Chapter 62
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Perhaps in the original plot, Chu Lishu did not intervene with Cheng Yi and Wang Tong’en, and the two did not challenge each other due to injuries, leading to this cuju competition. Therefore, there is no relevant plot about this competition in the original plot, and Lin Qingyang also has no reference. However, the arrival of the princes makes Lin Qingyang feel uneasy; after all, these are the target characters to deal with in the future.
Although princes have occasionally visited before without any incidents at Imperial Academy, this time, upon hearing the news, Chu Lishu behaved naturally from start to finish. However, who dares to guess the thoughts of the male lead? He might change his mind at any time.
Looking at the team captain list given by the head master—Cheng Yi, Wang Tong’en, Pei Jin, Qi Yan—Lin Qingyang really wanted to complain. It was just missing Xu Wenze, and it would have been the Youth League of the Four Major Families.
“Brother, what are you up to? This isn’t your stage,” Lin Qingyang said helplessly.
Qi Yan, with the fiery enthusiasm of a young man who just wanted to play cuju, replied, “Since we need to form four teams, and there’s still one missing, our cuju master suggested it to the head master, and I also want to play a serious game.”
Lin Qingyang just remembered that this guy wasn’t addicted to anything else, only deeply passionate about cuju. Faced with such an opportunity to play seriously, how could he let it pass?
However, cuju wasn’t a solo activity. He still needed to recruit teammates. In addition to the usual crowd, he hung out with, a few ordinary students joined. Overall, while they had enough people, their skill level was lacking, and they hadn’t practiced together. The match was in two days, and they still had classes to attend. It was a bit chaotic.
Seeing Qi Yan’s troubled expression, Lin Qingyang volunteered, “Brother, I’ll do it. I’m not bad at cuju.”
Qi Yan immediately looked at Lin Qingyang as if he were a silly child and said, “Brother, I know you’ve been exercising lately, and it’s been effective, but cuju is a skill, not something you can just casually participate in. Don’t fool me. You could ask Xu Wenze if he’s willing to help. He’s good.”
Lin Qingyang: …Back in the day, he played football seriously and even won the best player award, though it was in elementary and middle school. But the basic skills and foundation are still there.
Moreover, seizing such an opportunity might even earn him points toward entering the palace.
Lin Qingyang immediately expressed his strong support for his brother’s endeavor. However, his brother insisted on choosing the most capable person, warning Lin Qingyang not to cause trouble. This frustrated Lin Qingyang, who had to resort to the ultimate move: using the binding sales technique.
“Deal! If you can really get Xu Wenze to join, I’ll let you in,” Qi Yan immediately agreed.
So, Lin Qingyang went to find Xu Wenze, only to discover that the other three teams were also competing to recruit Xu Wenze.
Seeing Xu Wenze, usually gentle and refined, being a skilled player in cuju was unexpected. With him on the team, wouldn’t victory be assured?
Observing the lively atmosphere in the courtyard, Lin Qingyang first approached Chu Lishu, who was reading under a tree, to gather information.
Chu Lishu, holding a book, furrowed his brows. “Are you participating too?”
“Yeah, Qi Yan is the captain, and I need to show support. However, our side lacks skilled players, so Qi Yan insisted I recruit Xu Wenze. What’s the situation now? Is Xu Wenze interested?” Lin Qingyang quickly inquired.
“You want to play with Xu Wenze?” Chu Lishu asked again.
Lin Qingyang didn’t catch on. As a straight guy, after what he thought was a thorough explanation of everything, he believed all awkward entanglements were cleared. He nodded directly, “Yeah, I want to, but he has to agree.”
Chu Lishu probably guessed that, aside from Lin Qingyang wanting to join in the excitement, he also wanted to make an impression in front of the princes. He should have stopped him, but recalling the last incident, he couldn’t bring himself to speak up. However, hearing him say that he wanted to play with Xu Wenze and stating it so openly in front of him…
Last time, when they were playing chess, he was left behind as Lin Qingyang was about to run off with Xu Wenze. He didn’t make an issue out of it then, and now, Lin Qingyang was discussing it so openly. Was he not afraid of Chu Lishu misunderstanding?
“You better find someone else; he doesn’t want to participate at all. Look… he’s been rejecting everyone.”
Lin Qingyang immediately wore a regretful expression. If Xu Wenze didn’t join, it seemed like he wouldn’t have a chance.
Seeing Lin Qingyang’s disappointed look, Chu Lishu became even more irritable. “You should go back and discuss with Qi Yan to find someone else.”
Lin Qingyang didn’t immediately give up. After all, he had to ask. Just then, Xu Wenze, who seemed bothered and was looking for an excuse to leave, came out.
Seeing Lin Qingyang not far away, Xu Wenze made eye contact, and Lin Qingyang immediately waved enthusiastically.
Before Lin Qingyang could say anything, Xu Wenze walked over like he had found a savior and blinked at Lin Qingyang, clearly signaling for him to cooperate.
Xu Wenze then said, “Did Young Master Qi look for me?”
Lin Qingyang hesitated for a moment. “Uh… yeah!”
Xu Wenze nodded and said to the people behind him, “I apologize sincerely, but a gentleman keeps his promises. I had already promised Young Master Qi before, and it’s not that I don’t want to help you. Please convey my regrets to your respective team leaders. It’s just unfortunate.”
Lin Qingyang: !!! Did I get what I wanted without any effort?
The others immediately erupted, with some trying to persuade Xu Wenze.
One person couldn’t accept it and said, “Could it be that Young Master Xu wants to form another team, using Young Master Qi as a cover?”
Xu Wenze’s elegant demeanor remained unchanged. “Young Master Qi is naturally the captain. Even if I join, I am just a team member. Whether I play or not is all decided by Young Master Qi. There is no need for speculation. This is a joyful event, and the emphasis is on participation. There’s no need for such heavy resentment.”
Since it had come to this point, everyone naturally gave up.
However, looking at the situation, in the eyes of the people, these four major forces’ youth teams had indeed formed.
“Sorry for making you go along with the act,” Xu Wenze said somewhat awkwardly.
“No, no, no, I was just about to mention it.” Lin Qingyang immediately seized the opportunity. “Qi Yan asked me to ask if you’re interested in joining our team. We won’t force you to come early or stay late, won’t force you to train and cooperate, and you get to decide what position you want.”
Seeing Xu Wenze’s surprised expression, Lin Qingyang thought for a moment and said, “If you really don’t want to, it’s fine, we won’t force you, and we won’t use the previous incident to coerce you.”
However, Xu Wenze chuckled and said, “How can it be considered coercion? It just happens to help me out. Joining any of the three families’ teams wouldn’t be suitable for me now, and I can’t go solo. Young Master Qi’s team is just right, just give me a position.”
Lin Qingyang immediately jumped with joy, and couldn’t help but look at Chu Lishu, with a proud look as if to show, see, it’s not as you said.
However, he met a pair of icy eyes, almost causing Lin Qingyang to twist his waist as he turned around. When he raised his eyes again, Chu Lishu had already returned to his indifferent smiling appearance.
“Do you play too?” Xu Wenze asked.
Thinking that Xu Wenze asked this because he was concerned, Lin Qingyang said, “I’ll give it a try. I’m not the same as before.”
Xu Wenze smiled, and that settled the matter.
Qi Yan was still quite enthusiastic. After confirming the team members, he pulled everyone to a relatively large open space on the back mountain, quickly set up a makeshift cuju field, and began training to coordinate their movements.
Since they only had two days and had to coordinate at the last minute, they had to make every second count. That’s why Lin Qingyang didn’t see Qu Yan waking up so early before.
Soon, Captain Qi had assigned the positions for everyone. Lin Qingyang, standing at the end of the line, expressed his dissatisfaction, “What about me?”
“Substitute.”
Lin Qingyang: “I protest.”
Others naturally didn’t dare to offend Lin Qingyang, but Captain Qi wasn’t indulgent, “Alright, we’re warming up now. Juggle the ball, and the ball touching the ground counts as the end. The first to touch the ground becomes the substitute, with only three chances.”
“I’m not very good at this. At most, I can handle around twenty,” someone whispered behind him.
Lin Qingyang suppressed the upward curve of his mouth. Heh, even a hundred would be considered his worst record in the past. Easy peasy.
Lin Qingyang casually smiled, “Alright, let’s go with that.”
“It’s not that I underestimated you, but when you played with me before, you could only manage a maximum of six consecutive ones.”
A series of muffled laughs came from behind.
“Now, I’ll break the record for you!”
People around started discussing Lin Qingyang’s bold claim. Even Xu Wenze was curious, standing aside and watching Lin Qingyang with a smile.
“Alright, it’s your turn!” Captain Qi said, taking a ball from the box.
The moment Lin Qingyang saw the ball, he was a bit stunned.
After receiving it, and feeling its weight, Lin Qingyang was even more confused.
The first attempt at juggling, the ball went off course directly, and Lin Qingyang blushed with embarrassment.
The second attempt, the ball soared into the sky, running couldn’t catch up, and Lin Qingyang was panting, covered in sweat.
The third attempt at juggling… with the wrong angle, the ball suddenly smashed towards his face, making his nose turn red from the impact.
Everyone: …
Captain Qi applauded, “Not bad, you broke your own record.”
Lin Qingyang: “I told you I’m not used to this weight and arc, I need time to adapt, do you believe that?”
“Sorry, we’re short on time, you go to the side and get used to it. We can’t afford to have anyone injured, we’ll rely on you as a substitute. Just don’t embarrass yourself too much later.” After saying this, Qi Yan patted Lin Qingyang on the shoulder and handed him a ball, then ushered him to the side.
People passing by couldn’t help but cast amused glances until Xu Wenze walked past Lin Qingyang. He reached out and patted Lin Qingyang’s shoulder, saying, “It’s okay, this is not something that can be achieved overnight. Practice more, I see that your leg strength is good, you have potential.”
Lin Qingyang: Aaaaah! Don’t comfort me, let me die!
How did he forget that although ancient cuju was similar to modern football, the ball and rules used were different? Moreover, he hadn’t played football in a long time, his ball sense was lost. Three chances were simply not enough.
Not far away, Chu Lishu saw Lin Qingyang squatting on the ground with a discouraged look, holding the ball. It was both heartwarming and amusing. He had known that Lin Qingyang couldn’t do it, yet he still wanted to show off. It seemed that he couldn’t compete with Xu Wenze either.
Just as Chu Lishu was about to approach and comfort him, leading him away, he suddenly saw Lin Qingyang standing up and finding a sturdy tree. He began to concentrate on juggling the ball against the tree.
As if nothing had happened just now, he started practicing, facing away from the field.
He was so focused that he didn’t notice the curious teammates stopping to watch behind him.
Failures, one after another, he wasn’t ashamed of himself, as if he gradually found the rhythm. Without the tree blocking him, he could juggle continuously.
More and more attempts, no matter how many times he had to bend down to pick up the ball, he didn’t give up. He just kept trying to set new records.
Weak but tenacious.
Chu Lishu watched for a while, then silently turned away and left the area.
He only saw Lin Qingyang coming back with Qi Yan and the others when it was time for class.
These people had weak legs, and their walking was unsteady.
Lin Qingyang, however, walked normally. Chu Lishu thought he had given up later, and his mood was inexplicable—whether it was regret or joy.
Lin Qingyang quickly found Chu Lishu’s row, approached, and was about to greet him with a smile. Sitting next to him, Qi Yan hooked Lin Qingyang’s shoulder and said, “This is unreasonable. I’ve noticed that your left and right legs never stopped. You consumed more energy than us. How come you’re not tired at all? The moment I sat down just now, I almost fell off.”
“When we went back to change clothes, I massaged and did a lot of relaxation exercises. Didn’t you do some massage on the side as well?”
“I just casually massaged. How could it have the same effect as yours? Never mind that, teach us later; otherwise, our training at noon will be wasted.”
Lin Qingyang nodded, showing no concern. Then, he turned to Chu Lishu and asked, “What did you have for breakfast? When I went, I found that the most delicious beef buns were all gone. They must have been taken by the team resting before us. Now everyone is training, and their appetites have increased.”
Seeing Lin Qingyang’s excited and lively appearance, Chu Lishu had to say, “Then, I’ll save some for you tomorrow. I’ll make sure you get to eat them.”
Lin Qingyang looked at Chu Lishu with surprise.
However, Qi Yan became more enthusiastic. He raised his eyebrows at Lin Qingyang, with a suggestive smile, and said, “It should be like this. You belong to Lin Qingyang, so naturally, you’re part of our team. Help us out, and when we win, we’ll share the honor with you.”
Chu Lishu smiled and said, “It’s just a small favor.”
However, Lin Qingyang’s mouth twitched, “I’m just a substitute… and I have to bring a family member to work. Why do I feel so frustrated?”
Qi Yan immediately reached out and poked Lin Qingyang’s conscience, whispering, “What’s wrong? Afraid of working hard for your sweetheart? This is an opportunity to create shared memories for you two, understand the romantic atmosphere!”
Lin Qingyang quickly covered Qi Yan’s mouth, “Could you please shut up! Be careful.” He turned around cautiously, luckily the male lead had already looked elsewhere, seemingly not having heard.
Chu Lishu, on the other hand, was lost in thought, creating shared memories?
Chu Lishu had a weak constitution, and he couldn’t endure the physical demands of a regular cuju match. He had never even participated in classes, let alone kicked the ball in front of the princes. He had played as Yuan Ran many times before, and many of his moves were easy to expose. To prevent any accidents, he wouldn’t kick the ball in front of those people.
If he… could confidently step onto the field without any worries, it would truly be a good memory. He would personally teach Lin Qingyang, ensuring that he wouldn’t practice alone against a tree.
There was some regret.
During the lunch break, others began to learn Lin Qingyang’s relaxation exercises. Everyone was quite surprised, not expecting that this former underachiever would know so much.
Qi Yan and Xu Wenze occasionally paid attention to Lin Qingyang’s situation while training. They noticed that Lin Qingyang’s juggling skills quickly surpassed those of the weaker members of the team.
Xu Wenze suggested to Qi Yan that they let Lin Qingyang join the training on the field.
Qi Yan hadn’t expected that Lin Qingyang, who used to be indifferent to relationships, would have such talent once he started playing. So, he agreed.
That evening, Lin Qingyang joined the fast integration training.
The first night was naturally a bit awkward, but within a short period, Lin Qingyang’s progress was evident to everyone, surprising them all.
On their way back, Qi Yan approached Xu Wenze, asking him to help with Lin Qingyang’s training. Qi Yan had to manage the other less skilled team members himself, so he entrusted this less certain individual to the more talented Xu Wenze.
Of course, there were also some ulterior motives. Lin Qingyang used to have a strong liking for Xu Wenze, and even though those feelings had changed, being trained by an ex-crush might still have an added effect due to the fear of embarrassment.
At the same time, Lin Qingyang also thought that Xu Wenze was a suitable coach. He was much more easy-going than Qi Yan. Lin Qingyang felt he was better suited to a gentle coaching style.
Xu Wenze, being good-natured, didn’t refuse and directly invited Lin Qingyang to his courtyard. After all, his courtyard was indeed the largest and quietest, making it very suitable for the two of them to train.
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