"Jian Changnian, the brave are fearless!"
"The security check team has reached a point where it will determine their status within the family."
...
Two faces were projected onto the big screen, and amidst cheers, they lightly bumped fists across the net.
Jian Changnian's eyes gleamed, showing a hint of eagerness.
"I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
Xie Shi'an curled his lips in disdain, determined to win.
"Don't cry if you lose."
The white shuttlecock was tossed into the sky.
A showdown of titans has officially begun.
"What are your thoughts on today's match, Mr. Jiang?"
The same familiar partners were in the studio.
Jiang Yunli smiled.
"They are from the same school and are partners. They are like a mirror, and it is no exaggeration to say that they are criticizing each other."
Xie Shi'an knows what Jian Changnian knows, and Jian Changnian knows it too. Xie Shi'an knows exactly where Jian Changnian will hit the ball.
However, a slight smile appeared on her lips, and she pulled the racket in her right hand back a little.
A white shooting star fell to the ground, and the scoreboard lit up.
21-17
Jian Changnian will play the first game.
Jian Changnian was practically dancing with joy after winning the game, and her teammates massaged her shoulders and legs to cheer her on.
"Keep it up, Chang Nian! Get her!"
"That's right, let's take the game in one fell swoop!"
"Whether or not we can break Sister An's undefeated record depends on you!"
It seems the world has suffered under Xie Shi'an for too long.
Jian Changnian nodded emphatically.
"Rest assured, I will certainly live up to the expectations of my comrades."
However, at the start of the second game, she was completely overwhelmed by Xie Shi'an, who scored points one after another with fast attacks and kills, completely disrupting Jian Changnian's offensive rhythm and ending the battle in a flash.
Wan Jing was disappointed that his son was not living up to his potential.
"Well, I was careless. I told you, you can't let your guard down when it comes to Shi'an."
Jiang Yunli also sincerely praised, "Xie Shi'an has a strong ability to seize opportunities. Once she catches a mistake, she won't give the opponent a chance to breathe. Jian Changnian needs to make some adjustments for the next match."
Just moments ago, Jian Changnian was smug and self-satisfied. It was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He glanced at Xie Shi'an, who was sitting to the side drinking water and resting, and nodded through gritted teeth.
"I understand, Coach Wan. I will give it my all in the next game."
Decisive game.
Noticing that she was getting serious, Xie Shi'an also put in his best effort to fight back.
The thought of winning had never been so clear in Jian Changnian's mind. All those days and nights of hard work following behind her were for this moment.
The boy swung his racket with all his might.
Xie Shi'an took a few steps back and jumped high to catch the ball.
A white meteor fell to the ground.
The audience whispered among themselves.
"Who won? Who won? I couldn't see clearly."
After the video replay was shown, Xie Shi'an's shot landed in bounds, and the scoreboard lit up.
21:19
She won.
Jian Changnian put down her racket, slightly regretful, her eyes reddening, but she still lifted the net and walked over.
Xie Shi'an stood there with his arms outstretched.
The two world champions embraced on the court.
The audience erupted in applause.
Time stood still at this moment.
This photo made headlines and spread widely around the world. Even the Badminton World Federation praised it when it shared it, saying, "The best opponent is also the best friend."
At the routine post-match press conference, a reporter asked a question.
"The security check couple is really popular lately. I'd like to ask Jian Changnian, what kind of person is Xie Shi'an to you?"
Jian Changnian was silent for a while. Xie Shi'an thought she was in a dilemma, so he cleared his throat and was about to take the microphone.
Jian Changnian lowered her head, looked at the microphone, and said solemnly and firmly.
"Xie Shian and my grandmother are the most important people in my life."
The person sitting next to her lowered their head, unconsciously curving their lips into a smile.
The reporters then turned their attention to Xie Shi'an.
"What about Xie Shi'an? We all know you're still single, and your fans are very concerned about your relationship status. When do you plan to get married, or what are your criteria for choosing a partner?"
Xie Shi'an regained his composure, calmly picked up the microphone, and asked in return.
"Are you a gossip reporter? You wouldn't ask a male athlete who wins a championship such a question, so you don't need to ask me."
Jian Changnian's eyes were shining as she looked at her, and she gave her a small thumbs-up under the table.
After the press conference, domestic media also gave extensive and high-profile coverage to their glorious victory.
China's two star players shone brightly at the World Championships: Xie Shi'an won gold and Jian Changnian took silver, while the South Korean team achieved its worst result in history, with only Kim Nam-ji winning a bronze medal in singles.
Jian Changnian carefully put the newspaper away and placed it together with the trophy. These were the good news she would bring to Coach Yan when she went home at the end of the year.
But life is full of ups and downs. She studied hard for three months, burning the midnight oil, but when the exam results came out, she still failed and was far from the admission score. Jian Changnian looked at the computer screen and hung her head in despair.
"Ah, it seems there's no hope."
Xie Shi'an nudged her shoulder.
"Hey, you've only been preparing for the exam for a few months, and you've already achieved a pretty good score. Do you really think you're a prodigy?"
Jian Changnian knew that it was wishful thinking to make up for a course that others took three years to complete in a few months, and she couldn't fall behind in her training. But she was only slightly frustrated, then stretched and smiled brightly.
"Although it's a bit of a shame, at least we've temporarily put one thing at ease. We have a day off tomorrow. Lü Xiaoting said she's going camping in the suburbs to escape the heat. Shi'an, why don't you come along too!"
Xie Shi'an shook his head.
"I won't go. I need to go to the hospital for physical therapy tomorrow."
After returning from the World Championships, her knee injury flared up from time to time. In order to get back to her best condition before the Rio Olympics next year, she made an appointment with the hospital to go for physiotherapy every Saturday.
Jian Changnian slapped his forehead and remembered this.
"Oh right, tomorrow is Saturday. I'll tell Lü Xiaoting that I won't be going either, and I'll go to the hospital with you."
"No, didn't you already make plans with someone?"
Considering the time she's spent preparing for exams and other activities, she hasn't gone out to play for almost half a year.
“But…” Jian Changnian bit her lip.
"I'm not like you, I don't need someone to accompany me to the hospital. Besides, when you go out to play, there are bound to be a lot of people and noise, it gives me a headache."
Her words were another jab at her for not daring to go into the examination room alone that time. Jian Changnian was furious and was about to tickle her when Xie Shian didn't give her a chance. She quickly ran out and locked the door before Jian Changnian could rush out.
On Saturday evening, Xie Shi'an returned from the hospital with her medicine and bumped into Jian Changnian downstairs at her apartment building. She and Lü Xiaoting and a few others had just gotten out of a boy's car. She was taken aback for a moment, but Jian Changnian turned around, saw her, and greeted her first.
"Shi'an, you're back from the hospital? I called you, why didn't you answer?"
"I can't look at my phone while I'm having physical therapy."
The boy also came over and greeted her.
"Sister An."
Xie Shi'an nodded slightly, vaguely recognizing his face, but couldn't quite recall his name.
Upon seeing this, the boy quickly introduced himself.
"My name is Gao Jian, the one who played ball with you guys last time."
Xie Shi'an remembered; it was the men's doubles team she partnered with Jian Changnian in.
Rather than remembering him personally, I'm more impressed by the fact that he asked Jian Changnian for his phone number after the match.
Lü Xiaoting also laughed.
"Gao Jian is also a senior I've known since my time on the Beijing team. He happened to have a car, so we went camping together. It's a pity you didn't come today, Anjie. It was so much fun. We caught a lot of fish, and we'll have the cafeteria cook them for us later."
Xie Shi'an turned and left with a calm expression.
"You guys eat, I'm going back to my dorm first."
Chapter 117 So Bitter
“Hey, Shi’an…” Jian Changnian looked at Xie Shi’an’s departing figure, wanting to say something, but was pulled away by several teammates.
"Let's go, let's go eat fish."
In the cafeteria.
"The wild fish in these mountains are so fresh. Come on, Chang Nian, eat more."