ust then, Shi Xing felt an arm suddenly wrap around her shoulders. Before she could even react, the distance between them closed instantly. She froze for a moment, completely enveloped by his presence, her body tingling as if every nerve had softened.

“Three, two, one.”

As the countdown ended, flashes went off one after another, the photographer clicking nonstop.

When the shoot was over, he looked at the photos with satisfaction and said, “I’ll send these to you.”

Shi Xing leaned over to take a look and nodded. In the photos, all three of them were smiling. Ji Yu held Xiao Yu in one arm, the other casually wrapped around Shi Xing.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, the moment seemed to give happiness a tangible form.

That night, when they finally sent Xiao Yu home, the little girl was still reluctant to part with them, crying and begging Ji Yu to stay.

Ji Yu bent down, holding her gently as he coaxed in a low voice, “I’ll come see you again next time.”

By the time everything was settled and they returned, it was already deep into the night. Wei Shufen and the others had gone to bed, but a note was left on the table.

The food’s in the fridge. Heat it up before you eat.

Shi Xing stared at the note, lowered her eyes, and remained silent, lost in thought.

Ji Yu glanced at her and said quietly, “I’ll heat it up.”

She reached out to stop him, her tone ambiguous. “I’m already full.”

The refusal was obvious. Ji Yu didn’t push further—some things could only be figured out in her own time.

The next morning, as Shi Xing and Ji Yu prepared to leave, Wei Shufen walked them downstairs and stuffed a bag of pastries firmly into Shi Xing’s hands.

“Take these back and share them with your coworkers.”

Shi Xing nodded softly. Wei Shufen then turned to Ji Yu. “Drive safely.”

Ji Yu nodded. As the car slowly pulled away, Shi Xing watched Wei Shufen’s figure fade into the distance, her eyes gradually welling up.

Her feelings toward Wei Shufen had always been complicated—there was love, frustration over the constant self-deprecation, but above all, a deep ache for all the years she had devoted to the family.

Shi Xing fought hard to hold back her tears until Ji Yu turned on the music and handed her a tissue.

He pressed his lips together, then said in a low, unreadable tone, “You’ll feel better if you cry. There’s music on—I won’t hear you.”

Shi Xing took the tissue, tears finally streaming down her face. By the time they reached the city, it was already evening. She composed herself and thanked him quietly.

“Shi Xing,” he called.

She turned back. Ji Yu looked at her, his eyes hiding emotions she couldn’t decipher. “See you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

The next day, Shi Xing arrived early at work. As soon as she reached the race-walking training base, a group of people came running toward her.

“You’re finally back!”

“We missed you so much these past few days!”

She was a little overwhelmed but smiled anyway. “How’s training been?”

That question unleashed a flood of chatter, everyone eagerly sharing their experiences—until the coach blew the whistle to gather them.

Shi Xing headed to the rehabilitation room to check on the newly arrived equipment. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Song Lin.

He shot her a sideways glance and snorted. “I was wondering who it was—turns out it’s the scavenger queen.”

She knew he was mocking her for being temporarily assigned to the badminton team. She glanced at him calmly. “Oh?”

Her indifferent tone nearly drove him mad. Just as he was about to say more, several athletes walked in. He immediately changed his expression and said, “I just made a few comments—was that really necessary?”

The others looked over curiously. Shi Xing ignored him and turned to leave, but Song Lin called out behind her, “You’re just relying on Ji Yu backing you up. What’s so impressive about that?”

Those words sparked instant speculation.

As she walked out, Shi Xing remembered that Ji Yu’s jacket was still with her. She took out her phone and sent him a message:

Your jacket is with me. When are you coming to get it?

Staring at the message, she suddenly felt like a kidnapper demanding ransom.

Just as she considered unsending it, she heard Xie He’s voice in the distance.

She called out to him, “Have you seen Ji Yu?”

“He didn’t come to training today—went home. You should just go to his place,” Xie He said with a meaningful look.

Shi Xing was surprised but nodded.

After work, she followed the address Xie He gave her to Ji Yu’s place—a spacious apartment in the city center. She rang the doorbell.

No response.

She knocked again. Still nothing.

It wasn’t until the third knock that Ji Yu finally opened the door slowly.

His face looked pale. Concern flashed across her expression. “Do you have a fever?”

He shook his head, clearly surprised by her sudden appearance. At the same time, barking echoed from inside. Shi Xing looked in—and saw a snow-white Samoyed.

As soon as she stepped inside, the dog charged toward her enthusiastically, nearly knocking her over, until Ji Yu called out, “Back.”

The dog obediently stopped, tilting its head at her with a grin.

Completely charmed, Shi Xing asked, “Can I pet him?”

“Sure,” Ji Yu replied casually.

As she rubbed the dog’s head, she asked, “What’s his name?”

Ji Yu cleared his throat, slightly awkward. “Xi Yu.”

Unaware of his reaction, Shi Xing happily called out, “Xi Yu, Xi Yu,” while petting him.

In a corner no one noticed, Ji Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of his lips lifting in a barely perceptible smile.

After a while, Shi Xing suddenly remembered something. “Where are you not feeling well today?”

“Old problem. My lower back hurts.”

She frowned, thinking carefully. “If it’s serious, you should do rehab massage and recover gradually.”

Ji Yu lowered his gaze and shook his head. “Competition starts again next month. There probably isn’t enough time.”

“What are you planning to do then?” she asked.

“Painkiller injections.”

Her heart clenched. As a team medic, she knew all too well the risks—temporary relief, but improper use could damage nerves or tendons, even end a career.

“Have you talked to your coach?”

“I have. That’s the plan for now. But if it’s not too bad by then, we might go with conservative treatment,” he said quietly, his eyes dark with unreadable emotion.

“It shouldn’t be that serious,” she comforted him.

Just as the mood grew heavy, Xi Yu suddenly rubbed against Shi Xing’s neck. She laughed softly, tickled by the sensation.

Casually, she said, “You know, I have an online friend who also has a Samoyed. It kind of looks like yours.”

Ji Yu stiffened slightly. “Really?”

She nodded, joking, “If I didn’t know you both separately, I’d think you were the same person.”

He immediately changed the subject. “Are you staying for dinner?”

She paused, slightly caught off guard, then nodded. “Sure.”

Ji Yu got up to grab ingredients from the fridge, but she stopped him. “I’ll do it. You should rest.”

For once, he refused. “Let me cook for you.”

His low voice lingered in the air.

Seeing how firm he was, she gave in. “Alright then. Let’s see what Chef Ji can do.”

He smirked confidently. “You won’t be disappointed.”

He went into the kitchen. Shi Xing played with Xi Yu, occasionally glancing over nervously.

She remembered he didn’t used to cook. Had years of overseas competitions and terrible foreign food forced him to improve?

Soon, Ji Yu brought out several dishes—beautifully presented and fragrant. Shi Xing couldn’t help taking photos.

“They look amazing,” she praised.

“They’ll taste even better,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

She tried the sweet-and-sour fish and nodded. “They really do.”

Xi Yu trotted over, tongue out, clearly tempted. Shi Xing laughed. “Dogs can’t eat this.”

Ji Yu whistled once. Xi Yu immediately ran back to him. He poured out dog food and patted its head. “This is yours.”

The dog began eating happily. Shi Xing smiled at the sight.

Curious, she asked, “When did your cooking get this good?”

“Four years ago,” Ji Yu replied calmly.

She froze. Four years ago, she and Ying Xiaoxiao had been obsessed with a Japanese drama about a famous chef. She’d mentioned it to Ji Yu back then…

Could he have started learning because of that?

She quickly dismissed the thought, feeling it was too self-centered.

Just then, Ji Yu’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen and stepped outside to answer.

She heard fragments of his voice: “Okay… I know…”

For some reason, her left eyelid twitched uneasily.

When he returned, his expression was heavy.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“It’s nothing. My mom called—asked why I didn’t go to training today.”

At the mention of her, Shi Xing felt dazed. The memories from back then resurfaced all too clearly.

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