Xie Shi'an's eyes were also icy cold.
"Does it hurt? It's good that it hurts. This is the Olympic Games. Stop being so dramatic and don't make me look down on you."
The referee blew his whistle, signaling that she had scored.
The scoreboard has turned another page.
7:11
Xie Shi'an took the lead.
Jian Changnian's eyes suddenly reddened.
"Jian Changnian has begun to fight back!"
"What do you call this—a miraculous escape from a desperate situation!!!"
"They rallied to tie the score at 11-11 in one go, hitting three consecutive points. If I'm not mistaken, that move she just made was Xie Shi'an's signature move, a step-back 180° spin smash!"
A white meteor fell to the ground right before my eyes.
Xie Shi'an curled his lips into a carefree smile: "You've stolen my skills again?"
"It's not a skill to learn something, it's a skill to beat you."
Her gaze sharpened, and she suddenly stopped smiling. Taking advantage of Jian Changnian's unpreparedness, she launched a direct attack online: "Then I'll teach you another trick: never let your guard down against your opponent."
The referee blew his whistle, and the scoreboard lit up again.
The ball landed right in front of us.
There was some resentment in Jian Changnian's eyes.
"Again!"
Xie Shi'an looked at her, his face expressionless, but in his heart he was thinking:
She finally mustered her fighting spirit, but that wasn't enough.
Only by overcoming her own obstacle can she reach higher and farther places, just like when she fought Jiang Yunli and Yin Jiayi back then.
If she held back in the previous matches due to her injury, then Xie Shi'an played freely today, without any reservations or concerns.
A person skilled in offense has an inherently tricky and unpredictable playing style. Moreover, she can play with her left hand, making her ambidextrous and more than ten times more difficult to deal with than Kim Nam-ji.
Another point.
Jian Changnian was panting heavily, her hands resting on her knees.
Is this the difference in ability between her and Xie Shi'an?
Xie Shi'an twirled the racket in his hand, looking much more at ease than she was.
"That's not enough?"
Jian Changnian gritted her teeth, her eyes bloodshot, and straightened up again: "It's not the last moment yet."
"What is your evaluation of contestant Jian Changnian, Teacher Jiang?"
"She is very resilient. Xie Shi'an is a talented athlete, and she is a talented but hardworking athlete."
"The two of them are like a mirror, reflecting each other, so it was destined that this match would not be easy."
As they brushed against the net, their eyes met.
"Xie Shi'an, a member of the Jiangbei No. 2 Middle School badminton team."
"You've made a fool of yourself, so you have to get back at me."
"After practice, can I ask you to play ball together?"
"I don't play with people who are worse than me."
Jian Changnian swung her hand sharply, causing Xie Shian's hair to flutter as the ball grazed her face and landed in the backcourt.
The scoreboard lights up.
21:19
The two sides drew 1-1.
The audience erupted in applause.
The audience members stood up excitedly.
"Jian Changnian, awesome!!!"
"Defeat her, and you'll be the next world number one!"
"What a scene of domestic violence! The beating is so fierce, I don't even know who to cheer for."
The commentator in the studio also said.
"It's really a tough situation. We all want to see the Chinese team win the gold medal, but only one of the two can make it to the semifinals. If they are eliminated here, they can only try for a bronze medal."
"Xie Shian will definitely be under more pressure, after all, he is still one Olympic gold medal away from achieving a Grand Slam."
"As a rising star in the Chinese national badminton team in recent years, this is also her first time participating in the Olympics. If she can win gold, she will create new history."
"So, who does Teacher Jiang think is more promising?"
Jiang Yunli gave a wry smile.
"This is a thorny issue. From my perspective, it doesn't matter which of them makes it to the finals, since they both represent the Chinese team. But for the people involved, it's probably not that simple."
From the moment he met her, Jian Changnian had a goal: to surpass her.
She put in so much effort, borrowing money to participate in the training camp, and after many twists and turns, she finally became her teammate.
From being unworthy to play with her to becoming her sparring partner.
From a sparring partner to a substitute who has no chance to play.
From substitute to World Youth Championship winner.
From World Youth Championship winner to member of the national team.
From a member of the national team to a world champion.
From obscurity to a rising star in the badminton world.
The path she walked, Xie Shi'an also walked.
Xie Shi'an's youth was also her youth.
Between the light and shadow, with each jump and landing, Xie Shi'an could think of his former self, that small self holding a racket, standing on the court.
Some liking is inexplicable, just like her liking badminton and Jian Changnian.
It was that thrill of touching the racket that made her feel alive, that her blood was still flowing. If it weren't for badminton, her youth would have been a heavy gray. And because of badminton, she made many friends.
Cheng Zhen, Qiao Yuchu, Jian Changnian, Zhou Mu, Jiang Yunli, Yin Jiayi, Jin Nanzhi... and Coach Yan.
She carries too much on her shoulders and moves forward with the beliefs of too many people, so she absolutely cannot lose.
Breathing, heartbeat, intertwined.
They were closer than ever before, and also more opposed than ever before.
The shuttlecocks slammed into the rackets with loud thuds, each impact accompanied by sparks.
An ultimate visual feast and violent aesthetics.
They were sweating profusely on the field, their eyes blazing with competitive intensity.
The numbers on the scoreboard kept jumping around.
18:18
19:19
19:20
...
When Jian Changnian took the lead and Xie Shian was already showing signs of exhaustion.
Whispers began to circulate in the stands.
"It's over, I feel like Xie Shi'an is going to lose."
"No, she's an invincible war goddess!"
"A hero grows old..."
Some fans, with red eyes, shouted.
"Xie Shi'an, don't lose!"
"We don't want to wait another four years!"
"You've played so many games, don't fall here!"
...
The two commentators in the studio also became nervous.
"Can Xie Shi'an hold on? It's the last ball!"
"She held on! She held on! A beautiful counter-attack! This—is Xie Shi'an, who is always creating miracles!!!"
When the score was tied, cheers suddenly erupted in the stands, and many fans burst into tears.
This was the most intense match they had ever played.
20:20
21:21
24:24
27:27
...
Time passed second by second, but the gap remained unchanged.
Xie Shi'an's forehead was covered in sweat, his back was soaked, his hand holding the racket was trembling slightly, the strenuous exercise made his lungs feel like they were being pricked with needles, and his knees were also feeling weak in waves.