It wasn't until she heard the words "Coach Yan" that the girl's unfocused gaze slowly returned to normal. She struggled to sit up, only to hear Jian Changnian say that Coach Yan was hospitalized.
As she frantically tried to run to open the door, her legs gave way and she fell heavily to the ground, knocking over several beer bottles.
Jian Changnian gave a wry smile and continued.
"You're not here, and neither is Sister Yu Chu. I don't know who to talk to in the dorm. I never realized how important you were to me before."
"Oh, right, there's something I've been thinking about and I still want to tell you. Sister Yu Chu went back to the training base today, but she went to pack her things. She... is retiring."
"I was afraid you would be sad, so I tried to keep you, but I couldn't."
As Jian Changnian spoke, her eyes reddened slightly.
“I’m also very reluctant to part with her. You probably didn’t hear these words, but if you did, maybe when she tells you herself, you’ll be mentally prepared and won’t feel so bad.”
"Alright, that's all I have to say. I'm leaving now. Remember to take what you left at the door. I'll come see you another day."
The footsteps at the door gradually faded into the distance.
Xie Shi'an sat on the ground, closed his eyes briefly, and two lines of clear tears slid down his cheeks.
She hugged her knees and bit her wrist tightly to keep herself from crying out loud.
***
Finally, when almost everyone had left the ward and only the three of them remained, Yan Xinyuan finally showed a hint of fatigue on his face.
Coach Liang got straight to the point.
"Director Chen, how is Lao Yan's condition progressing?"
Director Chen glanced at them, shook his head, and sighed.
"The delay has been too long; the cancer cells have spread throughout the entire right lung, and there are even metastases in the liver and kidneys. It's really..."
He was practically on the verge of saying "there's no way to save it."
Coach Liang felt a chill run down his spine and plopped down in his chair.
"Then...is there really no other way?"
After a moment's consideration, Director Chen told them.
"Yes, we'll have immediate surgery to remove the lesion, but there's no guarantee that the patient won't survive the operation."
Yan Xinyuan was much calmer than him and picked up the conversation.
"Even if someone survives the surgery, a person with incomplete lungs can only lie in bed all day, relying on a ventilator to barely survive. Let alone teaching, they will have difficulty even taking a few steps."
Director Chen remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Coach Liang's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and he said urgently.
"We can't just sit here and wait to die!"
"I suggest you try chemotherapy first to slow down the progression of the disease," Director Chen said with a sigh.
Yan Xinyuan looked up at him and asked, "If I undergo chemotherapy, how long can I live?"
"Depending on the progression of the illness, it could take anywhere from two or three months to as long as six months."
***
This was the first time Qiao Yuchu had stayed home overnight since her argument with Xie Shi'an downstairs. She had been staying at the hospital with her mother these past few days, only occasionally coming back to grab some toiletries before leaving again.
She sat on the bed, looking at the application form in her hand, covered her lips, and her shoulders trembled silently.
Jin Shunqi knew she was in a difficult position, so he pulled her into his arms.
"Whatever decision you make, I will support you, but once you've made a decision, don't regret it, just look forward."
Qiao Yuchu put down the paper and sniffed.
"I feel like I'm in a dream during this time, being pushed forward by life, and there's no turning back. I just... I just really miss them... and... Coach Yan."
Kim Soon-ki kissed her forehead to comfort her.
"We can still come back and visit if we have the chance."
Not wanting him to worry, Qiao Yuchu forced a smile.
"Okay, let's pack our things. The moving company is coming tomorrow."
"good."
Jin Shunqi got up and went to the living room to pack her things. Qiao Yuchu was organizing her wardrobe in the bedroom when she found a lot of cultural shirts from the Binhai Provincial Team. Her eyes welled up with tears again, and she threw them into the pile of unwanted shirts.
There were many certificates of merit on the wall, some for winning competitions, some for being an outstanding student. Qiao Yuchu tore them off one by one and threw them on the ground.
On her desk were some trophies, and inside the drawer were many certificates of honor and medals—all of which represented her youth.
She couldn't bear to just leave them on the ground, so she grabbed a cardboard box and packed them all inside.
Besides the visa interview, the main reason she and Jin Shunqi went to Beijing was to take her mother to see a doctor, and secondly, he also needed to go back to the hospital to complete his resignation procedures.
Once all the formalities are completed and the visas are issued, they will fly to the United States together with their mother to start a new life.
Therefore, she couldn't bring too much luggage.
The only thing Qiao Yuchu packed in her suitcase was a group photo.
It was taken during the national competition, on her birthday.
The boys in the photo have cake smeared on their faces, are hugging each other closely, and have bright smiles. Everyone is there, every single one of them.
Xie Shi'an sat on the cold floor of the living room all night, from dusk till dawn. The sound of rain outside the window never stopped, but the tinkling sound that came from next door early in the morning had stopped.
She knew that Qiao Yuchu had finished moving.
A little while later, the door to the next room opened.
Jin Shunqi carried her suitcase and went downstairs first.
Qiao Yuchu put down the cardboard box in her hand and slipped the bank card through the crack in the door.
"Shi'an, I'm leaving. Thank you. Here's the money back, but I can't accept it. The card PIN is your birthday. Take care in the future..."
Xie Shi'an leaned back on the sofa, biting her lip, tears streaming down her face. As she listened to her footsteps fading into the distance, she finally couldn't help but stumble to her feet and rush out the door.
She wanted to try one more time, just one last time.
With tears in her eyes, Qiao Yuchu threw the cardboard box into the trash can. Just as she was about to turn and leave, Xie Shi'an rushed into the rain.
"Qiao Yuchu!"
The heavy rain washed over her face, rainwater mixed with tears streaming down her cheeks, and her voice was broken and fragmented.
Qiao Yuchu's heart tightened, she paused, gritted her teeth and didn't turn around.
Xie Shi'an choked up.
"Didn't we agree... to... to win lots and lots of championships together? Didn't you say you would never lie to me?"
"Why...give up halfway?"
Qiao Yuchu listened to her crying, but simply stood with her back to her, without turning around.
Xie Shi'an watched her retreating figure, so resolute, and saw their hands clasped tightly together, a sight that stung his eyes.
She felt all her strength being drained away, and she unconsciously backed away until she was outside the green belt, with the community's ornamental pond not far behind her.
"You retired... because of me? Did my words that night bother you?"
"You really don't want to be on the same team as me?"
"Qiao Yuchu, say something!"
She screamed at the top of her lungs, her feet already on the edge of the pond.
"If it weren't for...you...you turning around and looking at me."
"If that's the case..."
Xie Shi'an closed his eyes and burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, I won't bother you again."
Jin Shunqi wanted to go back and take a look, but Qiao Yuchu grabbed his wrist, which was holding the umbrella, and gestured for him not to move, while holding back her tears.
"let's go."
As she took her first step, Xie Shi'an smiled knowingly, then lost her footing and fell backward.
A scream came from behind.
"Shi An!!!"
Jian Changnian threw down her umbrella, her eyes reddening. She chased after that slender figure, leaped up, grabbed her hand, and jumped down after her.
She didn't know when she overcame her fear of water; she only knew that at that moment, she had only one thought in her mind: she couldn't let Shi'an get into trouble.
Fortunately, the water in the pond wasn't deep, just covering her chest. When Jian Changnian dragged her ashore, she was trembling all over, not knowing whether it was from fear or anger.
She looked at Xie Shi'an's face, grabbed her collar, and roared.
"She's gone! She left without even glancing at you! Xie Shi'an, you got the answer you wanted, are you satisfied?!"
Xie Shi'an was soaked to the bone, filthy, like a drowned rat, and his once bright eyes had dimmed.
She remained motionless and silent, unmoved even when grabbed by the collar.
Jian Changnian dejectedly let go of her hand, letting her lie on the ground. Seeing her like this, he felt somewhat disheartened.
Is it worth it to degrade yourself like this?
Despite being pulled up in time, Xie Shi'an still choked on some water, coughed a few times, struggled to his feet, and staggered towards the unit entrance.
"It's not worth it...it's not worth it...nobody should come near me...I...I'm a menace...I don't deserve anyone's kindness..."
She stumbled back home, opened the refrigerator, found the wine was all gone, then picked up the melatonin bottle, poured it out, and found it empty.
Xie Shi'an smiled sarcastically, threw it away, and when he turned to the side, he saw himself in the living room full-length mirror. He looked so disheveled, his clothes were covered in mud, and fallen leaves were still hanging in his hair.
Take a shower, you're too dirty.
With that thought in mind, she walked towards the bathroom in a daze.
Jian Changnian sniffled as she ran out of Xie Shian's residential compound, only to be stopped by someone as soon as she reached the entrance.