Lin Wanxing did not participate in the swimming activity.
Although the students couldn't stay idle during the holiday, Lin Wanxing preferred to stay home alone.
In the evening, everyone's hair was damp, clearly having gone swimming.
They watched a classic football film together—"Goal!".
As winter grew colder day by day, the final round before the break concluded before the New Year with the following results—
Yongchuan Evergrande 12:0 Hongjing No. 8 Middle School
Shen Cheng Hai Bo 2:2 Yu Zhou Silver Elephant
The standings shifted accordingly—
Yongchuan Evergrande 9 points
Shen Cheng Hai Bo 4 points
Hongjing No. 8 Middle School 3 points
Yu Zhou Silver Elephant 1 point
For the students, earning 3 points and avoiding last place in the group was actually a decent achievement.
But they wanted more than that.
After Shen Cheng Hai Bo drew with Yu Zhou Silver Elephant, the dynamics of the group stage changed.
The group's dominant force, Yongchuan Evergrande, had already secured qualification, while Shen Cheng Hai Bo, with their players' excellent physical condition, sat in second place.
The top two teams in the group would advance. If Hongjing No. 8 Middle School still hoped to fight for a spot, their post-holiday rematch against Yu Zhou Silver Elephant would be crucial.
After all, Yu Zhou Silver Elephant was the only opponent they had beaten in the first round.
Because of the post-holiday schedule, the upcoming winter training became especially important.
With lower temperatures, blood circulation slows down.
Training in cold conditions helps improve players' muscle endurance and cardiopulmonary function. It also aids the cerebral cortex in responding more quickly to stimuli and the environment.
This was what the materials mentioned about the importance of winter training.
But actually stepping outside to train in winter required willpower and effort.
Hongjing is located in a mid-latitude region, with outdoor temperatures hovering around ten degrees Celsius.
The cold wind was biting. The students had switched to long-sleeved compression training gear and wore hats. Before training, everyone needed to warm up and stretch more thoroughly.
The turf had turned yellowish-brown, exposing large patches of bare soil.
Due to shorter days and longer nights in winter, training times were adjusted.
Lin Wanxing, during her usual commute, hardly ever saw the students training.
On a rare weekend, she bundled up early in her down jacket and arrived punctually at the field with Wang Fa.
The wind was even colder in the open area, but fortunately, it was a bright, sunny day. Wang Fa led the students through a thorough warm-up, joint exercises, and laps.
The cold wind cut like a knife.
Lin Wanxing, feeling lazy, thought about sitting for a while, but she couldn't stay seated in the stands. So she ended up jogging along behind the students.
Ahead was a silent warm-up squad, their footsteps in perfect sync, echoing on the dark red synthetic track.
If there was any change in the students these past few days, it was probably that they talked less.
The weather was cold—even bears hibernate. It was understandable that adolescent humans became less noisy.
Everyone seemed to be holding back a surge of determination, aiming to overtake during winter training and definitely defeat Yu Zhou Silver Elephant after the New Year.
The wind couldn't extinguish the fire in their hearts; everyone was bottling up something.
In winter, Wang Fa arranged smaller-sided scrimmage drills.
The students would experience more shuttle runs and changes of pace, but this also led to more frequent collisions.
Continuous defending and attempts to break through inevitably raised tempers. On a couple of occasions, Qin Ao's arm swung into Wen Chengye's face during a clash.
Wen Chengye, of course, didn't take it lying down and aimed a sliding tackle directly at Fu Xinshu's ankle. Fu Xinshu fell to the ground with a cry, and Qin Ao rushed over immediately.
Wang Fa blew his whistle and called a stop.On the pitch, Qin Ao confronted Wen Chengye but was stopped by Fu Xinshu.
To keep warm in winter, Qin Ao wore a black beanie, making him appear even more fierce.
Lin Wanxing jumped down from the stands.
"You know exactly what's wrong with Old Fu's foot, yet you still went for a harsh tackle. Watch it!" Qin Ao said sternly.
Wen Chengye had thin skin, and his face was flushed red from the cold wind. His gaze was icy as he stared directly at Qin Ao.
Just as Lin Wanxing thought Wen Chengye would retort, he instead cast a disdainful glance at Fu Xinshu, then turned around and silently picked up the ball.
Wen Chengye’s figure was slender. Though he acted as if he looked down on his teammates, in a way, this was a significant concession.
Qin Ao was taken aback and felt too awkward to say anything more.
During the subsequent training, Wen Chengye indeed refrained from making any harsh tackles on Fu Xinshu, avoiding any physical contact with him altogether.
Wen Chengye didn’t care about his teammates, but he cared about his football.
At least, that’s what Lin Wanxing believed.
After the confrontation drills, Wang Fa introduced a new shooting exercise.
There were many types of shooting drills.
This time, dummies were placed in front of the goal. The students had to coordinate their movements, passing the ball along designated routes before taking a shot.
Wen Chengye played as a defender. In most attacking plays, he was the one attempting to pass the ball to others and setting screens for them.
Today’s shooting drill was the "lay-off and shoot."
The sequence went something like this: A passes to B, C makes a quick forward run, observes B’s position, maintains the right distance and speed, and prepares to receive the ball.
After B receives the pass from A, he adjusts his body, controls the passing strength and angle, and delivers the ball to C, who then finishes with a shot.
In simple terms, it was a three-player passing and receiving drill. The tricky part was creating space away from the dummies.
Truth be told, it was a fairly basic shooting combination.
But when it came to teamwork, especially with Wen Chengye involved, there were always some strange issues.
Wang Fa had already tried to minimize conflicts among the students when grouping them.
Chen Jianghe, Fu Xinshu, and Wen Chengye were in one group. Fu Xinshu had a calm temperament, and Chen Jianghe was too cool to bother with Wen Chengye—this was the least likely combination to clash with him.
But Brother Wen was still dissatisfied.
As point B, Wen Chengye was supposed to receive the pass from point A (Fu Xinshu) and then find the advancing point C (Chen Jianghe). It was a simple process.
However, Wen Chengye had his own ideas.
After receiving the return pass from Fu Xinshu at point A, he dribbled past the dummy himself and then passed the ball back to Fu Xinshu at point A.
His move left Chen Jianghe, who had been making a quick forward run to receive the ball, completely baffled.
After receiving the pass, Fu Xinshu didn’t take the shot. Instead, he stopped and patiently explained the purpose and goal of the shooting drill to Wen Chengye.
Wen Chengye wiped his sweat with his sleeve, ignoring Fu Xinshu.
Lin Wanxing watched the interaction among the students from the sidelines. When Wang Fa’s whistle blew again, Wen Chengye began another round of "performance."
After receiving the pass from Fu Xinshu, he dribbled past the dummy himself and unleashed a powerful shot, sending the ball straight into the net.
1-0
Ugh!
The other boys on the field were stunned!
Qin Ao couldn’t hold back and kicked the turf in frustration.
Yu Ming immediately ran over, shouting, "Teacher, Coach, look at this asshole! He doesn’t even want to practice properly!""So what do you want to do, kick him out?" For once, Qin Ao was the one questioning Yu Ming.
"Boss?" Yu Ming was stunned. "Have you been possessed or something?"
"No, but what's the point of you shouting all this now?" Qin Ao retorted, a blade of grass dangling from his lips.
"So what should I do then, just keep it bottled up?!"
Qin Ao narrowed his eyes, watching the stubborn figure on the field, then spat out the grass fiercely and said to Wang Fa: "Coach, put me in his group instead."
Lin Wanxing looked at Wang Fa.
The young man nodded and made the substitution signal.
The shooting practice that followed became even more unpredictable.
Wen Chengye preferred orchestrating attacks, attempting passes from various angles, while Fu Xinshu and Qin Ao, as supporting players, coordinated their movements and set up offensive plays.
Shooting drills weren't particularly difficult by nature, but Wen Chengye alone managed to elevate this exercise to a challenging level.
This combination didn't achieve high success rates in scoring, as Fu Xinshu and Qin Ao often couldn't decipher what Wen Chengye actually intended to do.
Yet despite this, Wang Fa never blew his whistle to call a stop.
After watching for a while, Lin Wanxing crossed her arms and said to Wang Fa: "I get the feeling this is exactly the combination you wanted all along."
Wang Fa, with his whistle in his mouth, glanced back at her and only said: "Go put on another layer, aren't you cold?"
——
Lin Wanxing wasn't actually sure whether Wang Fa genuinely had everything under control or if he had some other plan in mind.
In any case, he didn't interfere much with the relationships between players.
He gave them space to freely choose and adapt to each other.
Whether they argued or clashed, he neither acted as mediator nor judged who was right or wrong.
In such an environment, Wen Chengye became even less likely to compromise. He lived by his own rules - football had to be played his way.
And so the football team continued moving forward, stumbling along, tolerating each other and gradually adjusting through their differences.
As year-end approached, most European leagues were in their off-season, with only the Premier League maintaining a dense schedule.
The nights grew longer, and after the students discovered one day that Wang Fa watched matches in the evenings, they started lingering around, insisting on watching games with their coach.
They called it "building tactical literacy"...
It sounded impressive, but really, everyone just enjoyed gathering together to watch football.
To accommodate their viewing schedule, the students even adjusted their class timetable, shifting some evening sessions to free up time for particularly anticipated matches.
Lin Wanxing sat in her room, organizing course materials for the next phase.
Outside her window, the winter night on the rooftop was bleak and windy. The surviving vegetables had all been carefully moved into the greenhouse.
Today it was Wen Chengye's turn to clean up after dinner.
Because Wen Chengye remained quite "solitary," none of the others wanted to partner with him. They'd rather fight over the dirty work of washing dishes, leaving Wen Chengye alone to handle the final task of drying.
Wen Chengye stood at the kitchen counter beside the sink drying bowls, his back ramrod straight, appearing utterly unwilling to yield.
The other boys crowded noisily into Wang Fa's room.
Through the window came the commentator's voice before the football match began, accompanied by the boisterous sounds of the boys jostling and chatting together.
Lin Wanxing watched curiously through her window at everything happening outside.
From Wang Fa's room came the whistle marking the start of the match.
Wen Chengye wiped his hands and, in an uncharacteristic gesture, craned his neck to peer through the window into Wang Fa's room.
This scene didn't escape Lin Wanxing's notice.By the poolside, Young Wen watched for a while, as if sensing something. He glanced back at her room, and Lin Wanxing smiled at him, though she wasn’t sure if he could actually see her.
Wen Chengye quickly turned back and continued scrubbing the dishes in the sink, seemingly lost in thought.
After a moment, Wen Chengye seemed to have an idea.
He set down the plate, took his phone out of his pocket, and fiddled with it for a bit.
He placed the phone on the windowsill, propping it up with a chopstick rest so it stood upright.
The screen lit up, and the same clear, forceful commentary began to stream from Wen Chengye’s phone.
While others crowded together to watch one TV, Wen Chengye had his own phone to watch.
He turned the volume up loud.
From her room, Lin Wanxing could hear the two streams of commentary, one slightly ahead of the other, both equally passionate, almost like a duet.
"Alright, we see the ball firmly under the control of Jesus now. Sterling isn’t playing today—he’s Manchester City’s only striker..."
From Lin Wanxing’s perspective, she could only see the small, bright screen of Wen Chengye’s phone by the sink.
Wen Chengye kept washing the dishes, not even glancing at Wang Fa’s room, as if saying, "I don’t need to watch yours."
This "never admit defeat, always strive to win" attitude amused Lin Wanxing.
"Manchester City launches another attack, the ball comes to De Bruyne’s feet..."
"Foden takes the shot!"
The two commentaries overlapped, with Wen Chengye’s phone stream slightly ahead. For a moment, the entire rooftop became noisy and chaotic.
The space instantly transformed into a mahjong parlor with many tables, where uncles and aunts all shouted "Hu!" in unison, creating quite the spectacle.
Soon, Yu Ming rushed out of Wang Fa’s room, yelling, "Yours is too fast! I can’t even enjoy the game properly!"
Seeing the boys about to argue again, Fu Xinshu quickly followed him out.
"What’s the matter?" Wen Chengye asked slowly, setting down the plate.
"You turned the volume up on purpose, didn’t you? I heard you refreshed the stream just to get ahead of us! So sneaky!" Zheng Feiyang accused.
"You could refresh yours too," Wen Chengye replied coldly.
"You know damn well I’m watching on TV!"
The sounds of the match from both the phone and the room continued.
"Stop arguing, stop arguing," Fu Xinshu hurried over, stepping into his classic role as peacemaker. After a moment’s thought, he finally said, "Wen Chengye, why don’t you come inside and watch with us?"
"Old Fu, shut up," Yu Ming shouted.
Just then, simultaneous cheers erupted from both the TV and the phone—a sign of a fierce attack in a football match!
The commentator’s voice quickened: "Alright, Manchester City suddenly picks up the pace! De Bruyne shifts to the right to receive the ball, then sends a long pass to the left. Foden immediately taps it into the penalty area—close call! Maguire almost scores an own goal, but De Gea manages to block it with his leg! Jesus follows up with a shot!"
"Quick, quick, quick!" Qin Ao yelled from inside the room.
The people by the sink outside immediately rushed into the room.
Everyone held their breath, unconsciously gathering around the TV to watch.
The warm, crowded space was filled with the tension of a breathless football match.
On the TV.
Manchester City’s striker Jesus took a direct shot in the penalty area without controlling the ball first. De Gea, who had already made a save, sprang up like lightning, stretching out a hand to push the ball away.
The ball bounced upward, struck the crossbar with a heavy thud, and flew out of bounds."Ah!" The boys in the room let out a collective sigh of disappointment, and Wen Chengye was among them.
The match resumed, and the atmosphere eased.
Only then did the students, who were either standing, sitting cross-legged, or squatting, notice that there was an extra person nearby.
Wen Chengye was still holding a dish towel, clearly having been called in by Qin Ao's shout.
Once discovered, he turned to leave.
Qin Ao, sitting on the carpet, looked up and glared at Wen Chengye. He was about to speak when Fu Xinshu nudged him with his foot, signaling him to move aside.
Qin Ao stiffened his neck and stared at Fu Xinshu in disbelief.
"Watch it with us," Fu Xinshu said to Wen Chengye, looking up. "It's fine if you go home a bit later, right?"
Qi Liang cooperatively shifted to the side, grabbing Qin Ao by the collar and dragging him along.
"Murder!" Qin Ao yelled.
But regardless, a spot on the carpet was cleared.
Wen Chengye stood frozen in place, holding the dry towel, unsure whether to stay or go.
Lin Wanxing stood at the door and smiled at Wen Chengye. "Do I need to invite you, Teacher Lin style?"
Wen Chengye: "..."
Reluctantly and half-heartedly, Wen Chengye sat down on the carpet in Wang Fa's room and watched the match with everyone.
Eleven boys were crammed together, making the room hot and stuffy, with no room to even place a foot.
Lin Wanxing stood and watched for a while.
On the TV, the camera panned to the stands, which were packed with spectators. "So many people," she remarked.
"Of course there are! It's Manchester United vs. Manchester City—the Manchester Derby!" Lin Lu exclaimed.
Lin Wanxing raised her hand. "I know 'Derby'—it's a match between two teams from the same city."
"Not exactly, but for Manchester United and Manchester City, it is. They're both teams from Manchester—one is Manchester United, the other is Manchester City," Chen Jianghe explained.
"Oh, I see. So, which one is stronger?"
"United used to be, but after Sir Ferguson retired, City took over. City's owner is super rich..."
"Does having a rich owner make a team strong?"
Lin Wanxing watched while occasionally asking questions. The boys answered in between, sometimes a bit impatiently.
Fu Xinshu said, "Teacher, aren't you going to sit down and watch?"
Lin Wanxing scanned the room. The reason she hadn't sat was, of course, because every available spot was taken by the boys—except...
Except for the empty space next to Wang Fa.
It had been vacated when Lin Lu slid down and squeezed in among the brothers huddled on the carpet.
Wang Fa looked relaxed.
Lin Lu signaled with his eyes for her to sit down quickly.
Lin Wanxing and her students stared at each other.
"Do I need to invite Teacher Lin too?" Wang Fa echoed her words, glancing at the empty spot beside him with a smile.
Lin Wanxing quickly waved her hands. "No, no need."
The students laughed.
They painstakingly made a path for her, and she finally squeezed in to sit next to Wang Fa.
Lin Wanxing asked the students, "The ones in blue are Manchester City, right?"
Chen Jianghe: "Yes."
Lin Wanxing: "They're constantly attacking. It seems they're really strong, huh?"
Lin Lu: "You're absolutely right, Teacher. They're probably the strongest team in the Premier League right now. Guardiola has been coaching them for years—they've got money and talent. United isn't playing well today; they're completely being dominated."
Lin Wanxing looked at the other players. "Is that so?"
The others nodded in agreement."Manchester City is really strong this year. Even though they didn't get Kane in the summer, with Guardiola coaching this squad, they can pass the ball right into the opponent's goal!" Qin Ao said with animated expressions.
Wen Chengye let out a cold laugh.
Qin Ao jumped up and chattered a couple more sentences.
Wen Chengye: "So you know they didn't get Kane. They can just pass it into the goal? Without Kane and with Agüero gone too, relying on Jesus alone to score - what are you thinking?"
Qin Ao: "They still have Sterling!"
Wen Chengye: "Sterling isn't a center forward."
Qin Ao: "What do you know? Have you even heard of the false nine formation!"
Wen Chengye: "That's ancient history. If the false nine really worked, Guardiola wouldn't have tried to spend 150 million on Kane this summer. Without him, City still has no chance this year."
It was the first time Lin Wanxing had seen Wen Chengye speak so much - sharp-tongued and full of confidence.
But just then, cheers erupted from the television.
The football flew into the net, the referee's whistle blew - Manchester City had scored.
The players in blue shirts excitedly embraced each other.
Qin Ao: "See that? When the forwards don't score, midfielder Bernardo Silva puts it in! Back when Barcelona's front line was all short players without a proper striker, they still won the treble! Football illiterates love pretending they know stuff."
Wen Chengye: "Winning this match doesn't mean they'll win the whole season. Guardiola overthinks things."
Qin Ao jumped up: "A goal is a goal!"
"Isn't City scoring enough to prove you wrong?"
"He's just being stubborn," Yu Ming said.
"Continue," Chen Jianghe also provocatively looked at Wen Chengye.
Facing his aggressive teammates, Wen Chengye couldn't be bothered to argue. He picked up a rag and left directly.
The commentator on TV continued excitedly weaving eloquent phrases.
The door slammed shut.
And the small room on the rooftop returned to the quiet of a winter night.
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