Page 55
It's really... not exactly a violation of the rules that Ms. Liu brought the Hanke tribeswoman on stage.
"Liu Mingyue, you cheated!" One of the more impatient girls couldn't hold back any longer.
"What's wrong?" Liu Mingyue said smugly, "The rules don't say that Hanke tribeswoman can't participate. His Majesty is currently on good terms with the Hanke tribeswoman. What, do you have a problem with the Hanke tribeswoman?"
"You..."
"Alright, alright." Shen Lantang patted the girl's shoulder:
"We're not afraid of someone else; Cuju is all about technique."
"Snort."
Everyone then returned to their places.
This newly arrived Hanke tribeswoman was quite capable; she was fast and large, and her charge was intimidating. No one dared to face her head-on, and in the blink of an eye, she had kicked two balls at them.
Liu Mingyue: "So, are you going to admit defeat?!"
"Hmph, you cheating cheapskate!"
On the other side, the Hanke Tribe girl got the ball again. She ran aggressively towards the opposite half of the court. One of the girls who was originally guarding her was beaten several times by her and was hesitant and timid.
"Let me--"
Shen Lantang emerged from the side, hooking the ball that was just on the other side with a side kick and a sweeping back pass. Then, she passed the ball to her teammate with her shoulder, instantly changing the direction of the attack.
"Well!"
The audience cheered.
"That Xie Shenshi!"
Liu Mingyue was so angry she wanted to bite back, and yelled at the Hanke tribeswoman, "Get the ball back!"
But it was too late; a clever header sent the ball straight over the goal.
"Well done, well done!"
Everyone high-fived Shen Lantang, and Liu Mingyue said, "... Don't be so smug!"
The ball was returned to the net several times, and the score remained close, with both sides giving it their all to defeat the other.
Before long, the ball was in Shen Lantang's hands. She skillfully juggled the ball with her feet. Liu Mingyue was defending her. Just as Shen Lantang was about to pass the ball, Liu Mingyue cried out "Ouch!" and fell towards her. Shen Lantang was startled and instinctively turned her body to avoid it. A figure appeared from the side and snatched the ball from her.
Liu Mingyue glanced at her smugly.
Shen Lantang laughed in exasperation: Is this how you play the game?
The two teams chased each other relentlessly, neither giving an inch. Perhaps bad luck comes with bad deeds, because the opposing team missed the shot. The ball spun around and landed back on the Hanke tribeswoman, who was being defended by Shen Lantang.
Seeing history about to repeat itself, Liu Mingyue shouted anxiously, "Don't let her steal the ball! Pass the ball, pass the ball!"
Perhaps Liu Mingyue's voice was too loud, because the girl suddenly stiffened, kicked the ball hard with one foot, and the ball went straight across the halfway point and headed straight for the stands.
"Ah!"
The audience gasped in surprise, and two maids rushed forward to protect the Princess Princess. A figure flashed past, and the man leaped lightly, landing with the ball in his hand.
"Football is fun, but don't let your emotions get the better of you."
He threw the ball back onto the field.
Shen Lantang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw someone block the ball, but her heart jumped again after she saw the person's face clearly.
"Xie Jin?"
Who else could it be but Xie Jin?
"Xie Jin?" Madam Xie stood up and said, "What are you doing here?"
"Madam invited everyone today, and I was transferred here to maintain order."
"Very good, very good."
Madam Xie hadn't seen her son for over half a month, so how could she not be happy? She called out, "Lan Tang, come here."
Distracted by the incident, Shen Lantang's impulsive anger subsided, while Liu Mingyue threw her handkerchief on the ground and said angrily, "I'm not fighting anymore!"
Fine, I won't fight then.
Shen Lantang raised an eyebrow and followed the others off the field. Although she was annoyed at times, she ultimately won. Shen Lantang, beaming with pride, walked up to Xie Jin:
"Why is my lord here?"
Xie Jin explained again, "The city is short-handed, so Madam invited me here today to maintain order."
Shen Lantang recalled the gossip Lan Xin Baozhu had told her these past few days about "Mystic Temple being smashed again" and "many soldiers going up there." She guessed that quite a few people from the city's Public Security Office had gone to Mystic Temple, so much so that they had to draw manpower from outside the city.
As Shen Lantang's mind raced, Xie Jin was also observing her. Her outfit was dashing and heroic, and her performance on the field just now was quite different from usual.
Shen Lantang felt awkward under his gaze and was about to speak when she heard him say, "It's very beautiful."
Shen Lantang: Huh?
"Ah, thank you."
"..." Shen Lantang shook her head to calm herself down. She smiled knowingly and said softly:
"My lord, I'll go change my clothes first."
"Okay, go ahead."
After a quick bath and change, Shen Lantang returned. As expected, Madam Xie and Xie Jin were still waiting for her in the same spot. Upon seeing her return, several people looked at her. Madam Xie smiled and stood up.
"Jin'er, you didn't come back during your last day off. Why don't you spend some time with Lan Tang today?"
The others also wisely left, leaving only Shen and Xie.
Shen Lantang felt that this scene was like high school students secretly dating behind their teachers' backs, and then being covered up by classmates. She felt extremely awkward. She wondered why she would think of this. First of all, no high school student is almost twenty years old.
She composed herself, her beautiful eyes brimming as she looked at Xie Jin: "My lord, shall we take a walk together?"
Xie Jin glanced at the woman's reddened ears, a subtle feeling stirring within him.
"Good."
The two then took a walk around the lake.
"During your last holiday, Mother wrote to say you went on a trip. Where did you go?"
"We spent the day playing at a farm in the nearby mountains outside the city."
"I see. That's good. Mother worries about things at home all day, so going out for a walk occasionally can help her relax."
"Yes, both Father and Mother are very happy."