Chapter 45

Country B is two hours ahead of Country A. Bu Chen glanced at his seven-figure watch; it clearly showed less than an hour until the opening match of the A League season.

The moment the call connected, Jiang Yihao's grating voice blasted through the speaker.

"Bu Chen, what the hell are you doing? Give Ruan Ning back to me."

Jiang Yihao's voice was like an enraged lion, with a cacophony of background noise—voices from every accent blending together, as if he were crammed in a chaotic stadium.

Bu Chen's gaze was icy: "You have the nerve to talk about this now?"

"So Ruan Ning really is with you!" Jiang Yihao roared, itching to charge at Bu Chen and teach him a lesson. "Bu Chen, I never thought you'd be this despicable—bullying a helpless woman while I'm in the middle of a match."

"She's not," Bu Chen denied flatly, his eyes cold.

"If she's not with you, then where is she?" Jiang Yihao's urgency exploded through the phone, like a fuse about to ignite. "Besides you, who else could make a living person vanish into thin air?"

A faint trace of mockery flickered in Bu Chen's eyes: "If you can't even find her, what makes you think you can protect her?"

"I'm warning you, Ruan Ning is my business. Lay a finger on her, and you're no longer my brother."

Bu Chen found Jiang Yihao almost laughable. What did Jiang Yihao think Ruan Ning was—some fragile, innocent, virtuous little thing?

"She's tough as nails. She could punch a hole through the sky. Worry about yourself."

Jiang Yihao knew his old friend well. Since Bu Chen had personally denied it, he was already eighty percent convinced. But with things between them soured to this point, any further words were pointless.

Hearing that the other was about to hang up, Jiang Yihao ground his molars and asked in a low voice, "You're abroad right now?"

"Mm."

"When are you coming back?"

"Don't know."

The conversation stalled for a second. The call, blazing with fury moments ago, suddenly fell quiet.

What Jiang Yihao actually wanted to ask was when Bu Chen would be back—and whether he'd come watch his match.

Ever since he'd fallen in love with football as a kid, his parents had hardly ever attended any of his games. His uncle couldn't show up often due to his position.

The ones who'd accompanied him through matches big and small were none other than Bu Chen and Bai Xingmiao.

Every match day, the family section would be filled with parents, siblings—whole families seated in neat rows. His section had just two kids his own size cheering him on.

Later, as Bu Chen's fame grew, he even had to disguise himself just to show up. Even so, he'd persisted through every crucial match.

Today, Jiang Yihao had finally stepped onto the green pitch of his dreams. He just hadn't expected that the friend who'd walked this path with him would refuse to witness this historic moment.

It was like a thorn lodged deep in Jiang Yihao's chest.

Bu Chen and Ruan Ning were the two people he cared about most. That made it even harder to stomach Bu Chen flaunting his challenge—vowing to win Ruan Ning over.

Every time he thought of Bu Chen coveting Ruan Ning, a fire of searing jealousy burned in his chest, and he could no longer stay calm.

Even though he knew Ruan Ning and Bu Chen had nothing going on—that everything was Bu Chen forcing it—he hated himself for not being able to guard her side at all times. Jealousy ran wild in his heart.

Jiang Yihao's mind churned with a thousand thoughts when Bu Chen suddenly broke the silence: "Anything else?"

"No." Jiang Yihao's voice carried a hint of anger as he hung up.

Bu Chen heard the busy tone after the call ended, then indifferently pressed the end button, put on his sunglasses, and gave the order to move out.

After hanging up, Jiang Yihao rubbed his throbbing head.

Besides the Ruan Ning situation, the entire RQ club was a mess giving him a headache. He'd slipped away to the bathroom during a lull in the life-or-death battle to make this call.

With a grim face, he hurried to the locker room. Less than an hour until kickoff, and the team's state couldn't be described as anything less than disastrous.

The player tunnel behind the stadium was a swarm of bustling, noisy staff.

Dressed in his bright black-and-green kit, he was an instant focal point in the crowd. A few behind-the-scenes cameramen hoisted their rigs to follow him for footage.

Jiang Yihao waved them off impatiently: "No filming. Move."

He weaved through the crowd, shook off his pursuers, and burst straight through the locker room door. His teammates sat slumped on benches, legs splayed, heads drooping in silence. Not a trace of the fighting spirit that should accompany an imminent campaign.

Jiang Yihao was so exasperated he laughed bitterly. Even he had to admit how absurd it all was.

In just half a month, a distant oil company incident thousands of miles away had destroyed the revenge match RQ had been preparing with such intensity.

Two weeks ago, RQ's star player Gang Mahaya casually shared a post on social media—an image of Country B's people protesting against the oil company.

Recently, the Hongye mine disaster had ignited public outrage, with people worldwide rallying in support of Country B. Gang Mahaya, himself an immigrant from Country B, had just reposted it to back his fellow countrymen.

But the club's shareholders saw it and criticized the post as inappropriate, claiming it had a negative impact on the club, and ordered him to delete it immediately.

Gang Mahaya refused. What harm could a single reposted image do to RQ?

He insisted that players had the freedom to post what they wanted on their own social media and flat-out refused to delete it. His seventy million followers stood behind their idol.

Ordinarily, this would've been nothing more than a minor spat between player and management. But it happened to hit when relations between Countries A and B were razor-tense, when any stray spark could ignite a wildfire.

Within days, the situation snowballed, eventually escalating into a collective strike by star players—led by Gang Mahaya—across A League clubs, all in solidarity with Country B's oil workers.

Without Gang Mahaya, RQ was like a blade stripped of its edge. The absences in other key positions also left their carefully arranged tactics incomplete.

Gang Mahaya's absence wasn't just a tactical blow; it dealt a massive psychological hit to the remaining players. The locker room was uneasy, everyone distracted, unable to unite as one against the upcoming match.

Jiang Yihao never imagined that his long-dreamed-of debut on the grand stage would look like this.

Someone muttered, "Director Fang is here," and everyone half-heartedly stood to shake hands.

Lao Fang, as the team director, personally visited the locker room before every opening match to rally the players.

He went around shaking each hand, saying "Let's go," and everyone responded with drooping heads and half-hearted echoes of "Let's go."

When he got to Jiang Yihao, Lao Fang's eyelids drooped, hiding the weariness beneath, and he merely said, "Kid, play well."

Jiang Yihao's mood soured instantly. From the moment he'd stepped into the locker room, it'd been gloom and doom. If even the leader looked like he'd already lost, how could they possibly win?

Jiang Yihao's thick brows furrowed: "Lao Fang, what's with that face? We haven't even played yet. You look like you're expecting us to lose today."

Jiang Yihao was stubborn and superstitious. Right now, the whole world was waiting to watch last season's ninth-place RQ, gutted this season, make a fool of themselves. He was hell-bent on winning to prove them all wrong.

Jiang Yihao's blunt tongue got the better of him again. Normally, Lao Fang would've cursed him out. But lately, the club's messes had drained him, and he couldn't be bothered to scold a junior for being cheeky.

"Don't push too hard today. Just preserve your strength," Lao Fang said, patting Jiang Yihao's shoulder.

Jiang Yihao clenched his fist, voice blazing: "How can you win without giving it everything? What are you afraid of, Lao Fang? I'm the one playing—and I'm not scared."

Lao Fang fixed a steady look at Jiang Yihao, suppressing a retort: "Your opponent today is Giant Mountain. Their ranking isn't high, but their defense is top-notch. Now that Gang Mahaya's gone and you're just starting out, don't be reckless, don't get hurt. Saving your strength is enough."

Jiang Yihao's eyes sharpened: "Are you telling me to give up this match?"

Lao Fang glanced at him sideways: "Who said give up? You're green and inexperienced—you can't handle a tough, chewy opponent like this. I'm looking out for you. Football is a game of wits; you don't have to score to win."

"I don't need it! In my heart, every match is my last. I only know how to give it my all, with no retreat."

Jiang Yihao was resolute, his eyes burning as he solemnly swore his faith in football.

Lao Fang let out a sigh. How he wished he could let Jiang Yihao charge onto that green pitch for his first professional match and fight with everything he had.

Jiang Yihao was a youth academy kid Lao Fang had personally nurtured, carrying all his hopes for the club's future.

He'd wanted the kid to train alongside Gang Mahaya, to have someone guide him rather than sending a raw rookie into battle alone. He'd also wanted to see how Jiang Yihao performed on the official stage. But fate had other plans. Now, he only wanted to protect this lone sprout—to preserve RQ's only remaining attacking force.

Watching Jiang Yihao's hot-blooded courage, he felt both admiration and helplessness. Finally, he patted his shoulder once more and left with a single line: "Good luck."

Jiang Yihao's brows stayed tight, fury smoldering in his chest.

At that moment, the whole world had only two hot topics: the RQ match and the flaming protests against the oil company in Country B. Only Ruan Ning, in her rural retreat, lived a peaceful, quiet life, untouched by the outside chaos.

Ruan Ning was staying at her cousin's mother's house in the countryside.

The countryside was beautiful. Her aunt lived in a three-story house built into a hillside, nestled against the mountain and overlooking the water. From the window, you could see orange and osmanthus trees circling the property.

Down the slope and around a bend was a clear pond, where the neighbor's kids often came to graze their water buffalo. The beasts were enormous but gentle. They'd slowly wade into the pond, leaving only a pair of sharp horns visible above the surface. Ruan Ning found it fascinating.

The neighbor kids giggled and invited Ruan Ning to pet one, chatting curiously with the city girl. Ruan Ning spent her days with these simple, happy children—herding buffalo, gathering mushrooms in the hills, far from everything urban. Her mood lightened considerably.

Though Bai Xingmiao had turned her down last time, she wasn't all that upset. In fact, it was his deliberate distance that made her feel completely at ease.

Because she was the one pursuing, she could end the relationship anytime she chose. It was others' fierce, sincere feelings that left her at a loss, instinctively driving her to flee.

During the few days she'd hidden in the countryside, Jiang Yihao had texted her almost every day.

[Where are you? I'll send someone to get you.]

[I saved you a VIP box. I'm busy right now, can't take calls.]

[Why aren't you answering?]

[Answer me.]

[Are you okay? Just reply if you see this.]

[Please, just send me one word. I just need to know you're safe.]

She could feel his concern and desperation in every line, but the more he pressed, the more she couldn't face him.

"Good luck. I hope you win your first match."

Ruan Ning silently blessed him, then closed the messages.

She held firm that the two of them were from different worlds, that time would make Jiang Yihao gradually forget her. What she was doing now might be cruel, but he'd understand eventually.

That evening after dinner, her cousins invited her out—said the village was having a big event.

Ruan Ning asked curiously what it was, and her cousin gave a mysterious smile: "You'll see."

The three of them walked to the village elementary school's playground, where a huge white screen stood at the center. Below it, villagers sat packed together, families hauling snacks and melon seeds, chattering happily as they waited for the show to start.

Her cousin grabbed the best seats in the middle and called for them to sit. Ruan Ning was completely baffled and asked with a smile, "What's everyone watching? Why's everyone so excited?"

Her cousin grinned: "The village chief's got an A League membership. He's treating everyone to watch RQ take on Giant Mountain."