Chapter 102 Throughout the entire Asian Winter Games, Quan…
Throughout the Asian Winter Games, Kwon Ji-yong was always there, but Ren Xiyao could sense that he was preoccupied. However, the busy and intense schedule didn't give her much opportunity to ask him about it. It was already quite difficult for them to meet and spend time together; after the games, they did have a day to stroll around and spend time together. Because these large-scale events have stipulated departure times, this time together was all the more precious. Sometimes Lin Shan would say that a superstar dating like this was pathetic. It was hard to tell whether to feel sad or amused, but to persist like this must be true love.
Li Enjing asked Ren Xiyao if they were afraid that one day they would get tired of each other and not want to continue. Ren Xiyao said that was normal. In Ren Xiyao's view of love, love is a beautiful thing, but finding a beautiful love in the vast sea of people is like gambling. If you win, of course everyone is happy; if you lose, you should withdraw in time and not care about the sunk costs. But the prerequisite for winning is daring to bet and daring to invest. If you don't even dare to bet, she doesn't expect the house to win all. Besides, even normal couples in a normal relationship might have such a day. But before that day comes, there's no need to worry unnecessarily. Thinking too much only leads to unnecessary internal conflict.
Ren Xiyao had thought things through very clearly. If the future is long and the future is far away, then she would only look at the present and focus on the moment. Perhaps others would find it tiring, but those involved would find their own joy; only the person drinking the water knows whether it's hot or cold.
Ren Xiyao won gold medals in all three events she participated in at the Asian Winter Games. It was an absolute dominance, resulting in a dominant performance. When asked by the media if she considered this the beginning of the Ren Xiyao era, she...
She smiled and replied, "I've just been in great form this season. If I can win gold at the Olympics with the same dominance, then saying 'this is my era' wouldn't be just empty talk."
She understood the true nature of competitive sports from the day she chose to pursue a professional career. All the flowers and applause were merely embellishments on top of achievements; having chosen to be an athlete, she had to accept the long, quiet years of dedicated training.
After a short break, preparations resumed in Beijing. This year's Short Track Speed Skating World Championships were held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Netherlands is a major power in winter sports, especially in long track speed skating, which garners immense attention nationwide and boasts a plethora of top athletes. Short track speed skating also receives considerable attention. Interestingly, although figure skating is hailed as the "crown jewel of the Winter Olympics," the International Skating Union's majority revenue comes from long track speed skating. It's safe to say that figure skating has one of the highest commercial values among winter sports.
An incident occurred before the team registered for the events: during training, veteran Su Meng's old knee injury flared up after a fall, and the team doctor advised her to rest. Therefore, she had to withdraw from preparations for the World Championships. This created a vacancy in the 500m event. After discussion, the coaching staff gave this spot to Ren Xiyao, who has been in excellent form this season.
The coaching staff didn't put too much pressure on her, simply telling her to compete normally. However, Ren Xiyao understood their meaning; they hoped she could retain her all-around championship title once again. More events meant more points, but also more events to participate in within the three-day competition, demanding greater physical exertion, tactics, and more stringent requirements. Furthermore, this season, she had focused most of her energy on long-distance running. Therefore, it was both an opportunity and a challenge for her.
If Ren Xiyao's month-long life remained unchanged as an athlete, then Quan Zhilong's month was completely distracted. Aside from completing his work as usual, he spent his free time watching various wedding videos, researching wedding preparations, and discussing the precautions for cross-cultural marriages. He even discovered a thread discussing what to prepare for the first meeting with the bride's parents in a cross-cultural marriage—a thread with over 1000 posts, which he actually read through layer by layer. He even drew several versions of the wedding ring design. Sometimes he found himself quite amusing; he had probed for so long without getting anything out of them, and dared not ask too many questions, yet he still couldn't stop thinking about wedding matters.
Ren Xiyao is 23 years old this year, which is the prime of an athlete's career. If you asked 23-year-old Kwon Ji-yong if he wanted to get married, he would probably think the person asking was crazy. Putting myself in his shoes, I wouldn't dare to ask that question easily. I'm so annoyed every day.
It was Fashion Week at the end of February. He attended as usual, and on the surface, everything seemed fine. G-Dragon appeared calm and collected, completely at ease. But privately, he couldn't help but wander around this fashion capital, always subconsciously glancing at jewelry and rings. He told himself it was just looking, for reference. He might not need them now, but he'd use them later. But subconsciously, he was still wondering if he could find a suitable ring.
Perhaps it was fate, but one day he received an invitation from a designer friend. The friend mentioned a very niche jewelry exhibition and asked if he was interested. Kwon Ji-yong felt a surge of excitement, checked his schedule, and actually went. His friend was quite surprised, not expecting such a busy man to actually have time. Kwon Ji-yong's eyes glanced at the huge poster in front of the entrance. It was of the ice rink he knew so well, the marks left by his skates cutting across the ice.
He was momentarily stunned. His friend explained that this niche designer's inspiration came from the marks left by figure skating blades on the ice, so many of his designs were inspired by these marks. Kwon Ji-yong was already eager to go inside, and his friend, noticing his interest, guided him in without saying anything more.
I spent a long time there. The entire jewelry showroom was inspired by figure skating, featuring the moment a skater lands after a jump, the marks it leaves on the ice, and the splashing ice crystals—the designs were very structured. However, the focus was mainly on necklaces and other jewelry.
His gaze drifted to a display case in the corner. He was immediately drawn to it. A platinum diamond ring gleamed coldly under the spotlight. The main diamond was a nearly three-carat light blue, radiating dazzling light, seemingly drawing one in at first glance, yet pure enough to see right through. That clear blue seemed a perfect match for the dark jadeite Ren Xiyao had given him. The ring's design featured sharp, razor-sharp lines, resembling the mark of an ice blade when viewed from the side. Yet, it was also flowing and free, elegant and dynamic, sharp yet serene—a perfect balance of flamboyance and restraint. It perfectly reflected Ren Xiyao's personality. The entire design possessed a dynamic aesthetic. Upon closer inspection, he saw a line of small characters engraved on the inside: Redemption & Love.
"I'll take it." He was almost instantly struck by this thought deep within him, and once it arose, he couldn't resist it. He immediately spotted the friend who had invited him in the exhibition hall. After communicating with him, he bought the ring without hesitation.
He couldn't contain his excitement as he walked out with the ring in his hand. Two voices screamed wildly in his mind: one saying, "Why did you buy this? You can't even give it to her," and the other saying, "So what if I bought it? This is perfect for her. Even if it's not an engagement ring, it can be a regular gift. What does it matter? I've given her plenty of gifts anyway."
It took me a long time to calm down after getting back in the car. My gaze remained fixed on the ring, but the voice in my heart grew ever more resolute.
Fashion Week is over. Time to rush back to continue my busy work and album preparations.
Ren Xiyao had already arrived in Rotterdam, Netherlands with the team to prepare for the match. Before the match, during a chat with Kwon Ji-yong, he learned of her ambition. He also knew she had been in excellent form this season and had full confidence in her. Therefore, he didn't bother her too much, waiting for Ren Xiyao to contact him first. Meanwhile, as the proposal date drew closer, Kwon Ji-yong could sense Taeyang's anxiety, but somehow, this anxiety seemed to have infected him as well. The ring was in his studio, and he would glance at it every now and then. He felt a kind of indescribable inner turmoil.
The day before the proposal, Kwon Ji-yong didn't sleep, staying up with the anxious, insomniac Taeyang to go over the whole process again. Taeyang was still praising his good brother, but the truth was that Kwon Ji-yong was also too anxious to sleep. Despite the time difference, he watched Ren Xiyao's competition; she was in excellent form and advanced smoothly in all three events.
But seeing Ren Xiyao's increasingly better condition, he became even more hesitant to propose. The only similarity between athletes and idols is that their prime years are likely limited to just a few. He knew how grueling Ren Xiyao's training was. It was to the point where he dared not even watch. Seeing it once would bring countless pangs of heartache. He knew the layout of the Chengbei Club well, but afterwards, he spent most of his time waiting for her outside the training field. He strolled around the training base, ate rice balls at convenience stores. But he just couldn't bring himself to look at her on the training field again.
The day Taiyang proposed was the finals of Ren Xiyao's 500m and 1500m races. The proposal took place in the evening. For the sake of his childhood friend, he didn't go to watch the races. Most importantly, he trusted Ren Xiyao to be alright.
Kwon Ji-yong was squatting by the back door of the church, adjusting the fireworks remote control, while Taeyang paced back and forth beside him, his tie already loosened several times.
"What if I start stuttering?" Taeyang tugged at Kwon Jiyong's sleeve: "I've memorized the script twenty times and I'm still panicking."
Kwon Ji-yong slapped his hand away: "Then kneel down and take out the ring directly."
"Damn, I'm getting even more nervous..."
CL peeked out from the side door: "Hyorin's car has arrived!"
Everyone immediately took their positions. Kwon Ji-yong hid in the control room and saw Hyo-rin being loudly ushered into the church through the monitor screen, her face still showing a puzzled expression.
As the intro to "Marry You" began, and Taeyang emerged from behind the cross holding a bouquet of roses, Kwon Ji-yong pressed the fireworks button.
Fireworks burned out and fell from the sky like snowflakes. Kwon Ji-yong leaned against the gift table, watching the sun as his hand trembled as he put a ring on Hyo-rin's finger.
"Oppa, are you envious?" CL handed him a can of beer.
Kwon Ji-yong expertly pulled open the tab: "A little."
He took out his phone, opened the app, and sure enough, the first push notification he followed was a photo of Ren Xiyao winning her second consecutive 1500m title. Immediately following was a news item about her bronze medal in the 500m. She stood on the podium, the gold medal in her mouth, her hands flashing a triumphant "W" sign.
His thoughts seemed to be drifting far away, but his hand had already involuntarily opened the ticketing app. When he came to his senses, he had already searched for flights to Rotterdam, Netherlands. He clicked "buy" amidst CL's horrified expression.
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there?" How many all-around championships can an athlete win in their entire career? He had already missed one, and he didn't want to miss another. He was determined to witness her dazzling moment.
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