Ying Huan neatly folded Ying Chi’s bandages and turned to grab her backpack, stuffing them inside to take home for washing.
Casting a casual glance around, she caught sight of a young man in a red baseball jersey sitting in the spectator stands below. He looked about twenty years old, with short hair that accentuated his handsome and clean-cut features, giving off an aura of youthful vigor.
Ying Huan rarely saw someone wearing red who looked so good, with a restrained yet assertive demeanor.
Because she hadn’t seen his face clearly before, she didn’t recognize him as the boxer who KO’d Ying Chi. Even if she had seen him, she might not have remembered… Their eyes met for three seconds, and Ying Huan felt a bit embarrassed, so she lowered her head and pulled up the zipper on her backpack.
Suddenly, Ying Chi covered his face and screamed loudly, “Ah ah ah! My face looks like a pig’s head! How am I supposed to go home?!”
Ying Huan was startled and turned to look at him, speechless as she watched her brother suddenly lose his composure. She said expressionlessly, “How to go home? Of course, by taking the subway.”
Ying Chi continued to wail, “But I’ll get beaten up when I go home!”
Xu Jingyu: “…”
He reflected on his actions and felt he had already shown some mercy earlier.
As the match ended, the spectators slowly dispersed. Some female spectators who hadn’t left yet were eyeing Xu Jingyu eagerly, about to approach him. However, Xu Jingyu glanced past them and strode towards the back rows of the stands.
Zhou Baohao and Wu Qi were still seated in their original spots. Zhou Baohao, with interest, looked towards the center of the ring and joked, “Are there team members in our team who are already in love?”
Wu Qi chuckled, “How do you know they’re in love?”
Zhou Baohao smiled, “Just guessing. They look very close, and they don’t seem like a match in appearance. One is boxing, and the other is treating injuries, which seems complementary…” He paused, looked towards Xu Jingyu, who had walked up to them, and changed the subject, “Why did it take you so long? Did you go to collect the prize money?”
Xu Jingyu grabbed his bag from the seat, slung it over his shoulder, and glanced back at the pig-headed face still wailing. His gaze fell on the fair-skinned girl with her waist and legs exposed. Her skin was even fairer than Ying Chi’s, and her facial features were very beautiful. She looked gentle as she comforted the young man.
The distance was a bit far, and there was post-match music playing in the venue, so he couldn’t hear what she was saying clearly, but he admired her patience.
However, having a boyfriend like this must be damn tiring, having to comfort him every day.
No thanks.
What kind of man needs to be comforted by a woman?
He scoffed.
“Do you want this prize money? If you want it, you can go collect it. After all, the match was fought under your name.” Xu Jingyu was about to retract his gaze when he saw the girl smile, revealing two protruding little canine teeth. He was taken aback for a moment. She quickly pursed her lips, hiding her little teeth again, as if she didn’t like to show them.
“You still have the nerve to say that.”
Zhou Baohao didn’t give him a good look. The two had grown up together and knew each other inside out.
Zhou Baohao was three years older than Xu Jingyu. They had practiced martial arts together since they were young, and Xu Jingyu was also on the path to becoming a professional fighter. However… he had to fight in the amateur league for a few years first and could only turn professional after graduating from college, as per his grandfather’s requirement. Zhou Baohao took over the family business and managed the Tianbo Boxing Club under the family’s investment, so they were essentially doing the same thing.
The circle in the country was just that small. The owner of the Tianbo Boxing Club, which hosted top-tier boxing events, was fighting for ten thousand yuan in an underground boxing gym. Wasn’t this a joke?
Xu Jingyu didn’t respond to that. He looked at Wu Qi and asked, “Aren’t you going to find him?”
Wu Qi hesitated a bit. Ying Chi was indeed good, but lacked experience, and he was a high school student who had fought in underground boxing matches. He obviously wasn’t an athlete. It might be difficult to take him back at this time. He looked at Xu Jingyu and asked, “What did you feel after fighting him?”
Xu Jingyu thought for a moment and said, “He’s very clever, with quick reflexes and a fast learning ability. He can mimic my boxing style. The most obvious weakness is that his strength is relatively weak… but these issues aren’t significant. Strength can be improved with training.”
Wu Qi smiled, raised his eyes, and found that there was no one on the boxing ring anymore. Ying Huan and Ying Chi didn’t know when they had left. After pondering for a moment, he laughed, “Let’s go back first. It’s late today, and besides, we know he’s a student at First High School, so he can’t run away.”
Tonight, Xu Jingyu drove the provincial team and some leaders to dinner, and everyone had some alcohol. Xu Jingyu was currently abstaining from alcohol due to upcoming matches, so he acted as the designated driver. On the way, he dropped Wu Qi off at his house. Zhou Baohao lived in the same neighborhood as him. The three of them shared a car. When passing by this club, Zhou Baohao casually mentioned, “There’s a match here tonight. Do you want to take a look?”
Xu Jingyu had no objections, and Wu Qi had been looking for promising talents recently. With a thought, he followed suit and went in.
Didn’t expect him to actually run into one.
Worth it.
…
Midnight, twelve o’clock.
Ying Huan and Ying Chi returned home. Ying Chi saw that the lights were still on in the house and felt a little apprehensive. “Sis, you gotta cover for me later.”
Ying Huan nodded. “Okay, I’ll cover for you.”
“Sigh, if I had gotten the prize money, it would’ve been worth getting beaten up at home once. But if I didn’t get it, I’ll get beaten twice…” Ying Chi felt frustrated just thinking about it.
Little did they know, Xu Jingyu had left the ten thousand yuan behind, but the club manager didn’t give it to them.
Ying Huan looked at his face with some helplessness but could only comfort him. “Don’t think about it. Just go back and get a good night’s sleep. We still have classes tomorrow.”
Ying Chi grabbed his hair in frustration, leaning on Ying Huan. “Sis, help me up. I feel dizzy…”
Ying Huan: “…”
Opening the door, Ying Haisheng and Lu Mei were still awake, sitting on the couch watching TV with serious expressions. It seemed they were specifically waiting for them. Ying Huan had called before going to the club, telling them that she and Ying Chi would be home later, so they didn’t need to wait.
With his head lowered, Ying Chi squatted at the doorway, changing his shoes slowly. After changing his shoes, he didn’t dare to lift his head. He rushed into the room without looking up. “Mom, Dad, I’m going to bed first. Don’t stay up too late watching TV, especially you, Dad, your kidneys aren’t good, so don’t stay up late…”
“You brat! Lift your head up for me!”
Ying Haisheng shouted angrily and stood up.
Ying Chi dashed into the room, his footsteps swift. Ying Haisheng pointed at his retreating figure and roared, “If you don’t recognize me as your father, then just hide!”
Ying Chi stumbled for a moment, barely stopping at the doorway, then slowly turned around. His bruised face faced Ying Haisheng and Lu Mei. Ying Haisheng was so angry that he almost fainted. He picked up the English dictionary from the coffee table and threw it at Ying Chi.
The teenager leaned to the side, and the thick dictionary grazed past him. He quickly straightened up, standing upright with a respectful attitude.
Lu Mei snapped out of her shock and hurriedly shouted, “What are you doing? You’re still angry when you’re not feeling well. Do you want to die? Do you want to abandon your wife and daughter?”
Ying Huan was also a little scared. She quickly pulled him and coaxed, “Dad, don’t be angry. You have to go for dialysis tomorrow morning. Go to bed early.”
Ying Haisheng was diagnosed with uremia several years ago and had been undergoing dialysis treatment. He was waiting for a kidney transplant. Dialysis twice a week was not a small expense, and his poor health had affected his work. When the company downsized a few years ago, he was laid off.
The Ying family’s financial situation was originally average, but it deteriorated after someone fell ill. Ying Chi, who was doing well in his studies, had to quit his martial arts training midway due to lack of money. Fortunately, although the kid was noisy, he was sensible and didn’t complain much. Ying Huan’s art lessons were also affected by financial constraints. She gave them up directly. This girl had been very obedient since she was a child, hardly causing any trouble.
Ying Huan and Ying Chi didn’t feel wronged. They didn’t think it was a big deal to not pursue hobbies. But Ying Haisheng always felt sorry for them, but there was nothing he could do. His temper had also gotten worse over the years.
He pointed at Ying Chi’s bruised face and scolded, “Tell me, did you learn bad things from people outside? Are you in a premature relationship? Fighting and causing trouble for a girlfriend?”
Ying Huan: “…”
Did her dad watch too many youth dramas during his rest at home?
Ying Chi was completely baffled. After realizing what was happening, his face turned red and he shouted, “No! I didn’t!”
Ying Haisheng, angry but concerned, raised his hand to give him a slap on the head. This kid had been too rebellious in the past six months, getting into fights every month. He was truly afraid that he was learning bad things.
Ying Chi’s head was still spinning. How could he let that slap land!
Ying Huan quickly pushed him aside and raised her foot, kicking him on the butt. She scolded, “No more coming home this late. Hurry up and do your homework. If you can’t finish it tonight, you won’t be sleeping. I’ll come check after my shower.”
Ying Chi quickly jumped into his room, then looked at Ying Haisheng with a pleasing expression. “Dad, my sister asked me to do my homework, so… I’ll do it first.”
Ying Haisheng sighed and looked at Ying Huan. “You’re about to take the college entrance exam. The scoreline for A Medical University is so high. How are you going to pass if you don’t review properly? You’re always looking after your younger brother. You go out at night to find him, afraid he’ll get into trouble, right?”
Worried that Ying Haisheng would scold Ying Chi again, Ying Huan quickly said, “I’ve been reviewing properly. My grades are stable, and I’ll have no problem with the college entrance exam.”
Lu Mei, afraid that Ying Haisheng’s anger would worsen his health, pulled him away and persuaded, “Alright, it’s late. Let’s go to sleep. We have to get up early for the hospital tomorrow.”
After venting his anger, Ying Haisheng let his wife drag him back to the room. At the door, he didn’t forget to glare at his son. “What are you looking at? Do your homework! Your sister will check in an hour.”
Ying Chi slumped his shoulders. “Oh.”
…
After ten minutes of turmoil, calm finally returned.
Ying Huan came out after showering, only to find Ying Chi was actually doing his homework. She walked to his desk and saw him writing an English essay. She reminded him, “You wrote this word wrong. It ends with an S, not an R.”
Ying Chi responded with an “oh,” crossed out the word, and corrected it, writing messily.
Ying Huan patted his head. “Still feeling dizzy?”
“Okay,” Ying Chi replied, rubbing his stomach. “But I’m really hungry.”
“I’ll get you some bread.” Ying Huan turned to leave and brought back bread and milk, placing them on his desk. “Eat quickly.”
Ying Chi thought for a moment, then looked up at her. “Sis, from now on, don’t come pick me up after my matches. Dad is right. You’re about to take the college entrance exam. What if I delay you?”
Ying Huan looked down at him. “No, I won’t go, and you can’t go either.”
What if something happened? She was worried.
Ying Chi widened his eyes. “That won’t do. Dad hasn’t saved up enough for his surgery. If he needs an operation in the next two years, our family will have to sell the house.”
“There’s already 120,000 yuan saved up,” Ying Huan praised him. “You’re amazing.”
The teenager smirked proudly. “Of course.”
Ying Huan’s heart softened, and she smiled. She helped him tidy up his desk. “Eat your bread, I’ll write your homework for you, and you go to bed early.”
Ying Chi was momentarily stunned. By the time he reacted, Ying Huan had already taken his backpack and left, closing the door behind her. This was the first time Ying Huan had taken the initiative to help him with his homework. He couldn’t help but grin. “Sister is the best…”
Since his match with Xu Jingyu, Ying Chi hadn’t gone to the underground boxing matches for quite a while, mainly because he was afraid it would affect Ying Huan’s studying.
On a weekend in late May, he was lounging on the couch watching TV when the local channel happened to broadcast a boxing match in which the A University Boxing Team represented the provincial team. The match happened to be in the 75 kg category.
He perked up and sat upright, preparing to watch. Suddenly, he realized that the person wearing the red boxing uniform looked very familiar.
Wasn’t that Zhou Baihao?!
He quickly turned his head and shouted, “Sis! Sis! Come and see! The guy who fought me is participating in the match!”
Ying Huan was working on a math paper. Upon hearing his shout, she didn’t even lift her head. “Oh.”
Ying Chi wouldn’t let it go. “Come on, come and see. He’s also from A University. Don’t forget what he looks like in case you meet him in the future. What if he comes to pursue you and you agree?”
Ying Huan: “…”
What kind of nonsense “what if” was this? There was no such “what if”.
Ying Chi kept calling out, and Ying Huan had no choice but to put down her pen and walk out.
The match was being broadcast live, without commentary.
All they could hear was the host saying something about “Jing Wang,” and Ying Huan thought he was referring to the person in white boxing shorts.
“Sis, pay attention. Remember what he looks like,” Ying Chi urged.
Sitting next to him, Ying Huan watched the TV screen attentively. Because of Ying Chi’s influence, she had also developed an interest in watching boxing matches. She hadn’t seen him during Ying Chi’s match with him last time, although Ying Chi was still subtly praising “Zhou Baihao” from time to time.
“I remember,” she said.
“I don’t believe it. How could you remember if you don’t stare at his face for five minutes?” Ying Chi teased. Ying Huan was a bit face-blind and often couldn’t remember his friends and classmates.
Ying Huan looked at the tall, handsome man on the screen, his punches sharp and precise, and murmured to herself, “He’s handsome, so he’s easier to remember.”
Ying Chi suddenly fell silent. Ying Huan thought he was upset that she couldn’t remember his “enemy,” so she turned to look at him and assured him, “Zhou Baihao, short hair, slightly double eyelids, likes to wear red. I really remembered.”
Ying Chi felt exhausted. “If you remembered, you remembered. Why praise him?”
Ying Huan: “…”
