“This Is My Most Low-Key Car.”

Ji Yu’s steps seemed to freeze in place. After a moment, he slowly nodded.

Once all the athletes had taken the court, Shi Xing moved to the back row to watch the match.

As Ji Yu’s figure appeared on the large screen, Shi Xing couldn’t help recalling how she and Ying Xiaoxiao used to sneak over to the neighboring university every day just to watch him play.

Ji Yu on the court felt completely different from his usual self. Normally, he looked like someone who didn’t care about anything—lazy, casual, and unhurried in everything he did. But on the court, he was the opposite: focused and serious. Even when he was far behind in score, he could maintain a steady mindset and turn the tables.

Back in school, every time Shi Xing went to watch his matches, she would be completely drawn in. During those moments, she could set aside all the troubles of daily life, fix her gaze on the arc of the shuttlecock he hit, and fully immerse herself in the competition.

Later, when they were together, whenever he traveled alone for tournaments, she would always watch the broadcast on time. Occasionally, during the brief pauses between his swings, she would drift off, wondering if there might be a fleeting moment when they were somehow in sync.

Even separated by thousands of miles, their heartbeats felt connected through that single shuttlecock.

The sudden cheers from the arena snapped Shi Xing out of her thoughts. She looked up to see that the match had officially begun. As the opponent served, both sides traded shots back and forth, the game falling into a stalemate. Soon, however, the other side revealed a flaw. Ji Yu seized the opportunity, swung his racket with force, and cleanly took the point, winning the first game.

As time went on, the score remained tight. When it came to the deciding game, Ji Yu seemed slow to get into rhythm and lost several points in a row. The coach in the stands frowned deeply, and the atmosphere on the court grew tense and quiet.

Ji Yu pressed his lips together, lost in thought. Gradually, he found his footing, winning several rallies in succession. On the final point, he smashed the shuttlecock straight to the backline, claiming the last score.

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the arena. Shi Xing joined in, clapping as well.

Suddenly, she sensed something. She lifted her gaze slightly—and in the crowd, their eyes met.

That evening, after returning, Qiao Yushan approached her and explained,
“I thought you had already set an alarm, so I forgot to wake you.”

The excuse was so fake that even Qiao Yushan herself felt guilty, constantly watching Shi Xing’s reaction.

Fortunately, Shi Xing only smiled. She didn’t want to pursue such trivial matters. After all, she would only be working with Qiao Yushan for a few days, and making a big deal out of it wouldn’t end well. At most, she would just need to be more cautious in the future.

Seeing Shi Xing’s reaction, Qiao Yushan assumed she had brushed it off. She deliberately acted affectionate, hooking her arm around Shi Xing’s and probing,
“Actually, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Go ahead,” Shi Xing replied, discreetly freeing her arm as she spoke.

“Do you know what hobbies Ji Yu has besides badminton?” Qiao Yushan asked, watching her expression carefully.

Shi Xing pretended to think.
“Let me see… I think he really likes football—particularly Tikalira.”

“Really?” Qiao Yushan’s eyes lit up.

Shi Xing nodded, then casually asked, “Are you planning to buy him a gift?”

Caught out, Qiao Yushan hurriedly shook her head. “No, no, I was just asking.”

At the same time, her suspicion that the relationship between the two was anything but ordinary became even stronger.

Over the next few days of competition, nothing unexpected happened. Ji Yu lived up to expectations and won the gold medal.

The end of the tournament coincided with the upcoming holiday, so the entire badminton team attended a celebratory banquet.

Shi Xing was seated at the team doctors’ table. At that moment, Qiao Yushan appeared in front of her, wearing a white dress and meticulously done makeup.

However, she didn’t choose to sit with them. After deliberately greeting Shi Xing, she walked over to Ji Yu’s table under everyone’s gaze.

Out of curiosity, Shi Xing glanced over and noticed that Qiao Yushan was chatting with other athletes. At the same time, her phone would “casually” reveal a wallpaper of Tikalira.

Eventually, a male athlete asked, “Yushan, you like Tikalira?”

She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled softly.
“I watched one of his matches before, and that’s when I fell for him.”

The guys immediately became interested. After all, it was rare to see a girl who liked football—especially a beauty like Qiao Yushan.

While observing Ji Yu’s reaction, she continued,
“I’ve always thought he’s the number one football player in the world. As for the constant online debate between him and Romis, I think Romis just got lucky—he happened to benefit from that World Cup and picked up the trophy. In terms of influence and skill, he’s nowhere near Tikalira.”

She rattled off all the football knowledge she had crammed over the past few days.

But she soon noticed that the guys were holding back laughter. Finally, Xie He patted Ji Yu on the shoulder and teased,
“See? Even a beauty like her thinks Tikalira is better than Romis. You should stop arguing with us already.”

The moment the words fell, Qiao Yushan froze.

Before she could explain, Ji Yu stood up and said calmly,
“Just because you like Tikalira doesn’t mean you have to belittle Romis.”

There was no warmth in his eyes, and his tone was flat.

But those who knew him understood—this was a sign that he was angry.

After Ji Yu left, the table burst into laughter. Xie He comforted her,
“It’s fine. That’s just how he is. We all like Tikalira—he’s the only one who supports Romis. Every match turns into an argument.”

Qiao Yushan was on the verge of tears. She could only turn around and shoot Shi Xing a vicious glare.

Shi Xing didn’t care. It was the last day anyway, and Qiao Yushan couldn’t do anything to her. She just felt a little sorry for Ji Yu. Thinking that, she ate an extra bowl of rice to ease her guilt.

The next day, the holiday began.

Before Shi Xing could fully wake up, her phone started ringing.

Rubbing her eyes, she answered,
“Hello?”

“I’m downstairs at your place. When are you coming back?”

Shi Xing jolted awake. She checked the caller ID—there was no name displayed. Tentatively, she asked,
“Ji Yu?”

“Mm.”

Her head buzzed, but she quickly recovered.
“Wait for me.”

She jumped out of bed and rushed to wash up.

When she reached downstairs, she saw a Cayenne parked at the entrance. Just as she was about to take a closer look, the window rolled down, and Ji Yu gestured for her to get in.

As soon as she sat inside, she noticed he seemed unusually well put together today—though there were dark circles under his eyes. He was probably kept awake by Qiao Yushan’s comments the night before. The thought made Shi Xing feel even more guilty.

She asked softly,
“Are you okay after last night?”

“I’m fine,” Ji Yu replied, his tone unreadable.

Afraid she might give something away if the conversation continued, Shi Xing quickly changed the subject.
“We’re just going back to my hometown.”

“Mm, I know,” Ji Yu responded indifferently, signaling her to continue.

“So… could you switch to a more low-key car?” she said anxiously. “Otherwise, people will think we’re walking a red carpet.”

“But this is my most low-key car,” Ji Yu said, pressing his lips together, sounding casually serious.

Shi Xing rubbed her forehead. Everything she had said felt pointless. Her mood right now was exactly like hearing a billionaire say he wasn’t interested in money.

She forced a smile. “Then let’s go.”

Along the way, she reminded him nervously,
“We’re only staying for a day and coming back in the evening. If my mom asks how we met, just say—”

“Tell the truth,” Ji Yu said lightly while driving. “It’s not like we’ve never met before.”

“…Right,” Shi Xing sighed.

An indescribable feeling flowed quietly between them.

It took only two hours to drive from the city to Shi Xing’s hometown. When the plane trees along the roadside came into view, she finally realized—she was really home.

Ever since starting college, she had rarely returned. Every visit meant endless nagging from Wei Shufen, and over time, she learned to avoid coming back with various excuses.

Following Shi Xing’s directions, Ji Yu drove into the residential complex. Several elderly neighbors stared curiously at them.

As soon as Shi Xing got out of the car, Auntie Li from next door rushed over.
“Oh my, Xiaoxing! It’s you—I thought some Porsche had shown up!”

Then she looked at Ji Yu.
“Is this your boyfriend?” she asked excitedly.

“Yes,” Shi Xing replied. “I brought him back to visit during the National Day holiday.”

“He looks so familiar,” Auntie Li frowned, trying to get a better look.

Shi Xing quickly stepped in front of Ji Yu and smiled awkwardly.
“He just has a very common face. It’s normal to mistake him for someone else. We’ll be heading up now.”

She grabbed Ji Yu’s hand and pulled him away.

Behind them, Auntie Li called out loudly,
“Why are you in such a hurry? Come visit Auntie sometime!”

Once inside the elevator, Ji Yu suddenly asked,
“A common face?”

Shi Xing released his hand and laughed awkwardly.
“I was just afraid she’d recognize you. That would be hard to explain.”

Ji Yu snorted softly and muttered,
“I wouldn’t mind.”

When they reached Shi Xing’s floor and stepped out of the elevator, her apartment door was wide open, filled with her aunts and relatives.

The moment they saw her, cheerful voices rang out.
“Xiaoxing is back!”

Shi Xing quietly warned Ji Yu,
“My family is very… outgoing. If there’s anything you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to.”

As soon as she entered, her nephews swarmed around her. Seeing the table full of dishes, she called toward the kitchen,
“Mom, I’m home!”

Almost immediately, Wei Shufen emerged enthusiastically.
“Why are you back so early? Your dad just went out to buy wine.”

At the same time, her aunt chimed in,
“Oh my, Shufen, look at the son-in-law Xiaoxing brought back—so handsome!”

Ji Yu, unusually well-behaved today, smiled and greeted them politely.
“Hello, Auntie.” He then gave a brief self-introduction.

“Good, good, good!” Wei Shufen beamed, circling Ji Yu and inspecting him.
“You didn’t have to bring so many gifts—”

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