Being "Crushed" - Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Yu Guangzhong’s gaze was too intense, and his tone carried not a trace of teasing, as if he were seriously asking her…

Song Yuhan couldn’t avoid it and had to meet his eyes head-on. Under the dim light, the man’s eyes were unusually bright and dark. When she met his gaze, those deep eyes seemed to flicker up and down briefly, flashing something too quick for her to catch.

“It means nothing, don’t overthink it…” she gently explained, then turned her eyes to the door handle blocked by the man, feeling conflicted inside.

Lu Sifang leaned back, completely blocking the exit, arrogantly crossing his arms. “Is that so? So it was just me imagining things.”

Song Yuhan paused, biting her lip unwillingly, quietly gritting her teeth. “Didn’t you say I could leave right after eating? What’s the meaning of this now?” Seeing his unmoved expression, her tone softened, “I still have to go back to sort out work, today’s inter…”

She stopped mid-sentence as if suddenly remembering something, embarrassed to continue. Lu Sifang, on the other hand, was quite interested, curling his lips into a smile as if watching a good show. “Why stop? What about today’s interview… what happened?”

Clearly, he was asking on purpose!

Song Yuhan secretly glared at him, but in Lu Sifang’s eyes, her reaction was completely ineffective. On the contrary, he found this kind of Song Yuhan increasingly adorable.

“Sensitive little thing.” He started using that nickname again. “This time, no matter what, I won’t let go.”

If only back then he hadn’t acted impulsively, would he have been able to wait for her explanation? Would their ending have been completely different?

Song Yuhan was stunned, not quite understanding what he meant, and could only look at him with confusion, unsure what to say.

Seeing her still so clueless, Lu Sifang couldn’t help but reach out to touch her hair, but in the end, he lowered his hand and gave up the idea… only smiling softly as he stepped aside to let her out.

“If you need me to add anything for the interview… just call anytime.”

Seeing her suddenly quiet and obedient face, with the exit no longer blocked, Song Yuhan didn’t rush to leave. She nervously fiddled with her fingers and spoke slowly, “I… am about to return to Yunsheng…”

Actually, she wanted to ask him where he would go after the competition, if he would go abroad again, and if it was really true that she could call him anytime—but as soon as she spoke, she inadvertently revealed her itinerary…

Lu Sifang’s eyes lit up, his heart instantly heating up. She was proactively reporting her schedule to him? What… did that mean?

“Yunsheng? Okay, got it.” He immediately planned to have Zhou Shangqing book the flight tickets.

He suddenly smiled brilliantly, silently arranging what would come next, but didn’t say anything out loud.

Hearing his answer, Song Yuhan frowned, feeling even more conflicted inside…

He “got it”—so what did that mean? Why didn’t he say what his next plan was? Otherwise, how could he really be there whenever she called…

Though dissatisfied, she didn’t ask more, just meaningfully glanced at him before preparing to leave, clutching her precious notebook.

“Wait.” He suddenly called her back, reaching out a hand, “Your phone.”

Though puzzled, Song Yuhan obediently unlocked her phone and handed it to Lu Sifang.

Looking at the simple screen, it wasn’t the kind of intimate photo he expected, which improved his mood, and he raised an eyebrow.

“My personal number. As long as it’s you calling…” He paused, suddenly looking at her very seriously, “No matter when, I will answer.”

Feeling her face flush, Song Yuhan quickly took back the phone, replied lightly, and dashed out.

“Rest early.” He waved at her retreating figure, unable to contain his inner excitement.

He first wanted to knock on Zhou Shangqing’s door but stopped after a couple of steps, recalling what the guy was doing, so he went back and sent him a message instead.

“I’m going back to Yunsheng next. Book the flight tickets.”

Zhou Shangqing, enjoying a delicious bite, glanced at his phone and frowned in confusion:

“Going back to Yunsheng? You still have several ad shoots coming up!”

“Finish all in one day. Coordinate it.”

“…”

Zhou Shangqing closed his eyes in helplessness, angrily gulping down the spicy soup.

Some people really don’t care about their lives just to rekindle old feelings—unbearable to watch…

While complaining and arranging the schedule, several messages kept popping up, and after reading them, Zhou Shangqing was shocked, his eyes nearly popping out.

“What? What the… how did this happen?”

After quite a struggle, Song Yuhan finally returned to her room, still shaken. After washing up, she collapsed on the bed, exhausted in body and mind, staring at the white ceiling lost in thought…

But her mind was full of everything that had just happened in Lu Sifang’s room—his words, his kiss… burning and wrapping around her, making her blush again and again.

She covered her face and turned over, picking up her phone to call Sister Zhong to check in and to talk over today’s events.

While waiting for the call to connect, she took a few deep breaths to shake off the chaotic thoughts. Soon, the call connected, and a gentle voice came from the other side:

“Xiaohan?”

“Good evening, Sister Zhong. Hope I’m not disturbing you?” She glanced at the time—still early.

“Of course not. It’s only a few o’clock. I was just expecting your call!” Zhong Shengnan smiled warmly. “So, how was your first day taking over?”

Hearing the gentle voice on the other side, Song Yuhan gradually relaxed. “Pretty smooth, though… I had to adjust some staff.”

Zhong Shengnan didn’t ask about the reasons for the adjustment. “Smooth is good, it proves my judgment was right!”

Her tone sounded pleased, which made Song Yuhan curious. She didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, “Sister Zhong, why don’t you ask why I made the adjustments?”

“What’s there to ask? I entrusted you with the position because I believe in you. Now you’re the boss, you only need to answer to the project and yourself, no explanations needed to anyone else.” Her words were matter-of-fact and clear, carrying the commanding presence of years of authority.

Song Yuhan felt warmth flood her heart and spoke emotionally, “Thank you, Sister Zhong.”

“No need to be so polite—you’re the one I brought in. From the very first time I saw you, I knew you weren’t an ordinary kid. You’re destined for great things.” She laughed heartily, then suddenly remembered something and mentioned the interview. “By the way, Lu Sifang is crucial to our show. Did you manage to get him?”

Song Yuhan blinked, feeling complicated inside. How could Zhong even bring him up? But not wanting to worry her during maternity leave, she forced a positive reply, even though he hadn’t been “secured” by her but had come on his own…

“Yes, the interview is done.”

“That’s great, that’s great! Hearing you say that completely puts my mind at ease!” Zhong Shengnan was extremely happy, even her tone was tinged with laughter. “Did you meet him? What’s he like in person? I’m a huge fan of his. If it weren’t for my baby, I’d have gone to see him myself…”

Song Yuhan was a little surprised. She hadn’t expected Zhong to have such a good impression of Lu Sifang. “I did meet him… but why do you think so highly of him?”

“Xiaohan, you weren’t on the sports channel before, so it’s normal you don’t know…” She paused, seeming to consider where to start. “Skateboarding is still a niche sport in our country. Skateboarders rely on both talent and hard work, neither can be missing. Especially Asians, who due to physical reasons aren’t very competitive internationally.”

She grew serious and continued, “In my career, I’ve only seen one professional skateboarder with both talent and post-training coordination. Her name is Yun An, an excellent athlete who won international double gold for two consecutive years!”

As she said this, Zhong’s tone became a little wistful and regretful:

“But just as everyone awaited Yun An’s third consecutive championship, she suddenly retired and devoted herself entirely to her family… but things didn’t go well, and soon news came out about her making an extreme choice. It’s truly regrettable…”

Listening, Song Yuhan felt these words sounded familiar. She suddenly recalled what Lu Sifang had revealed about his mother during the interview…

Before she could speak, Zhong perked up again and said, “I thought after Yun An, we wouldn’t see a skateboarding prodigy for at least twenty years. But unexpectedly! Lu Sifang, young and not taller than others, has won multiple international championships in a row, bringing great honor to our country!”

Song Yuhan quietly listened to Zhong explain his background, feeling moved and happy for him.

“I watched many of his matches and always felt his every move and expression were familiar, and his performance on the court had the style of Yun An at her prime…” Zhong grew more excited, rubbing her belly and confidently saying, “I bet this kid’s future is boundless! So when we started preparing ‘The Face of Sports,’ the first guest I confirmed was him.”

“So there’s such a deep connection.” Song Yuhan lowered her eyes, her determination growing stronger. “Don’t worry, Sister. I will do the show well and won’t let you down.”

Zhong Shengnan emotionally sniffled, “Of course I believe in you—you’re my prized protégé. Remember, no matter what others say, just stick to yourself and do your job.” She joked with an authoritative tone, “And now that you’re the boss, no one can push you around! Status and power are your best protection.”

“Thank you, Sister…” Song Yuhan’s eyes reddened, overwhelmed with emotion, “Wait for your return.”

As the evening grew late, Song Yuhan gave her a few more reminders before ending the warm call, feeling her heart glow.

Before she could recover, another call came in—