The next morning, Shi Xing woke up feeling unusually light and refreshed. She swallowed instinctively and was surprised to find that her throat no longer hurt.

A faint fragrance drifted in from outside the window. Following the scent, she noticed that a row of chamomile plants had been placed on the balcony, seemingly arranged by Ji Yu, probably worried that she wouldn’t sleep well the night before.

She had just finished getting dressed when Ji Yu came out of the bathroom. He was wearing only a gray bathrobe, loosely tied at the waist, the collar slightly open, hinting at his well-toned chest.

Shi Xing was captivated by the sight, staring for a long moment. When she finally realized it, Ji Yu had quietly approached her.

The distance between them suddenly shrank, and she could even see the droplets of water in his hair. At that moment, she recalled her ridiculous emotional outburst from the night before, and a wave of embarrassment hit her. She quickly pushed him away and dashed into the bathroom.

Ji Yu remained on the bed, watching her flustered retreat, and chuckled softly, muttering, “Don’t run too fast, be careful not to fall.”

Inside, Shi Xing turned on the faucet and washed her face, splashing cool water over her skin. Perhaps due to the warmth of the room, her face was flushed pink.

When she came out, Ji Yu was leaning casually against a corner of the wall, his gaze fixed on her the entire time.

Shi Xing felt a little embarrassed under his stare but straightened herself and met his eyes. She deliberately changed the topic to ignore last night’s incident. “Shall we go downstairs now?”

Ji Yu lowered his gaze, a playful smile on his lips, but didn’t answer her question directly. Instead, he raised a finger and lightly pointed to the side of her neck, teasingly saying, “This…”

Shi Xing panicked and looked down. Sure enough, faint kiss marks were visible where he pointed. She quickly grabbed a scarf from a stool and wrapped it around her neck.

Just then, she noticed Ji Yu’s barely contained laughter, the way his lips pressed into a smile while his shoulders trembled slightly.

Shi Xing rolled her eyes at him in exasperation and ran ahead, with Ji Yu following closely behind.

As they went downstairs, Ji Minghao and Lin Jue were leisurely sipping tea on the sofa.

Shi Xing felt a bit awkward as she greeted them. She suddenly realized that despite being here for some time, she had never formally met them. Lin Jue responded politely, but Ji Minghao merely gave her a measured glance and didn’t continue the conversation.

Ji Yu frowned when he saw this and immediately guided Shi Xing to sit beside him.

The living room was quiet except for the occasional sound of the housekeeper tidying up.

Once they were seated, Ji Minghao asked suddenly, “What do your parents do?”

Shi Xing paused slightly, then answered, “They run a restaurant back home.”

Ji Minghao leaned forward to pour tea. Hearing this, he calmly adjusted his glasses, nodded thoughtfully, but there was a subtle shift in his expression.

Lin Jue also spoke up, unusually concerned, “Ji Yu said you were sick last night. How are you feeling now?”

“Much better,” Shi Xing replied, slightly uncomfortable with the unexpected concern.

The awkward conversation didn’t last long, as Ji Yu quietly mediated throughout, occasionally teasing his father a little, which caused Ji Minghao’s expression to darken slightly.

When breakfast was served, the table was filled with delicate dishes. Shi Xing, however, had little appetite. London was notoriously lacking in good food, and her first bite made her choke slightly, though she forced herself to swallow.

Noticing her discomfort, Ji Yu quickly found an excuse to take her outside.

Once outside, the wind hit her face, and the fresh air instantly lifted her spirits. Ji Yu stood beside her, watching her with a small smile. After a long pause, he said decisively, “Let’s return to China the day after tomorrow.”

Shi Xing was surprised by his sudden suggestion. “Why the sudden idea to go back?”

Ji Yu pursed his lips slightly, his gaze darkening. “Nothing… it’s just that staying here feels kind of dull.”

Shi Xing realized he probably thought she wasn’t enjoying herself, and nodded reluctantly.

As they were talking, two uninvited guests appeared: Li Xunan and Xu Xinyuan.

Xu Xinyuan was dressed in simple sportswear. She glanced over Shi Xing, then greeted her politely. Shi Xing responded in kind, but Xu quickly shifted the topic to Ji Yu. “Why didn’t you tell us you were dating?”

Ji Yu, leaning casually against the wall, raised an eyebrow and replied teasingly, “I pinned it at the top of every platform. Looks like you don’t pay attention to me.”

His words clearly left no room for any misunderstanding.

Li Xunan quickly intervened, pulling Xu Xinyuan aside. “By the way, are we going hiking later?”

“Since you’re back for a rare visit, who knows when we’ll see each other next.”

Though the comment was addressed to Ji Yu, his gaze stayed fixed on Shi Xing, clearly expecting her not to go.

Xu Xinyuan chimed in, “Let’s go then,” while sneaking a glance at Shi Xing.

Ji Yu didn’t object but made sure to ask Shi Xing for her opinion first.

Seeing how prepared the two of them were, Shi Xing hesitated but agreed to accompany him.

After she consented, Ji Yu grabbed a sports car from his garage. The four of them split into three groups to set off.

Shi Xing sat in the passenger seat, the scenery flashing past the windows as the wind howled around her. She instinctively gripped the seatbelt tightly, sneaking glances at the rearview mirror to see the other two cars being left far behind.

Ji Yu tilted his head and smirked. “Scared?”

Shi Xing shook her head firmly but her fingers unconsciously clenched tighter. “You don’t usually drive this fast back home.”

“At home, driving like this would get us fined.”

Shi Xing laughed at his dry humor. She realized that top athletes like him probably had a natural thrill-seeking streak.

They soon reached their destination. Shi Xing’s forehead was dotted with sweat, her knuckles white from gripping the seat.

Ji Yu silently observed her, choosing not to call her out.

Shi Xing suddenly noticed something and ran toward a corner. From that vantage point, she looked down at the rolling countryside below: distant mountains interwoven with greenery, truly a beautiful view.

At that moment, she heard a sound behind her. Turning, she saw Ji Yu taking photos of her.

She ran toward him, trying to shield herself. “Don’t sneak pictures of me!”

Ji Yu raised the camera confidently. “I’m not sneaking. I’m taking them openly.”

Their playful exchange caught the attention of Li Xunan and Xu Xinyuan, who had just arrived. Xu lowered her eyes, while Li noticed her change in expression and hesitated.

Xu quickly regained her composure, pretending not to care. “Stop staring at me. I don’t need your pity.”

She walked off briskly, with Li following and lightly coughing to remind the two playful ones.

Shi Xing noticed their subtle expressions and quickly distanced herself from Ji Yu.

Ji Yu, however, seemed unbothered and casually asked, “Shall we start now?”

Li Xunan nodded and went to get equipment from the trunk. Shi Xing wanted to help, but Xu stopped her, saying softly, “You just recovered from being sick. Let the boys handle it.”

Though surprised by Xu’s sudden change in attitude, Shi Xing had no choice but to nod. Soon, only the two of them were left, a little awkward in each other’s company.

Once everything was set, Ji Yu organized them: “We have three routes. Let’s split into groups.”

Xu agreed first. “Sure.”

Li, hearing both, shrugged. “Well, I have no objections.”

Shi Xing, caught in the middle, nodded heavily. Seeing this, Ji Yu held her hand and smiled, “You’ll go with me.”

Soon, the groups separated. Shi Xing put on the climbing gear Ji Yu gave her, then asked worriedly, “Is she climbing alone? Isn’t it dangerous?”

Ji Yu, still organizing equipment, reassured her: “She’s been climbing with us since she was a child. She’s very experienced.”

Relieved, Shi Xing followed him at a slow pace. The climb was deliberately unhurried; she guessed Ji Yu was pacing for her. She muttered, “We’re not going to be the last, right?”

Ji Yu, wearing a black windbreaker, glanced at her as the dim sunlight highlighted his features with a faint glow, making him look unrealistically handsome.

Dragging the last syllable, he asked, “You want to come first?”

Shi Xing nodded slightly, her determination evident.

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