Shen Qi and Liu Yi had been worried that Cui Yuelan might also end up in Team Five, which would have been a nightmare. Spending every day with a woman like that? How could they ever build any chemistry?
Fortunately, Cui Yuelan was assigned to Team Three, completely eliminating the possibility of working together. Seeing this outcome, Shen Qi and Liu Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to greet the other team members, getting to know each other.
That evening, Shen Qi thought it over. Whether the person who wanted to meet her was Cui Yuelan or not, it was best not to go. Now that the teams were divided, she needed to keep some distance from others. Otherwise, without enough trust, how could the team members bond?
So, Shen Qi dismissed the appointment entirely and went to the game room with Liu Yi and a few other teammates to build rapport.
At 8 o'clock, the strong winds and heavy rain forecasted by the weather bureau arrived right on schedule. He Yining stood alone on the rooftop garden, getting drenched by the sudden downpour. He stubbornly waited from eight until nine, but Shen Qi never showed.
When he returned to the villa, Wen Yibo and Fan Sheng Fan Li were once again laughing so hard their stomachs cramped. No matter how dominant He Yining was in the business world, when it came to matters of the heart, he was even worse off than Fan Sheng and Fan Li!
He Yining shot them a fierce glare. If it weren't for the fact that they were his close friends, daring to mock him like that—he would have... hmph...
"I told you Xiao Qi wouldn't go! You didn't believe me!" Wen Yibo laughed so hard tears were streaming down his face.
Fan Sheng chimed in, "Agreed."
Fan Li added, clutching his stomach, "Agreed, plus one."
He Yining took the towel from Xiao Chun, vigorously drying his hair, and plopped down on the sofa, asking Wen Yibo in confusion, "Why didn't she go?"
"Simple!" Wen Yibo spread his hands and replied, "She didn't know who was asking her out, so why would she go? What if it was a trap set by the opposing team to sow discord? Remember, from now on, the semifinals have already started!"
He Yining gritted his teeth. "Damn it!"
Just then, Xiao Chun answered a phone call and soon returned with a file, his steps light.
"Master Wen, the information you requested." Xiao Chun deliberately handed the file to Wen Yibo with exaggerated respect.
Before Wen Yibo could react, He Yining snatched it from Xiao Chun's hand. "Whose assistant are you?"
Xiao Chun suppressed a smile and replied, "But this task was assigned by Master Wen."
"Pfft..." Wen Yibo, Fan Sheng, and Fan Li burst out laughing again. When had they ever seen He Yining so amusing? It seemed that whenever Shen Qi was involved, he lost his composure.
He Yining's phoenix eyes swept coldly over Xiao Chun, who immediately retreated to the side. The CEO was not someone to be trifled with...
He Yining skimmed through Liu Yi's file in one go, then his gaze froze on the gender column.
Gender: Female.
Gender, female?
She was a woman?
He Yining almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him and flipped through Liu Yi's file again. Sure enough, Liu Yi was female! She was female! Ah ha ha ha!
The pent-up frustration in He Yining's chest vanished completely. He felt so refreshed he had no equal!
Wen Yibo noticed He Yining's rapid change in expression and grew curious, snatching the file from his hands. When he saw the gender column, he was stunned.
"Wait, this person named Liu Yi is a woman?" Wen Yibo flipped through the file. "Why isn't there a photo?"
Xiao Chun answered from the side, "I only found a photo of her at age five. Later, she seemed to dislike being photographed, so no other pictures exist."
Fan Sheng and Fan Li also grew interested, taking the file from Wen Yibo and scanning it top to bottom. Their jaws dropped. "Unbelievable! A sixty-kilogram-class boxer?"
"Interesting," Wen Yibo deliberately said in a strange tone.
He Yining's mood instantly brightened, completely unfazed by Wen Yibo's sarcasm. As long as the person with Xiao Qi wasn't a man, everything was fine! He knew his Xiao Qi wasn't that kind of woman! How could she be so close to another man?
Just then, Fan Sheng spoke up leisurely, "Even though the gender is female, her appearance is no less impressive than any man. A woman like that might be even more dangerous, don't you think?"
Fan Li added, "Right. Since they're both women, Xiao Qi won't be on guard. On the contrary, she might let her defenses down and get closer. If this Liu Yi is into women..."
Wen Yibo, Fan Sheng, and Fan Li all looked meaningfully at He Yining.
He Yining's inner monologue: Are you three trying to set me up with a rival? Can't you just let it go?
Yet, He Yining couldn't help but feel they had a point! He absolutely couldn't let Xiao Qi go that way! He needed to remind her of the advantages of straight men!
Day one of the semifinal team-building.
After the rain, M City's air was incredibly fresh. Everyone was taken out of the hotel to breathe in the clean air. The five hundred people marched en masse to a local sports stadium.
The stadium wasn't large, holding just over a thousand people, making it perfect for the five hundred-plus participants to do activities.
Shen Qi followed her team to the stadium, warming up her limbs. Word was they'd be completing a series of games today to strengthen team bonds.
Just then, someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Look! Someone's playing basketball!"
Shen Qi followed the pointing finger. One look, and she froze. There were He Yining, Wen Yibo, Fan Sheng Fan Li, and Xiao Chun, all in sportswear, playing basketball with another group. Why were they here? And if He Yining wanted to play basketball, he could go to a much fancier place, not this rundown little stadium!
At that moment, He Yining made a perfect three-point shot, the ball sinking cleanly into the hoop. Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Shen Qi shook her head in exasperation. He Yining must really like Cui Yuelan, to stoop to playing basketball in such a shabby stadium just to catch a glimpse of her. She glanced over at Team Three's Cui Yuelan, whose face was flushed with excitement, her eyes burning with passion.
Shen Qi's gaze dimmed slightly. So he was here for Cui Yuelan after all. Was He Yining constantly flaunting his relationship with Cui Yuelan in front of her to push her into a divorce?
Liu Yi noticed the sadness on Shen Qi's face and squeezed her fingers in silent comfort. Shen Qi forced a smile at Liu Yi, shaking her head slightly to signal she was fine.
"Playing basketball, huh?" Liu Yi scoffed. "A test of stamina? Watch Yi Ge crush them later!"
A warmth spread through Shen Qi's heart. She knew Liu Yi was defending her in her own way. Having someone stand by her side without question or reason, supporting her during her weakest moments—it was incredibly comforting. Shen Qi's eyes reddened, but she hated showing emotion and held back the tears.
Once everyone had arrived at the stadium, the organizing committee announced that today's team-building activity would be a basketball friendship match. Of course, it was basketball.
Each team had forty to fifty people, so forming a basketball team was a breeze. As everyone knew, a basketball team could have over a dozen players, but only five played in the game. So, they easily picked out a group from each team.
Liu Yi stepped up without hesitation. She didn't do anything fancy—just dropped to the ground and did twenty push-ups on one arm, instantly earning a spot on the starting lineup. Winning at basketball required stamina, after all.
Everyone here was a designer—mostly frail weaklings or women. Having women in high heels play basketball? Unless they were national-level players, it was a no-go.
The ten teams quickly selected their players, pairing off for matches. The games were short, just one half. It was all about explosive power—who could clinch victory in the shortest time.
Liu Yi and the others quickly changed clothes. Shen Qi watched Liu Yi jog over, showing off her impressive muscles, and couldn't help giving her a thumbs-up. Unlike the exaggerated, bulky muscles of men, Liu Yi's lines were stunningly beautiful. With her short hair and flat chest, she was incredibly handsome. Many women in the crowd were drawn to her.
Liu Yi flashed a bright smile at Shen Qi, making countless people jealous.
Off to the side, He Yining was warming up alone with a basketball. Even though he knew Liu Yi was a woman, the visual of her interacting with Shen Qi still grated on him.
Wen Yibo stood nearby, rubbing his chin. "Ah, I never thought a woman could be this handsome. Not bad, not bad." Having finally seen Liu Yi in person, he couldn't help sizing her up from afar. "Nice muscles, nice lines. If I were a woman, I'd be captivated too."
He Yining's phoenix eyes swept over Wen Yibo, who immediately mimed zipping his lips.
Fan Sheng and Fan Li stood by, smiling. "Let's see if they can make it to the end and face us."
"I'm looking forward to it too," He Yining said, a wolfish glint flashing in his eyes. He couldn't help licking his lips. Even if she was a woman, he wouldn't let her become his rival!
Shen Qi's team match was intense. Liu Yi's stamina was no joke—despite being a woman, she outperformed every man on the court. With a powerful slam dunk, the entire backboard trembled.