Chapter 24 3. The Battle of Love

Love is amazing, it fills you with infinite energy. At the beginning of 2004, I won two championships in Switzerland and the All England Championships in a row, and I firmly ranked first in the world in men's singles.At that time, my relationship with Ah Fang had just begun to sprout, and the media called us "The Legend of Condor Heroes", more because of the 3-year age difference between the two of us.But "The Legend of Condor Heroes" is not easy to be, we have gone very hard, and we are not favored by the outside world.Facing the pots of cold water pouring down, I don't care if others look good or bad.

Although I am a Libra, I am not an indecisive person.I also have the right to choose my own life.To be honest, from the time I met the girl I liked at first sight, to talking about friends, and even now, many people don’t think very highly of us.Including team coaches, media, etc.In such an environment, Ah Fang and I would sometimes be unhappy because of the opinions of the outside world. In 2004, I was already the main force in the team. The coach still turned a blind eye to us more or less, but he didn't want us to be too obvious.The most important reason is that they didn't like us at all, so they just let us go.

That is, from then on, I began to have the urge and responsibility to protect Ah Fang. Protecting my girlfriend is also protecting our love.We were both very young, I was not yet 21 at the time.But as a man, I have the responsibility to protect the other party from wind and rain, and to be the "umbrella" of my girlfriend.It is not enough to write a love letter or say something verbally, it must be done in practice.During a chat once, I said to Ah Fang: "Don't worry, I will use my grades to protect our love." This was the only thing I could and must do at the time.Our first Valentine's Day was spent in a mood of not giving up on each other even if we were abandoned by the whole world.

Over the years, I have also experienced some warm and cold feelings.The Chinese society I see is like this. If you are a little bit better, no one will dare to speak of you; or if you have a bigger fist, no one will dare to bully you.I must show better results, I want to become the absolute main force, so that the coach can't train me like a child.This is China, very realistic. In May 2004, when we played in the Tangyu Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, a photo was captured by the media, which was later misunderstood as me kissing Ah Fang.The actual situation is that in the Tom Cup final that day, the women's teammates who had already won the Uber Cup the day before came to cheer us on.After I scored the first point, I also joined the cheering group.The atmosphere at the scene was very enthusiastic and noisy. Many teammates stood on chairs with cheering sticks, and Ah Fang was one of them.I remember turning around and saying to her excitedly: "We are going to become world champions together!" Because she couldn't hear clearly, Ah Fang leaned down and tried to listen to me, so she was mistaken for kissing.

However, because the Olympics were coming up, the media at that time still protected us and did not make a big fuss about our relationship until after I was eliminated in the first round in Athens.On the night of the loss, I stayed up all night, and Ah Fang in Beijing also stayed with me all night.It was also her overseas text messages that made me survive the most difficult days.I literally swelled my fingers from texting.Because of jet lag, Ah Fang actually worked harder than me, because she barely slept and had to wake up for training the next day. Facing the media's questioning, we did not hide it.First of all, I am an athlete, not an entertainer, and I really don't need those hypocritical coats to package myself.The first job of a professional athlete is to perform well.Secondly, it is quite normal for young people to fall in love.Aren't those celebrities who quickly deny "No, we're just friends" when asked by the media, aren't they too fake?You don't want others to know that you are in love, for what purpose?Want to protect your significant other, or are you selfish?I think I take myself too seriously.

Everyone has their own way of life, but we are often forced to live under the plans of others.They'd tell me "you'd be better off doing this" "you'd better get someone like that, fool".In China, there is even an old adage like "If you don't listen to the old man's words, you will suffer in front of your eyes". Over the years, I often have the feeling that people around me seem to have not yet learned to recognize the goodness of others, nor do they know how to praise and bless others.On the contrary, the more you see someone else's life is not good, the more you want to sympathize with him.It is even possible to help others with unimaginable generosity, even if you can't open the pot at home, you still have to give others a bite to eat.But once I see other people living better than him, I will not be happy in my heart.

Whether it's love, work or lifestyle, you don't need to compare yourself with others, as long as you like it.Some people can drink thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars a bottle of red wine every day. He has the ability to drink, but this does not mean that you and your friends are no happier than him if you drink a few dollars a bottle of beer.It's just a matter of choice. Sometimes, inner stability and satisfaction are far stronger than the sense of security that material things can bring you.While you are pursuing wealth and power, you need to pay more accordingly, and what you sacrifice is the time you spend with your family and friends.In the end one day, you may gain a lot, but you may lose even more.We can't simply think that some people are satisfied with the status quo, they may be contented.Cherish what you have now, and live a comfortable and happy life instead.

Young people just have to stick to what they want to do.Even if one day I get hurt and pay a terrible price, at least it is my own choice.Always let others plan your life. Parents tell you to study in the UK, and then go to a Fortune 500 company when you come back, or let you work as a civil servant through the relationship of the whole family. However, these may not be what you want.It is really rare for a person to be able to do what he likes to do in his life.Stick to your ideals, maybe you will fail, but it’s worth it once in your life to stick to yourself and do something without hesitation.Life is always arranged by others, don't you think it's boring?Sometimes, success is just because you persisted a little longer.

Maybe I have a bit of "Hollywood" heroism in my character.Taking the first step, facing the unknown must be risky.Maybe the ending will be miserable, but because I am young, I am not afraid of anything.Another possibility is that the ending of the harvest is more beautiful than imagined. Now I am 29 years old, and I am glad that Lin Dan had such courage, persistence and responsibility when he was 21 years old.But at that time, I had only one thought - if I was not favored, I would not be favored, and I just liked her.