“The passenger seat’s seatbelt has always been pretty hard to fasten…”

 

Hearing this, Ji Yu raised an eyebrow slightly and looked at her with an unreadable expression.
“What else were you expecting to do?”

 

Shi Xing quickly shook her head. The temperature inside the car seemed to be rising little by little.

 

Just then, Ji Yu suddenly leaned forward and slowly moved closer to her. Shi Xing froze. In the confined space, the distance between them shrank rapidly. The faint scent of pine and bitterness from him filled her senses, making her instinctively hold her breath.

 

Before she could react, Ji Yu abruptly changed direction, picked up the seatbelt beside her, and smoothly fastened it for her.

 

He then returned to his seat as if nothing had happened and explained casually,
“The passenger seat’s seatbelt has always been tricky.”

 

Listening to his forced explanation, Shi Xing almost asked, “So do you help everyone who sits in your passenger seat buckle up?”
But after thinking it over, she swallowed the words.

 

Ji Yu seemed to read her expression. His brow twitched slightly, and he spoke in a low voice, as if defending himself.
“You’re the first person who’s ever sat in my passenger seat.”

 

Shi Xing didn’t fully believe him, but she nodded anyway. Seeing her perfunctory response, Ji Yu gave a soft snort.

 

When Ji Yu finally pulled up in front of her apartment, Shi Xing thanked him quietly. Just as she was about to get out of the car, he suddenly called out to her.

 

“Is there something you didn’t tell me tonight?”

 

He lowered his gaze to her, his eyes carrying a faint smile—lazy, yet casual.

 

Shi Xing immediately realized it. So he’d been holding this in the whole time, waiting for this moment.

 

Still, the thought of having her ex-boyfriend pretend to be her current boyfriend and go home to meet her parents felt… strange, no matter how she looked at it.

 

So she declined tactfully.
“I could probably think of another solution.”

 

Ji Yu didn’t force the issue. He let out a light chuckle and said calmly,
“Then remember to tell Xie He—”

 

The moment Shi Xing recalled the awkward scene in the private room after work, goosebumps rose all over her body. Afraid Xie He might come up with another terrible idea, she quickly interrupted him and looked up curiously.

 

“I don’t want to be pressured by my mom. But what about you? What’s your reason?”

 

Ji Yu clearly hadn’t expected that question. He paused for a moment, then tugged at the corner of his mouth.
“I’ve got something Xie He can hold over me.”

 

That counted as a reason?

 

Shi Xing didn’t probe further. She simply went along with it, scanned his QR code, and waved goodbye naturally.

 

“I’ll get going.”

 

“Okay.”

 

It felt just like those evenings years ago, when they used to part ways outside the school gates.

 

---

 

The next day, not long after Shi Xing arrived at work, she was called into a meeting.

 

“Recently, all teams are preparing for competitions, so some team doctors need to travel with them. However, the badminton team is short-staffed.”

 

Yu Jing sat at the front of the conference room, explaining the arrangements methodically.

 

“So I’ve decided to temporarily assign doctors from less busy teams to the badminton team for the upcoming competition. Anyone willing to volunteer?”

 

As soon as she finished speaking, murmurs filled the room.

 

Aside from Shi Xing, most of those assigned to quieter teams were either laid-back newcomers or senior doctors nearing retirement. Over time, they had grown used to the slower pace. Being suddenly sent to a high-intensity team like badminton would be hard to adapt to.

 

Yu Jing had clearly considered this and reassured everyone as she scanned the room.

 

“You won’t be alone. The original team doctors will also assist. After the competition, you’ll return to your original teams.”

 

At that moment, Qiao Yushan was the first to raise her hand.

 

“Sister Jing, I’d like to go.”

 

Qiao Yushan had joined at the same time as Shi Xing. She was a graduate from a prestigious university, attractive, and emotionally intelligent, so she’d been assigned early on to the high-profile table tennis team.

 

Yu Jing glanced at her and said after a pause,
“The table tennis team also has competitions coming up.”

 

The rejection was obvious.

 

But Qiao Yushan didn’t back down.
“I still want to try working with the badminton team.”

 

Seeing her persistence, Yu Jing didn’t say more and turned to Shi Xing in the corner.
“What about you, Shi Xing?”

 

Shi Xing had been half-asleep. When everyone suddenly looked at her, she snapped back to attention.
“Me?”

 

“Yes, you,” Yu Jing nodded, seemingly misunderstanding her hesitation.

 

Just like that, Shi Xing was inexplicably assigned to the badminton team together with Qiao Yushan.

 

Because the schedule was tight, Yu Jing told them to go home and pack, then leave with the group that evening.

 

Shi Xing didn’t have time to say goodbye to the race-walking team at the training base. She could only briefly explain key points to the temporary doctor covering her position.

 

Just as she was about to leave, Qiao Yushan called out from behind her.

 

“Shi Xing, we’re on the same route. Let’s share a ride.”

 

Though puzzled by her sudden enthusiasm, Shi Xing didn’t think too much of it and nodded.

 

In the car, Qiao Yushan chatted with her nonstop until she casually asked,
“I heard you’re pretty close with Ji Yu?”

 

Shi Xing immediately understood her implication and replied vaguely,
“He used to go to a neighboring university. We met a few times.”

 

Qiao Yushan couldn’t hide her delight at the answer and said to herself,
“That’s what I thought. Someone at his level wouldn’t really have much to do with a junior team doctor.”

 

Something about the comment made Shi Xing uncomfortable. She turned to look out the window, using it as an excuse to avoid further conversation.

 

The temperature had dropped sharply these past few nights. Every gust of wind felt like icy blades cutting into the skin.

 

On her way to the assembly point, Shi Xing instinctively wrapped her coat tighter. When she spotted the buses, she quickened her pace.

 

As soon as she got on, she heard Xie He and the others joking around, bursts of laughter echoing through the bus. Qiao Yushan was already seated with the badminton team doctors, and there were no empty seats nearby.

 

Just as Shi Xing was about to look elsewhere, she turned and met a pair of dark eyes.

 

She slowly lifted her gaze.

 

Ji Yu looked like he had just showered. His damp bangs were brushed back, revealing a broad forehead. Paired with his striking features, it was hard to look away.

 

The guys in the back row noticed them too. Xie He called out,
“Why don’t you two sit back here?”

 

Catcalls followed.

 

The atmosphere in the bus quieted slightly as everyone began watching them with curiosity.

 

Shi Xing shook her head. She knew that once she sat next to Ji Yu, things would be impossible to explain.

 

She turned to leave.

 

Ji Yu glanced at the guys in the back and said coolly,
“It’s not fun if you keep making noise.”

 

Qiao Yushan smoothed things over from the other side.
“Shi Xing, there’s a seat here.”

 

Shi Xing hurried over, while Ji Yu went to sit in the back with the others.

 

Thankfully, nothing else happened.

 

---

 

By the time they reached the hotel, it was already late. Shi Xing was assigned to share a room with Qiao Yushan.

 

As soon as they put down their luggage, Qiao Yushan pointed at the bed by the window.
“I want this one.”

 

Shi Xing didn’t mind and nodded.

 

After washing up, Shi Xing came out of the bathroom. Her face was fair with a rosy tint from the heat, like a ripe peach.

 

Her damp hair fell loosely over her shoulders as she tilted her head, casually towel-drying it.

 

Qiao Yushan stared for a moment, stunned. She considered herself a beauty, but seeing Shi Xing up close like this made her feel unexpectedly inferior.

 

After the lights were turned off, Qiao Yushan suddenly spoke into the quiet room.

 

“Why were they teasing you and Ji Yu today?”

 

Half-asleep, Shi Xing murmured,
“Just messing around.”

 

In the darkness, Qiao Yushan’s expression subtly changed.

 

---

 

The next morning, Shi Xing nearly overslept.

 

She woke up groggily, glanced at the time, and jolted upright. Turning her head, she realized Qiao Yushan was already gone.

 

The night before, Qiao Yushan had said she didn’t like multiple alarms going off, so she’d set one herself and wake Shi Xing up too. Shi Xing hadn’t thought much of it and agreed.

 

She rushed through washing up and sprinted to her work location.

 

Luckily, they were just starting task assignments when she arrived. Shi Xing patted her chest in relief.
“Thank goodness…”

 

Chen Shuxia, the head of the badminton medical team, frowned when she saw her.
“Why are you only arriving now?”

 

Qiao Yushan glanced over guiltily, her eyes briefly meeting Shi Xing’s before quickly looking away.

 

Shi Xing skipped mentioning the alarm and simply said,
“Sorry.”

 

Chen Shuxia urged her inside and assigned her to backcourt duties, responsible for supporting athletes during training.

 

Following the other doctors, Shi Xing entered the training area. As soon as she stepped inside, someone tapped her on the head.

 

She turned around to see Xie He grinning at her.

 

“You’re assigned here today?”

 

“I overslept, so I got sent here,” Shi Xing replied.

 

“You can’t rely on luck every day just because your name has xing in it,” Xie He joked, raising an eyebrow.

 

Shi Xing pouted. That joke was painfully lame.

 

Just then, Xie He pointed in the distance and said meaningfully,
“Go over there. We’ve got enough people here.”

 

Shi Xing didn’t think much of it. She nodded, grabbed her medical kit, and walked over quickly. But when she saw who was there, she froze.

 

Ji Yu was warming up. Seeing her approach, he showed little reaction.

 

With only the two of them there, the atmosphere turned awkward. As if remembering something, Shi Xing asked,
“How’s your lower back injury recovering?”

 

“Pretty much fine. Nothing serious,” Ji Yu replied while stretching.

 

Still worried—because Ji Qinglin always tended to downplay his own injuries—Shi Xing glanced at her watch. The competition was about to begin.

 

As the announcement sounded and Ji Yu picked up his racket to leave, she called out from behind him:

 

“Good luck.”