Kim Namji glanced at the podium, and seeing that the teacher wasn't looking at her, quickly typed: "I was originally planning to have dinner with you today since get out of class ended early, but now I can't. I have to have dinner with my teammates; they're going back to Korea tomorrow."
Training break.
After finishing a game, Yin Jiayi walked to the side to wipe her sweat with a towel, picked up her phone from a chair in the rest area, and stood up to reply to her.
"It's alright, you can go ahead."
Kim Nam-ji added.
"I have to go back to Korea right after the exam."
When is the exam?
"The exam will be over next Friday."
Yin Jiayi glanced at the time in the upper left corner of her phone; she shouldn't have finished class yet.
"Sweetie, focus on your studies first, we'll talk when we meet this week."
She had just sent the message when her teammate called her from behind.
"Captain Yin, are you rested enough? The next game is about to start."
Yin Jiayi put down her phone and ran over.
"They're here."
"Who are you chatting with, Captain Yin? You seem so engrossed that you didn't hear me when I called you the first time."
Yin Jiayi smiled.
"No, just a friend. Let's begin."
Upon seeing her reply, Kim Nam-ji sighed imperceptibly and stuffed her phone into her bag.
She wanted to go back to playing, but she also didn't want to leave Yin Jiayi. Once they returned to the court, they would no longer belong to each other. One was the soul of the Korean team, and the other was the mainstay of the Chinese team. Their identities were destined to be opposed. Even if they met, they could only pretend to be unfamiliar with each other, or even deliberately confront each other. She didn't know how long she would have to live like this.
Kim Nam-ji stared at the messy formulas on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom, and for the first time, a sense of powerlessness welled up from the bottom of his heart.
***
Upon hearing the sound, Jian Changnian dragged her luggage and ran over in a flash. She picked up Wangfu and hugged and kissed it repeatedly.
"Good Wangfu, it's only been a short time since we last met, and you've grown so much."
When Wangfu was rescued last year, it was tiny and sickly. Everyone thought it wouldn't survive. But Yan Xinyuan took it back and kept it in the office, and it actually survived. Gradually, it became the mascot of the training base, and everyone loves to pet it when they have free time.
Wangfu seemed to understand her words, wriggling in her arms and frantically licking her face, smearing her with saliva. She disgustedly picked him up again.
"Pah, pah, pah, who did you learn that from?"
Yan Xinyuan and Xie Shian followed. As soon as Wangfu saw her, it jumped down from Jian Changnian's arms, wagging its tail and circling around, rubbing against her trouser leg.
Xie Shi'an reached out and touched Wangfu's head. The little guy licked her palm, and a smile appeared on her lips.
Coach Liang looked at them and felt very gratified.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back. Come on, I've had the cafeteria prepare a big meal, just waiting for you to come back, to welcome you back and wash away the dust of your journey!"
Yan Xinyuan was also somewhat tempted when he heard about the big meal.
"Shouldn't we have a couple of bites?"
"Go away, don't give me that. What kind of head coach leads the way in drinking? Don't set a bad example for the kids!"
"Isn't this just happiness! Besides, I haven't had it in ages—"
"Hiss, you yourself..."
Coach Liang glanced back. The two women were too far away to hear her, but he still lowered his voice.
"Don't you know your own body condition?! I'm telling you, you're going to the hospital tomorrow!"
Xie Shi'an walked towards the dormitory building.
Jian Changnian waved and called out to them from afar.
"Coach Yan, Coach Liang, let's go back to the dorm to put our things away first, and then we'll go eat later."
Pushing open the familiar dormitory door, Xie Shi'an was momentarily stunned. Qiao Yuchu hadn't taken anything with her. The books on the desk, the dolls on the chair, the racket hanging by the bed, and even the bed itself were all intact. It was as if she could turn around and see Qiao Yuchu smiling at her.
"Shi'an, you're back."
The sun was shining brightly today, and the windows in the dormitory were open, with tiny dust particles floating in the air. Xie Shi'an reached out and wiped the corner of his eye.
Jian Changnian peeked in.
"Shi'an, are you ready? It's time to eat."
Xie Shi'an put the bag on the bed and responded.
"They're here."
While eating in the cafeteria, Jian Changnian looked at her, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
Xie Shi'an said irritably.
"Is there something on my face?"
Although her expression remained normal, Jian Changnian still remembered the image of her standing alone in the dormitory for a long time, and hesitated before speaking.
"Do you... want to change dorm rooms?"
Xie Shi'an was taken aback, then quickly shoveled rice into his mouth.
"No need, why would I want to change dorms for no reason? I'm too lazy to go through all that trouble."
"But……"
Jian Changnian looked at her with a hint of heartache in her eyes.
Xie Shi'an understood what she meant; she was afraid that the sight of the scenery would trigger painful memories for her.
She stopped what she was doing and gave a wry smile.
"She didn't take anything with her, which means there's nothing for her to cherish. Since that's the case, why should I keep thinking about moving dorms today and moving house tomorrow? Am I supposed to avoid every place she's ever been?"
Even so, her eyes still reddened.
Jian Changnian picked up a chicken leg from his bowl and gave it to her.
"Then come with me to the city after dinner."
"Where are you going?"
"I want to buy a cell phone."
***
How much is this one?
1999.
What about this one?
"1500."
"They're all so expensive."
After much deliberation, Jian Changnian finally chose the cheapest old-fashioned flip phone, and the two of them went to the service center to get a SIM card.
Xie Shi'an said, "Since we've already decided to buy it, we might as well buy a better one."
Jian Changnian examined her new phone, turning it over and over, clearly enamored with it.
"I'll just make a few phone calls. By the way, Shi'an, how do I create a new contact?"
Xie Shi'an leaned over and took a look.
"Look, tap the dial button on the right, then scroll down. There's a 'Create Contact' option; just enter the phone number."
Jian Changnian typed her name and number one key at a time.
Xie Shi'an raised an eyebrow: "Oh, not bad, you memorized it quite well."
Jian Changnian smiled and said, "Of course, you, Coach Yan, and I have already memorized our home phone numbers by heart!"
Xie Shi'an also took out his phone.
"Then call it to me, I'll save it."
The phone rang. Xie Shi'an hung up, then saved the message and typed in, word by word: "Bean, sprout, vegetable..."
Jian Changnian was furious and lunged at her to snatch her phone.
"Xie Shi'an, I have a name!"
Xie Shi'an dodged and ran out of the store. When Jian Changnian chased after her, she had already disappeared into a post office across the street.
When she went in, Xie Shi'an had already filled out the form and handed an envelope to the counter staff.
"Hello, please send it to the Jiangcheng City Public Security Bureau."
On their way back, Jian Changnian was still brooding over the matter.
"Xie Shi'an, change your name back to normal!"
Xie Shi'an walked with his headphones on and his hands in his pockets.
"If you don't change, you're nothing but a bean sprout to me."
Jian Changnian was so angry that she wanted to kick her.
"Xie Shi'an, you're so annoying!!!"
***
Over the next few days, Jian Changnian and Xie Shian enjoyed a rare period of leisure. The competition was over, and they no longer had to get up early for training. They simply ran and played ball every day.
Jian Changnian also took some time to go home to visit his grandmother. Yan Xinyuan was not at the training base either. Everyone assumed that he had also gone home to rest, but little did they know that he was admitted to the cancer hospital the day after he returned.
When the test results came out, Coach Liang looked at the doctor expectantly.
"How about it?"
The doctor shook his head.
"The tumor markers still show no signs of improvement."