Chapter 13 In the locker room after training...
In the locker room after training, Ren Xiyao was untying her skate laces, her fingers still stiff from holding the ice for so long. Short track speed skaters experience significant centrifugal force when cornering. Specialized gloves are needed to help them better control their speed on the ice. Professional short track speed skating gloves are made of cut-resistant materials. "The left hand, which holds the ice, has finger clips at the fingertips, coated with resin or a rubber layer. This reduces friction when holding the ice on the curves and prevents frostbite caused by the low temperature of the ice." However, after prolonged training, their hands inevitably become stiff from the cold.
Li Enjing plopped down next to her, a towel draped around her neck. She had just returned from the Winter Universiade two days ago, where she had achieved excellent results: a silver medal in the 1000m, a gold medal in the 1500m, and a silver medal in the relay. Her mood had been visibly good these past two days.
Lin Shan's performance at this World Junior Championships wasn't great, but she still gained something. She won a bronze medal in the 500m, her strongest event. She's back with the team now, and the team has announced that the ice skating break will officially begin in two weeks. Ren Xiyao will also finish her current training camp in two weeks.
Lin Shan wasn't entirely satisfied with his performance, but that's just how short track speed skating is. It requires explosive power like a sprinter, a rhythm suited to your own style and the different rhythms of each race, precise anticipation, exceptional tactical vision, and adaptability on the spot. Changing speed and positioning, overtaking and being overtaken—all are indispensable. Top athletes always face a dual test of physical and mental strength. The inherent uncertainty is part of the allure of short track.
"Who messaged you? Your phone screen has been lit up for ages," Li Enjing retorted to Ren Xiyao.
Ren Xiyao paused in packing her things, glanced at her phone, and turned the screen face down: "Nobody."
"Are you kidding me?" Lee Eun-jung said speechlessly, looking at her actions. "Didn't you just turn off the phone during training before?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Ren Xiyao looked at her, puzzled.
Lee Eun-jung said seriously, "You've been acting really strange lately. If you have a crush on someone from South Korea, don't hide it from me. I can give you some advice. We all know what's going on. South Korean guys are really good at dating. Don't believe what you see in K-dramas."
Ren Xiyao turned her head and stared at Li Enjing, who was full of vigilance. Li Enjing added, "I really don't lie to you!" She even stretched out her hand, almost as if she was about to swear an oath.
Ren Xiyao sighed and reluctantly said, "It's the person I met at the nightclub last year."
"Nightclub? You know someone at the nightclub? Who?" Li Enjing became completely alert, stood up and grabbed Ren Xiyao tightly, saying incredulously, "That nightclub is unusual! That celebration party was extraordinary! There wasn't a single ordinary person there!"
Ren Xiyao felt a warmth in her heart when she saw Li Enjing's nervous expression, and explained, "It's just that you were very excited and the DJ you met was named GD."
Lee Eun-jung froze. Ren Xiyao seized the opportunity to free her hand from her tight grip and picked up her water glass. Just as she was unscrewing the cap, Lee Eun-jung grabbed her hand, almost spilling the water, and asked, trembling slightly, "Is it that GD? Kwon Ji-yong?"
The locker room fell silent for two seconds.
Ren Xiyao hummed in agreement, while Li Enjing's mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an egg: "...Which Kwon Ji-yong?"
Ren Xiyao looked at her with a somewhat complicated expression.
"That Kwon Ji-yong from BIGBANG?!" Lee Eun-jung's scream drew a shout of "Keep it down!" from the next dressing room. She quickly covered her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief: "You know GD?!"
Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow: "You know him?"
Ren Xiyao looked at the man on the screen, who looked incredibly refined after being filtered, and found it hard to reconcile the image of the man who rode a bicycle and grinned foolishly by the river in her memory.
"Just... normal chatting."
"Just chatting?" Li Enjing's voice rose eight octaves: "Chatting with a big star. Do you know how much he charges for one advertisement? His annual income from song copyrights alone is enough to build a new ice rink! Even changing his hairstyle can make him a trending topic!"
Ren Xiyao slung her bag over her shoulder and walked out: "So?"
Lee Eun-jung caught up and grabbed her backpack strap: "So why did he talk to you?"
"He said..." Ren Xiyao was a little unsure how to answer the question. She didn't know why they had started talking about it, so she changed the subject: "Didn't you say you would help me give some advice?"
Li Enjing's expression was like she had swallowed a lemon. After a long while, she finally calmed down: "How can I give you advice? This kind of person is too far removed from my life. I don't know what the standard is. In short, be careful. If you really end up in a relationship, don't get caught, otherwise you'll really stir up a hornet's nest, and life will be difficult."
Ren Xiyao smiled and said, "What are you talking about? We're just friends. You're overthinking it."
The two walked slowly back to the dormitory together, remaining silent for a long time.
As they approached the dormitory building, Li Enjing suddenly stopped, grabbed her hand, and said earnestly, "The life of a celebrity isn't simple. Not every senior is a good person. Be careful." Li Enjing hesitated for a while before slowly saying, "Um... I... I'm not saying I'm jealous or anything. After all, we are... friends. I just want to say that you... you are quite different... in terms of age... and in many ways, your living environment is still too simple compared to those people... so... so you should think more about it."
Ren Xiyao felt a warm current flow through her heart as she looked at Li Enjing, who was being very careful with her words. People say that it's easy to speak too frankly with someone you don't know well, and they had only known each other for a few months. She was genuinely happy that Li Enjing was willing to be so open with her. It was like making a very good friend. Seeing her conflicted expression, Ren Xiyao smiled, her smile exceptionally bright: "Thank you so much. I'm really happy to have met you. I hope we can always be friends." As she spoke, Ren Xiyao patted Li Enjing on the shoulder.
Lee Eun-jung was stunned for a moment before letting out a sigh of relief: "Don't be so mushy. I mean it. After all, we're friends. Along the way, friends have come and gone, some have changed. I really cherish the opportunity to meet people who can walk this path with me again."
Back in the dorm, Ren Xiyao finally checked her phone and saw a message from Kwon Ji-yong: "How was training today?"
Are knee braces useful?
She stared at the screen, remembering the Japanese drugstore bag the security guard had given her yesterday. She hadn't thought much of it at the time, assuming the team doctor had left it there. Now, realizing what had happened, she replied, "You gave it to me?"
"No, it should be Santa Claus!"
Ren Xiyao lay on the bed, her chin resting on a pillow, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment. The first message came from the other end: "It's 28 degrees outside today."
"so?"
"If one jacket isn't enough, remember to bring another one."
Ren Xiyao frowned as she read the sentence. The temperature difference between inside and outside the venue was significant today. She had indeed put on a jacket this morning because it was too cold in the venue, but how did this person know?
"You hacked into the system?"
Coach Kim posted a group photo on Instagram.
She opened the app and, sure enough, saw the training photos Coach Jin had posted two hours earlier. The last photo in the nine-grid layout showed her back as she huddled in the rest area, clutching a thermos.
"How did you dig up this obscure corner of our coach's Instagram?"
"My internet speed is very fast, and I'm not concerned about my teammates."
She almost burst out laughing. Ever since this guy sneaked into the ice rink disguised as a DJ, he'd loved to call himself an "unofficial member of the ice rink."
"Just took this picture. I can't believe it's March already. The lake hasn't thawed yet. Can you ice skate on it?"
“Wild ice also needs to be prepared. You’re asking for trouble if you just go up there. Besides, even if the ice on the lake hasn’t melted yet at this time of year, it’s incredibly brittle and will crack with the slightest touch.”
Kwon Ji-yong sent a laughing-crying emoji and replied, "I kind of want to try it out!"
Ren Xiyao said, "Don't be reckless. If you fall, I'll have to save you."
Will you save me?
This was a bit strange, but Ren Xiyao didn't think too much about it and replied bluntly, "Yes, but I'll beat you up as soon as I come up. You need to be taught a lesson."
Ren Xiyao tossed her phone aside and got up to get some water. Early cherry blossom petals drifted down from the window, landing on the training track. It looked like snow, but spring had actually arrived. She took a couple of sips of water, then went back to pick up her phone.
"Great, it was worth it."
"If you come to Japan, I'd like to bring you here. You can see the Milky Way here at night."
"It's far from the city center, so it's very dark. There's no light pollution."
Looking at the three consecutive messages on the screen, Ren Xiyao smiled and said, "I also have a place where I like to look at the stars. People say it's the closest place to the sky."
"I'm getting curious, where is it?"
"I went to Tibet when I was just 18 years old as part of my coming-of-age ceremony."
"I've heard of it. It has the world's highest mountain."
"Yes, it's the legendary place closest to the sky. When I went there, I thought it was so beautiful that words failed me. I can't describe it. But I just feel like I'll go back again."
We were chatting when suddenly a picture was sent in, followed by the message: "There's a dog."
The photo showed a Shiba Inu crouching under a dimly lit streetlamp. She smiled and replied, "Not the big yellow dog this time?"
"The varieties have been upgraded! They now feature regional characteristics!"
"You should take a detour!"
"It's blocking the only way!"
She could picture the man frowning, and she laughed as she typed, "Try barking like a dog while you're touching the ground."
Five minutes later, Kwon Ji-yong's message came in again: "It got away!"
"You really learned it?" Ren Xiyao was a little surprised.
"Secret!" When this message came in, Ren Xiyao could almost picture his sly smile.
I opened the window, and the cool evening breeze outside dispelled the fatigue of a day's training. The sounds of laughter and play could still be heard in the distance. Newly sprouted leaves swayed in the wind. The breeze rustled through the treetops, carefree and serene.
She suddenly remembered something and opened the chat box: "My friend said you're a big star. A top idol. The super famous kind."
The reply came quickly this time: "Now you know fear?"
She leaned against the railing and slowly sat down on the windowsill: "I'm afraid you'll get chased and bitten by dogs."
Hahahaha, it'll be colder tomorrow!
"So?" Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow.
"It's time to replace your knee pads, and don't forget to wear your back brace."
Ren Xiyao pressed her overheated phone to her forehead and slowly exhaled. The branches of the trees, urged on by the wind, rustled against the windowpane. Each rustle was short and forceful, as if about to pry open the half-closed window.
A note from the author:
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The information about glove materials at the beginning comes from a video on People's Daily Online. I've forgotten the exact video, but you can find it by searching for the original quote. Those interested can search for it.
The Winter Universiade is short for the Winter Universiade, and the World Youth Championships is short for the World Youth Championships.
Finally, thank you everyone, I will continue to update regularly. [Hands clasped in prayer][Hands clasped in prayer][Hands clasped in prayer]
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