Chen Jiejie also crawled under the net and asked Wu Yu about her condition helplessly. Seeing her expression, Ju Nian realized that she was completely unaware of Wu Yu's old illness.
Wu Yu calmly refused the referee's decision to stop the game. He didn't even want anyone to help him up. He casually wiped the sweat from his palms on his jersey, took a few deep breaths, and said, "Sorry, we can start again."
Chen Jiejie shook her head, still refusing to leave. Wu Yu forced a smile, "Thank you, you can go now."
The match had to be restarted. Han Shu's serves became increasingly tricky, seemingly knowing that Wu Yu was unable to move quickly and over a wide area, and deliberately making it more difficult for him.
The competition is all about winning and losing. If you have a weakness, you can't blame others for exploiting it. Ju Nian was well aware of Han Shu's temper, but she was gradually becoming annoyed. She had never intended to provoke him, yet he kept pushing her, going too far!
She was not easily angered, but once she gritted her teeth, she was ruthless. When the score was 13-13, she delivered a jump smash, and the shuttlecock flew towards Han Shu with a whoosh, hitting him squarely on the right cheek.
The blow was forceful; it would hurt anyone with an exposed body, let alone a face. Almost as soon as the ball "kissed" him, Ju Nian heard Han Shu, usually reserved and concerned with his image, let out a heavy curse. A crowd quickly gathered around, including the school doctor, classmates, and his mother. Han Shu took a tissue from someone, covered his mouth for a moment, and presumably spat out blood-tinged saliva, prompting a gasp from a female classmate. Chaos erupted over there, and finally, Han Shu impatiently persuaded his mother to return to her seat. He picked up the ball from the ground with his racket, gritted his teeth, pointed in Ju Nian and Wu Yu's direction, and demanded that the game continue.
The following match was completely devoid of skill. Han Shu was furious, and his serves went out of bounds several times. Chen Jiejie was playing with a broken mind, and Wu Yu was running out of energy. While dealing with Han Shu, Ju Nian had to keep an eye on Wu Yu's condition. Both sides played poorly, but the atmosphere was thick with tension, and many people in the audience were already whispering among themselves.
24-21, Han Shu's serve gave his opponent several points. It seemed that Ju Nian's side was about to win this game. Ju Nian was overjoyed. No matter the outcome of the decisive game, she had to dampen Han Shu's spirits. Even if it was for Wu Yu's sake, she knew that Wu Yu also had a grudge in his heart, even though he refused to show it.
She hoped to share the joy of seeing the dawn with Wu Yu, but one glance chilled her to the bone. Wu Yu's face was no longer pale; his lips were a dark purple. Ju Nian knew something was terribly wrong. He hadn't had a major outburst in a long time and wouldn't last much longer.
Wu Yu's pride is a thin piece of glass, invisible, thin and brittle.
He couldn't have an attack in front of so many people, especially in front of Chen Jiejie who was completely unaware of the situation. Otherwise, Ju Nian didn't know how much blood would be drawn from that shattered glass.
Without a moment's hesitation, she raised her racket and said in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear, "We abstain!"
Amidst the uproar, Wu Yu's eyes still held shock. Without a word, Ju Nian grabbed his hand and said, "Let's go."
Chapter Thirty-Six: A Story Called Butterfly Transformation
Ju Nian wasn't one to seek attention; her greatest pleasure was living a quiet life. Yet today, in front of countless people, she abandoned the competition midway through, leaving hand in hand with Wu Yu as if escaping a life-or-death situation. At that moment, she couldn't care about anyone else, couldn't care about the future, only caring about the little monk still by her side, and the present she could still hold onto.
Wu Yu didn't run too far. Ju Nian guessed correctly. His attack came on quickly and fiercely. When he collapsed on an unfamiliar path at G University, Ju Nian, having nowhere else to go, actually used his bare hands to drag the unconscious man behind a large patch of bushes that blocked his view.
The spasms lasted for nearly half an hour. During that time, Ju Nian's body was soaked with sweat, then dried, then soaked again. She held Wu Yu's head on her knees, having to forcefully pinch his mouth shut to prevent his clenched teeth from breaking his tongue. His hands, feet, and entire body were twisted grotesquely and horribly, taut like a fully drawn bow, his face a strange purple, and the grass beneath him was rubbed raw by his uncontrollable convulsions, revealing yellow soil underneath. Every second felt like an eternity, this agonizing wait with no end in sight. Many times, Ju Nian had the illusion that he might not survive this ordeal and would die at any moment.
When the illness struck, this body belonged to the devil, not to Wu Yu. The terror of being powerless over one's own body is indescribable. The little monk, once as pure and clear as a mirror, was now plunged into boundless filth. Ju Nian knew he was right; if Wu Yu had even a breath left, he wouldn't want more eyes to witness this scene, especially Chen Jiejie.
When the person in her arms finally calmed down after a long period of torment, Ju Nian held him, as if she had suddenly understood, just like that evening when her parents sent her away. She was lost in the unfamiliar countryside, and as she walked, that realization came unexpectedly, like a sudden awakening. She always found a way out for herself in her most desperate moments.
Let him love Chen Jiejie, what's wrong with that? His happiness is so limited, and each of his days is so precious. Ju Nian has her own world, and even if he never comes in, hearing his footsteps through the door brings her joy. What is there to regret? Really, as long as he's happy, Ju Nian is willing to secretly watch him from behind the door. This isn't about being noble; for her, this sharing is enough.
Like a newborn baby experiencing the pain of childbirth, Wu Yu slowly opened her eyes. The sunlight was intense enough to scorch anyone, and she recognized the hands that had shielded her from the light. She had given her a tranquility akin to that of a newborn.
"I'm sorry, Ju Nian, I made you lose the game." These were the first words he said after he sat up.
Ju Nian leaned against the bushes, looking slightly tired, and smiled, "There's a saying that goes, 'To be observant is not true wisdom; to be able to observe and not observe is true wisdom. To be certain of victory is not true courage; to be able to win and not win is true courage.'" Afraid that Wu Yu wouldn't understand, she explained it again according to her own understanding, "Even if there's a chance to win, it's true courage to dare to give it up when necessary and leave yourself a way out; similarly, seeing everything too clearly isn't true wisdom, and it's not necessarily a bad thing to be a little confused when you can be."
"That's your Ah Q logic." Wu Yu's purple aura dissipated, but her voice remained weak and feeble.
"This is Master Xie's philosophy of life," Ju Nian joked to herself.
Wu Yu laughed. The two of them sat on the ground, slouching and looking completely out of place. It was an unfamiliar place, yet it didn't feel so unfamiliar. The color of the sky and the shape of the clouds were exactly the same as when they looked up under the pomegranate blossoms.
For a moment, no one spoke, as if no one remembered that on the other side, there was a match that originally belonged to them.
Just as Ju Nian was about to drift off into a sweet dream, she heard Wu Yu say out of the blue beside her, "Ju Nian, have I ever told you that you are the best girl I've ever met in the world?"
Ju Nian smiled with her eyes closed. Wu Yu was shy; in all the years they had known each other, he had never uttered a single direct word of praise.
Ju Nian, you are so beautiful.
Ju Nian, you are very smart.
During her innocent and ignorant years, Ju Nian longed to hear these words from Wu Yu more than once. But he never said them.
The clouds obscured the blazing sun, and the wind was gentle.
"Really? Even better than Chen Jiejie?" Ju Nian's heart was saying, "You're lying to me. Just say I'm better than her, just this once!"
After a short while, Wu Yu said, "Better than anyone else!"
His tone was so serious and solemn. Ju Nian believed him; for her, that was enough.
She looked at Wu Yu and smiled brightly.
"Wu Yu, you are the best boy I have ever met in the world!"
"Really?"
Wu Yu, mimicking her, foolishly pressed for an answer.
Ju Nian nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice.
They were content and joyful like children, even though they both vaguely knew that "the best" and "the best" were never meant to be together.
"Jiu Nian, let me tell you a story."
"You? Heh." No wonder Ju Nian found it amusing. Wu Yu had never liked reading since he was little. No matter how interesting the text Ju Nian found, he would fall asleep after reading for a short while. Because Ju Nian often jokingly called him "Little Monk," his favorite stories were nothing more than "Once upon a time, there was a mountain, and on the mountain was a temple..."
"Don't laugh."
"I'm listening, I'm listening..."
"This story is called 'The Butterfly Lovers'."
Ju Nian couldn't help but laugh out loud. She had intended to be a good listener, but his solemn recitation of the story's theme had a strangely comical quality that made her laugh for no reason.
"I haven't even started speaking yet, what are you laughing at?" Wu Yu muttered in dissatisfaction.
"Uh, I mean, I really like this story. Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, right?"
"Huh?" Wu Yu was now puzzled. He nudged Ju Nian with his elbow as a warning. "I'm telling you, I'm the one telling the story, so can you listen properly?"
"I'm listening, I'm listening."
"There were two caterpillars living underground, in a quiet and isolated place. They had never seen the outside world, and the outside world had never known them. However, there was a very small hole above their burrow, through which wind and rain seeped in, as well as sunlight."
What is the relationship between those two caterpillars?
"It's like two caterpillars."
"oh."
"Those two caterpillars are the same; they love the sunlight that shines through the small hole the most. But this little bit of sunlight is too much of a luxury for them. Only on a sunny day, at a specific moment, will a very faint ray of light briefly shine through, and it can only shine on one caterpillar at a time."
"Will they fight over this?"
"Of course not, Ju Nian, you should read fewer martial arts novels. These two caterpillars are very friendly. They often give way to each other, preferring to stay in the dark so that the other can enjoy the sunlight for a short while."
"Oh, that's good."
Wu Yu spoke so much, her voice sounding exhausted, growing lower and lower. "One day, a butterfly flew by and inadvertently saw these two caterpillars arguing over who was being polite. Confused, it asked from the entrance of its hole above, 'What are you doing?'"
The caterpillar A replied to the butterfly, "We're giving each other a chance to bask in the sun."
What does the butterfly say?
The butterfly kept laughing, "You're all so ridiculous. What's so precious about sunlight? Look at me, I'm in the sun all day long, and I even find it sunburnt on my wings." The caterpillars, hearing this, were extremely envious. What they considered the most luxurious and precious things were, in the eyes of others, readily available.
"Is caterpillar A envious, or caterpillar B envious?"
"Xie Junian, can you please stop asking strange questions?" Wu Yu said helplessly.
"Okay, continue."
"This butterfly was very friendly. She could have easily laughed at us and flown away, but instead, she folded her wings and stopped to give the caterpillar some advice. 'What's the point of you two being so polite and distant underground? You might as well just come out of the hole. Why do you treasure that pitiful bit of sunlight?'"
The caterpillar said, "The entrance to the hole is too high; we can't climb over it." The butterfly laughed and said, "Butterflies are just caterpillars transformed. If you transform into a butterfly, won't you have wings and fly? Come out quickly, and we'll play together and dance in the sun."
"And then what?"
"Later, the caterpillar learned that it could actually turn into a butterfly, and it was very happy..."
Has it changed?
"After countless hardships, it finally transformed... transformed into a cocoon..."
"And then what happened, Wu Yu? Tell me quickly, then go to sleep!"
A wave of weariness washed over him after the onset of Wu Yu's attack, and he could barely keep his heavy eyelids open. "And then it transformed from a cocoon into a butterfly... Ju Nian, I'm going to lie down for a while. Later, later I'll continue..."
He fell into a deep sleep, leaving Ju Nian alone, seething with frustration. What could be more depressing than a story without an ending? This story left her with so many questions. Was it caterpillar A or caterpillar B that transformed into a butterfly? Can it really fly away once it grows wings? If one flies away, how lonely the other will be. Will another kind-hearted butterfly come to call it?
Unfortunately, Wu Yu never had the chance to finish telling this story.
When Ju Nian returned to school, she was severely reprimanded by the student counselor. Her last-minute withdrawal from the competition without providing a reasonable explanation was a highly unsportsmanlike act, and doing so in front of so many people was a disgrace to the school's image. Ju Nian subsequently wrote a serious self-criticism.
The competition continued even without them. Han Shu and Chen Jiejie easily advanced to the semifinals due to their withdrawal, and then won the semifinals by chance, finally taking the runner-up title in the city's mixed doubles, bringing honor to No. 7 Middle School.
The awards ceremony will be held soon at the city stadium, and all the top 8 finishers will receive certificates of honor. Although Ju Nian and Wu Yu's elimination was less than honorable, they still managed to get a red certificate, and each received a 20 yuan reward. Ju Nian said it was a truly unexpected surprise.
Han Shu, who made it into the top three in both competitions, received endless glory that day. During the awards ceremony, Ju Nian only saw Han's mother and not Dean Han. However, it is likely that Dean Han, who always hopes his son will succeed, will give his son more recognition this time.
After the awards ceremony, everyone dispersed. Fang Zhi, with a huge mechanical camera hanging around his neck, called out to Ju Nian, being nosy.
"Hey, Xie Junian, don't go! Your partner is here too. You guys were rivals with Han Shu's group before, how about we take a picture together?"
"This... I think it's alright," Ju Nian said reluctantly.
"Let's keep it as a memento. We've been classmates all along, and we might not be able to get together again after graduation... Han Shu, come here, Chen Jiejie has already agreed."
Han Shu said nonchalantly, "So what if I take pictures? I'm not that petty."
Ju Nian glanced at Wu Yu furtively; he didn't object either. Why let others laugh at him for being stingy? Ju Nian thought for a moment and nodded.
Fang Zhihe then acted as an organizer, gesturing for the four to stand together. To Ju Nian's left was Wu Yu, and Han Shu was pushed to her right by Fang Zhihe.
Han Shu still had the faint blue bruises from when he was hit by badminton that day, but they had faded considerably. Perhaps it was this that made him uncomfortable, because he bumped his arm into Ju Nian, looking awkward all over.
Ju Nian glanced at him, and he said irritably, "Xie Ju Nian, move over a bit, you're crowding me."
She was the one who stood there first.
However, Ju Nian didn't argue with him. She silently walked away from him and went around to Wu Yu's left. Han Shuhan's face was cold, and he didn't fill the gap left by her departure. Fang Zhihe then urged Chen Jiejie to stand between Wu Yu and Han Shuhan.
Ju Nian, Wu Yu, Chen Jiejie, and Han Shu stood in a row from left to right. Fang Zhihe, on the other side, swung the camera around, clicking his tongue in admiration, "A feast for the eyes, a feast for the eyes! Han Shu, you should be holding your Kenneth racket with everyone's signatures on the grip tape; that would be a real souvenir!"
Han Shu said impatiently, "I said just take the picture, why are you making such a fuss?"
Fang Zhihe chuckled dryly, "Art, I'm doing this for art. Jie Jie, move a little to the left... By the way."
Ju Nian stood there quietly. Noticing that Wu Yu moved, she turned slightly to the side and out of the corner of her eye saw the two people in the middle holding hands tightly behind their backs.
"Look at the camera, look at the camera, I'll count to three, then laugh!"