The cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window, and the light was blinding.
In the office of the Qingbei City training base, one person was talking incessantly while the other looked listless at either end of the mahogany desk.
"Xiaoyu, you still need to be mindful of your health. You should see a doctor if you need to, and tell me if you have any difficulties."
"Um……"
"Little Taro, you are still young and have many choices. I still hope you can think more about yourself. Getting hurt repeatedly is not a solution."
“.….”
Lu Yu, who was applying an ice pack to her right wrist, felt a chill run through her. She watched Coach Wang's mouth open and close, trying to decipher the thoughts he was trying to convey.
With such a star player on the team, always getting sick or something, always demanding special treatment, and constantly creating problems for me, how could the old coaches have tolerated her?
The National Women's Basketball League is about to start, and if she's not on the starting roster, I'll inevitably have to explain to the sponsors and fans.
Lu Yu tossed the ice pack onto the desk, a few drops of water splashing onto the smooth mahogany, reflecting Lu Yu's deep dark circles.
"Coach Wang, I'd like to take a long leave of absence to recover my health." The voice, like the ice pack, was a statement, yet it carried a chilling undertone.
"ah?"
Coach Wang, who had just been startled, was caught off guard and didn't react immediately. As if afraid that the other party would change their mind, he hurriedly stammered, "Xiaoyu, then... then you... during your vacation, it depends on your own situation. Don't push yourself. We are a team, and my teammates and I are your support."
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, his inner voice rang out.
This time she took leave herself, which made everyone look good. If it weren't for her sponsorship deal, I wouldn't want to keep her on the local team either. The sponsorship expires in about six months, so at least there's some hope.
Lu Yu gently rubbed her sore eyelids and pursed her lips. "Thank you, Coach. I'll rejoin the team as soon as I've recovered."
After saying that, Lu Yu pushed open the door and went out.
Ice water seeped from the ice pack on the mahogany table, soaking the paper on which was printed the list of the main players, but Lu Yu's name was not on the list.
*
The scorching sunlight etched the shadows of the traffic lights at the intersection onto the ground. Those clear shadows pointed north, announcing the arrival of the most unbearable afternoon of summer.
Lu Yu, dressed in all black, stood out awkwardly among the sweating pedestrians at the street corner.
Black wide-leg jeans covered the tongues of her shoes, and a black oversized sweatshirt completely covered her. The girl's shoulder-length black hair was neatly gathered behind her ears, her hat was worn backwards, and white zebra stripes were reflected in her black sunglasses.
Heat swirls from the street, making the zebra crossing look warped from the heat. Lu Yu chews gum nonchalantly, blasting loud music from his Bluetooth earphones.
The red light ticked down, fifty seconds feeling incredibly long. Lu Yu chewed his gum faster and faster, his index finger repeatedly tapping his earphones.
Even though she knew the music in her headphones was already turned up to the maximum volume, Lu Yu still pressed the buttons hard, trying to drown out the noisy thoughts in her mind.
It's so hot!
I'm about to melt in the sun.
Can I pray that Hou Yi will appear?
Who said we're in the Ice Age? Look at this heat!
The various complaints in his mind wore down Lu Yu's already dwindling patience. Lu Yu hated this damned mind-reading ability more and more; his ears never stopped ringing.
Lu Yu could only mentally recite a rhyme: "Hot summer, cold winter, spring with fluffy poplar catkins, and dry, aching skin in autumn." Her attention was successfully diverted.
Sigh, humans really do have an endless supply of repetitive and repetitive statements.
The traffic light at the intersection finally changed color. As soon as the green light appeared, Lu Yu quickened her pace to break away from the crowd. It's always better to be a little further away from the crowd; at least the volume of her inner thoughts would be reduced.
Lu Yu had only walked halfway when it felt like she had bumped into a wall on her right cheek. Looking closely, she realized she had bumped into the shoulder of a tall man.
Lu Yu's sunglasses were knocked askew, hanging crookedly under his nose, and his right Bluetooth earphone was knocked off. The crowds at both ends of the intersection surged like a tide, engulfing the two people in the middle of the road.
Her earphones fell off, her inner turmoil intensified, and Lu Yu's mind went blank. Ignoring the blinding sunlight streaming into her eyes and the sudden clarity of her inner thoughts, she covered her burning face and grimaced at the man she had bumped into, while simultaneously scrutinizing the person in front of her.
A jingling chain hung from his pants, and his black and red gradient t-shirt was even more dazzling than the sunlight. He looked every bit the rebellious youth.
"I'm sorry." The gentle voice stirred a wave of emotion within Guo Luyu, like the scent of patchouli washing over her heart. The clear and articulate tone was completely at odds with his masculine image.
Lu Yu calmed the pain in her cheek, counting down the seconds in her mind, preparing to react only after hearing the thoughts that were about to follow.
Based on Lu Yu's past experience, after the person who was hit said "sorry" through their vocal cords, their inner thoughts were probably something like, "Where did this blind idiot come from?"
Five seconds passed. The expected thought did not come.
"Are you alright?" Jiao Yuyin rubbed his right shoulder, but still didn't get a response from the other person.
The woman's skin was frighteningly pale, and her dark circles were particularly noticeable under the sunlight, especially in her eyes behind her sunglasses. Traffic lights don't wait for anyone. Jiao Yuyin ignored her and bent down to pick up his fallen earphones.
The green light was flashing, showing six seconds remaining. Lu Yu, filled with doubt and panic, replied, "It's okay." Then she scanned the surrounding ground, found the earphones at her feet, picked them up, and ran quickly to the opposite south street.
Lu Yu stopped at the intersection and put the earphone into her right ear. A deep male voice came through the ear. "There is indeed someone following you in the southeast corner, but there's no clear evidence yet in the area north of the road."
Why has that deafening music changed...?
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