I'm in Wuha, and the whole internet is shipping me and Song Yuqi as a couple.

Jiang Che didn't move.

Dilraba has already taken her third shot.

This time, she didn't follow a parabola; instead, she hit a straight fastball, angled close to the ground, heading straight for Song Yuqi's calf.

Jiang Che stepped back with his right foot, lowered his center of gravity, and caught the ball with his calf.

Water splashed onto half of his trouser leg.

Song Yuqi took a step back, her heel sinking into the soft sand, and leaned back.

Jiang Che reached back with his free hand, his five fingers landing perfectly on her lower back, stabilizing her.

"Stand still before you speak."

Song Yuqi grabbed his arm to regain her balance, her mouth still running: "Take your hand away first."

"If I take it away, you'll throw it."

"I won't……"

The fourth ball is coming.

Dilraba's target this time was Song Yuqi's right shoulder, a cunning move that clearly didn't want Jiang Che to have an easy time blocking her.

Jiang Che twisted his body to the right, and his shoulder blade collided with the ball.

Water splashed from his shoulder, flowing down his arm to the waist where Song Yuqi was being protected.

It's cold.

Song Yuqi shuddered.

"cold?"

"..."

Dilraba stood behind the throwing line, with only one ball left in her hand.

She tossed it a couple of times, not in a hurry to throw it away.

She stared at the scene opposite her.

Jiang Che was half-bent over, one hand protecting Song Yuqi's waist. His sweat-soaked shirt clung to his back, and water droplets trickled down his spine.

Not a single part of his body was dry.

Song Yuqi, standing behind him, was still dressed cleanly.

Dilraba tossed the ball up and caught it.

"Senior brother."

She called out.

Jiang Che didn't turn around.

"Aren't you tired of protecting her like this?"

This doesn't sound like a conversation about games.

Deng Chao and Chen He in the spectator area exchanged a glance, and neither dared to utter a sound.

Jiang Che's voice came back from the front, "You still have one ball, hurry up and throw it."

Dilraba smiled.

She didn't put much effort into the last ball.

She casually tossed the ball, which drifted over in a very slow arc and landed on Jiang Che's head.

Water streamed down his forehead, past his brow bone and bridge of his nose, and dripped onto his chin.

Song Yuqi saw the scene through the gap in his arm.

A drop of water clung to his eyelashes; he blinked and shook it off.

She swallowed.

The whistle blew.

"Time's up!" The referee ran over with the scoreboard. "Red team scores on their first attempt!"

"That time it was a foul that gave them away!" Deng Chao jumped up from the spectator area. "It was practically a zero! Old Jiang, are you a human fortress?!"

Chen He patted the armrest of the chair.

"Dilraba, you're no good! You didn't even touch a single hair on Yuqi's head!"

Dilraba wiped her free hand on her pants and didn't reply.

She turned and walked back, and as she passed Lu Han, Lu Han handed her a bottle of water.

"Thank you for your hard work, sister."

Dilraba took the water, unscrewed the cap, took a sip, and looked across the bottle at the other side.

Jiang Che was wringing out the water from the hem of his shirt when Song Yuqi stood beside him, handing him a towel while muttering something.

Dilraba turned her gaze back.

"It's not hard work."

She told Lu Han, "The ball doesn't feel very good. I'll get a bigger one next time."

Lu Han didn't dare to respond to that.

Wu Zheng ran over to announce the final results.

"Overall, the Red Team is first! The Blue Team is second! The Yellow Team is third!"

"What about the prize?" Deng Chao was the first to ask.

"The winning team will be awarded a VIP viewing seat for tonight's private beach fireworks show, including a double lounge chair, champagne, and a dessert table."

Deng Chao turned to look at Jiang Che and Song Yuqi: "...Can I use your VIP service for a bit?"

"cannot."

Jiang Che draped the towel over his shoulder, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

"I'm just asking! What's wrong with you?!"

Chen He patted Deng Chao on the shoulder.

"Brother Chao, do you know what 'third-party interference' means?"

Deng Chao glanced at Jiang Che, then at Song Yuqi, and suddenly realized.

"Got it, it's a publicly funded date."

Song Yuqi's ears started burning again.

She looked down, pretending to check the step count on her bracelet, but her mind was racing.

Fireworks show, double lounge chairs, champagne.

Isn't that...

Don't overthink it.

Jiang Che's voice drifted over from the side.

"I didn't think much of it."

Your ears are red.

Song Yuqi raised her hand and touched her ear; it was so hot it could fry an egg on it.

She turned her head and glared at Jiang Che.

The man had changed into a clean, quick-drying black shirt at some point, his hair still wet, which he had pulled back to reveal his forehead.

A sea breeze blew by, and a few strands of his half-dry, tousled hair fell across his brow bone.

Song Yuqi looked at it for two seconds and then looked away.

I'm not watching anymore.

If she keeps watching tonight's fireworks show, her heart rate will definitely spike again.

"Everyone!" Wu Zheng called from behind, "Free time this afternoon! We'll meet again at 7:30 to watch the fireworks!"

Deng Chao and Chen He cheered and pulled Lu Han, saying they wanted to go to the hotel pool to use the jacuzzi.

Dilraba, carrying a towel and a water bottle, walked towards the hotel.

She paused as she passed by Jiang Che.

"I can watch the fireworks show tonight too."

Jiang Che glanced at her.

"It's just not in the VIP area."

Dilraba pushed her sunglasses up, "The beach is public, I'll just sit a little further away."

Song Yuqi was holding a mineral water bottle, her fingernails gripping the cap.

Dilraba turned and left without waiting for anyone's response.

Song Yuqi stared at her back for several seconds before turning around.

Jiang Che.

"Um."

"What did she mean just now?"

Jiang Che pushed up the sleeves of his quick-drying shirt a bit, without giving her a direct answer.

What do you want to wear tonight?

"……what?"

Fireworks show.

He turned to look at her. "Aren't you going to change your clothes? Going out in those wet sweatpants?"

Song Yuqi glanced down at her shorts.

There were a few drops of water, but not enough to cause any damage...

and many more.

He was concerned about what she would wear that night.

"What I wear is none of your business."

Song Yuqi carried the bottle and walked quickly towards the hotel, saying, "I can choose for myself."

She quickened her pace and went into the hotel lobby, leaving Jiang Che standing alone outside the door.

Jiang Che watched her fleeing figure and smiled.

He took out his phone and opened the Wuha group chat.

The group chat is already buzzing with discussion.

Chen He: [Tonight's fireworks show, everyone please give Lao Jiang and Yu Qi some peace and quiet, no one should be a third wheel.]

Deng Chao: [I'm going anyway]

Lu Han: [Brother Chao, if you go, I'll report you.]

Deng Chao: [Lu Han, you traitor!]

Chen He: [So, Lao Jiang, what are you planning to do tonight? Propose?]

Jiang Che typed two words and sent them.

【Shut up.】

Chen He replied instantly: [Got it, it's not a proposal, it's a confession of love]

Jiang Che locked his phone and put it in his pocket.

7:25 PM.

Song Yuqi stood in front of the full-length mirror in her hotel room and changed into her fourth outfit.

The first outfit was too formal, like walking the red carpet.

The second outfit is too casual, like going to a convenience store.

The third set... she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong with it.

Finally, she wore a light blue floral print sundress with a beige cardigan over it.

She looked in the mirror for three seconds, then pulled the neckline of her cardigan up a little more.

My phone vibrated.

Jiang Che's message: [Have you come down yet?]