Volume One, Chapter 25: Plucking the Heartstrings

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Susan was already bent over between Jiang Ming’s legs. Now, following the direction in which he had leaned back, she moved closer, picked up the bottle of medicine, pressed it against his chest, and looked down at him from above, looking very much as though she intended to force the issue.

“That’s right, I’m going to meddle! Are you doing it yourself, or do you want me to help?”

As she spoke, Susan increased the pressure of the bottle against his chest.

The position grew even more suggestive.

A flicker of panic crossed Jiang Ming’s eyes, and his breath caught for an instant. But turning the tables was a compulsory lesson for any athlete; the ability to turn passivity into initiative when faced with adversity was etched into his bones.

In no more than two or three seconds, Jiang Ming had regained his composure. He stopped leaning back and instead straightened, moving his face considerably closer to Susan’s, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

“Are you sure?”

His warm breath brushed across Susan’s cheek, leaving a tingling sensation. Her face instantly flushed all the way to her ears, and she instinctively drew back. Her imposing air vanished at once, leaving only the stubbornness in her words.

“This medicine really is quite good…”

“I know. Thank you.”

Susan’s reaction warmed Jiang Ming’s heart. He no longer pressed her, merely taking the bottle from her hand before settling back against the chair. He poured out more medicine and rubbed it in himself, the slight upward curve of his lips revealing his pleasant mood.

With the distance between them restored, Susan had more room to breathe, but the redness in her face barely faded. She secretly cursed Jiang Ming for being a devil. Even the ordinary act of rubbing in medicine became sensual when performed with his long, sharply defined fingers.

Afraid that she might get a nosebleed if she kept looking—or lose control and reach out to help him—Susan hurriedly glanced around. There was little to see nearby; the most conspicuous thing was the wall. Remembering where Lin Tingyuan had stood in the corridor earlier, she walked over to it.

“Is Lin Tingyuan’s dormitory right next door?”

“Yes.”

When Susan immediately pressed her ear to the wall, her face full of anticipation as she tried to listen for any sound, Jiang Ming could not help warning her.

“The building is old, but the soundproofing is very good.”

As the athletes’ dormitory, the building had indeed been specially treated to improve sound insulation and ensure better rest. Yet the words “the soundproofing is very good” sent Susan’s thoughts in an entirely different direction.

“Very good soundproofing? Then could he have brought someone here…”

Susan’s brows drew together, but her eyes suddenly lit up as though she had discovered something extraordinary. The clever look on her face seemed utterly adorable to Jiang Ming.

The curve of his lips deepened. Almost without thinking, he rose, walked over, and gave her a flick on the forehead.

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“What are you thinking? Everyone only stays in the team dormitory during training camps. Lin Tingyuan cares a great deal about his image; he wouldn’t do something like that here. Just think about it—how many pairs of eyes were watching when you came in earlier?”

Rubbing her forehead, Susan glared at him unhappily. Wasn’t he supposed to be aloof and untouchable? Why was he always putting his hands on her?

Still, the smile that had briefly appeared at the corners of Jiang Ming’s mouth vanished in an instant, leaving his expression calm once more. Unable to find any particular emotion on his face, Susan could only say resentfully,

“That’s true. He is very careful. But I have plenty of patience.”

Since Jiang Ming had made the first move, Susan naturally refused to be outdone. When she saw that he had stopped rubbing in the medicine, she grew dissatisfied, pushed him back into the chair, stuffed the bottle into his hand again, and planted her hands on her hips as she commanded him from above.

“Keep going! Don’t stop! That was far too brief. What kind of treatment is that?”

Late at night, in a single-occupancy men’s dormitory, a young and beautiful woman suddenly saying such things to a grown man was undeniably liable to make the imagination run wild.

Jiang Ming drew a deep breath and stopped looking at her, concentrating on applying the medicine. Inwardly, however, he cursed her.

This woman really had no sense of propriety. She said whatever came to mind! Wasn’t she afraid she would never get married?

…

Ten minutes later, Jiang Ming finished massaging in the medicinal oil. Susan, who had been watching him the entire time, finally nodded in satisfaction and began gathering her things, preparing to leave.

“I heard you sustained this injury while doing extra training.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve interviewed many outstanding athletes, and they all have one thing in common: they work hard. Hard work is good, and extra training is important, but rest is equally important. Even a machine can’t run forever. Moderate rest, a little oil, and proper maintenance are what make it possible to work well the next time.”

“All right. I understand.”

Jiang Ming still did not say much, but this time his answer was sincere, because he felt his heart being filled little by little. He did not know why. Coach Li had said similar things, as had Wang Yining; even Uncle Chen had advised him over the phone. Without exception, all those words had gone in one ear and out the other. But when they came from Susan, he felt that he had truly taken them to heart.

“Master Sun of the Medicine King said to apply it once in the morning, once at noon, and once at night, massaging for ten minutes each time. You should normally recover within ten days.”

“Mm. All right.”

Jiang Ming continued answering her. His voice was gentler now, with a trace of helplessness. He had once again witnessed just how stubborn Susan could be.

At last, Susan took Jiang Ming’s jacket from her bag and held it out to him.

“Here’s your jacket. I washed it. Thank you!”

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This time, however, Jiang Ming did not accept it readily.

It was late March in Jiangzhou, and the night air was cool, especially after the rain. Jiang Ming glanced indifferently out the window before replying. His voice was colder than the air after the rain, carrying an emotion that was difficult to decipher.

“No need. I never take back anything I’ve given away.”

Susan paused, somewhat perplexed. Perhaps people with great ambitions simply did not care about such worldly possessions, she thought. Still, being refused with her hand left suspended in midair was awkward. An idea struck her, and she hurriedly added,

“How about you sign it instead? If you win the World Championships this year, I might be able to auction it for a good price.”

At that, Jiang Ming’s expression darkened further. One corner of his mouth twitched as he said coldly,

“I told you before. I’m an athlete, not a celebrity.”

With that, he raised his eyes toward the door. His intention to see her out was unmistakable.

“All right, it’s late. The celebrity treatment of athletes and the fan economy that comes with it are complicated systemic issues. We’ll discuss them another time.”

Susan pouted, but took the hint and left.

Only after she was gone did Jiang Ming take the medicinal oil Uncle Chen had given him from his sports bag. Looking at the two identical bottles on the table, he felt his heart being filled little by little. The coldness on his face gradually gave way to warmth, and the corners of his lips rose once more into a perfect curve.

Even the Jiang family had gone to considerable effort to find the white tea favored by Master Sun of the Medicine King and obtain the medicine in such a short time. Instinct told Jiang Ming that Susan’s background was far from ordinary. Judging from her understanding of food in recent days, she might truly be connected to the Su family. Once the championships were over, he would have to investigate her properly.

Jiang Ming took out the old, yellowed photograph and gently ran his fingers over it, sighing inwardly.

Who was she? What did she look like now? Even her back had grown increasingly indistinct, let alone her face.

Did she still remember him? They had spent only one hurried night together and had merely been passing strangers. It was perfectly normal if she did not remember. Could it be that he alone had foolishly held on to that promise all these years?

Susan… Could this woman, who inexplicably tugged at his heartstrings as well, be the girl from back then?

At the thought, Jiang Ming’s breathing quickened. Should he allow such a bold idea to take root? What if he was wrong? Would the disappointment be even greater?

He lifted his eyes to the calendar on the wall. The World Championships were drawing closer and closer. Jiang Ming put the photograph away again, a blazing fire rising within him.

It was time for the final push once more.

…