The flight, which takes a little over two hours, is not difficult to pass.
Lu Yu tilted her head and leaned on Jiao Yuyin's shoulder. Their interlocked fingers could shut out all her inner thoughts, and the low brim of her hat gave her a greater sense of security.
You can just take a nap.
I closed my eyes, opened them again, and when I woke up, the plane was already landing.
The light on the horizon had long since vanished; this was the darkness that Lu Yu liked.
*
Pear Blossom Villa, Doraemon Basketball Court, doors and windows wide open, a gentle spring breeze blowing in.
Occasionally, a few migratory birds returning from their summer migration can be seen on the pear tree.
The sound of basketballs bouncing inside the stadium scared away the birds that were nearby outside the window.
After Lu Yu dribbled with a crossover step, he immediately jumped from the spot and took a long-range shot.
They repeat the cycle tirelessly.
Wearing a tracksuit, Jiao Yuyin rested his hands on his knees, panting heavily. "No, I need to have a drink of water."
Jiao Yuyin's sweaty appearance amused Lu Yu. She wiped her sweat with her wide collar and followed Jiao Yuyin to the rest area.
Lu Yu unscrewed a bottle of water and gulped it down. A small trickle of water overflowed, flowing down her chin and neck, disappearing into the collar of her tracksuit.
Lu Yu glanced at Jiao Yuyin, who was drinking water slowly and deliberately, truly a rich young master.
I can't compare, I really can't compare.
The way he was panting just now made him look more like a living, breathing person.
But what does Jiao Yuyin's sudden stunned expression mean? Is he disgusted by her unkempt appearance again?
Lu Yu's mind started racing with little schemes again.
Jiao Yuyin seemed to be the only person she needed to guess at. Unconsciously, guessing Jiao Yuyin's true thoughts had become an uncontrollable little habit.
“In the neck…” Jiao Yuyin took a towel from the cabinet and handed it stiffly to Lu Yu, “Wipe it clean.” His throat tightened, and he could only utter a few words quickly.
Lu Yu slowly took the towel and secretly rolled her eyes at him.
"Did you feel good sweating this time?" Jiao Yuyin observed Lu Yu's expression as he looked relieved of his burden.
"..." Lu Yu was stunned.
"Luo Yan...don't know about your grandparents?" Jiao Yuyin seemed indifferent, and as soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and took another sip of water.
Lu Yu sighed and shook her head. "Only Coach Feng Xu and a housekeeping teacher who helped with the funeral arrangements back in China knew. During the Olympics... Coach Feng didn't dare tell me, and afterwards... the results weren't good, so we didn't mention these things to our teammates. After the Games ended, we all quickly returned to our respective local teams."
"Coach Feng didn't know you could read minds?"
“Yes, of course.” Lu Yu nodded, her almond-shaped eyes wide.
She really couldn't understand Jiao Yuyin's strange focus.
"Then when you first meet me, tell me you can read minds."
"How can that be the same? You're my lifeline! My heart, my liver, my spleen, lungs, and kidneys!"
"Pfft—!" Jiao Yuyin spat out the water he was drinking halfway through. "Grandma, I've wanted to say this for a long time, can't we use some normal expression?"
Lu Yu scoffed lightly, "That's right. My insomnia was really bad back then. I couldn't execute the fighting techniques I had in mind. My movements were all distorted, and I was prone to injury if I didn't adjust my center of gravity properly. Besides, you weren't in a good situation either, so you still had to rely on me."
Jiao Yuyin remained silent for a long time, then suddenly leaned closer. "What about you before? How did you get out of that situation?"
"Before?"
"Hmm... I want to hear about what happened after the Olympics. The news reports say that you were devastated by the Olympics and never recovered. You were silent for two years, and your comeback was dismal. I don't want to rely on such descriptions to imagine how you climbed out of that abyss." Jiao Yuyin's words were filled with tenderness, and he spoke slowly. "Perhaps, if we go back to an earlier point in time, anything about you is fine."
Lu Yu wiped away her sweat and ran her fingers through her damp, stray hairs. A gentle evening breeze swept by, carrying away the lingering heat and dispelling the self-inflicted anxieties of many.
"Winning the Asian Games is such a beautiful thing, so beautiful that sometimes I doubt if it's real."
"Luo Yan is the team's center and captain. She cares about and looks after everyone on the team. She's a gentle older sister, and she always has been. Weng Pei is the point guard. We came from the same national league. Back then, I was fast at dribbling past people, and she was fast at long-range shooting. Coach Feng Xu saw this and selected the two of us for the national team."
"Luo Yan grabbed the rebound, I dribbled past my opponent, and Weng Pei scored. Few could keep up with our offensive speed. After winning the Asian Games, the media dubbed us the 'Golden Generation,' saying that we were the most promising team to compete for the Olympic gold medal."
“We even felt that there was hope to give it a shot. During the preparation period, the team did not allow us to eat high-carb foods. Once, we saw someone selling donuts at the street corner, and Weng Pei and I were completely unable to resist. I remember that the donut was pink and sprinkled with colorful sugar granules.”
Lu Yu pulled out a thread of memory and spoke softly.
Jiao Yuyin listened quietly for a long time, but Lu Yu didn't continue. "And then?" he asked.
"Then... Sister Yan said that if we did well in the competition, she would treat us to a ton of donuts. She said we could eat as many calorie bombs as we wanted. Then, we lost the competition so badly that nobody mentioned it anymore, and it wasn't dignified."
"Actually, that's the end of the story. Weng Pei and I fell out. I know she was very angry with me, but I didn't know how to explain it to her. In competitive sports, being bad is the original sin, so there's really no point in explaining it."
"After arranging my grandparents' funerals, I rested for a while and fought a year-long lawsuit with the perpetrator... I... I just couldn't swallow this... 300,000 yuan for a human life, it's ridiculous. I wasted quite a long time. I couldn't muster the energy to do anything. I'm the only one left in the grapevine yard, and I still don't know how to pick the fruit..."
“My grandparents always said that if you do one meaningful thing in your life, it's all worthwhile. I donated the compensation money, which I considered as doing something meaningful for them. After that, I picked up the basketball again and rejoined the team. I promised my grandparents that I would win glory for the country…”
"Actually, I had insomnia before the Olympics, but it wasn't very serious then. When I returned to the competition, many of my physical fitness indicators were below standard, the training and recovery process was not smooth, and other symptoms caused by insomnia began to appear one after another. I couldn't digest many high-protein foods properly, and you know what happened after that."
"I've accepted it. There are many things... that are beyond our control... In any case, I'm sorry to my teammates back then."
Lu Yu's voice grew softer and softer.
"Want some donuts?" Jiao Yuyin suddenly asked.
"I haven't thought about it for a long time," Lu Yu chuckled.
Lu Yu's almond-shaped eyes reflected Jiao Yuyin's focused and serious expression when suddenly her shoulder was gently tugged.
Jiao Yuyin suddenly put his arm around her and turned to walk towards the garage.
A dozen minutes later, the pink and blue dessert shop appeared in front of Lu Yu.
"You're going to take me to eat donuts?"
"Bingo!"
"Are you crazy... I'm still in the competition period, I can't eat these." Lu Yu refused repeatedly.
"Sugar-free, low-carb, don't worry. The donuts are baked, not fried, so eat as much as you want today." Jiao Yuyin smiled and pushed Lu Yu into the store. "Qin Meng is finally doing something; she's definitely better at coaxing her girlfriend than I am."
"Did he find this place?"
"Yeah, the taro milk cups he always brings for Sun Meng are from this brand. He keeps saying that Sun Meng loves taro flavor..."
The rich and creamy donut bursts in your mouth with crunchy fruit pieces, filling your mouth with a refreshing fruity flavor and a warm, creamy aroma.
In a moment of satisfaction, Lu Yu found what life should be like.
She gestured excitedly to Jiao Yuyin, indicating that there was another donut in the box, inviting him to enjoy this delicious treat together.
Jiao Yuyin's sleeves were bunched up at the elbows, and his bare forearms still showed traces of sweat. He raised his hand and brushed aside the stray hairs on Lu Yu's forehead. "Eat it yourself."
"Is it good?" Jiao Yuyin smiled indulgently. "Eat slowly."
Lu Yu nodded contentedly, but then she suddenly remembered that she had said she didn't want to eat donuts just a dozen minutes ago.
Now, looking back at that sentimental look I just had, I'm really kicking myself.
"Lu Yu, don't let the present become a future regret. Just like a donut, you can only truly say you don't want to eat it again tomorrow after you've eaten it today."
The rich filling inside the donut overflows, burning your tongue.
Therefore... only by truly standing on the Olympic stage again, fighting alongside Luo Yan and Weng Pei once more, can one truly say that there was nothing they could do...
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