WG - 43

Caught red-handed.

Chi Zhiyu quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks burning hotter with every passing second. The heat made her feel as though her mind was foggy and feverish.

With Xie Ye leaning down, the distance between them suddenly closed.

The familiar scent of the young man enveloped her, still warm from his exertion. His sharp features were so close that she could almost count his eyelashes.

But for some inexplicable reason, Chi Zhiyu couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes. Her hands and feet felt awkward, unsure where to go or what to do. She coughed lightly, trying to play it off. “I wasn’t peeking.”

Xie Ye straightened up, his gaze still fixed on her, the faint smirk never leaving his lips. “Oh? You already saw.”

“…”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose.” It had all been so sudden. Chi Zhiyu glanced at him and quickly explained, “It’s just… when I came over, you suddenly lifted your shirt—”

She instantly realized how inappropriate that sounded and stopped herself mid-sentence.

“Hmm?” Xie Ye raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing and playful. “Are you saying I deliberately seduced you?”

“…”

“You’ve already taken advantage of me, lusted after my body, and now you’re accusing me of seducing you.” Xie Ye drawled lazily. “What’s next? Are you going to accuse me of making a move on you?”

Chi Zhiyu looked at his expression and suddenly nodded. “Yeah, maybe I will.”

“…”

Xie Ye’s eyelid twitched. “What did you say?”

Chi Zhiyu met his gaze without flinching, her tone calm and steady. “I did see your body just now, but don’t worry.”

Xie Ye: “?”

Chi Zhiyu pressed her lips together, thinking about his usual demeanor, and imitated his style by delivering five words: “I’ll take responsibility.”

“…”

This response was unexpected.

Xie Ye raised an eyebrow. “Responsibility?”

He lifted his gaze, scrutinizing her intently, then spoke slowly, deliberately dragging out his words. “Alright, tell me. How exactly are you planning to take responsibility?”

At this, Chi Zhiyu hesitated. She hadn’t actually thought that far ahead and could only answer honestly. “I don’t know yet. I’ll let you know when I figure it out.”

“Oh.” Xie Ye called her bluff. “Trying to fool me?”

Chi Zhiyu was momentarily speechless. “….”

She had impulsively said those words just to gauge his reaction. Technically… it really was a lie.

Chi Zhiyu’s mind raced to come up with a solution, but before half a second had passed, Su Le walked over and called out to Xie Ye. “Let’s go change clothes.”

This was a lifesaver!

“Oh, right!” Chi Zhiyu immediately seized the opportunity to change the subject, her tone natural. “You guys should hurry and change. Others are waiting for you.”

Seeing her expression, which seemed relieved to have escaped a sticky situation, Xie Ye lowered his gaze to her, his smirk unwavering. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes held a deep, probing intensity. Chi Zhiyu met his gaze head-on, her face betraying a flicker of unease, but she maintained her composure.

Two seconds later, Xie Ye raised his eyelids and glanced at the seat behind him. “Wait there for me.”

The pressure lifted.

Chi Zhiyu silently exhaled in relief and quickly nodded, urging him away. “Got it. Go ahead.”

Seeing this, Xie Ye tugged his lips into a faint smile, turned around, and followed Su Le.

Finally, he was gone.

Chi Zhiyu walked over to where Wu Xuan was sitting and plopped down beside her, letting out a long sigh.

Wu Xuan leaned closer, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Chi Zhiyu’s flushed face. “What were you and Xie Ye talking about? Why is your face red?”

Hearing this, Chi Zhiyu froze, instinctively touching her cheeks. “Is my face still red?”

Wu Xuan lazily hummed in affirmation. “Still a lovely shade of pink.”

“No, wait.” Wu Xuan suddenly realized something was off. “What do you mean ‘still’? Did you see Xie Ye’s face turn red earlier?”

The question popped into Chi Zhiyu’s mind, and once again, she recalled Xie Ye’s provocative action of lifting his shirt—and the unforgettable sight of his abs.

!!!!!

Her face heated up again, and she quickly suppressed her wandering thoughts, looking up at the scenery around her.

“What are you thinking about?” Wu Xuan watched as Chi Zhiyu’s expression shifted, blinking in confusion. “Why is your face even redder now?”

“No.” Chi Zhiyu pressed the back of her hand against her cheek to cool it down, shaking her head. “Maybe it’s too stuffy in here.”

The indoor basketball court wasn’t well-ventilated to begin with, and with the weather still a bit chilly, the administrator had only opened a few windows. Add to that the crowd of spectators, and the air was thick with carbon dioxide, creating a greenhouse effect.

“Oh, let’s go outside then.” Wu Xuan glanced at the time. “The second half is about to start, and it might get even stuffier.”

Chi Zhiyu nodded, following her out of the gymnasium. The cold wind hit them as soon as they stepped outside, instantly dispersing the heat that had built up inside her body. It felt quite refreshing.

But Wu Xuan shivered involuntarily. “Whoa, it’s freezing!”

Seeing this, Chi Zhiyu took off the oversized coat she was wearing and handed it to her. “Here, wear this.”

Wu Xuan blinked. “Aren’t you cold?”

Chi Zhiyu shook her head. “Too stuffy. I need some fresh air.”

Hearing this, Wu Xuan reached out to take the coat but paused when she realized it was Xie Ye’s oversized winter uniform. “Isn’t this Xie Ye’s?”

“It originally belonged to him, but since he doesn’t wear it anymore, it’s become mine.” Chi Zhiyu thought for a moment. “So, technically, it’s mine now?”

“No, no, forget it.” Wu Xuan thought about Xie Ye’s temperament and waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll tough it out.”

Chi Zhiyu didn’t press further, casually draping the coat over her arm. Worried Wu Xuan might be too cold, she pulled her toward a sheltered spot nearby.

Behind them, the noise from inside the gymnasium resumed, but the girls’ cheers weren’t as wild as before. Perhaps because they hadn’t seen Xie Ye re-enter the game, some spectators began filing out of the venue.

As they turned their heads, they noticed the two girls standing in the corner. When their gazes landed on Chi Zhiyu’s face, they visibly paused.

Chi Zhiyu stood still, meeting their stares and blinking innocently.

The girls snapped out of it, feeling as if they’d been caught in the act, and hurriedly turned away, fleeing in embarrassment.

“What did you do?” Wu Xuan watched them scatter.

“Nothing.” Chi Zhiyu guessed. “Maybe they were mesmerized by my beauty?”

“…”

Wu Xuan rolled her eyes. “Are you talking about Xie Ye?”

Chi Zhiyu: “?”

Wu Xuan raised an eyebrow. “They say Xie Ye has been conquered by your beauty and has fallen under your spell.”

“Oh.” Chi Zhiyu thought for a moment. “So that’s why they keep staring at me?”

“What else?” Wu Xuan turned her head and gave her a sly look. “But aren’t you going to test Xie Ye’s feelings?”

At this, Chi Zhiyu lazily hummed. “Forgot to tell you.”

Wu Xuan: “Hmm?”

Chi Zhiyu blinked. “I’m already testing him.”

Wu Xuan: “….”

Wu Xuan: “???”

Chi Zhiyu mused quietly. “And so far, I think things are pretty much as I expected.”

“???” Wu Xuan was utterly baffled. “Can you speak in human terms?”

“In human terms…” Chi Zhiyu drawled slowly. “I don’t think I’m the only one harboring feelings.”

“What?” Wu Xuan thought she’d misheard. “You’re not what?”

Chi Zhiyu didn’t repeat herself, waving her hand dismissively. “Just a heads-up. Don’t be too surprised when the time comes.”

“I’m already surprised!” Wu Xuan exclaimed. “What’s going on with you?”

Before Chi Zhiyu could respond, she caught sight of someone pushing open the exit door out of the corner of her eye. She stopped herself mid-sentence and turned to look.

Su Le emerged from the doorway and spotted the two of them. “Oh, there you are. Li Taoran’s been looking for you.”

As he spoke, he turned his head and called out to someone behind him. “Come on, they’re outside.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Li Taoran rushed out, clicking his tongue as he looked at them. “Ladies, you could’ve at least said something before stepping out. I thought you’d gotten lost inside.”

Xie Ye followed behind him, walking out at a leisurely pace. Seeing Chi Zhiyu wearing only a light jacket, he frowned slightly.

Wu Xuan, seeing that everyone had come out, led Chi Zhiyu out of the corner. “We’re not three-year-olds. What’s there to get lost over?”

Chi Zhiyu walked over to Xie Ye, noticing he had already changed back into his spring uniform. She casually handed him the jacket draped over her arm. “Do you want to wear this?”

Xie Ye glanced at her. “Can’t you wear it yourself?”

Chi Zhiyu replied nonchalantly. “I’m not cold.”

Just then, Wu Xuan interjected, explaining. “I saw A-Yu’s face was all red earlier, so I brought her out for some fresh air. We didn’t go far.”

Chi Zhiyu: “….”

Did she really have to mention the blushing?

Sure enough, upon hearing this, Xie Ye turned his head to look at her, his tone tinged with amusement. “Blushing?”

“Mm.” Chi Zhiyu nodded calmly. “It was too stuffy inside.”

Xie Ye glanced at her. “Oh, and is it still stuffy now?”

Chi Zhiyu didn’t catch on immediately. “What?”

Xie Ye drawled lazily. “Your face—”

Realizing what he was implying, Chi Zhiyu quickly raised her hand to cover her face, not wanting him to see her blush.

Just as she did so, she heard him finish his sentence. “—isn’t red.”

“…”

“Oh, my mistake.” Xie Ye looked into her eyes, his tone teasing. “But why are you so afraid of me seeing you blush? Are you shy?”

“No.” Chi Zhiyu lowered her hand. “I told you, it’s just too stuffy.”

Xie Ye raised an eyebrow.

Chi Zhiyu didn’t care whether he believed her or not. Instead, she noticed the girls passing by kept glancing in Xie Ye’s direction, and her brow furrowed slightly.

Li Taoran, of course, noticed this too and sighed. “Ah, it seems Brother’s charm is just too overwhelming.”

Su Le: “….”

Chi Zhiyu: “….”

“What kind of dream are you having?” Wu Xuan’s expression was deadpan. “Don’t you know what you’re really like?”

Li Taoran raised an eyebrow. “You have no idea the extent of Brother’s charm.”

Chi Zhiyu felt this guy had clearly caught Xie Ye’s narcissism and subtly turned her head to glance at the person beside her.

Xie Ye caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow, his eyes asking if she was sneaking another peek.

“…”

Chi Zhiyu turned her head and suddenly saw a group of girls approaching from a distance.

Leading the group was a freshman girl who looked shy and innocent.

Su Le and Li Taoran, seeing the group approach, didn’t block their way. Instead, they glanced at Xie Ye.

The girl approached from the side, glancing briefly at Chi Zhiyu before speaking in a soft tone. “Senior, I need to talk to Senior Xie. Could you step aside for a moment?”

Hearing this, Chi Zhiyu paused but didn’t say anything. She simply took a step to the side.

Standing directly in the path of the cold wind, she felt the chill sweep over her.

The girl, holding a bottle of mineral water, walked up to Xie Ye with clear determination and extended it to him.

Seeing this, Xie Ye lifted his gaze.

The girl, her face flushed, spoke softly. “Thank you for your hard work during the match, Senior. This is water I just bought. It’s nothing special, just…”

She didn’t finish her sentence.

Chi Zhiyu stood calmly to the side, waiting for his reaction.

The scene grew quiet as everyone watched.

After a few seconds, Xie Ye suddenly raised his hand. The girl’s heart leapt with joy, and she quickly moved to hand over the bottle of water.

But his hand didn’t reach for the water. Instead, it went to the coat draped over Chi Zhiyu’s arm. He took it, opened it, and draped it over her shoulders.

The action was sudden, and Chi Zhiyu froze, raising her eyes to look at his face.

Xie Ye’s eyelashes lowered as he patiently zipped up her coat, pulling it all the way to the bottom. “Go back and drink two bowls of ginger soup.”

Hearing the words “ginger soup,” Chi Zhiyu instinctively furrowed her brow. “I’m not sick.”

Xie Ye didn’t respond. The girl standing in front of him, witnessing this, visibly hesitated. “Senior, Senior Sister said she isn’t cold. She—”

At this, Xie Ye’s eyelids flickered, and he glanced at the girl emotionlessly.

The girl’s body stiffened instantly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Chi Zhiyu noticed the girl’s expression falter. She tugged lightly on Xie Ye’s sleeve, trying to signal that the girl was still holding the water.

Xie Ye noticed and raised his eyes to meet hers. His movements while adjusting the coat were completely natural, but he asked in a flat tone, “Are you thirsty?”