Stars in the narrow gap
The cafeteria is also a place where athletes usually chat.
Especially in the track and field area, there are young people in their teens and twenties who like to get together and chat about gossip.
Qu Chi usually didn't pay attention to it, but now Wang Yu had just mentioned Zhou Xinwen to her. When someone mentioned this name, she subconsciously paid attention to it.
"Zhou Xinwen's grades are too unstable. Will she be sent back to the provincial team?"
"In the last Test match, she finished second to last, and her coach's face was as black as the soles of his shoes."
"I always feel that she is young, can't get along with us, and seems a bit lonely..."
Qu Chi didn't look back. Perhaps they were a few winter training trial team members who were training with Zhou Xinwen.
It sounds like Zhou Xinwen is in really bad condition.
After Wang Yu finished his meal, he came over and sat down, and started chatting with Qu Chi about other things.
During the conversation, Qu Chi asked:
"How's your 200m practice been lately?"
Wang Yu showed a dejected expression:
"Not very good. Although I don't dream of making it to the Olympics, it's still a long way off."
Although she is only a dual-sport athlete, she would not do it if she didn't like it.
Qu Chi wanted to say a few words of comfort, but Wang Yu had already calmed himself down.
"It's not my world yet. It's fate. Let's wait and see for a few more years."
It is not her turn to take charge of either project yet, so she doesn't feel any pressure. At most, she just has a simple desire to become stronger.
"Yeah, there's still plenty of time."
What about Zhou Xinwen?
Her situation does not seem to be good. As other trial team members said, Zhou Xinwen is younger than the new players this year, but she is a senior. Her real seniors, the two old players, have already revealed their intention to retire.
Olympics, 16 years old, sounds like hitting a drum with a bow, ridiculous.
When returning to the dormitory at night, Qu Chi ran into Zhou Xinwen who was in a daze in the stairwell.
The shadow blurred her childishness, revealing a confusion beyond her age.
Qu Chi thought about it and knocked on the wall to make a noise.
"Why don't you go back to the dormitory?"
Zhou Xinwen suddenly realized there was someone in front of her, stood up straight, and called out in panic, "Sister Qu Chi."
"I, I just came out to get some fresh air, and I locked my key in the dormitory."
Qu Chi glanced back at the closed dormitory door, then gestured to Zhou Xinwen:
"Come with me, I'll take you somewhere else to get some fresh air."
Zhou Xinwen clenched her palm at the corner of her clothes and nodded hesitantly:
"good."
Qu Chi took people all the way to the training ground, and Zhou Xinwen became more and more uneasy on the way.
"Sister Qu Chi, do you want to give me more training?"
Qu Chi smiled: "It's not my turn as an ordinary team member to have extra training, and I'm not part of your project."
Zhou Xinwen lowered her head and did not respond.
There is a narrow alley outside the back door of the training ground.
The wind blew through the hall, and the coolness gave people a shock.
Visually, the sky is only as wide as a palm, but it is dotted with stars. Because it is narrow, the stars appear more brilliant and numerous.
"Sister Qu Chi, how do you know such a place?"
It is very suitable for being alone, very suitable for a forgotten corner.
Qu Chi smiled but didn't look at her.
This was her first time here, and it was indeed as beautiful as a dream.
"You..." Qu Chi hesitated for a moment, then spoke first, "How's your training been lately?"
Zhou Xinwen was silent for two seconds, then chuckled: "Sister Qu Chi, can you come back and practice the 100 meters?"
Qu Chi: “……?”
She sighed softly, and it was this sigh that seemed to break Zhou Xinwen's last psychological defense. She leaned against the wall, slowly squatted down, buried her head in her knees, and sobbed.
Qu Chi's hand hesitated for a while, but finally fell on the thin shoulder and patted it gently.
Zhou Xinwen's crying went from suppressed to wailing. She didn't know why she was crying, but she just felt so wronged.
The coach did not scold her. He was even worried that the Olympics would put pressure on her, so he took the blame himself and let her relax.
But she was not at ease at all.
She felt so tired running. 100 meters was only a short distance, but when she stood on the track, it was as if she couldn't see the finish line. No matter how hard she ran, it was difficult to reach it.
She couldn't understand it, she just knew that she felt very uncomfortable. Running didn't seem to bring her happiness, but a kind of bitterness that she couldn't even describe.
"Tell me, why do you want to cry?"
Zhou Xinwen: "...I don't know, Sister Qu Chi, I feel so tired. I've tried my best, but my results are still very poor. Before, my coaches said they would try to get me into the Olympics next year, but now they've given up and think I can't make it."
Qu Chi continued to ask: "Do you think there is hope that your grades will meet the standard next year?"
"Me, I don't think so. I only ran 12 seconds in training today."
Qu Chi found a place to sit down, clapped his hands, and curled himself up like Zhou Xinwen.
But when she looked up at the sky, Zhou Xinwen was looking at her.
"Do you know what my PB was when I was 16?"
Zhou Xinwen was stunned for a second, then answered: "12.07 seconds, first place in the middle school sports meet."
Qu Chi looked at her in surprise: "You actually knew that."
"Yeah." Zhou Xinwen shook her knees embarrassedly and didn't say why she remembered it so clearly.
Qu Chi didn't care, but said helplessly, "If you knew that, why did you still tell me you only ran 12 seconds? When I was 16, I wasn't thinking about whether I could meet the Olympic standards or even make the national team. I was thinking about whether the provincial team coach would notice me and put me on the key observation list."
For 16-year-old Qu Chi, this is the only dream that is within his reach. The others are like stars in the night sky, which look close but are actually out of reach.
Zhou Xinwen was so talented that she stood on a tall building and saw the closer stars. She thought she should have higher dreams than other people at the age of 16, otherwise she would be unmotivated.
Zhou Xinwen was confused, but suddenly realized and apologized:
"Sister Qu Chi, I'm sorry I'm not..."
"Why do you want to apologize? 16 years and 12 seconds is fast for an average person, but for a genius, it's definitely not good enough, right?"
Zhou Xinwen was silent again. After two seconds, she said, "Sister Qu Chi, did you switch teams because of me?"
"Of course not."
"What about changing your event? Why don't you want to practice the 100 meters anymore?"
Zhou Xinwen asked anxiously. Qu Chi knew that she wanted to find an answer, so he told her frankly.
"I changed my sport partly because of you. You're so amazing. If I didn't change my sport, I might have to retire."
Zhou Xinwen slumped her shoulders. "But that's not true. I might just be a flash in the pan. Your performance is very stable. Once you hit your PB, you won't fall off a cliff. But I'm not like that. Sister Qu Chi, you shouldn't have changed your event. I don't deserve to beat you."
Zhou Xinwen felt that she was sorry for Qu Chi. She was just a paper tiger, fake, and she had harmed others.
Qu Chi took a deep breath, stretched out his hand, and placed it on Zhou Xinwen's head. The girl had cut her hair short after joining the national team. It was similar to Qu Chi's, but very soft.
"Did you take performance-enhancing drugs when you competed with me?"
Zhou Xinwen exploded: "Of course not!"
"Then you defeated me based on your own strength, didn't you? Your times of 11.40 and 11.30 were achieved by your own efforts. I lost to you, and I lost to you."
"But……"
"Zhou Xinwen, you're already very good, very, very good. I don't feel ashamed to lose to you because you're an excellent opponent, and moreover, my greatest rival in my 100-meter career."
Zhou Xinwen's mouth drooped, and Qu Chi quickly covered it with his hand.
She was a little annoyed and sighed: "Don't cry for now. If you come back with red eyes later, Wang Yu will think I am bullying a minor."
Zhou Xinwen was still sobbing.
"Sister Qu Chi, am I really that powerful?"
"Of course." Qu Chi asked, "Among the contestants who came this year, how old is the youngest?"
"19, PB 11.56."
"You've missed out on at least three years of training compared to them. So what if you're not consistent? Even experienced athletes can't break their PBs in every single match. Otherwise, why would the coach have to adjust their pre-match conditioning? Or are you just too eager to help the coach relieve the pressure?"
Zhou Xinwen couldn't help laughing, sniffed again, and felt much better.
Although I still don’t know what will happen tomorrow, I seem to have gained a little confidence.
So what if they are not in good shape for a while? Athletes are not afraid of being in a trough, they are only afraid of not being able to get up.
Besides, this is not a low point for her. It's just like Sister Qu Chi, who broke 12 seconds at the age of 16. At most, she can forget about her previous PB. From today on, every time she breaks 12 seconds, she will take a step forward.
Seeing that she was feeling better, Qu Chi breathed a sigh of relief, patted her shoulder, and was about to end the conversation.
"you……"
"Sister Qu Chi." Zhou Xinwen suddenly grabbed her hand, squatted on the ground, looked up at her with pleading eyes.
Zhou Xinwen grabbed Qu Chi's wrist with both hands and said sincerely, "Sister Qu Chi, can you run 100 meters with me again?"
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