Volume 1, Chapter 29: A Mixture of Truth and Falsehood

Compared to Yan Lai, Lin Tingyuan was more composed. After a brief pause, he continued his interrogation.

"Jiang Ming, try a little harder with your tall tales. What you just said is not only unbelievable, it’s ridiculous. You like her? You’ve always hated having women get close to you!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ming gave a cold laugh. Then, looking at Lin Tingyuan and Yan Lai as if they were idiots, he replied, "When did I ever say I didn't like women?"

"This..."

Lin Tingyuan and Yan Lai were at a loss for words. It was true—thinking back, no one had ever heard Jiang Ming say such a thing himself. It had always been everyone else jumping to conclusions, and Jiang Ming had simply never bothered to refute them.

Seeing them frown in deep thought, Jiang Ming continued, "I only hate women I don't like getting close to me. Because it’s her, I even agreed to the interview assignment."

"You..." Even with Jiang Ming’s retort, Lin Tingyuan found himself unable to argue.

He had known Jiang Ming for eight years and had indeed never seen him with a woman. Aside from two brief answers during a CCTV interview after a major competition, he had never accepted media inquiries either. The idea that he would make an exception for someone he liked was, in fact, logical.

"How do you two know each other?"

"No comment."

Seeing that Lin Tingyuan was clearly starting to believe him, Jiang Ming knew it was time to wrap things up.

"Captain Lin, Yan Lai, listen closely. Professionally, she was sent by the television station. You don't have to cooperate, but please don't cause trouble. After all, I promised Director Zong I would handle the hosting duties properly. Personally, she is mine, and I won't allow anyone to hurt her. So, stop giving her a hard time, or don't blame me for disregarding our bond as teammates."

With that, Jiang Ming tightened his hold on Su Shan, turned, and walked away without looking back.

Once they were away from the pool, Su Shan turned her face to stare at Jiang Ming. Being held by him was warm, but the sensation of their wet bodies pressed together felt strange, and she wanted to get down.

"Thank you, Jiang Ming. Put me down, I can walk."

"Don't move!"

Jiang Ming’s face remained cold, looking as though he didn't want to speak to her, yet he had no intention of putting her down. Su Shan wouldn't give up; she continued to struggle, trying to stand.

"My equipment is still back there..."

"Shut up!"

Hearing her only care about material things and continue thinking about work, Jiang Ming seemed even more annoyed.

Su Shan wanted to say that the equipment was the organization's fixed assets and it would be a huge headache if it were lost or broken. Ultimately, she just shrank her neck and dared not say another word, though she cursed silently in her heart.

*It was all an act, not a shred of sincerity. Talking about liking someone, calling her "his"! Who acts so fiercely, coldly, and brutally toward someone they like...*

Just like that, Jiang Ming brought Su Shan to the parking lot and headed straight for his car.

"My car is nearby; I can go back on my own..." Su Shan said weakly. She felt that Jiang Ming had helped her enough.

Jiang Ming ignored her, opened the car door, and went to place her inside.

"I'm covered in water; I'll ruin your car."

Jiang Ming drove a Land Rover Range Rover. Its rugged exterior radiated a powerful aura, while the interior was luxurious and packed with technology. With its rich power options and strong performance, it was the epitome of a perfect blend of luxury and sport—it suited him well. Sitting in a luxury car while soaking wet made Su Shan feel embarrassed; it wasn't a fascination with the expensive vehicle, but a simple sense of apology for soaking the seats.

Jiang Ming didn't speak. He just glared at Su Shan before placing her in the passenger seat. He tossed his sports bag into the back, retrieved a spare quick-dry towel from the trunk to wipe himself down, and then climbed into the driver's seat.

Seeing Su Shan sitting uneasily, looking at him with a face full of guilt, the anger in Jiang Ming's heart suddenly subsided by half.

With a faint sigh, Jiang Ming suddenly leaned toward Su Shan.

The sudden movement brought the scent of familiar cedar, mixed with a faint trace of pool water. As his warm breath brushed against her face, Su Shan's heart seemed to skip a beat, and her body went rigid as she gripped the seat cover for dear life.

With a click, the seatbelt was fastened, and Jiang Ming pulled back. Su Shan knew then that she wasn't going anywhere.

The next second, Jiang Ming stepped on the gas and drove away from the sports center.

...

Three minutes passed before Jiang Ming spoke again, though not to Su Shan.

On the phone, Jiang Ming didn't explain the details, only instructing Wang Yining to quickly handle the aftermath at the pool and keep Su Shan's things safe. At the same time, he told him that if the coach did a bed check tonight, he should say Jiang Ming had left something at home and had gone back to get it, and that he would return before roll call the next morning.

Afterward, there was another long silence.

Jiang Ming was expressionless, the air pressure around him incredibly low. Even though the car's air conditioning wasn't on, it felt two degrees colder, and Su Shan couldn't help but wrap the bath towel tighter around herself.

Su Shan's movements caught Jiang Ming's eye, causing him another pang of distress. Thinking Su Shan was suffering from a drop in body temperature due to being wet, he slammed his foot on the accelerator to speed up, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that the veins stood out.

Because of this, Su Shan became even more frightened. She didn't understand why Jiang Ming was so angry, nor did she know how to improve the situation.

Silently, she took out her phone and carefully wiped it down. Fortunately, it still worked. Su Shan hurriedly sent a message to Xiao Rui, asking for help online.

"How do you coax a man who's angry?"

"Who are you trying to coax? Jiang Ming? Tsk tsk tsk, the two of you barely started your little flirtation, and you're already fighting?" Xiao Rui replied instantly, but offered no advice, only teasing.

"Stop guessing, just get to the point."

"If he's a lover, with your looks, you can resolve anything just by being a little more 'proactive.' If he's just a regular guy, use your silver tongue. I don't mean French kissing, I mean talking! Hahaha..."

Su Shan understood and put her phone away. Ignoring Xiao Rui's lack of seriousness, she extracted the keywords. It had to be said, her best friend knew her best.

Ever since the accident, Su Shan had been in a daze. Jiang Ming had been the same, barely giving her a chance to speak a complete sentence, which only made the situation increasingly awkward.

If the mountain won't come to me, I will go to the mountain. Having always been persistent, and after years of chasing news stories, her skill for being relentless was even more refined. Su Shan immediately opened the floodgates of conversation, even though Jiang Ming gave no response.

"Jiang Ming, I really thank you for saving me again. But may I ask, where are we going?"

The car was silent.

Su Shan was neither surprised nor discouraged; she continued to talk to herself.

"If you're kindly taking me home, shouldn't you ask for my address?"

Waiting at a red light, Jiang Ming checked the rearview mirror, spotted a familiar car, and his expression darkened further. He still didn't speak, only tilting his head slightly to glance at Su Shan, his expression complex.

What was that supposed to mean? Give me a look and let me figure it out myself?

In the past, Su Shan only thought Jiang Ming was aloof and hard to approach, but not hard to understand. Right now, she truly couldn't make sense of him at all. She could only keep searching for topics.

"Are you going back to your place? Why did you bring me along?"

Jiang Ming didn't commit to an answer, but a fire flared in his heart, making him want to answer even less.

"Are you not going back to the dorm?"

"Aren't you in a training camp? Is this really okay?"

Jiang Ming didn't speak, but in his heart, he cursed Su Shan eight times over. This heartless woman—she had just nearly drowned, why did she still have so much to say? Didn't she know she should be resting, or was she not afraid of getting water in her lungs?

Su Shan couldn't read minds and couldn't hear Jiang Ming's inner monologue, so she just kept on muttering.