It was the training ground where practice had already begun, with a warm and heated atmosphere even in autumn.
Qin Ao received the ball. In his view, Wen Chengye’s lack of movement was pure laziness—a refusal to run.
So instead of making a routine return pass, he dribbled backward, found an opening, and kicked the ball to Wen Chengye.
With a loud thud, the ball struck Wen Chengye squarely on the front of his shin, like a cannonball.
Wen Chengye jolted awake from the pain, his head snapping up as he glared furiously at Qin Ao.
“Are you an idiot? Can’t you position yourself?” Qin Ao yelled at Wen Chengye.
“He hasn’t played in a while,” Qi Liang interjected coolly, coming to Wen Chengye’s defense.
“The coach said to take it slow,” Fu Xinshu said, pulling Qin Ao aside. He turned to Wen Chengye and added, “For that position earlier, you should have moved to the left front to receive the pass.”
Wen Chengye turned his face away, casting a dark look at Fu Xinshu. “Who are you to teach me?”
“What’s with your attitude? You clearly didn’t understand what the coach just said. You can’t even read the tactical board now—useless and still barking!” Qin Ao retorted.
Wen Chengye’s face turned ashen, his fists clenching tightly at his sides.
Seeing the students on the verge of a fight during their very first drill, Lin Wanxing exchanged a glance with Wang Fa.
Wang Fa blew his whistle, cutting off the players’ argument.
He walked over to Wen Chengye but didn’t mention the earlier dispute. Instead, he calmly explained the tactical approach of the drill once more.
Wen Chengye, however, stubbornly pressed his lips together and didn’t respond.
Wang Fa then asked directly, “Do you want to try again, or should we switch groups and let you rest for now?”
Wen Chengye glanced at the other players on the field and decisively walked off to the sidelines, making his stance clear with action.
Wen Chengye’s exit also meant that Qin Ao and Fu Xinshu, who were in the same group, had finished their turn in the drill.
Qin Ao was deeply dissatisfied with Wen Chengye, feeling that such a useless player’s presence disrupted his passing drills with Fu Xinshu. But bound by the coach’s arrangements, he could only retreat to the sidelines with Fu Xinshu after Wen Chengye left.
The remaining players continued their passing drills in groups of three.
With Qin Ao and Wen Chengye no longer at odds, the field grew much quieter.
After Wen Chengye left, the players still on the field carried on with their daily training.
Clear, sharp lines and the crisp sound of passes filled the air as the boys ran across the grass.
They intercepted, dribbled past opponents, and controlled the ball effortlessly—with their feet or chests—accurately passing to their teammates and moving into space.
The boys were already accustomed to this process, executing it with seriousness and precision, leaving no room for hesitation.
After completing the set drills, they picked up their clipboards and jotted down notes.
Wen Chengye stood far apart from the others but observed everything intently.
Watching his peers move swiftly and pass seamlessly, he seemed unable to comprehend how they could coordinate so smoothly.
His expression grew increasingly somber.
“Want to give it another try?” Wang Fa’s voice came from behind Wen Chengye unexpectedly.
Wen Chengye turned abruptly to look at the coach but said nothing.
As if unwilling to admit defeat—or perhaps because no young man could easily accept mockery and ridicule from his peers—Wen Chengye eventually picked up a soccer ball and stood up.
—
After returning to the training field, Wen Chengye seemed to have figured out how to deal with Qin Ao.
He launched a long, sweeping pass, seizing control of the field and directing his teammates as if they were dogs at his command.Qin Ao refused to back down and immediately retaliated in kind.
What was originally a drill for transitioning between offense and defense had unknowingly evolved into a practice session for chasing long passes.
Wang Fa didn’t call a stop, allowing the training to develop in an entirely new direction.
Wen Chengye’s "victims" weren’t limited to Qin Ao and Fu Xinshu. Their teammates in the three-person group also had to "share the hardship."
When Wen Chengye made a long pass, Qin Ao had to sprint like a mad dog to chase down the football. Correspondingly, the defenders had to keep up as well, or they would fail defensively.
And when Qin Ao gained possession, he would return the favor with a long pass of his own. Unwilling to lose, Wen Chengye also ran with complete disregard for his image.
The players marking him were dragged all over the field. For a time, the calm and controlled passing on the field was replaced by a fierce, spirited rush as everyone threw themselves into the fray.
Theoretically, there was no need for them to be so competitive. But in that situation, none of the students wanted to lose.
They didn’t want to see the ball intercepted because they hadn’t run hard enough, and they certainly didn’t want to watch it fly out of bounds and be mocked by the passer.
Wen Chengye’s presence reminded Lin Wanxing of the classic "catfish effect."
Sardines tend to die from lack of oxygen, and the Norwegians tried every means possible to bring their caught sardines back to port alive.
Later, fishermen placed catfish among the sardines. Because catfish prey on other fish, they stirred up the tank, keeping the sardines restless and ultimately allowing more of them to survive.
Wen Chengye was much the same. He exhausted the other students on the football team.
"While honing their ability to deliver and chase long passes, the players also significantly increased their running distance and duration compared to previous training sessions."
This was Comrade Wang Fa’s summary statement, delivered before she left work, to reassure her.
Lin Wanxing didn’t really have any reason to worry.
—
In late autumn, darkness fell early.
When Lin Wanxing returned home from work and pushed open the rooftop door, a cold wind greeted her.
The rooftop looked bleak and desolate, and she instinctively pulled her clothes tighter.
The rooftop was unusually quiet. It wasn’t until she passed through the crowded little vegetable garden that she realized what was wrong.
Normally, this was mealtime. The students would be busy cooking or tending to the garden.
But today, they had completely given up.
Lin Wanxing paused.
The wooden sofa, benches, and old tires on the rooftop were all occupied by lying figures.
The students looked utterly exhausted, to the point that no one had even started cooking.
The light in Wang Fa’s room was on—he was probably showering.
Lin Wanxing set down her bag, her stomach growling with hunger. She hurried to the kitchen and lifted the lid to check the beef brisket simmering on the stove.
The aroma was irresistible, and the brisket was tender and falling apart. Lin Wanxing picked up a pair of chopsticks, wanting to taste it, but immediately met Qin Ao’s icy glare.
She could only offer an awkward smile.
"Teacher, are you trying to sneak a bite?" Qin Ao was sharp.
"Not at all, I just wanted to see if the meat is tender enough."
"Couldn’t you just poke it?"
"Oh!"
Embarrassed, Lin Wanxing poked the beef brisket.
Though most of the students sprawled on the floor remained silent, they were all watching her every move.
Lin Wanxing could only swallow her saliva and pick up the daily menu and chef duty roster hanging nearby to take a look.
So, who was supposed to be cooking today?
Flipping the page, as luck would have it, today’s duty fell to Qin Ao and Fu Xinshu…
Just like the football training groups, it seemed fate had a sense of humor.Today’s main course was tomato and egg noodles, accompanied by side dishes like braised beef, minced pork tofu, and cold cucumber salad. The menu had been prepared in advance by the students. While the beef was already simmering, the other dishes still needed to be made.
Fu Xinshu, unusually, had fallen asleep leaning against the wooden sofa, a blanket draped over him. Qin Ao was also in a half-dead state.
Lin Wanxing patted Qin Ao, who was lying in the hollow of an old tire pretending to be dead. "Chef Qin, no cooking today?"
Qin Ao let out a weak groan.
"Tired, huh?" Lin Wanxing laughed.
"Teacher, please don’t rush me. I really can’t cook today. Let me lie here a little longer, just a little while."
"Wen Chengye really has something," Lin Wanxing said with a smile.
Hearing this, Qin Ao seemed to remember something.
He abruptly sat up from the wooden sofa, suddenly energized. "Did we not assign Wen dog to the daily cooking rotation?"
"Hmm, it seems not," Lin Wanxing nodded.
"Then we have to slot Wen dog in. He can’t just eat without working, right?"
"You guys decide," Lin Wanxing said.
With her approval, Qin Ao clapped his hands and arranged Wen Chengye’s duty schedule.
"Cook dinner ourselves?" Wen Chengye, sitting on the outskirts of the group, suddenly asked...
"If we don’t cook, what will we eat? Will pies fall from the sky?" Qin Ao was furious. "By the way, we need to collect his share of the expenses."
"Yes, we usually cook for ourselves. Out of seven days a week, we cook six days, and on the remaining day, we discuss eating something else—maybe ordering takeout or going out. But since everyone else is pretty frugal, we usually end up eating on the rooftop," Lin Wanxing explained.
"What about lunch?"
"The lunch you had today was made by them the day before. Sometimes it’s made in the morning, depending on the situation. Mainly because lunchtime is relatively tight."
While she was explaining the daily cooking arrangements to Wen Chengye, Qin Ao also woke the other students, demanding a new group meeting.
Everyone was already exhausted, and since it wasn’t their turn to cook today, they couldn’t be bothered to discuss it.
Qi Liang said directly, "Just put Wen Chengye in your group. You’re getting a good deal—three people in one group."
"Why should you decide that?" Qin Ao protested. "Why not put Wen Chengye in your group?"
Qin Ao was indignant.
Qi Liang yawned and said bluntly, "Then let’s vote. Those who disagree with Wen Chengye and Qin Ao cooking together, raise your hands."
At these words, the rooftop fell silent.
The students looked at each other, but no one made a move.
Qin Ao froze for a moment, then raised his hand high. But aside from him, not even Fu Xinshu, who had just been woken up, raised his hand in the end.
"You cheated!" Qin Ao realized, glaring at Qi Liang.
"I learned it from the teacher. She did the same thing last time," Qi Liang said, rubbing his messy hair and shifting the blame directly.
Lin Wanxing raised her hand and said to Qin Ao, "Teacher votes for you, supporting you with both hands!"
"What good does your support do?" Qin Ao was fuming.
Just then, Wang Fa pushed the door open and stepped out.
Qin Ao looked at the coach pleadingly. "Coach, I can’t work with Wen dog!"Wang Fa dried his hair with a towel and comforted him, "The coordination still looks a bit rough for now, but I think there's room for improvement in your teamwork. Cooking is good—you can keep honing your cooperation."
Wen Chengye sat nearby, pursed his lips at their righteous-sounding words, and showed a hint of disdain.
The situation was settled; Qin Ao's resistance was futile.
After the argument, no one felt sleepy anymore, and someone had to make dinner.
Fu Xinshu started heating the wok, while Qin Ao naturally assisted.
He deftly chopped the minced meat and opened the package of tofu.
Wen Chengye stood to the side, somewhat unwilling to get involved, but he unconsciously drifted closer to them.
When Qin Ao turned around and saw Young Master Wen standing there, he immediately got irritated: "You're just in the way standing here. Can't you do something else? Go wash the tomatoes—you can manage that, right?"
Wen Chengye wanted to retort sarcastically, but the other students around him looked at him with hopeful eyes.
Wen Chengye sneered coldly, took the tomatoes, and walked to the sink.
While washing the tomatoes, Wen Chengye didn't cause any trouble; he washed them meticulously, even carefully removing every tomato stem.
After washing them, Wen Chengye brought the tomatoes over to Qin Ao.
Instructor Qin immediately ordered: "Dry the tomatoes."
Wen Chengye raised an eyebrow: "Is that necessary?"
"Do you even know how to cook?" Qin Ao said, swiftly taking a tomato, drying it, and then skewering it with a chopstick.
He turned on the flame, rotated the tomato over the fire for a while until the skin turned yellow and began to curl.
Qin Ao turned off the flame and effortlessly peeled off the cracked, curled tomato skin. His movements were fluid, leaving Wen Chengye stunned.
Qin Ao held up the chopstick, proudly showing the smooth tomato to Wen Chengye: "A wet tomato won't roast to this perfect effect. Now tell me, was it necessary to dry it?"
Wen Chengye sneered: "Making a fuss over nothing."
Hearing this, Qin Ao immediately turned his head.
Lin Wanxing, catching Qin Ao's glare, instinctively raised her hand: "It's because I don't eat tomato skins."
"Just so fussy," Qin Ao grumbled impatiently, but he still roasted and peeled each tomato one by one.
The scrambled eggs with tomatoes were served, and a large pot of noodles was drained from the boiling water. The beef that had been stewing on the coal stove all day was tender and falling apart.
Stainless steel basins filled with dishes were placed on the table, and the students wheeled out the TV, adjusting the channel.
At six o'clock sharp, the news channel's hourly broadcast began, marking the official start of their dinner.
The boys dished up their meals one by one as the news anchor started reporting the day's main headlines. The others, holding their bowls, settled around the dining table, chatting animatedly.
Wen Chengye was the last one.
As if possessed by a prideful refusal to accept charity, Wen Chengye served himself some beef and minced meat with tofu, deliberately avoiding the scrambled eggs with tomatoes that Qin Ao had just shown off.
Holding his bowl, he headed straight away from the table, intending to eat elsewhere.
Lin Wanxing gently stopped him: "What's wrong?"
Wen Chengye glanced at the news broadcast and said, "It's too noisy."
Perhaps finally finding an excuse to leave everyone behind, he said this.
"How could he understand national affairs? No wonder he finds it noisy," Qin Ao, with sharp ears, immediately retorted.Lin Wanxing explained to Wen Chengye: "We watch the News Simulcast every evening during dinner. From a pragmatic perspective, keeping up with national affairs helps with future politics exams and language expression skills—it’s like learning to recite poetry even if you can’t compose it. In the long run, watching the News Simulcast daily helps improve one’s political awareness and understanding, establish long-term goals, and become qualified successors to the socialist cause."
"Any other reasons?" Wen Chengye asked coldly.
"Well, honestly, it was exhausting fighting with them over the TV before, so I figured we might as well all watch the News Simulcast," Lin Wanxing said with a laugh.
Wen Chengye didn’t respond to that. He simply carried his bowl and walked over to the wooden sofa.
That evening, the rooftop was filled with the aroma of the students’ beef stew. Exhausted, everyone grew quieter as the meal went on.
The News Simulcast continued broadcasting the day’s events, its glow a soft, electric blue.
When the report turned to a major criminal case recently solved, Wen Chengye still lifted his head and watched the distant television intently.
Lin Wanxing took a bite of her tender stewed tomato, smiled faintly, and turned her gaze away.
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