swimming competition
The next day was a sunny day.
Before the rain started, the production team used the swimming pool in front of the villa to hold a water party.
The female guests changed into eye-catching bikinis, floral vacation dresses, and straw hats, while the male guests also took off their shirts to show off their physiques.
A white shadow darted across the azure water. He swam quickly, his hands moving forward alternately, occasionally lifting his head to breathe.
Beneath the water's surface, the inverted triangle silhouette and long legs are particularly striking.
Xu Yimeng shouted from the shore, "Go, Lin-ge!"
After swimming a lap, Yu Songlin returned to the area where the other guests had gathered. He suddenly leaped out of the water, his half-length hair hanging over his forehead. Because it was wet, his originally straight hair had become slightly curly.
His young body shone brightly in the sunlight, his chest, abdomen and arms muscles powerful but not exaggerated.
When he stepped out of the water, everyone stared at him.
Yu Songlin picked up a drink from the small table, took a sip, and smiled in response to the teasing from the others.
Unfortunately, the most important person is not here.
Ding Xuefei took leave early this morning, only telling the production team and not telling anyone else, saying she wouldn't be back until tonight.
Yu Songlin, of course, had no intention of displaying his pheasant feathers. He swam purely out of enjoyment of sports, but given his looks and physique, even just swimming casually was enough to attract attention.
"You swam well."
Yu Songlin turned his head and saw Fang Jinyu walking towards him.
Judging from his physique, you can tell he's been consistently exercising; the signs of training are more obvious than those of Yu Songlin.
Yu Songlin couldn't figure out why he came, so he just smiled politely.
"Want to have a competition?"
Yu Songlin took another sip of his drink and shook his head.
Ding Xuefei wasn't there either; he wasn't a very competitive person.
Besides, he actually dated Ding Xuefei, so what if he's an idol? There's no need to compare yourself to him.
"You dare not?"
Yu Songlin was taken aback upon hearing this. Although he had long seen through Fang Jinyu's feelings for Ding Xuefei, Fang Jinyu had never shown him such direct hostility before.
Perhaps it was because of the heart-fluttering riddle from last night that this matter was brought to the forefront.
During dinner last night, Fang Jinyu once again mentioned, intentionally or unintentionally, that he came to the show because of a certain guest. The mystery of last night was: which guest did Fang Jinyu come for?
Yu Songlin was certain that, apart from Ding Xuefei, everyone else could see through his thoughts.
He wasn't sure what Ding Xuefei was thinking, and he didn't dare to ask.
Could it be that Ding Xuefei suddenly took leave today because he didn't know how to face this matter? It certainly sounds like something he's capable of doing.
Ding Xuefei isn't here right now, and it's not like whoever swims well can find true love, so why waste time?
Yu Songlin smiled and said, "No, it's just unnecessary."
“Why not?” Fang Jinyu seemed to be at odds with Yu Songlin. He stopped in front of Yu Songlin and said, “I can see that you like him a lot. You are very competitive, but I am not bad either.”
The sunlight was too strong, so Yu Songlin squinted.
It's clear that Fang Jinyu won't give up until they have a match today.
He jumped off the chair, met Fang Jinyu's gaze, and still smiled calmly: "Then let's have a competition."
*
The second floor of a cafe in a back alley in the city center.
Ding Xuefei hadn't been here for a long time, and the thoughtful owner reserved the entire second floor for him.
At this moment, he looked down through the glass window of the small shop. The sycamore leaves on both sides of the old street were already very lush. A gentle breeze rustled through them, and the chirping of cicadas was interspersed with the chirping of birds. Students rode their bicycles nimbly by. The morning in the alley was very leisurely.
He took the day off early today because of an appointment.
Last night, Duan Jun messaged him to ask him to meet up, and Ding Xuefei agreed without much thought.
The two were very close during their university years, and Duan Jun was one of the few friends Ding Xuefei knew about his past relationship with Yu Songlin. After graduation, Duan Jun joined a construction company and was often away on business trips, keeping him extremely busy, and their contact gradually decreased.
When Duan Jun suddenly contacted him, Ding Xuefei had a vague idea of who it might be related to.
When Duan Jun arrived, Ding Xuefei was staring blankly out the window, the beautifully decorated cup of coffee in front of her untouched and almost completely cold.
"Hey, our big star, long time no see. It's really not easy to get an appointment with you." Duan Jun sat down opposite her with a smile, his voice pulling Ding Xuefei out of her chaotic thoughts.
Ding Xuefei snapped out of her daze, forced a smile, and retorted listlessly, "Come on, you, Engineer Duan, are the one who's elusive and rarely seen."
The waiter brought Duan Jun's Americano. As he stirred it with his spoon, he casually remarked, "I watched your show, 'The Mystery of Heartbeats.' You... met with Yu Songlin again?"
Ding Xuefei's fingers tightened slightly around the cup, but her expression remained calm: "Yes, you might not believe it, but I haven't been in contact with Yu Songlin for many years. It was only after I appeared on this show that we slowly reconnected."
He lowered his head and took a sip of the cold coffee, the bitter taste spreading on his tongue.
Duan Jun nodded, remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering his words.
“Xuefei,” Duan Jun lowered his voice, “there are some things that I may not be the one to say. But as a friend, I think you have the right to know.”
"When you broke up back then... Yu Songlin probably had his own difficulties."
Ding Xuefei's heart skipped a beat, and he looked up at Duan Jun.
When he broke up with Yu Songlin, Duan Jun, as his roommate and also Yu Songlin's friend, completely sided with Ding Xuefei.
After all, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Yu Songlin was just making excuses to break up.
“I only found out about this later… A couple of years ago, I ran into some difficulties and almost couldn’t make ends meet. I posted a complaint on my WeChat Moments late at night. I didn’t expect Yu Songlin to take the initiative to contact me and lend me some money to help me through the crisis. After that incident, I resumed some contact with him.”
"Later, when we were drinking, he told me that the reason he broke up with you back then was not because he was worried that the exposure of the relationship would affect his future, but because he was worried about you."
Ding Xuefei didn't quite understand: "What are you worried about me for?"
"You weren't in the industry yet back then, but because you would visit the set, someone in the industry took a liking to you."
Ding Xuefei suddenly looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
Yu Songlin never mentioned this matter.
"You know how murky this industry is. Back then, Yu Songlin was just a minor actor. I never expected him to become famous. He felt he couldn't protect you, so it was best to break up with you."
Ding Xuefei didn't speak, but her fingers unconsciously rubbed the cool glass.
Some fragments he had overlooked, from four years ago to now, were causing Ding Xuefei's mind to become a jumbled mess, and the reason that Yu Songlin had never been able to say was about to become clear.
"Is it Yan Chao?"
Yu Songlin and Yan Chao didn't get along, and he had heard Yan Chao mention this several times. When he joined Yaoxing Entertainment, it was because Yan Chao introduced him, but he didn't have much of a relationship with Yan Chao.
Later, rumors circulated about him and Yan Chao, but Ding Xuefei knew in his heart that he and Yan Chao had never had any relationship beyond ordinary friends. He and his group obtained resources based on their own abilities and did not take any "shortcuts".
Ding Xuefei's mind was buzzing as she listened to Duan Jun's words.
In the aquarium, Yu Songlin's dry words, "Someone wants to expose our relationship," and "Breaking up is a better way to protect you..." echoed in my ears once again.
At the time, he thought it was just a lame excuse, but now Duan Jun's words have filled in the details bit by bit.
The reason why Yu Songlin didn't come looking for him again is easy to explain: he genuinely believed that Ding Xuefei was with someone else.
"Idiot." Ding Xuefei lowered her eyes, her eyes slightly red, and unconsciously uttered these two words.
Duan Jun was still a little confused, but Ding Xuefei suddenly smiled, and the gloom in his heart was swept away.
"It's okay, I understand. Thank you for today."
As she spoke, Ding Xuefei stood up, turned around and told Duan Jun that they would meet up again next time.
Although they only chatted for a short while, Ding Xuefei couldn't wait any longer; he wanted to see Yu Songlin right now.
Give him a good scolding.
*
When Ding Xuefei rushed back to the Heartbeat House, it was already close to noon.
He felt like he was holding a fire in his heart, making him restless and wanting nothing more than to see Yu Songlin immediately... He didn't know what to say or do once he saw him.
As soon as he stepped into the villa area, he was greeted by a cacophony of noise. He immediately noticed a group of people sitting around the pool, while two agile figures were paddling vigorously in the blue water.
It was Yu Songlin and Fang Jinyu.
Ding Xuefei paused, somewhat taken aback. Why were these two competing? And they seemed quite serious about it?
He moved closer and stood on the periphery of the crowd, his gaze involuntarily fixed on Yu Songlin.
Water droplets rolled down his smooth muscle lines. He swam with great effort, each arm stroke filled with fierce power, unlike his usual effortless swimming style.
Xu Yimeng noticed Ding Xuefei first, and excitedly winked at him: "Brother Xuefei, you're finally back!"
The others turned and saw Ding Xuefei, and they also looked excited and started to cheer loudly, which puzzled Ding Xuefei for a moment.
The two people in the pool noticed Ding Xuefei almost simultaneously.
Yu Songlin's eyes sharpened, and a glance from afar seemed to inject new energy, causing his speed to increase even further.
Fang Jinyu, on the other side, also saw Ding Xuefei and quickened his pace, clearly unwilling to be outdone in front of others.
The cheers from the onlookers grew louder, and Ke Ran pulled Ding Xuefei to the front row to shout encouragement.
Ding Xuefei shouted twice, but Ke Ran didn't seem satisfied. He asked, "Brother Xuefei, just shouting 'Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"
Ding Xuefei was baffled: "Both sides."
Their conversation was interrupted by shouts from other people.
"Ahhh, less than ten meters left! Who will win?!"
In the last few meters, Yu Songlin was practically sprinting through gritted teeth, with veins bulging on his forehead.
He was so eager to win that his usual composure vanished, and at the moment he touched the pen, he exerted too much force, causing his left shoulder to slam against the hard pool wall with a dull thud.
Yu Songlin groaned, his movements instantly freezing, a flash of pain crossing his face.
At almost the same moment, Fang Jinyu touched the wall steadily and reached the finish line first.
Ke Ran, acting as the temporary referee, shouted, "I declare! Brother Jinyu has won!"
Yu Songlin and Fang Jinyu stood up one after the other.
Fang Jinyu turned her head to look at Yu Songlin, a victor's smile appearing on her lips. Then she turned her gaze to the crowd, searching for the person he cared about, but she couldn't find him.
Before the cheers had even subsided, Ding Xuefei's expression changed. She pushed aside the people in front of her, rushed to the edge of the pool, and squatted down, anxiously watching Yu Songlin in the water.
"How are you?" His voice carried a panic he himself didn't realize, his gaze fixed on Yu Songlin's stiff left shoulder. "Is it serious?"
He completely ignored Fang Jinyu, who had just won, and forgot that they were in front of the camera. He even forgot about the unpleasantness before. All he could see was Yu Songlin, whose face was pale but who was still trying to remain calm.
Fang Jinyu wiped the water off her face and looked at Ding Xuefei's unwavering figure, her smile turning slightly bitter.
We lost.
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