Chapter 77 Ren Xiyao was somewhat at a loss...
Ren Xiyao didn't know how to describe her current feelings. Her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her leg muscles ached so much they felt like they didn't belong to her. That sharp right-angle change of direction had almost drained all her strength. But she had to do it. She needed to get up there. Only one word occupied her mind: exhaustion. She could feel Jin Shuyan relentlessly pushing her from behind. Now wasn't the time to be tired; there were still two laps to go. She forced herself to maintain her focus. The noise from the audience couldn't penetrate her world at all. She forced herself to tighten her grip on the line and control the inner lane.
One lap left. The finish line is just ahead. The sound of Kim Su-yeon's skates slicing across the ice is as imminent as a death knell.
She gritted her teeth, putting all her strength into each push off the ice. Sweat blurred her vision, but she could clearly see the ice track ahead. Hang in there, Ren Xiyao. Just a little longer.
She thought of how Sister Xu had been helping her lock down Jin Shuyan for so long; she had to hold on. She wanted to use this opportunity to tell the captain and Sister Xu that their choice was right, and to show them what she was capable of. She wanted to use the golden boots as proof of her phoenix-like rebirth and triumphant return.
The commentator was already excited: "Ren Xiyao is sprinting at full speed! She's incredibly fast! Can she keep it up? She's reached her physical limit!"
"Shuyan is trying to overtake from the outside lane! Go Shuyan!! Ren Xiyao is also holding on with all her might!" the commentator shouted. "The two are neck and neck! Heading towards the finish line!"
The cheers and shouts inside the stadium reached their peak, as if they were about to lift the roof off. All eyes were focused on the two speeding figures.
Ren Xiyao felt like her legs were filled with lead, each lift incredibly heavy. Every muscle in her body felt like it was about to explode. Jin Shuyan beside her was also giving it her all, pressing in from the outside as they entered the corner. Now it wasn't a contest of technique or tactics anymore, but pure willpower and physical reserves.
She swung her arms frantically, pressing her body forward. The finish line was right in front of her! Only a few meters away! She could hear the sharp sound of her skates scraping against the ice, and she could hear her own heavy breathing.
After exiting the turn, she quickly straightened up. She and Jin Shuyan were like mirror images, almost simultaneously completing the movement. After adding two more blades, Ren Xiyao suddenly stretched out her leg, and the ice blade shot forward!
"He crossed the finish line!!" The two commentators shouted almost simultaneously.
"Very, very close! They arrived almost simultaneously!" The commentator excitedly rubbed his eyes. "We need to wait for the electronic timer results!"
On the ice, Ren Xiyao and Jin Shuyan crossed the finish line almost simultaneously. Both of them bent over, panting heavily from the immense physical exertion. Other athletes also crossed the finish line one after another, collapsing on the ice or leaning against the barriers, utterly exhausted.
"Ren Xiyao has won first place in the Super 3000m!" The commentator calmly announced, his voice filled with admiration: "Ren Xiyao has taken first place in the Super 3000m! She has earned the highest score of 34 points in this event!"
The commentator added, "That's incredible! Even with almost no energy left, she still managed to win this first place! This victory in the Super 3000 meters will give her a huge boost in her overall score!"
"Now, it's time to calculate the final total score!" The commentator said calmly, using a formulaic tone, "Ren Xiyao's individual points in the 1000m and 1500m, plus her 34 points in the Super 3000m! We are now waiting for the final official rankings!"
Background music playing as everyone awaited the results filled the stadium, and everyone held their breath. The athletes, exhausted, supported each other, their eyes filled with anticipation and trepidation. Ren Xiyao, after crossing the finish line, was still reeling from the shock. Only her panting could be heard. When she finally came to her senses, the big screen was already displaying the athletes' rankings based on their total points.
"Alright, the final all-around rankings are now displayed on the big screen!" The voice rang out again, carrying the solemnity of a decisive moment: "Eighth place, Japan's Rin'o Sakamoto... Seventh place, Netherlands' Sofia... Sixth place, Germany's Antonie van der Rohe... Fifth place, China's Xu Qinghe..."
The commentator added, "The top four teams are very close in points! The competition is extremely fierce!"
"Fourth place goes to South Korean athlete Park Min-hee!"
"Now only the top three are left!"
"Third place, Canadian athlete Sanx..."
The sound of heartbeats seemed to drown out all other sounds in the venue.
"Second place goes to Kim Suk-yeon from South Korea!"
The commentator exclaimed, "After two years! China has once again produced a female all-around short track speed skating champion!"
The stadium erupted in thunderous cheers and applause! Ice skating fans who had traveled all the way from China raised their national flag high, and the audience waved their hands wildly!
She froze. Her mind was blank, or rather, from the moment she finished skating, she hadn't been thinking about her score. She was just subconsciously relaxing and skating slowly. Until she saw the leaderboard, an overwhelming joy engulfed her like a tsunami. She lowered her head, covered her face, and tears welled up uncontrollably. Not because of the pain, but because of the immense shock of her dream coming true.
The All-Round Queen. The Golden Boot. She did it.
She threw herself into her coach's arms, all the hard work, all the pain, all the perseverance turning into tears at that moment. Lin Shan, Xu Xin, the members of the men's team, all the accompanying coaches, and the substitutes sitting on the sidelines shouted excitedly.
When Ren Xiyao let go of the coach, she turned around and saw Lin Shan, who was also crying. The two hugged each other tightly, and Lin Shan repeatedly said, "You're so amazing," "That was fantastic," "You make me so proud." She kept saying these words with a sob in her voice, even more excited than Ren Xiyao. Xu Xin, who was standing next to her, patted Ren Xiyao on the shoulder.
When she calmed down, she saw Xu Qinghe standing to the side, who had just hugged the coach. She hugged Xu Qinghe back and said, "Thank you, Sister Xu."
Xu Qinghe patted her on the back: "You did a great job. You won't let the captain down."
The camera continued its panning, showing athletes from various countries and the stands. It brought the short track speed skating season to a perfect close. The South Korean commentator continued, "Yes! We've witnessed Ren Xiyao's growth this season. From a less-than-ideal start, she has now, through her amazing perseverance and strength, as well as her outstanding performance in the Super 3000m, ultimately won the Women's All-Around title at this World Championships!"
Ren Xiyao's partner, Xie, added, "Ren Xiyao's title of All-Around Champion is not only an honor for her personally, but also for the Chinese short track speed skating team! She has proven to the world that Chinese women's short track speed skating is still at the world's top level!"
"Let's congratulate Ren Xiyao again! Congratulations on becoming the new all-around champion! We look forward to her continuing to create brilliance on the ice in the future, wearing the golden boots!"
Meanwhile, Kwon Ji-yong's third 10th-anniversary tour coincided with the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships. He had originally planned to watch the competition, but ultimately couldn't make it. When Ren Xiyao first found out, she didn't say anything, only telling him to take care of himself. After the World Championships, she would be on her off-season. They could talk about it then.
It was 5 PM. Ren Xiyao's 3000m race began. He had been extremely irritable for the past two days because Ren Xiyao had told him right after the first day's competition that she was aiming for the all-around championship. He understood what she meant, so he had refrained from sending her even a single message, not daring to disturb her.
When the match started, Kwon Ji-yong was sitting in front of the makeup mirror, his phone propped up next to his foundation, the screen showing the live broadcast from SBS Sports. The makeup artist came over with a powder puff, but he raised his hand to block her: "Wait a minute."
"GDxi, the show starts in forty minutes."
“I know.” His eyes didn’t leave the screen. “Wait five more minutes.”
The makeup artist sighed and stepped aside.
The sun pushed open the door, saw his expression, and raised an eyebrow knowingly: "It's starting?"
"Hmm," Kwon Ji-yong's voice was tense.
Taiyang dragged a chair over and sat down next to him, both of them staring at the small phone screen.
The moment the gun fired, Kwon Ji-yong's fingernails dug unconsciously into his palm. The entire race had been a constant source of anxiety for him. No matter how many races he'd watched, he could never get used to the collisions and the fierce battles on the curves of short track speed skating; it always left him on edge. He watched her pass the first points mark. Her movements were a bit too aggressive; she nearly collided with the skater next to her while vying for position. He couldn't help but stand up, startling the tense Taeyang beside him, and only sat down again after she had successfully passed the first points mark.
He could tell that she wasn't skating as easily as she had at the beginning. Even through the screen, he could feel the immense pressure and physical exertion she was under.
He anxiously began biting his nails. He kept silently chanting prayers in his mind. His eyes were fixed on the screen, all his senses focused on that familiar figure on the ice.
When she once again used a "right-angle change of direction" to overtake, the high-speed cornering forced her to put her hands on the ice, and Kwon Ji-yong held his breath. To the audience, that move might have just been a momentary change of direction, a display of superb technique. But in his eyes, it was her dancing on a knife's edge with core strength and willpower.
Watching her cross the finish line, almost completely exhausted, gliding almost unconsciously, was incredibly frustrating. While waiting for the results, the sun beside him couldn't help but grow anxious: "Is she first? Can she win?" Kwon Ji-yong couldn't answer, just staring intently at the screen. His mind was blank, and he had no interest in calculating the score. Only his inner prayers continued.
Finally, the final all-around rankings began to appear on the big screen. Starting with eighth place… seventh place… sixth place…
His heart skipped a beat. He had never seen her cry before. Last year, when she was injured and hospitalized in Seoul, she remained so calm, and even during her rehabilitation, she persevered through it all. When she couldn't ice skate due to PTSD, or when she spent sleepless nights in western Sichuan, she didn't shed a single tear. But today, she cried.
"Damn," Sun whispered, "your husband doesn't cry often, does he?"
Quan Zhilong's Adam's apple bobbed, and he suddenly stood up and walked out.
"Hey! Where are you going? The show's about to start!"
"Have a smoke."
Kwon Ji-yong leaned against the wall of the fire escape, his fingers trembling as he lit a cigarette. His phone was still live-streaming; in the video, Ren Xiyao stood at the highest point of the podium, a gold medal hanging around her neck, her eyes still red.
He didn't feel any pain when cigarette ash accidentally fell on the back of his hand.
Now he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but another emotion welled up in his chest. He wanted to see her win in person, to hug her the moment she did, not just through a screen, across two countries, separated by that damned concert schedule. But at this moment, he felt only immense pride and honor for her. He knew Ren Xiyao deserved it. And he had always believed she could do it.
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