Chapter 267 Shall We Have You Compete With Them?

Xī Jīn Jiāng's body trembled violently upon hearing Yu Wei's voice. He swallowed, his throat incredibly dry. Yu Wei, on the other end of the phone, asked again when she didn't hear a response. Xī Jīn Jiāng closed his eyes. He couldn't believe what Tán Zhēng had just said. How could his Yu Wei, so wonderful, betray him? He didn't want to believe it. Yet, Tán Zhēng's words perfectly explained his doubts. Why, after so many years of affection, did Yu Wei leave him so heartlessly and without hesitation when he was in trouble? He didn't want to believe it. Yu Wei finally sensed something was wrong, and she asked cautiously. "Is it you?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Then she asked again, flustered and urgent. "Is it you? Ā Jiāng, is it you?" Ā Jiāng. Xī Jīn Jiāng let out a mocking laugh. How could she still have the nerve to call him Ā Jiāng? He snatched the phone and smashed it to the ground. Tán Zhēng glanced at it. The screen was shattered, but the call was still connected. "Do you think it's worth it? To have wasted five years abroad for this woman, and she probably doesn't even remember your so-called feelings." Xī Jīn Jiāng frantically beat the ground with his hands, laughing at his own stupidity, at the past five years, and even more at his obsession. "Yu Wei, you truly are my good Yu Wei." "I treated you so well, how dare you betray me." "The child, hahahaha, even the child isn't mine. Good, good, Yu Wei, hahahaha, do you even have a heart? Hahahaha!" "To think I missed the child for so long, and it turns out you were carrying someone else's bastard." "......" Hearing this, Tán Zhēng stepped forward and ended the call. He pulled Xī Jīn Jiāng back up and placed him in the wheelchair. He didn't speak further; the words alone were enough for Xī Jīn Jiāng to ponder for a long time. He stayed with him, enduring the cold wind in the courtyard. When he felt it was enough, Tán Zhēng brought Xī Jīn Jiāng back inside. Xī Jīn Jiāng locked himself in his room. "Xiǎo Zhēng, what you just said... is it all true?" Tán Zhēng knew that although the elder couple hated Yu Wei for abandoning Xī Jīn Jiāng, they still felt a sense of guilt. The matter of the child was a considerable blow to them. "The child has been his obsession for these years. Knowing the truth will be good for him, to help him wake up." Tán Zhēng glanced at the tightly closed door. "Uncle, Auntie, don't worry. Give him some time." Xī Jīn Jiāng's reaction just now showed he wasn't completely unwilling to listen. Cháng Lí had once said that both physical and psychological disabilities need a trigger to alleviate resentment and hatred towards fate. Without this trigger... Tán Zhēng hoped that Xī Jīn Jiāng would completely wake up and seriously consider whether to continue wasting his life on a woman who wasn't worth it. The two did not stay for dinner at the Xī family's home. On the way back, Sòng Nǐ received a call from Yu Wei. She didn't answer. Tán Zhēng, as if knowing who it was, curled his lips into a mocking smile. "How dare she." The phone rang again, and Sòng Nǐ simply turned it off. "You said Xī Jīn Jiāng's obsession was that child. Now that he knows the child isn't his, will he get better?" "I'm not entirely sure." "He used to act like this when he had an episode." Tán Zhēng furrowed his brows, suppressing his emotions. "Mhm." Sòng Nǐ began to feel sorry for Tán Zhēng. She didn't know if Xī Jīn Jiāng often had episodes in the past five years, but he flew to America frequently, suggesting it was a torment for both of them during those years. She had once thought about approaching Yu Wei to help Xī Jīn Jiāng find peace, but she never expected it to happen this way. "He will get better." Everything will get better. Xī Jīn Jiāng would eventually find a way to continue his life. ... The day before their departure, Tán Zhēng took Sòng Nǐ to the ROX club. Huán Yuán's contract with the opposing team had been resolved, and he had since joined the club for training. As soon as they arrived at the training ground, shouts could be heard from inside. "Coach, why are you always hovering around Huán Yuán as soon as he arrives? Can't you pay attention to me?" Shèng Jiāng was very resentful. Before Huán Yuán came, he was the youngest player in the club, with considerable talent. The club catered to him in every way. Now, with Huán Yuán's arrival, everyone wanted to spar with him, and even the coach wanted to dedicate more attention to Huán Yuán. Wasn't Huán Yuán only two years older than him in terms of competition experience? In another two years, he would also definitely win the championship. What was there to brag about? Shèng Jiāng chattered away, while Huán Yuán appeared much quieter in comparison. He also didn't understand Shèng Jiāng's hostility towards him. He came to ROX not for the coach's special attention, but to see Tán Shén. If he could be a little more ambitious, he hoped to receive guidance from Tán Shén. Sòng Nǐ watched the two, one noisy and the other quiet, their clothes a stark contrast of black and white, finding it quite amusing. "You weren't this diligent during training before," Tán Zhēng said, holding Sòng Nǐ's hand while his other was in his pocket, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the boisterous Shèng Jiāng. Hearing his voice, Huán Yuán immediately straightened up and quietly took off his hoodie. Shèng Jiāng, on the other hand, jogged up to Tán Zhēng. "Tán Gē, is it wrong for me to want to work hard now? I'll definitely win the championship in the March competition!" "Championship?" Tán Zhēng's eyes flickered, and he glanced at Huán Yuán standing not far away. "Keep it up." Shèng Jiāng: ...... Why did he have to look at Huán Yuán when he was cheering for him? Did he think he couldn't beat Huán Yuán? That's too much! "Tán Gē, since you're here, that's perfect. I want to have a match with Huán Yuán." The coach chuckled from behind. "If you lose later, don't cry about it." Shèng Jiāng: ?????? Do I look like someone who can't handle losing? "Who says I'll lose? Old Wang, don't look down on me!" With that, Shèng Jiāng strode over to Huán Yuán and grabbed his hand. "Let's go, we'll have a match." Huán Yuán looked at Tán Zhēng and, seeing the smile on his lips, agreed. He had wanted to perform well in front of Tán Shén, and Shèng Jiāng's challenge was exactly what he wished for. Both of them got into their respective cars, ready to compete. Sòng Nǐ rested her head on Tán Zhēng's shoulder. "Who do you think will win?" "Huán Yuán." "I think it's Huán Yuán too." "Why?" "Everyone says Huán Yuán is the second you, so surely no one other than you can beat him." Tán Zhēng looked at Sòng Nǐ with some surprise, his gaze falling on her, her face filled with unquestioning trust in him. His heart stirred. "I haven't trained for five years, my hands are rusty. I might not be able to win against him now." "But didn't you win against everyone in the club last time?" Tán Zhēng smiled and patted Sòng Nǐ's head. "As you said, he's the second me. It's not that easy to beat him." Sòng Nǐ straightened up, her eyes darting around, and a sudden idea popped into her head. "Why don't you go and compete with them too?" Tán Zhēng looked down at the cleverness in her eyes and chuckled, reaching out to pinch Sòng Nǐ's nose. "What if I lose? I can't embarrass myself in front of our Nī Nī." Sòng Nǐ slapped his hand away. "Just pretend. Are you, Tán Zhēng, the type of person who fears losing and concedes?" The man's eyebrows arched. Indeed, he was not. Losing was never an option for him. "You really want me to compete?"