No? Can I read the mind of my mortal enemy?

When Shi Qiao returned to the court, everyone had just finished warming up. She did a quick stretch and then joined the team.

Pei Jingnian pushed a basket of tennis balls to the court and took out several communal rackets.

"Let's get started."

Pei Jingnian pulled out the list, "Shi Qiao, you go first."

Shi Qiao felt like a primary school student whose homeroom teacher was a relative, and that Teacher Pei would drag her into everything.

He lightly pressed the ballpoint pen, pushed aside the communal rackets, and handed her the white and orange Babolat racket.

It weighs just the right amount, exactly 275g, and is also wrapped with a sticky sweatband for a comfortable fit.

That's very thoughtful.

Shi Qiao took the two balls from Pei Jingnian and patted them lightly on the ground.

She only had contact with it for half a year when she was young, so how could she remember so much?

boom!

On the first try, by sheer luck, one of them went in.

[My wife is amazing! She served into the service box on her very first try. Is she some kind of genius?]

[It would have been even better if you had raised your hand a little higher, but my wife did a great job already. Keep it up!]

These undisguised compliments made Shi Qiao blush.

But it also inexplicably instilled some confidence in me.

Following Pei Jingnian's instructions, he obediently raised his hand and hit the ball at its highest point.

Unfortunately, the downward pressure was too great, and it hit the conveyor belt directly.

[It's okay, your movements are even better now, you'll definitely score the next goal.]

With eight balls remaining, Shi Qiao, having overheard Pei Jingnian's thoughts, quietly adjusted her strategy and actually managed to sink five of them.

Zone 2 was slightly worse, but four people still got in.

"Barely acceptable." Pei Jingnian noted down Shi Qiao's goal tally. "Next."

[Awesome! Ah, the first thing that hits your nose is my wife's fragrance.]

[I sniff, sniff, sniff—it's all mine!]

She swallowed her words skillfully.

Does Pei Jingnian really need her to go to such great lengths to "pursue" him?

Why does it feel like Pei Jingnian will call out whenever she beckons with her finger?

In the distance, Ruan Ruan couldn't help but sneer and turned to face her group of girlfriends:

"With this level of skill, you even dare to come to the tennis club?"

They were furious when they finally heard from Ruan Ruan that Shi Qiao hadn't conveyed her feelings at all.

"That's right, our Ruan Ruan has been playing tennis for twelve years!"

"I knew it, she and Senior Pei don't look alike at all."

"She's definitely one of those 'green tea' girls, always calling me 'brother,' but we're not even that close."

"I noticed that Pei was quite cold towards her; I guess it's because his family required him to take care of her."

"This is so annoying! Why does she get to monopolize Senior Pei all by herself?"

A glint of malice flashed in Ruan Ruan's eyes. "This fool doesn't even realize his little trick has been exposed."

"Just wait and see how I teach her a lesson."

*

After all the assessments were completed, Shi Qiao barely made it into Group B.

Coach Gao gave a few brief instructions and then told everyone to collect the balls from the court before leaving.

Shi Qiao and Shen Chen from the next group finally reunited, and the two squatted in a corner to pick up the ball together.

"Shi Qiao, did you really only learn tennis for half a year?" Shen Chen picked up his racket and gathered the scattered balls together.

Shi Qiao scratched her head sheepishly, "Well, I'm the type to only have a three-minute attention span."

They stacked balls on their rackets to form a pyramid, chatting as they placed the last ball on the court into the hoop.

"Qiao! Xiao Chen!" Jiang Youran shouted from outside the venue, "You two hurry up, I bought you chocolates!"

"Let's grab a bite first. I've made a reservation at the newly opened branch of Sushi Omakase. That Japanese restaurant is super popular. It'll be just the right time for you to go after you've finished packing."

Shi Qiao took it from the barrier of the venue, smiling and revealing her shallow dimples, "Right away, I'll go get the bag."

"Qiaoqiao~"

Just as she turned around, Ruan Ruan blocked Shi Qiao's way, carrying two neatly packed tennis bags.

"Senior Pei said that I should help you put the equipment back."

She suddenly froze, forcing a smile. "I didn't notice. Did you have plans with your friends later?"

"Then I'll go by myself."

She lowered her slender frame and then lifted the heavy roadblock barrel beside her.

Shi Qiao already felt bad for lying to Ruan Ruan, so she quickly took the two bags of balls from her hands.

"It's okay, I'll help you."

She turned her head and said, "Youyou, you and Xiaochen go to the shop and wait for me. I'll be there in a bit."

Jiang Youran and Shen Chen didn't think much of it and nodded, "Then hurry up."

Shi Qiao followed behind Ruan Ruan, carrying two baskets of balls.

"I'm sorry to trouble you to keep me company."

"It's okay, it's not appropriate for a girl to carry so many things."

Pei Jingnian is really strange. Why did he assign such heavy work to the two girls?

The two bypassed the path and made their way to the equipment room.

Ruan Ruan kept trying to find topics to talk about on the way, her face full of enthusiasm, which made Shi Qiao feel more and more guilty.

Although she didn't have a very good impression of Ruan Ruan at first, her opinion has changed now.

It's wrong to lie to people like that.

Whether you die sooner or later, you're going to die anyway.

She stopped in front of the door. "Ruan Ruan, I have something I want to tell you."

"Actually, I..."

Ruan Ruan's fake smile suddenly vanished. "I know, you're not actually Pei Xuechang's sister."

She pushed the golf cart hard, and the metal collided with Shi Qiao's body, her fair skin immediately turning red, causing her to stagger back two steps in pain.

Father's.

The change was made too early.

She should have known long ago that a leopard can't change its spots.

Ruan pressed on, "I also know that you threw away everyone's things and didn't hand them to Senior Pei at all!"

She specifically sent someone to ask the cleaning lady who was on duty that day.

The aunt had a deep impression of it, saying that she found a bunch of well-wrapped gifts in the trash can of the teaching building.

Shi Qiao frowned. "I don't have any. I gave them all to Pei Jingnian."

Just as she was about to fight back, two girls suddenly appeared beside her and grabbed her arms from the left and right, leaving her helpless despite her stubbornness.

Snapped!

He slapped her across the face with such force that Shi Qiao's vision went black for a moment.

She shook her head a couple of times before she calmed down.

However, she was no pushover either, and kicked Ruan Ruan hard with both legs.

"I admit that I lied in the heat of the moment."

"But I gave all your gifts to Pei Jingnian. I, Shi Qiao, am willing to admit my mistake!"

"Let me go!"

Ruan Ruan clutched her stomach, her face contorted in pain. "How could someone like Senior Pei just throw our gifts in the trash?!"

"You dare to argue!"

She frantically tried to rush up and grab Shi Qiao, but Shi Qiao, this extraordinary woman, was skilled with her feet, kicking her like a whirlwind and forcing her to retreat step by step.

The two girls beside him were sweating profusely and he almost couldn't hold them back.

Shi Qiao was panting heavily, with two fresh scratch marks on her cheeks, the slight pain stimulating her nerves.

Ruan Ruan's knuckles cracked. "You damned bitch!"

"You bitch, I was just thinking of teaching you a lesson."

"You forced me to do this!"

She pulled out the hemp rope beside her, and the three of them worked together to tie Shi Qiao to the iron railing where the equipment was stored.

She used duct tape to seal Shi Qiao's mouth, and waved the key in her hand.

"What a coincidence, our tennis club is the last club to use the equipment room today."

A ruthless glint flashed in her eyes, and her smile became ugly.

"You can stay here and reflect on your actions for the rest of the night, Shi Qiao."

boom!

The door was closed.