That was the first time Lin Wanxing gained a concrete understanding of what Wang Fa meant when he said, "I'm worth a lot."
Money is the kind of thing that gives tangible form to many vague concepts.
It’s like a row of shelves—some items are within easy reach, some require stretching on tiptoe to grasp, while others remain lofty and out of reach. They are clearly categorized and sorted.
"So much money," Lin Wanxing sighed, trying to pick up shrimp paste from the hot pot with her chopsticks. She tried twice but failed.
Just then, a strainer spoon slid in from the side and helped her scoop up the shrimp paste.
Lin Wanxing looked up. Wang Fa naturally placed the shrimp paste into her bowl, then withdrew his hand. The metal strainer clinked softly against the porcelain.
Lin Wanxing understood clearly: when Wang Fa revealed the amount of his two-year contract, he was explicitly refusing to stay and teach at Hongjing No. 8 Middle School.
"Actually, I don’t get it," she thought for a moment but still spoke up. "If you’re changing jobs, why not stay abroad? The football market is more developed there. Whether it’s for passion or personal growth, your original path seems better."
By now, the sky had completely darkened. Only two lamps hanging under the eaves of the rooftop were lit, casting a dim yellow glow. The broth bubbled fiercely, white steam curling upward, and the surroundings were utterly silent.
Wang Fa seemed caught off guard by her question. Leaning back in his plastic chair, the contours of his brows and eyes stood out sharply in the dim shadows. He spun his cola can once with his fingers, then lifted his gaze. "Teacher Lin seems to be treating me like one of her students."
His tone was detached, implying she was meddling in his life. Yet, upon hearing this, Lin Wanxing laughed.
"Quite the rhetorical skill, Coach," she propped her chin in her hands and looked at him. "You’re pretending we’re not close to avoid my questions, right?"
Wang Fa was visibly taken aback.
Lin Wanxing picked up the strainer and took the chance to scoop some shrimp paste for him. "My students are much easier to handle than you."
"What did you study?" Wang Fa suddenly asked.
"Huh?" Lin Wanxing was puzzled by the abrupt change of topic.
"I mean, what was your major in university?"
"Undergraduate was Applied Psychology, and my master’s focused on Educational Psychology," Lin Wanxing answered honestly.
"No wonder."
Wang Fa stopped there. Lin Wanxing had no idea why he’d asked.
Just as she was about to speak, Wang Fa raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to wait.
"Huh?" Lin Wanxing instinctively lowered her voice.
Wang Fa pointed to his own ear.
Listen carefully.
Nearby, the gas stove hissed as the flame burned, and the hot pot broth gurgled with bubbles. Further away, the city’s nighttime hum was muted—the sound of vehicles rolling over the road, a distant dog barking sharply, its cry piercing the night sky.
The night was quiet—too quiet.
It turned out that, at some point, the chorus of snoring on the rooftop had ceased.
Lin Wanxing pushed back her chair and stood up quietly. Choosing a path that wouldn’t be visible from inside the room, she headed toward her own place.
She grasped the handle and pushed the door open.
In the pitch-black room, pairs of startled eyes stared back at her. Their gazes fixed on her uniformly, like thieves caught in the act.
The students, who were supposed to be asleep, had woken up at some point.
Qi Liang sat rigidly on the floor, Chen Jianghe was frozen in an awkward pose, and Fu Xinshu bit his lip, his face marked with the imprint of the desk.
"Damn, that’s creepy!"
It was Qin Ao who finally broke the stalemate with a shout."Why are you awake?" Lin Wanxing smiled.
"Someone kicked me, so I woke up," Feng Suo replied.
"Teacher, what are you doing? Why didn't you knock before coming in?"
"Yeah, you scared us to death!"
"You woke us all up!"
The boys started shouting again.
Lin Wanxing laughed instead: "First of all, this is my house. Isn't it normal for me to come in? And... aren't you hungry?"
The boys sprang up from the floor and sofa like those spring toys often seen at street stalls near schools, rushing outside.
They shouted as they ran, pretending nothing had just happened: "So hungry, so hungry, so hungry!"
"Teacher, you and the coach ate without calling us!"
"On purpose, you sneaky adults!"
The students rushed to the dining table one after another, scrambling for plastic bowls and chopsticks.
Only Qi Liang was the smartest—he leisurely took control of the strainer first. When the other students struggled to get food with their chopsticks, a strainer slowly dipped into the hot pot broth and scooped up a large portion of fatty beef.
"That's so gross!"
"Damn."
It took a moment for the other boys to snap out of it, stunned by this move.
Young boys really recover quickly. Just hours earlier, they were exhausted like dead dogs, but after a short nap, they were full of energy. They found sitting inconvenient for cooking and scooping food, so they all stood around the table, surrounding the hot pot, devouring the leftovers at whirlwind speed.
Lin Wanxing held a cola, standing with Wang Fa by the balcony railing. The evening breeze brushed against them, and in the distance, the massive stadium was enveloped in the city's nightscape.
Though the students were fighting over the hot pot, they were actually eating absentmindedly. They pricked up their ears, trying to keep all movements as quiet as possible, afraid of missing their conversation.
Lin Wanxing found the sneaky students amusing.
Finally, after most of them had burped from being full, Lin Wanxing cleared her throat with a couple of "ahems."
Sure enough, the boys stiffened like small animals startled by a sudden noise, turning to look at her warily.
"What's wrong?" Lin Wanxing also burped.
"Why are you clearing your throat for no reason?" Chen Jianghe asked.
"Can't I clear my throat?" Lin Wanxing said, surprised.
"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't be so hesitant!"
"Yeah, yeah."
Lin Wanxing glanced at Wang Fa. The young man held an empty cola can, looking innocent now: "Is it okay?"
Wang Fa: "I'm fine with it."
Lin Wanxing nodded and looked at the students: "I don't really have anything to say, but if you have any questions, you can now speak freely, one by one in order." She said this to the students who were still fighting over the hot pot.
At first, the boys holding their bowls were stunned—perhaps eating really does slow down thinking. After a moment, they snapped out of it, first glancing at each other, then realizing they were being allowed to ask questions.
Just as the group was about to start arguing noisily, Lin Wanxing said: "One at a time, from left to right."
The first on the left was Lin Lu, who was more straightforward and blurted out: "Coach, are you really going to Yongchuan Evergrande?"
Wang Fa: "Yes."
Qin Ao slapped Lin Lu's shoulder hard: "That's a stupid question, and you just revealed we were eavesdropping earlier!"
Lin Lu: "I didn't say anything! I didn't reveal anything—you're the one who did!"
"Then what about us?" Qin Ao asked.
"Shouldn't you be asking, what about our teacher?" Qi Liang said coldly."I've said it before, I was just filling in temporarily," Wang Fa said.
"So you're really leaving?" Chen Jianghe asked directly.
"That's right," Wang Fa said.
"You're really going to Yongchuan Evergrande Club?"
"As head coach or in charge of youth training?"
"Head coach."
"Why did they choose you?"
"Because they know exactly where my strengths lie. I might not be that famous as a head coach yet, but I'm good at selecting promising talents under 10 and developing them until they're 18. Do you know what that means? Hiring me is like buying the future of a football team."
He stood in the darkness, his gaze steady. Coming from any young person, these words might have sounded like boasting, but Wang Fa remained composed, radiating strong confidence and a convincing, perfect aura.
Having been in this field for a long time, he had a complete set of explanations, making it effortless to clarify his work.
And the more specifically he answered the students' questions, the more real his departure became.
Lin Wanxing thought for a moment, trying to cheer the students up. "Comrade Wang Fa isn't leaving until after the National Day holiday, so there are still two weeks left."
The students, preoccupied with the competition, couldn't help but mutter.
"Two weeks won't make a difference."
"We can't really train much in two weeks anyway."
"We don't even know when the actual competition starts."
"In two weeks, if the coach is here, he can still teach you some small tactics," Lin Wanxing reassured them.
Perhaps because they had spent so many days together, with Wang Fa always appearing in the stands, the students had grown accustomed to feeling that their coach would always be with them. In daily training, Wang Fa's professional competence was so strong that they had become psychologically dependent on him.
So when Wang Fa clearly explained his departure, the students began to waver again.
"What about our future matches then?"
"Sigh..."
"Yeah, wouldn't it be better to just focus on getting into university?"
"I said it before—we should just quit. It's better to work in a factory tightening screws."
"Playing football isn't as good as tightening screws, but studying is a bit better than tightening screws."
They spoke one after another, sounding conflicted and lost. It was as if the strong support they once had was suddenly pulled out from under them, leaving them at a loss.
Lin Wanxing listened calmly to every word they said.
"I have a question," Lin Wanxing finally said, raising her hand. "If you won't play football just because the coach isn't here, then if I weren't here, would you still study seriously?"
The boys fell silent.
On the rooftop at night, Lin Wanxing said, "If the answer is no, then let me ask you—is there nothing you truly want to do for yourselves?"
OpenNovel