OSTF - 69

Was this news just a rumor?

Chi Suisui’s first thought was exactly that.

She didn’t bother opening her own phone and instead used Su Mian’s to click on the Weibo notification. It was posted by Weibo’s official account.

The caption mentioned He Xingwang being spotted at the hospital with bandages on his hand, accompanied by several photos. The first two were taken as he exited the hospital, and the other two zoomed in on his hand.

Indeed, the white bandage was quite conspicuous.

Both He Xingwang and Li Huaiming wore black masks, but the exposed half of their faces were distinctive, as was their overall demeanor.

Chi Suisui skimmed through the content in about ten seconds.

“I feel like it’s fake,” Su Mian said after seeing her return the phone. “He Shen isn’t someone who’d be so careless.”

It wasn’t just Su Mian who found it surprising; the comments section echoed disbelief.

[Even if the sky fell, I wouldn’t believe He Shen injured his hand.]

[Stop slandering! Even if he’s injured, why claim he can’t compete? Are you cursing He Shen?]

[Isn’t he always training??? How did he get injured???]

[Damn! I don’t believe it! I’m counting on He Shen to win gold!]

[Maybe it’s just overtraining.]

[Doesn’t the team have a doctor? Why go to the hospital?]

[It doesn’t look too serious, but is it real or fake? Will it affect future competitions?]

[@He Xingwang @He Xingwang]

Chi Suisui’s own phone also pushed the same news.

Though it hadn’t been verified directly with him, the widespread dissemination made it seem more credible.

“Whether it’s true or false, we’ll know when we see him in person.”

Chi Suisui had been in a good mood earlier, but this news dampened her spirits entirely. She no longer wanted to stay here any longer.

Su Mian said, “Dr. Song hasn’t returned yet.”

Chi Suisui glanced over and could still see a glimpse of Song Miaoli’s slender white leg, the rest hidden in shadow.

She turned her gaze back. “I’m leaving first. What about you?”

With Song Miaoli here, Chi Suisui wasn’t worried. No one in Nancheng would dare touch her; the club owner would take care of her, not to mention Gu Nanyan was nearby.

What she was concerned about was Su Mian staying alone.

“I’ll leave too.” Su Mian quickly grabbed her bag and stood up. “Sister Suisui, you go handle your own matters. I’ll head home.”

This was such a big deal that she didn’t want to get involved unnecessarily.

If He Shen was fine, that would be the best outcome.

Su Mian knew her place well. At this moment, she was a fan, while Sister Suisui—He Shen’s wife—was the one who should go.

Chi Suisui hummed in acknowledgment.

She sent Song Miaoli a message saying she had urgent business and left early. There was no reply from the other side, likely because she was busy.

The extravagant sights and sounds of Renjian were usually where Chi Suisui thrived, but today, she had no interest whatsoever.

The two left one after another.

Song Miaoli was still unaware that she had been left behind at Renjian . Moments ago, she had pretended to casually pass by Gu Nanyan’s VIP booth.

Coincidentally, she recognized two people inside.

There were only a few families in Nancheng’s elite circle who frequently attended the same level of banquets, and the major companies were all familiar with each other.

From close proximity, she looked up and saw Gu Nanyan sitting at the center. A few seconds later, he leaned forward out of the shadows, stepping into the light.

Amidst the opulence of Renjian , he seemed out of place.

This was the first time Song Miaoli had seen this seductive side of Gu Nanyan. Her previous infatuation with his appearance now made perfect sense.

Another middle-aged man in the booth noticed her and was about to call out her name.

Song Miaoli quickly gestured for him to remain silent.

Though they weren’t sure what she was up to, everyone was willing to give the Song family face. Besides, Song Miaoli had a good reputation.

With acquaintances around, Song Miaoli couldn’t linger.

“Sorry,” she said, relieved to not see any extra women. Pretending to stumble slightly, she quickly walked away from the booth.

It wasn’t until she reached the restroom that she noticed Chi Suisui’s message.

These two had actually left without her.

The VIP booths weren’t accessible to just anyone.

Though Song Miaoli didn’t immediately grasp the connection, others certainly did. Jiang Ruixue and her group had already noticed the commotion.

Not to mention the girls trying to sell drinks for commissions.

Song Miaoli’s little episode briefly paused the conversation in the booth. “Where were we? Ah yes, wasn’t it about Mr. Gu’s new project—”

The man he turned to didn’t respond.

Gu Nanyan retracted his distant gaze, loosening his collar slightly. The already partially open neckline became even more alluring, his expression radiating nonchalance.

His formerly cold demeanor transformed into one of decadence.

“Mr. Gu?” someone called.

“Sorry,” Gu Nanyan refocused, speaking indifferently.

“Did Mr. Gu see something?” the person followed his previous line of sight. “Someone catch your eye?”

“Nothing,” Gu Nanyan leaned back, retreating into the shadows once more, his voice distant. “I thought I saw my ex-girlfriend.”

Ex-girlfriend?

The entire group froze.

Zhongyue Technology had aggressively entered Nancheng’s elite circle nearly three months ago, making waves. Their mysterious figurehead rarely appeared publicly.

This invitation to Renjian marked an unexpected decision to socialize.

After months of investigation into his preferences, no one had uncovered anything—not to mention the existence of an ex-girlfriend—

Hadn’t Song Miaoli just arrived?

Impossible. Wasn’t she rumored to be dating a low-level employee? It couldn’t be Mr. Gu.

Within half a minute, they concluded it must have been a relationship from his time in the capital.

The news of He Xingwang appearing at the hospital caused an uproar online.

With just three months until the Olympics, even a small wound could delay training for a week or more.

He Xingwang carried the hopes of many. These photos of his injury led many to believe, influenced by the news, that it was severe.

After leaving Renjian , Chi Suisui overheard two girls chatting by the roadside.

“So, does that mean his participation in the Olympics is uncertain?”

“No way! How could he get injured at such a crucial time? Did he push himself too hard chasing results? He’s a veteran athlete, isn’t he?”

“Wouldn’t it?”

Chi Suisui felt uncomfortable hearing such a conversation.

Every athlete wanted to achieve results and trained hard—it was understandable and shouldn’t be criticized like this.

No one wanted to get injured more than the athletes themselves.

Moreover, He Xingwang had extremely strong self-control. Chi Suisui didn’t believe he would get injured for such a reason, and she refused to entertain these speculations.

Perhaps her unintentional glance carried a bit of coldness, as the girl talking touched her neck and muttered, “It’s a bit chilly.”

Chi Suisui walked away without another word.

After getting into the car, she pulled up He Xingwang’s WeChat, intending to send a message but ultimately didn’t.

Chi Suisui was genuinely angry.

She could now connect why He Xingwang had seemed off earlier—he must have been hiding his injury from her, which was why he hadn’t let her visit.

But now, she was determined to go see him.

The conversation between the two girls on the street wasn’t just a coincidence; similar opinions were already circulating online—just as the news suggested.

Even if he could participate, his performance might not be good.

Though somewhat pessimistic, suddenly getting injured and wearing bandages made the upcoming competition in a few months seem uncertain.

In summary: not optimistic.

Su Mian sent a message: [Sister Suisui, don’t pay attention to the news—it’s all nonsense.]

Chi Suisui hummed in acknowledgment, then remembered that Su Mian wasn’t around to hear her, so she replied with a single word: [Understood.]

As a journalist, she understood these things better than anyone.

However, the reason such news gained traction was clear—her emotions had been stirred, and they wouldn’t settle quickly.

Similarly, the shooting sports center’s phone lines were flooded with calls.

Li Huaiming rushed back in, saying anxiously, “He Shen, it’s over—the entire internet knows about your injury, and they’re exaggerating how serious it is.”

Anyone online could see it.

He Xingwang had been resting in his room when he heard this. His brows immediately furrowed. He opened his phone but found no messages or missed calls from Chi Suisui.

All was calm.

He tapped open his social media feed and saw a group photo Chi Suisui had posted with Song Miaoli and others about ten minutes ago. The background appeared to be Renjian .

So she likely hadn’t seen the news yet.

“It’ll be handled,” He Xingwang said indifferently.

He moved his fingers slightly and directly messaged the person in charge at the He family, ordering them to remove the trending topic.

Li Huaiming asked, “How are we supposed to handle this? I feel like Sister-in-law will storm into the shooting sports center any second and kill us.”

“…”

He Xingwang replied, “You’re overthinking.”

His response was brief, merely denying Li Huaiming’s speculation.

However, part of Li Huaiming’s premonition might come true. He Xingwang hesitated for a moment before sending a message to Chi Suisui: [At Renjian ?]

He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table.

After a while, she replied: [What’s up?]

A perfectly normal question.

For some reason, He Xingwang felt a slight sense of relief, but the crease in his brow wouldn’t smooth out. [Nothing, just saw your social media post.]

He pinched the bridge of his nose.

Chi Suisui: [Are you still going to monitor what time I come home?]

Seeing this relaxed reply, He Xingwang finally relaxed. His expression softened, and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

It was best if she hadn’t seen the news.

Knowing Chi Suisui’s temper, if she found out he’d been hiding this from her, she’d explode.

The curtains in the room weren’t drawn, and the night outside cast its reflection on the floor. He Xingwang lowered his gaze to his hand.

Dealing with one’s spouse was an art.

And Chi Suisui excelled at it.

Chi Suisui looked at He Xingwang’s calm messages and sneered. She was best at striking when others least expected it.

If she found out how he got injured—an accident would be one thing, but if someone had deliberately hurt him, she’d make sure to get revenge.

The shooting sports center was indeed abuzz with concern about He Xingwang’s condition today. Once they confirmed it wasn’t serious, Coach Zhu and others relaxed.

Training resumed as usual.

So when Chi Suisui arrived, a young boy who had just come out greeted her with a grin: “Is Journalist Chi here to see He Shen?”

In their eyes, since the two were married, it was natural for her to visit.

Chi Suisui was still wearing the cocktail dress from Renjian , her high heels clicking rhythmically with every step. Her makeup only added to her stunning presence, leaving the young athletes awestruck.

But along with the awe came a sense of unease.

Chi Suisui smirked. “Yes.”

After passing by them, her expression abruptly disappeared. The young athletes standing there exchanged glances.

Something about this felt off.

The early summer night, which had been warm, suddenly grew colder with the rhythmic sound of her heels and knocking.

When Li Huaiming opened the door, his mouth dropped open.

Damn, she really came?

He instinctively turned to look at He Shen’s expression. He Xingwang happened to glance up, his voice steady: “Who is it?”

Their eyes met.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

Li Huaiming felt like a live target standing there. He quickly muttered, “Hello, Sister-in-law,” and fled.

Chi Suisui entered, closing the door behind her.

She walked up to him, her gaze circling the bandage wrapped around his hand. Her voice was icy as she spoke: “He Xingwang.”

Chi Suisui’s emotions had already reached their peak on the way over.

He Xingwang hadn’t expected her to arrive so quickly, especially after their friendly exchange on WeChat just ten minutes ago.

Had she flown here with wings?

“Suisui,” He Xingwang cleared his throat. “Sit down first.”

Chi Suisui remained unmoved, her demeanor as cold as Yama, the King of Hell.

He Xingwang felt a bit helpless. He moved his wrist slightly and tilted his chin to look at her. “The news is false.”

Chi Suisui gave a soft “Oh.” “How false?”

He Xingwang’s mind worked meticulously, and within seconds, he had already devised a strategy. Calmly, he said, “It’s not an injury—just a scrape. It won’t affect the competition.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Chi Suisui looked down at him. The confrontational energy she had built up on the way dissipated after her first sentence.

She thought, it was hard to stay angry looking at such a face.

Years of being influenced by Dr. Song had turned her into a connoisseur of beauty.

Chi Suisui’s voice gradually calmed: “You know best what our relationship is. If you didn’t tell me about something like this, I’d have to find out from the news whether your hand was hurt or broken.”

Thankfully, it was the news, not those plastic socialites.

“…”

It wasn’t broken.

After hearing her words, He Xingwang roughly understood her thoughts. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “I didn’t have time to tell you—I was afraid you’d overthink it.”

He reached out his hand.

Chi Suisui didn’t want to move, but seeing the bandaged hand he extended, she awkwardly blurted out, “Talk properly. What’s with all the hand gestures?”

Her delicate chin lifted slightly.

Looking at her like this, He Xingwang’s eyes softened with a hint of a smile, his voice low and deep: “If my hand were broken, how could I put the wedding ring on your finger during the ceremony?”