hanming waved at it, muttering,
“Come on over, you poor thing.”

As if it understood, the cat meowed a few times and trotted inside. Chen Jiayu grabbed a small bowl, put some food in it, and set it down.

Shi Xing gently scratched the cat under the chin. Sensing her friendliness, the cat cooperated happily.

Once the bowl was set down, the orange cat immediately began eating.

After dinner, Chen Hanming brought Shi Xing into the courtyard. A crescent moon hung low in the night sky, its pale silver light spilling onto the ground and blending with the bright courtyard lamps.

He cleared his throat and asked seriously,
“The acupoints I told you about yesterday—do you remember them?”

Shi Xing nodded confidently. Chen Hanming glanced toward Chen Jiayu and tilted his chin at him.

“You—come here.”

Though confused, Chen Jiayu walked over. Chen Hanming nodded slightly and said,
“Take your shirt off.”

Shi Xing stared in disbelief. Chen Hanming, completely unfazed, repeated,
“How else is she supposed to practice acupuncture?”

Chen Jiayu shot him a meaningful look, clicked his tongue lightly, and said lazily,
“So I’m the free model now, huh?”

With that, he pulled over a stool, took off his shirt, and leaned forward onto it.

Chen Hanming brought out the acupuncture needles and began explaining the acupoints one by one, while Shi Xing took notes.

In the middle of it, he casually asked,
“Did you ever do hands-on practice back at school?”

Shi Xing nodded. In truth, her practical skills had never been particularly strong—she often understood things in theory but lacked real practice, which sometimes left her less confident at work.

Once he finished explaining, Chen Hanming sprawled comfortably into a rocking chair, gesturing for her to begin.

She set her notes aside and pulled a needle from the cloth pouch. This was the first time she had faced Chen Jiayu so directly.

His wheat-toned skin revealed faint bluish veins beneath the surface, and with each breath, the defined lines of his abdominal muscles subtly rose and fell.

For some reason, she suddenly felt awkward. She’d performed acupuncture on others before during team treatments, but facing Chen Jiayu, that faint sense of embarrassment washed over her. She silently reassured herself and carefully marked the acupoints on his lower back as she’d been taught.

Noticing her tension, Chen Jiayu teased,
“It’s fine. The one who should be worried is me—my entire future is in your hands.”

She laughed at his comment. From the rocking chair, Chen Hanming watched the interaction and unconsciously curled his lips into a smile.

A cool breeze swept through the courtyard, making even Shi Xing shiver slightly.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked, trying to make conversation, also curious why the professor insisted on practicing outside.

“I’m used to it. I grew up training like this,” Chen Jiayu said casually.

She felt a sudden surge of admiration for him. The orange cat, now finished eating, wandered into the courtyard to watch, making the scene unexpectedly harmonious.

When she finished, Chen Hanming looked at her with satisfaction and nodded.
“Not bad. Your graduate studies weren’t for nothing.”

Chen Jiayu stood up and put his shirt back on, curling his lips deliberately.
“And what about me, Teacher Chen?”

“Well…” Chen Hanming sipped his tea calmly.
“No merit, but plenty of hard work.”

That made all of them laugh.

“That’s enough for tonight. I’ll take you home,” Chen Jiayu said, grabbing his car keys from inside.

Shi Xing checked the time—it really was late—and nodded.

Outside, he asked tentatively,
“I’ll drive you. At this hour, you probably won’t catch a bus.”

She looked around. The last bus had already gone, so she agreed softly and thanked him.

After he dropped her off and returned home, Chen Hanming was sitting in the main hall, giving him a knowing look.

“You take her home?”

Chen Jiayu hummed in response.

“You’re not getting any younger. Ever thought about getting a girlfriend?”

Hearing the implication, Chen Jiayu chuckled.
“That depends on whether she agrees.”

“I didn’t say who.”

“I only want her,” Chen Jiayu said seriously, his expression firm.

Chen Hanming gave him a thumbs-up, praising him enthusiastically.
“Just like me back in the day. Worthy of being my son.”

Chen Jiayu snorted softly and ignored him. Later, after showering and lying in bed, he thought back on the evening and couldn’t help but smile.

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