Loss of Sphincter Control

"Two-zero, Jiang Yunlu from Guangba wins."

The referee's voice rang out clearly, carrying a hint of routine indifference.

Jiang Yunlu let out a light exhale, raising her right fist in a triumphant punch to the air, her face breaking into an unrestrained, radiant smile.

Another flawless victory—this time, 21 to 12. Her opponent had barely managed to fight back and now stood with their head lowered in dejection.

Beautiful and ridiculously skilled—how unfair could fate be?

Clutching her racket, Jiang Yunlu immediately spotted Lin Mo and strode straight over, stopping right in front of him. She tilted her chin up proudly, her eyebrows arching high.

It was as if she were saying, "See how amazing I am?"

Lin Mo couldn’t help but laugh. When this girl won, her smugness was impossible to hide.

He clapped enthusiastically, nodding repeatedly with an earnest smile.

"Incredible! The pride of Guangba, the aura of a champion!"

Then he took the racket from her hand and fished out a water bottle from his bag, twisting the cap open before handing it to her.

Jiang Yunlu accepted it with a smug grin, taking a few quick sips.

Then, as if struck by a thought, she ducked her head slightly and asked cautiously, "So… do I get a reward?"

Lin Mo flicked her forehead lightly.

"Reward for just passing the qualifiers? If you actually win the championship, you’ll be asking to fly to the moon next."

"But if I win, will there be a reward?"

Jiang Yunlu wasn’t giving up.

"Fine. Win the championship, and you’ll get your reward."

Hearing this, Jiang Yunlu’s smile widened even more than when she’d won the match—as if she’d already clinched the title.

Lin Mo watched her delight with amusement, then cleared his throat and added in a mock-serious tone:

"Keep it up. I believe in you—bring glory to the school, contribute to the youth sports cause, and strive to become a pillar of the nation!"

Jiang Yunlu’s match was over, but others were still playing.

The two made their way back to where Wang Yiping was.

Quite a few others had already secured their spots in the city-level competition.

With so many schools participating in the qualifiers, nearly every institution had sent representatives.

The team matches would be held in brackets—but that was a matter for next week.

Unconsciously, the pair ended up sitting in a corner.

It was only then that Lin Mo asked, "What are you planning to do when you get home?"

Jiang Yunlu froze for a second before realizing what he meant.

She twisted her fingers, her thoughts churning.

Lin Mo spoke first.

"Actually, this is my fault. I thought I was prepared, but I still lost my temper."

He was annoyed. Even though he cultivated immortality, he hadn’t erased his human emotions.

The moment he saw Xia Yusheng and Jiang Chengshan teaming up, Lin Mo had snapped.

He hated people like Xia Yusheng—the two-faced, scheming type.

Jiang Yunlu was, at heart, a girl raised with warmth. It wasn’t that she couldn’t recognize lies, but her guard dropped around those she knew well.

And Xia Yusheng? He was her childhood friend. Of course she’d believe him.

The outcome might not have been clear-cut, but Lin Mo didn’t want someone like that hovering around.

Jiang Yunlu shook her head with a soft laugh.

"That’s not true. You stood up for me, didn’t you?"

She was sharp—she understood the situation perfectly, recognizing why Lin Mo had exposed Xia Yusheng’s lies.

In this mess, her father was at fault. Xia Yusheng was at fault. But Lin Mo? He’d done nothing wrong.

(Though, admittedly, Lin Mo could have handled it better.)

As they talked, Xia Yusheng—fresh from his own match—approached.

"Yunlu..."

Hearing his voice, Jiang Yunlu looked up, her expression instantly cooling.

She took a deep breath. "If you don’t want to ruin every last memory I have of you, then don’t show yourself in front of me again."

Xia Yusheng stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes flickering with something broken.

Then he glared at Lin Mo with undisguised venom.

"It’s you! You’re the one who corrupted Yunlu! She was never like this before—she used to—"

Before he could finish, Jiang Yunlu snapped her head up.

"And the Xia Yusheng I knew would never have lied to me."

With that, she stood, grabbed her things, and walked straight to the locker room.

Only after Jiang Yunlu disappeared behind the door did Xia Yusheng turn back to Lin Mo.

"Some gold-digger trying to marry into wealth, huh? Ever heard of matching social status? You think pulling this stunt will get you closer to Yunlu? Dream on!"

He spun on his heel and marched off, not giving Lin Mo a chance to retaliate.

But he hadn’t taken two steps before a sudden, overwhelming urge hit him.

His muscles betrayed him.

A second later, Xia Yusheng was bolting for the restroom—but not before his white pants were stained brown.

Lin Mo rarely resorted to such… vulgar methods. They were beneath him.

But for someone he despised? It was just petty enough.

When Jiang Yunlu emerged from the locker room, she exhaled in relief at Xia Yusheng’s absence.

She didn’t want to face him. The Xia Yusheng in her memories had been kind—but time had twisted him into someone unrecognizable.

Changed and seated beside Lin Mo, they sat shoulder-to-shoulder, wordless in their shared silence.

—System: Why cultivate immortality? To be the one in charge, of course! Vote for me, Exploding Fist, and I’ll stomp all the way to the moon!—

The car pulled to a stop.

Lin Mo and Jiang Yunlu stepped out.

The Jiang family’s Bentley was parked right outside the school gates.

Lin Mo turned to her. "Don’t overthink it. Just let things unfold naturally. And don’t be too hard on your dad—he’s just afraid of some wild boar trampling his precious cabbage."

With a wave, he strode off toward his apartment, not giving Jiang Yunlu a chance to smack him.

She watched his retreating figure, then thought of her father’s silent complicity in Xia Yusheng’s lies earlier.

Her chest still felt tight.

But she got into the car anyway.

"Uncle Zhao, let’s go home."

"Of course, Miss."

Back at the Jiang residence, Jiang Chengshan was cooking while Jiang Chengyue snacked and critiqued.

"Brother, you’re such an idiot. Ever heard of strategy?"

"And what’s your grand strategy? You knew about that kid way before I did—what exactly have you done?"

Jiang Chengshan shot his sister a glare.

Jiang Chengyue scoffed, utterly unimpressed.

"That’s where you’re clueless. Resistance is futile. Bet you anything Yunlu ignores you the second she walks in—and then you’ll still need me to smooth things over."

Jiang Chengshan’s expression darkened. He knew she was right.

Back when he’d missed Jiang Yunlu’s parent-teacher meeting because of work, she’d locked herself in her room, refusing to come out until Jiang Chengyue coaxed her to dinner.

Right on cue, the front door opened.

Jiang Chengshan instantly brightened. "Sweetheart, you’re back? Wash up—dinner’s ready."

Jiang Yunlu walked straight past him, heading directly to her room.

The door shut firmly behind her.

Jiang Chengyue glanced at Jiang Chengshan and raised an eyebrow.

"Take a look."