"I'm going to the restroom."
Park Min-heon nodded and called a teammate to accompany her. Shortly after Kim Nam-ji left, he gave a wink, and another member of the Korean team got up and walked towards Xie Shi-an.
Xie Shi'an was eating when someone gently tapped her shoulder. She turned around and saw a member of the South Korean team lean down and whisper something in her ear before returning to his team.
Xie Shi'an hesitated for a moment, glanced in the direction Jin Nanzhi had left, and finally decided to put down the chocolate in his hand.
Jian Changnian stopped him: "Shi'an, don't go. Jin Nanzhi is looking for you, it can't be anything good."
The Korean team member just said that Kim Nam-ji is waiting for her outside and has something to tell her. What could Kim Nam-ji possibly say? He would probably just ask her about why Yoon Jia-yi broke up with her.
She promised Yoon Ga-yi that she would keep the secret if Kim Nam-ji asked.
"It's okay, it's just outside in the corridor, I'll be right back."
Jian Changnian also stood up: "Then I'll go with you."
Xie Shi'an nodded, and the two walked out together. Just like that, a moment of soft-heartedness led to her lifelong regret.
After they came out, they saw that there was no one in the corridor and the competition was about to start, so they prepared to go back. Just then, Xie Shi'an saw that the door to the Chinese team's rest room was ajar and that they could faintly hear voices coming from inside.
She listened intently for a moment, only to hear the word "Old Yan." Curious, she slowly walked over and pushed the door open.
"Shi'an!" Jian Changnian ran over as well.
Seeing the two people suddenly rush in, Wan Jing stood there stunned. Before he could even hang up the phone, his eyes were red. Xie Shi'an looked at him, as if he realized something, and snatched the phone away, pressed the speakerphone button, and heard Coach Liang say.
"Old Yan... Old Yan... He's not going to make it, doctor, the doctor just issued the second critical condition notice..."
It was like a bolt from the blue.
Both of them were stunned.
Xie Shi'an's face was filled with disbelief, and his eyes immediately reddened: "Coach Liang, it was me... No... It can't be... Coach Yan, how could he... How could he suddenly..."
Wan Jing snapped out of his daze, rushed over, snatched the phone back from her hand, pressed the hang-up button, and tried to comfort her.
“Shi’an, listen to me, it’s not like that… Old Yan… he’s fine now… don’t overthink it…”
Putting all the previous clues together, Xie Shi'an no longer believed a single word they said.
She simply stretched out her hand, head held high, stubbornly refusing to let her tears fall: "Give me the phone, I'll verify it myself."
Wan Jing shook his head and put his hands behind his back.
Xie Shi'an's demands went unanswered, so her gaze fell on her ball bag on the sofa, where her phone was. She pounced on it, frantically throwing things out and searching for her phone.
Wan Jing grabbed her hand as she was about to dial the number, his eyes also red, and roared, "Old Yan is in the ICU, being resuscitated. Even if you call, he won't be able to answer. Are you satisfied now?!"
Jian Changnian was also anxious, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked at him, then at Xie Shi'an, and was at a loss for what to do.
"Coach Wan... Coach Wan, please explain yourself clearly. What do you mean by 'in the ICU, being resuscitated'? He was perfectly fine when we left!"
“He’s not well, he’s been bad for a long time. When it was discovered, it was already late-stage lung cancer. We’ve been keeping it from you all, afraid that you would be sad.”
After Wan Jing finished speaking, even the dignified head coach of the national team, standing seven feet tall, couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with sorrow and shed a few tears.
Xie Shi'an was stunned for a moment, and took two steps back in disbelief. The dream from last night suddenly flooded her mind, uncovering the pain and scars buried deep in her heart. She was shocked to realize that so many years had passed, but this wound had never healed.
Without a word, she turned and ran outside.
The loudspeaker in the lounge came on.
"The decisive game is about to begin. Both teams, please return to the preparation area and prepare for the match."
"Stop right there! There's still one game left, where are you going?!" Wan Jing called out to her from behind.
Xie Shi'an clenched her fists, standing rooted to the spot, unable to move. She gritted her teeth to barely resist the stinging sensation in her eyes.
"Back then... when my grandfather passed away, it was the same. I was playing a competition and didn't have time to see him one last time."
Wan Jing roared, his eyes red.
“If you go back now, you’ll be a coward! You’ll be a deserter! What will the audience think? What will the referees think? What will the Badminton World Federation think? What will you do with your future? This isn’t a national tournament, nor is it the Asian Cup. This is the Olympics, the world’s highest-level competition!”
"You're wearing the Chinese team uniform, and you're now representing...our entire country."
"You think he'll be happy and come back to life just because you go back and see him?! Let me tell you, my senior brother is beyond saving! His biggest wish is to see you win an Olympic gold medal and fulfill his Grand Slam dream!"
"He has fought for this dream for a full forty years. Forty years, from player to coach, from his youthful days to his gray hair, he has devoted all his energy to the badminton he loves."
“He was actually past his prime, but he forced himself to play with you until the World Championships and the Asian Cup. Xie Shi’an, don’t let him down again.”
***
Xie Shi'an didn't know how she got back to the competition field. When she stepped down the steps, she missed a step, and it was Jian Changnian who helped her so that she didn't fall to the ground.
She turned her head to look, and there was another face covered in tears.
The huge venue was in an uproar, with enthusiastic fans chanting her name. But only they shared the same joy and sorrow at that moment.
Seeing her red eyes, Xie Shi'an felt a chord in her heart being touched silently. She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears on her face, her voice hoarse as she spoke.
"Don't cry, the media... are filming. After this game, we'll go home."
After she finished speaking, she let go of Jian Changnian's hand and walked through the darkest part of the road between the athletes' tunnel and the competition venue, like a warrior who had no hesitation, to go to a game where the outcome was still uncertain.
When the lights shone on her again, Xie Shi'an picked up her racket, with only one thought in her mind: she had to win.
However, this match was much more difficult than she had imagined. Kim Nam-ji implemented the "drag" tactic that Park Min-heon had taught her to the fullest extent, even more so than in the previous game.
The South Korean team kept filing complaints, demanding that the referee stop the match. One minute the lights in the venue were too bright and they couldn't see clearly, and the next minute the air conditioning was affecting the landing point of the badminton shuttlecock.
Even the commentators seemed a little confused.
"What's wrong with the South Korean team today? Why are they making so many mistakes? It seems like they're just stalling for time."
"It's the final round of psychological warfare. They're trying to influence Xie Shi'an's mindset. I hope she can hold on and not rush things. If she does, she'll fall into their trap."
Before the words were even finished, the South Korean team filed another complaint, arguing that the cheers and shouts from the audience were too loud and disturbed them.
Upon hearing this absurd reason, Xie Shi'an's lips curled into a cold smile. Unable to contain himself any longer, he slammed down his racket, pointed at the referee's nose, and roared.
"I thought the South Korean team's appeals were outrageous enough, but what's even more outrageous is that they've succeeded time and time again! Why? Why? Doesn't their doing affect me at all?!"
The referee shrugged, indicating that he didn't understand what she was saying, and then raised a yellow card to signal to the audience.
Xie Shi'an's eyes were bloodshot, and he was about to grit his teeth and rush up to argue again when Wan Jing, who had run up, stopped him.
"Shi'an, Shi'an, calm down, don't argue with the referee! Let's play the game first, leave the rest to me, okay?!"
"Xie Shi'an was given a yellow card, and the point was awarded to Jin Nanzhi. So, she won the first half."
Watching the farce unfold, Kim Nam-ji turned around and moved her lips, "Coach Park, why..."
Park Min-heon glanced at Xie Shi-an, who looked rather unwell, appearing very anxious and uneasy.
He put his arm around Kim Nam-ji's shoulder and said with conviction.
"Nan Zhi, just focus on playing. In the second half, just hold on, like in the last game. Don't let her pull too far ahead. She's starting to get anxious, and that's your best chance to win the match."
A hint of hesitation flashed in Kim Nam-ji's eyes. Seeing that she was wavering, Park Min-heon shook her shoulder again and spoke earnestly.
"Don't forget how Yin Jiayi treated you, who forced her to retire, and how they bullied you when you first came to China to play. Don't be so indecisive."
The referee's whistle had already sounded, and the second half of the match had officially begun. Kim Nam-ji nodded, turned around, squeezed the necklace around her neck, took a deep breath, and went onto the court with her racket.
"Shi'an, you must stay calm and not fall into her rhythm. Play the balls you can, and let go of the ones that take a long time. Endurance is not your strong point."
Before going on stage, Wan Jing's words of advice were still ringing in her ears, but the more she tried not to rush, the more a fire seemed to burn inside her.
Even though she already knew that Yan Xinyuan was terminally ill and on the verge of death, she still forced herself to stand here and continue the competition, despite her grief.
She was trying her best to stop thinking about it and to bring her attention back to the competition, but as memories kept flashing through her mind, she couldn't help but tear up.
The badminton shuttlecock flew towards her. Before she could even raise her hand to wipe away her tears, her vision blurred. Xie Shi'an, relying on her instincts, lunged forward, but ultimately missed by a few centimeters, and the shuttlecock fell to the ground.
She fell heavily to the ground while trying to save the ball, her racket flew out of her hand, and she curled up on the ground, hugging her knees, unable to get up for a long time.
The scoreboard lights up.
16:19
Kim Nam-ji is currently in the lead.
A burst of enthusiastic cheers erupted from the stands on the South Korean side.
A moment of silence fell over the studio.
Jiang Yunli frowned: "No, no, Xie Shi'an's condition is not right. He was like a completely different person in the first and third games."
The comments section was full of malice from the very beginning.
"Xie Shi'an, are you even capable? If you're not, get down here and carry Yin Jiayi up. Don't waste national resources."
"Exactly! They take up other people's spots, but then they mess up at the crucial moment. I really don't know what the national team was thinking."
"Did she take money from the South Korean team?"
"Haha, appendicitis is no longer an option, so what excuse will you come up with this time?"
...
"She was probably affected by the South Korean team and got another yellow card. It's hard for anyone to feel good, especially since she's only nineteen years old and still very young. This is also her first time participating in the Olympics. Let's all watch the game rationally and be more tolerant of our athletes."
Another commentator added.
In the past, creating gods and witch hunts could be done with just a few words, and people could be killed. But since the world's first computer was invented, it has become even simpler. You can sit at home and type on a keyboard and easily erase a person's efforts of more than ten years.
They couldn't see her previous victories in the World Championships and the Asian Cup; they only saw the few points she lost at the Olympics today.
Boos erupted from the stands. Some people shouted for refunds and stormed off, while others hurled insults at her parents. Someone even shone a laser pointer at her face before being dragged away by security.
They all used to like her so much.
Xie Shi'an curved her lips slightly, and tears silently streamed down her face. She was so tired after playing for so long, and her hands and feet were so weak that she had no strength left.
Enough is enough; it's time to end this long tug-of-war.
Xie Shi'an closed his eyes in sorrow.
Seeing this result, the commentator was also upset, especially Jiang Yunli, who watched her walk over step by step. Even sitting in the studio, she couldn't help but be moved.
"It seems that Xie Shi'an can no longer continue the competition. In any case, it's already remarkable that she has come this far."
After the team doctor briefly assessed her injuries, he nodded to Wan Jing and prepared to carry her away.
Just then, a shout came from the sidelines.