During lunchti, Jiang Jingshi, as the venue’s biggest sponsor, provided free, high-quality boxed als for everyone.
People scattered to find their own spots to eat.
Before handing out the als, Jiang Jingshi specially ca over to ask Lin Zhengran, “Ranran, and little He Qing, do you two want to eat in my car? There’s not much space here, and I have so extra dishes in my car. After eating, you can also rest for a bit.”
He Qing was puzzled—why was this beautiful sister treating Lin Zhengran so well? Weren’t they supposed to have only t once?
She didn’t say anything and simply looked at Lin Zhengran.
He politely declined, “Thanks, Jiang Jie, but we’re fine here. I want to take He Qing to observe the competition area after we eat.”
A faint sense of happiness flashed across He Qing’s face, but she kept her expression neutral, trying not to show it. Instead, she just stood naturally beside him.
Jiang Jingshi smiled and didn’t press further. “Alright then, I won’t bother you two. Good luck in the afternoon matches, little He Qing.”
He Qing blinked and nodded.
Jiang Jingshi left, heading back to her car. No matter where she passed, the coaches would greet her respectfully as “President Jiang,” and she acknowledged each greeting with a simple nod.
He Qing watched her elegant figure and graceful deanor, as well as the way she commanded so much respect. Her little head was filled with thoughts she couldn't quite sort out.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even hear Lin Zhengran calling her.
“He Qing, there are two types of boxed als. Which one do you want?”
He called her twice before she snapped back to reality. “I’m fine with anything! Whatever you eat, I’ll eat too!”
After lining up to get their als, the two of them sat in the audience section along with the rest of the Taekwondo team.
Opening the boxes, they saw a generous portion of at, vegetables, and even a bowl of pork rib soup.
Just as He Qing picked up so at with her chopsticks, Lin Zhengran imdiately stopped her.
“Focus on eating for yourself today. I’m just a spectator this afternoon, but you’re the one competing.”
Surprisingly, he even put a piece of rib at into her bowl. He Qing was caught off guard, staring at him in astonishnt before breaking into a silly, sweet smile. Not wanting to feel like she was taking advantage, she picked up another piece of at and placed it into his bowl.
“Then you eat this one. I can’t finish all of it.”
Despite her words, she actually had quite a large appetite—about twice that of an average girl.
After all, although He Qing looked soft and delicate, her seemingly slender limbs were packed with strength. Not to ntion her well-developed upper body—without a proper diet, there was no way she could maintain her energy and growth.
Halfway through the al, she swallowed her rice and tugged at Lin Zhengran’s sleeve.
He looked at her curiously. “What’s up?”
She hesitated for a mont before asking, “Um… that sister—how did you et her? I don’t think you ever ntioned her before.”
“Oh.” Lin Zhengran answered truthfully, not seeing any reason to hide it.
“She’s actually Jiang Qian’s older sister. Last week, I ran into her while buying groceries at the supermarket. She found out I’m her sister’s desk mate, so we just chatted for a bit. That’s all.”
“Jiang Qian’s sister?!” He Qing was surprised. “Isn’t Jiang Qian your childhood engagent partner? So she’s her older sister?”
“Yeah. Why, are you really curious about her?”
He Qing blinked a few tis. Suddenly, she regained her appetite, realizing she might’ve been overthinking things.
If Jiang Qian’s sister was so nice to Lin Zhengran, it was probably just because of her sister—not for any other reason.
Grinning, she said, “No, I was just asking.”
Seeing her mood improve, Lin Zhengran continued eating.
The afternoon matches kicked off in full swing.
All participants, dressed in their Taekwondo uniforms, lined up for the drawing lots. The tournant was spread over two days, with separate categories for n and won. It was an elimination-style competition, where only one champion would be crowned.
Since there was still so ti left for warm-ups, Lin Zhengran used the opportunity to observe the competitors.
He quickly noticed one particularly strong team—they weren’t just here for fun. They looked like serious athletes aiming for professional competition.
And at the front of that team stood Jiang Jingshi, speaking to them.
Seeing his curiosity, Lin Zhengran’s coach explained, “That’s President Jiang’s personal team. They’re all talented fighters with solid technique. If He Qing has any real competition today, it’ll be from them.”
He Qing tightened her belt with confidence. “Don’t worry! I’m not losing to anyone!”
Soon, the referees began calling the contestants for the first round of eliminations.
Lin Zhengran sat with the other coaches, carefully watching the fights.
But as expected, He Qing, with her natural talent and years of training under Lin Zhengran, easily dominated her opponents.
None of the girls could even land a proper hit on her.
At the sa ti, Jiang Jingshi’s team was also crushing their competition. Out of their seven participants—five girls and two boys—not a single one had been eliminated.
He Qing stood in the competition zone, locking eyes with the other remaining fighters. They all seed to recognize who their true opponent was.
As the afternoon matches continued, the tournant quickly narrowed down to the Top 16.
He Qing stretched briefly before stepping back onto the competition mat, her expression unwavering.
At that mont, Jiang Jingshi, wearing high heels, walked over to Lin Zhengran.
“Ranran, this little He Qing is really impressive,” she said with a soft smile. “After watching all afternoon, I’d say she’s on par with my team’s best fighters.”
Lin Zhengran greeted her and looked back at the competition area. “She’s strong. Her goal has always been the championship.”
Jiang Jingshi took a seat beside him, her elegant fragrance subtly filling the air. Unlike Han Wenwen’s alluring scent, hers was comforting and calming.
Her lips parted slightly as she asked, “Where did you find her? Talented young athletes like her are rare in the city. And from what I heard, you’re the one who trained her?”
Lin Zhengran never saw the need to hide things that were already public knowledge.
“Yeah, I taught her. But I didn’t ‘find’ her—we’ve known each other since we were little. He Qing is my childhood friend. Ever since she got into Taekwondo, I’ve been training her. That’s all.”
Jiang Jingshi studied him curiously. “So you’ve been practicing Taekwondo since you were a kid too? Why didn’t you ever officially enroll?”
“I was never really interested in competing myself. I just know a little, that’s all.”
Jiang Jingshi had t many people in her life. She smirked slightly—she could tell when soone was being modest.
Looking toward He Qing, she mused, “You’re downplaying yourself, Ranran. No matter the field, an outsider can never effectively train an expert. A fighter like He Qing, who never had professional training yet reached this level, couldn’t have gotten here without a coach who truly knows their stuff.”
She paused, then added with a subtle smile, “You really have a way of making people curious about you. My team’s coaches are all professionals, yet sohow, they don’t seem to have outperford you.”
Lin Zhengran chuckled. “Now that sounds like modesty, Jiang Jie. I’m not that skilled.”
Jiang Jingshi’s gaze deepened as she studied him. “I hope I am being modest. After all, I’ve invested a lot of money into training this team. My goal was to nurture at least one athlete who could reach the top… and now…”
She let out a soft sigh.
“…Three of my fighters have already been eliminated by this little He Qing.”
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