Jing Jiaxi froze for a fleeting second right after asking his question.
Only at this exact moment did he suddenly register his own subconscious dependency on Fu Qianyu.
He had participated in numerous sports meets back at his previous schools. During his middle school years, he would push his body to its absolute limits, running desperately just to secure the prize money and rewards reserved for the first-place finish.
Because he had never undergone a comprehensive physical examination, he remained blissfully ignorant of just how deteriorating his condition actually was. He simply remembered that following every single sprint, the inside of his nasal cavity would be flooded with a metallic, bloody taste, and his footsteps would turn so hollow and weak he wanted nothing more than to faint on the spot.
It was only after Fu Qianyu personally brought him to the hospital for an all-inclusive checkout that he discovered his body was already severely overdrawn due to long-term physical and mental exhaustion.
Consequently, he had been extra careful and cautious about nurturing the pregnancy ever since.
Because he didn’t want to squander the incredibly precious nutritional supplements Fu Qianyu gifted him, he tried his absolute best to eat as much as possible during every meal.
Even so, whenever he caught a fleeting trace of hidden dissatisfaction in Mr. Fu’s eyes over how little he ate, he would still plunge straight into a wave of guilt.
He reproached himself for failing to live up to the man’s expectations, feeling exactly like an inadequate child who had completely failed to execute his designated duties.
Fortunately, Mr. Fu appeared to be exceptionally perceptive. Detecting his self-blame, the man would always subtly diffuse his negative emotions through imperceptible, everyday actions.
By the time Jing Jiaxi recovered his wits, his guilty conscience would have long since transformed into a keen interest in other matters.
Mr. Fu was consistently patient with him, treating his thoughts with absolute seriousness. Even when faced with incredibly naive, superficial questions, the man would still dissect and answer them one by one.
Under Fu Qianyu’s care, Jing Jiaxi was tasting the sensation of being thoroughly cherished and protected for the very first time in his life.
When exactly was it that he had stopped waking up from frantic, terrifying nightmares?
Realizing this inflection point, a sudden wave of panic rushed over Jing Jiaxi.
His uncertainty regarding his own worth and his hesitation toward the future sent him spiraling straight into a labyrinth of confusion.
“When exactly is the sports meet?”
“…Ah? Next Tuesday.”
Yanked back to reality by Fu Qianyu’s sudden inquiry, Jing Jiaxi found himself suddenly lacking the courage to meet the man’s gaze. He buried his chin deep against his chest, frantically attempting to mask the steady heat coloring his face.
He wanted nothing more than to clutch a block of ice flat against his skin right now, if only to make himself appear a little less panicked and disoriented.
A warm palm placed itself gently flat over his forehead, causing Jing Jiaxi’s heart to resume a frantic, erratic thumping.
“Are you feeling unwell?”
The man’s low inquiry sounded as though it were drifting over from an immense distance. Jing Jiaxi shook his head blindly, dodging away from the man’s hand.
“I… I’m just a bit hot.”
Jing Jiaxi bolted straight into the restroom, scooping up a handful of cold water to splash over his face.
As a dense, oblivious youth suddenly awakening to the very first stirrings of love, his immediate reaction wasn’t a rush of joy or excitement—instead, he was terrified into fleeing the man’s presence as quickly as humanly possible.
Staring at his reflection in the mirror—his face blanketed in glistening water droplets and flushed a vivid peach-blossom pink—an entirely unfamiliar, burning warmth erupted from his core.
Only now did Jing Jiaxi truly comprehend that the lines written in novels—“When love descends, the heart rages like molten magma”—were actually literal depictions of reality.
He cradled his chest, feeling the steady, frantic thumping, a sudden surge of profound aching sweetness blooming within his chest.
“Jing Jiaxi, what’s wrong?”
Fu Qianyu’s slightly urgent voice drifted through the door. Jing Jiaxi called back instantly: “I’m fine!”
After a brief pause, Jing Jiaxi finally stabilized his chaotic emotions and swung the door open.
Fu Qianyu spoke: “I have a business trip next Tuesday. I likely won’t be able to make it.”
“Ah… It’s perfectly fine! I can take care of myself.”
Jing Jiaxi was astonished to discover that a heavy sense of disappointment and a profound wave of relief could actually manifest within his heart simultaneously.
While a part of him genuinely yearned to have a familiar face accompany him to the university’s collective activity, he equally required a pocket of isolation to properly sort through his complicated, chaotic tangle of emotions.
His mind was a complete battlefield right now, spinning sluggishly as though it were fully submerged underwater.
Jing Jiaxi required a massive stretch of time to figure out exactly what it was he truly wanted.
Fu Qianyu guided him over to the sofa to rest. It was only after ensuring his complexion had fully returned to normal a short while later that the man finally rose to take his leave.
Corporate affairs were piling up mountain-high; his ability to rush over during the lunch hour was already a feat managed by aggressively compressing his schedule.
Before departing, Fu Qianyu strictly instructed the domestic staff residing on the floor below to pay extra close attention to Jing Jiaxi’s condition.
The moment he arrived at the corporate headquarters, he summoned his secretary straight into the executive suite.
“Compress the itinerary for next week’s business trip as tightly as possible. Make sure everything is wrapped up before Tuesday.”
“Understood, CEO.”
Time marched forward at a rapid clip. By the time Jing Jiaxi stepped onto the running track, he and Fu Qianyu hadn’t crossed paths for a full three days.
Mr. Fu seems to be exceptionally busy lately.
Jing Jiaxi refrained from disrupting his work, spending his spare time quietly keeping the other participants company during their matches.
In truth, a competitor of his caliber should have been thoroughly weeded out during the preliminary heats. However, due to an unexpected scarcity of participants, the preliminaries had been entirely scrapped, launching him directly into the final event.
Jing Jiaxi wiped away a stray bead of sweat, entirely unsure whether to attribute this outcome to stellar luck or sheer misfortune.
The blistering sun hovering overhead was intense enough to make one’s brain go foggy.
Fortunately, the enthusiasm bouncing off the spectator stands was as roaring as a tidal wave.
“Jing Jiaxi! Forwards!” “Jing Jiaxi! You’re the absolute best!” “Jing Jiaxi! Ahhh!”
…
Catching the sound of his own name echoing through the air, Jing Jiaxi lifted his eyes to scan the crowds.
Aside from his own classmates, he could actually spot female students from entirely different departments screaming at the top of their lungs.
Jing Jiaxi had zero inkling as to when exactly he had amassed such a massive reputation. He gave his supporters a gentle wave, a serene, radiant smile blossoming across his features.
The girls erupted into an even more deafening crescendo of shrieks.
Spurred on by their infectious energy, the surrounding students who had been lounging lazily also began to scream their respective classmates’ names, sending the atmosphere instantly skyrocketing.
The runners positioned on the track felt a sudden surge of motivation, every single one of them flexing their muscles and warming up dynamically, determined to cut a magnificent figure today.
Lü Pengtao, an exceptionally massive, heavily built youth, went so far as to overtly flash his bulging bicep contours.
A few spectators delivered appreciative whistles in response. Lü Pengtao bared his large teeth into a smirk, though the glance he shot toward Jing Jiaxi—who was positioned slightly diagonally ahead of him—was laced with a dark, sinister flash.
The preparatory whistle pierced the air, and every runner instantly dropped into their starting stances.
Jing Jiaxi offered a silent apology to the girls cheering him on in his heart. He was merely here to make up the numbers; once the race commenced, he intended to stick to a gentle jog, treating the event as nothing more than a casual bout of physical exercise.
The physician had noted that moderate movement was highly beneficial to his condition.
Bang!
The starting gun exploded.
The vast majority of the runners surged forward like unleashed arrows, while Jing Jiaxi purposely lagged a beat behind, bringing up the rear.
Jing Jiaxi’s original blueprint had been to leisurely complete the circuit, but right out of the gate, someone aggressively jostled into him, forcing his frame to rock violently as he struggled to stabilize his balance.
A few perceptive spectators on the viewing stands spotted the deliberate leg-tripping maneuver, and a smattering of intense boos instantly rippled through the crowd.
Lü Pengtao, entirely unfazed, treated the negative reactions as a badge of honor, his smirk turning increasingly arrogant.
Jing Jiaxi snapped his eyes forward. As expected, the culprit was none other than his own classmate, Lü Pengtao.
His brow furrowed tightly as he followed from behind, a massive chasm already separating him from the main vanguard ahead.
Even though he had consistently gone out of his way to dodge potential conflicts, it appeared certain individuals were simply hell-bent on targeting him with pure, unadulterated malice.
Up on the viewing deck, a figure clamped his fists tight, his face turning thoroughly, menacingly dark…