Chapter 112 Disbandment
After the match, the Chinese team left without even attending the awards ceremony in protest. Of course, more importantly, Jian Changnian's injury was a major concern.
At the entrance to the hospital examination room, Jian Changnian sat in a wheelchair, hesitant to go in.
"I...I'm scared."
"It's not surgery, it's just a check-up, what are you afraid of?"
Wan Jing and the team doctor took turns trying to persuade her, but she still clung tightly to the wheelchair armrests, gazing into the depths of the corridor.
"No, I'm just a little scared. Where's Shi'an?"
Lu Xiaoting chimed in, "Sister An was harassed by reporters when she first entered the hospital, so she'll probably be gone for a while. You should go in first."
Just then, a sharp-eyed teammate spotted someone rushing over in the corridor.
"Hey, Sister An, Sister An is here."
"How's it going? Have the test results come back yet?"
Xie Shi'an ran up to her in one breath, a hint of anxiety in his voice.
Upon hearing her voice, Jian Changnian inexplicably calmed down and tugged at her sleeve.
"I...I want to wait until you come before I go in."
"You..." Xie Shi'an was sweating profusely from running, and was a little angry that she was wasting his time, but he couldn't bear to shake off her hand.
"In that case, Shi'an, you go in with her, doctor..."
In the end, Wan Jing made the decision. The doctor nodded and took Xie Shi'an to change into protective clothing. She then pushed Jian Changnian into the examination room.
This time, Jian Changnian stopped making a fuss and lay on the hospital bed, letting the doctor use instruments to pry open her eyelids without moving.
After completing the full set of fundus examinations, X-rays and MRIs were taken, and the doctor breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the results.
"Fortunately, it's just retinal redness and congestion and brow bone contusion. Let's keep him in the hospital for observation overnight."
Xie Shi'an pressed for an answer.
"Will her eyesight... be affected in any way?"
"It's hard to say about your vision right now. We'll have to wait until the swelling in your eyes goes down before we can do an examination."
***
The South Korean team's locker room.
Kim Nam-ji sat in the chair, stroking the gold medal in her hand. She hadn't said a word since the beginning.
Choi Hye-hee changed her clothes, but saw that she still hadn't made a move.
"Namji, Coach Park just said there's a dinner party tonight, aren't you going?"
"I'm not going."
Seeing that she was playing with the gold medal and her expression was displeased, Choi Hye-hee hesitated for a moment before tentatively speaking.
"What's wrong? You won the game, aren't you happy?"
Kim Nam-ji lowered his head, paused in his hand movements, and suddenly asked a question.
"Did you do that ball on purpose?"
Choi Hye-hee pretended to be confused even though she knew the truth.
"What are you talking about, Nam Ji? What do you mean by 'on purpose'?"
Kim Nam-ji looked up at her. The two had a good understanding on the field, but at this moment, her eyes were cold and devoid of any warmth.
"You know perfectly well what I'm saying. I could have easily caught that ball; you didn't need to interfere."
Even though Kim Nam-ji's left-handed shot is tricky, he never hits shots that are intentionally aimed at hitting the opponent's body.
After returning from China, her personality changed drastically. She became withdrawn, avoided socializing, had no scandals, and focused solely on playing sports and improving her skills, which made her somewhat out of place in the otherwise superficial South Korean sports scene.
Choi Hye-hee is about the same age as her, but she has endured for a long time in her shadow since childhood, and it was not easy for her to get to where she is today.
She was disdainful in her heart, but on the surface she appeared innocent and pure, harmless, and even squeezed out a few tears.
"Nan Zhi, if you're talking about that chase ball, I really didn't do it on purpose. I saw a gap in the opponent's right half of the defense and instinctively rushed over."
"At the time, I was only thinking about winning, after all, this was a match in Incheon. I didn't expect to hit her in the eye. I'm sorry, but I also got a red card. I know they are your good friends. If saying this makes you feel better, then you can scold me however you want."
With a few casual words, Choi Hye-hee pointed out their differing stances: for the sake of national honor, this match had to be won.
Kim Nam-ji raised his hand and shoved the trophy and gold medal that were placed next to him to the ground, then turned and left.
"If it weren't for the fact that you're my teammate, do you think I would have tolerated you for so long?"
Watching her retreating figure, Choi Hye-hee closed the cabinet door and sneered, "What are you pretending for? I wonder who's being called a cashier behind her back. She's probably secretly thrilled to have beaten Xie Shi-an."
***
Hearing the doctor say that, Wan Jing felt relieved.
"Since your match is over, you might as well take a few days to rest and wait until your injury heals before talking about it again."
Jian Changnian sat on the hospital bed and nodded.
"It's okay, I feel much better now. It's quite late, Coach Wan, and everyone else, you should all go back and rest early."
With a room full of people gathered there, everyone was afraid of disturbing her rest, so they quickly gave her a few words of advice and then left.
Wan Jing looked at Xie Shi'an, who was the last to come out.
"Why don't you go back early too? You have a match tomorrow."
Xie Shi'an turned around and glanced at Jian Changnian.
"I'll sit with her a little longer."
"Okay, don't stay up too late. When you get back, the team doctor will have to check your leg again."
"good."
Xie Shi'an nodded in agreement, saw the person off, and closed the door.
Jian Changnian watched her walk back.
"Why didn't you leave? This is really a minor problem for me. I'm not incapacitated, so I don't need anyone to keep watch over me at night."
"You want me to leave? Weren't you just holding my hand, wanting me to come with you into the examination room?"
Jian Changnian scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
"I...I was scared...I've hardly ever been to a hospital in my life, and I don't like the feeling of lying in a hospital bed and being at someone's mercy."
Well, he's become more talkative now; it seems he's not afraid anymore.
But Xie Shi'an felt a wave of fear when the ball hit her in the eye and she fell backward.
She was terrified.
A person who is used to hiding their emotions said this half-jokingly and half-seriously.
"Aren't you afraid... what if you really lose your sight in the future? What if it affects your career?"
Not wanting her to worry, Jian Changnian covered her eyes with an ice pack to reduce the swelling, while smiling brightly.
"Then I'll be the first one-eyed athlete in the world of badminton."
For some reason, her happiness was so infectious that it could easily infect him. Even in this situation, she remained optimistic, and Xie Shi'an smiled slightly, a rare occurrence for him.
"Then you can only participate in the Paralympics."
"Then I'd definitely be the champion, the kind who's invincible..."
Jian Changnian was gesturing wildly, wanting to say something more, when someone held her shoulders and gently pressed her down.
"Lie down, the doctor said you need to rest more."
She leaned closer, and as she bent down, strands of her hair brushed against the corner of her lips, bringing a slight tickle.
Jian Changnian's ears inexplicably felt hot, and she closed her mouth like a clam shell.
She saw Xie Shi'an about to turn and leave with one eye, so she quickly stood up again and grabbed her wrist.
"You...you weren't going to stay with me?"
Xie Shi'an chuckled and looked at her face.
Aren't you hungry?
Jian Changnian then realized that she was going to buy some food. Under her mischievous gaze, her ears burned even hotter, and she quickly withdrew her hand.
"Oh, oh, I'm a little hungry."
What would you like to eat?
"Whatever, anything light is fine."
"good."
After Xie Shi'an left, Jian Changnian lay on the bed, one hand on an ice pack. Feeling a little bored, she circled her right wrist with her left hand, thinking:
How could Xie Shi'an's wrist be so thin? She could wrap her arms around it with just two fingers. Her skin was also fair, and she looked delicate and frail. Who would have thought that she could have such explosive power on the field? It's unbelievable.
***
Kim Nam-ji returned to her dorm alone. After sitting quietly on the sofa for a long time, she finally picked up her bag, got up, and went out.
After she returned to China, apart from meeting them on the field, she hadn't had a proper conversation with them for several years.
Choi Hye-hee's words "good friend" reminded her of Beijing that year, when Yin Jiayi had not yet retired, and she was able to have a fair and just match with Xie Shi'an.
She hadn't felt that adrenaline rush, that feeling of having nothing but the ball and not caring about anything else for a long time. And the wonton noodles sold at the night market behind the national team training base—she wondered if they still tasted the same after all this time.
With that thought in mind, Kim Nam-ji took a taxi to Incheon Hospital.
This is the largest comprehensive hospital in Incheon and the designated hospital for athletes participating in the Asian Games. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be here.
After asking the receptionist for the ophthalmology floor number, she went straight into the elevator, took a deep breath as she watched the numbers go up.