Chapter 49

"Young Master, we've found Miss Ruan."

Jiang Yihao grabbed the assistant's arm, his sharp gaze fierce enough to devour a man. "Where is she? Is she okay? Is she safe?"

Facing the rapid-fire questions, the assistant pressed his aching arm and urged him to calm down. "Young Master, please rest assured—Miss Ruan is perfectly fine. Let go first, and we'll talk slowly. It wasn't easy, but we added more people and searched hard. Finally, we found her for you."

Everyone below knew that ever since Miss Ruan went missing, the young master had been out of his mind with worry, so they all worked strenuously to find her, each vying to claim the credit in front of Jiang Yihao.

The assistant glanced at the dark, dense crowd of reporters waiting for the young master's interview and asked, "When do you think you'll have time—"

"Take me there now." Jiang Yihao ordered sternly, forgetting that he was the savior of the world, the rising star, with a post-match meeting and interviews still weighing on him. His only thought was to see Ruan Ning as soon as possible.

He had been furious at Ruan Ning for breaking her promise again, harboring anger he wanted to vent face-to-face. But when Ruan Ning disappeared and no one could find her, Jiang Yihao panicked.

He thought back—Ruan Ning would never stand him up without reason. It must have been that bastard Bu Chen threatening her, forcing her to leave him.

Now he no longer wanted to assign blame. He just wanted to see Ruan Ning quickly, to confirm she was safe and sound—that was enough.

The assistant stopped the impulsive, impatient young master. "Calm down, sir. It's already 10 o'clock now. Even if we rushed over, Miss Ruan would already be resting. It wouldn't be appropriate to show up at this hour. How about we set off early tomorrow morning? Rest assured, Miss Ruan is completely safe and unharmed. You've been playing all night, and you need a good rest too. What do you say?"

Only then did Jiang Yihao feel the dull ache spreading through his limbs. He had pushed himself to exhaustion through the entire match, his nerves strung taut the whole time, and only now, upon hearing news of Ruan Ning, did he finally relax.

His chest felt like it was collapsing, drained of all strength, and all he wanted was to collapse on the ground and sleep.

Jiang Yihao furrowed his brows, a trace of unease lingering in his eyes. "Fine. Don't leave tonight—stay with me. We'll set out at daybreak tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll go make the arrangements now." The assistant glanced at the young master, who was so anxious he seemed dazed, and shook his head with a sigh—truly a hot-blooded young man.

That evening, the cousin came back and stayed up obsessively scrolling through Jiang Yihao's content all night. Even before going to sleep, she couldn't bear to put down her phone, continuing to watch his interviews. Ruan Ning shared the bed with her, unable to sleep from the colorful glow of the phone screen, so she pulled the blanket over her eyes.

The cousin lay on her side in the dark, the phone light casting a glow across her face, illuminating her silly, lovesick grin as she excitedly dragged Ruan Ning into discussion.

"Do you think, with looks like his, he has a girlfriend?"

"Why is there so little info about him online? Aside from knowing he's an RQ rookie, there's nothing else."

"Look, this interview has already hit the trending list—300,000 likes."

"Next week's match is definitely going to be packed. So many people online like him—do you think I'll get to see him in person?"

Ruan Ning kept her eyes closed, expressionless. "I don't know. Go to sleep."

The cousin sat up in one swift motion, shoving the phone in front of Ruan Ning's face. "Why are you so indifferent? Seeing such a handsome guy doesn't stir you at all?"

Ruan Ning squeezed her eyes shut tightly and sighed. "Ugh, go to sleep, go to sleep. Don't we have to get up early tomorrow for the market?"

"Fine. No point talking to you." The cousin flopped back down sulkily. Her little cousin had always been the studious good girl since childhood, caring about nothing but her studies. Chatting about hot guys with her was like talking to a wall.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the cousin and older cousin got up to head to town for the market. They asked Ruan Ning if she wanted to come along, but Ruan Ning made an excuse to stay behind.

Auntie and Uncle had also gone up to the mountains early in the morning to pick mushrooms. It had rained the day before, and plenty of good produce had sprouted from the ground. They had to get the best mushrooms before the neighbors woke up. So the hardworking couple set out for the mountains at first light.

Now only Ruan Ning was left alone in the large courtyard.

After breakfast, Ruan Ning opened her computer and saw Jiang Yihao's trending topics plastered all over the internet.

His shooting video had already been paired with all sorts of explosive background music by marketing accounts, looping endlessly across major homepages, with the highest view count already breaking ten million.

Sensational headlines accompanied the videos: "No Gang Mahaya? No Problem—Rookie Zhang Hao Sends the Old Guard Packing with One Kick," "These Days You Can't Just Kick with Your Feet—You Need the Face. Click to See RQ's New Crown Prince Zhang Hao," "Are You Kidding Me? A Rookie Curving a Knuckleball?".

The comment sections beneath the videos were filled with messages in languages from around the world, all thanking Jiang Yihao, the savior descended to earth, for reviving their stalled hearts.

Audience members from the match had also been uploading their own footage of Jiang Yihao one after another, and several clips had surpassed a million views.

A passerby left an envious comment: [Such clear footage. He walked right past you—so lucky. Is he as handsome in person as he is in the news?]

The blogger replied: [Yes, he's really handsome in person, just like on camera—and he gives it his all too.]

Another passerby replied: [Awesome! I already snagged a ticket for next week to see him in person, hehe.]

Ruan Ning smiled. The Jiang Yihao in the camera was bursting with brilliance, and the moment of his shot was so handsome it looked straight out of a movie. She was so used to his bright, hearty laughter or his tantrums that seeing him this serious was oddly unfamiliar.

How wonderful. Watching Jiang Yihao steadily advance toward his dream, Ruan Ning was genuinely happy for him.

Soon, he would become a superstar under the spotlight of millions, while she would return to her quiet life, drifting further and further away from the man at the center of attention.

Ruan Ning decided to edit a debut match video for Jiang Yihao as a parting gift for the two of them, clicking through each video one by one to collect the material.

Unfortunately, there were too many people with the same name as Zhang Hao, and she had to spend considerable effort carefully gathering the footage. Suddenly, the sound of a car horn blared from the courtyard, urgent and loud.

Ruan Ning was puzzled—were her cousin and the others back this soon? She ignored it and continued searching for Jiang Yihao's videos.

A short while later, a familiar voice came shouting from the doorway: "Ruan Ning! Ruan Ning! Where are you?"

A trembling flash of white light shot through Ruan Ning's mind, and her fingers froze over the keyboard, quivering slightly.

That voice... She immediately forced the thought from her mind—it couldn't be him!

Jiang Yihao had just made his name, the hottest new star in the world. How could he personally come to such a remote countryside? Ruan Ning was convinced that celebrities from the TV only ever appeared within the TV frame, never in her own life.

The voice continued shouting in the courtyard, growing louder and louder, nearly summoning the neighbors.

"Ruan Ning! Where are you? Come out and see me!"

Ruan Ning rushed outside and saw Jiang Yihao, accompanied by a small car behind him, standing in the farmyard shouting in every direction, where the free-range chickens were scrambling about. He wore an outfit of designer labels, a cap and mask—utterly out of place.

When Jiang Yihao saw her, his eyes instantly doubled in size. He tore off his mask and charged over to embrace Ruan Ning, his eyes brimming with disbelieving joy.

His large frame collided into her, making her dizzy. The old hen in the yard was startled too, flapping its wings and cackling noisily.

Ruan Ning's lips trembled. It took her a long, hard look to confirm it was really Jiang Yihao. Dark circles hung under his eyes, proof he hadn't slept well the night before.

"What are you doing here?"

"You have the nerve to ask?!" Jiang Yihao's eyes reddened at the sight of her alive and well, like a wronged big dog. He grabbed her shoulders and shouted in anguish, "Why did you leave without a word, making me search high and low? Why didn't you say anything? I thought something happened to you. Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"

Jiang Yihao had prepared for the worst, planning to personally go find her the moment the match ended. When he heard Ruan Ning was in the countryside around Talun, he hadn't believed it at all—only now, seeing her with his own eyes, could he finally relax.

He hadn't slept a wink last night. Before dawn, he'd urged his assistant out of bed, and the two of them drove at full speed to Ruan Ning's village. When he saw her walk out of the door, his blood surged through his veins, feeling the same joy and excitement as when he'd scored that goal.

Ruan Ning had only been gone a week, but she felt like she'd vanished for a century. Jiang Yihao had been training under enormous pressure, his mind consumed with worry about where she was.

Ruan Ning was still as gentle and lovely as ever, her big eyes blinking with shock at him, starlight flickering in her pupils as if speaking some unspoken emotion. Jiang Yihao could no longer hold back—he rushed forward and pulled the girl he'd been longing for tightly into his arms.

When he caught the familiar scent of lily of the valley from Ruan Ning's neck, the missing piece in his suspended heart instantly fell into place. The stress and exhaustion of these past days washed away in an instant, his body feeling so light he might float up to heaven.

Ruan Ning's mind was a tangled mess. She stammered, "Shouldn't you be with the team? Why are you here..."

"I have to head back to the city soon for an interview. I came to say something to you before I go."

Jiang Yihao's expression was serious, his fervent gaze fixed stubbornly on her face. He didn't even dare blink, afraid Ruan Ning would vanish from his sight.

"You're so busy—couldn't this have waited until after everything was done?" Ruan Ning suggested considerately. She was a little moved inside, not daring to meet Jiang Yihao's passionate eyes.

"No! I have to say it now. If I wait any longer, it'll be too late." Jiang Yihao's decisive tone startled Ruan Ning.

He looked at the girl in his arms, and his breath suddenly caught. Ruan Ning's skin was as smooth and lustrous as jade, her eyes clear and gentle, and the faint flush spreading across her cheeks melted every last bit of his defenses.

This had been weighing on his heart for a long time, until Ruan Ning's disappearance taught him what heart-wrenching pain truly meant. If he could turn back time, he would rush to Ruan Ning and hold her tight, not letting anyone come within a step of her.

Jiang Yihao gently pushed Ruan Ning's soft frame back a little, his body suddenly tensing, his breathing growing erratic. His moist eyes shimmered with clear, radiant light, but his intensity multiplied as he stared straight at Ruan Ning.

He took Ruan Ning's hand, raised it to his lips with reverence and care, and pressed a light kiss upon it. Deep in his eyes churned sincere, fervent love as he whispered, "Ruan Ning, be my girlfriend."

Ruan Ning's mind went blank for a moment, as if time itself had frozen.

Jiang Yihao had shed his usual carefree, sunny demeanor, his eyes now veiled with deep, luminous gleams.

"I used to deceive myself into thinking it was just brotherhood between us. When I heard Bu Chen say he wanted to pursue you, I was so furious I couldn't function. I used to use football as an excuse, but if I don't say it now, I'll never have the chance. Ruan Ning, I'll make you happy. My life can't go on without you anymore. Just give me a chance, okay?"