After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – “It Just Means You’re Really Good-Looking”

I’mNotJealous: Huh?

An Ning replied almost instinctively.

MY: I can’t?

I’mNotJealous: Of course you can! But our competition isn’t really that official… You could actually go watch a bigger match. That day happens to be the B-level finals—you can still get tickets.

For some reason, just hearing that Mu Yan wanted to come made An Ning nervous. She was usually pretty laid-back; even for important matches, she rarely felt this kind of anxiety.

Though the Yun Sports Badminton Gym was fairly large, it was still Mu teacher. If she really wanted to watch badminton on a whim, she should be going to a national-level final, not watching two amateur double teams scrambling last minute like chickens pecking at each other.

MY: I want to watch this one.

A calm statement, leaving no room for argument.

An Ning’s finger hovered above the screen, her upper teeth subconsciously biting her lip.

Then she had no choice…

I’mNotJealous: I’ll go talk to the coach and get you a court-side pass.

So-called “court-side passes” were basically seats right next to the team benches—a privilege the Yun Sports badminton team offered to their members. Players often brought their partners to watch from there.

An Ning had been on the team for over a year and had never used this perk, but now she thought it was actually pretty nice.

The audience seats in front were hard to get, and she couldn’t just let Teacher Mu sit all the way in the back. Who knew if she was nearsighted?

When training time arrived, An Ning immediately found the coach by the court.
“Coach, do we still have any court-side tickets left? I’d like to get one.”

The coach stared at her in shock for a long moment before finally digging one out of her bag and handing it over, her tone uncertain.
“You’re really in a relationship?”

The coach didn’t think An Ning would lie, but it was even harder to believe that she’d be dating anyone. How could a block of wood just suddenly blossom?

“…Yeah.” An Ning guiltily took the ticket and stuffed it in her pocket, then dashed back to the training court like a thief.

On game day, the badminton gym was about half full. The front rows were so packed that some seats meant for two had squeezed in three. Most of the spectators were bored college students with nothing to do on the weekend, sipping milk tea and snacking, chatting and scrolling on their phones while waiting for the match to start.

In the locker room, the four players were already dressed in sportswear, doing light stretches in place. The rest of the team sat quietly nearby, sensing the tension in the air and silently eating their popcorn.

This was one of the rare moments when Hong Tianjiao didn’t mock An Ning. At the moment, she sat there stiffly rotating her wrist, as if she wasn’t preparing to play badminton, but about to smack that annoyingly charming face of An Ning’s.

Compared to her aggressive readiness, her opponent clearly looked distracted.

Had Teacher Mu still not arrived?

An Ning checked WeChat for the eleventh time, and for the eleventh time she was disappointed.

Was she not planning to come after all…?

She couldn’t even figure out how she felt anymore, only that she couldn’t calm down.

At first she tried to talk her out of coming, but now that it seemed like she wasn’t coming, she actually felt… disappointed?

What the hell was wrong with her?

“Senior, are you okay?”
Jing Tong, beside her, looked worried at how restless she was.

“Uh, I’m fi—”
Before she could finish, her phone vibrated in her pocket. An Ning immediately pulled it out, glanced at it, then said to Jing Tong,
“You keep warming up, I’ll be right back.”

Then, under several gossip-laced gazes, she bolted out the door.

MY: I’m at the player entrance.

I’mNotJealous: I’ll be there in one minute!

The hallway was nearly empty, and An Ning sprinted full speed on her long legs. From afar, she saw a slender figure standing by the entrance. At the sound of her footsteps, the figure shifted slightly—like an orchid swaying in the wind.

“Teacher Mu!”
An Ning only stopped once she reached the entrance, panting as she pulled out her ID card to open the door for Mu Yan.

She leaned against the scanner, trying to catch her breath, when she realized someone was standing right in front of her.

Mu Yan’s voice was cool:
“You ran this fast—don’t need to play anymore?”

Although her words weren’t exactly kind, An Ning didn’t feel upset—Mu Yan didn’t seem mad, after all—so she smiled and looked up.
“No worries, I’m alrea—”

The last two syllables got stuck in her throat. She couldn’t speak.

The woman standing before her wore a simple white blouse and jeans. The blouse was cotton, more casual than the one she’d worn on their registration day. It had a minimalist mandarin collar, but at the hem, a few blooming white roses had been intricately embroidered—cool and stunning, not overpowering, but uniquely beautiful.

Just like Mu Yan—dressed even more like a college student than An Ning, but if you placed her among the front-row audience, as long as you could see faces clearly, she’d still be the first person you noticed.

It had only been a little over a month, but had Teacher Mu gotten even skinnier?

“What are you looking at?”

Mu Yan’s voice pulled her wandering thoughts back. An Ning quickly looked away, flustered.
“N-Nothing… I just think your outfit makes you look really young.”
Before Mu Yan could get upset, she quickly added,
“I mean, it looks really good on you!”

“Hmph…”
A soft chuckle reached her ears. An Ning looked toward Mu Yan’s face but saw no change in her expression.

The woman still wore that aloof, weary look, and ignored her awkward compliment.
“So, where do I enter?”

“I’ll take you.”
An Ning had just turned to guide her when someone appeared at the end of the hallway.

“Ning Ning, why aren’t you in the locker room getting ready? What are you doing out here?”

It was Coach Chen Ying. Her voice trailed off the moment she saw Mu Yan’s face.

Then An Ning saw her furiously winking at her, like she was having a seizure.

She’s probably asking if this woman is that marriage partner, right?

An Ning gave a small nod.
“I’m just taking… Teacher Mu inside. I’ll be right back.”

Wait—this elegant, wealthy goddess was a teacher? She sure didn’t give off that vibe.

Facing Mu Yan’s don’t-come-near-me aura, Chen Ying silently pulled back her hand that had been about to pat her on the shoulder. But she wasn’t about to give up on the chance to enjoy the show.

“Teacher Mu, since you’re here already, would you like to check out our locker room?”

That Hong girl had been stirring up gossip all week, thinking she had dirt on Ning Ning. Chen Ying had had enough of her crap. Now that the real deal was here, she knew Ning Ning might stay quiet—but this Teacher Mu definitely didn’t seem like someone who would indulge nonsense.

An Ning: “?!”

Chen Ying’s eyes glinted mischievously as she winked at her.

An Ning knew exactly what she meant—she wanted her to let Mu Yan show her face and shut down the rumors.

But Mu Yan wasn’t actually her girlfriend.

“No need.”

“Where is it?”

Two voices overlapped at the same time. The two women turned toward each other in sync.

An Ning was completely stunned. Mu Yan merely raised her brow slightly, her deep black eyes flicking toward her with a trace of dissatisfaction.

“She wasn’t asking you.”