Coach Liang chanted incoherently, "261, 280, 300, almost there, keep going..."
Except for the beginning when she could still hear Yan Xinyuan's voice, now that she's playing, all she can see and hear is the badminton shuttlecock flying towards her, and she can't hear or see anything else.
Her mind was a complete blank, but one thought was becoming increasingly clear:
She wants to win.
Xie Shi'an raised his hand, jumped up, and smashed the ball.
Each leap was higher and more forceful than the last.
The powerful thuds of the rackets striking the ball echoed throughout the entire venue.
The numbers on the speedometer were still jumping.
Coach Liang's expression showed a hint of nervousness, but also some joy.
"311, 320! Keep going!"
Xie Shi'an gritted his teeth and jumped up again.
Yan Xinyuan only had one badminton shuttlecock left; the entire basket of shuttlecocks was used up.
Success or failure hinges on this moment.
With a solemn expression, he raised the ball high into the air.
"Huff, huff, huff..." Accompanying the increasingly heavy breathing was an arm that was becoming increasingly difficult to lift.
She felt like her whole body was falling apart, and her mind was a complete blank.
...
Xie Shi'an tried hard to see the ball's position, but suddenly a white light appeared in front of him.
The child is holding a trophy and has a medal hanging around his neck.
The old man squatted down and patted her head.
“When Shi’an grows up, he will definitely be a world champion.”
"Grandpa..." Xie Shi'an's throat moved slightly, and his eyes were slightly moist. The old man then took the child's hand and gradually walked into the darkness.
After the white light dissipated, a white meteor came flying towards us.
That's right, she wants to become—the world champion!
Xie Shi'an opened his eyes, his expression clear, a confident smile playing on his lips. He stepped back, jumped high, and used all his strength to hit the ball back.
The shuttlecock fell to the ground with a loud thud, bounced up, rolled a few times on the ground, and then landed.
Coach Liang was overjoyed as he looked at the numbers on the speedometer.
"350km/h!!! That's already surpassed the record set by Yin Jiayi at the World Championships, Shi An, you..."
Before he finished speaking, the racket in the man's hand fell to the ground, his eyes closed, and he collapsed backward, exhausted.
Yan Xinyuan dashed across the net and helped the man into his arms. Coach Liang also rushed over, his face full of anxiety.
"What's wrong? Shi'an, Shi'an, I'll go get the team doctor!"
Yan Xinyuan reached out and checked her breathing. Her breathing was even. He waved his hand in front of her eyes, but Xie Shi'an remained unmoved.
He pulled the person back and lowered his voice, saying, "Shh, no need to go. He's too tired and has fallen asleep. Call Yu Chu and have her come over and take him back to the dorm to sleep."
When Qiao Yuchu arrived, Xie Shian was lying on a leather bench in the rest area, with Yan Xinyuan's coat draped over his shoulders.
She tiptoed to the person's side, gently shook her shoulder, and when she saw that the person still didn't move, she looked worried.
“She…”
"It's nothing, he's asleep. He probably won't wake up for a while," Yan Xinyuan said.
Judging from the badminton shuttlecocks scattered all over the training room, there must be several large baskets of them. No wonder everyone is so exhausted.
Qiao Yuchu nodded, squatted down to carry the person on her back, and Yan Xinyuan lent a hand.
"Is it alright? Or should I take you back..."
Qiao Yuchu stood up with effort and smiled.
"It's alright. You've had a long day, so go back and rest early. Besides, it's not convenient for you to go into the girls' dormitory."
Yan Xinyuan nodded; otherwise, he wouldn't have called her over.
"Alright, take care on your journey. I'll head back now."
Qiao Yuchu glanced at the coat lying on the ground.
"Hey, Coach Yan, your clothes."
Yan Xinyuan picked it up and draped it over Xie Shi'an's back, wrapping the person up tightly.
"It's windy outside, don't catch a cold."
When he came out of the training room, he was shivering in the biting north wind, rubbing his arms as he ran.
Coach Liang followed behind him: "Shi An's performance broke Yin Jiayi's record, so how about we..."
Despite being frozen stiff, Yan Xinyuan still had a cheerful expression on his face.
"No need, don't report to the Badminton Association yet. This is a trump card, we need to catch them off guard."
Chapter 43 National Competition (7)
On the way back to the dormitory, perhaps because of the cold wind, Xie Shi'an shivered and groaned with a frown.
Qiao Yuchu noticed and chuckled.
"Are you cold?"
A familiar voice, a familiar smell, a familiar body temperature.
Xie Shi'an mumbled a dazed "Mmm".
Qiao Yuchu lifted the person up and stepped onto the stairs.
"Hang in there a little longer, we'll be at the dorm soon."
It used to be easy to carry her on my back, but now it's just going up a flight of stairs, and she's sweating buckets.
Qiao Yuchu said with some emotion, "I heard from Coach Yan that your highest ball speed has surpassed Yin Jiayi's? Our Shi'an has really grown up."
Xie Shi'an muttered something to himself, but it was unclear what he was saying.
Qiao Yuchu stopped in her tracks, listened more carefully, and then realized that what she said was: "Tomorrow... I'm asking for leave..."
Qiao Yuchu chuckled and continued walking forward with her back to the person.
"Okay, I'll ask for leave for you tomorrow morning, but you can't miss the final in the afternoon. I'll wake you up."
As she spoke, she gently tapped the dormitory door open with her toes. The room was dimly lit, and her roommates were all asleep, their breathing even.
Qiao Yuchu tiptoed to her bedside, put the person down, and just as she was about to leave, her wrist was grabbed.
Xie Shi'an closed his eyes and spoke quickly and urgently.
"do not leave Me!"
Did you have a nightmare?
Qiao Yuchu was startled. She squatted down and pulled the other woman's hand off her arm, taking it into her palm.
"It's okay, I'm here."
Reassured, Xie Shi'an's brows gradually relaxed. Qiao Yuchu sat with her for a while longer, and seeing that she was indeed sound asleep, she gently put her hand under the covers, tucked her in, and as she got up to leave, she had a mischievous thought and pinched her nose.
"You've grown up, but sometimes you're like a little kid. Goodnight, little brat."
Xie Shi'an grumbled in dissatisfaction and rolled over, clutching the blanket.
Qiao Yuchu suppressed a laugh and climbed into her bed in the darkness.
***
The next afternoon, the final competition venue was packed with people.
The TV station also came to report live: "After the fierce competition in the last round, only Zhejiang Team and Binhai Team are left in the Eastern Division to compete for the only qualifying spot. Now, the competition is about to begin. Let's wait and see their wonderful performance!"
There are less than ten minutes left before the start of the game.
While warming up, Yin Jiayi glanced at the rest area next to her, but Xie Shi'an still hadn't arrived.
In principle, unless there are special circumstances, being five minutes late is considered an automatic forfeit.
Some teammates also noticed the problem and said smugly.
"Could it be that he's too scared to come because he heard that Jiayi is going to be beaten today?"
The sharp-eared coastal team members heard this and immediately retorted.
"What's there to be afraid of? It's just Yin Jiayi. 'National champion' is a title given by outsiders. Nobody would flatter themselves like that. Besides, you're not Yin Jiayi. What's there to be so smug about?"
When it comes to being good at roasting people, Yang Li is one of the best in the team.
The players from the opposing Zhejiang team were getting anxious.
"You... you only made it to the finals by using some tricks, right? Who knows what kind of spell you cast on the referees behind the scenes? Otherwise... you would have been eliminated long ago, and you wouldn't be standing here talking nonsense."
"What did you say? What methods?! Say it again, we won the game fair and square!"
Before the fight even started, the atmosphere between the two sides was already incredibly tense. If they weren't standing right under the referee's nose, they would have already rolled up their sleeves and started fighting.
Amidst the commotion, clear and powerful footsteps echoed down the stairs. Xie Shi'an walked step by step into the rest area, put down his backpack, and hung up his athlete badge. Just then, the referee blew his whistle.
The loudspeaker blared, and the competition officially began.
She walked over, found Yin Jiayi in the crowd, and reached out her hand.
"Binhai Provincial Team, Xie Shi'an, I'm sorry I got up late. I'm really looking forward to playing against you today."
Yin Jiayi smiled slightly and slowly returned the handshake.
"Me too."