Chapter 46

Ruan Ning pulled her hand back and made to leave, trying her best to hide her fluster. "Better not. I don't know anything about football anyway; staying would just be boring."

Her cousin enthusiastically pulled her to sit down. "It's free, so why not? There's free beer and snacks up front—help yourself to whatever you want. You've never watched an outdoor livestream with a bunch of villagers before."

Her cousin sister also smiled and urged her on. "Exactly, just stay for the snacks. You won't get this chance again once you head back to the city."

The village was in the countryside near Talun City, and it was fairly well-off, frequently hosting events that provided free perks to the villagers. Watching the football match was one of them.

Ruan Ning craned her neck for a look. Beneath the massive outdoor projector, a few tables had been set up, laden with cases of beer, soft drinks, peanuts, and large basins of cold dishes to go with the alcohol.

Adults and kids alike crowded around, laughing and chatting as they queued up for snacks and drinks, the atmosphere warm and congenial.

Ruan Ning spotted the neighbor's kid who often kept her company, and he waved at her from afar, calling for her to come over.

Half willing, half hesitant, Ruan Ning said, "Alright then."

Her cousin quickly grabbed a pile of snacks and drinks and came back to distribute them among the three of them. Ruan Ning only took a can of cola. She didn't have much of an appetite and didn't really want to watch the match; she'd just treat it as keeping her cousins company.

Amid widespread anticipation, the season-opening match of this year's A League, RQ versus Giant Mountain, finally began.

After a brief opening performance, the iconic wolf-king tifo of RQ slowly rose from the stands of Qingli Stadium, where they held home advantage. Then a wolf king leading a pack of wolves charged across the vast pitch, howling at the sky with untamed ferocity, stirring the spirit and invigorating the soul.

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers, and a string of brilliant fireworks burst around the tifo, pushing the atmosphere to a fever pitch.

Ruan Ning, who had initially been utterly uninterested, found herself infected by the fervent energy and began to look forward to the match.

The camera panned to the two teams' players slowly walking in with their ball boys. Under the dazzling lights, every player was a star in the spotlight, drawing the gaze of hundreds of millions of fans worldwide.

As per tradition, the sports commentator greeted the audience before introducing the players one by one. The camera slowly pulled back from the front as he spoke.

"Let's take a look at RQ first. Well, this is a very young team..."

Ruan Ning suddenly felt nervous, sensing what was coming. Just as she lowered her head, Jiang Yihao's face abruptly appeared on the screen.

Every girl there swooned in unison. "So handsome—"

The 180-inch giant screen magnified Jiang Yihao's good looks to the fullest.

His sharp brows arched fiercely, his eyes deep and dashing, his nose straight and prominent—he was on an entirely different plane from his plain-looking teammates. Just then, a gust of wind blew up, lifting Jiang Yihao's bangs. The girls in front of the screen let out a collective "Wow—"

The commentator joked, "That's RQ's new left winger, Zhang Hao. Looks like all the female viewers just got excited for a moment."

On the pitch, Jiang Yihao wore a resolute expression, steady and commanding, carrying the charm of a mature man. Ruan Ning felt a moment of daze. She tried hard to connect this man with the sunny, straightforward Jiang Yihao from her memories, but it seemed she no longer recognized him.

Her cousin sister excitedly slapped her shoulder. "Did you see that RQ player just now? He's so handsome! If I had someone that good-looking by my side, I'd die happy."

Ruan Ning's earlobes instantly turned red, and she gave an awkward smile.

"No matter how handsome he is, it won't matter. RQ's probably doomed to lose tonight. Your little hottie's about to get beaten to tears," her cousin interjected mockingly.

He looked down on his sister, the kind of fake fan who didn't understand a thing about football and just squealed at any decent-looking player.

"What do you mean? Is RQ going to lose?" Ruan Ning asked anxiously.

Her cousin took a sip of beer, his brow furrowing. "Gang Mahaya and a few other players didn't show up today, so RQ's lineup is incomplete. Giant Mountain's a small club without that many foreign signings, so their lineup isn't affected much."

"Then Jiang—" Ruan Ning almost blurted out, hastily correcting herself. "Then is RQ doomed?"

Her cousin took another swig, frowning as he swallowed. "Hard to say. Giant Mountain may be a weak team, but they're good at parking the bus. RQ's front line is basically crippled. Against that, their odds aren't great."

Ruan Ning gave a stiff smile. "RQ's front line isn't completely crippled, is it? Aren't both wingers still playing?"

Her cousin found it amusing. "Just relying on those two nobodies? It'd be a miracle if they don't get carried off on stretchers by Giant Mountain's old boys."

Ruan Ning fell silent, a subtle discomfort stirring in her chest. She hoped Jiang Yihao would have a triumphant debut. After all, she'd seen with her own eyes how much effort he poured into football.

Jiang Yihao was a simple, pure person—football was all he had in his eyes and heart. She hoped he'd get what he wished for.

The referee blew the whistle, and the ball was swiftly contested between the two teams. The scene was fierce and intense, waves of cheers and encouragement rising from the stands.

But after about twenty minutes of play, the teams were still deadlocked. For a big club like RQ, failing to quickly put away Giant Mountain was already an underperformance, and the crowd's discontent was growing.

Ruan Ning was so tense she didn't dare take a sip of her drink, staring unblinkingly at the screen, silently praying that RQ would score a goal.

Unfortunately, reality ran completely counter to her hopes. Giant Mountain had clearly studied RQ's play style without Gang Mahaya, relentlessly attacking RQ's weakest flank—the right side—and driving the ball into RQ's penalty area.

The players from both teams engaged in a desperate struggle in front of the goal. The ball whipped through the air in jagged trajectories, hitting the frame several times, nearly going in.

"So close!" the commentator yelped, losing composure. "Ugh—"

The villagers also slapped their thighs in frustration. "What are the defenders doing? Defend! They nearly let them break down the front door."

Ruan Ning was badly startled too; she nearly stopped breathing. She checked the time—the first half was almost over, still 0:0. But 0:0 was better than conceding, she supposed.

"Why are they all wandering around the back? I want to see the forwards," her cousin sister said. Her goal was simple: she'd come for snacks and eye candy. As long as the director kept cutting to the handsome guys, she was happy—preferably with the handsome team winning. "Come on RQ, score some goals, handsome!".

"If RQ can end 0:0, that'd already be a decent result," her cousin sneered.

His sister shot back, "You're awfully chatty tonight. Does him being handsome offend you?"

Ruan Ning pursed her lips and gave a stiff, unnatural smile. Giant Mountain currently had the upper hand, mostly hovering around RQ's penalty area, so the director wouldn't cut to shots of forwards unrelated to the flow of play.

Even though she knew nothing about football, she could still see the gap in performance between the two teams. Her cousin was telling the truth.

Giant Mountain played with great cohesion, strictly adhering to their tactics, keeping the ball at their feet for most of the match and smoothly advancing all the way to the opponent's doorstep.

RQ's players had better individual quality, but their morale was scattered and their pressing weak, their defense almost entirely passive.

In the past, RQ had more than enough to handle Giant Mountain, but now, unable to break through after a prolonged siege, an RQ player lost his cool and clashed with an opponent. Both teams' players rushed over, shoving each other and cursing in each other's faces.

The crowd immediately erupted in excited jeers and catcalls. The referee hastily pulled the players apart, and Ruan Ning was terrified they'd break into an all-out brawl with bloodshed.

She strained her eyes, searching the chaotic crowd, and finally caught a fleeting glimpse of Jiang Yihao.

Even as a bystander, it was agonizing to watch. She couldn't imagine how dark Jiang Yihao's face was, standing alone up front in a place invisible to the camera.

During the lull while the referee calmed both sides, the commentator remarked, "RQ's been playing a bit conservatively today."

"It looks like RQ is still affected by the strike controversy and hasn't adapted to playing without their key players. Hopefully they'll adjust quickly, or the second half could get dangerous."

"Last season, the team dropped to ninth place—arguably their worst result in recent years. So whether RQ can build momentum in this opener and complete their revenge, we'll have to wait and see."

The commentator at least had the decency to smooth things over in the end.

Even to Ruan Ning, a total football novice, it was clear that if RQ kept wallowing like this, once Giant Mountain's confidence grew, defeat wouldn't be far off.

Just then, the camera cut to Lao Fang on the sideline. He stood with his arms crossed, the corners of his mouth turned down, his expression grim enough to scare anyone. The deep creases folded into his suit sleeves mirrored the frustration churning inside him.

The match was so dull it made one drowsy. The two teams ended the first half deadlocked at 0:0. As the director filmed the players leaving the pitch, he finally cut to Jiang Yihao, his face ashen.

The night before the match, Jiang Yihao had been so excited he hadn't slept a wink.

The dream he'd held for years was finally coming true. When he stepped onto Qingli Stadium under the gaze of seventy thousand spectators, he still felt a sense of unreality.

Once he entered his competitive state, he quickly cast aside all distractions. There was only one thought in his mind—win!

But today, his teammates were all under some kind of spell, completely off their game. Standing on the pitch, he could see the whole field, watching his teammates make one elementary mistake after another, too furious to even speak.

The noise from the stands grew louder and louder, but RQ couldn't turn their cheers into goals. Jiang Yihao's anger burned even hotter.

During the halftime break in the locker room, Jiang Yihao vented all the pent-up frustration from the first half. "Everyone run! Fight for the ball! Why aren't you daring to challenge? Giant Mountain isn't scary. As long as we play together, we can win this!"

"Forget it. They've already studied us inside out. What's the point of fighting? We're not winning anyway."

A teammate said dejectedly, head drooping.

In recent years, RQ's tactics had become heavily dependent on the core player Gang Mahaya. When he wasn't playing, the team lost half their confidence and started coasting.

"Anything can happen until the final whistle. We can't give up. Everyone, pull yourselves together." Jiang Yihao stubbornly tried to reignite their fighting spirit.

Most of Jiang Yihao's teammates were a few years older than him, seasoned veterans who'd been playing for years. They snorted in derision at this new young player, shook their heads, and turned away to wipe sweat or drink water to catch their breath.

"Don't push so hard. Take it easy. We're not winning this one anyway."

"So just because there's no hope, we stop fighting? If you don't want to win, why play football at all?!"

"And what then? If we get injured, who's going to play the remaining 35 matches this season for us?"

Jiang Yihao gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

When the second half began, he suddenly seemed to have a full map open. He sprinted everywhere, challenging for every ball like a whirlwind, whipping the entire crowd into cheers and screams as he charged into the opponent's lines.

The commentator and the director were instantly captivated by this reckless young man, and the camera gave Jiang Yihao a close-up. "RQ's new number 33 is currently fighting hard for the ball. Attacking with great intensity!"

In less than a breath, Jiang Yihao stole the ball from under his opponent's feet, suddenly accelerating, and tore across the field from the front like a nuclear missile, charging straight for Giant Mountain's goal!

The entire crowd screamed and cheered louder with his every stride, and Ruan Ning snapped upright, her eyes glued to the screen without blinking.