Jiao Yuyin pondered for a long time before finally mustering the courage to ask, "Lu Yu... can I ask you a question?"
"The Olympics?" Lu Yu's gaze remained fixed on the two clasped hands.
"Back then, your grandparents were... Was the poor performance at the Olympics due to your grandparents?" Jiao Yuyin pondered for a long time.
Lu Yu rested her head on her bent and folded knees, her voice soft and gentle. "Before the Olympics, my physical condition was gradually declining. I had serious sleep problems, which affected my judgment on the court and later led to other complications. I couldn't eat, and even if I did, I would vomit. Over time, my nutrition couldn't keep up. So my stamina couldn't keep up, and I could only last about three quarters of a game."
"Eating disorder?"
"Well, my mental fortitude might not be up to par either. I always falter at crucial moments. The pressure during the Olympic cycle was immense. Back then, Coach Feng was worried that online criticism would affect our mentality, so he confiscated all our phones during the competition period..."
Lu Yu's palms were sweaty as she continued, "After my grandparents' accident, the team dealt with it immediately. Coach Feng received the notification but didn't dare let me know. However, no one knows I have mind-reading abilities, but I... heard it. At that time, we had just barely won our first group stage match... Later, just like the news reported, I underperformed, suffered consecutive losses in the group stage, and was eliminated in the last round, failing to even qualify for the knockout stage. After the Olympics, I returned to my local team, but my physical condition declined significantly, and I was no longer qualified as a starter."
Jiao Yuyin scratched the soft cushions on the sofa, his words filled with heartache and pity, "Even so, you persevered throughout the Olympic Games cycle. You were more patient and resilient than anyone else in the face of hardship."
Lu Yu gave a wry smile, "I just use it to fool myself."
“Lu Yu, I really think so, I’m not just saying that to appease you.”
Jiao Yuyin turned to look at Lu Yu. Since he had already asked, he might as well ask all at once.
He stopped hiding his true feelings and asked, "When you were a child, did you ever resent the world because of your parents?"
Recounting old stories is like finding a small opening to release stagnant blood hidden beneath the skin.
Lu Yu finally found someone she could confide in without having to confront the listener's true feelings.
"My father died in a mining accident not long after my mother gave birth to me. My mother remarried afterward. I have no memory of them, so where does the resentment come from?"
Have you ever seen what they look like?
"I found half a photo of my dad among my grandparents' belongings. The other half was torn off, and all you could see was that he had long, straight hair." Lu Yu picked up a half-cup of milk from the coffee table and brought it to her lips.
Before she could even take a sip of the milk, Jiao Yuyin suddenly blurted out a sentence.
"Lu Yu, don't be fooled by your true feelings."
Lu Yu looked into Jiao Yuyin's deep black eyes through her glasses, trying to find the answer within them.
"Don't let your emotional feelings become a burden. When you lose a game, your teammates may blame you, and you may even hear resentment and insults in their comments, but that doesn't represent their true feelings."
Jiao Yuyin rubbed his brow with his thumb knuckle and gave an example: "It's like when a couple is arguing. When emotions are running high, they might be so angry that they wish the other person would disappear. But that obviously doesn't represent their true intentions."
Lu Yu gasped. She didn't know why Jiao Yuyin was able to grasp the crux of her problem from her few words.
"How...how did you know?"
“I think I know you pretty well.” Jiao Yuyin smiled, his eyes seemingly filled with a hint of doting. “Drink your milk.”
Lu Yu obediently did as she was told and drank the remaining half cup of milk in one gulp.
Jiao Yuyin took the cup from Lu Yu's hand and went to the kitchen.
The sound of running water rinsing cups came from the kitchen.
Lu Yu didn't know when it started, but Jiao Yuyin seemed to give her a great sense of security.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com