Chapter 30: CH 30

The next day, at Light3 club’s third floor.

Fifty players were neatly lined up in the training hall.

Lin Yuyan also came. He raised his trembling hand to greet Meng Hu, who was reluctantly standing in the middle of the group, covering his eyes in despair.

Yesterday, Lin Yuyan sent him a message telling him that their plan was busted. He originally had a glimmer of hope, believing that Gu Yaoyang couldn’t guess that they were related to the plan, but in the end, he found out about everything.

Standing at the front of the team, Gu Yaoyang was tying a bandage around his hands. He glanced at the frightened players before turning his head to glance at Lin Yuyan, who was bustling around and preparing to sneak away if he hadn’t managed to pull him over.

Mr. Zeng also came. All the people who participated in Meng Hu’s plan yesterday were there.

Gu Yaoyang glanced at Meng Hu and asked coldly, “Is your training very hard?”

Meng Hu didn’t dare to say a word.

He looked at Fen Mao and asked, “Was the movie good?”

Fen Mao flatteringly smiled, “It was good, very good.”

Then he asked Lin Yuyan, “Do you know them well?”

Lin Yuyan hurriedly shook his head and answered, “No, we’re not familiar.”

Gu Yaoyang still kept a blank face, which looked very serious. He glanced at the time on his watch before placing his hands behind his back, “There are still two months until the league competition. I came here to test your skills, and none of them met the recommended standards. “

“Even if I reluctantly write a letter of recommendation for you, you’ll still have to roll back to me one by one in the qualifiers.”

“Forget competing internationally, you can’t even win a district championship in Linzhou!”

The training hall fell silent as everyone obediently bowed their heads. Lin Yuyan stared at the backs of the team in a daze. Only now did he realize that he still didn’t know much about Gu Yaoyang. He didn’t expect Gu Yaoyang to take his role as a coach so seriously. Even though he was young, he could still speak and act around these players as if he were an old coach with plenty of experience.

Last night’s confession also gave him a new understanding of the other. Although he didn’t know the reason, he was sure that Gu Yaoyang seemed to really like him. He wanted to respond, but he couldn’t, after all, until now, he still hadn’t sorted out his mind.

Does he also like Gu Yaoyang?

“Why are you still stupidly standing there?”

“Ah?”

He turned his head and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Lin Yuyan asked, “Is it your first time as a coach?”

Gu Yaoyang raised his eyebrows, “Why?”

Lin Yuyan said, “I thought you’ll only teach them how to fight. I didn’t expect you to…”

Gu Yaoyang replied, “Fighting is indeed the main thing I’m teaching them, but what should be said should still be said. You go back and pack your luggage first.”

Lin Yuyan asked, “Why should I pack my luggage? I’m not about to leave anytime soon…”

Gu Yaoyang crossed his arms in front of his chest as he said, “Then what were you thinking about when I was talking just now?”

Lin Yuyan honestly admitted his thought, “Nothing, I was just in a daze.”

Gu Yaoyang glanced at him and said, “Tomorrow, we’ll go out to play. There happens to be a scenic spot nearby, you can play there. Zeng Yi will also go.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Gu Yaoyang touched the box of cigarettes he hadn’t smoked for two days before pouring one out, “By the way, take mine too, will you?”

Lin Yuyan nodded his head, “Of course, I will, don’t look down on me.” He turned around and started to walk before stopping again. He abruptly turned around and embarrassedly said, “Just now… You were amazing.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah- You look cool when you’re coaching them!” After saying that, Lin Yuyan’s face became red as he hurried away.

After he left, Mr. Zeng came over and borrowed a cigarette. With a dog-like gentleman’s crutch in his hand, he called Gu Yaoyang to the window and looked downstairs with a smile.

Looking down, they saw Lin Yuyan exiting the building and walked on the snow with brisk steps, “He’s a good boy.”

Gu Yaoyang gave a casual response.

Mr. Zeng asked, “Do you like him?”

Gu Yaoyang replied as he stared at Lin Yuyan’s back, “You can’t see it, right?”

Mr. Zeng was gossiping like Sister Ling, as he asked, “Why do you like him? You didn’t have much time to go to school, right?”

Gu Yaoyang had always been straightforward in dealing with relationships, “I liked to tease him and ended up developing feelings, is it so difficult to understand?”

Mr. Zeng asked, “Then he to you…”

Gu Yaoyang exhaled a smoke ring: “It doesn’t matter whether he likes me or not. We are not from the same world, and nothing good will come out of it.”

Mr. Zeng already knew about Lin Yuyan’s background and got to know him further when he taught him how to draw these last few days, so he continued, “Are you sure? What if he wants to be with you?”

Gu Yaoyang shook his head. He gazed at the figure that seemed to slip away from him as he said, “He won’t.”

“He is stupid, timid, and slow, and dares not resist all the decisions his father made for him. His family cannot accept me, so he will not have this idea.”

Mr. Zeng replied, “Are you eighteen or eighty-one? How could you think so far into the future? You even thought about the ending before you even started?”

Gu Yaoyang raised his eyebrows, “Of course, I’ll think about it in the long run. If he can bear a child, I’ll even probably think about the name of the child.”

“Didn’t you say that there is no result?”

Gu Yaoyang glanced at him, “So I can’t think about this if we can’t bear any result?”

Mr. Zeng smiled, “But I think you may be too decisive. Did he give you a response?”

Gu Yaoyang said, “It’s impossible.”

“So sure?”

“He doesn’t have that courage.”

“You’re underestimating him too much.” Mr. Zeng said, “Let’s suppose he really gave you a response then?”

Gu Yaoyang chuckled, “Then it would be me who’s timid.”

Mr. Zeng understood everything: “So in the end, it is you who is timid.”

Gu Yaoyang didn’t deny his statement and merely hummed in response.

“Let’s make a bet.”

“Huh?”

Mr. Zeng said, “Just bet on whether he has the courage to be with you.”

Gu Yaoyang said, “No bet.”

Mr. Zeng said, “So cowardly?”

Gu Yaoyang wasn’t affected as he nodded, “He won’t give me a response, and I haven’t thought about that kind of future.” That’s why he confessed unscrupulously, because he knew that there would be no result at all.

Mr. Zeng said, “I think people should still have a little bit of hope and imagination about their future.”

Gu Yaoyang said: “I’m not an artist.”

“Just bet 5 years of work in the professional ring competition.” Mr. Zeng said to himself, and after he finished speaking, he took his crutches and walked away.

Gu Yaoyang didn’t respond, he stared at Lin Yuyan’s figure getting smaller before saying, “Okay.”

The place they’re going today was located in the northernmost part of Mostin, where there is a very remote small fishing village. There wasn’t a single tourist there, basically no one even if it was peak tourist season. There were only a few homestays and one or two restaurants that were average and perfunctory.

Lin Yuyan had already prepared for this trip for a while. In addition to toiletries, he went to the supermarket to buy lots of snacks, just in case they’d want some on their trip.

Just after packing, the bus to the club came. Lin Yuyan dragged his luggage to the driver and jumped into the car happily. He didn’t see Gu Yaoyang at first glance, but after searching carefully, he found that he was sitting in the middle by the window. Just when he was about to move, he didn’t expect somebody to already be sitting beside him.

Looking at the other’s yellow hair, he seemed to be Shao Zheng.

Lin Yuyan was stunned and raised his hand to say hello to him. Shao Zheng nodded slightly but said nothing.

“Hey, this way.” Meng Hu saw him standing alone and waved his hand enthusiastically. Lin Yuyan glanced at Gu Yaoyang again and walked over with pursed lips.

It takes about four to five hours to travel from the city to the fishing village. Meng Hu was quite the chatterbox, and he was also a fellow countryman from Linzhou. After the man opened his mouth, there would be no end to his chatter. At first, Lin Yuyan listened carefully, but after a while, he couldn’t help his mind from drifting away from the conversation.

Every now and then, he would look around the bus. Gu Yaoyang had already hung up his phone and was talking to Shao Zheng. The other was listening to him with his ears sideways, and he seemed to lean closer to him to listen more clearly. Although he didn’t put his head against the other, the distance was at most fifteen centimeters.

Aren’t you a bit too close? They should keep their distance even if they’re friends.

“Xiao Yan Xiao Yan, have you ever eaten ice candy from Ruifeng Old Street? It’s really my childhood memory. It tastes amazing. My mother brought me two packs before, but I ate them before I got to the airport…Eh- Where are you going?”

Before Meng Hu finished speaking, Lin Yuyan stood up, thought about it, and said, “I, I’ll go get a bottle of water.”

The mineral water was placed in front of the bus, and Lin Yuyan slowly walked toward it.

Suddenly a bottle of water was handed to him by Gu Yaoyang. He paused for a few seconds and saw Gu Yaoyang look up at him. He told him to go back and sit down, and not to casually walk around.

Lin Yuyan said “oh”, then returned to his seat and sat down, handing the mineral water to Meng Hu.

“You brought it for me?” Meng Hu quickly thanked him before chatting more vigorously.

After five minutes, Lin Yuyan stood up again. Meng Hu asked, “Where are you going?”

Lin Yuyan’s eyes fell to the back of Gu Yaoyang’s head, “I- I’ll go get water.”

When he came back, he deliberately stood in front of Gu Yaoyang. After a few more seconds, Gu Yaoyang was still talking to Shao Zheng. The distance was close to ten centimeters. He glanced at Lin Yuyan and said a little sternly, “Go back and sit down.”

“Oh…” Lin Yuyan frowned slightly and walked away reluctantly. He went back and handed the water to Meng Hu. Meng Hu said, “I have one.”

Lin Yuyan didn’t look at him, and said embarrassedly, “Then, then you drink more.”

Meng Hu blinked, “I don’t have a place to go to the toilet after drinking too much.” Just as he was about to continue the previous topic, Lin Yuyan actually stood up again, “You…”

“I, I’ll go get it…”

“Lin Yuyan.”

At this time, Gu Yaoyang turned to call him, Lin Yuyan immediately gave a “huh” and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Come and sit.”

Lin Yuyan said, “Then, what about Shao Zheng?”

Gu Yaoyang said, “Will change his position with you.”

Lin Yuyan asked, “Why?”

The man had quickly moved to Shao Zheng, eagerly waiting for him to leave.

Shao Zheng coughed and stood up to give him a place. Gu Yaoyang also moved outside to let Lin Yuyan lean against the window. He helped him fasten his seat belt, and asked, “Do you have ADHD?”

Lin Yuyan quickly shook his head and said with a smile: “Meng Hu is thirsty, I- I was helping him get some water.”