Xie Shi'an took a set of car keys out of his bag and handed them to her.
“If you hadn’t brought me back, I almost wouldn’t have remembered this. My car is parked at the 4S shop for maintenance and I haven’t picked it up yet. Anyway, I won’t need it anymore, so you can take it and drive it.”
Jian Changnian thought she was going to say something to her, but it turned out to be this. Looking at the key in her hand, her eyes slowly reddened, but she still forced herself to make a joke to appear that she had a clear conscience and was not so sad.
“They all say that you bought me a car as a gift, spending a fortune without hesitation. If I drive your car again, who knows what kind of rumors will spread about me.”
Xie Shi looked at her steadily and just smiled.
"Anyway, the culprit is gone. If there's a suitable guy around, I'll consider it."
Jian Changnian looked into her eyes for a long time, making sure that she wasn't joking, but really wanted her to have a relationship and get back on "track".
She pursed her lips and took the keys from her hand.
"good."
Xie Shi'an got out of the car.
"goodbye."
"goodbye."
Jian Changnian stepped on the gas pedal, tears already streaming down her face.
The car behind him started. Xie Shi'an took two steps, entered the building, and suddenly began to run wildly. He ran all the way up to the fourth floor, locked himself in his room, leaned against the door, hugged his knees, and slid down to sit. Large tears fell to the ground.
***
Xie Shi'an went to the United States quietly. When Jian Changnian missed her, she would check her Weibo. Her homepage hadn't been updated for a long time and was still stuck on the "Happy New Year" post she made on New Year's Eve last year.
They no longer keep in touch. Xie Shi'an would post an update on her WeChat Moments every few months, as if she were letting someone know she was safe. Sometimes it was sharing a song, and sometimes it was a corner of the University of Michigan, the library, or the basketball court at dusk.
Jian Changnian added all the songs to her playlist and listened to them on repeat. She also saved all the photos. As for Xie Shi'an, it was much easier to find out about her recent situation: TV news, the Badminton World Federation's official Twitter account, magazine covers, etc.
Time flies by, and another summer has arrived.
Jian Changnian had prepared for a long time, hoping to get into Tsinghua University, but failed the exam again. Her disappointment and regret were no less than if she hadn't won the championship on the field.
Wan Jing called the person to his office.
"The admissions office of Beijing Sport University just called to say they are willing to admit you to the School of Management without taking the entrance exam. I think that's great. Think about it and I'll call them back."
Jian Changnian moved her lips: "I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Wan Jing tapped the table.
"I know you want to get into Tsinghua University, but it's been years. Tell me yourself, not everyone can do it..."
"Once you miss this opportunity, you'll never have another one."
Jian Changnian fell silent.
Yes, the first thing we learn when we grow up is to accept our fate.
When Wan Jing saw that she was silent, he spoke again.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing. The team has found you a new partner. They'll arrive tomorrow and stay in your dorm for now. You two can get to know each other better so you can aim for the doubles gold medal at next year's World Championships."
Jian Changnian raised her head and looked directly into his eyes, displaying the same stubbornness as Xie Shi'an.
“I’m going to Beijing Sport University, but you don’t need to arrange a new partner for me anymore. I won’t play doubles anymore.”
Wan Jingqi asked, "Why? Don't you want to win more medals? The person we arranged for you is really good; he's a promising talent we selected from thousands of local teams."
"My partner, from beginning to end, has only been one person."
Xie Shi'an spent her first year in the United States struggling to learn the language and catch up on her coursework. Her high level of self-discipline and indomitable spirit were also brought into her studies. As it turns out, once a person gets busy, they really don't have time to pay attention to anything else.
When the first blizzard hit Michigan, she looked at the message from her professor on her phone about the suspension of classes and realized with a daze that so much time had passed, so much that the scars on her wrists had turned into a faint flesh color, and only the uneven texture when touched reminded her of the difficult time she had gone through.
It's snowing in Michigan, and winter has arrived in China too.
As usual, Jian Changnian went home the day before Lunar New Year's Eve.
Grandma went to the station to pick her up.
"Is Shi'an still not coming back this year?"
Jian Changnian could only smile.
"The United States is too far away, and it's too much trouble to come back."
Have you contacted her yet?
"I contacted her, and she... is doing well."
The following year, Xie Shi'an's research project made great progress. Her senior colleague, a blonde, blue-eyed native-born American, warmly invited her to dinner.
The girl always took good care of her, and even if she casually mentioned wanting to eat Chinese food, she would drive her all over Ann Arbor until she found the most authentic Chinese restaurant.
Xie Shi'an was very perceptive and understood the other party's intentions. She knew that America was open and didn't care about such things, but she only said, "I have an appointment with a psychologist."
A layer of sorrow settled over the girl's beautiful face.
"An, stop using this excuse to fob me off. You know I want us to have a deeper conversation."
Xie Shi'an smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I really did have a follow-up appointment with the psychologist today."
"Is it because of your partner... Jane?"
She paused for a moment, a rare occurrence, avoiding the question, and looked into the other person's eyes, speaking sincerely.
"We can be friends, very good friends."
The girl walked up to her confidently and gave her a hug.
"OK, very good friend, I wish you all the best in your follow-up examination."
The follow-up examination results were indeed as she had said, and went relatively smoothly. After all, she hadn't had any self-harming thoughts for a long time, and she didn't need any other treatment. The doctor just prescribed some medication for her to take on time.
After leaving the clinic, when the weather was still nice, Xie Shi'an would usually go to sit in the park in the center of the street.
Someone was reading a newspaper nearby, a street performer was playing a melodious violin, and parents were pushing a stroller past.
A group of high school students were playing badminton on the playground not far away, and her gaze was unconsciously drawn to them.
"Come on, baby!"
We can't lose!
"Anna, come on, you can't leave!"
...
No matter how much the red-haired girl cheered on her teammates, they still lost the team match. Her teammates were all dejected, picked up their bags and left one after another, leaving her alone to insist on finishing the last doubles match.
Two against one.
The girl fell down again and again, but got up each time.
The badminton shuttlecock flew over the boundary and landed at her feet.
Xie Shi'an picked up the ball and returned it to the person.
Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the girl had a large scrape on her knee, was sitting on the ground, and was bleeding profusely.
Perhaps it was because she was young that I felt a little sorry for her, or perhaps the scene seemed familiar.
Xie Shi'an said softly, "Even now, do you still want to fight?"
The opposing players were shouting and hurling insults, and they were giving the middle finger.
The girl wiped away her tears and stood up.
"The game isn't over yet!"
Xie Shi'an looked back.
"Do you have any more rackets? Give me one."
Even though her legs are no longer strong and her competitive level is unlikely to return to its former peak, she is still more than capable of dealing with a few kids. She finishes the match in no time and leaves gracefully.
The girl watched her retreating figure, her mouth agape as if she could fit a whole egg in it. After hesitating for a moment, she caught up with her and stopped her just as she was about to board the bus, panting heavily.
“I…I remember you…you often watch us play here. Could you…please be our school team’s coach? Our St. John’s High School has never won against any team in the Michigan State High School League, but I want to win. Please!”
Xie Shi'an returned to her apartment and sat quietly for a long time, gazing at the pipe she had brought from China to the United States.
My thoughts drifted back to that year's Asian Cup.
"I'm going to teach you some commonly used techniques and tactics in the game. You'll benefit a lot from learning them."
Coach Yan imparted all his knowledge to the world; did he ever foresee that this day would come?
Is it a pity? Yes, it is.
Are you unwilling to accept this? Yes, I am.
Can you let it go?
She thought she had let go, but the moment she picked up the racket today, a familiar thrill surged through her heart. Xie Shi'an knew perfectly well that badminton would be the career she would dedicate her life to.
She buried her face in her palms.
Thank you for showing me the way once again.
Chapter 130 Return
In her third year in the United States, she led the St. John's High School team to win the national college league championship and qualified for the U.S. Badminton Grand Prix Gold, becoming the only non-school team among the many participating teams.
The following month, the graduate student also graduated smoothly and prepared to pursue a doctoral degree. The future may not be better or better, but at least a glimmer of hope has appeared.
In the Golden Grand Prix, St. John's High School team upset the Asian powerhouse Japan team to defend their title.
After the match, the U.S. Badminton Association also extended an offer to her.
"We would like to invite you to serve as the new head coach of the national team in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics starting next year. You can trust our sincerity. Whether it is salary or which player you want to sign, we can meet any of your requirements."
"But I am a former member of the Chinese national team."
She wanted to leave.
“During the Incheon Asian Games, you said in a post-match interview that sports have no borders, and I think it should be pure.”