Chapter 63
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
The two of them relaxed for a while before starting their training.
Xu Wenze had noticed a change in Lin Qingyang before, and they got along well. However, it was during their training sessions that Xu Wenze felt a deeper connection.
If they had had the chance to train together earlier, perhaps they could have become good friends.
Lin Qingyang had talent and was genuinely hardworking, qualities that Xu Wenze highly appreciated.
Moreover, their personalities clicked perfectly. Whatever Xu Wenze said, Lin Qingyang could quickly comprehend. When they were playing passionately, a single glance from Xu Wenze conveyed a shared understanding, and they would exchange smiles.
“I think you could easily replace some of the official team members on the field.”
“I still don’t fully understand the rules, and we can’t coordinate well yet. Time is also too tight.” Lin Qingyang didn’t boast this time. After clearly understanding the situation, he was realistic about the circumstances.
“At the very least, Qi Yan will definitely arrange for you to play. When the time comes, play to your heart’s content. We can coordinate well.” Xu Wenze said with a smile, passing the ball to Lin Qingyang.
Lin Qingyang indeed caught it smoothly. The feeling of smooth coordination was really enjoyable.
“Come on, try taking a shot. I’ll be the goalkeeper.”
Lin Qingyang smiled and said, “Alright! I’ll show you ten different ways of shooting! Pay attention!”
Lin Qingyang blended ancient and modern styles, adding a variety of moves. While not all of them were effective, it truly left Xu Wenze dazzled. His smile became more and more radiant, no longer the usual refined and gentle demeanor but rather a lively and vibrant energy filled with sunshine.
“Again! Let me see what else you’ve got!” Xu Wenze said excitedly.
“Then let me show you the ultimate hook shot!” Lin Qingyang was also in high spirits, feeling like he could return to his peak condition.
Suddenly, Lin Qingyang threw the ball to its highest point. When the ball was above Lin Qingyang’s head, he did a backward somersault with his back facing Xu Wenze.
Jumping into the air, he kicked the ball with his right foot, hooking it in Xu Wenze’s direction.
This move caught Xu Wenze off guard for a moment, and in the blink of an eye, the ball flew past him, just beside his face.
As Xu Wenze reacted, he heard a gasp. When he looked over, Lin Qingyang was already lying on the ground.
Xu Wenze was alarmed and quickly ran over to help him up.
Lin Qingyang chuckled, “I’m fine, just the ground is a bit hard.”
In reality, when performing such moves, there is always a conscious effort to protect one’s body. Lin Qingyang’s kick wasn’t a standard move; it was simplified because he knew his body couldn’t handle the full motion. However, he didn’t expect that even the simplified version would cause him to stumble a bit. He thought he could stand firm.
Watching Lin Qingyang’s casual demeanor, Xu Wenze’s gaze softened. He reached out to help Lin Qingyang up, smiling, “You’re quite something.”
“How was that?”
“Very impressive. I haven’t seen this kind of kicking style in a long time. Usually, only those skilled in martial arts use this technique. I’ve only seen two people do it before.”
“Oh? Who are the two?” Lin Qingyang asked as he stood up.
“One is Brother Huo Luo, and the other is…” Xu Wenze paused suddenly.
Just as Lin Qingyang stood up, the moment Xu Wenze released him, Lin Qingyang’s legs gave out due to the exertion, and he unexpectedly fell towards Xu Wenze.
Xu Wenze was already a bit lost in thought, thinking about someone, and when Lin Qingyang unexpectedly attacked him, he hastily reached out. In a moment of distraction, the two of them ended up in an embrace.
The heavy breathing and rapid heartbeat resulting from the intense movement, along with the warmth radiating from their bodies, suddenly overwhelmed Xu Wenze’s senses. It intruded into his world, momentarily causing him to lose focus. He could only awkwardly maintain the posture of holding Lin Qingyang.
Lin Qingyang didn’t think much about it. With the help of Xu Wenze’s support, he managed to stand firmly, feeling a tingling sensation that seemed to send him to heaven. Gritting his teeth, he tried to make his legs recover quickly and casually joked, “To let you know how impressive I am, my legs have gone soft! Satisfied?”
Throughout the night, deepening revolutionary friendship through joyful cuju, Lin Qingyang spoke freely without any reservations. If he were closer to Xu Wenze, they would be like good brothers, daring to say all sorts of nonsense.
In the span of just three seconds, right after Lin Qingyang finished speaking, a voice came from the entrance of the courtyard.
“Cousin, how impressive are you? I’d like to know too.”
The cold, icy tone belonged to…
Lin Qingyang and Xu Wenze both turned around simultaneously, only to see Chu Lishu standing at the entrance of the courtyard, holding a ball. The courtyard’s firelight didn’t illuminate his face, making it unclear what expression he wore.
Then came the next sentence, “What kind of impressive requires this kind of embrace?”
That one sentence instantly turned the harmonious atmosphere into an extremely awkward one.
Lin Qingyang’s mind felt like it had been struck by lightning. He pushed Xu Wenze away abruptly, barely managing to stand.
Xu Wenze, his face also awkward, quickly reacted. Knowing the relationship between the two, he didn’t want them to misunderstand, so he explained, “We were playing cuju vigorously just now. Brother Lin lost his balance for a moment, and I gave him a hand.”
Lin Qingyang hastily nodded in agreement, “I just performed a super impressive shooting technique, but my legs gave out afterward. If Brother Xu hadn’t helped me, I would have definitely fallen. It was really close.”
What kind of curse was this? Why did every time he tried to have a little fun, such awkward situations occurred? Was it as if the heavens couldn’t stand it and decided to remind him not to break character too much?
Only now did Lin Qingyang gradually recall that not only was he playing the character who secretly loved the male lead, but also the original character had once harbored feelings for Xu Wenze.
This… it’s definitely suspicious that his actions weren’t doubted just now. What if Xu Wenze misunderstands again… He shouldn’t, right? Before the male lead arrived, their relationship was still normal.
Ah, how was he supposed to prove that even if he hugged his ex-crush, there were no ulterior motives?!
“Cousin?” Lin Qingyang cautiously said, “If you’re curious, should I perform another one for you?”
Finally, Chu Lishu stepped in, his face cool without any signs of anger or good mood.
“With your legs so weak, if you do it again, will you be able to get out of bed tomorrow?” Chu Lishu’s tone was flat, but there seemed to be a layer of implied mockery.
“Uh… let’s call it a night for training. I’ve fulfilled Qi Yan’s request,” Xu Wenze said at the right time.
Lin Qingyang also instinctively said politely, “Thank you for your hard work…”
Seeing Xu Wenze’s uneasy expression, Lin Qingyang felt that it wasn’t right to make things awkward for him.
“I’ll go first. Qi Yan probably went back too. We still have to do relaxation exercises together.” Saying this, Lin Qingyang wanted to walk towards Chu Lishu.
However, just as he took a step, he overestimated himself.
Xu Wenze instinctively reached out to assist, but Chu Lishu in front of him moved faster. He stepped forward and directly pulled Lin Qingyang into his arms. The tight embrace conveyed that the other was truly exhausted, with Lin Qingyang’s trembling body.
“My legs…” Lin Qingyang became anxious. It was indeed beyond his limit. He needed to take a break. Otherwise, he would have to stumble back with each step, trembling all the way.
He raised his head to look at Chu Lishu, intending to apologize.
However, without a second word, Chu Lishu turned around, grabbed Lin Qingyang’s arm, and lifted him onto his back.
Lin Qingyang exclaimed.
“I’ll take you back to the courtyard.” Chu Lishu’s voice sounded deep and resolute.
Just as Lin Qingyang was about to refuse, Chu Lishu carried him forward, leaving Lin Qingyang no choice but to hastily bid farewell to Xu Wenze.
Left alone, Xu Wenze quietly picked up the ball Chu Lishu had dropped, turning it in his hands.
In the corridor, Lin Qingyang hurriedly said, “You should put me down. Just supporting me is enough.”
“Didn’t you say your legs are too weak to walk?”
“But I don’t want to make it difficult for you! I’m quite heavy! What if I injure you?”
Chu Lishu’s tone seemed to soften for a moment. “Actually… you’re quite light. I can carry you. Can’t you feel your legs trembling?”
Carrying him, Chu Lishu naturally felt the condition of Lin Qingyang’s body.
Lin Qingyang said, “I can walk if I adjust a bit. I’m not that delicate.”
Not that delicate? Weren’t you just hugging someone a moment ago? If you hadn’t returned on your own, you might have been carried back to the courtyard by someone else right now. How come now you’re acting so serious when I am the one carrying you?
The more Chu Lishu thought about it, the angrier he became. Following the motion of being carried, Chu Lishu’s wrist turned, coincidentally pressing near Lin Qingyang’s thighs, and he pinched forcefully.
“Ah…”
Lin Qingyang instantly let out a cry. The muscles, already sore, were extremely sensitive to this pinch. The tingling sensation shot like lightning from his thighs to his toes, making the sound he uttered tremble with a slight tingling.
The lingering sound at the end of his cry unexpectedly burst in Chu Lishu’s ear, as if it carried a hook. It shook Chu Lishu’s soul, and he almost felt his legs go weak.
Lin Qingyang’s trembling leg muscles reflexively exerted force. Since he was being carried, Chu Lishu’s slender waist endured a burst of strength, and the sides of his waist were bound to turn red.
But soon, Lin Qingyang relaxed and complained with a slightly trembling voice, “What are you doing?”
“Uh… I was trying to see if you’re delicate or not,” Chu Lishu said with a dumbfounded expression.
“No one tries it like that! My legs can’t handle stimulation right now.” Lin Qingyang’s voice sounded a bit weak as if he had been through some ordeal. He sighed in resignation.
“We’re not far, almost there,” Chu Lishu whispered, paused, and then added, “For now… don’t talk.”
Lin Qingyang: ???
Back in the room, Qi Yan hadn’t returned yet, and only Shuncai was tidying up inside. Chu Lishu placed Lin Qingyang by the bed, instructed Shuncai to prepare hot water, and told Lin Qingyang to take a bath.
Lin Qingyang took the opportunity to massage and pound his still trembling legs.
Chu Lishu was already quite familiar with the arrangement of Lin Qingyang’s room. He took out the ointment and placed it by the bed, frowning. “Is it worth such strenuous training? It’s just a regular match.”
“It’s fun! Since we’re doing it, we should give it our all. Don’t you think so?”
Chu Lishu agreed with this view, but looking at Lin Qingyang, who was grimacing from leg pain, he couldn’t help but feel a bit reluctant. After all, it was still difficult to win against the other three teams with such strenuous efforts.
Even if he didn’t participate, Chu Lishu was well aware of the student’s performance in cuju class, and he had a rough idea of their abilities.
“But what if… you lose?”
“After we gave it our all, there will be no regrets,” Lin Qingyang said with a smile as if he really didn’t care much about winning or losing, just happy to experience the process.
Chu Lishu didn’t know that for Lin Qingyang, being able to play again was something he didn’t dare to imagine in his previous life. So his mindset was really better than anyone else’s. Giving it his all was also to fully enjoy the process.
Chu Lishu accompanied Lin Qingyang back. He wanted to say something like “Don’t get too close to Xu Wenze,” but seeing Lin Qingyang genuinely happy, Chu Lishu couldn’t bring himself to say it.
The next morning, when Lin Qingyang saw Xu Wenze again, he felt that the latter’s attitude was normal. It seemed that he hadn’t taken last night’s incident to heart. It seemed only the male lead was more sensitive.
A suspicious and paranoid personality was indeed a bit troublesome.
On the field, everyone continued to harmonize, becoming more and more in sync. During a break, Qi Yan pulled Lin Qingyang to gather intelligence from the other three teams.
Cheng Yi’s team had recruited several cuju experts from the Imperial Academy. Some of them were skilled in martial arts, making them fearless on the field. Cheng Yi himself played as the forward and had genuine skill. However, their goalkeeper and defenders were weak, with limited defensive capabilities.
Seeing Qi Yan and Lin Qingyang eavesdropping, someone from Cheng Yi’s team came over to shoo them away. “No matter how much you watch, it’s useless. You’re just making up the numbers, don’t disturb us!”
Qi Yan got annoyed, and Lin Qingyang taught him the art of expressing anger with the middle finger. Qi Yan found it very effective.
Next, they approached Wang Tong’en’s team. Wang Tong’en’s team didn’t have anyone particularly outstanding, but the overall skill level was relatively even. Their most notable feature was their excellent goalkeeper, who happened to be Wang Tong’en himself. While Qi Yan and Lin Qingyang observed, they never saw Wang Tong’en let a goal through. He had a solid foundation, making it challenging for opponents to score against him.
Wang Tong’en was quite open, allowing them to watch. Like a proud peacock, he seemed to challenge them, making sure they didn’t miss the opportunity to witness his skills. “Since you’re here, I’ll give you a chance to practice on the field.”
Qi Yan gestured, pulling Lin Qingyang away, leaving Wang Tong’en looking bewildered.
Finally, they approached Pei Jin’s team.
Seeing this, Qi Yan breathed a sigh of relief. “So weak? It seems like we might not be the last.”
“Hehe…” Lin Qingyang chuckled. “I won’t say we’re a hundred percent last, but Pei Jin’s team is very likely to be the first.”
“What do you mean?” Qi Yan asked in surprise.
“Although their team doesn’t have any experts, the key lies in their cooperation and coordination. Their formation and arrangement are very well thought out. When facing teams like ours, which have only recently formed, they have the most advantage. Moreover, Pei Jin doesn’t enter the field; she stays outside, commanding with calm analytical skills and the leadership to keep the team stable. Look at the gestures she makes without saying a word; her teammates can understand them. It’s complete off-field support.”[12]
Truly the only woman in the entire story who can stand on the same stage with men, competing in wit and strategy, earning admiration.
“So, we have no chance of winning?” Qi Yan exclaimed forcefully.
“Not necessarily. People’s performance can be unpredictable. Maybe they won’t perform well tomorrow, and we’ll exceed expectations?” Lin Qingyang causually remarked.
Just then, someone approached with a crutch, walking a bit unsteadily. “Second Brother…”
Lin Qingyang turned to look. During the time Lin Qingxu had been here, he had been avoiding him. Why would he come over to greet now?
Lin Qingyang raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond.
“Young Master Pei asked me to convey this. Training is confidential, and he hopes the two of you won’t linger,” Lin Qingxu spoke mechanically, like an emotionless messenger.
Lin Qingyang looked towards Pei Jin who was elegantly sipping tea in the distance, not bothering to glance their way.
Qi Yan snorted, “What? Is your leg still not better? Aren’t you playing on the field? I remember you were quite good at cuju before.”
This remark instantly turned Lin Qingxu’s face pale, and his fierce gaze couldn’t hide his anger. “No need for your concern, Young Master Qi. It’s better than someone who, even if they can play, only embarrasses themselves.”
Qi Yan was angry, making a gesture.
Lin Qingyang directly grabbed Qi Yan and said to Lin Qingxu, “That’s still better than someone who has no chance to show their face in front of the princes.”
Lin Qingxu indeed had a face that looked like he was about to spit blood.
Qi Yan laughed twice and followed Lin Qingyang to leave.
Lin Qingxu’s inner frustration and unwillingness had reached the extreme. He turned around and went back to Pei Jin’s side. “Young Master Pei, can I play in the game, even if it’s just for a while?”
“Third Lin, do you think I intentionally kept you from playing?” Pei Jin set down her teacup, looking at Lin Qingxu with a regretful expression. “I know you want to show off, want to beat Lin Qingyang, but you also need to consider your own condition. Don’t sacrifice the greater good for a small gain.”
Lin Qingxu ground his teeth, making a grinding sound, but seeing Pei Jin pick up the teacup with a cold face again, he knew this topic was over. He didn’t dare to push further and could only comply. However, if Lin Qingyang dared to play, he would definitely make him stand up just to lie down.
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of tea for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
“Qi Yan got annoyed, and Lin Qingyang taught him the art of expressing anger with the middle finger. Qi Yan found it very effective.” LOOOOOL I’m dying.