Xie Shi'an also raised his fist at her.
This is the ritual before every expedition, and the way to celebrate victory.
The boy looked at Yan Xinyuan, then at her, and finally a smile appeared on his lips. He reached out and bumped into her fist.
After finishing their match, the three players didn't go out for a meal. Instead, they returned to their hotel and ate instant noodles. They had something more important to do: keep an eye on the Badminton World Federation's website and check the latest rankings for the week.
The three heads came together.
As midnight approached, Jian Changnian didn't dare to blink, staring intently at the computer screen as she began the countdown.
"Five, four, three, two..."
Xie Shi'an swallowed hard and held his breath.
Yan Xinyuan and Jian Changnian: "One!"
She clicked the mouse somewhat nervously.
The page remained completely unchanged.
The three people: "...?"
Jian Changnian's scream got stuck in her throat, neither coming out nor coming down.
"What's going on? This can't be!"
Xie Shi'an removed her hand from the mouse, which had several fingerprints on it. She wiped the sweat from her palms and turned her back.
"I...I accidentally clicked it...I think I didn't click it...I don't want to watch anymore, you guys watch it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jian Changnian leaned closer and, still not believing it, clicked the mouse again, causing the page to flash.
A familiar profile picture appeared at the top of the rankings.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven!"
She counted, turned around, hugged Xie Shi'an tightly, pulled him to the computer, and said excitedly.
"Shi'an, Shi'an, look!! You're ranked seventh in the world!!! You can compete in the Olympics!!!"
Xie Shi'an stared blankly at the screen. Once upon a time, let alone world rankings, even the World Championships were a distant dream for her.
That's why she fought so hard when she met Yin Jiayi in the national competition, because that might have been the closest she ever got to the world championship.
She started playing ball when she was just learning to walk, from the park to the training ground, from the city team to the provincial team, from the national competition to the World Championships, and then to the Asian Cup. She went from being a novice to an adult, and from being unknown to becoming famous.
Fifteen years have passed since then.
She dedicated her entire youth to the sports arena she loved.
“When Shi’an grows up, he will definitely be a world champion.”
Xie Shi'an blinked, and tears fell.
Grandpa, did you see that? I... have a world ranking now, I'm a top ten professional player in the world.
Yan Xinyuan also took off his reading glasses, squinted, and pulled his two apprentices over. The three of them hugged each other, crying and laughing at the same time.
"Good, good, I knew it... Shi'an will definitely succeed. All the hardships along the way have not been in vain. Master, I will always be proud of you!"
Chapter 95 Returning Home
Kim Nam-ji attends classes during the week, and returns to her and Yoon Jia-yi's love nest on weekends to spend time with her. Because of the upcoming exams, she specially brought her computer back this week to do her homework.
At this moment, on the desk, there is a laptop for doing practice problems and an iPad for watching videos.
The English words were mixed with sports commentary, and the audio was reverberant. When she heard that Xie Shi'an had won the Asian Cup again, she immediately raised her head and sat up straight.
"Damn, if I hadn't had exams and hadn't even registered, would she have won the championship?"
Yin Jiayi brought in a plate of sliced fruit from the kitchen and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "How can you concentrate on studying when you're trying to do two things at once?"
"Yin Jiayi, you underestimate me! I finished high school at fourteen, okay? And I got an admission letter to Seoul National University without taking the entrance exam at sixteen. If I hadn't gone down the path of a professional gamer, I might have graduated from university long ago."
As Kim Nam-ji spoke, she turned off the iPad and focused her attention back on the practice questions, chewing on her pen and complaining.
"But to be honest, the exam questions in China are really difficult."
Yin Jiayi also sat down on the chair, and Jin Nanzhi naturally made room for her, pulling her into her arms.
Yin Jiayi rested her chin on her shoulder, reached out and swiped the mouse, then exclaimed in surprise.
"Hmm... let me see, there's still so much left. Nam Ji, I don't think you'll be getting any sleep tonight."
Her warm breath hit her ear.
It's crispy, numbing, and slightly tingling.
Kim Namji unconsciously tilted her head to the left, her eyes darting away, and pushed her head away.
"What's wrong? It's itchy. As long as you don't touch me, I can write very quickly, I swear."
Yin Jiayi chuckled as she watched the pink blush gradually spread from her earlobe, and leaned in again.
"I'm so obedient, how could I possibly lay a hand on you? It's your own fault for not paying attention, how can you blame me?"
"Yin Jiayi—" Jin Nanzhi raised his voice to express his dissatisfaction, but he had no way to resist her gentleness.
Whether on or off the field, Yin Jiayi was already well aware of her weaknesses and easily grasped her lifeline.
She didn't physically assault anyone, but she did verbally.
The most sensitive part of my body is being manipulated.
She melted into her arms like a pool of water.
Summer clothes are thin, so Kim Nam-ji wore a sundress, and the cool air from the air conditioner couldn't dampen her passionate love.
Yin Jiayi felt a dampness on her legs, not from her own sweat. Her throat tightened, she hugged Nan Zhi's waist tightly, and whispered in her ear, "Nan Zhi, you've been doing homework all day and haven't talked to me all day. Do you want to rest for a while and relax?"
"Yin Jiayi, I have class tomorrow morning—"
Kim Nam-ji blushed and muttered a rebuttal in a low voice, as she was lifted from the chair and gently placed on the bed.
Yin Jiayi gently leaned down, silencing her.
"Then let's go to bed early, okay?"
As she spoke, she casually turned off the desk lamp, and in the dim light of the room, Kim Nam-ji's phone, which was on the table, vibrated.
Caller ID: Coach Park.
But at that moment, no one had the time or inclination to answer the phone.
***
Xie Shi'an lay in bed, perhaps overwhelmed by joy, and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She turned over, and Jian Changnian was looking at her.
Separated by a bed, the two looked at each other and spoke at the same time: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
As soon as they finished speaking, they all laughed again.
Jian Changnian lifted the covers and sat up, touching her stomach.
"I only ate instant noodles for dinner, and I'm so hungry."
Xie Shi'an rolled over and got out of bed.
"Let's go to the convenience store and buy some food."
"We won the game today, so I'll treat you as a celebration."
As Jian Changnian spoke, she took a few bottles of drinks from the shelf and put them in her shopping basket, while Xie Shian also took two loaves of bread.
"Didn't you just get a phone installed at home? Do you have any money left?"
Jian Changnian snatched the food and shopping basket from her hands and placed them on the checkout counter.
"Don't worry, I still have enough money to treat you to a meal."
Xie Shi'an's lips curled up slightly, but he didn't refuse her kindness. His gaze fell on the cashier, and his mind began to wander.
"I also want to eat oden."
"good."
Jian Changnian glanced at it, then stumbled and gestured to the cashier for a long time before finally buying her a serving of oden.
Xie Shi'an ate as she walked, and Jian Changnian, seeing how much she enjoyed it, also felt a pang of envy. She bounced around Xie Shi'an and tried to tug at her arm.
"Shi'an, Shi'an, give me one, I want one too."
Xie Shi'an dodged to the side.
"Who told you not to buy two portions?"
"I don't even know if it'll taste good or not, don't be so stingy! Give me one, just one!"
"No, no, you just want to use me as a test subject for poison."
"Xie Shi'an, stop right there! Don't run away! I'm the one who paid for this!"
Xie Shi'an dodged her clutches, weaving left and right, while Jian Changnian, not to be outdone, also gave chase.
Yokohama is a port city. The sea breeze on summer nights dispels the day's heat and also lifts the white shirts of young men.
They ran and played along the seaside street, the tide lapping against the shore, their silvery laughter carrying far and wide.
"Okay, okay, this is the last one, here you go."
Xie Shi'an couldn't run anymore and stopped. Jian Changnian couldn't brake in time and almost collided with someone.
Xie Shi'an steadied the person by the waist.
Their eyes met, and they saw their own reflections in each other's eyes.
Huge fireworks soared into the sky over the other side of the coastline.
It illuminated half the night sky.
Amidst the dazzling fireworks, her pupils appeared even more profound.