The moment Ji Yu appeared, the entire arena’s cheers surged even higher. Although his previous loss had slightly affected his reputation, there was no denying that the achievements he had amassed so far already ensured him a place in the history of badminton for years to come.

Shi Xing curiously glanced at the player opposite him. She recognized him as well — Matsushima, a strong Japanese competitor who had faced Ji Yu multiple times before.

In this tournament, Matsushima was also a dark horse, having achieved remarkable results in just a few years thanks to his superb skills.

Shi Xing stood in the corner, lips pressed together, her gaze thoughtful as she watched the court. She had actually predicted Ji Yu’s schedule this time. If he could win this preliminary match smoothly, advancing to the finals shouldn’t be a problem.

Time ticked by, second by second, and the tension in the arena was palpable. Even the coaches at the sidelines looked strained and serious.

Shi Xing clenched her fingers, her eyelashes trembling slightly, silently praying for him. Ji Yu served first. At the start, everything went smoothly, and he won the first set.

The atmosphere gradually became more lively, but Shi Xing’s heart remained tense. The two players on the court exchanged blows back and forth, and every rally tugged at her nerves.

As the match dragged on, Matsushima began to show signs of fatigue. At this point, the score was still somewhat close, with Ji Yu holding a slight lead.

When Matsushima received a chance to serve, he tried to send the shuttle to the edge of the court, but Ji Yu intercepted it. As if anticipating the move, he quickly smashed the shuttle before Matsushima could react, winning the decisive set.

At first, the crowd seemed shocked by how quickly the match ended, but soon erupted into loud applause. Shi Xing was also surprised — she hadn’t expected Ji Yu to take the set so effortlessly.

The surrounding celebrations slowly pulled her back from her thoughts.

Ji Yu’s first reaction was to search the crowd for a familiar figure. When his gaze fell on Shi Xing in the corner, the corners of his lips curved slightly, as if to say, “See? I didn’t let you down.”

Shi Xing’s eyes met his, and after a moment, she nodded slightly with a small smile.

Even through the crowd, a subtle tension lingered between them, a quiet flirtation carried in the air.

After Ji Yu was called away for an interview, Shi Xing turned to leave. At that moment, she noticed a few young girls whispering behind her. But when she glanced back, they immediately fell silent.

Though she found it a little odd, seeing that they meant no harm, she didn’t pay much attention.

After finishing his interview, Ji Yu came looking for her. The noise in the arena was amplified by the recently concluded match, making it difficult to speak quietly.

Shi Xing instinctively scanned her surroundings and suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

“Could he be about to propose here?” she thought.
“But there are so many people…”

Lost in her daydreams, her ears flushed red. Seeing her like this, Ji Yu leaned closer, his voice calm but teasing: “Your ears?”

Shi Xing thought he was teasing her. She lowered her lashes, feeling the blush spread through her body, and softened her voice: “You said yesterday you were going to give me something?”

Ji Yu, realizing what she meant, pulled a gift box from behind him.

Shi Xing looked at the beautifully wrapped box, surprised. Seeing Ji Yu’s confident expression, she silently wondered, “Could the ring really be that big?”

She met his gaze, but his expression remained calm as he slowly opened the box.

At that moment, Shi Xing froze. Inside was not a ring, but the wallet she had lost — only slightly updated in style, clearly newly purchased by him.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. Ji Yu, misunderstanding her initial reaction, handed her the wallet.

Holding the wallet, Shi Xing felt the surrounding air stiffen. Embarrassing memories flashed through her mind, and she immediately wanted to escape. Clearing her throat, she took the wallet and asked in a slow voice, “This is it?”

Ji Yu nodded, not realizing the deeper meaning behind her words, and explained: “I asked Li Xunan to find it all the way in London. Look, is it exactly the same?”

A small smile appeared on his face, lips pressed together, waiting for her praise.

Shi Xing could only smile sheepishly, saying in broken words: “It’s very similar.”

She turned to leave, but the girls who had been whispering earlier called out to her:

“Can we take a photo with you?”

The girls seemed cautious, probably worried about interrupting them. Shi Xing paused, thinking they meant Ji Yu alone, and nodded. Just as she reached for her phone to take the picture, they stopped her: “We mean with both of you.”

Shi Xing froze this time. Ji Yu, leaning against the wall, spoke after a moment: “Sure.”

Seeing the girls’ excited expressions, Shi Xing agreed and quickly asked a nearby colleague to take the photo.

Ji Yu stood next to her. Shi Xing thought about letting him stand closer to the girls but decided not to, noticing how tense he looked. The girls on her other side were visibly thrilled.

After several shots, the colleague handed the phone to Shi Xing. She checked the photos; they turned out quite well, except Ji Yu’s expression was a little neutral, everything else was perfect.

“Shall I send them to you?” she asked the girls.

They nodded eagerly, unable to hide their excitement.

Shi Xing found their enthusiasm endearing. Suddenly, one girl spoke up:

“Sister, when will you two get married? We saw your photos online and thought you were so sweet together!”

Shi Xing froze. Embarrassed, she looked at Ji Yu. Fortunately, he quickly helped her out, smiling faintly: “We’ve got something to do, so we’re leaving now.”

He grabbed her hand, pulling her away. Once they reached a quiet corner, he let go.

Shi Xing looked up at him for a moment, then nonchalantly looked away, saying: “I’ll head back first.”

This time, Ji Yu didn’t stop her. Softly, he said: “Rest well.”

Shi Xing returned to her room slowly, still slightly annoyed, muttering: “Damn it, he did it on purpose!”

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She threw her pillow heavily onto the floor. At that moment, Ying Xiaoxiao suddenly opened the door, nearly startling her.

“What are you doing?” Ying Xiaoxiao said, surprised at the pillow on the floor.

Shi Xing, feeling guilty, awkwardly averted her gaze, trying to think of an excuse.

But Ying Xiaoxiao quickly picked up the pillow and sat next to her. “Did Ji Yu make you angry?” she asked.

Shi Xing recounted everything that had happened over the past few days. Ying Xiaoxiao’s expression flickered slightly but quickly turned supportive, helping her “vent” about him.

“Don’t worry. Guys are all like that. They probably didn’t think that deeply.”

Shi Xing snorted. “It would be believable if you were talking about Xie He, but Ji Yu is different.”

Meanwhile, Xie He somewhere else sneezed repeatedly.

Shi Xing sighed in resignation. “Forget it. I don’t want to think about it. Even if he really wanted to propose, I wouldn’t agree so quickly.”

Ying Xiaoxiao, unusually, comforted her instead of teasing her.

The days in Paris passed quickly. Soon, it was the day of Ji Yu’s final. Since he had been busy preparing for the competition, they hadn’t seen each other much — partly because Shi Xing was still sulking.

The day before the final, Ji Yu finally found her. Dressed in a light blue tracksuit, a faint smile on his lips, he said: “For the match later, sit in the front row. I’ve reserved a seat for you.”

Shi Xing, still annoyed, turned her head away. “I have work later.”

Ji Yu had already arranged it: “I’ve already requested leave for you.”

She tried to decline, but he was called away by the coach. Before leaving, he reminded her: “Don’t forget to come.”

Shi Xing couldn’t help but smile at his back, muttering: “I’m not going.”

Even so, after finishing her morning work and handing over tasks to colleagues, she entered her room to change. That’s when she noticed the clothes Ji Yu had prepared for her in the suitcase on the other side.

He had been preparing them for days, but she hadn’t noticed due to her busy schedule. A note in delicate handwriting outlined the instructions.

Shi Xing remembered casually mentioning her busy work schedule. She hadn’t expected him to remember and prepare outfits for her.

Warmth spread through her heart. She softly muttered: “Alright, I’ll forgive you this time.”

Glancing at the clock, she quickly went to take a shower.

On the way to the venue, her heartbeat unexpectedly quickened, and her cheeks flushed.

Entering the arena, she saw Ying Xiaoxiao already seated next to her spot, waving.

Shi Xing hurried over and asked casually: “How long have you been here?”

“Just arrived.”

The announcement for the start of the match sounded again. Shi Xing quickly took her seat.

The lights in the arena dimmed slightly. Puzzled, she asked: “Why does the atmosphere feel different today?”

Ying Xiaoxiao, a bit stiff, quickly covered: “You’re imagining things.”

Shi Xing had only spoken casually and didn’t think much of it, turning her attention back to the match.

💝 Support the Team

April0427

✍️ Translator

💙 PayPal