Yan Xinyuan slowly bent over, a sharp pain shooting through his chest. He could only slide down the stair railing and sit down slowly, the examination report he was holding falling to the ground.
He shakily pulled a medicine bottle from his pocket, poured out two painkillers and swallowed them in one gulp. He sat alone in the stairwell for a long time until he felt a little better before picking up the test report and returning to his ward.
As soon as he entered, Jian Changnian immediately put down his chopsticks.
"Coach Yan, you're finally back! Come and eat! The cafeteria made lots of delicious food to celebrate our advancement to the finals, including fish, shrimp, crab, and big chicken legs. I brought a lot with me."
Yan Xinyuan placed the examination report on the bedside table and pulled up a chair to sit down, but he only chose some vegetarian dishes.
Jian Changnian shouted.
"Coach Yan, why aren't you eating meat?"
"Oh, my bronchitis has flared up again recently. I'm taking medicine. The doctor said I should eat less oily and meaty food. Shi'an, you too, your wound hasn't healed yet, so you shouldn't eat foods that are considered 'heaty'. Eat more fish and meat. Here, take this."
Yan Xinyuan picked up a piece of steamed fish head and put it into her bowl.
"Thank you, Coach Yan. You should eat too."
Xie Shi'an also picked up a chicken leg for him.
"No wonder you look a little unwell today. You were already sick, and you had to take care of Shi'an on top of that. It must have been very tiring. But I'll finish my match tomorrow, and I'll come and take over for you after the competition."
Jian Changnian said.
Xie Shi'an didn't want to stay in the hospital any longer.
"Coach Yan, what did the doctor say? Can I be discharged?"
Yan Xinyuan looked at them with a smile in his eyes.
"The doctor said that the recovery is going well, but you will have to be discharged a few days later. Even though you are young, you still need to fully recover before you can be discharged, so as to avoid any aftereffects."
"I……"
Jian Changnian knew that she was anxious about Qiao Yuchu's matter, but since it concerned her health, she couldn't let her act recklessly. She quickly changed the subject.
"Shi'an, guess who we're going to fight tomorrow?"
Xie Shi'an snorted disdainfully.
"Is that even a guess? I watched the game. It's the South Korean team, isn't it? If I could play, I would definitely beat them 3-0."
Yan Xinyuan also laughed.
"What number performance are you going to have tomorrow? Hopefully you won't run into Kim Nam-ji."
Jian Changnian was gnawing on a chicken leg, her mouth dripping with oil.
"Definitely not. Coach Wan has placed me in the third singles position. Let Captain Yin tackle the tough nut of Kim Nam-ji."
Xie Shi'an's smile was somewhat wicked.
"That's hard to say. Maybe the South Korean coach is also thinking of using a drastic measure to win by surprise."
Jian Changnian quickly spat it out.
"You're such a jinx, what you said is giving me the creeps."
***
After much effort from Zhou Mu's parents, the transfer procedures were completed quickly, and she came to the school with her mother to pack her things.
In the hallway outside the classroom.
She gave Li Jiajia all of her treasured novels and magazines, as well as an old MP3 player.
Li Jiajia looked at the thing in her hand.
"What do you mean? Aren't you coming back?"
Zhou Mu shook his head.
"I'm transferring schools."
"Oh, really? You're the one being harassed. They haven't transferred schools, so why should you? No way, I'm going to find the teacher—"
Before Li Jiajia could finish speaking, she was grabbed by someone.
Zhou Mu shook his head again, his eyes dim.
"Li Jiajia, don't go. My parents have already taken care of the transfer procedures for me. I'm going to register tomorrow."
Since she said that, she had no choice but to leave. As if remembering something, Li Jiajia dashed into the classroom.
"Zhou Mu, wait a moment, I also have something for you."
"What?"
Zhou Mu asked curiously, and his eyes immediately welled up with tears when he saw the notebook in her hand.
"This is……"
Li Jiajia handed her the picture book.
“I heard what you and your aunt were saying at the school gate that day. After you left, I picked this up. Even though it was torn to pieces, I think you must really like it.”
Li Jiajia's words had a double meaning.
Zhou Mu took the album and hugged it to her chest, bursting into tears of joy.
"Thank you, thank you for protecting me that day... I was really happy playing basketball with you guys on the school team..."
Li Jiajia was also moved by her appearance, her eyes reddened slightly, and she took the initiative to hug her.
"Although I didn't like you much when you first joined the school team and even considered you a rival in love, we had great chemistry when we played together. Maybe if you stay a little longer, we'll become even better friends."
"Also, I think you... are very brave. You dared to rush in to save people in that situation. If it were me, I might have been too scared to do anything. So no matter what others say, I believe in you and I believe that Senior Cheng is innocent."
This was the first affirmation she had received in several days.
Zhou Mu finally stopped crying and smiled, and gently hugged her back.
Knowing she was leaving, the other team members rushed over and stood not far away, their faces showing reluctance.
She released Li Jiajia, her eyes filled with tears, but a bright smile appeared on her lips. She bowed slightly to everyone and then turned and left.
The moment I turned around, tears welled up in my eyes.
She walked out of the school gate. It was evening, the time when students were leaving school. The area was crowded and bustling with activity. There were vendors setting up stalls, friends in school uniforms chatting and laughing hand in hand, and teenagers speeding by on bicycles.
Everything is as usual.
Zhou Mu knew, however, that her youth was forever frozen in that early summer, the day she met him at the gate of Jiangbei No. 2 Middle School.
***
The next day, when Jian Changnian saw the lineup, his vision went black. The third singles spot for the South Korean team was clearly written as: Kim Nam-ji.
Xie Shi'an's jinx really came true.
Kim Nam-ji also took this list to the head coach.
"Coach Park, what do you mean by this? Don't you think it's a waste of my talent to have me play against a rookie player?"
"Nan Zhi, I don't need to remind you again, this is your first World Championships, and strictly speaking, you are also a newcomer."
"This is different! I've fought her before, and she couldn't beat me at all. I want to have another go with Yin Jiayi!"
The head coach patted her on the shoulder earnestly.
“I know that Yin Jiayi has always been the goal you want to surpass. You have already proven that you are no less capable than her in the singles semi-finals, but now it is a team competition, and everything is for the sake of national honor.”
Once the starting lineup is changed, it cannot be changed again.
Kim Nam-ji bit her lower lip and glanced towards the Chinese team.
A gloomy and desolate atmosphere prevailed.
Jian Changnian couldn't bring herself to smile.
With the competition time fast approaching, Wan Jing gathered everyone together to cheer them on.
"In any case, this is our last match at the Shanghai World Championships, so I hope everyone will give it their all!"
Everyone nodded solemnly.
Yin Jiayi was the first to extend her hand.
"Team China—"
Hands covered it.
"come on!!!"
The shouts resounded through the sky.
The South Korean team was also ready, and the match officially began.
Commentator A: "It seems that the scene that everyone wanted to see, Yin Jiayi vs. Kim Namji perfectly replicating the singles semi-final, did not materialize."
Commentator B: "This is also a tactic, which is understandable. However, I am a little worried about Jian Changnian's performance. He is participating in the World Championships for the first time and is facing a freakish genius like Kim Nam-ji, who is left-handed."
Commentator A: "There's no use worrying. Just do your best and leave no regrets. Besides, Jian Changnian has improved a lot. Only those who believe in miracles can witness the birth of a miracle."
She did her best, and the greatest miracle she could create was winning a game against Kim Nam-ji when no one believed in her.
When the score was tied 1-1, the entire stadium was silent for a few seconds, and then burst into cheers.
The spectators in the stands waved the five-star red flag and chanted her name wildly.
"Jian Changnian—"
"Awesome!!!"
The boy excitedly threw down his racket, ran off the court, and hugged his teammates, his eyes slightly hot.
Wan Jing patted her head.
"Well done."
Jian Changnian could no longer hold back; she smiled slightly, and tears welled up in her eyes.
On the South Korean team's side.
Coach Park handed her the towel.
"What happened? We actually got turned the tables on them."