Chapter 122 Plan
After hanging up the phone, Jian Changnian checked her watch. It was almost time, and she had one more thing to do before Shi An arrived.
Gao Jian plays ball with his teammates at the open-air stadium in the Olympic Village every afternoon. She had been observing him for a while. Before going over to greet him, Jian Changnian pressed the record button on her phone and put it in her pocket.
After Gao Jian finished a match, he wiped his sweat with a towel and was about to pick up the water bottle next to him to drink some water when a bottle of mineral water was handed to him.
He looked up at his wrist.
Jian Changnian smiled slightly.
"Are you free? I'd like to talk to you."
The teammates around them started to cheer.
"Hey, Gao Jian, you're quite the ladies' man."
"Go away, what are you still playing ball for? Hurry up and get over there!"
"You said your confession was unsuccessful, but now she's even bringing you water."
...
He was pushed over by his teammates, looking slightly embarrassed, but he knew that Jian Changnian was the kind of person who wouldn't come to him unless she needed something, especially since she had refused him so firmly last time.
"I thought you weren't going to contact me again. What's up?"
Jian Changnian led him toward the apartment.
"Let's talk over there."
The stadium is very close to the South Korean team's accommodation; just turn past a grove of trees and walk along a small path.
The two people stood in a secluded spot.
With no one around, Gao Jian felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
"You've come to me because you've changed your mind? What I told you back then still stands."
Ha, she had never been interested in him, so how could she have changed her mind? Standing next to him made Jian Changnian feel utterly disgusted. If it weren't for seeking justice for Shi'an, she wouldn't even have the desire to look at him again.
She got straight to the point.
"Did you do that on purpose at the Sudirman Cup?"
Gao Jian was stunned for a moment, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared: "What are you talking about? What do you mean by doing it on purpose?"
"I've been watching the replays lately, and as the saying goes, 'Heaven helps those who help themselves.' You probably didn't expect that little step-back move of yours would be caught by an obscure camera angle set up in the corner. We're all professional athletes, so stop pretending."
Now that she had seen it, Gao Jian no longer needed to hide it. He revealed a wicked, indifferent smile, confident that even if Jian Changnian sent the video to the coach, the national team wouldn't do anything to him now.
"So what if I got the shot? I can just say it was a mistake. Isn't it normal to make mistakes on the field?"
Do you know the difference between you and Shi An?
He had expected Jian Changnian to fly into a rage, but to his surprise, she remained unusually calm, looking at him as if he were a bug.
"You are jealous of her and disregard national honor for your own selfish desires. Shi'an would never do that. She only cares about badminton and is willing to stand up for the collective interest at any time."
"You're not even worthy to carry her shoes."
Hearing her direct accusations and comparisons, Gao Jian's chest heaved, his reason overwhelmed by anger.
"Yes, you praise her, Lü Xiaoting praises her, the coaches value her, and the whole national team speaks highly of her. But what about me? Can't you see my good points?!"
Choi Hye-hee went downstairs to the cafeteria for lunch as usual. Just as she reached the apartment entrance, she heard arguing coming from the alley next to her. She glanced over casually and saw a familiar figure. She immediately became alert and hid behind a tree.
"Yes, I did it on purpose. I deliberately lost that game. You like her, right? Then I'll make sure she can never play basketball again!"
What could be more disheartening than not losing the game but being betrayed by a teammate?
His selfish desires nearly ruined Xie Shi'an's career. Jian Changnian was filled with hatred and wished she could tear him to pieces.
She stared at him coldly, each word seemingly a curse.
"Gao Jian, those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. You will get your retribution."
As Jian Changnian turned to leave, she caught a glimpse of a figure moving in the bushes near the apartment entrance.
She reached into her pocket and turned off her phone.
On the last night before her departure, Xie Shi'an was packing her things at home. After looking around, she put Yan Xinyuan's old pipe, which was on the display shelf, into her suitcase. Just as she was about to zip it up, she remembered Jian Changnian's words.
"The food in the Olympic Village is terrible. I should have brought my grandma's chili sauce."
She went over, opened the refrigerator, took out a half-empty bottle of hot sauce, sealed it with plastic wrap, screwed on the cap, put it in several plastic bags, and then stuffed it into her suitcase.
Xie Shi'an arrived late and didn't even attend the opening ceremony. He went straight to the venue to compete the next day.
The moment she appeared, the entire audience cheered and shouted her name. Xie Shi'an turned around and waved to the audience.
Jian Changnian also stood up. He wanted to give her a hug, but due to the large number of people, he restrained himself and reached out his hand to her.
"The first match today is doubles. It's been so long since we played together. I wonder if our teamwork is still there?"
Xie Shi'an reached out and bumped into her fist.
"You'll know once you try."
Jian Changnian smiled brightly.
"Well... good luck!"
"come on!"
Two shouts mingled with the cheers of the audience.
The competition has officially begun.
As arranged by Wan Jing, the two switched their offensive and defensive positions. The first match today was won relatively easily, with a score of 2-0. Jian Changnian withstood a lot of pressure and frequently scored with smashes. When the scoreboard lit up, Xie Shi'an stopped and looked at her back.
She was so focused, still immersed in the game, that the back of her clothes was completely soaked, yet she still held her racket up without putting it down.
A strange feeling welled up in Xie Shi'an's heart, a mixture of relief and sadness.
So this is what it feels like to stand in the backstage area. Did she used to look at me like this?
Looking at today's match results, the commentators in the studio also expressed their approval.
"In the entire game, a total of 42 points were scored, and Jian Changnian alone scored 28 points. It's true that new talents emerge in every generation. In any case, this is Xie Shi'an's first game after undergoing meniscus surgery. Let's congratulate them on their successful start!"
Only when the referee blew the whistle did Jian Changnian breathe a sigh of relief, come back to her senses, and look at her with concern.
How are you?
Xie Shi'an shook his head.
"I'm fine, nothing's wrong."
At lunchtime, Jian Changnian looked at the pizzas, hamburgers, fried chicken, and other food in the cafeteria and her mouth almost twisted to her temples. In desperation, she decided to order a bowl of noodles. Although it wasn't very authentic, it wasn't too bad.
She had just sat down with her tray when Xie Shi'an walked past her and put down a bottle of chili sauce. Her eyes immediately lit up.
The other teammates rushed over as well.
"Wow! Hot sauce! I haven't had authentic Chinese flavor in so long! Give me a bite, give me a bite!"
Jian Changnian snatched the bottle away and hugged it to her chest.
"No, no, Shi'an brought this for me!"
"Sister An, you need to do something about her, please."
"Sister An, you're being unfair! You brought some for her but not for us!"
Xie Shi'an had a slight headache, so he quickly slipped away, saying, "I'm full, you guys can eat slowly."
***
In the following days of competition, they worked together and overcame all obstacles, quickly advancing out of the group stage.
However, Xie Shi'an's individual events were not so smooth. It was an undeniable fact that she was injured. Not only would no one underestimate her, but they would also try to find ways to target her, especially since she had been thoroughly studied. She found it a little difficult to play each game.
After the first round of group stage matches, only the top two teams could advance to the knockout stage. She barely made it into the next round by ranking second, which was unprecedented. Meanwhile, Jian Changnian qualified much earlier.
Xie Shi'an looked up at the points table in front of him and felt a little melancholy.
Jian Changnian patted her on the shoulder from behind.
"What are you thinking about? Let's go eat."
Xie Shi'an turned around, his expression unchanged.
"You go first, I'll practice a little longer."
Jian Changnian watched as she stood in front of the points table for a long time.
"Is it because of the competition...?"
"Well, it's been a while since I've played a match."
Jian Changnian was still a little worried about her knees.
"But Coach Wan also said that you should play within your limits. You've already played two games today. Aren't you tired?"
Xie Shi'an's eyes flickered.
The doctor's words before I left came flooding back into my mind.
"Although the surgery was successful and the torn meniscus was barely stitched up, it can only be said that it is a temporary solution. Now your meniscus is so fragile that it cannot withstand the slightest wind or rain. If it is injured again, it will not be a problem that can be solved by an artificial knee. It may even lead to disability."
Xie Shi'an came to his senses, his voice soft yet exceptionally firm.
"I don't want to leave any regrets."
"Then I'll go with you."
Xie Shi'an looked up at her and slightly curved the corners of her lips.
"Weren't you going to eat?"
"We can eat later, it's more important to practice with you. You've forgotten, it's always been like this before, when you play, I'll be your practice partner."
Even though a century has passed, the memories of my time with the provincial team in Binhai are still vivid.