Volume 1 Chapter 5: An Unexpected Intrusion

"My dear, yes, the training camp doesn't start until tomorrow, but as captain, I must set an example and return tonight."

"Of course I miss you. My 'little brother' misses you too. He longs to be buried in your warmth... and never come out all night."

"Why be shy? You’re the one I’m going to marry."

"Wait until the World Championships are over."

"The Spring Championship was managed quite well. I heard the most expensive tickets were scalped for 8,000. As expected, a fan's money is the easiest to earn..."

"They are naturally different from you. I’m not someone who can be slept with just by spending money, you know."

"By the way, before I head to the national team camp, could you help me soften up those few coaches again..."

"There’s a provincial championship coming up soon—it's actually just an internal team test. I suspect I won’t be able to see you often before the National Championships."

"Of course I miss you, and I miss you even more when you’re wearing nothing at all..."

His expression was sleazy, his voice lewd. Susan watched, struggling to suppress her rage, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the device.

Suddenly, Yan Lai walked into the room, startling Susan into shrinking behind the wardrobe.

Lin Tingyuan made some nauseating kissing sounds into the microphone and hurriedly hung up.

Yan Lai was a young team member who specialized in the butterfly stroke. He shared the same assistant coach as Lin Tingyuan and was Lin’s most loyal lackey.

"Brother Yuan, you’re back?"

"Yeah, about to swim a few laps to recover."

"Who were you getting intimate with just now?"

"Your sister-in-law."

"Oh! Not the girl with the D-cup?" Yan Lai’s voice dragged out, dripping with innuendo.

"We’re over," Lin Tingyuan said dismissively.

"But she had such a great body, and you said she was good in bed, right? Plus, she was generous!"

"I got bored. Mostly, she became clingy and wanted to move up in the world. A woman who gets too many ideas is not worth keeping."

"That’s my Brother Yuan—quick to cut through the mess. Once the championships are over, let’s organize another fan meetup. You’ll find someone better. Don’t forget your little brother when the time comes!"

"Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty in it for you."

"I don't actually have requirements for a body, but I do like them young... preferably virgins..."

As Yan Lai chatted about crude topics with Lin Tingyuan, he walked toward his locker, drawing closer and closer to where Susan was hiding.

Susan instinctively stepped back, trying to tuck herself further away, but failed to notice an object under her feet. A "creak" echoed through the empty locker room, sounding exceptionally jarring.

"Who's there!"

Lin Tingyuan was hyper-alert and probed toward the source of the sound.

Susan pulled her mask tight and bolted. She didn't want to be cornered in the men’s locker room; that would be a dead end.

Due to her nerves, the facility she had only just become familiar with over the past few days felt foreign again. She couldn't find the exit.

With no path forward and pursuers behind, Susan became completely lost after several twists and turns. Stumbling blindly, she found herself rushing toward the swimming pool.

...

In the pool lane, Jiang Ming was swimming slowly. He was in the habit of doing a 500-meter slow swim as a cool-down after strength training. At this moment, he was the only one in the pool, accompanied only by the sound of gurgling water. After a few laps, his thoughts drifted, and he couldn't help but recall people and events from his past.

Suddenly, a flurry of panicked footsteps from afar interrupted Jiang Ming’s thoughts. He frowned slightly, performed a flip turn, and dove underwater, holding his breath to steady himself.

Tonight, Susan sported a short, violet-red bob, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had on heavy, smoky nightclub makeup. Her shirt was tucked into tight leather pants, looking wild and sexy. The rebellious girl aesthetic contrasted sharply with the pure determination in her eyes, adding a unique allure to her appearance.

Seeing that the surrounding area was empty with nowhere to hide, Susan furrowed her brows. The thing she feared most had happened; she detested being near water, but now there was no way to avoid it.

Susan shook her head frantically, forcing herself to stay calm. She quickly placed her recording pen and phone into a waterproof bag. She tucked the pen into her bra with one hand, clutched the phone tightly with the other, pulled down her mask, shoved it into her pocket, and stared helplessly at the pool, silently urging herself to be brave.

After three deep breaths, she closed her eyes and dove into the water with a look of resignation.

The pressure of entering the water made Susan extremely uncomfortable. As a rare "landlubber" in Jiangzhou, she cursed herself repeatedly in her heart.

"Susan, oh Susan, you really are a talent. You were born in Jiangzhou and took countless private lessons, yet you never learned to swim. You’re truly dragging down the reputation of Jiangzhou, the city that claims 'everyone can swim'..."

Susan held her breath desperately, but the fear of the darkness and the pressure of the water forced her to open her eyes.

To her surprise, there was a man in front of her!

Even though things were blurry underwater and the man was wearing goggles and a swim cap, making it hard to see clearly, she still recognized him.

Jiang Ming!

The two locked eyes in silent shock.

After a heart-pounding moment, Susan remembered that survival was paramount. She tried to raise a finger and placed it against her lips in a "shush" gesture, signaling Jiang Ming not to expose her presence.

Meanwhile, Lin Tingyuan and Yan Lai caught up to the poolside.

"That woman clearly ran in here. Where is she?"

Lin Tingyuan no longer wore the gentlemanly mask he had in front of the cameras; his voice was tense and even laced with cruelty.

"Brother, could you have seen wrong? I thought I saw her turn toward the weight room."

"I don't care where she is, we have to find her. Those things said just now must not get out!" Lin Tingyuan scanned the surroundings vigilantly, lowering his voice.

He was at the peak of his popularity, adored by fans and showered with endorsements. He didn't want a "scandal-driven collapse" to ruin his image and throw away a promising future.

At this moment, Jiang Ming surfaced from the water, resting his head on the edge of the pool. He took off his goggles and shook his head, his expression cold and unreadable.

"What a lively scene!" Jiang Ming sneered.

"Brother Ming! You haven't left yet?" Yan Lai was startled. He hadn't seen any movement in the pool earlier, and the sudden appearance of someone made him even more nervous than he already was.

"Just finished my turns. Still have 200 meters left."

Jiang Ming looked calm, even offering a brief explanation for why he had surfaced. He showed not a shred of interest in the sudden arrival of Lin Tingyuan and Yan Lai.

Jiang Ming’s aloofness was usually reserved only for the media and women; he was typically mild and gentle with his teammates. But right now, only ice remained on his handsome face. Those who knew Jiang Ming well knew he was angry.

But Lin Tingyuan was too nervous to care about Jiang Ming's mood. He frowned and pressed on:

"Did you see a woman with violet-red hair?"

"Violet-red hair? Captain, you have quite the unique taste!" Jiang Ming scoffed, the coldness in his words intensifying.

"Stop messing around! That woman stole something from me."

At that moment, Susan, having reached her limit underwater, instinctively tugged on Jiang Ming’s ankle, as if grasping for a lifeline.

Jiang Ming’s expression stiffened for a fleeting second. He tensed his ankle, providing a foothold for the woman underwater, while speaking faster.

"You’ve got nerve, stealing from the captain. Why don't you go ask security for the surveillance footage? In the last ten minutes, other than me, not even a fly has flown in here."

Jiang Ming’s face was cold and merciless. Lin Tingyuan, not wanting to blow things out of proportion, frowned in dissatisfaction, while Yan Lai tugged on his sleeve.