After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 53
Chapter 53: Three Kisses
The next morning, all the participants of the summer camp gathered in the training hall. Yan Fei announced the rules for the points competition. With the singles and doubles training sessions now separated, the 30 female singles players would engage in head-to-head matches. The winners would earn points, and in the next round of matches, opponents would be assigned based on point rankings. In short, the more you win, the stronger the opponent you’ll face, and after the final round, the rankings will be determined based on total points.
It was a relatively fair method of selection. An Ning glanced at Xin Ci, who was standing beside her yawning non-stop, looking like she hadn’t slept at all. She wasn’t sure if Xin Ci had even been listening.
This semi-closed summer camp was known for its efficiency and strictness. No sooner had Yan Fei announced the rules than he had everyone step forward to draw lots. Once you drew your number, you had to start preparing for your match.
For this sort of lottery-like setup, the young athletes showed great enthusiasm. The moment Yan Fei gave the word, a swarm of people rushed up to the box, all jostling to draw lots. An Ning watched in disbelief as Xin Ci, who’d seemed half-asleep a second ago, suddenly plunged into the crowd at an astonishing speed, full of energy.
An Ning: “…”
Well, at least she knows where to use her energy.
Before An Ning even got to the box, Xin Ci had already struggled her way out of the chaos with two slips of paper in hand and handed one to her.
“Here’s yours.”
An Ning was a bit touched that she remembered to grab one for her too. “Thanks.”
She unfolded it. A red number 8.
That meant she’d be playing against the person who drew the blue number 8.
Xin Ci peeked at it and clicked her tongue in mock regret. “Aw, I was hoping we’d face off first. What a pity.”
An Ning’s gratitude instantly vanished.
By now, the draw box area had turned into a marketplace. Players were holding up their numbers, calling out for their opponents. Those who got weaker opponents looked happy, while those who got stronger ones wore gloomy expressions.
“Who’s red four?” a loud voice shouted. A fierce-looking girl held up her number.
“Hey, over here!” Xin Ci raised her number in response.
The girl came over and, seeing it was Xin Ci, sneered, “It’s you, huh.”
An Ning remembered her from the night before. When Xin Ci had spoken, this was the one who had mocked her.
But Xin Ci, as if unaware of the girl’s contempt, kept smiling calmly. “That’s right. I know you—Ouyang Meng, right? You made the top eight at the provincial tournament this year, didn’t you?”
An Ning hadn’t recognized her at first, but after Xin Ci said that, she looked more closely and realized the girl was indeed among the top eight players introduced back then—just not someone she had played against.
For someone who always seemed carefree, Xin Ci sure knew a lot.
An Ning was still surprised when Ouyang Meng snorted proudly. “Good. Then save us both time and just surrender now.”
Clearly, Ouyang Meng hadn’t heard of Xin Ci before.
Xin Ci shook her head and said with both mockery and sincerity in her eyes, “Actually, that’s what I was going to tell you. You should just surrender. You’re not going to beat me.”
Though she spoke as arrogantly as Ouyang Meng, Xin Ci’s tone was disturbingly sincere, like she was simply stating a fact. Then she pointed at An Ning. “Out of the 30 players here, only she might barely be able to give me a fight—if she uses the same drive she had during the provincial tournament. This half-hearted look she’s got going on right now won’t cut it.”
Innocent bystander An Ning watched as Ouyang Meng’s already dark face turned red with fury.
She was really pissed.
“Who has blue 8?” An Ning quickly raised her paper and interrupted the brewing conflict before it turned into a fight.
Because when Xin Ci was sincere, she was really sincere—but when she was irritating, she was really irritating.
“Hmph! Just you wait!” Ouyang Meng snapped. Her gaze was blocked by An Ning now, and she stormed off to warm up, looking like she was preparing for a brawl instead of a match.
Xin Ci shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m just telling the truth. She really should consider it.”
An Ning: “…Please stop talking.”
Just then, a timid voice responded to An Ning, “Hi, I’m blue 8.”
The girl who approached was quite petite, her demeanor timid. She looked at An Ning as if a bit afraid.
Xin Ci slapped a hand on An Ning’s shoulder. “You’ve got great luck, huh—mmph!”
An Ning quickly covered her mouth, muffling the rest of “…your opponent’s weak.”
This girl probably knew how strong An Ning was and was already feeling anxious. If Xin Ci rubbed it in, she might cry right there.
Ignoring Xin Ci’s muffled protests, An Ning smiled gently at the girl and held out her free hand. “Hi, I’m red 8—An Ning. It’s an honor to play with you.”
Only after the girl left to warm up did she finally release Xin Ci.
Xin Ci panted dramatically and chuckled, “You really are a good person.”
An Ning wasn’t sure if she was being praised or mocked, so she just smiled and went to warm up.
In the corner of the rest area, two stunning women leaned against the wall side by side, creating such a picturesque scene that even the dull green walls behind them looked somehow refined.
“Teacher Mu, I’m heading off to my match. If you’re bored, you can go walk around,” said An Ning after warming up. She only ran off after Mu Yan nodded in acknowledgment.
Mu Yan watched her figure disappear in her tracksuit, lost in thought. Beside her, Luo Yu chuckled lightly. “Stop staring. She’s got to go compete—you can’t just tie her to your side forever.”
Mu Yan frowned slightly and turned toward the smiling woman. “Don’t you have classes to teach?”
Luo Yu stretched lazily, and her tight T-shirt lifted slightly, revealing a sliver of fair, delicate waist. It drew quite a few glances from nearby assistants. “I took a long vacation. The climate over there was too cold and damp—not my thing. Besides—” she gave Mu Yan a teasing look, “you’ve got no room to judge. You’re way more famous than me. That artist, Zhehua, making money off tragic backstories—isn’t that you, slacking off here?”
Mu Yan gave her a sidelong glance and pulled her T-shirt back down. “I don’t care about that stuff.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Luo Yu drawled, “you’re just worried about your little puppy girl, huh?”
Mu Yan shot her a cold glare. Luo Yu raised her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. How’s your hand, by the way?”
Mu Yan instinctively looked at her right hand. It looked perfectly fine—long and slender, without any trace of the pain it had once endured. Only she could still clearly remember how hopeless that pain had once felt. Her hand clenched into a fist. “It’s nothing serious now.”
Luo Yu nodded knowingly. “Good. So, are you just planning to keep going like this?”
She didn’t specify what “this” was—because Mu Yan already knew.
Surprisingly, Mu Yan didn’t snap back. She just lowered her gaze. “What else can I do?”
Luo Yu still wore a smile, but her tone cooled. “Build a perfect little world for your princess to live in, so she never has to see how cruel the outside world is—is that it?”
It was like being struck in a sore spot. Mu Yan closed her eyes, lips pressed tight. “It’s none of your business.”
“Oh please,” Luo Yu sneered, “if it weren’t for me, you’d be dead in that studio.”
Mu Yan didn’t argue. Her brows just furrowed deeper.
“Stop pretending to be so noble, Yan Yan,” Luo Yu said, leaning against the cold wall. Her eyes drifted toward the court, where the young athletes darted around like wild beasts. “You’re not doing this for her. You’re doing it for yourself. Because when it comes to her, you turn into a coward.”
Mu Yan was silent for a long while before coldly snorting, “And what about you? Don’t tell me you really came back for me.”
Luo Yu laughed. “Deflecting, are we? Of course not just for you.” Her eyes fell on the girl with the pink hair on the court. “That kid’s the perfect bed partner—skilled, thoughtful, not clingy. Hard to let go of someone like that.”
Mu Yan raised an eyebrow. The woman batted her fox-like eyes innocently. “Unlike you, I know what I want. Life’s short. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.”
Mu Yan curled her lips into a sneer. “Walk the night path long enough and you’ll run into a ghost.”
“Hiss—” Luo Yu hissed and mockingly grabbed her by the neck. “You cursing me now just because you’re not happy?”
Mu Yan didn’t resist. She just looked at her coldly. “I’ll count to three. Let go or face the consequences. Three. Two—”
Before she could finish, Luo Yu had already let go and even scooted aside, muttering, “Let go, let go. So touchy…”
“I just feel…”
Her voice paused briefly, then she smiled and leaned in close to the woman’s ear.
“…a little distressed.”
Luo Yu shivered at the heat and pressure of her breath, instinctively pulling back slightly. But Xin Ci wouldn’t let her off so easily—her knee pressed against Luo Yu’s leg as she slowly advanced, step by step.
Finally, Luo Yu couldn’t take it anymore. She raised her hand to block Xin Ci’s face. “What are you doing? Going crazy again?”
Xin Ci didn’t answer. She simply looked down at her. The usually lazy and indifferent gaze in her eyes was now filled with raw, unfiltered emotion.
“Luo Yu,” she said softly, “have I never once beaten you?”
Luo Yu was stunned.
But Xin Ci didn’t wait for a response. She continued talking to herself: “I can beat anyone in a match. But with you, it’s like I never had the upper hand.”
Luo Yu’s expression changed slightly. “What’s gotten into you today?”
Xin Ci gave a faint smile. “Maybe it’s because I just finished an exhilarating match… and I’m starving. Not thinking straight.”
Then she lowered her head and gently kissed Luo Yu on the lips.
It wasn’t a joke, not a tease, not even deliberate provocation.
Just a quiet, simple kiss.
She didn’t say anything more. As if afraid of being kicked out, she quickly turned and walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Luo Yu lay on the bed, her fingers lightly brushing her lips. After a moment, she muttered under her breath:
“Bastard.”