"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off."
A cold, mechanical voice came through the receiver.
Jian Changnian noticed that her expression was not quite right.
"What's wrong?"
Xie Shi'an looked at his phone.
"Chengzhi'er went back two days ago, and we haven't heard from her at all."
Cheng Zhen is not someone who can keep things to himself. If there is any disturbance, he will definitely talk to you for a long time.
He hasn't contacted me for two days, and his phone is switched off, which is very unusual.
For some reason, Xie Shi'an felt extremely anxious.
Just as she was about to make her fourth call, the flight attendant arrived.
"Hello ma'am, our plane is about to take off. Please turn off your electronic devices or switch to airplane mode."
Helpless, Xie Shi'an had no choice but to put his phone down.
Jian Changnian comforted her.
"It's so late, they're probably all asleep. Besides, we'll be in Jiangcheng tomorrow morning, and we can see each other when we get back."
The plane took off with a tremendous roar, retracted its landing gear, and gradually disappeared into the deep night.
Xie Shi'an nodded.
"I hope so."
***
As they set off back to Jiangcheng, Yin Jiayi and Jin Nanzhi returned to the hotel. As soon as she parked the car, Jin Nanzhi tugged at her sleeve. Yin Jiayi turned around and was immediately grabbed around the neck and passionately kissed.
Yin Jiayi held her with one arm and unbuckled her seatbelt with the other. After exchanging a long breath with her, her eyes were red.
Kim Nam-ji wasn't much better off.
Their eyes met, and the atmosphere warmed up—the meaning was self-evident.
"Get off the bus and go back to your room."
Yin Jiayi, her voice low and hoarse, got out of the car first and opened the door for her.
The two held hands tightly the whole way, which seemed a bit too eager. It's not surprising, really. They had just gotten together during their honeymoon phase and then had to separate for a few days, and they had to pretend they didn't know each other in front of others. Even though they had agreed beforehand, they both felt a little awkward.
As soon as she entered, Yin Jiayi locked the door from the inside.
She didn't even bother to turn on the light.
Kim Nam-ji stumbled and bumped into the wall lamp, instantly illuminating the entire room. She nestled her head in the crook of her neck and chuckled softly.
"Yin Jiayi, you're not dignified at all."
She picked him up and carried him to the bed.
"Yes, I think so too. How could this happen? It's so unlike my personality. So I need to punish this culprit that makes me so undignified."
Kim Nam-ji struggled a few times.
"Yin Jiayi, I haven't taken a shower yet..."
She turned around by the tiptoes while holding the person and walked towards the bathroom.
"How about we shower together? It'll save time."
"Yin—"
Before Kim Nam-ji could finish complaining, his words were cut off, and a short while later, the showerhead was turned on.
The hot water left a winding curve on the glass door.
Kim Nam-ji held onto the bathtub with one hand, so her expression couldn't be seen. This feeling of having nowhere to turn made her a little flustered. She mumbled incoherently, choking out her name.
“Yin…Yin Jiayi…”
Yin Jiayi grabbed her hand that was waving futilely in mid-air, leaned down and hugged her tightly, whispering in her ear.
“I’m here…I’m here…Nan Zhi…I…I love you.”
Kim Nam-ji finally felt relieved.
The waves lapped against her body in waves.
She felt as if she were being swallowed by the tide.
Yin Jiayi turned her head and gently kissed away the tears at the corner of her eyes.
The waves rolled onto the beach once again.
Kim Nam-ji suddenly tensed his toes.
He sobbed and fell into her arms.
Yin Jiayi didn't rush to leave. Instead, she patiently offered more comfort until the girl was completely relaxed. Only then did she hug her and step back into the bathtub filled with hot water.
From the bathroom to the sofa and then to the bed, even with her superior stamina, Kim Nam-ji was quite exhausted. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she wanted to fall into a deep sleep. In her drowsy state, the sound of the hairdryer came on. Yoon Jia-yi dried her hair, then lay down and hugged her, gently turned off the bedside lamp, and kissed her forehead.
Goodnight, Namji.
Kim Nam-ji woke up in the middle of the night because she was thirsty. She didn't know if it was because she had lost too much water, but her throat was burning. She barely opened her eyes and mumbled sleepily.
"Yin Jiayi, I want to drink water."
Yin Jiayi hadn't fallen asleep yet, and upon hearing the sound, she immediately got up, poured her a glass of warm water, and gently fed her while holding her in her arms.
After drinking half a glass of water in one go, Kim Nam-ji finally felt a little better, and then belatedly came to his senses and looked at her.
"Aren't you asleep yet?"
Yin Jiayi put down her water glass, hugged the person tighter, and whispered.
"I don't want to close my eyes anymore, I want to see you a little longer. After the match, you'll have to go back to Korea..."
Kim Namji smiled and pinched her cheek.
"Yin Jiayi, are you stupid? There are still two months until the opening of the Olympics. I want to stay in Beijing to continue my studies."
Yin Jiayi then came to her senses and blushed, almost forgetting that she was still an international student at Peking University.
She turned away somewhat embarrassedly, clutching the blanket.
"Ah, sleep, sleep, I must be talking in my sleep."
Kim Namji rubbed against her and tugged at her shoulder.
"Others say pregnancy makes them stupid for three years, but what's wrong with you? Your IQ seems to drop sharply just from being in a relationship."
"Gold, South, and Wisdom."
Yin Jiayi was indignant and turned to look at her, her eyes containing a dangerous glint.
"Okay, okay, I don't want to leave you either, but don't you have to go back to the national team for training?"
Kim Nam-ji was afraid that she would try to touch him again, and he didn't have the energy to deal with her anymore, so he took the initiative to lean forward and kiss the corner of her lips to comfort her, his eyebrows and eyes crinkling with laughter and his eyes shining brightly.
Yin Jiayi hugged her and kissed her back.
"I asked Coach Wan for leave, saying I need to go home and rest for a while. When are you going back to teach?"
Kim Nam-ji pondered for a moment.
"Um... my counselor said I have to be back by next week at the latest, because I have final exams."
Yin Jiayi pinched her nose and pretended to sigh.
"Sigh, winning a world championship while studying at the same time, what an amazing life script!"
Kim Nam-ji slapped her hand away.
"If it weren't for the opportunity to study at Peking University, it would have been very difficult to apply to join the Beijing team. Don't you know who I came here for?"
Yin Jiayi smiled, took her hand and wrapped it around her waist, her eyes showing a hint of apology.
"I realized my feelings too late. I promise I won't let you suffer in the future. We both happen to be free these days, and I've rented a car. How about I drive you back to Hangzhou for a trip?"
Kim Nam-ji pulled his hand back.
"You...you're going to...take me home?"
Seeing her expression, Yin Jiayi realized she seemed a little frightened, so she hugged her and patted her head.
"I just felt that since we couldn't tell the public, we should at least tell our family so that you could feel at ease. If you're scared, I'll just say that I brought my teammates back to play."
She gave herself all the choices, which was really kind and respectful of her ideas.
Kim Nam-ji's eyes welled up with tears, and he sniffed as he pulled at her clothes.
Aren't you afraid your parents will object?
“It might be a little difficult, but I will try my best to achieve it. I also want you to know me completely, to trust me, and to know that my love for you is a lifelong commitment.”
Kim Nam-ji burst into laughter through his tears, nestled into her arms, and felt a tender warmth bloom in his heart, like a whole spring had arrived.
"I...I'll go home with you...but...not as your girlfriend...I'm not ready yet..."
"Okay, whatever you say."
Yin Jiayi kissed her forehead.
Kim Namji looked up at her, her eyes sparkling.
In her life, she didn't really own much. Her wealth, status, and position were all given to her by her parents. The only thing that truly belonged to her was badminton, and Yin Jiayi was another.
These are the only two things she truly and sincerely likes.
"Yin Jiayi, it's a deal then, you're not allowed to leave me."
"Won't."
"If I don't like you anymore, I'll take the initiative to break up with you, but you can't bring up breaking up with me."
Yin Jiayi kissed her cheek and said softly.
"I will keep things fresh for you, and I won't let you leave me so easily."