Yan Xinyuan was also very pleased to see her regain her confidence.
“I never thought of removing you from the roster. There are still three days until the team competition. Because the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan teams have directly advanced to the finals, it will actually be a little longer before it is our turn to play.”
"You still need to follow the doctor's advice and recover well during this period. As for whether you can play in the end, it will depend on your physical condition. I think Shi An doesn't just want to play this one game with you, but many, many games."
A grateful smile spread across Qiao Yuchu's face, and her eyes welled up with tears.
"Okay, I understand. Thank you, Coach Yan."
"Oh, no need for thanks. I'm already this old, and I don't have any children. I treat you all like my own children. Seeing you happy and healthy makes me content."
"Of course, it would be even better if I could train a few more world champions before I retire."
Jian Changnian was asleep in the back row when she vaguely heard someone talking. She sat up and leaned on the seat in front of her.
"World champion? Why not a Grand Slam champion?"
Yan Xinyuan turned around and glanced at her.
"Go away, do you know how difficult it is to win a Grand Slam?"
Qiao Yuchu also burst out laughing.
"Timing, luck, and solid skills are all indispensable. Throughout the history of world badminton, there are very few athletes who have won a Grand Slam."
Jian Changnian thought for a moment and said, "Well, I guess it's hopeless. But Shi'an is so strong, he can definitely do it. Maybe he'll bring the Grand Slam trophy back to you before you even retire."
Yan Xinyuan couldn't stop smiling.
“That’s great! I’ll get to experience being a champion coach. You should learn from them. You’re just sparring with them every day, but you’re not making any progress.”
Jian Changnian muttered, "I was just passively taking hits, Coach Yan, you know that..."
Qiao Yuchu glanced outside; they were almost at the hospital. She said softly, "Then I'll head back to the hospital first."
Jian Changnian waved goodbye to her: "Goodbye, Sister Yu Chu."
"If Shi'an wakes up, tell him I'm leaving now and I'll definitely be back before the match."
Seeing that she was still asleep, Qiao Yuchu left without even taking her coat.
***
Back at the Beijing team's training base, as he entered the familiar arena, Kim Nam-ji snapped on the light on the wall.
Memories flood back.
A year ago, she followed in someone else's footsteps and came here, ready to challenge her again with an indomitable spirit.
Although Yin Jiayi was already in the national team at that time, she would occasionally be invited by the coach to give lessons to the newcomers.
They met again in a foreign land, but the result of the match was no different from the one during the training camp in South Korea.
She was swept 2-0, losing even worse than today. But her youthful spirit refused to give in, and whenever she had free time, she would go to the national team and pester Yin Jiayi to play with her.
As they visited more often, the two developed more interactions, or rather, a stronger bond, beyond just playing ball.
She remembered that when she was training in South Korea, she specially asked her mother to mail her the kimchi she loved from afar.
Yin Jiayi would also pat her head and comfort her when she cried after losing a match.
As time went on, even Yin Jiayi's teammates started to egg her on.
"Jiayi, Nanzhi is so demanding, what will you do if you find a boyfriend in the future?"
"Don't talk nonsense. I have no intention of dating at all. Besides, although she is a Korean player, she is now with the Beijing team, so she is our teammate. Competitive sports have no borders, so there's nothing wrong with teaching her a little."
Kim Nam-ji rushed in carrying the kimchi her mother had sent from afar, which was her favorite food.
"Yin Jiayi—"
Yin Jiayi walked past her expressionlessly, racket in hand, without even glancing at her.
"I need to train, so don't come again."
Since then, Yin Jiayi has stopped visiting the Beijing team and rarely stays with the national team for training. Instead, she travels to various parts of the world for competitions, and when she has free time, she only goes back to her home in Hangzhou to rest.
They kept deleting and adding each other's contact information, and she was always the one who blocked them and the one who would add them back.
At first, Kim Nam-ji would go crazy with her on social media, but she mostly wouldn't reply. Even if she did reply, it would only be a few periods or a helpless emoji.
It's like punching cotton – there's no way to get a grip.
And so, Yin Jiayi avoided her for a long time.
Until that night, amidst the overwhelming negative public opinion about her, only Yin Jiayi took the initiative to greet her a few times.
"How's your knee injury? Remember to see the team doctor."
"Don't care too much about netizens' comments, just do your best."
Kim Nam-ji stared at his phone screen for a long time, unable to type a single word.
She got up and walked around the white boundary line of the court again and again, her fingers gently stroking the badminton net. She closed her eyes and could almost hear the roar of the audience in the stands. The heart-pounding excitement she felt during the daytime match came back to her.
She suddenly seemed to understand why she couldn't beat Yin Jiayi and Xie Shi'an.
Because they are more pure than her; they love this stage wholeheartedly.
"Ding-dong—" The phone rang again.
A message in Korean popped up; it was an invitation from the head coach of the South Korean national team.
"So, have you thought it through? Do you want to return to the national team to prepare for the World Championships next spring?"
As if afraid she would refuse, the other party quickly sent another message.
"You have experience studying in China, and we will provide you with the best coaching team and generous salary. Come back to your hometown and let's create your era together."
This isn't the first time the national team has extended an offer to her since she won the women's singles title at the All-Korea University League.
From childhood to adulthood, she learned everything very quickly, and her life seemed to be on a fast track. She skipped grades continuously from elementary school onwards, joined the Seoul Badminton Team Youth Team at the age of twelve, won the national championship at the age of fourteen, and received a university admission notice without examination at the age of fifteen. At the age of sixteen, she encountered the biggest setback in her life, Yoon Jia-yi.
That year, the BWF Super Series was held in Seoul.
Yin Jiayi, the top seed for the Chinese team, also came to South Korea to prepare for the competition. They met for the first time at the Seoul team's stadium.
As the host local team, they invited the Chinese team to play a warm-up match against them, with Yin Jiayi facing off against Kim Nam-ji. In just one round, the girl's pride was shattered, and she suffered her first major setback in her professional career.
After that, she refused the national team's invitation and resisted the resistance from her family, insisting on going to China to study.
Sometimes she didn't know whether she was chasing that figure or just a fleeting dream.
However, there is one thing she can confirm now.
Kim Nam-ji opened the chat box and typed:
“I will go back, but not now. I still have a game to finish in China.”
***
the next day.
The atmosphere in the Beijing team's training room was noticeably somber.
One teammate complained, "What's the point of playing? Whether it's the team competition or the singles and doubles, it's just the same few people. Xie Shi'an from the Binhai Provincial Team is so good that even Nan Zhi lost to him. I think we're doomed in this team competition too."
"Speaking of which, is Nam Ji going back to Korea soon? I remember her one-year contract is almost up."
"Whether the contract expires or not, she'll be going back sooner or later. It's just that with her leaving, we'll lose another fighting force."
"And judging from how dejected she was after losing the match yesterday, it's not certain whether she'll even participate in the team competition."
"It's so late, and they still haven't come to training. It's probably hopeless."
No sooner had they finished speaking than the door to the stadium was pushed open.
Kim Nam-ji appeared at the door carrying a baseball bag.
Sunlight shone on her, and the girl said loudly, "Everyone, cheer up! You can't stop training just because I'm not here, can you?"
Everyone looked on with a mixture of surprise and joy: "Nan Zhi, you're back! You're not leaving anymore? You'll play in the team competition with us, right?"
"And your hair..."
Everyone gaped in astonishment, their mouths agape wide enough to fit an entire egg.
Kim Nam-ji smiled, touched her short hair, and stood there without earrings, dressed in a simple tracksuit.
"I dyed it back. The coach was right. Professional players should act like professional players."
She reached out her hand, a smile playing on her lips as she looked at her teammates.
"Come on, everyone, this is the last game for our Beijing team this year, and it's also my last game in China. Let's do our best and bring back a team championship!"
Her teammates stood up and surrounded her, their eyes shining with hope as they placed their hands together.
"Beijing Team—"
"Go! Go! Go!"
Chapter 55 National Competition (19)
While Xie Shi'an and her team were busy with pre-competition training, Qiao Yuchu was also doing rehabilitation at the hospital.
"One, two, three..." She counted as she did push-ups, starting with both hands on the ground, then slowly raising her left hand and shifting her weight onto her right hand.
Qiao Yuchu gritted her teeth and persevered, her forehead covered in sweat. When she counted to ninety-seven, the accident still happened. A sharp pain shot through her right wrist, and she lost her balance and fell to the ground.
"Miss Qiao!" Jin Shunqi, who was checking rooms in the corridor, heard the commotion and rushed in to help the woman up from the ground.
Are you alright?!
Qiao Yuchu smiled, but her face was pale.
"It's nothing, I just wanted to... do rehabilitation."
"You just had surgery a few days ago, and your bones are still healing. Even rehabilitation should be done under the guidance of a doctor!"
Jin Shunqi's tone was unusually stern, and his hand was still on her shoulder.
Qiao Yuchu avoided his concerned gaze and forced herself to stand up.
"I'm fine... I don't have much time left, I have to... I must get back on the field as soon as possible."