Chapter 17

The Xie uncle and nephew had only sat for ten minutes before leaving.
Xie Youjun didn’t really want to go. He’d come a long way and hoped to have lunch with Gu An’an, maybe hang out in the afternoon. But Xie Jinxing was busy; after replying to a few messages from his subordinates, he lifted his eyes.
That light glance, though seemingly harmless, made the lingering Xie Youjun instantly straighten his back. Still, his bottom refused to leave the couch.
“Uncle... Grandpa said I can spend more time with Sister An’an during summer break,” he muttered, trying to sound brave.
Xie Jinxing remained unmoved by his nephew’s boldness. “Don’t do tasteless things.”
“Huh?” Xie Youjun scratched his head, confused. He turned to look at Gu An’an. She was in a white T-shirt printed with a cartoon bear and beach shorts, bare feet against the floor, her fair legs and pink toes catching the light. She blinked back at him, equally puzzled.
Wasn’t he just pursuing a girl normally? How was that “tasteless”?
“Get up.”
Though Xie Jinxing’s tone was calm, it carried an undeniable authority. Xie Youjun immediately stood.
“We’ll be going now,” came the cool voice.
Gu An’an quickly set her sandals down and stood, dumbly nodding, “Oh, okay.”
When Xie Jinxing stood, his tall frame cast a shadow that loomed large on the wall, like some kind of imposing creature. His polished leather shoes rested neatly by the door.
He took his time changing into them, then turned back and gave his nephew a silent look.
Torn between obedience and reluctance, Xie Youjun dragged his feet toward the door, glancing back at Gu An’an every few steps.
Outside, Xie Jinxing slung his suit jacket over his arm. Just before the door closed, he happened to glance back at the little girl standing by the sofa.
Her hair, soft and slightly fluffy, shimmered gold in the sunlight, strands fading from dark to light. She looked so young.
He glanced once more at his nephew, clingy and reluctant, and sighed inwardly. Pathetic. She already has a boyfriend. And you still think hanging around makes you look good?
When the uncle and nephew finally left, the car’s engine faded into the distance. Gu An’an scratched her back absentmindedly, then vaulted over the sofa with one hand and eagerly opened her gifts.
Inside were snacks, plenty of them, and the smell of jerky hit her immediately.
Opening the package, she gasped. Handmade snacks!
She bit into one happily. The flavor was familiar, definitely the kind made by the chef back at the old house. Healthy, delicious, and so thoughtful. Grandpa’s long-distance love, she thought with delight.
University life wasn’t as grueling as high school, attendance, classes, the occasional all-nighter during finals week. Once exams were over, the semester was basically done.
This year was no different: end-of-June exams, then summer break. Normally, the sports institute finished earliest, but this year they’d be the last because of the upcoming Intercollegiate Basketball Tournament, involving eight universities.
Only after the tournament would everyone officially start summer vacation.
Though it wasn’t a nationally certified event, the school treated it seriously. The president even invited several major figures in the sports industry to attend. Some players might get scouted if they performed well.
For those chasing a professional path, it was a golden opportunity.
Gu An’an, however, was a film student, 163 cm tall, no connection to basketball at all. She had just one exam left before break, but, unfortunately, the original Gu An’an had joined both the Student Council and the Basketball Club back in freshman year to chase after Lu Xingyu.
Now, she was officially listed as a Publicity Department staffer and an assistant to the basketball club.
Which, in plain terms, meant: cleaning the locker room, wiping floors, fetching water, and fanning sweaty players.
After the body swap, Gu An’an hadn’t shown up even once, but that didn’t mean she could escape forever.
Her phone had been blowing up for days. Her fellow suffering assistant, Lin Miaomiao, had cornered her countless times, and finally caught her behind the school’s snack street.
“If you don’t come tomorrow, I swear I’ll hang myself in front of your house!”
“Let me go! Let me go!”
“You can’t abandon us! The tournament’s about to start! Without you carrying water, we’ll collapse!” Lin Miaomiao clung to her like a koala, waving her skinny arm. “Look at this! My triceps are popping out!”
Gu An’an winced. She hadn’t realized she was that important.
Thus began the daily struggle, chasing, begging, dragging her back.
Even when she tried to hide, they somehow always found her. The basketball club girls were like iron-willed Amazons, each carrying two water jugs like it was nothing. Meanwhile, the guys trailed behind whining about stairs.
Gu An’an had thought she was strong for a girl, until now. Turns out, joining the basketball club was better training than the gym.
In the sweltering heat, her cheeks flushed red as she carried heavy bottles up and down. Lin Miaomiao dropped hers and leaned against a tree, fanning herself. “You’ve gone soft, An’an. You used to carry one in each hand and another on your shoulder like a farmwife, running ten laps without breaking a sweat.”
Gu An’an looked at the 20-liter bottles in each hand. “This is soft?”
“Back then, you brought water to Lu Xingyu and his boys every day under the sun. Now look at you, can’t even handle this. Shameful.”
Gu An’an: “...”
No wonder the whole school knew about her simping phase. She really had been the mascot of pathetic love.
She took a deep breath. The past is past. I’ve reformed.
“Let go of the past, my child,” she intoned, shaking Lin Miaomiao by the shoulders. “Purge those brain-dead memories from your mind!”
“Ahaha, sure thing, Sister An’an~” Lin giggled, nudging her. “Anyway, hurry and bring your dear Lu Xingyu some water! Your boyfriend’s about to fry out there.”
Gu An’an: “...” Damn it.
The summer sun blazed mercilessly, the rubber track peeling from the heat. On the court, Lu Xingyu led his teammates, tall, athletic, drenched in sweat, running drills in perfect formation.
They were taking this tournament very seriously.
Even Lu Xingyu, who was usually cocky, looked focused.
By the fourth round of sprints, several players were near collapse.
Meanwhile, the student assistants like Gu An’an were dying in their own way. Lin Miaomiao lay sprawled under a tree. “I’m done...Tell my family I loved them.”
Gu An’an fanned herself furiously. “Why do they insist on doing this in the heat? Don’t we have an indoor court?”
“Yeah, but this is ‘endurance training,’” Lin panted. “The whole ‘suffer now, shine later’ thing.”
Gu An’an squinted at the steaming players. “Looks more like heatstroke-to-hospital-to-afterlife training.”
The first match, BeiJingchuan University vs. Science and Tech was at 2 PM.
Though their own team wasn’t playing yet, the school’s Publicity Department had to decorate the venue. The administrator’s instructions were strict: make it “grand yet frugal.”
Grand, with a 30,000 yuan budget.
The department head nearly fainted. “He wants luxury minimalism on a street-food budget!”
Still, everyone got to work.
Around this time, the basketball team finished training and left. Other schools’ players arrived to tour the campus.
Gu An’an assumed Xie Jinxing, the ever-busy CEO, would only show up for the final game. Yet when she went out to buy watermelon, she saw his black Bentley parked quietly under the plane trees.
No way...he’s early?!
The sleek car gleamed faintly under dappled sunlight, subtle, but unmistakably expensive.
Hugging a huge watermelon, she hesitated. Should she say hello?
After all, he’d told her to call him “Uncle.” And he’d been somewhat kind. But every time she saw him, she remembered the feeding-sharks incident.
Still, as the go-between for the school and their VIP guest, ignoring him felt wrong.
After a minute of internal warfare, she knocked gently on the window.
The tinted glass slid down, releasing a cool wave of air scented faintly with mint.
Inside, Xie Jinxing sat in a tailored suit, laptop open on his knees, multiple video windows on the screen.
Wait, he’s doing a conference here?!
He turned slightly, spotting her face framed by messy curls and a bright grin.
“Uncle, the basketball tournament starts at two! Why are you here so early?” she asked cheerfully.
He paused. Clearly, he hadn’t even realized there was a game today.
He was only parked here by coincidence, taking a meeting after visiting the nearby university for business negotiations.
“Passing by,” he said lightly, then noticed the huge object in her arms. “What’s that?”
“Ah, watermelon! Our department head said it’s for the hardworking girls,” she explained, proudly lifting it.
But the watermelon had other plans.
It slipped from her hands, splat!
“Ahhh! My watermelon!” she wailed. “That was twenty-five yuan!”
Xie Jinxing: “...”
She crouched to inspect the damage, mournfully picking up a clean slice. “Uncle, want some?”
He looked down at the shattered mess and politely refused. “No, thank you.”
Unbothered, Gu An’an bit into a piece herself and grinned. “Sweet, right? Anyway, come to the court later, just not now, it’s way too hot.”
He hummed in acknowledgment, his gaze flicking back to the slice of watermelon glistening in her hand.
The watermelon was fresh, but once it hit the ground and split open, it looked a bit pitiful. Sticky juice clung to the pavement, pooling red in the cracks between the cement tiles.
By noon, the sun was blazing. Even standing still felt like heatstroke waiting to happen, playing basketball in this weather was almost suicidal. The school administration finally realized this; their goal was to host a passionate basketball game, not roast their players alive. When the high-temperature warning came through, they immediately ordered the Student Union to switch venues.
The Basketball Club had spent the entire morning setting up, bleachers, equipment, logistics, only for the school to suddenly change everything.
Gu An’an still wanted to complain a bit when the phone hanging from her neck started vibrating like it was having a seizure.
She quickly raised it. “Uncle, give me a sec, I need to take this call.”
Xie Jinxing’s laptop screen had already gone black. He looked at her for a moment, her face was dripping with sweat, messy and flustered.
After a pause, he said calmly, “Take it in the car.”
The “Hello?” barely left her lips before she froze, glancing back in horror at the man inside the car. The latest model still leaked sound, and through the speakers came the urgent screeching of the Publicity Department head summoning her back immediately.
It was pure chaos on the other end.
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it hot out there?” Xie Jinxing asked, nodding toward the blazing sunlight outside before lowering his head to check his messages again.
Apparently, work awaited him.
Gu An’an looked at him, so calm, so expensive-looking, like every passing minute of his was worth a fortune. Obviously, that little comment of concern earlier had just been polite, an offhand remark from an elder. She’d read too much into it again.
Scratching her cheek awkwardly, she felt her ears heat up.
Meanwhile, the Department Head was still screaming on the phone. An’an, expression blank, abruptly hung up, yanked open the car door, and sat down to text.
The speakerphone earlier had been so loud it almost deafened her; she hadn’t even heard half of what was said.
After exchanging a few frantic messages, she finally understood what was happening and instantly wanted to die.
Their two-hour break was gone. With the venue change, the club’s decorations and logistics all had to be moved. It was already noon, with only two hours left before the match.
Entrance performances and the cheerleading routine would take at least half an hour, meaning they had barely an hour to redo everything.
Gu An’an: “...”
Might as well die now. Maybe the Basketball Club shouldn’t even exist.
But of course, even when you say that, no one actually wants to die. So Gu An’an sprinted back, skipping the watermelon entirely, and dove straight into work the moment she arrived.
God knows how touched they all were when they somehow finished everything just in time.
A few of them hugged each other, eyes red and teary.
“Thank goodness for An’an! She’s worth two full-grown men!”
Lin Niaoniao patted Gu An’an’s not-so-muscular but surprisingly strong arm, beaming with pride. “Our Basketball Club needs people like you. Go grab a quick victory meal, you’ll need to hand out water later!”
“Thanks for the honor.”
“You’re welcome.”
Gu An’an was too tired to even roll her eyes. She grabbed a few leftover buns and a bottle of water before heading out.
The stadium was slowly filling up. Aside from their own students and teachers, tons of outsiders had shown up. Each school had its own cheering section, complete with banners and glowing signs.
Gu An’an quickly noticed that about sixty percent of the crowd were Lu Xingyu fans, mostly girls. They’d even made fan merchandise with his emojis, and someone had brought a massive banner reading “Lu Xingyu Beijing Support Club,” stretching across the entire bleacher section like a concert crowd.
The game hadn’t even started, and they were already screaming his name.
Shoving a bun into her mouth, Gu An’an looked around but didn’t spot him anywhere.
“Wait, isn’t this supposed to be Jingchuan University vs. Tech University? What’s up with this crowd?”
Lin Niaoniao chugged her water and glanced up lazily.
She was a die-hard “crack ship” CP fan. Everyone knew Shen Shan liked Lu Xingyu, Lu Xingyu liked Su Ruan, and Gu An’an... well, Gu An’an was the pathetic backup, completely out of their league. But Lin Niaoniao believed in the underdog trope, in the “lick enough and you’ll get everything” theory. She proudly waved the “Xingyu×An’an” ship flag, loyal to the end.
Seeing the screaming girls, Lin Niaoniao smirked mischievously. “Why else? He’s hot.”
“He’s the heir of Hengyu Group, of course he’s got fans. But don’t be sad, there’s a difference between fangirls and love-slaves. Like, they can only scream ‘husband’ online, you can say it to his face. Though you might get punched.”
Gu An’an: “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”
Got it. It’s like those girls who call idols their husband online.
“But seriously, where is Lu Xingyu? With this many fans, shouldn’t he at least make an appearance?”
Even if Jingchuan University wasn’t playing today, their team should’ve shown up to check out the competition, right?
She looked around again, no sign of him.
“Wait, I’ll check.”
Lin Niaoniao whipped out her phone, scrolling quickly. Then she stopped.
“Found him,” she said, pointing at a group chat named Crackship CP Club. “North Library.”
Gu An’an blinked. She’d only asked casually, but now Lin looked suspiciously like her personal GPS tracker.
Niaoniao gave her a slap. “Stop glaring and look.”
The attached photo had a timestamp, these journalism majors were ridiculously professional.
1:05 PM, North Reading Room, Jingchuan University Library.
The photo showed a boy and a girl reading together. The girl had soft, wavy brown hair and round eyes, her face small and babyish. She was frowning at her book, biting her pen in frustration. Next to her sat a clean-cut boy dressed in trendy streetwear, clearly a sporty type, seriously helping her with homework.
“What’s this supposed to be?”
Gu An’an stared. Were the heroine and the second male lead doing some alternative “we rise above worldly passion” act during game day?
“What else?” Lin Niaoniao huffed. “She’s flunking.”
“Huh?”
“You didn’t know?” Lin lit up, gossip mode engaged. “She’s been working all over the place, barely studying. She already got warnings last midterms for failing every class. Now she’s failed three finals. If she keeps this up, she might actually get expelled.”
What??
Gu An’an’s fatigue vanished. If the female lead actually got expelled, that would change everything!
“Don’t get too excited,” Lin warned, eyeing her. “I said might, not will. And look, Lu Xingyu’s already tutoring her.”
Gu An’an: “...”
“You’re just gonna let them be alone?” Lin prodded her. “You know what happens, pen rolls off the table, they both bend down, fingers touch, eyes meet, boom, chemistry! Tutoring is prime romance time! Aren’t you going to interrupt?”
“Why would I?”
“Come on! At least fight for your man!”
Gu An’an wanted to explain that she didn’t like Lu Xingyu anymore, and even the Xie family had dropped the match-making idea. Their ship was long dead.
But then...if Su Ruan really got expelled, wouldn’t that mean the story could change?
If Su Ruan wasn’t around, maybe she wouldn’t have to die.
Hmm. Maybe it was worth checking out.
Gu An’an straightened, deadly serious. “Stay here. Don’t move. I’m going to buy a few oranges.”
Before Lin Niaoniao could explode, she bolted.
By the time Gu An’an reached the library, the tutoring duo was long gone.
She searched the area thoroughly, no Su Ruan, no Lu Xingyu. Of course. It was a Mary Sue love story. Studying and working were just plot props for romance. Even with three red marks on her record, Su Ruan still studied as casually as a summer breeze.
Seriously, with that lazy attitude, how did she even get into Jingchuan University?!
Fuming, Gu An’an stormed out of the library.
Behind the building, under the dense shade of the trees, a tall man sat on a bench. His suit jacket was draped over the armrest, long legs casually spread, forearms resting on his knees as he quietly stared at the artificial lake ahead.
Two swans floated on the water, necks intertwined as they preened each other.
On the grass beside him knelt a girl, face streaked with tears. She clutched a pile of books in one arm, a pen in the other, sobbing over her notes so hard that she started dry-heaving.
She hadn’t eaten all day, so nothing came out.
In one trembling hand, she held an expensive men’s handkerchief to her lips. “I’m sorry, Mr. Xie,” she sniffled weakly, “you always see me at my worst. I’ll wash your handkerchief and return it, I promise... sob sob sob...”
“Funny,” Xie Jinxing said evenly, “why is it that every time I see you, you’re crying?”
“I-I’m sorry hic I don’t mean to,” Su Ruan hiccupped through her tears, her nose and eyes red like a child’s. “I don’t want to cry, but every time something awful happens, somehow you’re always there. I’m really strong, I swear...”
“What happened this time?”
Xie Jinxing almost didn’t recognize his own voice, it was far too gentle. But yes, it was his voice. “You can tell me.”
Between hiccups, Su Ruan explained how she’d failed several classes and was at risk of expulsion. Her words came out disjointed, looping over themselves again and again.
Though most of it was self-blame, the undertones were full of excuses, her father gone, her mother sick and giving up on life, the endless part-time jobs to pay the bills.
It wasn’t that she didn’t study, it was that fate had been cruel.
The school wasn’t punishing failure, it was punishing misfortune.
He’d heard it all before. The first time, it had sounded moving. The second, it was tedious.
Still, he listened, patient and smiling, even as his phone buzzed nonstop.
He found himself saying, “Have you considered a student loan? Or maybe applying for a charity fund?”
“I can’t pay back a loan” Su Ruan immediately refused. “When it comes to money, I want to rely on myself.”
He nodded and didn’t push further.
She looked guilty for rejecting his help, then softly returned to the same line of worry. “If I get expelled…I worked so hard to get into Jingchuan University. If I can’t graduate, Mr. Xie, the adult world is so cruel. I feel like I can’t breathe anymore.”
“Then study well,” he said patiently. “Manage your time.”
“But my mom’s treatment costs money. I have to keep working, I just don’t have the time.”
“Then apply for aid.”
“I don’t like owing people.”
And there it was again, the endless loop.
Minutes passed, stretching like hours. He thought they might sit there until sunset, when suddenly two girls walked out of the trees, chatting and laughing, until they froze at the sight of the two figures by the bench.
They recognized Su Ruan immediately, probably classmates, and spotted the man beside her. Even from afar, he radiated sophistication and wealth. Their shy glances darted toward him before they gathered the courage to approach.
One of them asked softly why Su Ruan was crying. Upon hearing she’d failed more exams, they hurried to comfort her, offering their notebooks.
“You’ve already failed three classes,” one girl said earnestly. “You can’t afford another.”
She fought the urge to openly gawk at the man, pretending composure. “These are from the top student. They’ll help, copy what you need.”
Her short-haired friend was equally dazzled. They exchanged secret looks, hearts pounding.
Girl A gripped Girl B’s hand tightly, practically squealing inside. Out loud, she said, “I’ve got notes from another subject too, really detailed problem breakdowns. You can copy those as well.”
Their arrival shattered the fragile, intimate silence.
Su Ruan’s smile faltered slightly. She accepted the notebooks politely. “Thank you.”
Neither girl left.
“Su Ruan, is this your relative?” Girl A asked, emboldened.
Su Ruan pressed her lips together, silent.
“Sorry, are we interrupting?”
“No,” she said finally, though her tone wasn’t exactly warm. “Thank you for helping me. I appreciate it.”
“Oh, um... sure. Then this man is...?”
“...”
Xie Jinxing said nothing, just tapped a finger against his knee, thoughtful.
So, it wasn’t just about being interrupted.
Then what had happened that day at the hotel?