Being "Crushed" - Chapter 19

Just moments ago, after someone hurriedly got out of the car and ran off, Lu Si kept his gaze fixed on her retreating figure for a long time, unwilling to look away.

Only when she completely vanished from sight did he finally glance down and notice something she had accidentally left behind inside the car — a document tucked away in a rather hidden spot.

His expression shifted slightly as he crouched to pick it up. Bold letters on the cover read: “‘body’ face world,” which appeared to be the title of some column.

“If this falls apart, how panicked would they be?” he mused quietly, flipping the cover with a hint of disdain. It looked cheap and unimportant. For now, he slipped it into the car, planning to return it to her at the hotel after the competition.

“Brother Fang, are you okay? I’m just asking for your opinion first. Let’s focus on the game! If you don’t want to answer…” Zhou Shangqing smiled modestly, a bit apologetic.

“Who said I don’t want to answer? I do.” Lu Si snapped back to reality, curling his lips into a grin filled with anticipation.

Zhou Shangqing was caught off guard, his thoughts momentarily stuck. After a beat, he raised his fist in a ‘victory’ gesture. “Great! I’ll call you brother then!” A weight lifted from his chest, and his smile grew warm. “Alright, I won’t bother you during warm-up. No suspense here, just focus on the match — let’s go!”

“Mm.” Lu Si snorted dismissively.

The venue’s waiting music stopped abruptly, replaced by a radio announcement signaling the start of the international skateboarding semifinals.

To avoid disrupting the athletes’ focus, no audience was allowed. Only players, staff, and media personnel were present.

Following the broadcast cue, competitors began exiting the lounge one after another. Most were foreign faces.

Among them, a striking girl with a slender figure and mixed heritage stood out. Her makeup and outfit were distinctly sexy Asian style — like a real-life Barbie doll. She immediately attracted attention.

Whistles echoed.

She held her head high, unfazed, her eyes locked onto Lu Sifang’s back as he stepped out, as if waiting for him intentionally.

Lu Sifang didn’t slow down, his gaze sliding past her smoothly, deliberately ignoring her presence. To him, she was just another passerby.

Noticing his cold stare, the girl’s face darkened but she stopped him anyway.

“William,” she frowned, clearly displeased. “Do you have to be like this?”

Lu Sifang hesitated, then stopped, politely listening.

Xue Shi, who had just come out, froze when he saw the scene. The girl shot him a sharp glance and he quickly looked away, hurrying past and patting a client’s shoulder as if to say “all good.”

“You’re avoiding me on purpose, aren’t you?” the girl accused sourly.

“You’re imagining things, Xue Fei.”

Unsatisfied, Xue Fei stepped closer, voice sharpening, “Who was that girl last night?”

Lu Sifang’s tone turned cold. “None of your business.” He turned to leave.

“I know I crossed the line with your friends, but do you have to cut me off like this, so coldly?”

Nearby, Song Yuhan, returning from coordinating work, overheard the confrontation. Though separated by a wall, she couldn’t move.

She had hoped the large venue and crowd would keep her and Lu Sifang apart — yet here she was, witnessing this awkward scene. Truly a small world for enemies.

“I don’t know what you mean. The game’s about to start. I’m leaving.”

Xue Fei stood firm, expression unreadable. “Don’t pretend to forget. I know what I did. Now tell me what happened last night. What does that girl have to do with you?”

Song Yuhan’s heart sank. So this was Lu Sifang’s ambiguous ‘other woman’ coming to stir trouble?

She knew it was a lie that he had “never had a girlfriend” at his age and status.

Not wanting to hear more, she turned to leave, but Meng Shuqing called softly, “Sister Yuhan, why are you still here? The race is starting…”

Startled, she grabbed Meng Shuqing and quickly slipped away, worried someone might notice her.

Hearing movement, Lu Sifang glanced toward the wall and was about to follow, but was blocked by others behind him.

“Who is she?” Xue Fei pressed, forgetting the competition.

A little annoyed, Lu Sifang said, “Xue Fei, I’ve told you all I will. No more comments.” Expressionless, he turned and went after the voice — but Song Yuhan was gone.

Was he imagining things again?

He searched briefly, found no sign of anyone else, and sighed, walking toward the arena. His eyes caught Xue Fei still standing frozen.

“The match is starting,” he reminded her before leaving.

Xue Fei looked wounded by his coldness, but moved forward reluctantly as the radio urged.

“Sister Yuhan, what’s wrong?” Meng Shuqing asked quietly.

Song Yuhan shook her head, guilt flashing in her eyes. “Nothing. Just couldn’t leave…”

Meng Shuqing frowned. “Wouldn’t it be worse to come back again?”

“The game’s started, time to focus!” The broadcast offered a convenient change of topic.

“Okay…” Meng Shuqing stopped pressing and turned to the live feed.

Song Yuhan exhaled deeply and tried to concentrate. But the words she overheard kept echoing, pulling her mind away. Her eyes glazed over watching the screen.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been distracted when several players had finished competing.

She shook her head in frustration.

“Sister Yuhan, Lu Sifang is on!” a voice announced.

She looked up to see him emerge — his wild hair and clean-cut sportswear outlined a lean, strong frame. Though unaltered, his body was sleek and poised.

As cameras zoomed in, media interest peaked, capturing his handsome face mid-move.

Lu Sifang noticed the cameras and smiled confidently, eyebrows raised in challenge.

“Amazing close-up! We’ve got exclusive shots!” the cameraman cheered, thrilled.

Song Yuhan closed her eyes briefly, then picked up her walkie-talkie. “Enough close-ups of his face. When the game starts, focus on the players’ performance.”

Liu Ziyun internally rolled his eyes but obeyed.

Thanks to this, the camera shifted to show Lu Sifang’s whole figure, highlighting the blue-and-black skateboard beneath him — vibrant and as striking as its rider.

The commentator passionately detailed his impressive record as Lu Sifang took the stage like a fierce dragon, swift and agile, patrolling his domain with grace.

He executed difficult tricks — back foot flips, slides, ollies — flawlessly. The audience held their breath, afraid a single misstep might cause injury.

But Lu Sifang’s cool demeanor never wavered. His eyes stayed focused, his movements perfect, like a scene from a movie.

With his final pose, the arena erupted into cheers.

Sweat dripping from his temple, Lu Sifang caught a lucky camera’s attention, striking a casual, playful smile full of youthful bravado.

Even those unfamiliar with skateboarding were captivated, whispering admiration.

“No wonder Sister Zhong insists on featuring him — he’s stunning!”

“I never thought skateboarding could be so charismatic!”

Watching, Song Yuhan’s eyes flickered with a mix of familiarity and pain.

Actually, it wasn’t skateboarding that made him charming — it was Lu Sifang himself, dazzling and radiant.

The board beneath his feet only enhanced his allure.

But how many times had he fallen and failed before this flawless performance?

She couldn’t bear to think about it anymore.

Relieved he was safe and doing well, she refocused on preparing the interview.

Looking back at her notebook, her pen hovered over the question: “Can you share your feelings and hopes for the future?”

This kind of question, designed to stir controversy and attention, was an unspoken taboo for him.

She knew Lu Sifang hated being pressed about his private life.

It seemed unlikely she’d hit her “heat” KPI this time.

Just then, Meng Shuqing hurried over and whispered, “Sister Yuhan, I just saw Sister Liu quietly heading to the contestants’ lounge with Bicai Ben and GoPro alone!”

Song Yuhan’s expression tightened…