After Marrying the Aloof Beauty, I Totally Fell for Her - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Wreckage

Day by day, An Ning gradually became more familiar with the other campers. They’d greet each other whenever they met, and the girl she had played against earlier even became her loyal little fangirl, bowing at a ninety-degree angle every time they met—leaving An Ning feeling both awkward and helpless.

As for Xin Ci, despite her attractive looks and her constant smile, she was one of the few people isolated by the rest of the camp. Her bizarre logic and brutally honest remarks made people avoid her. Other than An Ning, no one really wanted to talk to her. Ouyang Meng, in particular, gave her a massive eye-roll every time they crossed paths.

Fortunately, Xin Ci didn’t seem affected by this treatment. As if she were already used to it, she still ate, drank, and cheerfully dragged An Ning into nonsensical chatter as usual.

Mu Yan and Luo Yu’s relationship hadn’t improved either. A single wrong word could erupt into a physical scuffle, though Luo Yu would always quickly back down, preventing things from escalating out of control.

Because training had become intense recently—and Mu Yan seemed emotionally off—An Ning hadn’t had the energy to cling to her like before. The two now merely fell asleep in each other’s arms at night, living more like sisters than anything else.

An Ning thought the days would continue in this quiet, steady rhythm—until the summer camp ended and she confessed her feelings to Mu Yan. But she didn’t expect everything to change so suddenly.

“Group 5 for the fourth round of the point-based matches: An Ning vs. Xin Ci.”

One morning before training began, Yan Fei announced the matchups for the next day.

As soon as the words left his mouth, nearly all the players instinctively turned to look at An Ning and Xin Ci. Everyone knew the two were often seen together, with two beauties trailing behind them. They were practically the celebrity clique of the summer camp.

An Ning noticed a few players were already smirking with glee.

Although neither of them would fall out of the top ten in points even if they lost, a clash between two strong players was bound to result in someone getting hurt. Plus, with these two facing each other, the others didn’t have to worry about running into them in future rounds—it was definitely a cause for celebration.

But did they have to be that obvious about it?

An Ning sighed inwardly. She was surprised, yes, but when she thought about it, it wasn’t all that unexpected. Neither she nor Xin Ci had lost a single match in the three rounds so far. It was only a matter of time before they clashed.

She turned to look at Xin Ci beside her. The girl showed no trace of anxiety at the prospect of facing a strong opponent—on the contrary, she looked thrilled. When she caught An Ning’s gaze, she flashed her a victory sign.

An Ning understood the gesture: Finally, a worthy opponent. You better give it your all.

She could only nod. While she wasn’t as excited as Xin Ci, she was looking forward to it a little. Facing an evenly matched opponent wasn’t just the essence of competitive sports—it was also a great opportunity to sharpen one’s skills.

At lunch, Luo Yu made a comment on the match, tossing each of them a slice of orange. “Talk about water flooding the Dragon King’s temple. You two are from the same side and still ended up fighting each other. Who do you think will win?”

An Ning hesitated. “Uh…”

What kind of question was that? Who asks the players to predict the outcome before the match even begins?

She actually thought Xin Ci had a better chance, but when she met Mu Yan’s concerned eyes across the table, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

She couldn’t say it—but someone else had no such burden.

Xin Ci took a bite of the orange, scrunching up her face at the sourness, but still managed to answer, “I think I’ll win. But then again, if she plays like she did at the provincial league, I might lose.”

“Whoa, humility coming from you? That’s rare,” Luo Yu nudged Mu Yan with her elbow, grinning. “If I remember right, didn’t you two hug passionately after that match?”

An Ning waved her hands to stop her. Mu Yan glared at her, while Xin Ci, completely missing the vibe, continued, “Oh, so that performance was for Miss Mu? Then you’d better give her a reward this time too—otherwise she won’t last three sets.”

An Ning: “……”

She was beginning to understand Ouyang Meng’s frustration. Xin Ci really had no filter.

Mu Yan’s black eyes turned to her calmly. An Ning quickly waved her hands. “No need, no need. I’ll do my best—really, I’ll try to last all three sets.”

“Hahaha,” Luo Yu laughed, patting Mu Yan’s shoulder. “Little Ning Ning’s all shy now. How about this—we make a bet? If Ning Ning wins, I’ll write a calligraphy piece for you. If Xin Ci wins, you paint me a picture. Deal?”

An Ning was about to decline when Mu Yan nodded. “Deal. I’ll be waiting for your calligraphy.”

Instantly, An Ning felt both overwhelmed and touched. Mu Yan really believed in her.

As An Ning was mentally hyping herself up, a glass of water slid toward her. She looked up, puzzled, and met Mu Yan’s calm gaze. The woman was looking slightly away, not directly at her.

“If you lose, it’s okay. Just do your best.”

An Ning: “…”

She quietly took a sip. Her heart felt like it had been dipped in warm honey. “Okay.”

Luo Yu looked like she’d just gotten a cavity. “You spoil her too much,” she muttered, then turned to Xin Ci seriously. “I’m not so softhearted. If you lose, you sleep alone this week. I want that painting to decorate my new apartment.”

Xin Ci shrugged. “I’ll do my best. But I think you’ll give in before I do.”

Lunch passed with that rowdy energy. In the afternoon, An Ning and Xin Ci had outdoor training. Afraid Mu Yan might get sunburned, An Ning told her to head back to the dorm. She’d bring her dinner later. Luo Yu simply blew Xin Ci a kiss and left, complaining about her age and the heat.

The summer sun was blazing. After training, all the athletes looked like wilted cabbage. They shuffled to the showers like zombies, then headed together to the dining hall.

After showering, An Ning realized she had left her training logbook in the gym. She told Xin Ci and headed back alone.

The dark, empty gym wasn’t lit, giving it an eerie atmosphere. But even so, the moment An Ning stepped inside, she noticed a suspicious figure flinch in the corner.

“Who’s there?!” she shouted, slamming her hand against the light switch.

The lights came on—and a familiar face stared at her in shock.

Ouyang Meng. What was she doing here?

An Ning froze and instinctively looked at the girl’s hands.

She was holding a flashy pink water bottle… and clutching something else tightly in her palm.

That was Xin Ci’s sports bottle.

The gym had lockers, but Xin Ci never used them. She’d just toss her stuff into a bag and leave it lying around.

Given the bad bl00d between them, there was no way Ouyang Meng was here to tidy things up.

Seeing Ouyang Meng’s guilty expression, even someone as lenient as An Ning could guess what was happening.

She was trying to tamper with Xin Ci’s water. Something that could affect tomorrow’s match.

Wasn’t that the same as poisoning? Even if they had personal issues, this was way over the line.

An Ning’s face darkened as she rushed forward. “What are you doing?!”

Ouyang Meng flinched at her shout but didn’t let go of the bottle. Her panic quickly faded into a weird calm.

“Don’t shout. This is between us. I’ve had my revenge, and now you don’t have to worry about the match either, right?”

“You…” Disgust welled up in An Ning’s chest. As an athlete, she wanted to win—but not like this. Ouyang Meng’s actions were something no person with an ounce of integrity could tolerate.

She took a deep breath to suppress her anger. “I don’t need that. Put it down. Now. Come with me to the coach and explain, or—”

Before she could finish, Ouyang Meng shoved whatever she was holding into her mouth.

An Ning gasped and tried to stop her, but the girl had already swallowed. She smirked. “Relax, it’s not poison—just something that causes stomach trouble. You’ve got no evidence now. You think the coach will believe you?”

“You—!” An Ning trembled with rage, speechless at this audacity.

A soft laugh echoed from behind them.

“Oh wow. Just chugging laxatives like that, huh?” Xin Ci strolled over, holding her phone up. “Should I call you stupid or smart? You knew the cameras were under maintenance today, but you forgot that fingerprints count as evidence too?”

She waved her phone. “Not that it matters now—I recorded everything, video and audio. Think this will be enough evidence?”

Ouyang Meng collapsed to the ground like she’d been punched. The bottle fell to the rubber floor with a dull thud.

Soon, staff came and took her away. No matter how good her past performance was, getting eliminated was guaranteed.

An Ning turned to Xin Ci, confused. “Why were you here?”

She had gone straight to the dining hall… hadn’t she?

Xin Ci smirked, still watching Ouyang Meng being dragged away. “She’s clearly never done anything bad before. Her eyes were glued to me all day—it was obvious.”

“You knew? Then why…” An Ning trailed off.

She remembered: when she had mentioned her logbook, it was Xin Ci who had interrupted her. Even if she had forgotten it, Xin Ci probably would have reminded her.

She wasn’t just guarding against Ouyang Meng—she was testing her too.

If An Ning hadn’t rejected Ouyang Meng’s plan, maybe both of them would have been taken away.

That realization made her even angrier than the attempted sabotage itself.

They had spent so much time together. An Ning had genuinely started to think of Xin Ci as a friend.

To be tested like this by her own friend… even the most patient person would explode.

She turned and stormed off without a word.

“Hey, hey! Don’t be mad!” Xin Ci chased after her and tried to put an arm around her shoulders.

An Ning threw her off. “Please eat by yourself from now on. I won’t be joining you again.”

She walked out of the gym, leaving the vast space behind with only Xin Ci standing alone.

“Ahhh…” The smile on Xin Ci’s face faded like a receding tide. She stared at the half-open door and muttered, “What do they call this again? Judging a gentleman’s heart with a petty mind?”

After a moment, she laughed at herself. “Guess I really am the kind of person people hate.”

An Ning let out a long breath of relief, but noticed that Xin Ci was looking at her with a strange expression.

The pink-haired girl’s gaze swept over her soaked shirt, and she whispered with a complicated look, “You’re already exhausted… just give up the next game. I’ll pretend to fight hard but lose to you.”

An Ning’s brows furrowed instantly. “You think I can’t keep going?”

Xin Ci hesitated, then said frankly, “You’re sweating too much, your breathing isn’t steady, and your reaction time has dropped. At this rate, you won’t last halfway into the next game. Just take the win, I don’t care about rankings.”

An Ning wiped her sweat with a towel, her tone firm, “I care.”

Xin Ci was stunned.

An Ning looked at her, and her expression was unexpectedly serious. “I said it before, if you don’t give it your all, I won’t consider you a friend anymore.”

Xin Ci: “…”

After a while, she gave an exaggerated sigh and said helplessly, “Alright, alright, you win. Why do you always have to be so stubborn?”

The referee blew the whistle for the second game to begin.

This time, An Ning felt herself gradually falling into a disadvantage.

Not because she had lost focus, but because her stamina really couldn’t keep up. The opponent’s speed, accuracy, and ability to read the court all surpassed hers.

But she didn’t want to give up.

She wanted to win—fair and square.

Even if the end result was defeat, she didn’t want to hand over the victory just because the other person went easy on her.

And Xin Ci, perhaps seeing her determination, had clearly also dropped all reservations. Compared to the first game, the pressure was even greater.

An Ning’s physical limits were being pushed to the extreme. Every muscle screamed, her breathing was chaotic, her grip was slipping from sweat—but she held on.

From the stands, Mu Yan’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. She even began to look slightly anxious, her nails almost digging into her palm.

Luo Yu tried to comfort her. “She’s fine, An Ning’s tenacity has always been strong.”

Mu Yan didn’t respond, her eyes never leaving the court.

The final score of the second set: 28–30.

An Ning lost.

The two were now tied at one win each.

The third and final set began amid tense silence.

Both players were on the verge of collapse. Sweat drenched their clothes, and their shoes squeaked sharply against the floor as they lunged for every shot.

No more talking.

No more friendly teasing.

At this moment, the only thing that existed was the shuttlecock flying between them, and the unyielding will to fight to the end.

Time seemed to freeze with every intense rally. The spectators had long forgotten to breathe.

The final rally of the third set arrived.

An Ning pushed herself beyond her limit, intercepting a smash and counterattacking with a clean drop shot.

Xin Ci rushed forward to pick it up, but her knee buckled from exhaustion. Though she barely managed to return it, her position had been completely broken.

An Ning seized the moment and executed a perfect smash—clean, powerful, final.

The shuttlecock hit the floor on Xin Ci’s side of the court.

The whistle blew.

Final score: 31–29. An Ning wins.

The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

An Ning collapsed to the floor, panting heavily, but smiling.

Xin Ci walked over, reached out a hand to pull her up, and whispered with a proud smile, “Well done.”

An Ning grasped her hand and smiled back. “You too.”

Outside the court, Mu Yan exhaled deeply and stood up, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.

Luo Yu glanced sideways at her, raising her brows. “So, what do you think? Is your little Ning Ning impressive or not?”

Mu Yan didn’t answer. Instead, she walked straight toward the court, a water bottle in hand.

She stopped in front of An Ning, looked at her flushed, exhausted face, and said quietly, “You really don’t know how to take care of yourself.”

An Ning blinked, then suddenly hugged her.

Mu Yan stiffened for a second, then slowly raised her hand to pat the girl’s back.

“I won,” An Ning mumbled against her shoulder.

Mu Yan gently responded, “I know.”

She paused, then added, “You were amazing.”

Not far away, Xin Ci tilted her head, watching the two figures hugging under the court lights. She lowered her head, smiled, and walked away quietly.

She was content. The ending was just as it should be.