The next moment, he spoke softly, “About Chen Jiayu… I’ll apologize to him personally another day. Please don’t stay mad at me over this, okay?”

Shi Xing was momentarily stunned by his sudden mention of the matter. After a brief pause, she nodded slowly, her voice softening, “I’ll go with you.”

After clearing up the misunderstanding, the atmosphere between them gradually relaxed.

She blinked lightly, her voice slowing down, “Do you think I’ve been moody lately?”

Since reconciling with him, Shi Xing often found herself suddenly snapping at him. Sometimes, she didn’t even know why she got upset—but Season Yu never said anything.

He raised his eyebrows, surprised for a moment, then quickly responded, “No.”

“But I keep losing my temper at you for no reason,” she admitted, lowering her head, feeling embarrassed as she recalled her past behavior.

Season Yu’s lips curved slightly upward, and his tone rose a little, “Actually, I don’t think you’re being unreasonable. On the contrary, I quite like it when you show me your little moods.”

Shi Xing was momentarily stunned, unsure what to say.

He leaned closer, speaking slowly, “The fact that you can express your emotions without holding anything back—doesn’t that prove that I give you the confidence to do so?”

Shi Xing’s eyes unconsciously grew moist. She was speechless for a while, then tiptoed to wrap her arms around his neck, her voice soft, “Thank you, Ji Yu.”

Thank you for being willing to accept all of me.

The warmth in the room surged quietly, and the distance between them closed almost instantly.

He reached out to hold her waist, his heated breath brushing her face. The night air around them seemed to thrum with a subtle, intimate tension. His eyes glimmered with intensity, as if he could swallow her whole.

Season Yu bent closer, pressing his lips near hers. Shi Xing felt a tingling electricity surge through her entire body. Her pulse skipped involuntarily, and she tilted her head slightly, noticing the calm, steady look in his eyes—though his flushed earlobes betrayed the stirring beneath the surface.

She teasingly said, “Your ears…”

“This room is too hot,” he muttered, averting his gaze awkwardly.

Before Shi Xing could react further, he scooped her up, carrying her into the bedroom. In the dark night, an intimate atmosphere spread silently around them.

The next morning, Shi Xing woke to find him no longer by her side. She let out a soft exhale and quickly got dressed, worried he might have gone straight to training.

Seeing him downstairs feeding the puppy, she finally relaxed.

“Why are you up so early?” she asked.

Season Yu nodded slightly and gestured toward the table.

When Shi Xing saw the paper on the table, she froze. Season Yu had already contacted a lawyer for her, ready to send legal notices to the unscrupulous businesses and have the infringing products removed.

“You… did this?” she asked, astonished.

He noticed her worry and spoke in a low voice, “You’ve been anxious about this, so I came back and helped you take care of it.”

“But what if we lose?” she murmured, lowering her eyelashes, frowning slightly.

Season Yu’s lips curved faintly, and he said firmly, “That’s what I’m here for. With me backing you up, what do you have to worry about?”

With his assurance, Shi Xing’s tense heart relaxed slightly. Yet she still had concerns, asking, “And what about Jing Jie?”

“I’ll handle it,” Season Yu said, noticing her worry, decisively making the call for her.

Shi Xing looked at him, raising her eyes, and smiled, “You’ve done everything for me?”

He squinted slightly, lips curling, and replied casually, “Consider it repayment for accidentally hanging up your call last time.”

Shi Xing let out a soft hum, and when he wasn’t paying attention, she quickly kissed his cheek.

Season Yu hadn’t reacted immediately; by the time he realized, her face was already flushed. He wanted to say something, but she had already hurried upstairs.

Watching her leave, Season Yu’s lips curled into a small smile.

With his help, Shi Xing collected all the necessary evidence and hired a professional lawyer. The outcome was clear: she won. The infringing products were quickly removed, and the businesses issued public apologies. The incident soon garnered attention online, with many netizens expressing surprise:

“I even bought from this brand before… I really thought it was official.”
“These unscrupulous businesses will do anything for profit.”

Shi Xing finally breathed a sigh of relief. This meant the matter had come to a temporary close. Jing Jie, upon learning the resolution, didn’t scold her; instead, she praised Shi Xing: “You’ve improved a lot recently.”

On the way back, Shi Xing glanced at Season Yu and said softly, “Thank you.”

He seemed momentarily taken aback by her sudden gratitude, then his tone lifted slightly, “Why are you being so polite to me?”

Shi Xing lowered her head, smiling quietly. The shadows of the street trees swayed gently in the wind, while a ripple of warmth stirred deep within her.

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, it was the eve of the Olympics.

Since they were flying out with the team the next day, Shi Xing lay on her bed, unusually excited.

Season Yu woke her, teasing, “You never got this excited when we traveled before.”

Embarrassed, Shi Xing muttered softly, “This is different.”

“What’s different?” he asked.

“I get to watch your competition in person this time,” she said with a faint smile.

Season Yu’s eyelashes trembled slightly, his heart touched in a place he hadn’t expected. This time, he didn’t tease her; his lips curved subtly.

Shi Xing, thinking he was worried about the match, quickly reassured him, “It’s fine. It’s just a competition. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself.”

He was still distracted but, upon hearing her, his lips slowly curved, and in a low, unreadable voice he said, “I’m not nervous about the match itself.”

“Then what is it?” she asked, puzzled.

Besides badminton, she couldn’t imagine what could make him nervous.

He shook his head, changing the subject, “I’ve organized all your things. Don’t forget to bring your suitcase.”

Shi Xing muttered, “You’ve done everything already. How could I forget?”

“Just don’t forget your suitcase,” he teased mischievously.

Before she could reply, he turned to the other side of the bed, saying in a low voice, “Sleep now. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Shi Xing pouted in imitation, turning away.

Before she could settle, he scooped her into his arms, holding her tightly, his voice soft, “I prefer to sleep holding you.”

Considering his busy schedule the next day, Shi Xing stayed quiet.

Outside, the night was deep, the stars faintly shimmering.

The next day, the team departed for the airport. Along the way, Shi Xing saw numerous fans, though most weren’t there for them but for badminton and swimming athletes.

Season Yu had the most attention. Shi Xing glanced back and noticed the badminton team following closely.

With his arrival, the cheers around them doubled, and security personnel scrambled to maintain order. Shi Xing and her colleagues were almost pushed aside.

Once on the plane, she finally relaxed.

“Why are there so many people this time?” she asked.

A colleague explained, “This happens before every Olympics.”

The Olympics are the most watched event in the country. Athletes pray for four years for this moment—some to achieve dreams, others to retire gracefully. Success and regret walk hand in hand.

At that moment, she heard Xie He’s voice behind her:

“I’ll never walk with Ji Yu again. They almost crushed my shoes just now.”

Everyone laughed.

Season Yu boarded the plane, and through the crowd, their eyes met. Shi Xing quickly settled in her seat, collecting herself.

Season Yu raised an eyebrow, intending to approach her, but was called away by the coach to discuss Olympic matters.

By the time the plane arrived in Paris, it was night. Though it was the peak of summer, rain drizzled from the overcast sky, making the air sticky.

Shi Xing sat on the bus to the hotel, glancing out the window. The reflections of yellow streetlights on the wet pavement connected the dim roads, traffic, and buildings seamlessly.

Low-rise buildings with geometric patterns lined the streets, many serving coffee to patrons inside. Occasionally, Olympic promos flashed by.

The humid air drifted through the window, and a colleague shook her shoulder. “What are you thinking about?”

She shook her head, speaking almost to herself, “It all feels like it’s moving so fast.”

From when she started working to now, time seemed to have been accelerated, constantly moving forward.

A strange sense of anticipation rose in her heart.

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