twenty one

Chen Ning didn't sleep well.

Physical discomfort and emotional fluctuations made her toss and turn in a half-awake state, feeling as if she were in a steamer. She couldn't help but think of Zhang Xinjie's instructions.

Despite her earlier resistance, she still got up and took her temperature.

38.6℃.

It took only 3 hours for the fever to rise.

She took another fever reducer, but the blankets were too hot to cover her, and she couldn't fall asleep even with her eyes closed. She checked her phone and realized it wasn't even 11 o'clock yet, so she simply sat up, drew back the curtains, and leaned against the headboard to watch the rain.

The rain is much lighter than during the day, so it should stop by tomorrow, which will make their journey to the competition smoother.

Seeing that even God was helping the team, he, as the team's assistant, inexplicably threw a tantrum at the vice-captain the day before the match, causing the captain to worry as well.

What a horrible thing she did.

After calming down, Chen Ning began to think about why he had this emotion.

Zhang Xinjie's work was clearly impeccable.

He tolerated her initial arrogance, taught her how to work and conduct herself without reservation, worried about her health, and gave her detailed instructions on daily life.

She viewed those daily acts of concern as a form of lecturing, as an invasion of her personal freedom and efforts.

What made her even more ashamed was that Zhang Xinjie apologized to her immediately.

Why did he apologize?

It was clearly her fault.

In his frustration, the phone screen lit up, revealing Zhang Xinjie's name.

Shen Ning suddenly felt a little scared, yet also had an indescribable anticipation; she wanted to hide but also wanted to watch.

Only after the screen was turned off and the room returned to only the night view outside the window did she finally muster the courage to turn on her phone.

Zhang Xinjie: If you have a fever at night and can't sleep, applying a cold towel can help lower the temperature.

At that moment, Shen Ning suddenly laughed.

This person is really too good.

It felt as if the body was hot not because of a high fever, but because of a fluttering heart.

She wanted to reply to Zhang Xinjie's message immediately and tell him that she had fallen for him.

But his finger kept lifting and falling, and in the end, he didn't press down.

Shen Ning got up and went to the bathroom. As Zhang Xinjie had instructed, she chilled a towel and filled a small bowl with cold water, placing it by the bedside.

The moment the cold water hit her forehead, it calmed her down from another impulse, and she picked up her phone again.

Chen Ning: It just got iced, it feels so much better.

It wasn't even 11 o'clock yet, and Zhang Xinjie didn't rest. He quickly received a reply from him.

Zhang Xinjie: It's on fire?

Chen Ning: Hmm, but it's alright. I just took the fever reducer you recommended.

Zhang Xinjie: Then rest. If you really feel unwell, just call us. There's a hospital nearby.

Chen Ning: Okay, thank you.

Zhang Xinjie didn't ask anything more. After a minute of silence, the phone screen went black again.

But Shen Ning knew that she still owed him an apology.

It's 10:59 now, less than a minute until 11:00.

The whole team knew Zhang Xinjie's schedule, and Shen Ning sent him a message in the last minute.

Chen Ning: I'm sorry about today's incident. I was being unreasonable.

At exactly 11 o'clock, Chen Ning received the final reply.

Zhang Xinjie: It's mainly my fault, don't overthink it. It's getting late, go to sleep, don't reply.

The initial excitement vanished instantly with those last two words.

Also, "Do not reply".

This person is really annoying.

I slept much more soundly in the latter half of the night. After being woken up by the alarm, I felt a long-lost, lazy feeling and wanted to stay in bed.

It's drizzling today, and the sky is still overcast. Through the curtains, the room feels even darker.

Shen Ning raised her hand and touched her forehead; it still felt a little hot.

I took her temperature with a thermometer, and it was 37.7℃. It had dropped a bit, but she still had a fever.

Chen Ning's mood sank again, but thinking about tonight's game, he couldn't let them think he was too sick to get out of bed, so he struggled to get up and go eat breakfast.

To avoid the crowds, the team didn't eat at the restaurant, but instead ordered food and took it back to their private room.

Good morning, everyone.

When Shen Ning entered, a group of people were gathered around her, and they were all surprised to see her.

Zhang Jiale spoke first: "Why are you up so early? Are you feeling better?"

"It's a bit better than at night. It's 37.7℃, but I still have a slight fever."

"It's all my fault, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten caught in the rain," Song Qiying said, blaming herself.

"It's nothing serious. If we win big tonight, then my trip won't have been in vain."

"I'm sure I can win!"

Shen Ning smiled slightly at him: "Yes, keep it up."

"Wow, you look so beautiful even when you're sick," Bai Yanfei joked. "What's that phrase about Xi Shi again?"

"Xi Shi clutches her heart!" Yu Tian echoed.

"Yes, yes!"

"Alright, stop joking around and hurry up and eat." Han Wenqing said to his laughing teammates, then turned to Chen Ning, still very serious, "You too, go back and rest after you finish eating, don't do anything reckless."

At this point, Han Wenqing glanced at Zhang Xinjie and repeated what he had said yesterday.

"The rain isn't going to stop today, so don't come with us tonight."

Shen Ning's gaze darkened, feeling particularly regretful. This was her first time competing with the team, but she knew she couldn't let everyone be distracted by taking care of her, so she could only nod and say, "Okay, I'm sorry to trouble everyone."

"Sister, if you keep saying that, I'm going to crawl into a hole in the ground," Song Qiying said.

Zhang Jiale chimed in, "That's right. If you weren't here, not only would Qi Ying not be able to play, but we might all be stuck in traffic due to the rain."

He smiled and said, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything more. I wish everyone good luck."

"Absolutely!"

"Just wait for our triumphant return!"

"Okay, okay."

After breakfast, everyone gradually prepared for their pre-match warm-up training, and Shen Ning also prepared to go back to her room to rest.

In the hallway, Zhang Xinjie, who hadn't said much, came out and called out to Shen Ning.

"Are you okay staying in the hotel alone?"

Thinking about what happened yesterday, Shen Ning felt a little embarrassed, but pretended to be relaxed and said, "You hold a grudge."

"Seriously."

"Don't worry, I've studied in the US for so many years, I'm not afraid of staying in a hotel." Shen Ning looked back and, seeing that there was no one else, continued, "Don't tell me to have someone stay with me again, I was just talking nonsense yesterday."

Zhang Xinjie nodded thoughtfully.

"I will definitely take my medicine on time, get plenty of rest, and contact you immediately if anything happens."

"Um."

After a few seconds of silence, Shen Ning took out a room key from his pocket and handed it over.

Zhang Xinjie stared at it coldly, without reaching out to take it: "What does this mean?"

"Don't get me wrong, this is the spare room key. Please bring me lunch and dinner. If I'm not awake by the time it's time, just bring it in for me. Hanging it on the door will only attract attention."

Zhang Xinjie remained motionless, seemingly deep in thought.

Shen Ning continued, "I still believe in your character, and I really didn't mean anything by it."

After a long silence, Zhang Xinjie finally accepted the room key.

"Then you should get some rest."

"good."

They turned around decisively, left quietly, and each returned to their own place.

Chen Ning leaned against the door, still feeling very weak.

Although Zhang Xinjie spoke less, he still conveyed all the instructions, but there was a sense of distance between them in his words.

She felt that her subtle intuition had been right all along; Zhang Xinjie probably had feelings for her too.

This feeling is just that it's always there, yet I'm hesitant, especially after yesterday's argument.

Was it because of my sudden aversion to him?

He smiled bitterly, his head still ached a bit, so he took the medicine and lay back down.

The competition started at 6 p.m., and participants were required to arrive at least 2 hours in advance for check-in, so the team set off for the venue at 3 p.m.

Shen Ning was still asleep at that time and didn't wake up until after 6 o'clock.

The match had already started, so she quickly turned on her computer and clicked on the live stream link. Seeing that she was currently leading 3-1, she breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the thermometer from her bedside, and checked her temperature. Finally, her temperature was normal.

The rain that had been falling for two days had stopped, and when I opened the window I could see the clear, twilight sky. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, and it was a long-lost feeling of refreshment.

Everything is great.

Dinner on the table was in an insulated bag. I don't know where Zhang Xinjie got it from, but when I opened it, the shrimp dumplings inside were still warm.

There was also a dish of spinach, an apple, a bowl of cabbage and tofu soup, and a note underneath.

—If you ordered takeout before leaving, you can reheat it if it gets cold, or you can go to a restaurant for something fresh if it's open. Remember to hang the safety chain on the door when you wake up.

The handwriting is neat yet powerful, and the content is detailed and thoughtful.

He stood up, put on the safety chain, and then watched the live stream while eating, feeling completely relaxed.

The subsequent matches went smoothly, with everything unfolding according to the team's planned tactics. Xiao Shiqin managed to break through the encirclement of the Shuangquan Fajia at one point, but with the cooperation of Zhang Xinjie and Bai Yanfei, he returned to the defensive.

Ultimately, Tyranny defeated Thunder 9-1 in less than an hour and a half.

Watching everyone hug and high-five in the live stream, Shen Ning was genuinely happy for them. After being lazy for two days, she rekindled her enthusiasm for work, finished the procurement contract that she had only half-drafted yesterday, carefully checked it to ensure there were no problems, and submitted it for approval.

I also sent Zhang Xinjie a message to let him know I was safe, and then casually reminded him to approve the contract. Finally, since I've been eating light meals these past two days, I asked him to bring me a cup of milk tea on his way back.

The league has a team-building rule that promotes friendly exchanges: regardless of victory or defeat, the home team treats the away team to dinner after the game.

Just as everyone was packing up and getting ready to go out for a big meal with the Thunder players, Zhang Xinjie's phone received a very inopportune message about a contract approval process, along with three "by the way" messages.

There's nothing to say but sigh.

Zhang Xinjie held his phone, resisting the urge to reply to the message.

Han Wenqing noticed that Zhang Xinjie's expression was off and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Xinjie showed him the contract process on his phone.

Han Wenqing was also numb.

"She just did it?"

"right."

"Is this contract in such a hurry? Can't you wait even if you have a fever?"

"I'm not in a hurry at all."

"Then why is she in such a hurry?"

"have no idea."

"If you're really bored, just invite her over for dinner!"

"……calm."

Xiao Shiqin, standing at the door, twitched his lips as he listened, and whispered a question to Zhang Jiale beside him.

"What's wrong with you guys? Why are you so agitated even after winning?"

Zhang Jiale, playing with her pigtails, said, "My kids are working so hard that it makes me angry."

Xiao Shiqin: ...

Xiao Shiqin was speechless as Han Wenqing and Zhang Xinjie continued.

Has her fever subsided?

"They said it was refunded, I'll go back and check."

"Not eating anymore?"

"I ate something before the match, and I'll just buy some more on the way." Zhang Xinjie paused, then added, "Mainly because she also asked me to bring back a cup of milk tea."

"..." Han Wenqing had no desire to comment on this willful young lady.

Bai Yanfei continued the explanation, following Zhang Jiale's analogy: "The children at home are sick, hungry, and pitiful, which worries the parents."

Xiao Shiqin almost laughed out loud. When Han Wenqing walked up to him, he teased, "Such a capable assistant, aren't you all secretly happy?"

"He's capable of doing the work, but he's also a worry."

"Don't listen to the captain. Ever since Chen Ning came, she's made things much easier for everyone," Qin Muyun said, speaking up for her.

Song Qiying nodded: "That's right. If Sister Shen Ning hadn't braved the rain yesterday to help me find my competition certificate, I wouldn't have been able to participate."

Zhang Jiale chimed in, adding, "Even our company's CFO, who used to look down on us, has been treating us like a spring breeze ever since Chen Ning came."

Xiao Shiqin suddenly realized: "Oh, now that you mention it, I remember. You made that finance girl cry."

Zhang Jiale gritted his teeth: "Shut up!"

"Hearing you say that, I'm even more curious about your beautiful little assistant." Xiao Shiqin said with a hint of regret, "It's a pity I can't meet her today. Next time I come to your place for a competition, you must let me meet her."

"What do you want to do?" Zhang Jiale asked, glancing sideways.

Xiao Shiqin joked, "Can't I pursue her?"

As Zhang Xinjie finished packing his things, he passed in front of Xiao Shiqin and, from an angle where no one could see him, silently gave him a cold look.

Zhang Jiale patted Xiao Shiqin on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Give up. Men will only slow her down!"