After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – It’s All An Ning’s Fault

Hong Tianjiao’s teammate watched as she stared blankly at the opposing team’s bench for a long while. Then, her expression suddenly twisted with rage as she turned to glare at Senior An Ning with hatred, as if she wanted to devour her alive. A bad feeling welled up even stronger in her teammate’s chest.

Sure enough, after finally serving the shuttle, Jing Tong returned it lightly. Just as Hong Tianjiao’s teammate was thinking it was a good chance to act, someone suddenly appeared beside her.

She instinctively turned her head—only to see Hong Tianjiao leaping high into the air, her jaw clenched so tightly her cheeks were bulging. She raised her racket high and smashed it down with tremendous force.

It was like a blow from the heavens, crashing down with a force too quick to react to.

The small shuttlecock, however, gently spun as it fell… landing silently, just like the mood on the court.

A completely botched shot.

She was sure that Jing Tong and Senior An on the other side were just as dumbfounded as she was.

Girl, this is badminton, not boxing!

Being able to handle pressure is an important part of an athlete’s overall quality. Judging by this, Miss Hong was definitely falling short.

After that disastrous shot, her teammate officially gave up. With two mentally broken and off-form players facing the momentum-driven duo of An Ning and Jing Tong, there was no suspense to the outcome. If it weren’t for the coach, who thought the match was getting too ugly and feared Hong Tianjiao might have a complete breakdown, hinting at An Ning to throw a couple of points, the second set might have really ended in a 21–0 blowout.

“Yes!”

As the final whistle blew, most of the badminton team rushed onto the court cheering to celebrate the victory. Naturally, An Ning was the main focus—one person patted her shoulder, another ruffled her hair. By the time she finally escaped the crowd, she looked quite a mess.

Even so, the first thing she did was glance at the team bench.

Mu Teacher was standing there quietly, looking at her, with a barely-there smile on her face. Her pupils were pure black, not particularly shiny, and with her usual half-lidded eyes, she often gave off a weary vibe. But now, those black eyes shimmered faintly, like embers hidden beneath ashes, glowing hot whenever a breeze passed.

Beautiful—and a little dangerous.

An Ning wasn’t sure if her racing heart was from the match or something else, and she didn’t dare think too deeply. Heart pounding, she nervously walked toward Mu Yan.

Chen Ying grabbed gossip-hungry Ren Tiantian and blocked the other teammates who were itching to follow, signaling to the student council member about to call An Ning up for her prize to wait.

Seriously, not one of them has any tact.

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, the young athlete approached the frail, artistic-looking woman.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” Ren Tiantian craned her neck, chanting like a spell.

“I don’t think this has that kind of vibe…” Chen Ying muttered, though her eyes were even wider than Ren Tiantian’s, afraid to miss a single detail.

An Ning also noticed the entire gym staring at the two of them. Even someone as blunt as her felt a little flustered. She wanted to get closer, but was afraid the smell of sweat might bother Mu Yan. In the end, she stopped about half a meter away and asked timidly, “You’re not mad anymore, right?”

Mu Yan’s expression didn’t change, but she took a step forward.

Before An Ning could retreat, a cool hand gently took hold of her arm.

The grip wasn’t strong, but the one being held didn’t have the guts to break free anyway.

A cool touch brushed her flushed cheek, and the woman’s pale face was suddenly close. An Ning caught that faint, sweet fragrance again.

Mu Yan was… wiping her sweat?

Mu Yan was wiping her sweat.

Mu Yan was wiping her sweat!!

Her mind screamed in a loop, and An Ning was sure her entire body was tenser than when she was jumping for a smash.

But no matter how chaotic her thoughts were, her feet remained rooted to the spot.

Because Mu Yan’s gaze was too serious—so serious that An Ning didn’t dare interrupt.

It was like removing the armor from a returning knight, or gently wiping the mud off a mischievous child’s face.

With everyone watching, she stood stiffly while Mu Yan gently, carefully wiped her face for nearly two full minutes.

Only when the woman finally stepped back did An Ning’s brain start working again.

The woman’s pale ears were now flushed red—spreading down her neck.

Mu Yan turned her face away, not looking at her, and muttered a single sentence—

“Not bad.”

And fled.

An Ning stared after her, mind blank. She instinctively wanted to run after her but stopped, touching her face and unable to snap out of it. Even her teammates’ shouting behind her sounded distant and blurry.

Meanwhile, Mu Yan didn’t dare lift her head until she got into her car. Once inside, she flopped over onto the steering wheel and covered her face.

She imagined her face right now was redder than a steamed crab.

So embarrassing…

How could I do something so embarrassing…

And to An Ning, of all people…

If it were the old An Ning, maybe it would be fine. But now, they barely even knew each other.

What the hell was I thinking… acting like that to her?

After a long while, she finally raised her head and looked into the rearview mirror, feeling like the person in the reflection was a stranger.

Who was this woman, eyes red from a mix of shame and frustration?

With a snap, she flipped the mirror up and slumped back down onto the steering wheel.

It’s all An Ning’s fault.

On a sunny afternoon, the “unpopular” Mu Teacher sat in her car, stewing in silent frustration over her legally wedded wife.

Meanwhile, that same An Ning had just stepped down from the awards podium, clutching her prize from the exhibition match with a conflicted look. The prizes weren’t much—aside from the commemorative medal, there were only two tickets to Yunkong Mountain Scenic Area on the outskirts of Yun City.

Logically, the tickets should’ve been split with Jing Tong, but her teammate had simply handed both to her with a “bless-you” expression.

“Senior, it really was reckless of me earlier. Consider this ticket my apology. I wish you and that lady happiness.”

Before An Ning could even refuse, Jing Tong had already turned and run off without hesitation, leaving only a sorrowful silhouette behind.

Well… letting her think that might not be so bad.

Just as An Ning tucked the tickets away, someone suddenly threw an arm around her neck from behind.

“Don’t break poor Junior Jing’s heart,” Chen Ying teased, half joking, half serious. “Didn’t think you and that lady were moving so fast?”

“It’s not what you think…” An Ning tried to explain. “Mu Teacher probably just… thought my face was dirty.”

“Pffft,” Chen Ying scrunched her brows. “Didn’t know you were this dense. That scene just now was straight out of a drama. Ask Tiantian if you don’t believe me.”

Ren Tiantian nodded furiously, eyes sparkling as she waved her phone. “Can I post this back-view photo to the forum? Shipping is always better in a group!”

An Ning: “…As long as you’re happy.”

Even though An Ning still firmly believed that Mu Yan wiping her sweat wasn’t as ambiguous as everyone else seemed to think, it didn’t stop her from thinking about Mu Yan constantly for the rest of the week.

Thinking about that elegant, seductive face…
Thinking about that faint, sweet fragrance…
Thinking about the gentleness in her eyes while wiping her face…

An Ning rolled around in bed, tossing and turning.

Another sleepless night.