Due to the upcoming Olympics, this year’s world championships grabbed tons of attention. Even though Lin Miao didn’t have much video time, she had everything to capture people’s attention in the quick moments the camera focused on her.
She was pretty. With her short hair, she was both the ferocious girl on court, and the cute little girl next door off court. The adorable contrast was irresistible.
She had an interesting personality, especially in the older competition footage when she was younger. She’d go into every game with a wide smile, which broadened even more when she received her award. She couldn’t even hold her lips together and skipped down the stage after the ceremony, melting all the aunties’ hearts.
Her skill was still the core of her popularity. She was undefeated and won the badminton championships with her left hand bleeding.
With word spreading like wildfire, even people outside the sports circle couldn’t help but click on her videos.
This resulted in the JingShui sister fandom multiplying in numbers by the minute. They were just too cute.
They were roommates ever since they enrolled in the sports school.
Everytime Tan Jing won a competition, the first thing she would do was hug Lin Miao, “Brother Shui, I won!”
And then Lin Miao would wipe off her sweat.
Since the two were still young and basically the same in terms of skill, there weren’t many arguments online. Everyone just envied their close friendship built on chasing their dreams.
Mu Qingqing placed the red flags the sports fans gave her and the signature they pulled her along to get in her closet. At the end of the day, she still kept them.
Lin Miao’s Weibo account remained unused and in secrecy. Only the Young Master and his mother knew of it.
However, she knew many human info booths. In their words, they were accounts advertising Brother Shui to pull more people into the sports circle.
This magnitude of attention attracted many advertisers to this new world badminton champion.
Lin Miao didn’t want to see others’ comments about her, but Tan Jing brought piles of sports newspapers back.
Lin Miao couldn’t continue reading after the first line. It was too embarrassing.
What a gifted girl, sports spirit, playing on with injuries…
She couldn't understand the slightest why everyone would rate her so highly.
Especially when they suggested that she would’ve won faster during the finals had she not slipped and fallen.
This is a major misunderstanding!
She wanted to meet the person who commented that and say to their face that her opponent was adept and it would take equally as long.
Lin Miao took a few days to stabilize her emotions and told Tan Jing to put the newspaper away and focus on practice.
Lin Miao decided to just cut herself away from the outside world for a bit to calm down.
But then, someone told her that she was invited to do a milk advertisement.
Lin Miao shook her head. “My coach said that I need to devote myself to practicing.”
She was trying so hard to erase herself from other people’s minds. If she accepted the offer, it would refresh their memories.
She wasn’t in need of money, either.
After she and her team turned down the offer, the company stopped asking.
Lin Miao still participated in the competitions she planned, continuing to gather more points.
Attention comes fast, but if there wasn’t a follow up, it also fades quickly.
People soon stopped talking about her.
Lin Miao’s left hand also completely healed.
She had a few days off during the Mid-Autumn festival, and she realized that she hadn’t called the Young Master in a long time.
Lin Miao first headed home to see her family.
Her younger brother grew a lot taller. He looked like a different person every time Lin Miao returned to visit him—he was much taller than her now.
Lin Miao ate lunch with her family, still wearing the athletic uniform from her school.
She had planned to visit the Young Master directly after lunch, but after looking at herself in a mirror, she paused and dug in her closet.
Even though most of her days weren’t spent at home, her mother would still buy clothes she found pretty and prepare them in her closet.
She had a small collection of dresses.
Blushing, she took out a long, azure-colored dress. It was simple, but pretty.
Perhaps it was because she was accustomed to seeing herself in sports clothing, but the dress felt a bit out of place.
She hurriedly stripped her dress off, her cheeks burning.
Lin Miao went to look at others, she took out a ruffled jean skirt… Whatever…
Lin Miao hadn’t worn summer dresses and skirts before. She wore black leggings under her skirts during the winter, so it felt like a decoration, completely different from summer and autumn dresses.
Lin Miao continued to search through her closet. She wanted to wear a skirt, but she also felt weird wearing one.
Finally, she found a more acceptable one.
She picked out a white, medium-length pleated dress. It cut off just below her knees, looking a lot more fitting than the long dress and short skirt.
Now looking at her hair, she changed her hairstyle, letting her thin bangs down.
Mmm, now it looks fitting.
She gave herself a few more looks in the mirror, and then happily left without telling the Young Master in advance. She wanted to surprise him.
Like how he always appeared out of nowhere to surprise her.
She wanted to do the same.
She only knew upon arriving at the Yu family’s home that the Young Master still has school. Tomorrow would be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and her older brother’s three-day-break only starts then, whereas her break started today.
Lin Miao was off today and tomorrow.
“Shuishui looks so pretty with a skirt,” the Young Master’s mother commented.
Her scattered bangs covered a bit of her white face, but still couldn’t cover her large, watery, and lovable eyes.
Lin Miao stopped to think, deciding to find the Young Master at his school!
But when she arrived at the school gates, she learned that they didn’t allow strangers in.
So, Lin Miao quietly waited outside for the Young Master to come out.
A girl with a cup of milk tea passed by Lin Miao, uncontrollably glancing at her as she walked out the gates. Her face looked familiar, too familiar, but she didn’t know why.
As she entered the school gates, she couldn’t help but look back again.
This girl looks so pretty, her skin’s so great, it would be even better if her hair was longer...
Wait...
The girl was thunderstruck. She turned around, now carefully observing the little girl in white who sat still outside the school fence.
Isn’t she her roommate’s idol???
She even has a picture of her on the wall of their dorm room!
The picture she had was of Lin Miao playing some sharp badminton.
It took her a while to recognize her in cutie mode.
Without hesitation, she rushed back. “Hello… Are you Lin Miao?”
Lin Miao nodded shyly, “Hello.”
“You are her! My roommate loves you!” She felt her words were a bit stupid, so she added, “I’m also a huge fan, you’re so good at badminton!”
Lin Miao was even more embarrassed, having been complimented face to face, “Thank you.”
The girl thought of another question, “Are you waiting for someone?”
Lin Miao nodded, “Yes, I’m waiting for my older brother.”
“Did you tell him that you’re at this gate? We have so many gates here.”
Lin Miao paused, she didn’t.
“How about this, I’ll take you in to find him. What’s his name? He might be in class right now, and if he isn’t, he’d probably have already left.” The girl pulled her right inside the school as if they were very familiar friends.
Surprisingly, she was able to get in.
The girl became even more excited once Lin Miao told her her brother’s name. “You’re Yu Jingxuan’s little sister?!”
“Wait a bit for me, I’ll find your older brother’s classroom in no time.” It was such a great coincidence, her boyfriend was roommates with Yu Jingxuan!
Lin Miao originally planned to message her brother to come down for her. She didn’t expect the girl to be so fast.
The girl messaged her boyfriend, and he quickly responded, “Yu Jingxuan ditched class. He’s heading there now.”
She looked to the gentle brother Shui to her side. Hm, it seems like this younger sister is quite important, even the star student skipped class.
Of course, she was oblivious that the Young Master had skipped many classes during high school already.
Lin Miao thought of waiting for her brother outside his class, but then she saw him.
He strode towards her with a big smile. He was walking so fast with his long legs that it felt like there was wind brushing past him.
Had it been any other occasion, Lin Miao would’ve ran towards him by now, but today, she stood still with her face red, likely because she was wearing a dress.
The girl, standing aside, felt like an extra.
“My roommate’s at home, she’s waiting for me to bring food back. I’ll leave right now.” The girl said.
“Thank you for bringing me here.” Lin Miao responded.
Now tens of meters away from them, the girl realized that she should’ve asked for a signature, or even a picture. How was she going to explain this to her roommate?
“I met your idol today, uh, and then I left… “
Her roommate would kill her.