At this point, why would they self-destruct at the last moment before the match?
What could be more important than playing the finals against Yongchuan Evergrande?
Meanwhile, another portion of the players reacted more slowly.
It wasn’t until they heard the news that the match might be directly awarded to them that they began to question their own sanity.
Ninety minutes of play plus extra time would drain half their life force—so a championship falling from the sky would naturally be ideal. Yet, instead of feeling relieved, they were somewhat displeased.
“What do they mean by this?” Qin Qiechu snapped, tearing off his team jacket as he demanded an answer.
In the visitors’ locker room, the players of Hongjing No. 8 Middle School shouldered their bags and pushed the door open.
At the far end of the player tunnel lay the pitch, bathed in brilliant, radiant daylight.
Further in the distance, figures could be seen tidying up the trophy placed at the center.
Fu Xinshu led his teammates to the home team’s locker room door on the opposite side.
After two light knocks, the door was abruptly yanked open from inside.
Inside lay the chaotic locker room of Yongchuan Evergrande.
Cleats scattered on the floor, towels hanging on racks, unrolled bandages, protective gear already worn, densely drawn lines on the tactical board, and players fully suited up in their kits.
Every detail spoke of Yongchuan Evergrande’s earnest preparation before the match.
“What are you doing here?” Fang Sulun blinked in surprise, then narrowed his eyes, maintaining his usual haughty demeanor.
“To apologize,” Fu Xinshu said earnestly.
“Why?”
“We’re the ones at fault here, so we had to come and say sorry…”
But Fang Sulun cut him off: “I’m asking, why apologize?”
Fu Xinshu paused, then briefly explained the reason with a tone of remorse.
After hearing him out, Fang Sulun and the Yongchuan Evergrande players behind him were completely stunned.
“Are you insane?” Qin Qiechu couldn’t comprehend it at all. “If you hadn’t said anything, who would’ve known?”
Wen Chengye lifted his head and replied, “We would.”
His words plunged the Yongchuan Evergrande locker room into an unparalleled silence.
The pleasantries had been exchanged, and they weren’t exactly close. Fu Xinshu bid farewell to Fang Sulun: “We’ll take our leave now. Let’s play again another time.”
The locker room door clicked shut.
Only then did the Yongchuan Evergrande players fully grasp the choice their opponents had made.
Ahead stretched a long tunnel, and the players of Hongjing No. 8 Middle School walked toward the darkness at the other end.
After a while, an illusory sound of a door opening echoed through the tunnel.
Footsteps approached in succession.
It sounded like a crowd.
“Hongjing No. 8 Middle School!”
A clear voice rang out from far behind.
In the dim, narrow stadium tunnel, those called turned their heads.
At the far end of the tunnel lay a small patch of brightly lit football field.
A black-and-white football came flying toward them.
Qin Qiechu, panting heavily, glared at them.
From the crowd, Fang Sulun stepped forward slowly. He glanced back at his own teammates, then turned to face them.
He said, “Why wait for next time? Now is just fine. Hongjing No. 8 Middle School, we’ve heard you’re strong. Care for a match?”
Chapter 130: Epilogue
Staff began removing the trophy.
The pitch revealed its original vibrant green turf and the center circle for kickoff.
In the stands, most students stood up, preparing to line up and leave. They had already finished their snacks and drinks—even if they hadn’t watched a match, the spring outing to the stadium was well worth it.
A girl behind tapped the shoulder of the person in front, asking him to pick up a small flag that had fallen on the ground.The southwest monsoon approached the lengthy coastline, a wind heralding the arrival of spring.
Players from both teams rushed out of the tunnel again, not forming complete lines, all seeming somewhat impatient.
The youths from Hongjing No. 8 Middle School carried out towels and water, tossed them into the rest area, and immediately began their pre-match warm-up.
Meanwhile, the players from Yongchuan Evergrande dashed across the field, tidying the pitch.
Head referee Chen Weiming led his team toward the restroom when two young players in different uniforms suddenly stopped them.
Upon hearing the players’ request, the two assistant referees thought they had misheard and promptly refused.
The wind swept across plains and hills, rivers and lakes.
The young faces showed no trace of disappointment. They were determined to do this today, so they immediately turned and began discussing alternative candidates.
Watching the youths’ retreating figures, Chen Weiming pulled his hand from his left trouser pocket.
“Do you have plans later?” he asked the other two referees.
The assistant referees looked puzzled. “We did, but now we don’t—”
“Then you can have plans now,” Chen Weiming said.
Continuing east and south, the spring breeze crossed mountain ranges, turning vast forests emerald green.
VIP lounge in the stands.
Jiang Xun received a call inquiring about field usage. After a moment of shock, he replied without hesitation, “Of course, it’s possible!”
Head referee Chen Weiming slipped his whistle back around his neck and checked his watch.
Lin Wanxing followed Wang Fa, sitting side by side on the coaches’ bench by the field.
The freshly watered pitch was moist and beautiful, the vibrant scent of soil and grass invigorating.
Players from both teams took their positions near the center circle.
Fu Xinshu and Fang Sulun stood facing each other.
The stadium behind them fell silent instantly. Even the officials who had stepped down from the rostrum paused.
A silver coin soared into the sky.
The untamed spring breeze swept across the entire field.
In the stands, young students watching the match rhythmically tapped their plastic water bottles.
An older municipal party committee leader asked the football association official beside him, “Wasn’t the match canceled?”
The football association official smiled awkwardly and immediately made a call to inquire.
But before receiving an answer, the middle-aged man had already turned and climbed back onto the rostrum.
This was the home stadium of Yongchuan Evergrande Club, capable of holding 64,000 spectators. Here, a final match not for the championship was about to begin.
Home fans unfurled banners, beat war drums, and chanted synchronized slogans that echoed across the stadium.
Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting golden rays.
The southwest monsoon continued blowing deeper into the vast inland.
Wang Fa raised his hand, pointing toward the distant stands.
Lin Wanxing lifted her face as the afternoon sun shone down. Old Chen, Jiang Xun, the physical education teachers, Professor He… She listened as he named their approximate seating locations one by one.
Chen Weiming gripped his whistle and blew with all his might.
If the human heart is a seed buried beneath the soil, its thoughts winding like a labyrinth—downward into damp, fertile earth—then for some reason, there is always a force that breaks through the darkness, growing upward.
Wang Fa said, “On the first day I decided to become a coach, I read a book. Its opening line told me that a coach’s duty is to help win matches while nurturing athletes physically, psychologically, and socially.”
“Throughout my long career, the values of others constantly influenced me, making me almost forget what truly matters. But now, two things I am certain of.”
On the green pitch, the football shot forward like an arrow released from its bow."First, if there's anything more important than victory, it must be the courage to challenge."
Lin Wanxing turned her head, waiting for his "second point."
Wang Fa's gaze was clear, yet he remained silent.
Something was pressed into her hand.
Looking down, she saw an adorable origami frog sitting in her palm.
The blue lines of the practice notebook paper shimmered under the sunlight.
When teaching students to write their life aspirations, Lin Wanxing remembered she had once folded one like this and placed it beside Wang Fa's hand.
One fold after another, recalling the crease patterns from that time, she unfolded it with disbelief.
Inside was a densely packed wish list.
Beat up my uncle, lead a team to win the World Cup...
She had told the students back then to cross out their wishes one by one, to see which of the countless beautiful aspirations they held for this world they wanted most.
Lin Wanxing examined it carefully and discovered that Wang Fa had written with such meticulous care, and those heartfelt desires had ultimately been crossed out one by one.
Only one sentence remained.
Because it had been written for so long, the handwriting had faded, yet every stroke of that sentence was clearly etched into Lin Wanxing's mind.
It felt like being shot straight through the heart, the most ardent love drenching her entire being.
Peach blossoms bloomed, pink cherry blossoms flourished.
All the aspirations of my entire life could not compare to this one sentence.
I want to be with Teacher Lin.
" Narrow Path " • End of Main Text
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