Shi Xing lifted her gaze toward the window. The fading afterimages of fireworks reflected in her eyes, drawing a soft sigh from her lips.

Ever since Ji Yu arrived, Li Jiafang and her husband no longer dared to stir up trouble. They hastily finished dinner and made their excuses to leave.

Wei Shufen enthusiastically went into the kitchen to serve Ji Yu another bowl of rice, while Shi Bohua naturally struck up a conversation with him.

“Do you have any competitions coming up recently?”

The moment her father asked such an ill-timed question, Shi Xing coughed lightly and shot him frantic warning looks—but he didn’t seem to catch them.

Ji Yu, however, showed no sign of discomfort and answered straightforwardly, “I’ve been recovering from an injury lately. Major competitions will probably have to wait until the next Olympics.”

Shi Bohua finally realized what he’d said, nodded, and wisely stopped pursuing the topic.

The atmosphere fell briefly into an awkward lull.

Thankfully, Wei Shufen came out just in time to ease the tension, and the four of them soon resumed their lively conversation.

After dinner, Shi Xing unexpectedly suggested going out for a walk to digest the meal, and naturally ended up heading out together with Ji Yu.

Outside, cold winds howled, the chill permeating the air around them.

Nearby, however, the atmosphere was gradually warming—young couples gathered all around, waiting for the New Year countdown.

Watching the scene, Shi Xing couldn’t help teasing, “I thought only students looked forward to New Year’s Eve. Turns out even after starting work, people still get just as excited.”

Ji Yu’s brow twitched slightly. He lazily lifted his eyes and said casually, “Are you looking forward to New Year’s Eve… or the person you’re spending it with?”

“What’s the difference?” Shi Xing asked curiously.

“There’s a big difference,” he replied. “Otherwise, how would I know if there’s someone else in your heart besides me?”

The corners of his lips curved faintly, the slightly upturned tail of his eyes tinged with red from the cold.

Shi Xing tugged at the corner of her mouth and teased him instinctively. “You’re that confident?”

He gave a subtle nod, his gaze dark and unreadable as he looked at her—clearly taking that as a yes.

Suddenly, Shi Xing slung an arm over his shoulder and murmured softly, “Alright then—congrats, you guessed right.”

Taking advantage, he pressed on immediately. “So… is there a prize?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shi Xing rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. At that exact moment, fireworks ignited behind them, lighting up the entire sky in an instant.

Cheers rang out around them.

“Happy New Year,” she whispered near his ear.

Ji Yu lowered his gaze to her, his eyes dark and gentle. “Happy New Year.”

They smiled at each other, and for a moment, it felt as though time had rewound five years.

After a pause, Shi Xing looked at him seriously and spoke slowly. “About what my dad said today—don’t take it to heart. He doesn’t watch badminton and doesn’t understand it. He was just talking nonsense.”

Ji Yu was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected her to be so worried about his feelings. Smiling, he nodded. “I didn’t take it personally. And I’ve never planned to give up badminton.”

Shi Xing finally relaxed. A bright, happy smile bloomed on her face as she said loudly,
“I’ll prepare for the Olympics with you.”

That night, before heading to bed, Wei Shufen called Shi Xing aside.

In the living room, the mother and daughter had a rare heart-to-heart. Wei Shufen took out a pair of jade bangles from the drawer—white, delicate, and semi-translucent, clearly of exceptional quality.

“These were given to me by your grandmother when I got married,” she said earnestly. “Now I’m passing them on to you. I’m getting old, and once you start your own family, I won’t be able to accompany you much longer. Let these stay with you as a keepsake.”

Shi Xing didn’t know why her mother suddenly said such things. She lowered her head and accepted the bangles, her eyes unknowingly filling with tears.

Wei Shufen continued, “Sometimes don’t blame me for nagging too much. Aside from lecturing you a bit, I don’t really know what else to talk about with you. I don’t understand the things you young people like. After you go back, live your lives well—and tell Xiao Ji not to spend so much time online. Don’t mind what people out there say.”

Shi Xing nodded, her nose stinging. She suddenly hugged Wei Shufen around the neck and whispered, “Mom.”

Wei Shufen wiped her tears with a tissue, scolding softly, “You’re all grown up and still crying,” yet her hand gently brushed over Shi Xing’s face. Shi Xing could clearly feel the calluses on her mother’s palm.

She had once seen photos of Wei Shufen when she was young—beautiful and radiant. Sometimes, selfish thoughts crossed her mind: if her mother hadn’t married her father back then, maybe she would’ve lived a better life.

Her feelings toward Wei Shufen were complicated—annoyed at times by her nagging, yet as work kept her busier and time together grew shorter, what remained was mostly longing.

That night, perhaps because a long-standing knot in her heart had finally loosened, Shi Xing slept more soundly than she had in a long time.

The next morning, she rubbed her eyes as she woke, trying to shake off her grogginess. When she realized Ji Yu wasn’t beside her, she instantly became fully alert.

After washing up, she hurried out and found Ji Yu standing in the kitchen, busy preparing breakfast.

Wei Shufen and Shi Bohua were nowhere to be seen.

“Where are my parents?” Shi Xing asked curiously.

“They went out,” he replied casually, pouring oil into the pan.

Standing beside him, Shi Xing teased, “You sent them away on purpose so you could have alone time with me, didn’t you?”

Ji Yu chuckled lazily, nodding slightly. “If that’s how you want to think about it, you’re not wrong.”

Only after he served the noodles did Shi Xing seriously ask again, “So where did they actually go?”

Tilting his head, Ji Yu answered calmly, “I overheard Auntie and Uncle talking yesterday about a newly opened teahouse nearby. The owner happens to be a friend of mine, so I sent them over.”

Shi Xing froze slightly. She’d only just thought about these things yesterday—yet he’d already taken care of them today.

After a moment, she said softly, “You’re really attentive.”

Handing her the bowl, Ji Yu raised an eyebrow, a smug curve appearing at his lips.
“They’re my future in-laws. Of course I have to be attentive.”

Shi Xing was drinking soup and immediately choked, coughing hard as her face flushed red.

Ji Yu hurriedly patted her back, looking at her with a teasing gaze. “That scary?”

She waved her hand awkwardly. “No.”

Aside from the time she’d accompanied Ying Xiaoxiao to take wedding photos, she honestly hadn’t thought that far ahead. Watching her reaction, Ji Yu took a sip of water and asked casually, “No… means you haven’t thought about it, or you don’t want to?”

Shi Xing didn’t know how to respond and quickly changed the subject. “Let’s head back to Jinggang City this afternoon.”

Seeing that, Ji Yu didn’t press further. They chatted about other things instead.

In the afternoon, when Wei Shufen and her husband returned, they opened the door to see the two of them sitting together on the sofa.

“Xiao Ji, thank you so much for today,” Wei Shufen said first.

Shi Bohua also chimed in, praising, “The place is really nicely decorated.”

Ji Yu, who had been peeling sunflower seeds for Shi Xing, laughed. “If you need anything in the future, just let me know.”

The elderly couple clearly loved this—both of them smiling nonstop the entire day.

Before leaving, Wei Shufen packed plenty of local specialties for Shi Xing and reminded her, “Share them with your colleagues when you get back.”

On the drive, Shi Xing suddenly remembered something and asked softly, “Sister Yu Jing was suspended—did you know?”

Ji Yu, one hand on the steering wheel, nodded as if he’d expected it. “That’s why I went out of the province.”

Shi Xing froze. That meant Yu Jing’s suspension—and her not traveling with the team—was far more complicated than it seemed.

“So… is there any result?” she asked carefully.

Ji Yu paused for a long moment before saying slowly, “It’s messy. It involves higher-ups.”

Though he didn’t finish, Shi Xing understood. She sighed regretfully. “Is there really no way to bring her back?”

Seeing her distress, Ji Yu comforted her. “There is.”

Their eyes met as he said firmly, “Trust me.”

Shi Xing nodded. She had always trusted his words.

By dusk, as the sun slowly sank, they finally arrived back in Jinggang City. This time, Ji Yu drove straight to his place.

Shi Xing jumped out of the car, muttering repeatedly, “The match! The match!”

Ji Yu was confused, but before he could ask, she had already rushed inside and turned on the TV.

When he entered, the large screen was broadcasting a live table tennis final.

He glanced at her serious expression and sighed helplessly. “That urgent?”

Eyes glued to the screen, Shi Xing nodded emphatically. “I promised Brother Xu I’d watch his match.”

Ji Yu didn’t say more. He popped open a can, handed her a drink, and focused on watching the game with her.

The match started smoothly—Xu Kailiang took the first two games.

Shi Xing’s fingers slowly clenched. Suddenly too nervous to watch, she buried her face in Ji Yu’s chest.

He teased, “Why do I feel like you’re even more nervous than Brother Xu?”

Her heart pounded wildly as she replied softly,
“I’m nervous when I watch your matches too.”

💝 Support the Team

April0427

✍️ Translator

💙 PayPal