The moment Cheng Che walked out of the player tunnel, it was as if something had pressed the shutter of a camera on the center court.
Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the roof, falling on him.
He was wearing that black fitted short-sleeved shirt today, with the shoulder line and waistline perfectly defined.
Standing at 1.82 meters tall in the center of the court, his long legs were straight, and his back was as upright as a poplar tree that had just sprouted new branches.
He raised his hand and waved towards the stands.
[ Stars Surrounding the Moon ] and [ Sapiosexual Boy ] were operating simultaneously. His eyebrows and eyes were clean and white in the sunlight, with a faint smile on his lips, and his eyes were as clear as a sky that had just rained.
From the stands, the screams of female fans surged forth like waves.
" Cheng Che --!!!"
"Honey, look at me!! Honey!!!"
"He looks so handsome today!! Even more handsome than yesterday!!"
In the VIP section, Federer's eldest daughter was still clutching an ice cream cone, but her eyes were fixed on the court.
She tugged at Federer's sleeve and asked in English:
"Dad, who is that older brother?"
Federer smiled and replied in English, "A very interesting young man."
His wife turned her head, glanced at her husband, and whispered, "He really is handsome."
Federer nodded, his gaze never leaving the court.
In the third row of the stands, Lin Ming sat next to his girlfriend, holding a bottle of water, watching the stadium with a complicated expression.
Didn't you say you wouldn't watch it?
His girlfriend was holding up her phone, the camera pointed at the basketball court, too busy to pay attention to him.
"I don't want to watch," Lin Ming muttered stubbornly, "But I paid for the tickets."
His girlfriend ignored him and kept swiping her fingers across the screen.
Lin Ming leaned over for a look and realized that she wasn't filming Cheng Che, but rather the audience members in the stands.
Why are you filming the audience?
"I'm going to edit a video when I get back," his girlfriend said without looking up. "I'll cut together the audience's reactions and the footage of Cheng Che playing basketball. People will love that. It might go viral."
Lin Ming curled his lip. "You sure know how to ride the wave of popularity."
His girlfriend didn't reply, but her fingers suddenly paused. "Have you noticed? Cheng Che's female fans are all so pretty."
Lin Ming glanced down at her phone screen.
In the video, a girl in a white dress is clapping excitedly.
She has delicate features, fair skin, and her eyes crinkle when she smiles, like a newly opened flower.
Lin Ming felt envious.
Just as he was about to say something, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a figure on the other side of the screen.
The figure was in the crowd, wearing a dark hat, and slightly turned to the side.
Although I couldn't see the face clearly, the lines of the shoulders and the exposed back of the neck gave me a strange sense of familiarity.
Lin Ming was stunned.
Why does she look so much like Yan Ruanning?
Then he shook his head, finding his own idea laughable.
Some people online ship Cheng Che and Yan Ruanning as a couple, but most people don't agree.
How could an 18-year-old high school student and a 22-year-old popular singer be together?
"What are you looking at?" his girlfriend asked.
"It's nothing," Lin Ming said, looking away. "I must have been mistaken."
Over the loudspeaker, commentator Lin Yan's voice rang out:
"Welcome, everyone, to the men's singles tennis final of the National Youth Games. Today's match is between Cheng Che and Jiang Shuo."
Zhou Zhou picked up the conversation, smiling as she said:
" Cheng Che looked to be in excellent form today. To be honest, every time he plays, I feel like I'm watching the Beckham of tennis. If he were to endorse products, his commercial value would probably be far higher than other players."
Lin Yan chuckled, "Alright, alright, let's not get off topic. The competition is about to begin."
Cheng Che stood behind the baseline and slammed the ball to the ground twice.
He looked up and glanced at Jiang Shuo across from him.
Jiang Shuo was also looking at him, and their gazes met above the net.
Then Cheng Che serves.
An inside corner ace.
The ball hit the service area, bounced, and flew directly towards the advertising boards.
Jiang Shuo didn't move.
"Fifteen to zero."
In the commentary booth, Lin Yan's voice rose. " Cheng Che started with an ace! The ball speed was extremely fast, and the landing point was extremely tricky. Jiang Shuo had no chance to react at all!"
In the stands, screams from female fans erupted instantly; some held up their phones to record, while others stood up excitedly to applaud.
The live chat was flooded with comments.
[An ACE right from the start! This is incredible!]
Cheng Che's hands are burning hot today!
Jiang Shuo is probably stunned by the beating.
Jiang Shuo adjusted his position, preparing to receive the second ball.
Cheng Che served an outside serve, and Jiang Shuo responded with a forehand down the line.
That shot had a tricky angle and landed very deep.
Cheng Che moved two steps to the side, then hit a backhand shot, the ball landing on the sideline of Jiang Shuo's backhand side.
Jiang Shuo lunged forward, but couldn't reach it.
"Thirty to zero."
Zhou Zhou sighed:
" Jiang Shuo played this shot very well, but Cheng Che's anticipation and movement were terrifying. It was as if he knew in advance where Jiang Shuo would hit the ball."
In the first game, Jiang Shuo played quite well.
He held his serve in the fourth game and even created a break point in the sixth game.
Cheng Che neutralized the attack with an outside ace and a forehand down-the-line winner, then won two consecutive points to hold serve.
Throughout the entire match, Cheng Che gave Jiang Shuo no real opportunities.
In the second game, Jiang Shuo adjusted his tactics and began to use wide-angle maneuvers.
He no longer tries to push boundaries with Cheng Che.
He frequently went to the net, using volleys and overhead smashes to score points, and occasionally dropped a short ball to hook Cheng Che from the baseline to the net before hitting it back.
This tactic worked in the first six games of the second set.
Cheng Che's rhythm was disrupted, and his mistakes began to increase, with forehands going out of bounds and backhands hitting the net, resulting in him losing three consecutive service games.
The score is now 4-4.
Jiang Shuo's fans in the stands finally spoke up, and someone stood up and called his name.
A few comments also appeared in the live chat.
[ Jiang Shuo played smartly this game, not giving Cheng Che a chance to use his strength.]
[I feel like Cheng Che is playing too loosely this time, will he crash and burn?]
[Don't talk nonsense, Cheng Che is just observing.]
Cheng Che walked to the rest area and picked up a towel to wipe his sweat.
As he put the towel down, he glanced at Jiang Shuo across from him.
He was bent over, panting heavily, his chest heaving.
Cheng Che fiddled with his racket for a moment, then stood up and walked back to the baseline.
He walked a little faster than before.
In the first game of the third set, Jiang Shuo serves.
Cheng Che received the serve and launched a quick attack, hitting a backhand shot. Jiang Shuo didn't react in time.
On the second ball, Cheng Che increased his speed.
His forehand smash was like a whip, striking the ball and hitting the sideline on Jiang Shuo's backhand side before bouncing off the paddle.
Jiang Shuo stood there, not even having time to swing his racket.
On the third ball, Jiang Shuo served an outside serve, and Cheng Che volleyed it from the net.
The ball hit Jiang Shuo behind him.
On the fourth ball, Cheng Che hit a wide cross-court shot with his forehand, which Jiang Shuo lunged at but couldn't reach.
The entire game lasted less than two minutes.
Commentator Lin Yan's voice was trembling:
" Cheng Che Che's rhythm suddenly changed! He stopped controlling the landing points and started smashing wildly! Jiang Shuo couldn't keep up with this pace at all! Cheng Che only took less than two minutes to complete this game!"
Zhou Zhou continued:
" Jiang Shuo was already giving it his all, but after Cheng Che sped up, he couldn't even touch the ball. This overwhelming dominance was even stronger than in the game with Lu Yunxiao."
The screen was flooded with comments.
[Speed up! Speed up! This is Cheng Che's true strength!]
[ Jiang Shuo's expression has changed.]
This game was too brutal, I couldn't bear to watch it.
In the stands, Federer sat up straight.
His gaze followed Cheng Che's every swing of the racket, then he turned his head and whispered something to his wife beside him.
His wife listened, nodded, and also looked towards the stadium.
The third set ended with a score of 6-2.
Cheng Che secured another victory.
In the fourth set, Jiang Shuo could no longer keep up.
His footwork slowed down, his returns became shallower, and his serves lost the sharpness of the first two sets.
Cheng Che broke through and held on, taking a 5-0 lead.
In the stands, Jiang Shuo's fans had already lowered their heads.
Some people covered their faces, while others had tears in their eyes.
Cheng Che's fans all stood up, holding up banners and chanting his name.
" Cheng Che! Cheng Che! Cheng Che!"
In the final game, Cheng Che serves.
He stood behind the baseline and slammed the ball to the ground twice.
Across from him, Jiang Shuo was bent over, his hands supporting his knees, his chest heaving violently.
His knees were wrapped in bandages, and his palms were covered with adhesive tape.
His steps had already fallen behind, but his eyes remained fixed on the ball in Cheng Che's hand.
Cheng Che tossed the ball up into the air.
He didn't serve an ace on that ball.
He served a serve to the outside corner, and Jiang Shuo returned the serve with a block.
Cheng Che went online, Jiang Shuo lobbed the ball.
Cheng Che stepped back and unleashed a powerful diagonal shot with his forehand.
The ball landed a few centimeters inside the sideline, bounced, and flew out of the barrier.
Jiang Shuo lunged forward, extending his racket as far as it could go.
His fingertips touched the ball, but the ball bounced up and landed on the field behind him.
The referee announces the final score.
Six to three, four to six, six to two, six to zero.
Cheng Che won.
The entire audience rose to their feet and applauded.
In the commentary booth, Lin Yan remained silent for several seconds before speaking. His voice was somewhat hoarse:
" Cheng Che, the dark horse who fought his way up from the qualifiers, made it all the way to the finals and ultimately defeated Jiang Shuo 3-1 to win the men's singles tennis Champion at the National Youth Games!"
Zhou Zhou continued:
"From the qualifiers onward, Cheng Che was not favored, was questioned, and ridiculed. But he proved himself with nine matches, all nine wins, and six shutouts. He wasn't a dark horse; he was the Champion."
The screen was flooded with comments.
[ Champion!!! He's the Champion!!!]
[I knew he would win!! I never doubted it!!]
I cried while watching the finals, from the qualifiers to the finals.
Nine wins out of nine, six clean sheets. What kind of dominance is this?
Cheng Che, you're amazing.
In the stands, female fans hugged each other, their tears and laughter mingling together.
Some people waved banners with " Cheng Che " on them, some held their phones above their heads to record videos, and some cried out his name in the crowd.
Federer stood up from the VIP section.
He gave the field a thumbs-up and then clapped.
His wife clapped along, and his two daughters followed suit, clapping their little hands loudly.
Then Federer turned and walked toward the exit of the VIP section.
In the commentary booth, Lin Yan noticed this detail:
"Huh? Mr. Federer seems to have left the VIP section. Maybe he went to the restroom, or maybe there's some last-minute arrangement."
Zhou Zhou chimed in, "He must have something on his mind. But the scene of him giving Cheng Che a thumbs-up was captured on the big screen, and the audience reacted very enthusiastically."
In the stands, the audience watched Federer leave and began to discuss the matter.
Why did Federer leave?
"Are you going to the restroom?"
"No, I want to see him a few more times."
The comments section was also buzzing with discussion.
Federer left? Wasn't he there specifically to watch the final?
[Something might have come up; after all, he's Federer, he has a busy schedule.]
Cheng Che stood on the court, panting.
He looked down at his hands; his palms were still slightly warm.
Qin Lie rushed over from the sidelines and hugged him tightly. Qin Lie's eyes were a little red, and his voice was trembling. "Kid, you did it."
"Mm." Cheng Che patted his back, comforting the excited Qin Lie, "I did it."
The awards ceremony was held at the center court.
Cheng Che stood on the podium, a commotion suddenly arose at the exit of the players' tunnel.
A figure wearing a baseball cap walked out of the passageway.
He was wearing a dark jacket and holding a gold trophy.
Federer.
He waved towards the stands as he walked.
He had a smile on his face and walked with a steady gait, like someone who had planned to make his appearance long ago.
The entire center court fell silent for a moment.
Then it exploded with a "boom".
" Federer!! It's Federer!!!"
"He came out of the passageway!! He's here to present the award!!!"
"Holy crap! He was just getting ready for the awards ceremony!!"
Lin Yan's voice cracked during the commentary.
"Mr. Federer didn't leave! He went to prepare for the award ceremony! He personally came out of the tunnel to present the Champion trophy to Cheng Che! This is the biggest surprise of this tournament! Federer personally presented the Champion trophy!"
Zhou Zhou's voice trembled as he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mr. Federer, a twenty-time Grand Slam Champion and one of the greatest players in tennis history. He watched the entire match from the VIP seats today, and then he personally came down to present the award to Cheng Che."
The comments section went completely crazy.
Holy crap holy crap holy crap!!!
Federer personally presented the award!!! Who else has this kind of prestige?!
[I cried, I really cried. Cheng Che was only eighteen years old, Federer presented him with the award.]
[Who just said Federer was gone? Aren't they proven wrong?]
[He's gone to prepare the trophy! He'd already decided to present it in person! How thoughtful!]
In the stands, Lin Ming's girlfriend held up her phone, her hands trembling.
She filmed the entire process of Federer walking out of the tunnel, muttering to himself the whole time:
"This video is going to go viral, this video is absolutely going to go viral..."
Lin Ming sat down next to him, forgetting all about the sourness.
He stared at the court with his mouth agape, and after a long pause, he finally managed to utter, "Holy crap, this is impressive..."
In the VIP section, Federer's wife smiled and whispered something to her two daughters.
The two little girls watched their father standing on the court, forgetting to eat the ice cream in their hands.
Federer walked to the center of the court and stood in front of Cheng Che.
He reached out and patted Cheng Che on the shoulder first.
Then he handed the trophy to Cheng Che and said a sentence in English:
Congratulations! You are a very special player. We hope to see you on the international stage.
Cheng Che accepted the trophy, looked at him, and replied in English, "Thank you. I'll go."
Cheng Che glanced down at the trophy.
It was golden, small, and a little heavier than he had expected.
He recalled that afternoon a few months ago, when he stood in front of the abandoned low wall in the park and swung his racket for the first time.
At that time, he didn't even know how to hold a racket.
Now, Federer is presenting him with the award.
He took a deep breath and raised the trophy.
Just then, a familiar notification sound rang in his mind.
[bite!]
[ Stamina Trial: Conqueror. Ultimate Goal: Champion an official competition. Completed!]
[Congratulations, host, on completing all three trials.]
Cheng Che seeing these words, Cheng Che felt an immense sense of relief; he had finally completed the last trial!
The entire audience rose to their feet and applauded once again.
From the commentary booth, Lin Yan's voice was still somewhat excited:
"Mr. Federer personally told Cheng Che that he hoped to see him on the international stage. This is a legend's recognition of a rising star. Cheng Che Che's answer was simple: I will go."
Zhou Zhou continued, "This is what everyone is hoping for. Cheng Che is only eighteen years old. His future has just begun."
Cheng Che held the trophy and bowed towards the stands.
He brought the trophy to his lips and kissed it gently.
From the stands, the screams of female fans rang out again.
Federer stood beside him, looking at the eighteen-year-old with a smile on his lips.
He recalled when he was eighteen, he made it into the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time, and everyone called him a "prodigy".
Back then, he was just like the boy in front of me, full of potential.
After the awards ceremony ended, Cheng Che and Qin Lie quickly left the stadium.
Qin Lie, driving the car, glanced at Cheng Che in the passenger seat. "Want to go celebrate?"
Cheng Che smiled and took out his phone. There was a WeChat message on the screen, sent by Yan Ruanning.
[ Yan Ruanning: Congratulations on the Champion. Shall we eat?]
Cheng Che looked at the message and replied with a single word.
Cheng Che: Okay.
He turned to Qin Lie and said, " Old Qin, let me off at the intersection ahead."
Qin Lie chuckled, pulled the car over to the side of the road, and then said meaningfully, "Take care of yourself."
Cheng Che shook his head helplessly, opened the car door, and got out.
He dialed Yan Ruanning's number.
"Hello."
"I'm at the Dongmen of the stadium," Yan Ruanning's voice came through the receiver, tinged with amusement. "You'll see me when you come over."
Cheng Che walked along the road outside the stadium for a while and saw a black BMW parked on the side of the road in the distance.
He walked over, opened the passenger door, and got in.
Yan Ruanning sat in the driver's seat, not wearing a hat or a mask today.
She wore a light-colored knit sweater, her hair was loose over her shoulders, and her face was bare.
Seeing him get into the car, she turned her head and smiled.
Congratulations, Champion!
Looking at her, Cheng Che suddenly felt all the fatigue he had accumulated over the past few months surge up at this moment.
He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and looked at her.
"Thanks."
Yan Ruanning started the car and drove out of the stadium parking lot.
What would you like to eat?
Cheng Che thought for a moment, "Chinese food."
"Okay." Yan Ruanning turned the steering wheel. "I know a good one."
The car merged into the traffic, and the streetlights outside the window receded one by one.
The carriage was quiet, with only the low hum of the engine and the gentle breeze from the air conditioner.
Cheng Che turned his head to look at her. She was focused on the road ahead, a faint smile on her lips.
"Finally, we can eat," he said.
Yan Ruanning paused for a moment, then smiled, "Yes, finally."
From the first time he said "I'll treat you to dinner" until now, there have been qualifiers, main tournament, group stage, knockout stage, and finals, countless matches and countless missed opportunities.
Now, finally, only the two of them are left.
And a meal that I had been waiting for a long time.