Qiao Yuchu's block was intercepted. Seeing Qin Yang's raised hand, he was still going to hit the ball at the net. Before she could react, the white shooting star in her pupils grew bigger and bigger.
Qin Yang's lips curled into a ferocious smile.
With a bang.
Qiao Yuchu's vision went black.
The venue was deathly silent.
Qiao Yuchu stumbled back a few steps, her racket slipped from her hand, and she swayed precariously, about to fall to the ground.
Xie Shi'an rushed forward and helped the person steady.
"Yu Chu, Yu Chu, what's wrong?!"
In the blink of an eye, Qin Yang's racket slammed solidly over the net and hit her face. The explosive force of the moment still makes Qiao Yuchu's eardrums ring.
She lay in Xie Shi'an's arms, her vision blurring in waves, but she could hear Xie Shi'an calling her name repeatedly, his voice growing louder as he approached.
Qiao Yuchu finally heard her clearly and tried to force a smile to reassure her, but before she could even open her mouth, a warm stream of fluid welled up in her nose.
She reached out and touched it; it was blood.
Xie Shi'an's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and he gritted his teeth, clenching his fists so tightly they cracked.
As soon as Jian Changnian and Zhou Mu entered the club, they saw this scene. Jian Changnian's heart tightened, and she pushed through the crowd and went inside.
"Sister Yu Chu, what's wrong?"
Zhou Mu and her senior followed closely behind.
"Oh my god, so much blood!"
Xie Shi'an held her, trembling all over, his eyes bloodshot: "Paper...paper...does anyone have paper?"
Jian Changnian frantically searched her pockets, thankfully she had brought some with her when she left home. Zhou Mu also searched her schoolbag and found a pack of tissues, which she handed to Xie Shian.
The snow-white tissue was quickly soaked with blood. Xie Shi'an covered her nose with his fingers, which were full of blood.
The boy's eyes reddened, tears welled up, and he gritted his teeth, unable to utter a single word.
Qin Yang, peering through the net, thought, "He's not dead yet, is he? Who's he trying to fool with that heartbroken look? Referee, it's time to flip the card. We've won this round."
Jian Changnian's voice was ingrained in her bones, appearing in almost every nightmare. She would never forget that day when the man in the KTV threw her onto the main road, punching and kicking her, while countless camera flashes were pointed at her, capturing her crying and wailing.
Jian Changnian turned around stiffly and met Qin Gongzi's gaze.
Qin Yang smirked again: "Oh, another acquaintance."
Xie Shi'an, unable to bear it any longer, was about to pick up her racket and stand up when Qiao Yuchu gently grabbed her wrist, rendering her unable to move.
"Didn't mise me...you wouldn't fight anymore? Besides...cough cough...you can't beat them all by yourself..."
Because the blood flowed back into her mouth, Qiao Yuchu coughed twice more, choking and bringing tears to her eyes.
Xie Shi'an roared, "Ambulance! Did you call 120?!"
Cao Rui hurriedly pushed through the crowd and rushed in, shouting, "We've got it! We've got it! The ambulance's on its way!"
Qin Yang watched everything unfold with a grin: "That's right. If you can't beat someone, just admit defeat early, and you won't suffer. In Jiangcheng, I'll take on any of you professional players. You better all keep your tails between your legs and stop showing off. Let's go."
The boy followed behind him, fawning, "Brother Qin, you're the best. There's no one you can't beat."
"That's right, what kind of coastal provincial team is that? They're not even worthy of carrying my shoes. They're just a bunch of useless good-for-nothings."
Looking at Qiao Yuchu's injuries and then at Xie Shi'an's trembling lips, Jian Changnian's mind raced through the scenes of that night.
He reached out his demonic claws, a sinister grin on his face, the thick sole of his shoe pressing down on her face, countless cameras and flashes, and the not-so-light five hundred yuan in the police station.
It felt as if a fire was burning in the boy's chest.
She jumped to her feet: "Stop! The match isn't over yet, you can't leave!"
Qin Yang clicked his tongue and turned around: "Who do you think you are? I'm starting to feel a little sad that you're so nostalgic about the feeling of being beaten up that night."
Zhou Mu tugged at her clothes and whispered, "Is he the guy who hit you at the KTV?"
Jian Changnian nodded. Zhou Mu muttered to himself, then shook her arm, somewhat worried: "He hits other people in the head while they're playing ball, and beats them up like this. He's definitely not a good person. Don't play with him, you'll suffer."
The ambulance that had been waiting for so long finally arrived. The doctor pushed the wheelchair into the venue, and everyone lifted Qiao Yuchu into the ambulance. She tugged at Jian Changnian's arm and gently shook her head.
"Don't fight him, you'll get hurt."
Xie Shi'an pursed his lips and remained silent.
Jian Changnian glanced at her and tucked Qiao Yuchu's hand under the sheet: "I don't know if I can beat him, but I want to try."
Xie Shi'an stood still.
"Brother Cao, I'm entrusting her to you. Please call me if there are any problems at the hospital."
"Okay, don't worry."
Qiao Yuchu wanted to say something, but Xie Shi'an released his grip on the gurney and watched her being wheeled away by the doctor, silently thinking to himself:
I promise you, I won't use violence to solve this problem. I will definitely win this match.
Jian Changnian picked up the racket that Qiao Yuchu had dropped on the ground, and they looked at each other. Without any communication, they both nodded at the same time. At that moment, she knew that Xie Shi'an and she were of one mind.
"Best of three games. The match isn't over until it's finished."
Qin Yang, with his coat draped over his shoulders, pointed at Jian Changnian who was speaking and said, "What makes you think your teammates can't beat me? You think you can? Who gave you that confidence?"
Jian Changnian gripped his racket tightly, adopting a defensive stance.
"I'll try."
From the very beginning, Xie Shi'an remained silent, her silence frightening. If Qiao Yuchu or Cheng Zhen were here, they would likely know that the more turbulent her inner thoughts were, the more taciturn she became.
Her anger was like a seed, buried deep in the soil, accumulating strength, just waiting for the moment to break through the soil.
Seeing that they seemed determined not to give up until the match was over, Qin Yang threw off his jacket and picked up his racket again.
"Alright, let's not waste time on best two out of three against you two pieces of trash. I have other things to do, so I'll just play one game with you and make you admit defeat."
The boy chimed in, "It's like cutting melons and vegetables for Brother Qin to beat those two up."
Qin Yang stretched his shoulders and head: "Just don't let me down."
A cold smile crept across Xie Shi'an's lips. In the park, they had also fought that boy to a draw, and Qin Yang was trying to humiliate her in various ways.
"If I win, you won't go back on your word again, will you?"
Qin Yang raised his racket, not thinking he would lose at all.
"How arrogant! You need to beat me first."
***
In Jian Changnian's mind, Xie Shi'an was the strongest player in the entire training team, without exception. Even when she and Qiao Yuchu joined forces, they couldn't defeat him. One can imagine how terrifying his strength was. At least for her at this stage, he was an insurmountable obstacle.
The boy was full of enthusiasm, but also a little apprehensive. He switched the racket to his left hand and wiped the sweat from his trouser seam with his right hand.
Jian Changnian's movements were quick; although it was only for a moment, she still managed to catch it.
Xie Shi'an glanced at her, remaining expressionless.
"You keep an eye on that boy. You fought with him in the park. I'll take care of Qin Yang."
Jian Changnian nodded solemnly: "I will do my best."
Xie Shi'an turned his head away, his tone devoid of any warmth.
"It's not about trying our best, it's about being determined to win."
The second game begins.
Xie Shi'an abandoned the tactic of pulling and arguing with them and launched an attack directly, constantly pressing Qin Yang's head. The two exchanged rallies for more than a few minutes. The boy watching from the side was very anxious, but Xie Shi'an controlled the ball very well and kept it in Qin Yang's half of the court.
Jian Changnian was also nervously defending in the backcourt. She swallowed hard, remembering what Yan Xinyuan had taught her during training: observe more, think more, and judge what the opponent will do next. Badminton is not a static sport; it is full of countless unknowns and possibilities.
Xie Shi'an ran backwards, and Qin Yang guessed that she wanted to lob the ball, so he also took two steps back. Jian Changnian's eyes lit up.
"Xie Shi'an!" she shouted, taking a deep breath.
Xie Shi'an understood and gave her some space. Jian Changnian rushed to the net and slammed the ball to the ground with a powerful dunk.
It was too late for the boy to get back on defense.
Qin Yang took the racket and hit him on the back of the head.
"Useless thing, can't even defend his own half of the territory."
The boy's head tilted to the side after being hit. He rubbed it with his hand while constantly smiling, nodding, and bowing.
"Brother, Brother Qin, I was wrong. I will definitely fight well."
Xie Shi'an gave a disdainful smirk, not giving them a chance to react at all, and continued his attack.
Jian Changnian was also shocked by her reckless playing style. She swallowed and whispered, "Um... should we save some energy? Even if we win, there's always another round."
Xie Shi'an didn't even turn his head, leaving her only with a resolute back view as he charged onto the net.
"If you're always thinking about the next game, you'll never win this one."
These were the words her grandfather told her when he first taught her to play ball.
She had remembered it for so many years, but never before had it been so clear as this moment. To hell with winning and losing.
At this moment, Xie Shi'an had only one thought in his mind: smash, smash, and keep smashing.
Even if I'm exhausted, even if I fall to the ground, I won't hesitate.
This was a match she had to win, a match that risked her professional honor.
When the ball flew over from the other side, Xie Shi'an quickly ran and jumped off the ground, leaping more than a meter high.
She stretched out her long arm, pressed down with the head of her racket, and aimed at the right half of her opponent's court. The shuttlecock hit the racket with a loud bang.
Qin Yang, as expected of a former national team player, reacted quickly and lowered his center of gravity to return to defense.
Xie Shi'an glanced back and said, "Jian Changnian!"
Although they hadn't rehearsed this scene beforehand, and had never played together in training matches, for some reason, the moment she called out her name, Jian Changnian understood her thoughts.
She darted out from behind Xie Shi'an, leaping off the ground to deliver a powerful spike.
Xie Shi'an used her body to shield her and confuse her opponent. Qin Yang always thought she was the main attacker, but he never expected that Jian Changnian would also be able to smash the ball.