Being "Crushed" - Chapter 18

“Chukyo University’s entrance scores are fairly competitive…” Song Yuhan tried to explain it gently, not wanting to hurt Lu Sifang’s confidence.

Lu Sifang thought it over for a moment. “Yeah, it’s a bit tough—but I think I can do it.”

Just then, a head suddenly popped in from the side—watermelon haircut and all. The boy’s expression was like he’d just seen a ghost, his mouth hanging open in shock.
“Wait, what?! Bro, are you serious? Chukyo University only takes top scorers! You think you can—?”

Lu Sifang: “…”

He cast a cold glance at Zhou Shangqing, clearly annoyed, then turned to Song Yuhan. His gaze was sharp and unwavering, his voice direct.
“Do you think the same as him? Or… do you believe in me?”

The teen’s eyes gleamed with determination—bold and proud, as if failure was never an option.

Caught in that gaze, Song Yuhan instinctively nodded. “Mm.”

The boy’s eyes lit up.

Loud cheers erupted outside the tent, pulling Song Yuhan back to reality. She heard Meng Shuqing say:

“Sister Yuhan, the contestants are here—it looks like the competition’s about to begin!” She peeked out, smiling curiously. “I heard Lu Sifang, the favorite to win, was trending online last night because of some mystery woman at a party. Wonder if it’ll mess with his focus today…”

“What?” Song Yuhan’s head snapped up. “He was photographed? Trending?!”

How did I not know about this…? Probably because she’d been so wrapped up in pre-event work.

Meng Shuqing blinked, surprised by the sudden reaction. She stammered,
“Y-yeah. But the post was deleted quickly… Nothing was actually clear. The girl was completely blocked by Lu Sifang’s body, and all they could make out were a few strands of shiny black hair. But still—you could tell she was gorgeous!”

Song Yuhan exhaled in relief. Good. At least it didn’t turn into a real scandal.

She didn’t want to hurt him—or drag herself into it either.

“Before this, people in the sports world used to joke that Lu Sifang didn’t even like girls,” Meng Shuqing said, still laughing. “Now it’s obvious—those rumors were way off.”

Completely unaware of Song Yuhan’s reaction, she giggled again.
“Sister Yuhan, do you think that if he’s in a good mood today, he might finally agree to our interview?”

Song Yuhan was just starting to feel better when she froze. “Interview?”

“Mm-hmm!” Meng Shuqing nodded. “Before Sister Zhong went on maternity leave, she finalized our first interview guest—Lu Sifang. You didn’t know?”

Song Yuhan: “…”

Although she had taken over as project lead, she hadn’t received all the necessary information. It was clear now—someone had intentionally withheld it.

“Who was originally assigned to do the interview?” Her face remained calm, but her tone sharpened.

Meng Shuqing’s eyes widened. “Wasn’t it… you?”

“Me?” Song Yuhan’s calm cracked, and her expression chilled instantly.

Flustered by the sudden change in mood, Meng Shuqing hesitated before answering.
“Y-yeah. Sister Liu said she handed everything over to you… Maybe she forgot?”

Forgot? Not likely.

“I understand. Go back to work,” she said coolly.

“O-okay… But if you need anything, just call me!”

“Thanks.”

After Meng Shuqing left, Song Yuhan sat in silence, piecing things together. What a joke life is. No matter how far apart fate tried to keep them—somehow, they still ended up crossing paths.

Her hand clenched into a fist unconsciously. Her eyes fell on Lu Sifang’s profile photo again—youthful, confident, shining with ambition.

A storm of emotions flickered in her eyes, but it vanished quickly. She smoothed her expression, putting on the face of a calm professional.

If he was just another guest, then she would treat him as such. And prepare for the interview.

When Lu Sifang strutted into the venue, the media swarmed him in a frenzy. Everyone had assumed he would lie low after last night’s drama, but instead, he showed up like nothing happened.

“Mr. Lu! Do you still feel confident after what happened last night?”

“Can you comment on the rumor? Why did the post get deleted so quickly?”

“Mr. Lu! Just say a few words! Everyone’s waiting!”

Inside the athlete’s lounge, Zhou Shangqing heard the chaos and rushed outside. The scene nearly gave him a stroke.

In the middle of it all, Lu Sifang—cool as ever—shrugged and even had the nerve to smirk at Zhou. He looked completely unbothered.

“I’m feeling great. Watch me win.”
He tossed out the reply with casual charm, then saw Zhou running out and even snapped his fingers at him.

Seeing the match was about to begin, Lu Sifang made his way toward the lounge and added:
“I didn’t delete the post. Why would I bother?”

“Make way, please! The event is starting!” Zhou tried to clear a path through the crowd. “Let the contestants get ready!”

Lu Sifang remained unfazed, striking a composed pose as he answered calmly:
“Thanks for your interest. You’ll get your answer on the field.”

“Just one more question, Mr. Lu!”

“Tell us what really happened!”

Zhou rolled his eyes. Afraid the guy would keep talking, he grabbed Lu Sifang and shoved him inside.
“Go already! Stop feeding the fire!”

Back in the lounge, Xue Shi lounged on the sofa, legs kicked up, glued to his phone. When Lu Sifang entered, he looked up and grinned.

“Yo, heard you were out meeting a girl last night? First time ever! Finally figured out your orientation?”

Lu Sifang didn’t look back. “Does your sister know you gossip like this? Go warm up, don’t waste time.”

Unfazed, Xue Shi kept teasing. “Come on, bro, you showed up late today for the first time ever. Don’t tell me that rumor was true!”

He rattled off questions like a speed-rapper, eyes full of gossip-fueled glee.

“You’re so annoying,” Lu Sifang said dryly. “Why don’t you apply for a job at a tabloid? You’d be a star.”

“You didn’t deny it!” Xue Shi gasped, staring like he’d uncovered national treasure. “What kind of goddess could tame you, huh? Must’ve been wild last night. Can I finally escape my eternal third-place curse today?”

Lu Sifang dropped to the floor for one-handed push-ups, giving him a side glance.
“You clearly didn’t sleep enough. Better catch some rest before you humiliate yourself out there.”

Xue Shi groaned. “You sound just like my sister! Seriously—if it weren’t for you and Mike dominating every damn match, I wouldn’t be the eternal bronze medalist!”

“At your current skill level, even third is lucky,” Lu Sifang said coolly.

Xue Shi hissed, feigning shock. “Are you two working together now? You say the exact same stuff!”

“Maybe,” Lu Sifang muttered, his expression suddenly cooling.

Zhou Shangqing finally returned after wrangling the press and noticed Xue Shi was still hanging around.
“What’re you doing here, slacker? Want to get third again?”

“Hey! Who are you calling third?!”

“I’m just being honest. Also, who’re you calling fat? I’ve been working out!”

“Whatever.” Xue Shi had gotten what he wanted and waved goodbye, rushing out to get ready.

Once alone with Lu Sifang, Zhou looked nervous.
“Bro Fang, uh, I forgot to mention something…”

“Spit it out.” Lu Sifang didn’t even pause in his stretches.

“Well… don’t get mad, okay? I, uh… might’ve agreed to a sports interview column when I was a bit drunk.”

Lu Sifang’s expression instantly soured. “No.”

“Come on! You already said yes. We can’t just back out now—we’ll look bad!”

With a hopeful grin, Zhou pulled out a folder. “It’s a serious interview, promise! Big-name production, all above-board. Not one of those tabloids fishing for gossip.”

But Lu Sifang still remembered a past interview where the host had ambushed him with personal questions, forcing him to answer awkwardly in public. Then they twisted his words into fake headlines. That experience had made him swear off interviews completely.

Trying to win him over, Zhou pointed to the name on the folder.
“Look—‘Body & Face World’—doesn’t that sound legit?”

Lu Sifang glanced at the title, and his brows slowly furrowed with suspicion