Chapter Thirty
The venue was bustling with activity, with cheers and shouts echoing under the stadium's dome. The lights were focused on the central tennis court, illuminating every inch of the court as if it were daytime.
In the stands, Yukimura, Hanyu, Mina, and Tezuka sat side by side. Chiyu sat next to Yufeng's mother, Mina, her little hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her eyes fixed on the players' tunnel, full of anticipation.
"Yufeng's rhythm is getting more and more stable." Tezuka said calmly, looking at the players warming up on the field, with a hint of approval in his tone.
Yukimura lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips, his gaze falling on the players' entrance, and chuckled softly: "After all, he's the captain of Seigaku, and he's matured quite a bit over the years."
The two occasionally spoke in hushed tones, analyzing the situation on the field and the technical characteristics of the players, their words full of professional insight.
After a short rest, the court was cleaned again, and Yu Feng, under the coach's whispered instructions, slowly walked onto the court with his racket in hand.
He wore a red team uniform, his posture was as straight as a pine tree, his face was expressionless, only his eyes revealed a sharp focus.
The two players walked to the net and shook hands; the moment their fingertips touched, an invisible tension seemed to fill the air. After returning to their respective courts, the match officially began.
The opponent's serve was extremely powerful, with strong spin and tricky angles, putting Yu Feng on the defensive for two consecutive points.
But as the third ball landed, Yu Feng suddenly moved his feet, accurately predicted the ball's landing point, and with a slight twist of his wrist, his racket steadily struck the ball, breaking the opponent's serve with a more tricky return shot, immediately eliciting cheers from the stands.
Zhiyu clapped her hands excitedly, her little face turning bright red: "Brother Yufeng is so amazing!"
The opponent's strength was indeed not to be underestimated. In the following games, the two went back and forth, and the score was very close. They almost always held their serve, and the game became a stalemate.
But as the match progressed, Yu Feng gradually gained control of the rhythm and began to take the initiative to attack. Every swing of his racket was powerful yet impeccably steady.
With his sharp smashes and skillful drop shots, Yu Feng gradually exhausted his opponent, and the initiative completely fell into his hands.
After losing two more games, the opposing coach decisively called a break at mid-game.
Yu Feng walked to the sidelines, took the water the coach handed him, tilted his head back and gulped down a few mouthfuls, listened attentively to the coach's tactical instructions, nodded in response from time to time, and kept his eyes focused.
When they returned to the court, the opponent's performance improved slightly, but they were ultimately unable to reverse the downward trend, and each return shot became increasingly difficult.
As the last ball landed, the opposing player could no longer hold on, collapsing to his knees on the court, gasping for breath. Yu Feng put away his racket, nodded slightly as a sign of respect.
He subconsciously looked up at the stands, his gaze landing precisely in the direction of Zhiyu. Just as a faint smile was about to appear on his lips, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him.
Suddenly, the opposing player got up from the ground, his eyes filled with resentment and hostility. He grabbed the racket next to him and smashed it towards Yu Feng!
"Watch out!" Yukimura and Tezuka on the stands stood up at the same time, their faces darkening, their bodies almost leaping over the railing.
Yuzuru reacted quickly, immediately reaching out to cover Chiyu's eyes to prevent her from seeing this dangerous scene.
At the critical moment, Yu Feng's coach quickly stepped forward and used his racket to block the flying equipment. With a "clang," the racket fell to the ground, making a piercing sound.
Yu Feng turned around, his face still calm, but there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.
Yuzuru slowly released his hand, and Zhiyu immediately opened her eyes wide and looked at the court. After confirming that Yufeng was not injured, she breathed a heavy sigh of relief, her palms already soaked with sweat.
The referees and staff on site quickly surrounded the opposing team and demanded an explanation: "This is a friendly exchange match, not a gladiatorial arena! Please take immediate action against the players' behavior!" The opposing team leader apologized repeatedly and promised to conduct a serious investigation and provide a satisfactory response.
After the match, Chiyo rushed backstage. Tezuka, Yukimura, and the others waited outside the arena, planning to go home together after the two came out.
"Brother Yufeng!" As soon as she turned the corner of the corridor, Zhiyu saw that familiar figure. She immediately quickened her pace and rushed into Yufeng's arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.
Yu Feng paused for a moment, then raised his hand and gently touched her head, his voice soft: "I'm fine."
"Mmm." Zhiyu's voice was muffled as she nestled in his arms, her voice choked with obvious sobs.
Yu Feng sensed something was wrong and quickly bent down to gently lift her face.
Zhiyu's eyes were red, and tears still clung to her cheeks, making her look like a wronged little rabbit.
His heart softened, and he reached out to wipe away her tears, gently comforting her, "It's really okay, I'm not hurt, don't cry, okay?"
"Mmm." Zhiyu sniffed, but still couldn't help but shed tears.
Yu Feng looked at her reddened eyes, hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered his head and kissed her wet eyes, like a soft feather falling: "Cheer up, we won the game, be happy for me, okay?"
Feeling the warm touch on her cheek, Zhiyu's tears gradually stopped, and she nodded: "Mmm."
After finally calming Zhiyu down, the two were about to leave when a group of boys wearing Seigaku uniforms suddenly appeared behind them, surrounding them and teasing, "Oh my, Tezuka! Is that your girlfriend?"
"Wow, Tezuka, you're amazing at tennis, and you're just as good at finding girlfriends!"
"You've kept this well hidden! Tell us more about it!"
A group of people walked around the two of them in a lively atmosphere. Yu Feng's ears turned slightly red, but he did not push Zhi Yu away. Instead, he gently took her hand and protected her by his side.
Time flies by like a tightly drawn thread, swiftly passing through the intertwining of coursework and training.
After Yu Feng entered high school, the two had fewer and fewer opportunities to meet. The training intensity of the high school tennis club doubled, and with frequent training camps and competitions, his schedule was packed. Zhi Yu was equally busy. In addition to club activities and academic pressure, her painting talent was noticed by a famous master who took her as his disciple. Every holiday, she would go to the studio to study diligently, and the two of them would often paint for a whole day.
Distance never diminished their longing for each other. Every night's phone call and bedtime messages became an unwavering tradition between them.
Zhiyu would chatter away, sharing funny stories from the club, the creative blocks she encountered while drawing, or the strictness and gentleness of the masters during their classes; Yufeng would listen patiently, occasionally talking about the breakthroughs and fatigue during training, and chatting about the jokes and struggles among teammates.
Those little everyday moments, brewed into a warm sweetness over the airwaves, support each other through busy times.
That evening, Zhiyu carried her drawing board and pushed open the door. As soon as she changed her shoes, she heard her parents talking in the living room.
“Several well-known foreign clubs have their eyes on Yu Feng,” Yukimura said with a hint of contemplation. “I heard that Echizen was even invited to act as a persuader, specifically to return to Japan to try and convince him.”
"Tezuka's former club also extended an offer with very generous terms," Yuzuru's voice was tinged with emotion. "I wonder how Yufeng will choose. It is indeed a rare opportunity."
"Yes, it is indeed a difficult choice," Yuzuru agreed.
Zhiyu's heart sank, her steps faltered, and she pushed open the door, her voice filled with barely concealed panic: "Is Brother Yufeng going abroad?"
Yukimura and Yuzuru exchanged a glance, clearly not expecting her sudden return. Yuzuru quickly stood up, pulled her hand and sat her down, speaking as gently as possible: "It's just a possibility. The club has extended an invitation, but Yufeng hasn't made a decision yet."
Zhiyu's eyes instantly reddened. Without waiting for her parents to say anything more, she turned and ran outside. Yukimura and Yuzuru called after her repeatedly, but she seemed not to hear them, and her figure quickly disappeared outside the door.
Yuzuru shook his head helplessly and looked at Yukimura: "This kid is just like you. Once he sets his mind on something, he throws himself into it headfirst, and you can't persuade him otherwise."
A complex expression flashed across Yukimura's face, but it ultimately turned into a silent "...".
In the past two years, Zhiyu and Yufeng's relationship has long been public knowledge. Both sets of parents watched them grow up and were well aware of their childhood sweetheart feelings.
Although Yukimura sometimes felt heartbroken that his daughter had been "kidnapped," he loved his daughter and trusted Yufeng's character and abilities, so he tacitly approved of their relationship and let them slowly cultivate their feelings during their youth.
Zhiyu ran all the way to Tezuka's house, but no one answered the door when she knocked. She then went to the training ground that Yufeng often went to.
As the sun set, golden rays bathed the tennis courts of Seigaku High School, where she finally saw that familiar figure.
Yu Feng was practicing alone. As he swung his racket, the tennis ball drew sharp arcs in the air, as if he were confronting another invisible version of himself.
Sweat soaked his sportswear, clinging to his upright back, and every swing of his racket revealed a focused, all-or-nothing determination.
When he finally caught the last ball and put down his racket to rest, his gaze inadvertently swept across the court and met Zhiyu's reddened eyes.
"Zhiyu, what brings you here?" Yufeng walked over quickly, picked up a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead, his tone filled with surprise.
Zhiyu looked at him, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly: "Are you going abroad?"
Yu Feng was silent for a moment, then answered truthfully, "I haven't decided yet."
"Then..." Zhiyu bit her lip, mustered her courage and asked, "Is there any reason why I did this?"
Yu Feng looked at the unease in her eyes, nodded gently, and said in a low and serious voice, "Part of it."
He was afraid that distance would diminish their feelings, and even more afraid that his choice would hurt her, so he hesitated to make a decision.
Zhiyu took a deep breath, her eyes reddening even more, but she straightened her back with all her might, her eyes shining with determination: "Brother Yufeng, I will definitely become one of the most amazing painters! In the future, my paintings will hang in art museums all over the world, and you can see them wherever you go!"
Yu Feng's heart warmed instantly, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he said solemnly, "I believe you."
"I believe in you too!" Zhiyu's voice suddenly rose, filled with the passion and sincerity unique to young people. "Brother Yufeng, you were born for the tennis court. You will definitely become the best tennis player in the world! Whatever decision you make, just go for it! I will be here waiting for you, waiting for you to bring back all the trophies in the world!"
The rays of the setting sun fell on her face, outlining her stubborn yet radiant features.
Yu Feng looked at her, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. He could no longer suppress his emotions and stepped forward to pull her into a tight embrace. His embrace was warm and strong, carrying the scent of sweat, yet it made Zhi Yu feel incredibly safe.
“Zhiyu,” his voice rang in her ears, tinged with a sob, yet crystal clear, “Let’s get engaged.”
Zhiyu nestled in his arms, feeling his strong heartbeat. Tears finally streamed down her face, but she smiled and nodded vigorously, hugging his waist back. Her voice was muffled but incredibly firm: "Okay."
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