Zeng Lingxiao (Part 3)
The egg mixture was tapped into the boiling oil, splattering with hot oil and making a sizzling sound. Zhou Zeyu, holding a spatula, absentmindedly stirred the eggs in the pan, staring at the calendar on the wall, lost in thought.
Since being discharged from the hospital, time seems to have sped up at twice the speed. Those long days that used to take so long to get through have passed by in a flash, and one day after another has gone by without me even realizing it.
She counted silently for a while, and then belatedly realized that she had been in Belgrade for four months.
From late summer to late autumn, the weather gradually cooled down, and the sudden drop in temperature was accompanied by a change in mood. Putting aside that messy scandal, everything seemed to be getting better quickly.
She spent all her time at the gym, practicing with those two guys. Occasionally, when she felt like it, she would play a few games herself, mostly for fun. The group of them would noisily come up with all sorts of strange playing styles and play noisily all day long.
She had adopted a "what the hell" attitude towards the scandal, telling everyone that she actually had a crush on Angelica, and even tearfully confessed her feelings to her in front of everyone. In the end, everyone encouraged her to bravely pursue her love, and no one mentioned Radetz again.
As for that match... the sports weekly didn't report on it, and everyone felt it was just a casual sparring match, which seemed to have no other significance besides making her feel better for a while and making those who cared about her happy for a while.
Anna and Eric were indignant, feeling that the sports weekly had been biased and should have publicized the victory to vindicate her. They were also indignant that the domestic media hadn't reported on it at all. However, she remained calm. It was like a stone thrown into a lake; no matter how big the ripples were at the time, they would eventually subside and no one would even remember it.
Actually, it's nothing, Zhou Zeyu comforted himself. After all, this is normal. Apart from the fans, who would care about such an insignificant little game?
After all, she lost the most important match, the one that was watched by people all over the world.
The eggs were served on a plate, and she poured herself a glass of milk, then started eating them on the bar counter. The eggs had little flavor, and the milk was a bit cold; together they were very bland, barely better than tasteless.
But that's how life is usually—not particularly interesting, but not too boring either. She occasionally cooks for herself; if it's good, she eats it herself, and if it's not, she takes it to the gym to share. Sometimes she goes to a bar for a few drinks. Anna wanted to go with her several times, but the security guards at the entrance always stopped her.
Most importantly, perhaps because I was at peace, or perhaps it was God's blessing, my knee never hurt again.
She couldn't explain what she was thinking, what her plans were, or what her future was like. Everything seemed uncertain, and she had no clue what to do.
After finishing breakfast, she went out for her usual stroll and unknowingly walked to Professor Elberlint's small garden. The professor and his wife were sitting in the garden, laughing happily and cheerfully, and they noticed her almost instantly.
“Come here quickly,” the lady waved to her kindly, “come sit for a while, I just made some tea.”
She had come a few more times on and off before, and she could tell that Professor Elberlint hadn't used any radical treatments. He mostly just talked to her while holding a cup of tea. She rambled on in broken English, and in the end, the professor was helpless and waved his hand, indicating that Sorkov was much better than him.
Is it much more powerful now?
Zhou Zeyu wanted to retort subconsciously, but when she opened her mouth, she found that she had nothing to say. Professor Elberlint was a brilliant psychologist, but indeed, his refined speech therapy was not suitable for her. She preferred to be led around by Solkov.
Whether she was dragged swimming or made to swim around aimlessly after eating too much, as long as she wasn't idle and doing nothing but sitting in a chair daydreaming, it was effective, at least for her.
Well, in a sense, he really is a master.
Zhou Zeyu scratched her head guiltily and walked over, secretly observing the professor's expression as she went. The professor simply smiled and handed her a cup of tea, gesturing for her to sit down and talk.
"How have you been lately?" the lady asked first. "You look much better; you must have been getting plenty of rest."
"Being dragged around by that guy Sorkov all day long, it's more accurate to say he's not getting enough rest," the professor shook his head, smiling helplessly.
"Actually, I've been very happy these days." She gave a hurried smile, which quickly disappeared after meeting the couple's eyes.
The professor patted her on the shoulder. "You look really good. You're absolutely radiant."
Zhou Zeyu subconsciously touched his face, smiled sheepishly, and took a sip of tea. "Actually... I wanted to ask you if you think I can go back given my current situation."
Her tone was so cautious, so careful, that even the professor couldn't help but look serious. "Hmm... I don't think this should be a decision for me to make. Do you think you're ready?"
Actually, she couldn't quite explain it herself. Her days in Belgrade were very easy, fulfilling, and she was in a good mood. She also had some trouble falling asleep at night, and everything seemed to be going in a positive direction.
But is this an improvement? Maybe, maybe not. Because she knows herself too well. Her relaxed demeanor is only because she's distanced herself from those people and things. But what if she goes back?
Will she be able to withstand all the rumors and convoluted situations? Or will she be defeated once again and leave in disgrace?
Who knows?
As if suddenly remembering something, she seemed to choke on her words, paused for a moment, and sighed.
"You want to go back, don't you?"
Zhou Zeyu met the professor's gaze: "Yes."
The professor nodded. "Since you've made your decision, that's good. Don't be afraid of what might happen when you go back; face it bravely."
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he slowly added, "Child, now that you've made your decision, my advice is no longer important. My opinion will only influence you. Be firm in your beliefs, and no matter what happens in the future, don't regret it, okay?"
Zhou Zeyu blinked, seemingly pondering the meaning of the words, but she didn't think much of it. Her heart was immediately filled with an indescribable tension. She said goodbye to the couple, expressed her gratitude, picked up her coat, and hurriedly left.
Walking along the path she had come from, she quickly dialed Coach Xu's number. The phone rang for a while before being answered. Before Coach Xu could even speak, Zhou Zeyu excitedly exclaimed, "Old Xu, I plan to come back in a few days! I checked the latest flight tickets and bought one for the afternoon of the day after tomorrow..."
She was so engrossed in her cheerful chatter that she seemed completely unaware that the other person remained silent, offering not even the most basic response. But when she finished explaining all her plans and waited for the other person to reply with a beaming smile, Zhou Zeyu finally realized something was wrong and stopped smiling.
"What's wrong?"
Coach Xu seemed to finally come to his senses, laughing and making light of the situation, "It's nothing, I was just spacing out for a moment. It's good to be back, come back to Beijing and eat the pork dumplings I made."
Almost subconsciously, a bad premonition spread through Zhou Zeyi's heart, but she still forced a smile and said, "Okay, let's eat dumplings together."
After the phone call, Coach Xu launched into his usual nagging, from reminding Zhou Zeyi to keep warm and wear a scarf to not forget to bring a change of socks back to China—things he had mentioned countless times before. Zhou Zeyi listened numbly; these were words he knew all too well, yet now they felt inexplicably foreign.
She couldn't explain why, she just felt that everything during this period was too strange, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was strange about it. So everything became an unsolved mystery, and no one could tell her the answer.
But where exactly did things go wrong?
One by one, doubts slowly surfaced: the tampered phone, Fang Xiaocan's stammering, and Coach Xu who suddenly became unreachable during that period... Zhou Zeyu held his breath, feeling his heart beating faster and faster.
She blurted out, "Coach Xu, what are you hiding from me?"
He sighed and didn't say anything more.
\\
The night air had turned cool, and the evening breeze carried a slight chill. Sorkov zipped up his open jacket, wearily rubbed his aching neck, and slowly walked home.
He was mentally calculating the time for his next thesis defense and competition, feeling slightly heavy-hearted. Then, thinking about Zhou Zeyu, he couldn't help but frown.
He skillfully circled around to the back of the house, pushed open the backyard fence gate, and his gaze lingered for a second on a dark shadow in the distance. After realizing what it was, he suddenly focused and shone his phone's light on it.
Zhou Zeyu sat on the steps at the backyard entrance, hugging her knees, head down and silent, not even looking at him when suddenly illuminated by the light.
Sorkov was startled and approached her, asking, "What's wrong? Is it urgent in the middle of the night?"
She remained silent, sitting there lifelessly like a statue, and he could not get a response no matter how hard he tried.
Sorkov couldn't see her expression clearly, but he was subconsciously unsettled by her cold attitude. He was about to tell her that the ground was cold and ask her to stand up when he saw Zhou Zeyu suddenly look up at him, her face covered in tears and her eyes red.
He was momentarily stunned and speechless, only to hear Zhou Zeyu calmly question him, "Sorkov, why did you delete the message Coach Xu sent me?"
Sorkov paused, turned his head, and remained silent.
Zhou Zeyu couldn't hold back, and another tear fell down, which she quickly wiped away. "So you knew all along, but deliberately didn't tell me, didn't you?"
Sorkov saw a fleeting tear in her eye and felt a little helpless. He instinctively reached into his pocket for a tissue, but then stopped, clenching his fist and letting it fall limply.
Her voice trembled more and more as she uttered a string of words in a gurgling, stammering manner.
"I don't understand, Sorkov, I don't understand why you didn't tell me sooner. If I had known sooner, I wouldn't have been thinking about going home all the time, and I wouldn't have been clinging to unrealistic fantasies. It's ridiculous, I'm so ridiculous! I knew why everyone's attitude was so strange, because you all kept it from me! That day you clearly saw Coach Xu's text message, but you deleted it. Why did you do that? Are you pitying me?!"
"It turns out that Feng Yifan had already taken my place. My resources, my spot, even my dormitory, no longer belong to me. They have completely abandoned me, and I have no chance. Even if I return to China, or even if I regain my former strength, they will not want me."
Her sobs stopped, and she wiped away her tears haphazardly, as if she couldn't help but let out a self-deprecating laugh.
“Actually, I’ve never had the power to choose my destiny, but I’m only realizing that now,” she said quietly, another tear sliding quickly down her cheek. “It’s too late.”
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