Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Sunshine is the most vicious time of the day. Ripples on the surface of the lake swayed layer by layer, shining goldenly, flickering, reflecting strong light like countless mirror fragments.Sitting by the lake, Baicao stared blankly at the rays of light on the water, as if there were Venus flying wildly in front of her eyes, she couldn't see anything, her eyes hurt so much that even her brain began to hurt. Hug your knees. She closed her eyes and curled her body tightly like a shrimp. She is cold. There was a shivering cold. ... "You idiot who doesn't know anything! Crazy! Good! You really think that your master, Qu Xiangnan, is an upright, upright and noble person, don't you?! You think he didn't take stimulants at all, it's someone else Accused him of framing him, right?! Let me tell you! You heard clearly! When I was six years old, I heard it with my own ears. He himself admitted that he had taken stimulants in front of my mother’s grave! Admitted He killed my mother!"

... "You still don't believe it, right?! Well, I'll let you see what kind of person the Master you believe in is! Let you see, is it worth kneeling to Jin Yishan for him? It is not worth quitting Taekwondo for him!" ... "Qu Xiangnan, I want you to tell Qi Baicao personally whether you took doping in the World Championships that year, please explain clearly so that she can understand!" ... There was a wind blowing, as if in an ice cellar, Baicao hugged herself tightly, buried her head in her knees, her mind went blank, and let the cold wrap her up layer by layer.

There were only a few girls left in the room. Both Lin Feng and Mei Ling were in a daze. Guangya leaned against the corner with a pale face. Looking out of the window, then at Guangya, then at the window, then at Guangya, gritting her teeth, Xiaoying finally couldn't help but said, "Guangya, I know, you don't want Baicao to fight Jin Minzhu, you're afraid that Baicao will fight against Jin Minzhu. If you lose, you are afraid that Baicao will have to quit Taekwondo because of this, right? But, those flowers of yours are too serious!" Guangya's pale face remained motionless.

"You clearly know Baicao's feelings for Master Qu Xiangnan, she adores Master Qu Xiangnan so much, she respects Master Qu Xiangnan so much, she is so determined, she could die for Master Qu Xiangnan! But you told her Such a thing, she will be disillusioned, she will not be able to bear it, okay?" Xiaoying complained, even if she wanted to persuade Baicao to give up fighting with Jin Minzhu, she had to pay attention to some strategies and methods. Guangya's lips trembled. Disillusioned? Can't stand it? Sunshine came in from the window and shone into her dark pupils. If Baicao couldn't stand it, how could she bear it for so many years?

As long as he could remember, he knew that she was a premature baby, and his mother passed away within a few days after giving birth to her.Regarding her mother, all the uncles in the Quansheng gymnasium told her that she was a beautiful person like a flower, and that she looked like her mother, with the same pointed chin and big eyes. She heard most of the things about her father and mother. It is said that when my mother was 18 years old, she went to Anyang with her friends to play, and when they encountered bad guys, it was their father who rescued them.Just like the heroes in all the stories save the beauty, the eighteen-year-old mother fell in love with the twenty-year-old father at first sight. In order to pursue his father, the mother stayed in Anyang and stayed in the Quansheng gymnasium.

Grandma was very angry. Aunt Shen Ning said that because her mother refused to go back to Shanghai and refused everything the family had arranged for her, she insisted on being with that poor boy who was penniless but loved Taekwondo. He broke up the relationship, left Shanghai, and moved his family abroad to live. But mother's love is not happy. The uncles told her that her mother loved her father very much, and for her father, she changed from a delicate Shanghai lady to a plainly dressed woman.She gets up early to cook for her father's disciples, washes clothes for her father's disciples at night, and goes out to work on weekdays to subsidize the living expenses of her father and his disciples.

But my father only knows how to practice qigong. The uncles said that his father rarely even talked to his mother on weekdays, and all his thoughts were on preparing for the World Championships that he had missed once. Mother is getting thinner and thinner. When she was pregnant, her mother was so thin that she almost had no flesh on her body.Seven months into the pregnancy, the mother's health was extremely poor, and she was so weak that she couldn't get up all day, but her father still went to participate in the World Championships. The uncles said that the news that my father had won the championship in the World Championships had just come back, but then came back the news that my father was found to be doping, banned for life, and deprived of the qualification to practice Taekwondo. Mother's mood fluctuated too much. , leading to premature birth, and passed away within a few days.

Therefore, she often thinks that she should have seen her mother in the first few days after she was born.There are no photos or portraits of her mother in the gymnasium. When she was a child, she could only look in the mirror, touch her face, and imagine what her mother looked like. There is a plum tree in front of the house, which is said to have been planted by my mother. But there is always that person under the plum tree. So, she even hated that plum tree. When she was ignorant, she followed the children in the gym and scolded that person as a villain, a scum of Taekwondo, and a disgrace to Quansheng gym.When she grew up, she realized that the man was her father.

She hates that man. She hated him always squatting down trying to talk to her, hated him always trying to approach her cautiously, hated him expecting her to call him "Father", hated everything he gave her, hated when she scolded her He is a villain, the deep pain in his eyes makes her run away crying like a coward every time... The sunlight outside the window was bright and dazzling. Guangya stared blankly at the radiant place. Was she really just trying to prevent Baicao from fighting Jin Minzhu?No, maybe that's because she hates Baicao, she hates Baicao! She hated Qi Baicao since she was a child.

Since being brought into the Quansheng Gym by that person, Qi Baicao's existence is like an extremely annoying cockroach!Not only was Qi Baicao not ashamed of following such a shameful person, following such a scum, but he knelt in front of that person's room for four days and three nights, and must call that person "Master"! Qi Baicao was surrounded and beaten by the children in the gymnasium every day. Obviously every time he was beaten to the point of bleeding by the children, every time the children told Qi Baicao loudly that Qu Xiangnan was a big villain, but Qi Baicao didn't seem to understand at all!She doesn't understand why there are people as stupid as Qi Baicao in the world, why there are idiots like Qi Baicao who look up and follow him with adoring eyes all day long despite being such a shameful villain!

Hiding in the corner of the wall, she peeked at the man teaching Qi Baicao to practice Kung Fu every day. In the early morning, with the man's back facing the plum tree in the courtyard, Qi Baicao shouted loudly, jumped up, and practiced the basic leg positions of Taekwondo.Before leaving for school, the man helped Qi Baicao carry her schoolbag, and helped Qi Baicao adjust the straps on her shoulders with his hands.At noon, the man sat at the small table with porridge and pickles, waiting for Qi Baicao to come back from school. that man... It's as if he is Qi Baicao's father... not hers. She hates Qi Baicao. She didn't understand why there was a person like Qi Baicao in the world, who was like an idiot, no matter what others said, he would follow that person wholeheartedly. And she couldn't. When she was six years old, she cried loudly under the plum tree, and when she woke up, she found herself hugged by that man on his bed.That day was the anniversary of her mother's death, and she heard all the words that man said to her mother's spiritual tablet. Later, as she grew up, her memory of being six years old became blurred, and she began to wonder if it was her dream.Was it because she had heard too much from others that she acted so fiercely, and what that person said was only what she usually heard, not the truth. She told herself, or she could be like Qi Baicao. As long as that person says a word. She can close her eyes and cover her ears, and believe in anything! So, at the age of thirteen, on the anniversary of her mother's death, she finally mustered up the courage to ask that person again... "Why hasn't Baicao come back?" An anxious voice came to Guangya's ears, her eyelashes trembled, and she saw that Xiaoying was running around in the room anxiously, looking out the window from time to time. "Senior brother Ruobai is too strict, let Baicao calm down, but what if something happens to Baicao's mind!" what will happen At most, she finally realized that she was a complete fool, Guangya thought palely, no matter how painful she was, it was much better than kneeling to Jin Yishan and quitting Taekwondo because of that person. "Finally I find you." Thinking of the clear and gentle voice, Baicao raised her head blankly.In the midday sun, the breath of the person next to him was extremely clean, as if there was a faint smell of disinfectant, she stared blankly at him, her mind blank. "Let's eat." Chuyuan smiled, sat next to her, and opened a lunch box, which was full of food and was still hot.She bit her lip and lowered her eyes, feeling her chest was also full. "Aren't you going to fight Jin Minzhu in the afternoon? If you don't eat enough, how can you have strength?" Rubbing her head with a smile, Chu Yuan stuffed the chopsticks and lunch box into her hands. Holding the chopsticks in a daze, Baicao moved her lips dryly and said, "I did something wrong, didn't I?" "Huh? How to say?" "Am I too impulsive... Like Guang Ya said, if I hadn't stood up to question Master Jin Yishan so impulsively, maybe everyone would not have noticed Master's name... And, isn't it, even if I beat Jin Minzhu , even if I beat Master Jin Yishan...no one...and no one will believe..." "Do you regret what happened this morning?" "..." "If it happens again, do you think you can control your emotions?" Chu Yuan stared at her and said. Baicao bit her lips tightly, and those ugly words echoed in her ears like a nightmare. "No, I can't just watch others say that about my master without saying a word, I can't..." Tears welled up in her eyes suddenly, and her voice trembled. When she was a child, Master supported her by the shoulders and helped her open her fists.When she was a child, Master put the only vegetable in her bowl.When she was a child, she kicked over and over again the foot target that her master hung on the tree. When she finally hit it, the master who always silently looked at the plum tree in the courtyard would look back at her... "...that is my master, I can't be insulted by others like watching him. He is not, he is definitely not what Jin Yishan said! He is my master, I understand him..." Can't control it Her body was trembling, and she didn't dare to let him see the tears on her face. She buried her head in the crook of her leg. The summer wind blows across the lake. The noon sun was as fierce as a fire. Seeing her huddled tightly into a ball, her back twitching stiffly, she was crying, but she didn't make a sound, Chu Yuan was silent for a long while, the halo on the lake's surface swayed dazzlingly with the ripples, he whispered Say, "Even after answering that phone call, do you still trust your Master?" There was a "boom" in my head! She raised her head abruptly, and there was still some embarrassing wetness on her face.Looking at him stiffly, her back seemed to be frozen in an instant, and her chest hurt like it was about to explode. She needed to breathe desperately to breathe through the overwhelming pain. ... "...that year's World Championships," the voice on the other end of the phone was so old, as if it came from an old man in his sixties, "... I did take doping." After a long, long time, the prematurely old voice sighed slowly: "Baicao..." ... There was no one in the courtyard. Looking at the plum tree, Qu Xiangnan stood with his hands behind his back, his white hair on the temples was dotted with sunlight, and deep wrinkles had already appeared around the corners of his eyes and lips. ... "My name is Shen Yuan." Standing in front of him with bright eyes, she was a little shy, but her voice was loud, "I like you! I want to be with you!" ... "Do you know? In my heart, you are like a plum blossom," she forcefully pulled him out of the practice room, her smile was as soft as a flower, she held his hand, and showed him the plant she had just planted in the garden with her own hands. The plum tree, "Blooms in the ice and snow, is not afraid of the cold, so strong, noble, and upright..." ... "Maybe we have to wait until next winter," she stared obsessively at the plum tree that hadn't bloomed all winter. Her smile was no longer as dazzling as before, but became more and more gentle. , when the plum blossoms bloom, we will get married, okay...okay..." ... "southward……" Every time after returning to the house, she would always pick up a clean hot towel, wrap his hands in it, and wipe it carefully.Later, she often lowered her head, and he could only see her white neck. ... In the summer sun, the leaves of the plum tree rustled softly.Without flowering, it doesn't seem to be much different from the other numbers. Look at the faint light on the green leaves. Qu Xiangnan's chest stagnated, and he began to cough. At that time, he put all his energy on practicing and preparing for the next World Championships.He pays little attention to her until the first time she faints in front of him.Waiting by the bedside of the Qi Family Medical Center, waiting for her to wake up, he realized that she was no longer what he was when he first saw her. She was so thin that he was startled. The hands that were originally as delicate as jade onions became rough and calloused.That beautiful long curly hair has also turned into plain short hair. ... "...Xiangnan, I'm fine..." She opened her eyes weakly and looked at him. Her eyes were full of deep emotion, a beauty he had never seen before. "... We have a baby, Xiang Nan, are you happy..." ... Because of her fainting, he realized that, at some point in time, she had gradually changed from a dispensable existence to an increasingly important one in his life.But she became more and more salesy, fainted more and more often, and often couldn't get out of bed for several days. ... "...I'm just embarrassed," she said weakly holding his hand gently, "You see, sister-in-law Qi has lost a lot of weight like me... Xiangnan, you missed the last World Championships, This session cannot be delayed any longer..." Holding his hand and placing it on her slightly swollen abdomen, her smile was as sweet as a dream: "...Xiang Nan, you will win the championship, right... When the child grows up, I will tell her , her father is a world champion, an indomitable hero, her father once kicked away the hooligan who bullied her mother..." ... He thought it was really just embarrassment, until one day, Doctor Qi from the hospital called to stop him. ... "Your wife's body is not suitable for pregnancy," the young doctor Qi said awkwardly after the potbellied sister-in-law Qi finished serving tea, "I have advised your wife many times that she should tell you about her physical condition, but she always said Wait until the World Championships are over. Although I promised her, but..." It was as if the whole world suddenly became silent. ... Just like an irony, when the World Championships that he had always dreamed of finally came before him, he knew that he would rather trade everything for her health.Ignoring her various reasons and objections, he stopped practicing qigong, took her to almost all the big hospitals in the country, spent all the money that was not much to continue, borrowed all the money he could, and borrowed all the doctors. They all told him it was too late. With the domestic medical level, there is nothing to do about her condition, especially when she is currently six months pregnant.Unless there is an opportunity to go to a foreign country for treatment, one or two internationally renowned hospitals in the United States have made a breakthrough in the research of similar cases.But the high cost of going abroad for medical treatment is far more distant than astronomical figures for him. ... "...Xiangnan, your hair is all white," she lay in his arms at night under the plum tree, stroking the hair on his temples weakly, her fingers were so bright, but her sigh was stronger than the fragrance of plum blossoms Be gentle, "Xiang Nan, don't worry about me, don't borrow money, don't contact foreign hospitals, okay... I won't die... I want to see you participate in the World Championships... I want to see you win To be the champion... You have to practice hard... The World Championships will start soon..." He hugged her tightly. Buried his head into her shoulder. "Xiangnan... In my heart, you are an indomitable hero... Go to the competition... I hope everyone in the world knows that you are the greatest hero..." In his arms, all she could do was The high protruding belly is so thin that only bones are left.He hugged her tightly, tightly. ... When he was about to despair, it was actually the underground underworld that he had always repelled before that stopped him and gave him his only ray of hope. ... "Almost all the gamblers bet on Kim Il-san of South Korea to win the championship, and they didn't bet on you at all." The unexpectedly gentle gangster patted him on the shoulder and said, "So, we bet all the money on you." As long as you can help us win the championship, we will cover all the expenses and procedures for your wife to go abroad for medical treatment! However, if you lose and pay us back such a large sum of money, don’t blame us for turning our backs Ruthless! That’s how business is done, you can understand my brother, right?” ... He resumed his practice and practiced non-stop every day, but it was not in the practice field before, but in the courtyard instead.She is very happy, as long as she is in better health, she will sit on the deck chair under the plum tree, caress her belly, look at him with a smile, accompany him, sleep for a while and wake up for a while, and the days pass by in a blink of an eye. He didn't tell her about the deal with the underground gambling house. He hoped she never knew. As long as it can save her, as long as it can make her or, what he thought he could never do before, he can do it. ... The day before the opening of the World Championships, she was still in a coma in the hospital.Looking at the bright and dazzling match mat in the center of the gymnasium illuminated by countless lights, he knew very well that he must win, and only by defeating all opponents could she have a chance of surviving. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Korea's Kim Il-san appeared like a hero. "Drink it and it will win you." The gangster said in a low voice, and handed a can of drink to him. ... Scenes of the past surged through my mind, vividly as if in front of my eyes, but it has been so many years.If you know that the evolution of things will develop to that point, if everything can be restarted... Under the plum tree, the cough was so loud that it seemed like he was about to cough up blood. Qu Xiangnan slowly closed his eyes. He thought that with the passage of time, he would gradually lose his memory of these things seventeen years ago, but the phone call at noon made everything come back clearly.It was as if she was still sitting under the plum tree. At that time, she was still a charming young lady, often beckoning to him, coquettishly telling him to stop practicing kung fu and talk to her more. Coughing, there are old lines on the corners of his lips. just- Baicao, Master has let you down... By the lake, Baicao looked up at Chuyuan stiffly, her throat seemed to be blocked.For so many years, she has always believed in her master, believing that the master is innocent and wronged.She firmly believes in it. Therefore, when she heard Master admit that he had taken stimulants, it seemed as if something shattered in her chest, she was shocked and hurt, flustered and at a loss. But- ... As the drawers were being sorted out, my father stood on the ladder and muttered, "... Xiaocao, you should judge people by their heart, don't just rely on your eyes or ears, understand?" ... "..." With a stiff voice, she took a deep breath and squeezed out her voice hoarsely: "Yes, I know my master." "No matter what Master Jin Yishan said, no matter what Guangya said, even if Master told me, I... I still believe that Master is a person who abides by the spirit of Taekwondo, and he would never do those things!" Having lived with Master for ten years, no one knows better than her what Master's character is.She believed in her master, even—even the master's own words could not shake her! "What a stubborn girl," Chuyuan stared at her, there was something deep in Chu Yuan's eyes, then he smiled and rubbed her hair, "Then what else can I say? If you start over Once, you will still choose to do this, if no matter what happens, you believe in your master...then listen to the voice in your heart." "But..." She bit her lip. "In this world, there is no absolute right or wrong. As long as you think it is right and worthwhile, then do it. But," put the chopsticks back into her hand, and put the lunch box on her lap , Chuyuan said warmly, "First of all, you have to eat enough and have strength before you can do what you want to do, right? Eat quickly, it will be cold in a while." He lowered his head in embarrassment. Baicao ate a few mouthfuls and realized that she was really hungry. There was red and spicy cabbage in the meal, which tasted very refreshing.After eating for a while, she was still very uneasy, so she hesitated and looked at Chu Yuan beside her. "Senior Brother Ruobai...is still very angry...isn't he?" Senior Brother Ruobai had a cold face, he didn't say a word to her, he didn't even look at her... "When I was cooking for you, Ruobai put these spicy cabbages in." She had almost finished eating the spicy cabbage in the lunch box. Baicao's eyes lit up immediately! She lowered her head and forcefully shoveled the remaining spicy cabbage into her mouth, her eyes felt a little damp again. The white moon shines on both ends of the horizon in my heart but not by my side I can't wipe away your tears ... Suddenly, the music started, and Baicao hurriedly put down the lunch box, took out the phone, and the bright smiling face of Senior Ting Hao flashed on the screen of the phone.She hesitated for a moment, then answered the phone. "Very good, I finally remembered to turn on my phone today." The environment on the other side of the phone was a bit noisy, and Ting Hao's voice was still casual, "Have you finished your meal yet?" "not yet……" "I'm going to fight Jin Minzhu this afternoon, eat more." Ting Hao's words came over, "Don't underestimate Jin Minzhu, she has improved a lot compared to three years ago, and her kicks are very fierce. Don't be overwhelmed by her momentum, Don't let her control the rhythm, I believe in you, it's no problem to beat her." Baicao was stunned, and said blankly to the phone: "How do you know that I am..." "You forgot, we are dating." Interrupting her, Ting Hao's laughter was as natural as the blue sky and white clouds. "It is what I should do to pay attention to and care about you at all times." "No...we're not dating..." Baicao's face flushed red, not daring to look at Chuyuan beside him. "'We'," Ting Hao laughed again, "I'm glad to hear you say that." "Senior Ting Hao..." Baicao stammered in embarrassment, but she also knew that some things must be made clear, "I...the relationship you mentioned last time...I don't think..." "Did you buy something?" The voice on the other end of the phone interrupted her. "Huh?" She was stunned. "Dajiang," Ting Hao reminded her, "before you left, you promised to buy it for me as a gift, did you forget?" "... I didn't... I didn't forget." "When I come back, I will pick you up at the airport. If I find out that you forgot to bring me a gift..." Ting Hao snorted twice.At this time, there was a broadcast on the mobile phone urging passengers to board the plane. Before she could speak, he smiled and said, "Okay, I'm leaving. When the plane arrives in the UK, the match between you and Jin Minzhu should be over. It's time to hear your good news. Bye──" The call is over. Baicao stared blankly at the phone, her mind was foggy, she felt that something was going in the wrong direction. "Is it Ting Hao?" Chu Yuan looked at her. "Ok." Her face was still red, and she was at a loss as to whether she should explain to him. She didn't know how much he had heard, and she didn't know if he had misunderstood the relationship between her and Senior Ting Hao. "Ting Hao──" Chu Yuan hesitated, "Are you dating?" "No!" She hurriedly looked up at him, "Senior Ting Hao...just joking...he was joking..." "Silly girl," Chu Yuan smiled and patted her head, "Ting Hao is not the type to make such jokes. Since he said that, he must be serious." She froze. "But...but..." Shock and bewilderment made her speechless, she always thought that senior Ting Hao was just joking, how could senior Ting Hao like her, how could he want to associate with her. "But you like Ruobai, right?" Chu Yuan kept smiling and said, "It's okay, although Ting Hao is serious, he is also a reasonable person, so you don't have to worry." "I don't like Senior Brother Ruobai!" Baicao became anxious, and explained again, "No, what I said is, I don't have that kind of 'like' Senior Brother Ruobai! I didn't date Senior Brother Ruobai! Neither did Senior Brother Ruobai That kind of 'like' me!" She must explain clearly, she doesn't want to be misunderstood by him anymore, even though he already has a girl he likes... "Aren't you and Ruobai dating?" Chu Yuan was startled. "No!" She shook her head vigorously. "That time I met you and Ruobai on a date at the night market..." "That's not a date. Senior brother Ruobai and I came back from work. Senior brother Ruobai was afraid that it would be unsafe for me to walk alone at night, so he always scheduled the same time with me." She blushed. Chu Yuan stared at her. The noon sun was shining brightly. Baicao's cheeks were red, she looked into his eyes, and gradually, she lowered her head slowly, feeling a little astringent in her heart. ... "I also have a girl I like." In the growing twilight, Chu Yuan looked at the lake as if it was shrouded in mist, "But, she already has someone she likes." ... Knowing that senior brother Chuyuan already has a girl he likes, why does her heart beat so fast?Baicao looked at her toes sadly, she didn't want to be discovered by senior brother Chuyuan, she didn't want to cause trouble for senior brother Chuyuan. "So, I still have a chance." The ripples on the surface of the lake swayed layer by layer, as transparent and beautiful as golden crystals. Chuyuan closed his eyes, and his voice was as soft as talking to himself, "Really?" "..." She didn't understand. "Although it's not appropriate to tell you this before the match with Kim Min Joo, but... I don't want to wait any longer." Chuyuan took a breath, he looked at her, and rubbed her hair a little harder, "I like you, Baicao."