After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Little Yan Yan
Because Mu Yan was feeling down, and also due to having driven for more than two hours earlier, An Ning persuaded her to stay at the residence and rest, while she went alone to attend the new trainees’ meet-and-greet.
The third floor of Building C was specifically dedicated to badminton training at the West Suburb Sports Complex. The training hall was a massive indoor gym composed of multiple badminton courts, occupying most of the first-floor space.
The moment An Ning stepped through the main doors, she was awestruck by the spacious and brightly lit hall. Just by size and layout alone, this place was far more impressive than Yun City University’s badminton gym.
At the center of the training area, the nets had already been taken down from the two middle courts. Rows of leather chairs were neatly arranged, transforming the space into a temporary venue for the meeting.
When An Ning arrived, it was 3:50 p.m. About two-thirds of the seats were already taken. The summer camp was filled with young players who already had some reputation in the scene, so as soon as she approached, someone recognized her.
She noticed several people whispering while glancing in her direction. Ignoring them, she was just about to find a seat in a corner when a cheerful female voice called out her name.
“An Ning! Over here!”
The voice was so familiar that for a moment, An Ning thought it was an old friend.
But she didn’t recall knowing anyone on the summer camp list.
Puzzled, she turned to see a girl about her age sitting in the very front row at the center, smiling and waving at her enthusiastically while patting the seat beside her.
She looked like they were close friends.
But An Ning was sure she didn’t know her.
She had a reason for being certain—the girl had eye-catching long pink hair, a healthy tan, deep-set features, a high nose bridge, and rare dark green eyes. She was clearly of mixed heritage.
With such distinctive features, there was no way An Ning would have forgotten if they’d met before.
Still, despite not recognizing her, the girl’s loud greeting had already attracted the attention of everyone in the room. It would be awkward to reject her outright, so An Ning could only take the seat next to her and quietly ask, “Um… do I know you?”
The girl looked more innocent than she did. “Nope, we’ve never met. Why?”
An Ning: “…”
If we don’t know each other, why call me so affectionately?
The girl burst out laughing at her expression. “We might not have met, but I’ve heard so much about you! I’m Xin Ci. I used to be in the sports department at Dream University. I went on exchange to Country L last year and just got back.”
Xin Ci—that name rang a bell. An Ning remembered her coach mentioning her. Wasn’t she the youth league champion in Country L last year?
Although her enthusiasm was a bit baffling, it was also sincere and not annoying.
An Ning smiled and reached out her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m An Ning, from Yun City University’s Sports Department.”
Xin Ci grabbed her hand and shook it firmly, then wrapped an arm around her shoulder like they were already sisters. “I know, I’ve seen your matches. You’re so cute, yet you kept playing even while bleeding. That was seriously badass!”
An Ning: “…”
She couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or an insult.
While they were talking, the rest of the seats had filled up. A tall, stern-looking middle-aged man walked to the front holding a microphone.
“Everyone, settle down. I’m Yan Fei, the head coach of this summer camp. I’ll be leading your training for the next two months.”
The moment he said his name, all murmurs in the hall ceased.
Yan Fei. Former world champion. After retiring eight years ago, he briefly coached the national team, and was later recruited by Yun City’s badminton club.
The athlete circle might not be as simple-minded as outsiders think, but it followed one basic rule—victory commands respect.
So everyone held great respect for this former world champion.
Yan Fei seemed pleased with the silence and continued after a brief pause. “Everyone here is a rising star in badminton and has achieved enough to qualify for this camp. But I’ll be blunt—this summer camp uses a point-based competition system. Only the top ten scorers will qualify to join the Yun City badminton club.”
That declaration instantly stirred up another wave of murmuring in the hall.
An Ning remembered there were about thirty female trainees in the camp. That meant two-thirds would be eliminated—double the elimination rate compared to previous years.
It was clearly meant as a warning, though it didn’t faze An Ning much—she had always had a relaxed attitude about things. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Xin Ci looked equally unconcerned, lounging back in her seat like she was on her living room couch, not the front row of a competitive meeting.
Once the trainees had quieted down again, Yan Fei’s stern face relaxed slightly.
“But don’t stress too much. Just being here proves your skill. Even if you don’t make the club, this will still be valuable experience for your careers. Now, let’s have some self-introductions. Anyone want to go first?”
“I do!”
The voice boomed from beside An Ning, startling her. She turned to see Xin Ci already bouncing up from her seat, her pink ponytail bouncing as she practically snatched the mic from Yan Fei’s hand.
“Hi everyone! I’m Xin Ci from Dream University’s badminton team. I’m 19, specialize in singles, and I’m super strong! My goal is to be the top scorer in this camp!”
An Ning looked at Yan Fei’s twitching lips, trying not to laugh.
After all that intimidation, here comes a complete wildcard who seemed completely unaffected. All his work was undone.
In a camp where everything depended on performance, making such a bold introduction was bound to rub people the wrong way.
The applause from the crowd was sparse, with a few rowdy whistles thrown in. From behind, An Ning clearly heard someone mutter, “What’s so great about being foreign?”
Xin Ci remained unfazed. An Ning thought she’d at least return the mic to Yan Fei—but nope, the girl strutted back and shoved the mic into An Ning’s arms.
An Ning: “…”
Xin Ci gave her a push. “Why are you spacing out? Go introduce yourself!”
With no choice, An Ning stood up and walked to the front. “Hello everyone, I’m An Ning from Yun City University’s badminton team. I’m 20 years old, specialize in singles, and I’m honored to join this summer camp. I hope we can all improve together. Thank you.”
Her popularity was clearly higher than Xin Ci’s. The moment she finished, the hall broke into loud applause.
An Ning handed the mic back to Yan Fei, and for a moment, she actually saw a trace of emotion on the coach’s stoic face.
At least someone respected his authority.
As she returned to her seat, Xin Ci leaned in, clearly displeased. “That intro was way too soft! You’re supposed to crush them with your aura—even now! Declare your dominance and give them a taste of what’s coming!”
Sitting in the front row and still whispering like this—wasn’t that a bit too bold? And didn’t she see half the crowd laughing at her big ‘number one’ claim?
An Ning smiled helplessly. “I think this is fine.”
She actually found Xin Ci quite amusing—though her way of speaking was… unpredictable. Probably a result of living abroad too long and not yet readjusting.
After introductions, Yan Fei went over the training schedule. Once the camp officially started tomorrow, trainees wouldn’t be allowed to leave the sports complex freely. Daily training would begin at 8 a.m. sharp, with breaks only on designated rest days.
An Ning listened carefully, only relaxing a bit when she heard that assistants would be allowed into the training venue.
By the time the meet-and-greet ended, it was 6 p.m. An Ning called Mu Yan while walking toward the cafeteria on the third floor.
“Teacher Mu, the meeting’s over. Come up to the third floor dining area—I’ll get us some food. Anything you want to eat?”
Mu Yan sounded like she’d just woken up, her voice lazy and soft. “It’s fine, I’ll be there soon.”
Just hearing her voice made An Ning unconsciously smile. But the moment she hung up, someone threw an arm over her shoulders.
“An Ning~ Who were you talking to just now? Smiling so sweet—was it Mu Yan?”
An Ning turned her head—pink hair.
An Ning: “What did you say?”
She didn’t even have time to correct the use of Ning Ning.
How did Xin Ci know about Teacher Mu?
Even if she was a fan of their “CP,” how could she know Teacher Mu ’s name?
Xin Ci blinked, surprised. “Wait, weren’t you just talking to Mu Yan? You shouldn’t lie in relationships, you know~ Loyalty is important!”
An Ning: “…I’m asking how you know about Teacher Mu .”
Strangely, though they’d only known each other for two hours, she was almost getting used to Xin Ci’s non-sequitur style.
“Oh, that?” Xin Ci replied casually as they walked into the cafeteria. “Because my bed partner is Mu Yan’s friend.”
An Ning: “…”
Nope. Still not used to it.
Xin Ci saw her stunned silence and patted her shoulder with a laugh. “Relax, it’s totally normal. We’re all adults—nothing wrong with having needs.”
Even if she said it like it was no big deal… that wasn’t a normal thing to blurt out!
An Ning rarely felt this much urge to mentally roast someone, but Xin Ci really was… something else.
The girl’s heart was being stretched taut between pain and helplessness…
She adjusted her posture and tightened her embrace around the woman.
Then, as if thinking of something, she leaned forward and gently kissed the back of the woman’s neck.
The skin there was fair and smooth, emitting a faint clean scent—soft and warm.
It was a very light, very gentle kiss.
But even so, the woman still shivered slightly, and the muscles of her back visibly tensed.
An Ning noticed it and her arms reflexively loosened. However, before she could move away, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.
Mu Yan’s hand came out from under the blanket and clutched her tightly.
An Ning froze in place.
“Teacher Mu—”
Before she could finish saying “Teacher Mu ” (Miss Mu), the woman turned around abruptly in her arms.
The moment their eyes met, the girl’s heart trembled violently—Mu Yan’s eyes were red.
In the next second, the woman pulled her into her arms and kissed her hard.
She kissed her fiercely, forcefully, without any technique—just pressed against her lips like she was trying to vent all the pain and emotion in her heart through this one act.
An Ning was completely taken aback.
By the time she recovered and tried to respond, the woman had already withdrawn.
She took a deep breath and pressed her forehead against An Ning’s shoulder, her voice low and muffled.
“I’m sorry.”
She didn’t say what she was apologizing for.
But An Ning understood.
She gently cupped Mu Yan’s face and kissed her eyes, her nose, and then the corner of her lips.
Then she whispered:
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”