She took a blanket from the bedroom and went out to gently cover the person with it when she saw the court summons lying under the sofa.
Qiao's mother picked it up and looked at it a few times. Her hands trembled, and afraid of disturbing her, she covered her mouth and cried silently.
Qiao Yuchu has been a light sleeper these days, easily awakened by the slightest noise. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw her mother standing next to the sofa, but she couldn't see her expression because of the backlight.
Thinking the person was having another episode, she quickly sat up and hugged her, saying, "Mom, it's alright, it's alright, those people are all gone..."
Qiao's mother cupped her face in her hands. This was the first time in days that she had looked at her so closely. She saw that Qiao looked haggard and had sunken eyes. Although she was in the prime of her life, she looked almost like a patient.
Qiao's mother was heartbroken, and the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried bitterly.
"Yu Chu... Mom... I'm sorry... This marriage... We're getting a divorce..."
***
"It was Jian Changnian's first match as a newcomer, and such a big one at that. I think she was a little nervous."
"She's actually quite skilled. Think about it, she's so young and she's managed to stand out from so many professional players across the country to get to where she is. How bad can her skills be? The key is her mentality; she's a bit reserved."
"Oh dear! What a pity! Jian Changnian lost the game point after leading by two points. Let's congratulate the Canadian player on winning this game."
"The score is tied 1-1. After a short break, the decisive game will begin soon!"
Jian Changnian returned to the rest area, panting heavily, and plopped down on a chair, wiping away her sweat with a towel.
Cheers erupted from the adjacent match area. Yin Jiayi and An Dong's match had progressed to the second game, with Yin Jiayi holding a significant lead. If nothing unexpected happened, she would most likely win.
However, that was Yin Jiayi. No matter what happened to anyone else, nothing could happen to her. The referee blew the whistle, and Yin Jiayi ended the match with a jump smash, living up to expectations and taking the first point for the Chinese team.
The entire venue erupted in cheers, a deafening roar as everyone frantically chanted Yin Jiayi's name.
The woman turned around, waved slightly to the audience, a confident smile always on her lips, and radiated confidence.
The commentator added, "This is our Chinese team's sharpest spear and strongest shield. Now it's up to the other players to perform."
Jian Changnian looked at her with a mixture of envy and admiration: This is what a sports superstar is like.
Yin Jiayi and Xie Shi'an seemed like two towering mountains standing in her way. Catching up with them was incredibly difficult, let alone surpassing them. A slight sense of inferiority and disappointment suddenly welled up in her heart.
When the break was over, the referee blew his whistle again.
Jian Changnian got up and walked back to the net, gripping the racket tightly, taking deep breaths to encourage herself.
Regardless, we need to win this match first.
In the decisive set, the moment the two players made eye contact, their fighting spirit burned in each other's eyes. The opponent served first, and Jian Changnian went to the net to disrupt her offensive rhythm.
The two people in front of the television were also watching intently.
Whenever Yan Xinyuan saw Jian Changnian make a mistake, he would beat his chest in frustration: "Sigh, this child, when she gets nervous, she forgets everything I taught her. Why doesn't Lao Wan say anything to her!"
Xie Shian: "Compared to Chang Nian, Coach Wan seems to be placing more of his hopes on Captain Yin."
Speaking of this, Yan Xinyuan was also somewhat indignant.
"That's unfair! If I'd known they were going to treat you like this, I shouldn't have brought you to the selection tournament!"
Coach Yan is a man of strong emotions, Xie Shi'an had seen it long ago. A smile appeared on her lips as she watched Jian Changnian's figure flipping and moving on the field on the TV screen.
"It is precisely because we are not favored by others that we must make a name for ourselves. Didn't you say that Chang Nian and I will be the twin stars of the world badminton scene in the future? I also believe that."
Yan Xinyuan was taken aback. He had seen the two of them bickering and joking around, and Xie Shi'an herself was quite proud and not the type to easily affirm others.
"I thought you..."
Xie Shi'an turned his head to look at him, speaking earnestly, but still with a slightly embarrassed expression, revealing a rare hint of childishness.
"I'm just saying this in front of you, I won't say it to her face, lest she become arrogant and complacent."
"Hey, I've been your sparring partner for so long. Even if I haven't done anything special, I've still put in a lot of effort. Why don't you give me some praise?"
Yan Xinyuan's smile was somewhat mischievous as he watched Jian Changnian's hard-fought figure on the field, his gaze distant.
"But like you, I will always believe in her unconditionally. Even if she loses this game, she won't give up. This is just the beginning. Chang Nian is a very determined and persevering person. I knew that from the first time I met her."
"Perhaps one day, such a person will be able to create a miracle."
The future badminton world's undisputed champion faced an exceptionally difficult challenge in his very first major international tournament.
Taking advantage of her height, her opponent kept hitting her head and attacking her backcourt. Her strong net play was easily defended, and the score gap gradually widened.
Jian Changnian bit her lower lip anxiously.
Seeing that she was starting to panic, her opponent launched an even fiercer offensive. Jian Changnian was exhausted from running back and forth between the net and the backcourt. In a moment of carelessness, she fell heavily to the ground.
Yan Xinyuan, who was in front of the television, immediately stood up.
***
Zhou Mu lingered at the villa entrance for a long time, waiting and waiting, but the police still hadn't arrived. She was extremely anxious when she heard a scream coming from inside the house.
In a moment of impulsiveness, ignoring Cheng Zhen's advice, he rushed inside, the door unlocked.
Several burly men were ransacking the house. Cheng Zhen's grandmother tried to stop them, but was pushed down next to the coffee table.
"Pah! You old geezer! Get out of here!"
"What are you doing?! I've already called the police! Stop it right now!!!"
With a sharp shout, she grabbed a baseball bat from Cheng Zhen's house without thinking and swung it at the group of thugs.
She was a girl who couldn't even kill a chicken. Let alone hitting anyone, she was instead being dragged down by the weight of the baseball bat.
Before she could react, she was kicked to the ground.
Just as the baseball bat was about to fall, Zhou Mu instinctively closed his eyes and rolled over to protect the elderly man who had fainted on the ground.
However, she waited for a long time but did not experience the expected pain. When she opened her eyes again, Cheng Zhen was standing in front of her, protecting her with his steadfast back and taking the heavy blow for her.
"Didn't I tell you to run as far away as possible?! Why did you have to get involved in this mess?!"
Zhou Mu's tears welled up instantly.
"Cheng Zhen... Cheng Zhen... watch out... behind you..."
Cheng Zhen turned around. Being an athlete, he had some brute strength. He pushed one away with his left hand, kicked over two others with his right foot, and finally knocked a thug down next to the dining table. The table and chairs overturned, and the vase on it crashed down and shattered on the ground. The baseball bat in his hand also fell to the ground.
Cheng Zhen was panting heavily and wanted to turn around to help Zhou Mu and his grandmother up, but just then he heard his mother crying from the bedroom.
The boy's eyes instantly turned red.
He turned around, picked up the baseball bat, walked over step by step, and pushed open the bedroom door. A man was leaning over his mother.
"Shut up, you bitch! Let me tell you, your husband has already mortgaged this house to us. We're here today to collect the house. If he can't pay back the money, you'll have to pay it. If you behave, you'll suffer less..."
Zhou Mu dragged his grandmother to the sofa and sat her down. He then got up from the floor and walked to the bedroom door. Just then, he saw Cheng Zhen raise a baseball bat high and smash it down hard on the back of the man's head.
He thrust again and again, using all his strength. During this process, his mind went blank. Only his father's pale face lying in the morgue and the images of his mother and grandmother being humiliated played on repeat, reminding him of the fact that his family was destroyed.
The man slid to the ground like a dead dog, blood splattering on Cheng Zhen's face. Zhou Mu screamed and rushed over to catch him around the waist.
"Senior Cheng! Cheng Zhen! Orange Juice!!! Stop it!!!"
The familiar voice was like a ray of light that swept across his world.
The boy blinked, tears streaming down his face. He sniffed and instinctively tried to wipe away his tears, but instead wiped his face with blood, the stench of which was so strong it made him want to vomit.
He snapped out of his daze and stared in disbelief at his blood-stained hands, with specks of white, sticky substance on the baseball bat.
His gaze fell on the man, whose head was stained with blood, which had seeped into his wooden floor.
He cautiously bent down to check the man's breath, and immediately felt a jolt, as if he had been electrocuted. He stumbled back several steps and fell to the ground, dropping the baseball bat in his hand.
"I... I killed someone... I killed someone..."
Zhou Mu tried to help him up, but Cheng Zhen pushed her hand away and scrambled towards the door. She rushed out after him, but as he was about to disappear from her sight, she could only stop helplessly, tears streaming down her face, and screaming his name at the top of her lungs.
"Cheng Zhen, I've already called the police... Don't run away... Let's... Let's turn ourselves in."
In the distance, the faint sound of police sirens could be heard.
Zhou Mu lowered his head, his hands on his knees, panting heavily, tears falling to the ground drop by drop.
With less than fifty meters to go before he could escape the villa complex, Cheng Zhen stopped, letting the police knock him to the ground and handcuff him. Tears streamed down his face silently.
As he was about to be put into the police car, he glanced back.
"Officer, I want to say one more thing to her."
The police officer glanced at Zhou Mu and then released him.
Cheng Zhen walked over and saw that she was crying very hard. He wanted to hug her, but it was inconvenient because he was still handcuffed. He could only gently wipe away the tears that kept flowing from the corners of her eyes. However, he forgot that his hands were covered in blood and left a dirty fingerprint on her fair face.
He desperately wanted to clean her up, but the more he tried to wipe her clean, the dirtier it became.
The girl grabbed his wrist, choked back tears, and shook her head.
His eyes suddenly reddened, and he slumped down, his arms hanging limply.
"I'm sorry, Zhou Mu, and... thank you."
After Cheng Zhen finished speaking, he turned and left, being escorted into a police car. Zhou Mu, tears streaming down her face, shouted at his retreating figure:
"Orange Juice, I'm waiting for you. I'll always wait for you."
Chapter 85 Transferring Schools
"How are you? Are you badly injured? You're bleeding!" Wan Jing bent down and looked at her knee, and was immediately shocked.
The team doctor came forward to help the person down, but Jian Changnian waved his hand, stopping them.
"It's just a superficial injury. We'll just treat it here and disinfect it. Let's not delay the game."
She insisted on this, so Wan Jing had no choice but to give up.
The commentator also said, looking at the footage transmitted back from the live broadcast.
"Our Jian Changnian suffered a minor injury, but it's nothing serious, and she can still fight."
Commentator B: "She is really tenacious. Not many newcomers can do this. Her playing style is actually very good, but she lacks some experience. With more practice, she will definitely achieve great things in the future."
The team doctor bandaged her knee, and Jian Changnian jumped up and moved around a few times. Although it still hurt a little, it was within her tolerance.
Wan Jing handed her the racket, and Jian Changnian took it, took a deep breath, adjusted her mindset, and went back onto the court.