Lin Wanxing spoke with great sincerity.
The young man turned his head and gestured for her to look toward the field.
The sky was gradually darkening, and most of the lights around the field had come on. The students had already run several laps. Led by Fu Xinshu, they were preparing to do warm-up exercises by the sidelines.
The students moved sluggishly, still chatting and laughing in small groups, not at all looking like they were fully prepared to "dive into battle."
"You think they look lazy and undisciplined, not like they can stick to proper daily training?"
The young man neither agreed nor disagreed. He crossed his long legs and simply watched the students on the track beside the field calmly.
"But don’t you think this state is actually quite nice?" Lin Wanxing said. "If you really were a professional coach before, used to dealing with kids who are fully dedicated, train hard, and strive for a professional path, suddenly encountering a group of 'slackers'—wouldn’t leading them to a comeback victory be a fresh experience for your coaching career?"
"Not really," the young man said.
Lin Wanxing was taken aback. Just then, the young man’s lazy voice sounded beside her ear.
"I don’t know what misconceptions you have about kids, but first of all, there aren’t that many players who fit the adjectives you’ve assigned."
"Ah?" Lin Wanxing was suddenly at a loss for words, feeling like the conversation had hit a dead end.
"Also, I’ve already experienced leading a team to a comeback victory, so it’s not exactly new to me."
There was a world-weary tone in the young man’s voice. Lin Wanxing was stunned for a long moment before she finally said, "You’re so good at acting cool—can you teach me how?"
At the same time, Fu Xinshu jogged up to the stands. He reported that the warm-up was finished and asked the "coach" to guide the next phase of training.
"Keep running," the young man said, looking up.
Fu Xinshu seemed a bit confused. "You mean cardio training? How should we run?"
"Laps around the field."
These four words were succinct. A clear look of bewilderment appeared on Fu Xinshu’s face.
But out of respect for the coach, he didn’t ask further. Instead, he bowed, ran back to the other players, and relayed the day’s training task.
Lin Wanxing clearly noticed that the students stirred slightly upon hearing Fu Xinshu’s words.
Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance to the field.
Qin Ao, his school uniform slung over his right arm and his backpack hanging from his left shoulder, glanced up at the stands before reluctantly making his way toward his teammates.
Fu Xinshu was exceptionally delighted and broke into a smile.
Although Qin Ao wore an indifferent expression, he tossed aside his uniform and backpack and joined the others in a slow jog.
Lin Wanxing sat on the stands, watching them.
From the slanting sunset to the deepening dusk, as lights began to twinkle in countless homes, the field grew increasingly dark.
Most human activities follow inertia.
Unconsciously, the students had been jogging for nearly half an hour.
Their pace gradually slowed. What had started with laughter and chatter gradually quieted down.
Slowly, even the sounds of traffic outside the stadium grew faint, and the field became increasingly still.
It was as if someone had used an eraser to wipe away most of the surrounding background. The entire space was left with only a dim track, where one could see the steady rhythm of moving feet and hear the soft friction of soles against the ground.
Thump-thump… thump-thump…Lin Wanxing also fell into silence. When she snapped back to reality and glanced at her phone, it was almost 7:30.
She instinctively looked beside her. The young man was still watching the field with the meditative posture of an old monk, showing no intention of calling a stop.
Just as Lin Wanxing realized this, the students on the field seemed to sense it too. Someone tugged at Fu Xinshu and said something.
Young Fu looked toward the stands, thought for a moment, and ran over to them.
After the long run, Young Fu’s face was flushed red, drenched in sweat, and he looked utterly exhausted.
Breathing slightly heavily, he asked, "Coach, should we keep running?"
"Keep going," the young man replied, somewhat casually.
Fu Xinshu was taken aback again. "About how much longer do we have to run?"
"If I tell you how much longer, it defeats the purpose of the training," the young man said.
Fu Xinshu was at a loss for words. Still, trusting his coach, he bowed slightly and jogged back to the field.
The students on the field were all waiting for Fu Xinshu.
Hearing the answer, some instinctively continued running, while others seemed slightly displeased.
But the soccer players were naturally in decent physical shape, and since it was just an unrestricted slow run, everyone started running again.
Thump, thump... thump, thump...
The running line on the track grew slower and slower. Some even "slacked off," clearly dragging behind.
The night breeze grew colder, and Lin Wanxing felt a hollow rumble in her stomach.
She rubbed her belly and glanced at the young man beside her before quietly pulling a bag of crispy snacks from her bag.
The young man remained calmly focused on the track but, sensing her gaze, glanced her way.
"Can you promise me one thing?" Lin Wanxing said slowly.
"Go ahead."
"One bag of snacks—my snacks—I should get two-thirds, and you get one-third," Lin Wanxing said, gripping the bag's opening.
"Is this your 'fighting effort'?" the young man asked.
Lin Wanxing froze, realizing he was referring to her declaration about "fighting to invite him as a coach." After a moment's thought, she conceded, "Fine, half and half. Let fairness show my sincerity."
"Then open it and count them."
Hearing this, Lin Wanxing opened the bag. But since it was already dark, she had to pour them out to count.
She gestured for the young man to hold out his hand, intending to pour just a little to fudge the count. However, the bag's opening was too wide, and with a rustle, she ended up pouring out more than half.
"Thanks." Quick as a flash, in the dim light, the young man cupped the crispy snacks and started eating them on his own, with no intention of counting out half.
Lin Wanxing immediately realized she’d been tricked again. But as a future boss trying to make an effort, she could only say sternly, "I’m telling you, I’ll deduct it from your salary!"
"Suit yourself," the young man said between bites of the crunchy snack.
Perhaps the sight of them leisurely "sharing" snacks on the stands finally made the students sense something was off.
Some students began walking, while others nudged Fu Xinshu, urging him to ask again.
Fu Xinshu already looked exhausted as he ran up to the stands for the third time. This time, standing behind Young Fu were his "loyal followers"—the rebellious Qin Ao and Chen Jianghe."You made us run for so long, what exactly do you mean by this?" Qin Ao panted heavily, drenched in sweat, as he demanded an answer.
"Nothing much," the young man replied casually while munching on snacks.
This seemingly dismissive attitude clearly angered Qin Ao. The young man roared furiously, "So we're just training like this today?"
"Yes, just this."
"What’s the point of such long, slow running? It’s useless for improving our physical fitness," Chen Jianghe said.
"Indeed, it’s useless," the young man nodded in agreement, adding, "Moreover, long-term steady-paced distance running can negatively impact your speed and explosiveness."
"Damn it, you never intended to train us properly, did you?" Qin Ao was outraged upon hearing this.
He seemed on the verge of throwing a punch again but, for some reason, restrained himself.
Qin Ao flung his hand down abruptly and turned to leave.
It was only then that Lin Wanxing noticed the other students had gathered around the bleachers where they were sitting.
"Coach, are you torturing us?" asked Feng Suo, the gatekeeper.
The boy looked as if he had been fished out of water, wiping sweat from his face with a splash.
"Feels like a movie, has that vibe," Qi Liang remarked.
"Even if it’s just once, isn’t long-distance running still torture?"
"Then why did you arrange this slow-running training?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"Well, I’ve been waiting for you to ask that question," the young man said. "But why didn’t anyone ask me before we started training?"
His words silenced the area around the bleachers. The students exchanged glances, their expressions filled with confusion and bewilderment.
After a moment of hesitation, Fu Xinshu stepped forward and admitted, "It’s my fault, Coach. I didn’t clarify things properly."
"In my book, if my players follow any instruction without thinking for themselves, it’s a crime."
The young man’s voice wasn’t cold, nor did his expression appear particularly calm. Yet, under the dim light of the night and the faint glow from the field, his words carried a stern weight.
This was perhaps entirely different from any training experience the students had ever had. They grew so quiet that even their breathing softened, listening intently.
"I want you to train with your brains engaged—not blindly obeying the coach’s authority, but understanding the purpose behind every session. Most importantly, learn to ask questions."
"Then, Coach, can we have some of your Bugles?" Qi Liang’s voice broke the silence.
"Not mine, but you can have hers," the young man replied.
Lin Wanxing: "???"
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