Chapter 75 Ren Xiyao leaned against the sofa in the lounge…
Ren Xiyao leaned back on the sofa in the lounge, clutching her newly won World Cup qualifying gold medal in her hand. Her gaze fell on Kwon Ji-yong's message on her phone screen: "It's over."
Her thumb hovered over the keyboard for a few seconds, hesitated for a moment, replied with a simple "Mm," then casually picked up the medal, found an angle, and took a picture. The medal occupied most of the frame in the photo, with only half of her chin and a faint curve of her lips visible.
send.
Kwon Ji-yong's message came quickly: "A Valentine's Day gift?"
Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow. She glanced at the date; it was indeed Valentine's Day. This guy, his mind works really fast. She slowly typed, "You want to wear it?"
The other end displayed "typing" for a while, then stopped and started again, finally sending a voice message. She opened it, and Kwon Ji-yong's low voice was tinged with amusement: "Ren Xiyao, you're quite good at this now."
She lowered her head and took a sip of mineral water, unable to hide her smile.
Seoul, early morning. Kwon Ji-yong rested his phone face down on the mixing console, his body swaying slightly to the rhythm of the music. The recording studio was filled with the rich aroma of coffee. The sun peeked over from the side: "Such a smug smile?"
"Go on with your work."
"Let me guess," the sun said, pretending to do some calculations, "Did your athlete win another gold medal?"
Kwon Ji-yong ignored him and typed a melody on the keyboard. Taeyang, undeterred, leaned over to look at his phone screen: "Wow, a gold medal as a Valentine's Day gift? That's pretty unique."
“She’s going back to Beijing tomorrow,” Kwon Ji-yong suddenly said.
"Then what?"
"Then we'll prepare for the World Championships."
Sun clicked his tongue: "So you're planning to go find her?"
Kwon Ji-yong glanced at him: "Her flight is at 1 a.m.
"so?"
“So,” Kwon Ji-yong hung his earphones around his neck and stood up, “I’m going out to make a phone call.”
The sun shook its head behind him, clicking its tongue repeatedly.
Ren Xiyao had just finished packing her things and left the lounge when her phone vibrated. A video call interface popped up, and Kwon Ji-yong's face appeared on the screen, with the messy equipment of the recording studio in the background.
"Back to the hotel?" he asked.
"Hmm." She adjusted her headphones. "It's noisy on your end."
The camera swayed slightly as Kwon Ji-yong walked to a relatively quiet corner: "And now?"
"Feeling better."
He squinted and leaned closer to the screen: "You got a haircut?"
Ren Xiyao subconsciously touched her bangs: "I only trimmed them a little. My bangs were blocking my eyes."
"nice."
"……oh."
The venue's announcement system began clearing the area. Ren Xiyao glanced at the time on the screen and quickened her pace. Kwon Ji-yong suddenly said from the other end of the screen, "I watched the final video."
"Um."
"A beautiful swing," he commented, his tone appreciative. He knew how much pressure she was under on her first swing after her comeback.
"It was alright, this time the skating was very comfortable."
"Ren Xiyao".
She looked back at the screen: "What?"
Kwon Ji-yong rested his chin on his hand, his eyes curving into two arcs: "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
The lounge light fell on his eyelashes, casting a small shadow on his cheek. Ren Xiyao stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly said, "Happy Valentine's Day."
Kwon Ji-yong was stunned for a moment, then laughed so hard his shoulders shook: "That's it?"
"Otherwise what?"
"I thought at least there would be a kiss."
Ren Xiyao had already arrived at the meeting point. After looking around and confirming that her teammates were all focused on their own tasks, she quickly leaned close to the screen and made a "mua" sound, then immediately resumed her expressionless demeanor: "All done?"
Kwon Ji-yong clutched his chest and collapsed onto the sofa: "Ren Xiyao, that's a foul."
"You're sentencing me to my fate?"
"I'll grant you an exemption, for life, with me."
Ren Xiyao chuckled, just as the instructor was urging her to get in the car. She stood up and said, "I'm hanging up."
"Wait a minute." Kwon Ji-yong suddenly became serious: "When is the World Championships?"
"Mid-March."
Where is it?
South Korea.
The person on the other end of the screen instantly brightened up. Ren Xiyao added before he could speak, "Same as always, closed training is required, and it will be tough until the competition is over."
Kwon Ji-yong immediately deflated: "Where are the audience seats?"
"Aren't you afraid of being photographed?"
"I'm wearing a mask."
"Whatever." She followed at the back of the line, ready to get on the bus: "I'm hanging up."
"Ren Xiyao".
"What now?"
"I'll take the gold medal." He waved his phone; the screen showed the photo she had just sent: "I'll send you an even better one next time."
Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow: "Diamonds?"
"You want it?"
"It's hard on my neck."
Kwon Ji-yong burst into laughter, the sound of his laughter mingling with the noise of the car starting up and reaching her ears.
She glanced at the screen one last time, said nothing more, and just whispered before hanging up, "See you in Jiangling."
As soon as the plane landed in Beijing, Ren Xiyao turned on her phone and a flood of messages came in. There were team announcements about the assembly time, well wishes from family, greetings from friends… the top one was a string of messages from Kwon Ji-yong.
Around 1 a.m.: "Have you boarded?"
Around 8 a.m.: "Have you arrived yet?"
One hour ago: "?"
She typed slowly: "Just landed."
The phone rang as soon as the message was sent.
"Ren Xiyao," Kwon Ji-yong's voice was heavy with sleep, "do you know how long I've waited for you?"
"Didn't you set an alarm?"
"Three were set up!"
She imagined him crawling out of bed with his hair all messy, and felt inexplicably pleased: "Tsk tsk tsk."
"You heartless guy." Kwon Ji-yong yawned. "Send me the schedule for the World Championships."
"what?"
"Buy tickets."
Ren Xiyao held her phone to her ear and took her suitcase off the luggage carousel: "Do you have time? Aren't you supposed to have a fan meeting or something in the middle of the month?"
"That's none of your business." He said matter-of-factly, "Can't I watch my girlfriend's competition?"
"Whatever you want." She paused, then added, "Just don't get photographed."
"Okay." Kwon Ji-yong drawled, "Choose any player."
Suddenly, the manager's voice came from the other end of the phone: "Jiyong! Are you up? Go to the company and check on the arrangement!"
Ren Xiyao raised an eyebrow: "The 10th anniversary concert?"
"Yeah." Kwon Ji-yong sighed, "I'm going to be busy until the early hours of the morning again."
"Go."
"Aren't you going to do something about it?"
Ren Xiyao glanced at the passing travelers, squinted slightly, and before she could speak, her ears turned red. Looking at the expectant face on the screen, she took a soft breath and said, "Happy Valentine's Day, I love you." She hung up the phone before Kwon Ji-yong could reply.
The intense preparations for the World Championships officially began after adjusting to the time difference. The sound of ice skates slicing across the ice echoed in the empty training hall, carrying a chilling, imposing atmosphere. This year's Short Track Speed Skating World Championships are being held in South Korea, marking Ren Xiyao's return to the World Championships preparations after two years.
Two years ago, she was a rising star, full of youthful vigor and fearlessness; two years later, she experienced the low point of injuries and a long wait, but she emerged from the mud with resilience and a desire to compete.
Athletes will first participate in the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m races, as well as relays, each with different scoring points. After completing all events, the total points earned from all events are added together. The top eight athletes advance to the Super 3000m race. In this race, neither high nor low scores are particularly important. Those with low scores have virtually no hope of winning the all-around title, while those with high scores, especially those who have almost secured first place in individual events, won't be too concerned even if someone wins the Super 3000m. Therefore, the most exciting time is when the athletes' times are very close, leading to a fierce competition in the Super 3000m.
The Super 3000m consists of 28 laps and two scoring zones. Rankings are determined by combining the positions at both zones with the final finisher's points. The Super 3000m time is scored separately: 34 points for first place, decreasing to 1 point for each subsequent eighth-place finisher.
The overall score is calculated by adding the scores from the three individual events (500m/1000m/1500m) to the Super 3000m score. The athlete with the highest total score wins the overall championship. If the total scores are tied, the athlete with the higher Super 3000m ranking wins. Winning the overall championship allows you to forge the gold boots. While short track speed skaters wear different colors, gold is reserved for the overall champion. It's a symbol of prestige, and no athlete can resist its allure.
The Super 3000m is fundamentally different from the 3000m relay. Relays are team events where energy can be distributed and tactics can be flexibly adjusted. The Super 3000m, however, must be completed by a single person. 28 laps, with no substitutions and no chance to catch your breath. It's not just a physical marathon, but a comprehensive test of an athlete's tactical acumen, their grasp of the race's rhythm, and their ability to maintain clear judgment under extreme fatigue. Understanding the rules of the Super 3000m reveals its unpredictability and excitement, a perfect blend of intellect and physical prowess; without it, it may simply seem long and tedious.
Ren Xiyao is quite ambitious in this regard, and her form has been improving recently. In these two European competitions, she won two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the 1000m and 1500m events. It's fair to say she has a real chance to make a name for herself.
In the history of the Chinese short track speed skating team, only a handful of female athletes have ever won the all-around title—just three in total. Only these three legendary athletes have earned the right to claim the Golden Boot. The captain was one of them; since her injury and retirement, no active female athlete has yet reached that honor. This gives the all-around title a special significance within the team—it represents a legacy, it represents the pinnacle.
To achieve this goal, Ren Xiyao has been extremely focused in her preparations lately, constantly refining her cornering techniques. Since accidentally using a right-angle change of lane, she has been training even more in this area, and the coaching team has been very attentive. In fact, almost all drivers practice right-angle change of lane techniques in private.
This technique is somewhat like using greater centrifugal force to "shake off" a conventional entry line, but you need extremely strong core strength and leg explosiveness to counteract the enormous centrifugal force after cutting in and "bend" your body and skates back to a normal gliding trajectory, preventing you from losing speed, control, or even falling. If your core strength is insufficient or your stamina is inadequate, then this "right-angle change of direction" is equivalent to deliberately creating a major mistake, which is counterproductive.
In the closed training base in Beijing, she repeated the monotonous and extreme training day after day. Almost isolated from the outside world, all her energy was poured onto the ice. This place held all her desire for the World Championships, for the All-Around title, and for the Golden Boot.
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Author's Note: The Super 3000 scoring system was changed once later on. For the sake of smoother writing, I'll just write it as having two points. The Super 3000 has now been discontinued in short track speed skating.
Enjoy reading, thank you everyone. [Hands clasped in prayer]
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