As soon as Shi Xing finished speaking, she saw him lower his gaze to her, the corner of his thin lips lifting into a faint smile. His tone was casual, almost careless.

“Alright.”

Before she could even react, Ji Yu gently tugged her to his side.

Their pace naturally quickened. Worried she might get bored, Ji Yu teased her as they walked. Meanwhile, the sky gradually darkened—thick clouds gathered overhead, and the cold wind rustled through the leaves with a sharp, whispering sound.

Halfway along the path, Shi Xing suddenly stopped and motioned for him to rest for a moment. Her face was flushed red, her back lightly damp with sweat, and her breathing had grown noticeably heavier.

Seeing this, Ji Yu unscrewed a bottle of water and handed it to her, then lifted his eyes toward the sky. A trace of concern flickered in his gaze.

“What is it?” Shi Xing asked after finishing the water, unable to hide her curiosity.

“It looks like it’s going to rain. We’ll probably need to turn back,” he said, checking his phone as if reading messages.

“So… should we leave now?” she asked simply, tightening the bottle cap.

Ji Yu thought for a moment, then nodded lightly.
“I’ll message the other two. We’ll head back and regroup at the starting point.”

Shi Xing nodded as well. Just then, a flash of lightning tore across the sky, followed by a deafening clap of thunder that echoed around them.

---

Not long after they returned to the meeting point, Li Xunan came rushing into view. He was panting heavily, clearly having run for quite a while. After spotting them, he scanned the area anxiously and asked in a grave tone,

“Where’s Xinyuan?”

Ji Yu followed his gaze and replied calmly,
“I messaged her, but she hasn’t replied yet.”

Several minutes passed with no sign of Xu Xinyuan. Unable to sit still any longer, Li Xunan said urgently,
“I’ll go look for her.”

“I’ll go with you,” Ji Yu said without hesitation. Then he turned to Shi Xing and reminded her,
“You stay here and wait for us. If she comes back, message me right away.”

Shi Xing nodded. She knew she wasn’t familiar with the trails here, and following them would only distract Ji Yu. Staying put was the best option.

“Okay,” she replied calmly.

After giving her a few more brief instructions, Ji Yu left with Li Xunan. They followed the path Xu Xinyuan had taken and soon reached a fork in the road. After exchanging a glance, the two split up in different directions.

---

Ji Yu followed a winding trail deeper into the forest. Towering trees stretched skyward, vines tangled around one another, and mist clung to the air. From time to time, strange cries echoed through the woods.

Just then, Ji Yu noticed a familiar black hair tie on the ground. Judging by it, Xu Xinyuan must have dropped it along the way. Continuing forward, he soon spotted a familiar figure.

Xu Xinyuan was sitting on the ground. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up—only for pain to quickly replace the expression.

Ji Yu walked over, scanning the scene before asking with tightly pressed lips,
“What happened?”

“I’d never been down this path before, so I got curious and went in to take a look. I didn’t notice a pit and fell—I think I broke my leg,” she explained briefly.

Ji Yu crouched down to examine her injury. Rubbing his brow, his expression grew serious.
“It’s pretty bad.”

Hearing this, she bit her lip and nodded slightly. Looking at him with a hint of grievance, she asked tentatively,
“So… how are we getting back?”

Ji Yu understood the implication in her words but didn’t indulge it. He asked directly,
“Can you walk?”

Xu Xinyuan shook her head hard.

Ji Yu lifted his chin slightly and said in a steady voice,
“Li Xunan will be here soon.”

Sure enough, no sooner had he finished speaking than Li Xunan appeared. He walked straight past Ji Yu and hurried to Xu Xinyuan’s side.

“How did you get hurt?” he asked anxiously.

After failing to get the response she wanted, Xu Xinyuan’s expression changed instantly. Forgetting that others were present, she raised her voice unconsciously.

“Ji Yu, do you really have to keep such a distance from me?”

Then, bitterly, she added,
“Is it because of your girlfriend?”

Ji Yu turned slightly. The surrounding light dimmed, obscuring his expression, but his voice was low and firm.

“There was never any possibility between us.”

Ignoring the pain in her leg, Xu Xinyuan questioned him in disbelief.
“Why?”

Ji Yu lowered his gaze and spoke plainly,
“Because I never felt that way about you.”

Though he didn’t say it too bluntly, she understood. Her lashes trembled, her heart aching sharply before she met his eyes again.

“I understand.”

She had always thought the distance between them began after he returned to the country to train with the national team. Now she realized he may never have felt that way about her from the start. She had her pride—no matter how much she liked someone, she wouldn’t cling to them after a clear rejection.

Silence settled heavily between them.

Li Xunan broke it.
“I’ll carry you back.”

Seeing his concern, Xu Xinyuan’s emotions grew complicated. She slowly stood and let him lift her onto his back. Ji Yu followed behind, holding the items she had dropped.

The scene made her feel as if she’d returned to their childhood—when it had always been just the three of them. She lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, tinged with sadness.

---

When they returned, Shi Xing had been sitting on the ground out of boredom. Seeing them come back safely, she finally let out a breath of relief.

Li Xunan, inexperienced, nearly lost his balance when setting Xu Xinyuan down. Thankfully, Shi Xing supported her from behind.

Xu Xinyuan’s expression softened slightly. Shi Xing crouched to check her injuries, then asked the two men,

“Do you have disinfectant? I’ll treat the abrasions for now.”

Li Xunan nodded repeatedly and rushed to the trunk to grab the medical supplies.

Shi Xing worked skillfully. Xu Xinyuan looked down at her, wanting to speak but ultimately saying nothing.

A fine drizzle began to fall. Li Xunan finally relaxed—thankfully they’d found her before nightfall, or the consequences would’ve been unthinkable.

After the wounds were treated, Xu Xinyuan rode back in Li Xunan’s car. By the time they returned to Ji Yu’s home, evening had fallen.

Ji Minghao had been sipping tea on the sofa. Seeing Xu Xinyuan limping in, his expression changed instantly.

“What happened to your foot?” he asked worriedly.

“I twisted it by accident,” she said softly, wincing in pain.

Ji Minghao frowned and then looked sternly at the others.
“I send you out to have fun, and none of you could take care of her?”

His gaze locked onto Shi Xing, clearly assuming she had distracted Ji Yu and caused Xu Xinyuan’s injury.

Noticing this, Ji Yu’s face turned cold. Just as he was about to speak up for Shi Xing, Xu Xinyuan said first,

“It was my own fault.”

Meaning—it had nothing to do with anyone else.

Seeing this, Ji Minghao couldn’t say more. He snorted lightly and instructed the servants to help Xu Xinyuan to a room to rest.

“Stay here tonight. Your parents would worry if they saw you like this.”

Li Xunan followed her upstairs.

---

Soon, only Ji Yu and Shi Xing remained in the living room. Ji Yu gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, his voice softening.

“Let’s go upstairs.”

She nodded. Before going up, she glanced back at Xu Xinyuan with concern—only to find their eyes meeting briefly before Xu Xinyuan looked away.

Back in the room, Ji Yu quickly took out clean clothes and handed them to her.

“Go take a shower. Don’t catch another cold.”

Shi Xing entered the bathroom, only to realize the toiletries had all been replaced with the same brand she used back home—hard to find in London. Ji Yu had gone out of his way to get them. Warmth spread quietly through her chest.

When she finished showering, she noticed Ji Yu sitting on a chair, seemingly preparing something. Hearing her movement, he hurriedly put everything away and stood up, blocking her view.

“What were you doing?” she asked curiously.

“Nothing,” he replied stiffly.

Seeing he wouldn’t explain, Shi Xing didn’t push.

Ji Yu then gently pulled her closer, his voice low.
“I’ll dry your hair.”

Before she could refuse, he turned on the hair dryer. As he worked, Shi Xing looked up at him and smiled faintly.

“What are you smiling at?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Sometimes, I forget that you’re younger than me,” she admitted honestly.

His fingers brushed lightly through her hair as a faint smile appeared in his eyes. Still, he asked knowingly,
“How so?”

“Because most of the time, you’re the one taking care of me,” she said softly after a moment of thought.

Ji Yu pressed his lips together slightly, lifting his chin with a hint of delight.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

After finishing her hair, he spoke slowly,
“Our flight is tomorrow afternoon.”

“So soon?” she asked, surprised. Though he had mentioned it earlier, she hadn’t expected things to move this fast.

At that, Ji Yu’s expression darkened noticeably. His voice was quiet but firm.

“I don’t want to