Jian Changnian muttered to herself, but still helped her pick up the wine bottle from the ground and throw it into the trash can.
Qiao Yuchu said loudly in the bathroom.
"Shi'an, you'd better hurry up and clean up the trash and take it downstairs yourself, otherwise the cleaning lady will be here soon."
Xie Shi'an tied the garbage bag tightly and threw it to Jian Changnian.
"Take this and come with me."
"Hey, why do I have to go too?" Jian Changnian didn't understand.
Xie Shi'an pushed her from behind.
"Can't you see I can't carry it? Stop talking nonsense."
The two people went downstairs.
Jian Changnian walked ahead, and Xie Shi'an kept in mind what he had told Yan Xinyuan last night—that he should apologize to her. After hesitating for a while, he finally spoke up.
Are you feeling better from your cold?
"The fever has subsided, but there's still a slight cough. A little medicine should do the trick."
Faced with her rare concern, Jian Changnian asked in surprise.
"You didn't call me out just to tell me this, did you?"
Xie Shi'an: "..."
He threw the trash into the bin, said nothing, and turned to leave.
Jian Changnian threw down what she was holding, took two steps and was secretly pleased. If she had a tail behind her, she would have been wagging her tail long ago.
"Oh, Sister Yuchu isn't an outsider. If you care, just say so openly. There's no need to be so secretive."
Xie Shi'an suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Jian Changnian thought she was going to make a move again, so she instinctively dodged to the side. The person just stood on the steps, looking at her intently.
"Although my tone wasn't very good yesterday, but—"
"You can really trust me. I don't want the victory to be built on the suffering of my teammates, whether it's you or Yu Chu."
Jian Changnian was startled, and a warm current surged into her chest.
She was about to say something when Xie Shi'an turned and left.
"Also, I don't mind if you imitate me, I just..."
Jian Changnian chased after her.
"Just what?"
"nothing."
Xie Shi'an shook his head.
I'm just a little amazed by how fast she's grown.
Chapter 59 Refusal
Before leaving Beijing, the Binhai Provincial Team visited the Forbidden City and other places. In front of the Forbidden City Square, there were many vendors with cameras waiting to take photos for tourists.
Jian Changnian's mind stirred.
“Shi’an, let’s take a picture. This is my first time in Beijing, and I want to keep it as a souvenir.”
Qiao Yuchu and the others had already gone ahead.
Xie Shi'an had his hands in his pockets, and his expression was somewhat impatient.
"It all costs money, I can just take pictures for you with my phone."
Jian Changnian grabbed the person and pulled them over.
"Oh, it's only ten yuan, I'll pay!"
Yan Xinyuan happened to be following behind, and Jian Changnian also pulled people over to join in the fun.
"Boss, give us one."
"Okay."
No sooner said than done, before Xie Shi'an could even strike a pose, the boss had already pressed the shutter.
When the photos were taken out, Yan Xinyuan was standing in the middle, with his arms around them on either side. Both of them were smiling brightly, but Xie Shi'an had a smug and arrogant expression on her face.
Jian Changnian was overjoyed when she received the money.
"I'll take this one."
"No, reshoot it."
Xie Shi'an reached out to snatch it, but the person had already run far away, hiding behind Qiao Yuchu and making a face at her.
The afternoon passed in playful banter, and the group went to eat roast duck. By the time they returned to the apartment, it was already past 8 p.m.
Kim Soon-sik's car was parked at the entrance of the training center.
Xie Shi'an remembered the license plate number, and besides him, no one else in the training center drove such a luxurious car.
Qiao Yuchu also stopped in her tracks.
Jin Shunqi climbed out of the car and waved to her.
“Yu Chu”.
Qiao Yuchu turned around and glanced at Xie Shi'an.
The boy lowered his head, which was taken as acquiescence.
"I'll be right back. You can go back now."
Qiao Yuchu comforted her and hurriedly ran over.
"Dr. Jin, what's the matter?"
Jin Shunqi sensitively noticed that her way of addressing him had returned to its initial awkwardness, but as he had reached middle age, he had learned to remain calm and composed.
"I see that Nam Ji has already returned to South Korea to start training. I guess you guys will be going back soon too. I was thinking of treating you to a meal before you leave."
Qiao Yuchu smiled.
"My flight is tomorrow, and I've already eaten."
Jin Shunqi was taken aback.
"So fast?"
"Yes, didn't you say that the South Korean team is already preparing? We also need to step up our training."
"Then...can I buy you a coffee?" Jin Shunqi opened the car door for her, his eyes pleading.
"It's quite a long drive from the International Hospital, and the World Championships aren't being held in Beijing, so I don't know when we'll see each other again."
Seeing his sincere expression, Qiao Yuchu's heart softened, and she nodded.
"Oh well."
Watching the car gradually drive away.
Jian Changnian called out softly, "Shi'an..."
Xie Shi'an then looked away.
"Let's go."
Just as they were about to leave, a group of people walked towards them. The person in the lead, who was over forty years old and carrying a briefcase, was none other than Wan Jing.
"Senior brother."
Wan Jing first greeted Yan Xinyuan, then turned his attention to Xie Shi'an.
Yan Xinyuan understood immediately: they were here to poach his talent. Judging by their scale, they probably even had the contract ready.
"Um..." Wan Jing coughed lightly.
"My name is Wan Jing, and I am the current head coach of the women's singles team of the Chinese national badminton team. These are xxx and xxx."
He then introduced a bunch of leaders, but Xie Shi'an didn't remember any of them. He shook hands with them lightly and then let go, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Coach Wan, hello, is there anything I can help you with?"
Wan Jing glanced at the group of people behind her, especially avoiding Yan Xinyuan's gaze.
"Well, there are some things we'd like to discuss with you. Let's go to the meeting room."
Xie Shi'an stood still.
"What can't be said here?"
Wan Jing simply stopped trying to hide it.
"It's about this World Championships and your future career prospects."
Xie Shi'an glanced back at the old woman, took a step back, and Yan Xinyuan patted her on the shoulder.
"Go ahead, it might be good to go and listen."
In the conference room.
Xie Shi'an sat alone on one side, while Wan Jing coughed lightly, cleared his throat, and started the conversation.
"Here's the thing, given your outstanding performance in the national competition, which all the leaders have witnessed, we've decided, after some discussion, to make an exception and admit you into the national team."
A man in a suit standing next to him said.
"There are other players your age in the national team, but they are all selected from local teams through a series of trials. They first train in the national youth team for a few years, then in the second team, and only after achieving some success can they enter the national team. Opportunities for exceptional promotion are rare, so you should cherish them."
Xie Shi'an's expression remained indifferent, and he showed no reaction whatsoever.
Wan Jing then patiently and skillfully guided him.
"Moreover, if you join the national team, you won't need to go through the selection process for this World Championships. The World Championships are being held in Shanghai, and as the host country, the national team has a wildcard spot for you. Think about it, it's not easy to stand out from hundreds of people in the provincial teams. What if you're not in good form one day and get eliminated?"