"Grandma, you must get better soon so you can come and watch my match. You've never seen me play before, have you? With you by my side, I feel like I'm not afraid of anything."
As night deepened outside the window, a full moon hung on the treetops.
If the moon appears on a winter night, tomorrow will surely be a good day.
Before falling asleep, Jian Changnian thought to herself this.
***
At 10 a.m. the next day, Jian Changnian arrived at the training base on time to meet up with her teammates. Together they boarded the bus and headed to the competition venue.
Upon entering the Jiangcheng City Gymnasium, she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Wow, it's huge!"
The stadium is a circular building with three floors. They are currently standing on the second-floor corridor, looking down. The stands are already full of people. The playing area and the spectator seating are separated by a fence. Several cameras are set up on the side, and staff are busy adjusting the equipment.
Yan Xinyuan led the person to the door of the changing room.
"Alright, go change your clothes now. Come downstairs in five minutes and meet in the athletes' waiting area. I'll be waiting for you there."
After saying that, he went to submit today's lineup to the event organizing committee.
Coach Liang was standing beside him.
"Should we really let Jian Changnian play the first single? I'm worried that she doesn't have much experience in major competitions and her performance might be inconsistent. Maybe we should postpone it and let her see how others play first."
"We've been training her for a thousand days to use her for one day. We need to put her in the singles position to hone her skills. What can she learn from just sitting on the sidelines and watching others play? This is only the first match of the group stage. We need to identify problems early and make adjustments early. If we wait until the halfway point of the competition to discover problems, it will really be too late."
That being said, when she heard the referee call her name, Jian Changnian was still somewhat taken aback, and her hand holding the racket unconsciously began to tremble.
Xie Shi'an, who was warming up, stopped what he was doing, looking at Yan Xinyuan with disbelief in his eyes.
"Coach Yan, didn't we agree that I'd go first in the first game..."
Yan Xinyuan gave her a stern look.
"Follow the arrangements and prepare for the next doubles match."
“But the first victory…” Xie Shi’an was unconvinced and wanted to say something more, but Qiao Yuchu pulled him back.
"Shi'an, Shi'an, let's forget about it. Once the starting lineup is changed, it can't be changed again. Let's go prepare for the match, okay?"
Yan Xinyuan also knew how important the first win was to a team's morale, but he still handed this crucial baton to Jian Changnian. The reason was simple: their opponent today was the Zhejiang team, which included the previous World Championship winner, national team player Yin Jiayi.
Because the starting lineup can only be changed before the match, neither side knows how the opponent will arrange their lineup beforehand. The lineup will only be revealed on the day of the match. Once the starting lineup is changed, it cannot be changed again, otherwise it will be considered a forfeit.
If he's not mistaken, they want to get the first win, and so does their opponent. In women's team competitions, an athlete can only play one singles match and one doubles match in a single competition, and they can't play consecutive matches. This means that after playing this singles match, national team player Yin Jiayi can't play in the next doubles match.
This relieved Xie Shi'an of a lot of pressure. He didn't want his top player to reveal her strength too early and let other teams figure her out. That would not be good for either the entire Binhai Provincial Team or her individual event.
As for Jian Changnian.
Yan Xinyuan turned his gaze to her. It was the first time the young man had stood under the spotlight and been watched by so many people, and he seemed a little nervous.
Even if she loses, if she can learn something from the match against the national team, that would be the best thing for her.
Chapter 37 National Competition (1)
The cheers of the audience had already begun, and the seats near the Zhejiang team's side were full, many of whom had come specifically for Yin Jiayi.
When Jian Changnian learned that her opponent today was her, her heart skipped a beat, and she felt a little uneasy.
Her grip on the racket was slightly tense and stiff, and she kept taking deep breaths to calm her racing heart.
Just as they were hesitating, shouts came from the audience.
"Chang Nian, keep it up!!!"
She turned around and saw that Zhou Mu had arrived. Cheng Zhen was sitting next to him, and Cao Rui was also waving at her. The girl she had played ball with at the Chenxing Club was also sitting in the same row.
Several people unfurled a banner:
The Binhai Provincial Team forges ahead fearlessly! Charge! Charge! Charge!
They were practically the only audience member on their side.
Jian Changnian's eyes welled up with tears, a smile playing on her lips. She relaxed considerably. Whatever, she didn't care about being a world champion, bring it on!
In a competition of this caliber, no one will underestimate their opponent, even if they are just a newcomer. To stand out from tens of thousands of young people with dreams and be able to stand here already represents their own excellence to a certain extent.
Therefore, Yin Jiayi never intended to show any mercy from the beginning.
She wanted to finish this quickly.
Under the opponent's fierce offensive, Jian Changnian was exhausted in the first game and quickly collapsed.
Break between games.
Yan Xinyuan held a bottle of purified water in his hand and criticized her sharply.
"What are you afraid of? You're so timid. Even the old ladies dancing in the square outside are better than you. So what if she's a world champion? Don't think about these things. Take away the halo, isn't she still a human being? Fight the way you train!"
Jian Changnian nodded, her face burning with embarrassment. She felt she had let everyone down and dared not look into Coach Yan's eyes or into the audience.
The break time was almost over, so Yan Xinyuan unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to her.
"Here, have some water. Do your best in the second game."
Across from her, Yin Jiayi was also sitting in the rest area drinking water, with a towel around her neck.
The coach asked, "What do you think of that newcomer on the other side?"
Yin Jiayi is only 25 years old this year, and she can be considered one of the top female singles players in China.
She glanced at Jian Changnian and said, "That's interesting. Although I kept him on the defensive, he managed to counterattack quite well on a few balls."
Yin Jiayi's coach massaged her shoulders to loosen her muscles.
"It's okay, he's a newbie, his skills are still a bit immature. Good luck in the second game, and take the first win in one go."
Yin Jiayi nodded.
The referee blew his whistle.
The two men stood up at the same time and walked towards the field.
call.
Jian Changnian let out a soft breath, her grip on the racket tightening.
In the second game, she won, leveling the score and bringing the score to match point. She lost, and Zhejiang team secured their first victory. It was time for them to go all out.
Yin Jiayi served first. Jian Changnian stepped back with a crossover step, found the landing point of the ball, turned sideways and raised her hand to return it to the opponent.
Not to be outdone, Yin Jiayi quickly went online to intercept, and the two engaged in a fierce online battle.
Perhaps it was because she gradually adapted to the competition venue and rhythm, or perhaps it was because she listened to Coach Yan's words and cast aside the championship halo, standing here, everyone... is on the same starting line. With her psychological burden lifted, Jian Changnian became noticeably braver in receiving serves, no longer timid and hesitant.
She found Yin Jiayi's weakness with one shot, hitting her backhand side. Yin Jiayi couldn't retreat in time.
The shuttlecock landed, and the electronic scoreboard lit up.
Jian Changnian scored first, 0-1.
Zhou Mu jumped up from the audience and frantically shook the toy slap in his hand.
"Chang Nian, well done! Take her down and bring the score back!"
Cheng Zhen's eardrums were about to burst.
"It's only the first goal, is it really necessary to get so excited?!"
No sooner had she finished speaking than Yin Jiayi smashed the ball and scored.
Cheng Zhen, exasperated, jumped up and shouted, "You tried to ambush her, Chang Nian! Don't give her a chance! Go get her!!!"
"..."
Zhou Mu was numb.
Who's more excited here?
In the second game, the situation on the court became more unpredictable, and the scales of victory no longer tipped in her favor as they had in the previous game.
Yin Jiayi looked at her with a hint of surprise and admiration in her eyes.
That's interesting. This newcomer seems to be a slow starter, only just finding her form. There are very few athletes as young as her who can go toe-to-toe with her.
But while we can appreciate the game, we still need to play it well.
When it was Jian Changnian's turn to serve, she wanted to use a few high clears to control her backcourt and then look for an opportunity to launch an attack from the side. However, her intentions were quickly seen through.
A sly smile appeared on Yin Jiayi's lips. After hitting a few high clears with her, she suddenly wobbled her racket and hit a flat shot.
Oh no, a feint!
By the time she realized it was a trap, it was too late. The opponent's ball was too fast. Without thinking, Jian Changnian only had eyes for that white shooting star. Her body moved with her mind and she rushed over to save the ball.
She nearly fell to the ground due to the shift in her center of gravity. She braced herself with one hand on the ground and used her right hand to scoop the badminton shuttlecock away from landing.
A considerable gasp rippled through the audience.
Both the feint and Jian Changnian's incredible save were commendable.
A smug smile appeared on Yin Jiayi's face. Before Jian Changnian could get up, she slapped her back.
It's too late.
The thought flashed through Jian Changnian's mind, so she simply relaxed her body, leaned back, and gritted her teeth to reach for the ball.
Her racket lightly grazed the shuttlecock's feathers, unable to generate full power due to her posture.
Although he managed to lift the ball up with some difficulty, it landed on the ground before it even cleared the net.
Jian Changnian pursed her lips, somewhat unwilling, but still leaped up in a somersault.
"Again."
Yin Jiayi serves.
"Although you are considered one of the best among your peers, I will not give you another chance in this competition."
"I don't need anyone to give me opportunities; I will find them myself."
Even when facing overwhelming pressure from her opponent, Jian Changnian never gave up on counterattacking. She attacked whenever she had the chance, completely abandoning the defensive approach, determined to take a piece of her flesh no matter what.