When the match ended, Lin Miao’s coach held out a hand to help her, but Lin Miao headed alone to pack her bag. Turning around with her towel, she saw the worried look on her coach’s face, “Huh?”
“Your hand!” The coach said.
“It’s fine,” she responded. Lin Miao then blinked and finally felt the first traces of pain.
Luckily, there was a medical team waiting nearby. They rushed to check Lin Miao’s hand and quickly began cleaning her wound.
Her left hand hadn’t felt anything during the competition, probably because her mind was too concentrated then.
Now, she felt a stinging pain in her palm as they cleaned it.
Lin Miao wasn’t mistaken when she said her bones were fine. She had landed on her palm, which protected her bones. The skin on the heel of her palm was partially scraped off. Her blood had already clotted around it, so they needed to wash it off before treating her hand.
Lin Miao’s face twisted at such agonizing pain.
The nurse pitied her immensely and cleaned her hand as delicately as possible while comforting her.
After what felt like forever, the nurse was finished. Lin Miao finally let out a sigh of relief.
Apart from the nurse, there were many reporters around her. Lin Miao felt quite embarrassed with all of them looking at her. She spoke with her face red, “Can you not film this, it feels a bit weird.”
The reporters paused and then really listened; they had already recorded her finals anyway.
There was a major contrast between the fierce athlete in the competition and the blushing, watery-eyed girl.
After applying the medicine, Lin Miao accepted the interview.
“What were you thinking when you injured your hand?” A reporter asked with anticipation.
“I can’t let the blood drip on the ground, or else I’d slip again,” Lin Miao responded honestly.
The reporter was stunned while another asked, “Did you think about how it could impact your future if you didn’t get treatment immediately?”
Lin Miao shook her head, surprised at the question. I didn’t fracture my hand, how would that impact my future life? However, she retained those thoughts and simply said, “It won’t since I didn’t damage the bones in my hand.”
She then affirmed confidently, “Trust me, I know.”
The crowd only made way for her after some more questions.
She was finally able to relax. Looking down at her hand wrapped into a lump, she thought of something, Where is Gege… Did he come?
She soon found an answer to her question.
She saw the Young Master waiting for her outside just as she walked out the main doors.
Lin Miao sneakily, quietly, hid her left hand behind her.
While trying to cover up her injury, she ran towards him and exclaimed, “Gege! I won again!”
The Young Master took her in his arms. Then, holding up her wrapped left hand, he asked, “What did the doctor say?”
Lin Miao realized that her older brother had seen it all. “The doctor said it was fine, I just can’t get my hand wet for a few days.”
The Young Master looked at her naive eyes, her gaze as clear as always. In his heart, a feeling of discontent grew.
He was conflicted. He would never intervene in Lin Miao’s life—he just wanted her to always be happy. Even though it was very physically demanding, being a badminton athlete made her happy.
However, seeing her get injured was a jab at his heart. He felt an urge to hide her in his house and never let her go again.
He could afford to raise her even without his parents. He could keep her well-fed and clothed, and make every day of her life a happy one.
Yet, that would be too short-sighted. He knew the type of person Lin Miao was.
He read an interesting paper that he found agreeable. It stated that a person’s needs could be sorted into five categories: biological survival needs, security and safety, social interactions, respect, and accomplishments.
He could easily ensure the first two, but the joy of life often comes from the other three.
The last thing he wanted was to restrict her life. Plus, his Shuishui was the world’s greatest athlete.
Despite knowing that failure was inevitable in the process of realizing goals, he still couldn’t let go.
At last, the wise and mature teenage boy was able to overcome his annoyance. He patted the person in his embrace, saying in a tone that was a bit hoarse, “Don’t let it happen again.”
His heart couldn’t stand these shocks.
Lin Miao felt reassured. She had promised the Young Master to not get injured before, but she broke the promise just now. Fortunately, her older brother was always so forgiving. She nodded, promising prudently again, “Okay.”
The Young Master’s mother, who had walked out of the stadium with him, stood aside waiting, waiting, and waiting…
She looked at the sky, the crowds of people, and the distant skyscrapers. When was the last time I had been here?
The two kids still had some good in them and finally noticed her after having talked with each other for a long time.
Lin Miao didn’t recognize her. In her mind, auntie Yu was a woman radiating with beauty!
However, the girl she’s looking at right now just seemed like an average schoolgirl, so Lin Miao gave her a warm smile.
“Hello hello.” Seeing that the two teenagers had finally stopped being so intimate and noticed her, she immediately introduced herself with excitement. “Brother Shui, I finally met you, I’m so glad! I’m your biggest fan, you were stunning today!”
The Young Master cruelly gave her away, “… Mom.”
The Young Master’s mother: “...” Whatever, he’s my son, not a present for winning a film queen award.
Lin Miao only realized then, exclaiming in surprise, “Auntie Yu, you’re so good at this! How’d you do it? You look like a completely new person.”
Holding her hand, the Young Master’s mother said, “I’ll teach you later.”
She was still in super fangirl mode. The contrast between watching in-person and through TV broadcasts was immeasurable. The Young Master didn’t even let her cheer Lin Miao in the stadium in fear of affecting her play, so all her emotions were still compressed in her heart.
The Young Master wordlessly watched as his mother talked on and on with no end to Lin Miao, as if she was chasing a star.
Him: “...” So he did make the right decision to not bring his mother to any competitions before.