"Didn't you just say it yourself? Korean players! Korean players! How can Chinese people not help each other? Besides, I'm not asking you to cheat for me, it's just a videotape! How much they figure out depends on their performance on the field!"
"Besides, believe it or not, the Beijing team is definitely working overtime to study us right now. They've already come to our training room to show off. Can you bear to see your senior brother lose face?"
Wan Jing paused in his steps.
"Isn't it all available online?"
Yan Xinyuan pulled the person back and rubbed his hands together excitedly.
"Oh dear, those are all incomplete. I want to see the full version, all of her games in the Western Conference from beginning to end. Of course, it would be even better if there were any games she played in Korea."
"Korea? Why don't you say you also got her the things she got at kindergarten?"
Wan Jing gritted his teeth and turned to leave.
Yan Xinyuan said to his retreating figure, "A bottle of Wuliangye."
Wan Jing stopped in his tracks.
"We haven't seen each other in so long, and this is all you're offering me?"
Yan Xinyuan gritted his teeth, his heart bleeding, cursing inwardly that this little brat was just trying to extort him.
"Moutai, Moutai, that's enough."
"That's more like it."
***
While Xie Shi'an and Jian Changnian were locked in a fierce confrontation, Qiao Yuchu was also facing a difficult choice.
The A4 sheet in front of her listed a long string of potential risks during the surgery, as well as prognostic issues.
There was one thing that Jin Shunqi felt she absolutely had to remind her of.
"Although your surgery has been discussed with your coach and the event organizing committee, the inhaled anesthetic drugs used during the surgery may cause you to fail the doping test."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Yuchu bit her lower lip.
"Dr. Jin, is there really no other way?"
Even if the surgery is successful, if the player is unable to play due to medication or even faces a suspension, it would be a net loss.
Jin Shunqi knew that the Chinese Badminton Association had always been very strict about doping tests, but for some reason, he felt a little sorry for the girl, so he spoke in a soft and slow tone.
"Yes, we use a small dose of local anesthesia for the surgery to shorten the time it takes for the body to metabolize the drug, but..."
Qiao Yuchu gave a wry smile and continued the conversation.
"It will hurt a lot, right?"
Jin Shunqi nodded with difficulty.
"So actually, I still suggest you..."
Qiao Yuchu raised her head and smiled, a smile that was both fragile and resolute.
"Please, give me local anesthesia."
Jin Shunqi sighed and stood up.
"Alright, I will perform the surgery with the best anesthesiologist in our hospital and do my best to reduce your pain."
Just as everyone else was about to leave, he suddenly turned back and said something.
"By the way, do you still like it?"
Qiao Yuchu was taken aback, and it took her a while to come to her senses. She realized that he was talking about treadmills, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips again.
"I really like it, thank you."
Hearing her say that, Jin Shunqi's eyes also revealed a genuine smile of happiness.
"Starting tonight, you will not be allowed to eat or drink anything. Get some rest. I'll come and take you to the operating room tomorrow."
Qiao Yuchu saw him to the door.
"Okay, then I'll leave it to Dr. Jin."
Jin Shunqi stood at the door and blinked.
"Actually, you can also call me Jin."
Qiao Yuchu is meticulous and not a dull person when it comes to emotions. If his timely humanistic care during the first consultation was out of concern for the patient, and his busy work on her surgical plan, even gathering the best experts in the hospital to perform the surgery, it could also be said to be his professional ethics.
But arranging a single room for her, remembering her preferences, and showing meticulous care all seem to have crossed the line in the doctor-patient relationship.
She asked tentatively.
"Does Dr. Kim show such care and concern for every patient who comes to you for surgery?"
Jin Shunqi's smile remained unchanged.
“I said it that day, Miss Qiao is a bit special.”
Perhaps it was the cultural influence of growing up in a Western country that made his way of expressing himself more direct and passionate, but it was clear that Qiao Yuchu was having some trouble keeping up.
Jin Shunqi noticed the embarrassment on her face, took a step back, and maintained a gentlemanly distance and demeanor.
"I felt a special connection with Miss Qiao, which is why I made these arrangements. It's rare to meet someone I click with in my middle age. If this has caused you any trouble, I'm very sorry."
"No...not really..." For the first time, the usually open-minded and gentle person was at a loss, and Qiao Yuchu's ears turned a little red.
"Dr. Jin didn't do anything wrong, so there's no need to apologize to me. It's getting late, you should get some rest too."
Okay, good night.
"Good night."
The moment Qiao Yu closed the door, she clutched her chest and took several deep breaths to gradually calm her racing heart.
***
After a fierce battle, the match between Xie Shi'an and Jian Changnian came to an end.
"It's a pity. We can see that Jian Changnian tried very hard to win this game, but Xie Shi'an didn't give her any chance at all and took her away cleanly with a score of 2-0."
"Let's congratulate Xie Shi'an on advancing to the semifinals! We also wish Jian Changnian even better performance in future matches."
The singles schedule was very tight...40; Jian Changnian played three matches in one day and was already exhausted. When the last ball landed, she was completely drained and sat down on the ground.
The dust has settled; she failed to reach the semifinals, and therefore, she will miss the singles finals.
The boy was somewhat unwilling, his head down, panting, his eyes a little red, silently trying to calm his breathing.
Suddenly, a slender, fair hand appeared in front of her. She looked down at the wrist and saw Xie Shi'an nodding at her.
The boy slowly reached out and placed his hand in hers, their hands clasped together.
Xie Shi'an used his strength to pull the person up.
The audience roared and cheered, and spotlights shone on them.
Jian Changnian also saw a hint of affirmation in her eyes.
That applies not only to teammates, but also to opponents.
The gloom of losing the game vanished from the boy's face, and he smiled brightly.
***
After the match, Xie Shi'an returned to the training center and went to the cafeteria for a meal. While eating, he took the opportunity to call Qiao Yuchu.
The video call was connected quickly.
Qiao Yuchu's face appeared on the screen. Although she was wearing a hospital gown, she looked to be in good spirits.
"I watched the match between you and Chang Nian today. How could you hit so hard? Did you make him cry?"
Xie Shi'an smiled.
"I didn't even play my best, but she told me to play well."
Qiao Yuchu saw that she was eating and knew that she had just returned to the training center at this time. Three games a day must be really tiring.
"So, are you confident about the match against Kim Nam-ji the day after tomorrow?"
Xie Shi'an tried to pick up some meat with her chopsticks, but failed and the meat rolled onto the table. Only then did Qiao Yuchu notice that she was actually eating with her left hand.
"Are your...hands injured?"
Fearing she would worry, Xie Shi'an shook his head and explained.
"Kim Nam-ji is a left-handed player. Coach Yan said that knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. He asked me to use my left hand as much as possible to eat, drink, and pick things up during training these past few days, so as to get used to the feeling of using my left hand and the characteristics of the ball trajectory of a left-handed player."
"The finals are in two days, is this even useful?"
Qiao Yuchu is also a professional player, and he knows that left-handed shots are more unpredictable than right-handed shots because most people's dominant hand is their right hand, and this habit is difficult to change in a short period of time.
Xie Shi'an smiled and continued to eat with difficulty using his left hand.
"Let's try anything, even if it's a dead end. We've come this far, I can't just give up now. Anyway, how are you feeling?"
Qiao Yuchu was lying on the bed talking to her, and the camera panned around.
"I'll be having surgery tomorrow morning, and I've already been fasting and not drinking. Look, this hospital room is just like our apartment, it has everything. Dr. Jin was worried I'd be bored, so he even brought me a treadmill."
The treadmill on the balcony flashed by in the shot; this wasn't the first time she had mentioned Dr. Jin to Xie Shi'an.
The boy noticed the smile that appeared on her face and the rare hint of pleasure in her tone when she mentioned that name.
Qiao Yuchu rarely does this.
Xie Shi'an put down his chopsticks.
"You...you've mentioned him so many times, what kind of person is this Dr. Kim?"
Qiao Yuchu thought for a moment.
"Hmm... He's a very humane orthopedic surgeon with superb medical skills. He's also very responsible towards his patients, and he has a great temperament and personality. Most importantly, he's 36 years old, so young and accomplished, yet he's still single!"
In just a few days, I learned so much information.
The boy's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged.
"...So what? You're single too."
Qiao Yuchu smiled, but for some reason, Xie Shi'an felt that her smile was somewhat gloomy.