By the time he tried to get up and save the ball, it was too late.
Zhou Mu stared in disbelief: "Wow...so amazing."
Her eyes held a hint of envy, a touch of admiration, and mostly a sense of relief.
So Jian Changnian has unknowingly made this much progress?
Zhou Mu smiled genuinely and cheered from the sidelines, "Chang Nian, you're amazing!! Keep it up!! Take them down in one fell swoop!!!"
The ball landed, and the score became 11-8.
Jian Changnian stared wide-eyed in disbelief, looking at the scoreboard and then at her hand holding the racket. A surge of joy and a sense of accomplishment welled up inside her. She couldn't play like that in training matches, or rather, she didn't dare to.
The boy finally couldn't resist picking up his racket and running to the backcourt to cheer.
Xie Shi'an finally managed a slight twitch at the corner of his lips.
"Match point! Coach Yan, you haven't forgotten your advice to go all out, have you?"
Jian Changnian nodded emphatically: "Okay, you'll be the main attacker, and I'll pass the ball to you."
Xie Shi'an glanced at her: "Didn't you see? We covered for each other and took turns attacking, so it was two against one. That boy's threat was negligible. His mind was already in disarray, and he couldn't play well."
Qin Yang vented all his frustration from the loss on his teammates. With his repeated insults and physical abuse, the boys became increasingly timid and hesitant to play.
He could have played very well.
Jian Changnian paused, as if she understood something.
A bright smile appeared on the boy's lips.
"Okay, let's defeat him together."
It is us, not me.
Only ten balls left.
Jian Changnian had never felt time pass so slowly. She swung her racket with all her might, and sweat dripped onto the ground with each jump.
Xie Shi'an used all his skills and knowledge to save the ball, even if it meant falling out of bounds, he would never let the ball touch the ground.
The young men poured out their sweat and youth, venting all their resentment and anger towards the past. One shot after another, the crisp sound of hitting the shuttlecock and the sound of their shoes rubbing against the floor echoed throughout the badminton hall.
At that time, they had no idea that this was the first match they had played together, but it would become the beginning of their future fame.
Zhou Mu clasped his hands together, nervously watching them: "Five points, four points, three points, two points..."
The score was now 19-15.
If they win just two more points, Xie Shian and her team will win.
A ruthless glint flashed in Qin Yang's eyes. He absolutely could not let them win; he would win even if it meant resorting to any means necessary!
He gritted his teeth, wanting to use the same trick again, and went online like a madman, while alarm bells rang in Xie Shi'an's mind.
"Jian Changnian, get out of the way!"
Jian Changnian, who was focused on defending at the net, heard her voice and subconsciously tilted her head.
The edge of the racket grazed her face, leaving a mottled red mark.
Despite the pain, Jian Changnian didn't back down an inch; her eyes were only on the badminton shuttlecock flying towards her at high speed.
She lowered her center of gravity and flicked the ball back from below, hitting Qin Yang's backhand position where he couldn't react in time.
The badminton shuttlecock landed.
Zhou Mu jumped up: "One point left!!!"
Jian Changnian also lost her balance and sat down on the ground with a thud. Only after landing did she realize that her legs were weak and she couldn't even pick up her racket. She was completely exhausted.
On the last serve, having learned his lesson twice, Xie Shi'an no longer chose to push the ball back at the net, giving him no chance to touch it. Instead, he fully utilized his agility, frequently using drop shots to move the ball around their backcourt.
Against tall players, a cross-court drop shot often has a surprising effect.
Xie Shi'an's heart felt like it was being fried in oil, but his expression remained increasingly calm.
She wanted to win, to win fair and square, to defend the honor of professional athletes, to vindicate the Binhai Provincial Team, and to avenge Qiao Yuchu.
The boy raised his hand, jumped off the ground, and his movements were swift and graceful, like a leopard running freely on the grassland.
Even though there was no wind, Jian Changnian felt as if the air currents from her running were whipping up her hair.
She stared wide-eyed, holding her breath as she awaited the final result.
When Xie Shi'an landed, Jian Changnian could clearly feel a slight vibration in her hand on the floor.
She looked up at him; the boy's back was so thin, yet so invincible.
The lights in the stadium seemed to be focused solely on her.
She was born for the competition.
Xie Shi'an stood tall and proud, saying, "We won."
Those four short words were the most beautiful words Jian Changnian had ever heard from her.
For some reason, Jian Changnian felt a slight urge to cry.
She won, they won, she won against those who had bullied her. Although she couldn't retaliate in any other way, for an athlete, defeating them fair and square is the best revenge.
The venue staff flipped over the scoreboard, blew the whistle, and announced the end of the game, with Xie Shi'an winning.
At that very moment, Qin Yang's expression changed, and he suddenly sprang to attention, throwing down his racket and preparing to jump over the net to hit someone.
"What are you doing! What are you doing!"
Other club staff who had long been fed up with the situation, as well as some fellow golfers, gathered around and shoved him.
Qin Yang was held tightly by several tall, burly men, unable to move. He spat on the ground, his eyes filled with a sinister and crazed look.
"Pah! You just wait and see! Let me go! Let's go!"
As he was surrounded by others, Xie Shi'an glanced back at Jian Changnian, who was sitting on the ground.
Just as she was about to get up, a hand suddenly reached out in front of her.
She looked down along the slender, fair wrist and saw Xie Shi'an.
The boy kept his lips pursed, maintaining that cold expression.
Are you alright?
Jian Changnian grabbed her hand and stood up: "It's alright!"
Seeing that she was alright, Xie Shi'an let go of her hand and went to the side to drink water and rest.
Zhou Mu also ran over, looking her up and down: "Your face, oh my god, such a long mark, you really went too far!"
Jian Changnian smiled and said, "It's nothing, just a superficial injury. It'll be fine in a few days."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Qin Yang and his men slinking out of the venue. The boy pushed through the crowd and followed them.
She called out to Qin Yang: "Do you know why you lost?"
Qin Yang smiled dismissively, not even bothering to turn his head.
"Because in your eyes, there is only winning and losing, no friends."
Jian Changnian's voice was not loud, but it was firm and resolute.
Qin Yang's back stiffened slightly, and after a moment he left without looking back.
When Jian Changnian said those words, Xie Shi'an stopped drinking water, slightly curled the corners of his lips, and raised the water bottle again when they came over, his expression unchanged.
Qin Yang walked out of the venue but didn't go far. He squatted by the roadside smoking and watched Xie Shi'an and his group walk out across the street, chatting and laughing.
He threw the cigarette butt on the ground.
"Go and call a few people for me."
Chapter 19 Benefactor
Even after leaving the club, Zhou Mu was still immersed in the exciting match, circling around Xie Shi'an and chattering incessantly.
"Senior? Never mind, we're not from the same school, calling you 'senior' seems a bit inappropriate. Shi'an, may I call you that?"
"That shot you just made was so cool! I'm so moved, you're the best girl I've ever seen at basketball!"
"We've met so many times, could you give me your phone number?"
"Or you could teach me how to play ball!"
Xie Shi'an remained expressionless, but silently quickened his pace.
Jian Changnian sighed, realizing years later that Zhou Mu's symptoms were actually the legendary "socially awesome syndrome."
She grabbed Zhou Mu, who was fluttering around Xie Shi'an like a moth, and pulled him back.
"Don't mess with her, she can be terrifying when she gets angry."
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Shi'an, who was walking ahead, suddenly blurted out, "If we don't hurry, we'll miss the last bus."
Startled, Zhou Mu stopped babbling and quickly dragged Jian Changnian away.
Xie Shi'an made a phone call to Qiao Yuchu as he walked.
How are you?
Her voice sounded much better.
"I had a CT scan, and the doctor said there was nothing wrong. The nosebleed was caused by ruptured capillaries, and it has stopped."
Xie Shi'an finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good."
Qiao Yuchu was sitting on the hospital bed, about to say something, when Cheng Zhen snatched her phone away.
"Hey, I'm telling you, you called me over to keep me company just because I had a nosebleed? It's my precious holiday! The barbecue was just served and I haven't even had a chance to eat a bite yet!"
Xie Shi'an, with his hands in his pockets, said calmly.
"Alright, I'll treat you to a big meal another day."