Before her eyes could adjust to the dim light, she felt something suddenly dart out from her right.
A white shadow flashed by.
She felt a chill on her exposed arm; someone had touched it.
Xie Shi'an felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively shrank back, bumping into the seat.
"ah--!"
"Please rest in peace!"
Jian Changnian steadied her shoulders from behind and noticed that her body was trembling slightly.
The little train was still moving forward, and since the night show was almost over, the entire haunted house was empty except for them.
She was afraid.
Jian Changnian licked her lips, somewhat regretting bringing her here.
She leaned forward slightly so that Xie Shi'an could feel her presence, and then gently covered her eyes with her hand.
"Shi'an, if you're scared, close your eyes and don't look."
When the world went completely dark, all Xie Shi'an could hear was her voice. Following the source of the sound, Xie Shi'an turned his head slightly and buried his face in her palm.
Once again, she felt a sense of "peace of mind" from Jian Changnian.
Her eyelashes trembled in her palm.
Jian Changnian felt extremely itchy all over.
Fortunately, the time was up quickly.
The train emerged from the tunnel, and both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Jian Changnian wanted to pull her down.
Xie Shi'an left without looking back.
I don't know if she's angry or what.
She quickly chased after him.
"Hey, Shi'an, Shi'an, I'm sorry, I promise I won't drag you to the haunted house next time..."
Xie Shi'an wasn't angry, but he felt a little embarrassed.
The two walked to the entrance of the amusement park. The crowd had almost dispersed. The little girl selling flowers, who had been lingering for a long time, saw someone coming out and her eyes lit up. She hurriedly went to greet them.
"Brother, it's Qixi Festival today. Why don't you buy a flower for your girlfriend? It's very cheap."
Jian Changnian was taken aback. She was so busy with training that she didn't know the day was coming. So today was actually Qixi Festival.
A moment later, she came to her senses, feeling awkward and at a loss. She glanced at Xie Shi'an, whose light gaze was also on her, with a hint of mockery in his eyes.
"Ah, I...I'm not...she's not my girlfriend!"
Jian Changnian's face flushed red instantly, and she stammered as she tried to explain.
It's no wonder the little girl mistook it for her own. It was dark at night, and she was eager to sell her things. Xie Shi'an was unusually dressed today, not wearing sportswear. She wore short sleeves and shorts, showing off her long legs and slim waist. Her hair had also grown long and wasn't tied up, but left to fall loosely over her shoulders.
Jian Changnian looked no different from usual, wearing a loose hoodie and sweatpants, her hair was still medium-length, and she was also wearing a baseball cap.
From the backlight, the two people walking together, chatting and laughing, with intimate gestures and expressions, do indeed look like a couple.
The moment she opened her mouth, the little girl knew she had made a mistake and hurriedly apologized.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were..."
Seeing her eyes redden with anxiety, her school uniform faded from washing, and a few lonely, unsold roses in her basket.
Jian Changnian was moved with compassion.
"It's alright, it's alright."
The little girl bowed sadly to them, then turned to leave, knowing that most of the roses would likely go unsold tonight.
Jian Changnian called the person to a stop.
"How much does this cost? I'll buy them all."
The little girl was overjoyed and somewhat incredulous.
"Really? But the remaining ones are all wilted."
Xie Shi'an glanced into the basket.
Aside from the little girl's flower, several bunches of flowers in the basket did indeed have petals missing.
"It's okay, if she wants to buy it, just sell it to her."
The little girl counted them; there were only five in total. She handed the flowers over, a little embarrassed.
"These are all that's left. We can't even come up with a good number. I'll charge you ten yuan."
Jian Changnian put two ten-yuan bills into the basket.
"No need to look anymore, let's go home."
The little girl bowed gratefully to them again before running away.
Two people stood at the bus stop trying to flag down a bus.
Xie Shi'an: "Why did you suddenly decide to buy flowers?"
Jian Changnian smiled.
“It reminded me of how I used to be. After school, I would go to the market with my grandma to sell things, like insoles she made herself. She would stay up all night, ruining her eyes, but she still couldn’t earn much money.”
Xie Shi'an was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"Now Grandma doesn't have to work from dawn till dusk anymore. When we have some free time, let's bring her to Beijing to get her eyes checked."
Jian Changnian's current salary and bonuses are enough to cover her daily expenses and support her grandmother.
She changed the course of her life through her own efforts.
Jian Changnian was also very happy to hear her say that.
"How could that be? She can't stay idle. She called me yesterday to say that she embroidered a few more pairs of insoles, which have already been sent and are on their way. She also mentioned some local specialties and specifically told me that Shi'an loves to eat them, so she asked me to save some for you."
“I also want to bring her to a big city to get her eyes checked. The medical facilities are better here, but I'm not familiar with Beijing…”
"I'll come with you when Grandma arrives."
Jian Changnian's eyes lit up immediately. She suddenly saw the flowers in her hand and excitedly handed them over.
"Okay, then... I'll give you these flowers as an apology for taking you into the haunted house, and also... to thank you on behalf of Grandma."
Xie Shi'an lowered his head and smelled the rose.
"It smells quite good."
In that instant, a gentle breeze lifted the ends of her hair, revealing her delicate profile, and the dim streetlights bathed her in a warm and captivating glow.
Jian Changnian's heart skipped a beat, and she blurted it out.
Happy Qixi Festival.
Xie Shi'an turned around and smiled.
Happy Qixi Festival.
When Xie Shi'an returned to her dormitory that evening, she didn't have her key. Her roommate opened the door for her and immediately noticed the flowers in her hand.
"Hey, who sent this? Is our Sister An already taken?"
Xie Shi'an laughed and scolded.
"What nonsense. I just went out with Chang Nian. On the way back, I saw a little girl selling flowers. She looked so pitiful that I bought some."
That's what she said, but after searching the house for a long time, she couldn't find a vase. So she cut open the top half of a mineral water bottle, poured in some water, and carefully placed the flowers inside.
Chapter 109 Debut
As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Xie Shi'an gets up and draws back the curtains. The flowers on the balcony are gradually withering.
Jian Changnian had figured out her daily routine and would always knock on the door just as she was getting ready to leave.
"Shi'an, we're leaving now."
Xie Shi'an changed his shoes at the door.
"They're here."
We trained together, ate together, strolled together, shopped at the supermarket together, and went back to the dormitory to rest together.
The life of an athlete is so monotonous and boring, but fortunately, there are people to accompany them, to chat and joke around with.
They truly became inseparable, and gradually regained their former trust and understanding through their daily interactions.
When the last petal of the rose falls.
Wan Jing arranged a training match for them.
At this point, there were less than ten days left before the start of the World Championships.
Their opponents are the strongest men's doubles pair currently active in the national team, and they are also expected to win gold at this World Championships.
Before the match, Jian Changnian was no longer his usual cheerful self; he became unusually silent from the moment he entered the locker room to prepare.
Xie Shi'an discerned four words on her face:
As if facing a formidable enemy.
She knew she hadn't played such a high-intensity match in a while and had been training hard lately.
No matter how many matches you've played, as long as you still have a sense of awe for this arena, you'll still feel nervous.
Xie Shi'an thought for a moment, then walked over and extended his hand to her.
"Don't be afraid, just play as usual."
Coach Yan used to be in charge of calming people down before the game, but now it's her turn.