Qin Qiechu was quite eccentric, and Lin Wanxing didn’t know why she still used the word "eccentric" in this day and age.
But that didn’t mean everything Qin Qiechu said was nonsense. On the contrary, the young man’s words largely reflected his true thoughts.
On one hand, Qin Qiechu probably genuinely liked their grassroots campus football team and was surprised by their achievement of advancing to the Group Stage.
Everyone loved a dark horse comeback and an eighth seed miracle—much of the charm of competitive sports lay in this.
But on the other hand, he was proud and indeed looked down on them.
Young people like Qin Qiechu had likely started their football journey from a very young age.
He was exceptionally talented, with outstanding achievements, and had probably been nurtured as a key player by the Yongchuan Evergrande club since childhood. With strong individual skills, a good temperament, and a bright future, he was very likely to become a future national team player—truly a heaven’s chosen one.
Although Lin Wanxing was well aware that Qin Qiechu had the right to look down on them, she still felt regretful about it.
Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa lagged behind, walking side by side back to the locker room.
She wanted to say something several times, but seeing Wang Fa with his hands in his pockets and a calm expression, she couldn’t bring herself to voice any questions.
They reached the locker room door.
A loud "bang" from inside shattered their contemplation.
Lin Wanxing hurried to push the door open, but Wang Fa was quicker.
The locker room was filled with the smell of sweat after the match. The windows were closed, and the room felt like a powder keg that had just exploded. A laundry basket was overturned, and towels were scattered all over the floor.
Qin Ao, eyes wide with fury, was gripping Wen Chengye by the collar. It seemed the loud noise earlier was caused by Young Master Qin angrily kicking over the laundry basket.
Usually, in such situations, Fu Xinshu would step in to stop Qin Ao, but this time he didn’t. Probably because even someone as mild-tempered as Fu Xinshu was furious about Wen Chengye’s actions on the defensive line today.
Lin Wanxing had no idea how the locker room had turned into an explosive powder keg in the short time she was away.
Although, well, ever since Wen Chengye joined, Qin Ao had seemed on the verge of exploding every day, he had never actually resorted to violence.
But this time was different. If she and Wang Fa hadn’t arrived just in time, Wen Chengye would have definitely taken a solid beating.
Faced with Qin Ao’s rage, Wen Chengye remained unfazed.
He leisurely raised his eyes, his cold gaze sweeping over her and Wang Fa before tilting his head slightly, lifting his chin, and saying to Qin Ao, "Hurry up and hit me, why aren’t you doing it?"
Only then did Fu Xinshu snap out of it and shout, "Don’t be impulsive, Qin Ao!"
Yu Ming also came to his senses: "Boss, Wen dog is a troublemaker. Have you forgotten how he set us up before? If you hit him, who knows what he’ll do next?"
"Exactly, it’s not impossible for him to call the police," Qi Liang added coldly, wiping the sweat from his head with a towel.
The words "call the police" genuinely frightened Qin Ao.
"Damn it!" Qin Ao seethed with anger but couldn’t bring himself to let go of Wen Chengye’s collar. "Then what should we do? Damn it, he was deliberately messing up on the field today. Even the idiots on the opposing team noticed."
"What can we do? Maybe you should try punching him? Perhaps one punch from you will make him suddenly see the light and escape the animal realm?" Qi Liang suggested earnestly.Qin Ao’s fist, which had been gripping Wen Chengye’s collar, finally loosened.
Lin Wanxing let out a soft sigh, just as Wen Chengye’s gaze slowly turned toward her.
“Control your dog,” Wen Chengye said to her.
“You’ve been here long enough to know a little about me. I’m not the kind of teacher who controls students,” Lin Wanxing replied, picking up a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap, and taking a sip. “If you provoke him and he wants to hit you, then so be it. You deserve it, and he’ll have to face the consequences himself.”
“Heh.” Wen Chengye seemed utterly bored. His pale complexion stood out among the other students, and it was clear that the ninety minutes of running had drained the last of his energy.
A drop of sweat clung to the tip of his nose. He picked up a towel and continued wiping the sweat from his head, falling silent.
“Think you’re so interesting? Messing around on the field is fun, huh? Just get lost. What use is a waste like you anyway?” Qin Ao’s temper flared up again as he snapped angrily.
When boys argued, it always revolved around the same repetitive, crude insults.
Unlike the restrained atmosphere after the last loss, this time their enemy was Wen Chengye. There was no need for anyone to save face.
“Then I don’t understand why someone begged me to come,” Wen Chengye said.
“We don’t need you now. Can you just leave?”
“No problem.” Wen Chengye stood up, retrieved his backpack from the locker, and started to leave without looking back.
Fu Xinshu hurriedly grabbed him.
Wen Chengye’s gaze was icy.
In this situation, Fu Xinshu didn’t seem willing to lower his head and beg either.
“Coach.” The players finally turned their unified gaze toward the young man who had been standing by the door with his arms crossed.
On the football field, only the most authoritative voice could settle disputes and determine right from wrong.
“What do you need me to do?” Wang Fa asked instead.
“We lost,” Fu Xinshu said.
“Yes, we lost,” Wang Fa replied calmly.
Fu Xinshu opened his mouth but couldn’t find the words to continue.
“What the coach means, Fu Xinshu, is that you didn’t actually think we could win, did you?” Only Qi Liang could still speak in such a mocking tone at a time like this. “We were never going to win. What’s the point of you all raging at Wen dog?”
Qin Ao immediately retorted, “Qi Liang, you really are a loyal dog to your Brother Wen.”
“At least I’m a good dog, which is better than you, a mad dog,” Qi Liang sneered.
Yu Ming interjected, “Qi Liang, why are you taking sides like this?”
As the two-sided conflict threatened to escalate into a free-for-all, Fu Xinshu looked as if he had a splitting headache. “I’m begging you, please stop arguing, okay?!”
He raised his voice unusually loud, shouting.
The locker room fell silent instantly. The boys were all startled, and no one dared to speak.
Although Qin Ao was the only one who explicitly told Wen Chengye to “get lost,” the others more or less agreed that Wen Chengye’s presence had negatively affected them. Qin Ao was just the one who voiced it.
But did they really want Wen Chengye to leave?
Everyone knew that, for now, he was their only option.
Holding onto this feeling of helplessness and the necessity to continue working together, the boys, after a long and heated argument, could only sit back down in the classroom.
In this situation, Wang Fa became the one they pinned their hopes on to solve the players’ problems.
Lin Wanxing sat at a desk alongside the students.
The classroom lights were off, and it was already very late. The projection screen showed footage of the students’ afternoon match against Yongchuan Evergrande.The early winter night was originally quite chilly; one should have worn proper clothes and closed the windows. But now, even with the classroom windows and doors wide open, it was hard to dispel the stifling atmosphere inside.
Everyone needed to catch more of the breeze to calm down.
The match video played without sound.
In the dimly lit room, only thumb-sized figures could be seen on the projection screen.
The turf was a yellowish-green, the stadium seats a sun-bleached reddish-brown, and the dark-skinned boys were exhausted, chasing the football under the blue sky.
Pass after pass failed, defensive lines were torn apart and breached again and again.
The opposing players were spirited and confident, while the students appeared hunched and weary.
Though their specific expressions were unclear, the contrast between the two teams on the field was stark.
Football was painful.
At least, that was how it felt at this moment.
Everyone in the classroom thought so, except for Wang Fa.
Wang Fa’s pauses and analyses of the match were no different from last time—perhaps no different from the countless times he had explained things to his other young players in the past.
He would frequently pause, asking the students to think about what to do next, or what running or passing routes they would choose if they had another chance.
During these moments, he often seemed exceptionally patient.
But the students were always impatient.
As soon as Wang Fa paused the video, they would start arguing about who made the mistake or who was to blame for losing the ball.
“Where do you think the problem lies?” Qin Ao was exasperated. “Even an idiot can tell someone wasn’t playing properly. Who do you think that person is?”
“Qin Ao.” Back in the classroom, Fu Xinshu had also calmed down and tried to stop him. “Wen Chengye just rejoined us recently. We’ve only had a few days to adjust, and our opponents were Yongchuan Evergrande. It’s completely normal for us to lose. What’s important is to identify the issues during the loss and improve.”
“Are you deaf or what?” Qin Ao was equally frustrated. “Let me be blunt: replace him, and the problem is solved!”
Qin Ao’s finger jabbed toward Wen Chengye’s back, just as Xiao Wen turned around.
Wen Chengye’s cold, hard gaze fixed on Qin Ao’s finger, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Fine,” he said.
Qi Liang was also amused and angry, snapping at Wen Chengye, “Are you Qin Ao’s dog, so obedient? He tells you to get lost, and you just bark and roll away?”
The students descended into chaos again, resuming their endless, repetitive arguments about the match.
And while the students argued and bickered, Wang Fa stood there, the video paused, watching them in silence.
The cold light from the projector fell on his face.
Making it appear soft and bright.
——
The entire match review process, prolonged by the students’ quarrels, took much longer than expected.
By the time Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa saw them off, returned to the room, and finished showering, it was already past midnight.
The winter air was cold and clear, the night sky dotted with exceptionally bright stars.
Wang Fa, holding a towel and wearing the loose pajamas he only put on after showering, with a thick coat draped over his shoulders, sat randomly at the table on the rooftop, drying his hair haphazardly.
The electric heater was on, casting an orange-red glow.
Lin Wanxing sat down opposite him.
After a tiring day, they sat comfortably on the peaceful rooftop. The wind was a bit chilly, surrounded by the vegetables and fruits the students had planted. Lin Wanxing slumped over the table, not wanting to say a word.Wang Fa set down the towel in his hand, glanced down at her, and asked as usual: "Want something to drink?"
Before the match, she had also sat like this with Wang Fa, sharing two cups of hot chocolate.
Back then, Wang Fa had already foreseen the students' defeat today, but Lin Wanxing never imagined they would lose so badly.
She yawned, sitting at the table, swinging her legs. "Coach, after being in England for so long, don’t you have any special talents?"
"What specific special talents is Teacher Lin referring to?"
"I’ve heard England is full of heavy drinkers... What I mean is, besides brewing tea and making hot chocolate, does the coach have any experience with alcoholic beverages?" Lin Wanxing asked.
Wang Fa seemed surprised. "Teacher Lin wants to drink?"
"Well, do you or don’t you?" Lin Wanxing looked at Wang Fa expectantly.
Now it was Lin Wanxing’s turn to be surprised, as Wang Fa actually stood up and headed into his room.
The sound of the refrigerator opening and closing echoed, and Lin Wanxing watched him eagerly.
Thud, thud—two cans landed on the table. Lin Wanxing looked at the aluminum cans in front of her, then raised her eyes to Wang Fa.
"This?"
"The alcoholic beverage you asked for."
"Pineapple beer isn’t an alcoholic drink!" Lin Wanxing protested.
Wang Fa earnestly turned the can around, pointing to the 1.2% alcohol content listed in the ingredients. "How is it not?"
Lin Wanxing was speechless. She snatched the can indignantly, pulled the tab with a psst, and took a big, forceful gulp.
The fizzy carbonation bubbled, and there was indeed a faint, almost negligible hint of alcohol, but mostly, it tasted like pineapple juice.
"It’s so sweet," she said, setting down the pineapple beer.
Hearing this, Wang Fa stood up again, went back inside, and returned with a glass filled with ice.
Perhaps to fulfill her request for a display of special talent, Wang Fa even went to the students’ vegetable garden and picked two mint leaves.
He poured the pineapple beer into the glass, added some sparkling water, and finally placed two mint leaves on the floating ice cubes at the top.
The pale yellow liquid, paired with glistening ice and a touch of green, looked quite impressive.
The warmth from her recent shower hadn’t faded, and the heater was radiating cozy heat. Lin Wanxing picked up the glass and took a careful sip. Though a bit cold, the sweetness was just right.
Wang Fa’s gesture felt almost like comforting her. Lin Wanxing took another sip and said, "Coach, your skills are unmatched. You could open a shop!"
"Overpraising," Wang Fa replied. "I didn’t ask for a transfer."
Relieved, Lin Wanxing took a big gulp. The faint alcohol and mint flavors filled her mouth, washing away much of her fatigue and drowsiness.
Wang Fa, as usual, simply pulled the tab and drank directly from the can.
Lin Wanxing didn’t know when it started, but she and Wang Fa had fallen into a routine like this—every evening, they would habitually share a drink.
Although Wang Fa usually spoke in an amusing way, on nights like this when they sat face to face, he always seemed exceptionally quiet.
And faced with such a Wang Fa, she would unconsciously start chattering on and on by herself.
"I still feel quite defeated," Lin Wanxing said, holding the nearly alcohol-free pineapple beer. "My job has always been to teach the children to value continuous progress in the process, and that’s what we’ve always done. But it seems like all our efforts pale in comparison to losing a match."Although the alcohol content was low, Lin Wanxing felt a bit drunk.
She had once asked Wang Fa about the stability of the football team.
His answer from that time still echoed in her ears: Anything involving a collective with shared goals will inevitably involve arguments. How difficult it is to manage depends on one thing only—the team's results.
She used to think she understood this statement.
But only when her students erupted into fierce arguments after losing a match did she truly comprehend.
Results were always what mattered most.
She rambled on to Wang Fa about many things—how focusing on the process itself and the improvement of abilities, rather than just outcomes, was a fundamental principle in both educational psychology and sports psychology.
She explained Dweck's classic achievement goal theory and Covington's self-worth theory. Like writing a literature review, she laid out all the theories about personal development for Wang Fa.
She said that after categorizing human psychological tendencies, these theories all aimed to illustrate one point: No matter what you do, only those who focus on themselves and consider "Am I better today than yesterday?" can achieve better results and find genuine happiness.
Therefore, success should be defined as achieving process goals and surpassing oneself.
"We do this every day—so many plans and charts, hoping the students focus on the training itself and the improvement of their football skills. They complete everything diligently every day too." The more Lin Wanxing spoke, the more helpless and confused she felt. "But losing... just one loss makes all of this seem useless."
The gap between theory and practice was vast. No matter how much effort she and her students put in, it all seemed powerless against a crushing defeat on the field. The sense of failure could instantly destroy so much.
Finally, half-slumped over the table, she looked at Wang Fa and said, "I've been wondering—where does your pain come from?"
The young man pushed a soda can across the table, pressing the no-longer-icy can against her cheek as his response.
The cool metal, the damp condensation—some of it transferred to her face.
Lying on the table and tilting her head up, Lin Wanxing could see Wang Fa's deep, penetrating gaze under the moonlight.
"I didn't understand before," she said softly, "but now I think I'm starting to."
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