Two days before the knockout stage, Cheng Che did not touch his racket.
He took his parents and Guo Xin to Hang City for two days.
Qin Lie acted as the guide, and the route was planned out meticulously.
On the first day, we went to West Lake and walked around Su Causeway. Jiang Xue took pictures the whole way, while Cheng Jianguo followed behind carrying her bag. He complained, "What's so interesting to take pictures of?" but secretly saved more than a dozen photos on his phone.
Guo Xin wandered around with his phone, taking pictures of scenery, passersby, and secretly filming Cheng Che, then posting them all to Cheng Che's fan page.
Caption: [Let me show you Che Baby after the match, he's a hundred times more handsome in person than on stream.]
The comment section exploded instantly.
[Who are you?! Why are you traveling with Che Baby?!]
[Taking photos without permission is illegal! Send me the address, I want to report it... and also check out Che Baby.]
[This angle! This profile! I'm dead.]
[Sisters, calm down. This is Che Baby's brother; he posted a photo of them together before.]
[Brother? Just because he's a brother, he can have Che Baby all to himself for two days? I can't accept that.]
Guo Xin watched the comments scroll by, grinning from ear to ear.
Cheng Che was speechless, but he didn't stop him. It wouldn't hurt for him to solidify his fanbase.
It seems Guo Xin has the potential to become a leading figure in the online community.
The next day they went to Lingyin Temple and Feilai Peak, and in the afternoon they looked at the Republican-era buildings on Beishan Street.
Cheng Che doesn't feel the pinch when it comes to spending money.
He had 300,000 yuan in cash in his account, and he covered all his expenses for the past two days, including food, lodging, and transportation, even Guo Xin's popsicles.
Cheng Jianguo saw this but said nothing, only patting him on the shoulder as they descended the mountain.
"Son, do you think your parents don't earn enough and are deliberately trying to prevent us from spending money?"
"No," Cheng Che said, "I just want to spend money."
"Okay," Cheng Jianguo chuckled, "Then let's spend it."
The online uproar wasn't as big as people had imagined.
Cheng Che's advancement to the knockout stage did generate buzz, but it was quickly overshadowed.
Two top male and female celebrities' TV dramas are about to be released, and their fans are engaged in a fierce online battle, drawing all the attention of marketing accounts, trolls, and casual viewers.
Cheng Che opened Weibo and glanced at it, then breathed a sigh of relief.
Of the top ten trending topics, eight are about that drama, and the remaining two are celebrity gossip.
His entry was ranked twelfth, and hardly anyone clicked on it.
"That's good," he said to Qin Lie. "The haters are all going after the top celebrities now."
Qin Lie was driving when he heard this and smiled.
"You have a good attitude."
There has been some discussion within the tennis community.
A professional media outlet published an article analyzing Cheng Che's three group stage matches, titled "Three Playing Styles, One Eighteen-Year-Old Boy," which circulated widely among veteran fans.
One comment under the article read, "If this kid can really make it to the finals, this year's youth tournament will be really exciting."
But that's about it; it's still far from becoming a mainstream phenomenon.
Day three, the elimination rounds.
Early in the morning, Cheng Jianguo and Jiang Xue packed their luggage. Guo Xin also stood at the hotel entrance with a bag on his back.
"Play well," Cheng Jianguo said. "It's okay if you lose. Come back and rest. You'll be going to Peking University in September. Our family has produced a Peking University student; that's something to brag about for a lifetime."
Jiang Xue nodded beside her, her eyes a little red. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Mom can just watch you fight on TV."
Cheng Che smiled and hugged them, then waved to Guo Xin.
"Wait for my good news."
In the afternoon, Cheng Che and Qin Lie arrived at Field No. 1.
Field 1 is a size larger than Field 2, with higher stands, brighter lights, and a pitch of the standard of a center stadium.
Cheng Che as the top seed in his group, and given his popularity, the organizers directly assigned him to match number one.
Qin Lie glanced around the stands and said with a smile:
"The official channels really know how to generate traffic."
Cheng Che didn't reply.
His opponent today is Lu Yunxiao, a rising star in Chinese tennis.
Twenty-four years old.
He has already made a name for himself internationally, Champion several challenger championships and ranking among the top 150 in the world.
In the domestic youth tennis circle, he is undoubtedly a top player.
Lu Yunxiao walked out of the players' tunnel carrying his racket.
He was 24 years old, a little over 1.8 meters tall, with a lean build and smooth arm lines.
He has regular features, not particularly handsome, but he has a very steady temperament between his brows and eyes, like a stone that has been washed by water for many years, with its edges still there, but not sharp.
He walked to the corner of the passage and ran into Cheng Che, who was also waiting to enter.
The two exchanged a glance.
Lu Yunxiao did not speak immediately.
He stood there, tilting his head slightly, and looked Cheng Che up and down.
Then he spoke.
"Hello, Cheng Che."
"Hello, Brother Lu." Cheng Che nodded.
Lu Yunxiao smiled and praised him, "I watched all your matches, all three rounds of the qualifiers and all three group stage matches in the main tournament, without missing a single one."
Cheng Che was slightly taken aback.
"Your talent is truly exceptional," Lu Yunxiao said. "Your touch, movement, and power are all flawless compared to your peers. In your win against Zhu Junchi, your ability to return those outside serves with your backhand wasn't based on technique, but on innate body coordination. You can't train that kind of thing."
He paused, his tone unchanged, but what he said next sounded like he was paving the way for a junior.
"But there's something you might not realize yet."
"What?"
"You rely too much on your talent."
Cheng Che did not respond.
"However, there are too many talented people in this world," Lu Yunxiao continued without waiting for a reply, "But they're all behind me."
He looked at Cheng Che, smiled, and patted Cheng Che on the shoulder. "Keep going, I'll be waiting for you up ahead."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left.
Qin Lie, who was listening nearby, raised an eyebrow. "Is this guy here to intimidate us?"
Cheng Che watched Lu Yunxiao's retreating figure and smiled, "He thinks he's giving pointers to the younger generation... But I'd like to see just how far ahead he is."
He looked down at his hands.
Her hands are very beautiful.
Her fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, her nails were neatly trimmed, and her skin was flawlessly white.
Thanks to the [ Perfect Hand Cream ], his hands have become nearly perfect.
But at this moment, he felt more than just that it looked good.
His palms were burning.
He moved his fingers and felt the racket's weight in his hand was just right, as if the old racket had come back to life.
He felt he would be in good form today.
The loudspeaker outside came on.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the knockout stage of the National Youth Games tennis main draw. Today's match on Court 1 is one of the most anticipated matches of this tournament."
Lin Yan's voice came through the loudspeaker.
" Cheng Che, 18 years old, is the biggest dark horse of this tournament. He swept all three rounds in the qualifiers and won all three matches in the group stage of the main draw. He has a versatile playing style and outstanding intelligence. His opponent, Lu Yunxiao, 24 years old, is currently a representative figure of youth tennis in China."
Zhou Zhou continued:
" Lu Yunxiao is a well-rounded player with a solid baseline game; his serve and forehand are both weapons in his game. More importantly, he has played in many international competitions and has far more experience than Cheng Che."
Lin Yan added:
"Another noteworthy point is that the number of people who booked the online live stream for this match has broken the record for this tournament. Most of them are there because of Cheng Che, but Lu Yunxiao also has a considerable number of fans. This clash between the veteran and the new generation is indeed attracting a lot of attention."
A barrage of question marks immediately filled the screen.
[Go Lu Yunxiao! Go Cheng Che! I'll be happy no matter who wins!]
[ Lu Yunxiao is my senior; his character and sportsmanship are impeccable. Cheng Che, don't underestimate him!]
Regardless of who wins, I hope to see a great match.
Sisters! Keep an eye on the comments! Don't embarrass Cheng Che!
"Next, please welcome contestant Lu Yunxiao to the stage."
Lu Yunxiao walked out of the players' tunnel.
When he stepped onto the court, he first habitually touched his racket frame before walking to the center of the court and nodding slightly to the surrounding stands.
A round of applause erupted from the stands; it wasn't enthusiastic, but it was solid.
This is applause from veteran fans; they don't idolize celebrities, they only care about skill.
"Next, please welcome contestant Cheng Che to the stage."
Cheng Che came out.
The three passive talents, [ Stars Surrounding the Moon ], [ Sapiosexual Boy ], and [ Star of the Court ], are all active simultaneously.
His appearance instantly changed the entire stadium.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the roof, falling on him.
He was wearing that black fitted short-sleeved shirt today, which clearly outlined his shoulder line and waist.
His skin was fair and clean in the sunlight, his eyebrows and eyes were delicate and handsome, and there was a faint smile on his lips.
He raised his hand and waved towards the stands.
The female spectators in the stands went mad.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
"Honey!!! Honey, look at me!!!"
"He waved!! He waved this way!!!"
"I can't go on, my legs are too weak..."
The cheers grew louder and louder.
The audience members who were originally seated in the stands all stood up. Some held up their phones, some held up support banners, and some simply screamed.
Lu Yunxiao stood on the opposite side, watching this scene.
He looked down, patted his racket, straightened the strings, and his expression remained unchanged.
His coach whispered from the sidelines, "Don't let them get carried away."
Lu Yunxiao nodded and replied with a single word, "I know."
In a corner of the stands, two women wearing hats and masks mingled in the crowd.
Yan Ruanning pulled down her hat brim, but her eyes sparkled.
As she watched Cheng Che walk out and saw the cheers filling the venue, the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
Su Jianqiu sat next to her, also pulling down her hat brim, but her gaze wasn't on the court.
She was looking at Yan Ruanning.
"What are you laughing at?" Su Jianqiu asked softly.
"I wasn't laughing," Yan Ruanning stubbornly insisted.
Your smirk almost reaches your ears.
Yan Ruanning nodded, then realized she shouldn't have nodded and quickly lowered her head.
Just as she lowered her head, someone gently nudged her.
"I'm sorry," came a girl's voice.
"It's nothing," Yan Ruanning said.
They both paused for a moment.
Su Qingyue turned her head and glanced at her.
The girl was wearing a hat and a mask, but her voice sounded familiar.
However, she didn't think much of it, assuming it was just her imagination, and turned her gaze back to the court.
Yan Ruanning pulled her hat brim down another inch.
Su Jianqiu saw everything clearly from the side, her lips twitched, but she said nothing.
Su Qingyue stood beside the railing, her fingers gently clenched.
This was the first time she had seen Cheng Che play basketball live.
When I watched his live streams before, I always thought he played very easily.
But now, sitting on the sidelines, dozens of meters away, she could feel that sense of pressure.
He stood there quietly, not having started playing yet.
But the center of the entire stadium seemed to have already become immovable beneath his feet.
Su Qingyue suddenly remembered what he looked like when she first saw him at the flag-raising ceremony in high school.
The boy who stood in the sunlight, watched by everyone, is no longer the same person as the one before you.
At that moment, Cheng Che, standing in the center of the court, also looked down at his hands.
My palms felt even hotter.
very good.
It's time to begin.