"He played at the Children's Palace when he was in junior high school. He was selected for the Beijing team after only half a semester of high school and was trained as a seeded player. He joined the national team in his freshman year of college. Among the younger generation of men's singles players, he is at least a top professional player, if not the first or second. He has a very resilient playing style and is good at defense and counter-attack."
Would someone skilled in counter-attacking fail to catch that last ball? Gao Jian's resume sounds like he's been through a lot, he's not a newbie, how could he make such a basic mistake?
Jian Changnian silently kept all of this in her heart.
"And what about his performance in international matches?"
"Foreign war? Why did you suddenly ask about that?" Lu Xiaoting muttered.
"I saw him play really well in the Sudirman Cup, so I want to learn from him and get some advice."
Once the Sudirman Cup is mentioned, Lü Xiaoting starts talking non-stop.
"His win rate against international teams is usually quite high, especially against the South Korean team, he basically never loses. I don't know what was wrong with him that day, maybe it was his first time participating in the Sudirman Cup, and the finals at that, he was a little nervous. That point he lost was really unacceptable, otherwise Anjie wouldn't have..."
Jian Changnian's eyes darkened for a moment. After getting the information she wanted, she picked up her plate and stood up.
"I'm full, you can eat slowly."
"Hey, it's so late, where are you going?"
Jian Changnian waved his hand.
"Let's go to the hospital to see Shi'an."
Chapter 121 Reconciliation
Jian Changnian always visited her late at night. Firstly, she had to train during the day, and secondly, after occasionally managing to squeeze in a visit, she discovered that even with the best secrecy, there were always some unknown strangers loitering outside her ward.
To avoid causing trouble for others, Jian Changnian learned to be more careful and only came at night when no one was around. Each time she came, she would only glance at her from a distance through the glass and then leave, or ask the nurse to bring her some things. Sometimes it was daily necessities, sometimes food, sometimes flowers, and she even brought her two Jay Chou CDs.
The fifth day after surgery.
Xie Shi'an was already able to get out of bed and walk. When Jian Changnian came, she hadn't rested yet and was slowly pacing back and forth in the room, supporting herself against the wall. What ordinary people could do easily was now extremely difficult for her.
Even minimally invasive surgery requires general anesthesia. Then, an electrocautery knife is used to cut open the skin and flesh. The torn meniscus is then stitched up completely, and then a stapler is used like a stapler to fasten the cut skin and flesh together.
Just hearing about these surgical steps made Jian Changnian's heart pound. She was so afraid of pain, she didn't know how she had managed to get through these past few days.
In that brief moment of distraction, a muffled thud came from the ward, and she could no longer be seen through the glass.
Without a second thought, Jian Changnian pushed open the door and rushed inside: "Shi'an!"
"I'm fine."
Xie Shi'an was sitting on the ground, probably having fallen accidentally. When he saw her coming, not wanting to worry anyone, he tried to stand up by supporting himself with his hands on the ground, but unfortunately, his knees were too weak to support his weight and he couldn't manage it.
Without thinking much, Jian Changnian put down what he was holding, picked her up, and placed her on the bed. He then knelt down to examine her knees, which were wrapped in gauze, so he couldn't tell anything.
"I'll go get the doctor."
As she spoke, she stood up, turned around, and left.
Xie Shi'an pulled the person back, her ears turning slightly red from her decisive actions, and she stammered for a moment.
"No...it's okay, I didn't hurt my knee."
"Where did you fall? No matter where you fell, it won't work."
She wanted to turn the person over and examine her thoroughly, her anxious gaze sweeping over her.
Xie Shi'an smiled slightly: "I'm really fine. I sat down just before I fell. What brings you here today?"
This was the first time the two of them had been alone together since their last argument. She listened to Coach Wan and tried to minimize contact with Xie Shi'an to avoid being photographed and causing her trouble.
Jian Changnian racked her brains to find an excuse.
"Um...actually, Grandma was worried about you, so she sent me to check on you."
Xie Shi'an looked a little nervous.
Did you tell Grandma?
"She found out about such a big thing from the news."
That's true. The afternoon Xie Shi'an had the accident, her grandmother called and said she was worried that no one would take care of her and wanted to come to Beijing, but she was persuaded not to. If she came, who knows who would take care of whom?
Xie Shi'an gave a wry smile.
That's true. The internet is so interconnected these days. But since we can see news about her injuries, we might also see speculation about their relationship.
"Tell Grandma I'm fine, and tell her not to worry about those rumors online..."
Jian Changnian could tell what she was thinking just by looking at her expression.
"That's all just hearsay; Grandma won't believe it."
Xie Shi'an breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good."
Having finally come all this way, Jian Changnian didn't want to upset her, so she changed the subject.
"I heard you haven't had a good appetite these past few days and can't eat anything else, so I cut some fruit and brought it over. I also asked the cafeteria to cook some congee with preserved egg and lean pork. Please make do with it."
As she spoke, she opened the lid of the lunchbox. The top layer was neatly arranged with fruit, including watermelon, dragon fruit, cherry tomatoes, kiwis, and oranges—all her favorites. Below that was a full pot of porridge, still steaming hot.
Xie Shi'an was taken aback.
Jian Changnian handed her the spoon.
"What are you standing there for? Eat up, or the porridge will get cold and won't taste good."
Xie Shi'an looked up at her and said slowly.
How did you know I didn't have a good appetite?
Jian Changnian's gaze darted around, somewhat afraid to look at her, yet also worried that people might misunderstand, so he quickly explained.
"I...I got your nurse's phone number, but I absolutely didn't mean to pry into your privacy. I just wanted to know...how you're doing, how your recovery is going, and if you need anything, I can bring it to you right away."
"Aren't you busy? You worry about so much every day."
"I'm busy, I only come over after training in the evening—"
Xie Shi'an stared at her intently, his gaze softening, yet also seeming somewhat amused and exasperated.
"So, it's you who brings me things every day."
Jian Changnian then realized that she had let something slip, and her face turned red to the roots of her neck. She picked up her lunchbox and was about to leave.
"Ah, actually it's not every day... um, the porridge... the porridge got cold, I took it to the nurses' station to heat it up."
Xie Shi'an pulled the person back.
"It's just the right temperature; I don't like it too hot."
Jian Changnian turned around, not daring to look at her, and placed the lunchbox on the table for her: "Then you eat, I'll go back first."
Xie Shi'an pushed the lunchbox out again.
"Have you eaten? If not, have some."
She could never refuse any of her requests. Jian Changnian pursed her lips and sat down again, but she still felt embarrassed to share a bowl and chopsticks with her.
Fortunately, Xie Shi'an has been eating at the hospital these past few days, and they have prepared lunchboxes for him.
She gave her half a bowl of porridge, but there were still a few mouthfuls left at the bottom of the bowl. She ate most of the fruit after the meal, though.
Seeing that she was enjoying her meal made Jian Changnian very happy.
"Then I'll send you some more tomorrow."
Xie Shi'an slightly curved his lips.
"Aren't we all going to the Olympic Village soon? There's still time to do these things."
"I'm not leaving until next week."
They were all heading to the Olympic Village to get a head start on familiarizing themselves with the venue, while she was stuck in the hospital. Xie Shi'an looked down at her right knee, which was wrapped in gauze, and clenched the sheet tightly with her fingers.
Jian Changnian brought her a basin of hot water.
"Soak your feet, it's good for blood circulation. There's still a while before the official competition. The surgery was successful, and we've overcome the biggest risks. You can't rush things."
Seeing that she was about to do something for him, Xie Shi'an quickly bent down and stopped her.
"I...I can do it myself."
"good."
Jian Changnian helped her take off her shoes and socks, gently lifted her feet and put them in the water, then got up to tidy up the house.
She swept all the trash on the table into the trash can, tied the trash bag tightly, then washed the lunchbox clean. When she came back, she saw that the medicine on her bedside table hadn't been taken yet. She shook the kettle and found that there was no hot water in it, so she went to the nurses' station to get another kettle and took the trash out to throw it away as well.
Xie Shi'an watched her bustling around, and even though it was the middle of summer and the air conditioning was on, a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
"That day... I shouldn't have lost my temper in front of you."
Jian Changnian didn't expect her to apologize, and smiled.
"I'd rather you just say what's on your mind, even if you get angry at me, than keep it bottled up inside."
She knows that many people in the national team, including the public, don't understand her right now. Why is she pushing herself so hard? She missed this year, but there's still the Tokyo Olympics.
More than the support and understanding of others, Xie Shi'an just wanted a reassuring look from her, to let her know that she was not alone on this path. That's why she lost her temper so much that day.
She desperately needs validation, especially support and encouragement from people she likes.
"I..." Xie Shi'an opened his mouth.
Jian Changnian smiled again.
"No need to say anything more. From the day I met you, I knew that Shi'an loved badminton more than anything else. Although I can't do what you do, I'm willing to go all out with you."
The two looked at each other, smiles on their faces, and finally made up.
Jian Changnian noticed that her feet were still soaking in the water.
"The water's gone cold. Take your medicine and go to bed."
"good."
Xie Shi'an wanted to pick up a towel to dry the water droplets, but found that she couldn't bend her right leg for the time being. Before she could give up, Jian Changnian took the towel and held her foot in her hands.
Her hands were warm, and her movements were so careful, as if she were holding a precious treasure. Xie Shi'an's face flushed instantly; she had never been served like this in her life.