Chapter 96 December in Jiangling, the wind is biting cold…
In December, Gangneung is swept by a biting wind, carrying the salty, damp scent of the sea, which feels like tiny ice blades against your face. However, inside the Gangneung Ice Sports Centre, it's a scene of vibrant energy. This is the venue for the short track speed skating competitions of the 2018 Pyeongseong Winter Olympics, and this fourth stop of the World Cup is a crucial test event for the Olympics. Every corner of the venue seems to be a rehearsal for the grand Olympic Games just over a year from now.
Test events are essentially trial runs of the venues. Testing the venues a year before the Olympics serves two purposes: firstly, it allows the organizers to identify areas for improvement so that they can quickly make necessary adjustments before the Winter Olympics open; secondly, it gives athletes a general feel for what the venues are like, as many venues were newly built to accommodate the Olympics, and this also gives athletes and coaches a general idea of what they are like.
Ren Xiyao lagged behind the group, slowly packing her things. She exchanged a glance with Lin Shan, who reluctantly took Ren Xiyao's bag. Ren Xiyao smiled awkwardly, took out her phone, and following the brief instructions on the screen—which only showed a time and location—hurriedly turned into an inconspicuous fire escape next to the restroom.
The corner of the staircase was dimly lit, with only a single emergency light casting a faint glow. A familiar figure leaned against the cold wall, wearing a black down jacket with the brim of the hood pulled low, almost completely obscuring her face. Upon seeing her, those eyes, still remarkably bright even in the shadows, instantly curved into a smile.
"It's like an underground party meeting." Ren Xiyao walked over and complained in a low voice, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly.
Kwon Ji-yong handed her the steaming cup of water he had been holding: "Just bought some hot lemon water. Did the coach notice you sneaked out?" He deliberately lowered his voice, his voice filled with barely suppressed joy.
Ren Xiyao took the warm glass of lemon water, the soothing touch on her icy fingertips, dispelling some of the chill: "There are still twenty minutes left for the warm-up, that's enough time."
Kwon Ji-yong reached out and wiped the sweat from her chin: "Are you nervous?"
"good."
Kwon Ji-yong followed her gaze and said, "It was cut by a paper cutter in the studio, it's nothing."
Footsteps suddenly came from the corridor. Ren Xiyao quickly shoved the empty cup back into his hand and turned to leave.
"Wait." Kwon Ji-yong grabbed her wrist and pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket: "Wear this."
Inside the bag was a white jade safety buckle, strung on a red cord. The jade was warm and lustrous, gleaming softly under the light.
“It’s a family heirloom,” he said, bending down to tie it around her neck, “to prevent her from falling during the finals.”
Ren Xiyao touched the jade pendant: "Feudal superstition."
"As long as it works." Kwon Ji-yong smiled and pushed her to turn around: "Go, champion."
Ren Xiyao didn't say anything more, but just gave him a deep look, turned around and quickly walked out of the fire escape, hiding that warmth and the jade pendant that still carried his body heat inside her thick uniform.
Kwon Ji-yong sat in the last row of the media section, his hat pulled very low. On the rink, Ren Xiyao was in fourth place, with the Canadian skater firmly blocking the inside lane.
"Is her strategy a bit conservative today?" Taeyang muttered to himself. He could feel Kwon Jiyong's tense body and the almost constant, unconscious rubbing of a pendant around his neck. He shook his head helplessly: "You're more nervous than her."
He's watched quite a few games over the past two years. Although he's not an expert, he can still understand the games just by watching them. This is thanks to the people around him.
In the last three laps, Ren Xiyao suddenly accelerated from the outside lane, and her amazing explosive power and extremely high ice-pushing efficiency allowed her to overtake two people on the outside lane one after another.
The last bend! Ren Xiyao and Jin Shuyan cut in almost simultaneously! Their bodies were close together, their skates clashing! But just as they exited the bend, their skates seemed to have kicked each other.
"Watch out!" Kwon Ji-yong jumped up from his seat, his heart pounding in his chest! Taeyang also exclaimed in alarm!
He only breathed a sigh of relief when the results were verified and Ren Xiyao was ranked first on the big screen. When he came to his senses, Quan Zhilong realized that his back was covered in cold sweat.
Back at the hotel, just as Ren Xiyao was about to leave, Lin Shan returned. Judging from her appearance, she knew who had come again.
"No offense," Lin Shan leaned closer and lowered her voice, "aren't you two tired of this? People who don't know better would think you're exchanging military secrets."
Ren Xiyao finally looked up and glanced at her: "When did you become so gossipy?"
"Gossip, God, do you have any conscience? I was worried about you, okay? I haven't slept a wink since you climbed out the window last night, okay?" Lin Shan rolled her eyes: "I've never seen a relationship be so thrilling."
"Don't you realize that Wang Lu and the team leader are watching you every day? Our head coach says it's giving athletes freedom, but to put it bluntly, isn't it just about protecting himself and not offending anyone? Just like what happened with the captain back then, even if someone wants to find fault with you, he won't help you. What you've done these days has given people plenty of room to find fault. Aren't you afraid that people will seize on your mistakes?"
Ren Xiyao took a sip of water and stood up: "So far, it's alright."
"Not bad?" Lin Shan grabbed her arm. "Big sister, okay, but putting everything else aside, you two always meet in the fire escape or the cleaning room! Anyone who didn't know you were a couple would think you were doing some kind of spy rendezvous. Paparazzi, stalkers! Forget about taking pictures secretly! Who would have thought! Your relationship has gone this far, back to basics! Maybe you two should go to the cornfield sometime!"
Ren Xiyao's lips twitched: "...Why do you have so many adjectives? Can't you be a little more discreet with your words?"
"I'm really worried about you, big sister. The 13th Winter Games are almost here, and you're becoming as popular as the team leader back home. You're practically a sitting duck over in Lanhai!"
Seeing that Ren Xiyao was silent again, Lin Shan sighed deeply, let go of her hand after a moment, and suddenly became serious: "Seriously, aren't you tired?"
Ren Xiyao looked out the window, where she could still see the venue that was about to host the Winter Olympics.
"I'm tired," she said softly, "but when I love, I truly love."
Lin Shan was stunned. This was the first time Ren Xiyao had admitted something so bluntly: "Then...aren't you afraid?"
"I'm scared, but I want to take a gamble. I'll see what happens when there's really no other way out."
"He gave you this today?" Lin Shan pointed to the white jade safety buckle around her neck.
"Um."
"It looks pretty good, much better than those ice skate necklaces we had before." Lin Shan stood up, suddenly grinning mischievously, "But if you two get married, won't you have to hold the ceremony in the ice rink's locker room?"
Ren Xiyao grabbed a towel and smacked her: "Go do your work."
As Ren Xiyao entered the fire escape, Quan Zhilong was leaning against the wall playing on his phone. His eyes lit up when he saw her, and he put his phone away. She shoved the gold medal into Quan Zhilong's hand: "Inspect the goods."
"So effective?" Kwon Ji-yong weighed the gold medal in his hand, his fingertips brushing against the red string around her neck. "Looks like we should pass it on to our daughter."
Ren Xiyao kicked him: "There's still 1000 meters to go tomorrow."
"I know." He brushed her sweaty bangs behind her ear: "Just five minutes."
In the quiet space, the two embraced silently. The dry down of Kwon Ji-yong's perfume carried the chilly scent unique to winter. He suddenly said, "I've found a place."
"Um?"
"There's a private hot spring by the sea in Jiangling. I'll take you there after the relay race." He brushed his nose against her earlobe: "Just the two of us."
"The boss caters to high-net-worth individuals, so there's definitely no problem with confidentiality."
The team doctor's voice came from the corridor. Ren Xiyao quickly stood up straight and snatched the gold medal back: "Let's go."
Kwon Ji-yong grabbed her wrist: "Keep the jade buckle on, don't take it off."
"knew."
Three days of competition. The events included the 1000m race and the 3000m relay. Ren Xiyao had a poor start and was dominated by Dutch athletes for almost the entire race. The two Dutch athletes took turns leading, controlling the course very tightly. She ultimately won silver by 0.2 seconds. During the award ceremony, she expressionlessly touched the jade clasp on her chest, causing Kwon Ji-yong in the stands to nearly crush his water bottle.
"You did very well." As she left the field, the coach patted her on the shoulder: "The relay is the main event."
Ren Xiyao was relaxing in the locker room when her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a message from Kwon Ji-yong.
"A silver medal is amazing, don't be too hard on yourself." A screenshot of a hot spring reservation was attached.
She pursed her lips and put her phone on silent.
In the women's relay, the baton order was changed again, with Ren Xiyao skating back to the first position. Xu Xin took the second baton. The three of them, coming from the same club, had excellent teamwork. They performed with maximum efficiency in every exchange. Only when the final exchange was completed did Ren Xiyao finally catch her breath, her eyes fixed on Xu Xin, who was now in first place. However, the South Korean team, close behind, hadn't given up the chase, and she could only keep cheering them on!
As she crossed the finish line, she and her teammates erupted in excitement and rushed towards Xu Xin. So far, the women's relay team has won three gold medals in four events. Their teamwork is becoming increasingly seamless and effective. After the celebration, Ren Xiyao instinctively clutched the safety amulet on her chest.
In the VIP section of the stands, Kwon Ji-yong clapped Taeyang's hand until it was red: "See that! Amazing, right!"
While desperately trying to pull his hand away, the sun also tried to control him, saying, "...Keep your voice down!"
After the match, Lin Shan asked her coach for leave. The coach always granted her requests. Lin Shan and Ren Xiyao went to ask for leave together, but they weren't going to the same place. Before parting ways at an intersection, Lin Shan said, "Three hours, otherwise we'll be late. We're both doomed." Without waiting for Ren Xiyao's reply, she turned and left.
Upon arriving at the hot spring resort, Ren Xiyao laid out the three medals in a row on the changing bench. Quan Zhilong wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder: "Satisfied?"
"good."
Amidst the rising steam of the hot spring, she turned and kissed him, the splashing water wetting the bench where the medals were displayed. At that moment, all the glory and clamor faded away, leaving only this brief, warm, and genuine tranquility and embrace between the two of them.
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