Chapter 18: Comforting an Ex is a Skill

Fang Zhou and Han Xi won two consecutive matches. During the break, Han Xi’s cheeks were flushed, and her usual aloofness seemed to have softened.

The joy of impending victory had lifted her spirits, and she turned to Fang Zhou, saying, “You’re amazing.”

Fang Zhou was startled for a moment, then accepted the compliment from his ex with ease.

When he was with Han Xi, she had never praised him.

Whether it was the candlelight dinner he spent hours preparing or the meticulously designed couple rings, Han Xi had never given him a sincere compliment.

Fang Zhou used to love her and understood she was an introverted person who wasn’t good at expressing her feelings, so he never minded.

But today, on the beach volleyball court, Han Xi actually praised him.

However, the belated compliment was ultimately too late.

Fang Zhou’s inner joy wasn’t obvious. He knew that if Han Xi had praised him more during their relationship, they might not have broken up so quickly.

Shortly after the third match started, an accident occurred.

As Han Xi spiked the ball over the net, it hit Qiao Sisi, causing her to fall to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Everyone hurried over to check on her.

“Sisi, are you okay?”

“Are you hurt? Is your arm scraped?”

Han Xi stood frozen for a moment, then looked at Fang Zhou in a panic. Her usually cold eyes finally showed signs of distress.

It was as if she was telling Fang Zhou, “What should I do? I didn’t mean to.”

This was Han Xi’s habit. Whenever she encountered a problem she found difficult to solve, she would seek Fang Zhou’s help.

At this moment, Han Xi was no longer the decisive CEO in the company but a woman lost in a storm, clinging to Fang Zhou like her only lifeline.

This stark contrast gave Fang Zhou a strange sense of satisfaction and pride.

He knew it was wrong, but he still felt pleased that Han Xi sought his help first.

This must be the damned male chauvinism at work. (tln : excessive or prejudiced support for one’s own cause or group, in particular male prejudice against women.)

Fang Zhou gave her a reassuring look, then walked over and whispered, “It’s okay, let’s go check on her.”

Everyone was chattering around Qiao Sisi, while Han Xi stood outside like a child who had done something wrong, apologizing to Qiao Sisi.

“Sisi, I’m sorry.”

Qi Le suddenly looked up and shouted at Han Xi, “Why did you hit so hard? Sisi is so delicate. Do you want to hurt her?”

Fang Zhou raised an eyebrow, almost forgetting Qiao Sisi’s other persona in the entertainment industry, the delicate little white flower.

However, that persona was just a facade. In reality, Qiao Sisi was a drama queen with a fragile ego.

Based on his understanding of Qiao Sisi, it was likely that after losing two rounds, she felt unstable and didn’t want to lose too badly, so she put on an act to concede.

Fang Zhou pulled Han Xi behind him and said in a deep voice, “Getting injured in sports is normal. There’s no need to be so harsh on Han Xi.”

Qi Le’s anger flared up, and he stood up, roaring at Fang Zhou, “What do you mean it’s normal to get injured? Do you want Sisi to get hurt?”

“I didn’t mean that. Don’t twist my words.”

The two stood facing each other, ready to fight at any moment.

The barrage of comments was already celebrating.

“Fight! Fight! I love watching the drama!”

“Oh, poor Sisi, just learned volleyball and got hurt. So heartbreaking.”

“Is that ice queen CEO jealous of our Sisi? She hit so hard!”

“Hey, come on, what could Han Xi be jealous of? Don’t be biased! Han Xi has fans too!”

The comments were livelier than the scene itself.

Qiao Sisi wiped her tears and said softly, “I’m fine. Since we’re going to lose anyway, let’s not continue.”

Her gaze lingered on Fang Zhou, seeing his brown eyes that seemed to see through everything. Her heart skipped a beat, and she didn’t dare delay any longer.

With Chu Xinran’s help, she stood up and smiled at Han Xi.

“It’s not your fault, Han Xi. I’m just too weak.”

Han Xi, having been yelled at for no reason, felt terrible and sat down to rest.

Everyone pulled Fang Zhou and Qi Le apart, and Sun Haotian happily played the mediator. Both sides shook hands and made peace.

After this incident, the barrage went wild.

“Qi Le is such a loyal puppy for Sisi! Wonder if he’ll get the girl in the end.”

“Haha, Qi Le looks like a hot-headed sheep. If he ends up like that, it’ll be hilarious.”

“Fang Zhou is quite MAN, standing up for his teammate like that.”

“Didn’t expect this mixed show of amateurs and stars to be so entertaining.”

The remaining matches were played cautiously, likely due to Qiao Sisi’s example. Winners were quickly decided.

The winners lay on the sun loungers provided by the show, while the losers had to go pick fruit.

The stark contrast in treatment made Dong Donghui sigh, “You really have to be a winner in life.”

Liu Hao, laughing, teased him, “Dong Ge, you’re already the general manager of the Asia region. Isn’t that winning?”

Dong Donghui, lying on the lounger, kicked his feet and glanced at Han Xi, implying, “I still haven’t found my true love, so it doesn’t count.”

Han Xi had been silent since sitting down, her face gloomy, like a sealed gourd.

Others thought she was playing it cool, but Fang Zhou knew she was sulking.

Han Xi’s natural cold face made her look angry when she wasn’t talking. When truly angry, her mouth corners turned down.

Fang Zhou knew the recent incident had affected her. She tended to get stomachaches when angry.

If she had a stomachache and couldn’t eat, people might think she was retaliating against Qiao Sisi.

Qiao Sisi had many young, impulsive fans, and the fan culture was really disgusting.

Han Xi might get cyberbullied by her fans.

Thinking this, Fang Zhou grabbed a bottle of water and sat beside Han Xi, talking to her.

“Don’t take it to heart. It wasn’t your fault.”

Han Xi’s body stiffened, and she turned to look at Fang Zhou, her eyes saying, “Who said I’m taking it to heart?”

Fang Zhou couldn’t help but laugh, teasing, “Yes, yes, President Han, all you have left is a stiff mouth.”

For some reason, this struck a chord with Han Xi. She raised her hand and hit Fang Zhou, angrily saying, “You’re the one with a stiff mouth.”

After some playful banter, she finally calmed down.

Fang Zhou sighed: “Comforting an ex is a skill.”