"My goodness! I thought their match in the national tournament was exciting enough, but the best was yet to come!"
"This isn't just wonderful, this is absolutely stunning!"
"The score is now 19-20, with Yin Jiayi in the lead. It's the last point. Who will win this game?!"
"Go, Captain Yin! Only by winning this game can we tie the score and enter the decisive game."
"Although it was a warm-up match and doesn't count towards the standings, both sides were playing very hard and neither wanted to give an inch."
"This last point is crucial to the outcome of the match. It's clear that both sides are being very cautious. Yin Jiayi has retreated to the backcourt, and it looks like another long rally is about to begin."
“Yin Jiayi’s head area has always been her strong point.”
"But Xie Shi'an wasn't going to give up! She immediately attacked with a backhand shot, charging to the net! With a do-or-die attitude, she tied the score!"
A burst of cheers suddenly erupted from the audience.
Jian Changnian also stood up from the stands and cheered them on loudly: "Well done, Shi An! Captain Yin, keep it up!!!"
It felt like I was back on the national competition field all over again.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous playing against a national team player for the first time, especially since that match was crucial for them to secure the only qualifying spot in the Eastern Conference. If she lost, all the hard work that the entire team had put in over the past few months would be for nothing.
Before the match, Xie Shi'an sat alone in the rest room for a long time, holding a mineral water bottle with the bottle open and water spilling all over the floor.
Yan Xinyuan knocked on the door and came in.
"Shi'an, the match starts in five minutes."
Xie Shi'an looked up at him and smiled bitterly.
"Coach Yan, what if... what if I lose?"
Yan Xinyuan walked over and patted her head.
"Don't be afraid, remember, when two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave will prevail."
When they faced off at the net, their eyes were equally sharp. Xie Shi'an slightly raised the corners of his lips and took a few steps back.
The ball is flying over.
Xie Shi'an raised his right hand high.
Bang--
The force was so great that it even sparked.
Like a white shooting star falling.
The commentator exclaimed, "My God! Xie Shi'an's ball speed is too fast! You can only see a blur with the naked eye!"
"Can Yin Jiayi hold on? Captain Yin, hang in there, Captain Yin!"
The moment he finished speaking.
The scoreboard lit up.
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers once again.
"21:20, Xie Shi'an scored consecutive points after falling behind, even taking the lead over Yin Jiayi. This is the last point!"
The commentators and the audience were all glued to the screen, holding their breath. Jian Changnian and her teammates from the national team also stood up.
Everyone is eagerly awaiting the final result.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xie Shi'an leaped high into the air and delivered a powerful forehand smash!
The entire room fell silent for a few seconds.
Like a slow-motion replay, Yin Jiayi's footsteps echoed throughout the entire venue.
She tried her best to save the ball, but she was 0.5 seconds too slow. The ball grazed the edge of her racket and fell to the ground.
Yin Jiayi put down her racket and laughed.
"I lost."
“Captain Yin—” Xie Shi’an also lowered his arms.
She gave it her all while playing, but after it was over, seeing her smiling, she felt a pang of indescribable sadness.
Yin Jiayi's eyes held a strange expression, a mixture of emotion and relief. If her victory in the national competition was a narrow one, with an element of luck involved, then this time, Xie Shi'an had proven herself with her strength. Her growth rate was truly astonishing.
Even if I don't retire, and I give her another two years—no, if she maintains this hot streak—she'll surpass me on the BWF rankings in just one year at most.
Yin Jiayi walked over, gently patted her shoulder, and said earnestly, "Shi'an, I didn't misjudge you. Good luck at the Olympics. The responsibility of winning the Grand Slam is now in your hands."
After she turned and left, Xie Shi'an's eyes reddened slightly.
At the post-match press conference, Yin Jiayi publicly announced her upcoming retirement.
The reporters looked at each other in bewilderment, and for a moment, camera flashes went off everywhere.
She sat there, facing the camera, her eyes slightly red, and simply said, "I'm sorry to my coach, I'm sorry to my teammates, and I'm sorry to the fans who have always supported me."
"Actually, I have been suffering from illness for many years, both physically and mentally. It has come to the point where I must leave the competition. I am already 26 years old. For a professional athlete, I am no longer young. It is time for me to pass the baton to a more promising young person."
A reporter asked a pointed question.
"There's only one singles gold medal at the Olympics. Was it because Xie Shi'an came along that two tigers couldn't share the same mountain, which is why you chose to retire?"
"Captain Yin, what are your plans after you retire?"
"I'm already engaged. After retiring, I plan to marry my fiancé and live a normal life."
As reporters asked questions and wrote press releases, news of Yin Jiayi's retirement soon became a trending topic.
"Captain Yin, is your fiancé also in the entertainment industry?"
"No, please skip the question about my fiancé. He doesn't like to be in the public eye."
"Captain Yin, Captain Yin—"
The reporters raised their hands, wanting to ask more questions.
Yin Jiayi stood up, bowed deeply to the camera, and ended this press conference that had been incredibly painful for her.
"I debuted at the age of twelve, joined the national team at fifteen, and have been competing for decades. The person I am most grateful to is my teacher, Coach Wan. No matter where I am, I will always sincerely wish you peace and health."
"I also wish our team continued success and great achievements at the London Olympics."
While Yin Jiayi was holding a press conference, reporters also stopped Xie Shi'an and his entourage outside the venue.
What are your thoughts on Captain Yin's retirement?
Xie Shi'an gave a disdainful twitch of his lips.
"Didn't you all see the result of the match just now? Shouldn't you step down and make way for someone more capable?"
When she said this, her arrogant and conceited manner was unlike her usual self. Jian Changnian gave her a strange look, but with reporters present, she didn't dare to ask anything.
The reporter wanted to ask more questions, but Xie Shi'an grabbed her hand and whispered, "Let's go."
Jian Changnian was stunned for a moment. In the sweltering July heat, her palms were as cold as a piece of iron.
She snapped out of her daze, nodded, quickly caught up with her, took her hand tightly, and followed Xie Shi'an through the crowd.
She later realized that Xie Shi'an's action at that time was subconscious, an attempt to find someone to rely on.
Many years later, Xie Shi'an realized why he had subconsciously grabbed her hand among a group of people.
But that doesn't matter anymore. In all these years of hardship and wading through pebbles, they have always supported each other to keep going.
Xie Shi'an's brief interview, combined with her pre-match remarks, propelled public opinion to its peak.
Some media outlets criticized her for being young and arrogant, while many netizens felt that it was shameful for Yin Jiayi to lose 0-2 to her and that she should give the opportunity to someone who was better prepared. In addition, fans of both sides were arguing fiercely on social media, and the topic remained on the trending list all day. No one cared about her sexual orientation or even her fictitious fiancé.
With everything settled, the two people in the eye of the storm strolled in the sunset, and Xie Shi'an escorted them to the entrance of the training center.
"This time, I really owe you a lot. If you hadn't deliberately said those things to create a smokescreen for the media, they probably would have dug deep into the reasons for my retirement for a long time."
Yin Jiayi stopped in her tracks, feeling guilty for dragging her into this mess and letting her get scolded for no reason.
Xie Shi'an shrugged.
"Whatever, let them say what they want, but... isn't there a better solution?"
After learning of her retirement, Kim Nam-ji, upon hearing these news reports, couldn't help but feel resentful. Furthermore, since Yoon Jia-yi was forced to retire due to interference from the South Korean team, Xie Shi-an also harbored resentment.
She thought of the gifts they had exchanged, and a hint of sadness crept into her eyes. No matter what, they could never go back to that time.
If we meet again on the field, it will be like enemies meeting again, their eyes blazing with hatred.
Yin Jiayi knew what she was thinking, sighed, and patted her on the shoulder: "This is the simplest and most effective way. I don't want to implicate Teacher Wan or the entire national team."
After she finished speaking, she mustered her courage again and smiled brightly.
"That's good. I haven't had a proper rest in a long time. I can do some things I want to do, like traveling."
Xie Shi'an didn't want to make the farewell atmosphere too sad.
"I'm so envious of that."
The car has arrived and is waiting for her.
"Shi'an, I... have one last thing I want to ask you. Don't be fooled by how harsh Teacher Wan is when he scolds people; he's actually a very good person. He'll definitely be very sad when I leave. Please spend more time with him for me and ask him to take good care of himself."
As Yin Jiayi spoke, her eyes also reddened slightly.
Xie Shi'an nodded: "Okay."
Jian Changnian rushed over and hugged her.
"Captain Yin, I'll miss you."
Yin Jiayi patted her head and glanced at Xie Shi'an.
"You should spend more time with your senior sister. She... is very lonely. From now on, you two will have to support each other and walk together."
Behind Jian Changnian, many more people ran out; everyone who had finished the match had rushed over.
Looking at them one by one, I saw that all of them had red eyes.
They hugged each other.
"Captain Yin, come back and visit often."
"Captain Yin, thank you for taking care of me all this time."