Chapter Twenty-Seven

Zhang Yi’s parents hurried to the door of the operating room, anxiously seeking information from those present. Everyone affirmed that Zhang Yi had been injured so severely in order to protect his friend. Zhang Yi’s mother wept bitterly, her heart wrung with pain—if her son’s arm could not recover, it would mean a lifelong disability.

Chen Siyu was overcome with guilt; if she hadn’t called Xiao Jian and the others over, Zhang Yi would never have been hurt. She could have handled those people alone, but the numbers forced her to call for help.

All the surgical expenses were covered by Wang Feng’s parents, yet even without paying, Zhang Yi’s parents were torn with worry.

After three hours, Zhang Yi was wheeled out of the operating room, still under the effects of anesthesia. Everyone rushed to ask about his condition. The male doctor replied, “The operation was a success. When he wakes, please remind him not to exert his arm too strenuously, or he may risk amputation.”

At the mention of amputation, Zhang Yi’s mother nearly fainted. To think it had come to that—so long as Zhang Yi avoided intense activity, he would be fine, but whether he could accept such news was another matter.

Zhang Yi’s parents thanked Yu Xingyue and the others; without their quick thinking in getting Zhang Yi to the hospital, the consequences would have been unthinkable. But Yu Xingyue and Lin Zimo felt they had done little, only coming after receiving the news.

When everyone else had gone, Zhang Yi’s parents stayed to care for him. As the anesthesia hadn’t worn off, they could only visit again in the morning.

That night, the group chat was unusually quiet—no one felt like talking. Yu Xingyue tried to encourage everyone, reminding them not to let the gloom take over; Zhang Yi would recover. She said, “If Zhang Yi saw us like this now, wouldn’t he laugh at us?”

Yu Xingyue’s casual words gave everyone pause. Even Yu Li, who seldom spoke, chimed in: “Tomorrow, we have to greet Senior Zhang with a smile. We can’t let ourselves look downcast.”

After Yu Li spoke, the group began to revive. They discussed how to face Zhang Yi and how to tell him the doctor’s warnings. Would Zhang Yi accept this outcome?

The next morning, everyone reached the hospital early. They skipped training for the day, having asked Coach Xiang Tiannan for leave—she understood Zhang Yi’s situation but was unable to visit.

As they reached the ward, they saw Zhang Yi gazing out the window, his eyes dull, lost in thought. He was questioning his decisions the previous day—had he done the right thing? Was he protecting himself, or his friend? He glanced at his right arm, now encased in plaster.

Everyone entered quietly, greeting Zhang Yi in soft voices so as not to disturb the hospital. “Zhang Yi, we came to see you.”

He responded, “Oh, it’s you. You came to visit me?”

They noticed his tone had changed; the warmth and enthusiasm he once had were gone, replaced by cold indifference.

Chen Siyu stepped forward, apologetic. “I’m sorry, Zhang Yi. If not for me, you wouldn’t be here.”

Zhang Yi replied flatly, “It’s fine. No one can control what happens next. The damage is done; it can’t be undone.”

No one spoke. Yu Xingyue wanted to comfort him, but Zhang Yi stopped her—he already knew about his arm.

“I know about my arm. I can’t do any more activities with it, or I might lose it entirely. I know all this.” His words were heavy with despair. Zhang Yi was an athlete on the Tianyuan team; a blow like this could end his career, leaving lifelong regret.

Seeing Zhang Yi’s state, Yu Xingyue couldn’t bear it. If his arm didn’t heal, he would have to retire from the Tianyuan team, just as she had.

Zhang Yi wondered if he had any future at all—who would want someone with a crippled right arm? The discrimination would only deepen his sense of inferiority, making life harder.

Huang Feifan said, “I know this is crushing for you, but your most important task now is to let your arm heal. When you’re better, we’ll play together again.”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zhang Yi’s mouth. “I hope so. You all go out first—Xingyue, stay.”

Everyone looked at Yu Xingyue, nodded, and left, leaving only her and Zhang Yi in the room.

Zhang Yi spoke first. “I’m sorry, Xingyue—I don’t think I can go on.”

“What do you mean, you can’t go on? Don’t tell me you think you’re worthless just because of this injury. Are you planning to give up, doing nothing?”

Zhang Yi shook his head. “That’s not it. My greatest regret is not being able to compete with you all. Without me, you can’t enter the matches. I’ve let you down.”

“That’s all?” Yu Xingyue laughed, as if she had expected something worse. “You fool, no one is asking you to leave. As long as you focus on healing, your arm will recover. Don’t give up on your future. We’ll all be by your side.”

“Xingyue, have you ever experienced something like this?”

Yu Xingyue asked, “Yesterday, was it someone named Wang Feng who set people on you?”

Zhang Yi nodded. “Yes, why do you mention him?”

Yu Xingyue pulled down her right sock, exposing her right foot.

“Xingyue, your foot…”

Zhang Yi was shocked—the foot was crisscrossed with scars and stitches, the handiwork of Wang Feng. It was he who had once pushed Yu Xingyue from the second floor, causing these injuries, and Lin Zimo had cared for her for a month. Yu Xingyue had taken these scars as a lesson; if she ever crossed paths with Wang Feng again, she would repay him double.

Yu Xingyue explained, “This was Wang Feng’s doing. My leg took a month to heal. I wanted to teach him a lesson. He was my classmate, but I’ve never seen him since. If I ever do, I’ll make him suffer in hell.”

After hearing this, Zhang Yi’s tone changed—of course, Yu Xingyue hadn’t given up because of her leg. Instead, she’d resolved to repay the harm done to her. She was even the team medic. What excuse did he have to give up?

Ashamed, Zhang Yi said, “Thank you, Xingyue. You’ve taught me a lesson. I gave up too soon. Unlike you, who came back to the team as the medic after healing. Am I just too weak?”

Yu Xingyue patted her chest. “I was just like you once, ready to give up. If it weren’t for Lin Zimo, I’d be a wreck now. I really owe her.”

Zhang Yi then asked, “So, Xingyue, what exactly is your relationship with Lin Zimo?” He grinned mischievously.

“What’s with that creepy smile?”

“Come on, Xingyue. If my guess is right, Lin Zimo likes you.”

“How could that be? Who would like someone as ugly as me? Maybe a pig.”

“The way you say that, you actually like being cared for, don’t you?”

Zhang Yi’s teasing left Yu Xingyue flustered, unsure how to respond. Zhang Yi chuckled, his voice softening. “I don’t think you have any feelings for Lin Zimo, but it’s clear she likes you. I heard from Senior Xiao Jian about you two, and I guessed Lin Zimo really cares for you.”

“Do you have any proof that I’ll fall for her?”

“No, it’s just a matter of time. When that day comes, you’ll see I wasn’t lying.” Zhang Yi’s face returned to its calm expression.

After Yu Xingyue left, Zhang Yi lay quietly on his bed, gazing at the view outside the window. “I wish I could go out. I never expected Xingyue to teach me such a lesson—and she’s the team medic!”

As Yu Xingyue left, she kept thinking about what Zhang Yi had said—Lin Zimo liked her. She had never believed it, and now she wondered how Lin Zimo saw her, trying to distance herself from any rumors.

Everyone looked at Yu Xingyue. She told them Zhang Yi was fine and that they should go home, and so their brief visit ended.

Huang Feifan touched his right arm, thinking that if he hadn’t been so careless the day before, Zhang Yi wouldn’t have been hurt. He wished he could take on Zhang Yi’s pain.

Still overcome with guilt, Huang Feifan recalled Zhang Yi’s words that it wasn’t their fault, just his own misfortune, but he couldn’t let it go. He resolved to prepare a surprise to make amends once Zhang Yi was discharged.

Since they had the day off, everyone decided to visit Wang Tianqi’s house to have some fun.

As Wang Tianqi’s home came into view, everyone except Chen Siyu was stunned. “Is… is this Tianqi’s house?”

Wang Tianqi smiled. “Of course, this is my home. Don’t you believe it?”

Chen Siyu said, “It’s true. I’ve been here as a guest before.”

What could be said about Wang Tianqi’s home? Everyone knew her family was wealthy, but the reality was overwhelming—a vast mansion with a swimming pool, sports courts, and basement. The estate was as large as four football fields, and it took ten minutes just to walk to the front door.

“Well then, please come in.” Wang Tianqi opened the door, revealing an interior even more luxurious than the grounds outside—there was no need to describe it further; everything was of the highest quality and extravagance.

“You’re really rich. Please, accept my humble tribute,” Huang Feifan joked.

Wang Tianqi replied, “Enough, enough, that’s embarrassing. Just make yourself at home.”

Huang Feifan added, “If I really treated it like my own home, I’d probably want to touch everything in here.”

For a moment, everyone was speechless—just as Chen Siyu had said, Huang Feifan was a bit thick-headed. The others, though, just found his comments amusing and, out of kindness, refrained from laughing outright in front of everyone.