Saturday
Lixin Gymnasium.
This is a specialized venue for kyudo competitions, equipped with all necessary facilities. Every year, a national-level competition is selectively held here.
[National High School Kyudo Tournament]
Today, the area outside the gymnasium was bustling with activity. Countless reporters had gathered early, eagerly awaiting the commencement of this grand event.
At the entrance of the gymnasium, a crowd had gathered when suddenly, a bus adorned with a red banner reading [Yancheng International Private Academy] slowly approached, eliciting gasps of surprise.
The bus came to a halt at the entrance, and a female teacher in uniform stepped out first, followed by a burly male teacher.
Then, a group of students disembarked, forming a neat line as they entered the venue.
Their expressions were solemn and serious, starkly different from the students of other schools who had entered earlier. Each of them appeared cold and composed.
As they passed by the group of reporters, the journalists couldn't resist snapping photos with their cameras.
The students were somewhat bothered by the flashes, but oddly, one bespectacled boy's expression remained completely unchanged, as if frozen.
"As expected of Yancheng Private Academy students, so composed."
"Of course, they're all rich kids. They've seen it all."
"Indeed, they're the pride of the Yan family."
"Absolutely!"
"..."
As the onlookers chattered, the group was guided by staff to the backstage area, where they changed into their competition attire.
Now, they just had to wait for the other schools to arrive before the opening ceremony could begin.
The wait wasn't long, as everything was proceeding according to schedule.
During this time, Su Cheng, the bespectacled boy, wasn't idle. He was busy inspecting the layout of the venue and familiarizing himself with the competition procedures.
There were ten shooting ranges, each with five judges' seats.
Today was all about team events; the individual competitions would take place tomorrow. So, Su Cheng didn't need to compete today. He just had to draw lots later for tomorrow's individual events.
Last night, he had given his house keys to Cornelia, asking her to take care of his plants.
Though he had felt something was off about Cornelia yesterday...
How to put it?
It was as if she wanted to pounce on him and bite him.
Still, he had left three bottles of drinks in the fridge, and Cornelia had "reluctantly" agreed.
Su Cheng sat on a chair, gazing at the shooting range outside.
"It's time for the opening ceremony."
Yang Xin nudged Su Cheng.
Su Cheng snapped out of his thoughts and realized that the rest room was now empty except for him and Yang Xin.
"Let's go."
Su Cheng said, and together with Yang Xin, they left the rest room and headed to their school's designated area.
On the stage, the ceremonial "Shushi" ritual was being performed, while students from various schools sat in their seats, preparing for the upcoming competition.
After the solemn and sacred "Yawatashi" ceremony concluded, the host gave a brief opening speech, and then the dozens of judges took their seats, officially kicking off the competition.
The judges were all quite elderly, and rather peculiarly, each of them used binoculars to observe the contestants' states, even scrutinizing their sitting postures.
Su Cheng's gaze, however, was fixed on the large screen in the center of the venue, which displayed detailed information about the competition.
He quickly scanned the information: today was entirely dedicated to team events, with thirty-two schools participating.
"First round, team match begins."
As the announcement echoed through the gymnasium, the entire venue fell silent.
Then, the sound of a guzheng (Chinese zither) filled the air, its melody serene and enchanting, as if it had emerged from a deep valley or risen from beneath the water, captivating everyone who heard it.
The schools that had drawn their lots sent out ten students each, fully equipped and ready, to their designated shooting ranges. They stood at their shooting positions, silently holding their bows and arrows, waiting for the signal to shoot.
Su Cheng's team was assigned to the third shooting range.
[Yancheng Academy vs. Dachang Academy.]
Each school sent out five male and five female students, totaling twenty participants for five rounds of shooting. Each contestant would shoot five arrows, and the total number of hits would determine the winner.
After a rather uneventful match, Yancheng Private Academy easily advanced.
While Dachang Academy's arrows either missed the target or barely hit it, Yancheng Private Academy consistently hit the bullseye or at least the target.
The difference in skill was evident.
"As expected of last year's champion team."
"Yancheng Academy's strength is truly formidable."
"Dachang Academy was unlucky to face such a tough group right at the start. Otherwise, they could have made it to the top sixteen."
"Absolutely!"
Su Cheng listened to the commentators' praises for Yancheng Private Academy through his headphones. With his glasses on, his expression remained unreadable.
Throughout the day, he had been hearing these commentators sing praises for Yancheng Private Academy. Why?
Because, as expected, Yancheng Private Academy was likely to sweep all the team events.
Su Cheng wasn't surprised by this.
Ji Qingyi had already warned him—he was the only weak link.
Wait, no.
Thinking this, he glanced at Yang Xin beside him. Though Yang Xin was diligent, his skill level was limited. Right now, he looked worried and scared, yet powerless to change anything.
The pressure was now on both of them.
"Are you scared?"
Su Cheng suddenly asked.
Yang Xin was taken aback. He looked at Su Cheng and nodded, "Everyone else has won championships. If we fail or get eliminated tomorrow, won't we become a laughingstock?"
Yang Xin's face grew increasingly pale.
After all, their school had won championships in all other events. If Yancheng Private Academy were to be eliminated tomorrow, one could only imagine how harsh the online comments would be...
For Yang Xin, the initial excitement had now turned into fear.
He even secretly wished they hadn't won so many championships...
The contrast was too stark, and he couldn't handle it.
Seeing Yang Xin's distress, Su Cheng comforted him, "You still have me. I'm worse than you, so I'll be even more embarrassed. So, tomorrow, let's just give it our all and do our best. That's all that matters."
Su Cheng knew how to comfort someone. After his words, Yang Xin felt a bit better.
He looked up at Su Cheng and said, "Let's do our best tomorrow. No matter what, we have to achieve a good result."
Night
At a five-star hotel
The club was having a dinner gathering. The table was laden with an extravagant spread of delicious food, both visually appealing and aromatic, whetting everyone's appetite.
"Tomorrow, it's all up to you three. Don't feel pressured; just perform as you normally would."
The teacher raised a glass of juice, looking at Yang Xin, Su Cheng, and Li Shishi seated at the table.
Li Shishi had been last year's runner-up, so no one was worried about her.
But Yang Xin and Su Cheng were newcomers to the club this year, and the pressure on them was palpable.
"Yeah, I'm confident."
Li Shishi nodded, unfazed.
With Ji Qingyi absent this time, the championship was hers for the taking.
"Mm, I'll do my best."
Yang Xin said.
"Same here."
Su Cheng chimed in.
At that moment, he took off his glasses.
As the conversation continued and encouragement was shared, Yang Xin gradually relaxed, at least no longer feeling tense.
The dinner was quite lively, and after everyone had eaten their fill, they left the private room and returned to their respective rooms.
However, since it was Su Cheng's first time staying in such a luxurious hotel, he decided to take a stroll around, hoping to bump into Li Guanqi.
Li Guanqi had mentioned she was staying at this hotel too.
As he wandered, he discovered that the hotel had everything one could imagine—an internet café, a coffee shop, a cinema, a gym, a mahjong room, a beauty salon, a supermarket, a swimming pool, and more.
Truly, poverty had limited his imagination. Everything he could think of was here...
Suddenly, a message popped up on his phone.
It was from Wang Guancong and two others.
They were also staying at this hotel.
After meeting up with the three of them for a while, Su Cheng continued his exploration. He wandered around for quite some time but didn't run into Li Guanqi.
Instead, he bumped into Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying.
The three of them sat in the coffee shop for a while, chatting.
Then, Su Cheng bid them farewell.
By the time he returned to his room and lay down on the bed, it was already around 9 p.m. He was about to take out his phone to contact Li Guanqi, planning to arrange a meeting spot for the next morning to exchange hair accessories and also sent her his room number.
In less than five minutes, the doorbell rang.
"Ding dong~"
When he opened the door, he saw Li Guanqi standing there with her hair tied up in a ponytail. He was slightly taken aback. "You could have waited until tomorrow morning to change it."
Today, she was dressed the same as she had been over the weekend: a black dress paired with black tights, which perfectly accentuated her figure. She looked stunning, especially her long, straight legs encased in black stockings, which were hard to look away from.
However, Li Guanqi’s gaze was fixed on the black hairband on his left wrist. Her eyes narrowed instantly, her brows furrowed, and her expression turned emotionless.
Su Cheng, noticing her gaze, quickly looked down at his own left wrist.
It was only then that he remembered the hairband that Ji Qingyi had given him, which he had been wearing on his wrist all this time.
At that moment, a strange sense of guilt welled up inside him.
"Uh, come on in," Su Cheng said awkwardly, stepping aside to let Li Guanqi enter.
Once inside, Li Guanqi didn’t sit down. Instead, her eyes remained locked on the black hairband on Su Cheng’s wrist. Her face was still expressionless, her tone flat, and her words concise: "Whose is it?"
"This…" Su Cheng closed the door and sat down on the sofa, explaining, "Ji Qingyi gave it to me yesterday."
Li Guanqi didn’t respond. She continued to stare at his wrist.
After a long pause, she finally looked away. She reached up, removed the hairband from her own hair, and her hairstyle instantly changed to long, straight black hair. She then sat down beside Su Cheng, took his right hand, and began to slip the hairband onto his wrist.
"Actually, it would be better to change it tomorrow morning. Otherwise, you’ll have to change it again tomorrow," Su Cheng said, watching as Li Guanqi put the hairband on him.
Li Guanqi ignored his comment. Once she was done, she looked up at him and said, "Do you have any other way to calm down tonight?"
As she spoke, she placed the hairband she had just removed onto her own wrist.
Su Cheng immediately understood that she was concerned about him getting a good night’s sleep.
To be honest, he did have a method to help him relax.
It was something he had never tried before, so he wasn’t sure if it would work.
"Thank you," Su Cheng finally said.
Li Guanqi nodded slightly, stood up, and walked out of the room. Before leaving, she turned back to glance at the hairband on his left wrist and then said, "I’ll be waiting outside your door tomorrow morning. Make sure to rest well. See you tomorrow."
With that, she turned and closed the door behind her.
"Phew~"
Hearing the door close, Su Cheng finally let out a sigh of relief.
He couldn’t help but raise his right hand and look at the hairband on his left wrist.
For some reason, he felt that Li Guanqi really disliked this hairband…
Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.
No strange midnight visits…
The next morning.
Su Cheng got up early and went through his morning routine.
Brushing his teeth, washing his face, getting dressed, and putting on his shoes.
Once everything was ready, he pushed open the door.
The first thing he saw was Li Guanqi sitting on the sofa outside. She stood up as soon as he appeared.
Without any unnecessary movements, she removed the hairband from his wrist and replaced it with another one. Then, the two of them headed to the dining hall.
They sat together and ate breakfast in silence. After finishing their meal, they went down to the lobby on the first floor, where Li Guanqi finally spoke: "Good luck in today’s competition!"
Su Cheng nodded and walked over to where the rest of the club members were gathered.
Once everyone was assembled, they headed to the bus waiting outside, ready to go to the stadium.
Just as Su Cheng was about to step onto the bus, a few voices called out from a distance.
"Su Cheng, you’ve got this!!"
"You’re the best!"
He looked over and saw Wang Guancong and two others, along with Zhao Yan and another girl, cheering him on excitedly from a short distance away. Xuan Ying even raised her little fist in a cute gesture of encouragement.
These people had come all the way to support him.
A warm feeling surged in his heart, and a smile spread across his face.
"Thank you!!"
He waved at them.
Seeing Su Cheng’s smile, they all smiled back.
The bus slowly started and headed toward the competition venue.
During the ride, the club members continued to cheer for the three of them, and Su Cheng responded to each one with a warm smile on his face.
Just before they arrived, he put on his glasses, and his expression instantly turned serious. He knew the judges would be watching through binoculars, so he had to wear his glasses.
The draw from yesterday had placed him in the fourth shooting range.
He and Yang Xin were not in the same range.
The morning session was the qualifying round.
There were far too many individual competitors.
Nearly a hundred people.
Before the competition began, he would sit in the competitors’ waiting area, listening for the announcements from the organizers and the matchups.
As he sat in his seat, watching the competitors in the qualifying rounds, he noticed that some judges were using binoculars to observe the posture and movements of the waiting competitors.
After a while,
Suddenly, a large screen displayed his name and the name of his school, and the announcement came over the loudspeaker in the fourth shooting range: "Third position, Su Cheng."
He stood up, adjusted his uniform, picked up the bow and quiver that would determine his fate, and walked toward the third shooting position in the fourth range.
At that moment, the live broadcast camera switched to the fourth shooting range.
"Let’s take a look at the competitors in the fourth shooting range," the commentator began. In the next second, the camera panned, and soon, ten competitors standing in their shooting positions appeared on the screen.
Su Cheng, wearing glasses, showed no expression on his face as he calmly looked ahead.
After the second shooter finished, Su Cheng slowly raised his bow above his head, aimed the arrow at the target, and executed the shot in one fluid motion.
"Twang!"
The crisp sound of the bowstring echoed, and the arrow struck the bullseye with precision.
Applause broke out.
Although the competition wasn’t scored by rings, hitting the bullseye still earned applause from the audience, such as the enthusiastic clapping from Wang Guancong and his group.
"As expected of a student from Yancheng Private Academy, hitting the bullseye on the first shot," one commentator remarked.
Another commentator chimed in: "And his shooting form is impeccable—steady from start to finish. The arc of his shot is beautiful, and his entire body is as stable as a rectangle. Simply flawless."
"Barring any surprises, he’s the one advancing from this group."
………………………………
Meanwhile,
In the villa area,
In front of the TV,
Two young girls, one blonde and one brunette, were sitting with their eyes glued to the screen. The blonde, Cornelia, was particularly animated, her mouth moving rapidly as if she were the one who had just hit the bullseye.
"Look," Cornelia pointed at the TV screen, though the camera had already shifted away from Su Cheng to focus on other competitors.
Ailiya, however, knew exactly who Cornelia was referring to. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "I saw the others hit the target too. It’s normal."
"You don’t get it," Cornelia muttered in dissatisfaction. "The others just hit the target. He hit the bullseye. Didn’t you hear the applause and the commentators?"
"But he’s only been in the club for less than a month. It’s just a fluke," Ailiya retorted.
Cornelia suddenly fell silent. She had realized that arguing with a contrarian wasn’t a wise move.
So she stayed quiet and continued watching the TV.
……………………
Half an hour later,
Su Cheng appeared on the big screen again. He was drawing his bow, turning it, nocking an arrow, and then releasing it.
This time, he only hit the target.
"This competitor’s movements, I’ve been thinking, can only be described as textbook-perfect," one commentator said.
"Yes, and his expression remains calm throughout, as if he already knew he would hit the target," the other added.
"Wait, did you notice his wrist?"
"Huh, is that a hairband? The kind girls use?"
"Yes."
"It seems like his girlfriend’s."
"Ha ha, so his girlfriend has just announced to the entire nation that this competitor is officially taken."
The TV broadcast was filled with the commentators’ playful banter.
Ailiya suddenly spoke up: "See, I told you it was just a fluke."
She turned to look at Cornelia, only to find her staring at the screen in stunned silence.
Cornelia’s eyes were wide, and her face was filled with disbelief as she stared at Su Cheng on the screen.
.................................
Meanwhile,
In the audience seats, Zhao Yan and Xuan Ying watched the scenes and commentary on the big screen. Zhao Yan couldn't help but ask, "Did you secretly send it?"
Xuan Ying shook her head blankly, then lowered her head, feeling a deep sense of unease.
If it was really sent by a woman, then Su Cheng must already have a girlfriend.
Beside them, Li Guanqi sat with her usual calm expression, her gaze fixed on Su Cheng on the screen, though it was unclear what she was thinking.
……………………………………
At the Ji family residence
In front of a television, Ji Qingyi sat expressionlessly, quietly watching the scenes on the screen.
However, behind her stood a young girl who kept glancing at her mistress's wrist. She noticed that the black hairband that usually adorned her wrist was missing, and she frowned slightly.