Dripping with Fragrant Sweat1
It hurts so much… Shen Man, be gentle!
Shen Man and Lin Shu stood on the left and right sides, while Tan Kai and Yin Ruxu stood at the front and back.
Lin Shu served.
Lin Shu forcefully hit the ball toward Yin Ruxu.
Tan Kai intercepted at the front, hitting it over the net with restrained force.
Shen Man caught the ball and tapped it lightly. The shuttlecock formed a beautiful arc in the air.
Seeing that it was about to land on her side of the court, Lin Shu grew anxious, ran over to catch it, and hit it back forcefully.
Tan Kai didn’t return the shuttlecock. He waited for it to land, picked it up, and said, “Lin Shu, you broke the rules. We won this round.”
Lin Shu glanced at Yin Ruxu and said disdainfully, “We’re just playing for fun. It’s not like we have to follow international rules. As long as it goes over the net, it counts as a win.”
Tan Kai paused for a moment, then smiled and said, “I have no objection. What about you two?”
A smile played on Shen Man’s lips as she toyed with the racket in her hand, saying nothing.
Yin Ruxu glanced carefully at Lin Shu, bit her lip, and said in a gentle tone, “I don’t understand the rules either. Whatever Lin Shu says, goes.”
Lin Shu grew angry, and a trace of viciousness appeared in her eyes.
The match started again.
Tan Kai served, deliberately controlling his strength and hitting it in Lin Shu’s direction to ensure she could receive it.
Lin Shu returned the shuttlecock, continuing to aim for Yin Ruxu.
Tan Kai tactfully2 moved aside and didn’t return the shuttlecock.
Yin Ruxu failed to return the shuttlecock and wore an apologetic expression. “I’m sorry, we lost again.”
“It’s fine, we’re just playing for fun,” Tan Kai said with a smile, not minding at all.
It was Lin Shu’s turn to serve again.
This time, Lin Shu stood at the front, her shoes already stepping on the boundary line.
Seeing this, Tan Kai said to Yin Ruxu, “You stand at the front too. It’s fine to step on the line.”
“Stepping on the line isn’t allowed, is it?” Yin Ruxu said in a small voice, her eyes timid.
“It’s okay. As long as you’re having fun, you don’t need to stick rigidly to the rules,” Tan Kai said.
Yin Ruxu nodded obediently and stood at the front, stepping just a little over the line.
Lin Shu hit the shuttlecock forcefully, sending it toward the back.
Tan Kai returned the shuttlecock, hitting it forward with light force so it landed right beside Yin Ruxu.
Yin Ruxu returned the shuttlecock over the net.
Lin Shu shot Tan Kai a dissatisfied glance.
Tan Kai laughed heartily, glanced at Shen Man, and said with a smile, “You two just focus on playing. Shen Man and I will help you watch the ball.”
“Who wants you…” Lin Shu huffed, swallowing back the four words ‘meddle in other people’s business’3, and focused on receiving the shuttlecock.
Shen Man stood at the back, her posture for holding the racket unchanged, quietly watching Lin Shu run back and forth at the front.
The wind from her movements blew the girl’s skirt up, revealing a pair of long, straight, and fair great long legs.
Her white shirt, soaked with sweat, clung tightly to her slender waist, outlining a graceful curve.
Shen Man’s lips curved, her gaze following that delicate, soft4, and youthful figure.
Playing against her had already consumed some of her stamina, yet the girl seemed to feel no fatigue, her spirits high, as if she had inexhaustible energy.
After watching for a while, Shen Man discovered that Yin Ruxu’s skill level was quite vegetable5; she didn’t know any techniques.
Of course, Lin Shu was also vegetable, only knowing how to hit it far and near. But with the skilled Tan Kai helping in the middle, the two vegetable birds6 surprisingly managed to play for over a dozen rounds.
In the end, Lin Shu won.
Lin Shu laughed happily and looked back at Shen Man, her small, flushed red face was full of pride, like a kitten that had just won a fight.
Shen Man smiled and asked, “Do you want to continue playing?”
“Of course,” Lin Shu said, her chin slightly raised, a face full of arrogance.
Yin Ruxu wiped the sweat from her cheeks and covered her mouth with her hand, panting softly.
Tan Kai asked, “Lin Shu wants to keep playing. Do you?”
Yin Ruxu gave a light smile. “Sure, I’m fine with it.”
“Lin Shu wants to play, so it wouldn’t be right for me to refuse,” she added.
Tan Kai didn’t catch the hidden meaning in her words and said to Lin Shu with a smile, “Why don’t you two play against each other? Shen Man and I will rest for a bit.”
“No, you two have to play with us,” Lin Shu refused in one mouthful, her attitude firm.
Naturally, Tan Kai deferred to her.
Shen Man had no objection.
After resting for a while, the four of them switched positions.
It was still Lin Shu’s turn to serve.
Lin Shu had used up a lot of stamina and could no longer run all over the court as she did before. The force of her shots had also diminished greatly.
It was the same situation for Yin Ruxu; her stamina was even worse than Lin Shu’s.
Neither of them had much strength left, and the shuttlecocks they hit seemed feeble.
Shen Man watched boredly as the shuttlecock flew back and forth; there was no need for her or Tan Kai to help at all.
Yin Ruxu returned the shuttlecock, then suddenly, she jumped and hit it with all her might.
The shuttlecock flew toward Shen Man.
Shen Man calmly raised her wrist, preparing to return the shuttlecock.
Not wanting to lose, Lin Shu tilted her head back, her eyes fixed on the shuttlecock, moving backward to follow its trajectory.
She ran a bit too hastily and didn’t look behind her. In an instant, she crashed heavily into Shen Man’s arms.
Shen Man hadn’t anticipated this turn of events. Her eyes were fast and her hands were quick as she reached out to catch Lin Shu.
She had already started to swing her racket and couldn’t stop it. With a PENG! sound, it collided with Lin Shu’s racket.
No one caught the shuttlecock, and it floated to the ground.
A pain shot through Lin Shu’s wrist. The racket was knocked from her hand, and her body fell backward uncontrollably.
She wasn’t heavy, but the force from her run unexpectedly pushed Shen Man back a step.
Shen Man acted decisively, tossing her racket aside and catching Lin Shu’s falling body with both hands.
“Why didn’t you return that shuttlecock?” Lin Shu glared at Shen Man angrily, sweat from her temples dripping down her soaked black hair onto the back of Shen Man’s hand.
She was so angry that her voice broke into a sob, and the rims of her eyes turned slightly red, whether from the heat or anger, it was hard to tell.
Shen Man held the soft body in her arms, her nose filled with the girl’s unique, fresh scent. Even covered in sweat, it didn’t diminish the girl’s sweet softness.
She felt a bit helpless in the face of this overly strong desire to win. She lowered her head and said in a level voice, “We’re just playing for fun. You don’t need to care so much about winning or losing.”
“I just have to beat her!” Lin Shu said resentfully, her eyes full of defiance, grabbing Shen Man’s arm to get up.
Just as she got up, a pain shot through her foot, and she fell back into Shen Man’s arms, a pained expression on her small, fair, rosy-cheeked face.
“Did you sprain your ankle?” Shen Man asked.
Lin Shu puffed out her cheeks angrily and turned her head away, not wanting to speak to Shen Man.
Hearing the commotion, Tan Kai immediately ran over and said with concern, “I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
“No,” Lin Shu refused stubbornly. Seeing Yin Ruxu walking over, she said loudly, “It was Shen Man who injured me. Shen Man should be the one to take me to the infirmary.”
After speaking, she looked at Shen Man, her eyes filled with an arrogance that brooked no refusal.
Tan Kai also looked at Shen Man, his eyes pleading. “Please take her.”
Shen Man’s expression remained indifferent. She nodded and helped Lin Shu up.
As they passed Yin Ruxu, Yin Ruxu bit her lip and said apprehensively, “I’m sorry, Lin Shu. I didn’t do it on purpose. I didn’t think you wouldn’t be able to return that shuttlecock.”
“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.
Lin Shu ignored her and turned her head to Shen Man, saying, “It’s all your fault I couldn’t return that shuttlecock.”
Shen Man didn’t argue with her. “I’ll take you to the infirmary,” she said.
Only then did Lin Shu show a satisfied expression, saying petulantly7, “My foot hurts. Carry me on your back.”
Shen Man crouched down. She felt Lin Shu climb onto her back, one hand grabbing her shoulder.
Her hands wrapped around that pair of fair, tender thighs, her ten fingers pressing against the girl’s soft skin.
The skin under her hands felt soft and tender, smooth and elastic, like fair, soft, and springy jelly.
A glint flashed in Shen Man’s eyes. She prepared to move her fingers, intending to use the strength of her wrists instead.
The girl on her back laughed and said arrogantly8, “Shen Man, why aren’t you talking today? Have you gone mute?”
Shen Man’s lips curved. She maintained her original posture with a clear conscience9 and teased with a smile, “The Young Miss is in a fit of anger. How would I dare to speak?”
Lin Shu faltered, then after a pause, huffed in annoyance, “I’ll give you that, you know your place.”
Shen Man carried Lin Shu on her back to the infirmary.
At this time, several students were lying in the infirmary, receiving IV drips.
Seeing the two of them enter, everyone’s eyes lit up.
Lin Shu calmly accepted their stunned gazes, and her mood improved slightly.
Shen Man paid them no mind. She walked to the doctor, gently set Lin Shu down, and said, “She sprained her ankle and also has a minor injury on her wrist. Could I trouble you to take a look?”
The smug smile on Lin Shu’s face froze. She asked in surprise, “How did you know my hand was injured?”
Shen Man glanced at her wrist and described in a flat tone, “Your racket was knocked from your hand. Your wrist would more or less be injured.”
Hearing this, a strange feeling flashed through Lin Shu’s heart, but she was verbally unforgiving. “It’s all your fault. You just had to fight me for that shuttlecock. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt, and I wouldn’t have lost that point.”
Shen Man stood without a word, her gaze directed at the doctor.
“Student, extend your foot, let me take a look,” the doctor said amiably.
Lin Shu complied. When the doctor pressed her ankle, she couldn’t help but scrunch up her little face. “Hurts…”
“It’s a slight sprain, but luckily you didn’t injure the bone. I’ll prescribe some medicine. Apply it for a few days, and you’ll be fine,” the doctor said.
“Are there any precautions to take?” Shen Man asked.
“That’s not necessary. It’s just a minor sprain. If it were a boy, he’d basically be fine after a night’s rest,” the doctor said.
Shen Man instantly understood the implied meaning.
Lin Shu’s injury wasn’t actually serious and would heal on its own. She was just too delicate, and the doctor was prescribing medicine mainly to appease her.
“My foot hurts so much. You have to apply the medicine for me now,” Lin Shu said with a frown, her tone one of entitlement10.
“En,” Shen Man responded. She helped Lin Shu to the rest area and went to get the medicine with the doctor’s prescription.
Lin Shu sat and lightly lifted her ankle, immediately scrunching up her little face in pain.
Shen Man returned with the medicine. Seeing the pained look on Lin Shu’s face, she asked, “Does it really hurt that much?”
“Of course! My foot hurts so much I can’t even lift it. Maybe I won’t be able to walk tomorrow. I’ll become a cripple,” Lin Shu said, puffing out her cheeks, the pain causing her tone to be unconsciously tinged with grievance.
Shen Man, “…”
She had still underestimated the extent of the Young Miss’s delicateness.
“I’ll apply the medicine for you now.” Shen Man opened the medicine box, took out the ointment inside, crouched down, and after a glance at Lin Shu, said, “I’ll help you take off your shoe.”
Lin Shu huffed and said, afraid of the pain, “Be gentle.”
“En.” Shen Man loosely held the area above Lin Shu’s ankle with one hand and reached for the shoe with the other.
She hadn’t even touched Lin Shu’s shoe when Lin Shu cried out in a small voice as if someone had pinched a sore spot, “It hurts so much… Shen Man, be gentle!”
Shen Man had no choice but to stop. She looked up, her gaze fixed coolly on Lin Shu, and said with a warning, “No shouting. Endure it, even if it hurts.”
“How can I endure it when it hurts?” Lin Shu protested aggrievedly, tears welling in her eyes.
Shen Man shot her a cold glance, then looked down. She re-gripped Lin Shu’s ankle with her left hand, pinched the heel of the shoe with her right, and slowly pulled the shoe off.
Then the sock.
After so much exercise, Lin Shu’s foot didn’t have the slightest odor. Her fair, tender, and rounded toes were extremely pretty.
Shen Man didn’t have a foot fetish11, but even she thought the girl’s foot was exquisitely delicate and very beautiful.
Without raising her head, she said, “I’m going to apply the medicine now. Don’t move your foot.”
Lin Shu sniffled twice with her red nose and bit her red lip without speaking. Her hands braced against the back of the chair, her body tense as if ready to flee at any moment.
Shen Man used her fingers to spread the cool ointment on the ankle, her two slender, fair fingers massaging it in gently.
Lin Shu blinked, her gaze fixed on that serious side profile, and she gradually became lost in thought.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She uncontrollably kicked her foot forward, hitting Shen Man squarely on her delicate chin.
Shen Man looked up, a trace of anger in her eyes.
Lin Shu flinched and hurriedly explained in a small voice, “I didn’t do it on purpose! Why did you have to press there? My foot was completely out of my control.”
Toward the end, she became bold and self-righteous12 again, raising her voice. “It’s all your fault I got injured in the first place.”
Shen Man didn’t argue with her. She put down the ointment and said, “Apply this medicine three times a day. It’ll be better in two days.”
Seeing the expectant look on Lin Shu’s face, as if waiting to be served, Shen Man added, “Apply it yourself.”
Lin Shu wanted to retort, but when she met Shen Man’s cold eyes, she just huffed and did it herself—pulling on her sock and putting on her shoe.
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