Chapter 8: A Good Seedling

“You’re so worked up—do you like him or something? Well, then you might be too late. His girlfriend seems to be someone he met outside. He came back to take the college entrance exam just so he could study where she is. He wouldn’t admit it and tried to keep it a secret. If I hadn’t overheard him talking to Aunt Chunyu, I wouldn’t have known either.”

Ning Ning shrugged, putting on an innocent face, deliberately dragging the plot far, far away from its original track.

Chen Xinxin was so shocked she nearly lost her balance. How could this be? Not a single rumor beforehand, and suddenly he already had a girlfriend? She no longer had the energy to pick a fight with Ning Ning. Without another word, she jumped on her bicycle and stormed off, probably to confront Xing Yuan.

“When did Xiaoyuan get a girlfriend? How come I never heard about it?”

Yue Chi looked at her with interest.

“Well, now you know. Shh—keep it a secret.”

Ning Ning winked at him with full confidence, as if certain he wouldn’t expose her lie.

Xing Yuan: Me and my imaginary girlfriend.

With the little problem of Chen Xinxin solved, and tomorrow’s meeting time agreed upon, Yue Chi left. Ning Ning, meanwhile, brought Lin Xiao back to her own home. She worried Lin Xiao wouldn’t rest properly at her place and it would affect her running the next day, so she had her stay for dinner and the night.

Ning Ning’s mother agreed without hesitation. When she learned Lin Xiao had talent for running and that Ning Ning planned to introduce her to a coach, she was very supportive—though she did have one question.

“Will running earn her a salary?”

“Yes. As long as she can get into the city team, provincial team, or even the national team, training usually covers food and lodging, plus there’s a stipend. If she places in competitions, there’s prize money too. She can also use her athletic specialty to enter a good university, and later she could even work as a PE teacher. There are plenty of benefits.”

“Well, that’s wonderful! My daughter really knows her stuff! If not for you, Xiao would have missed such a great chance!”

Ning Ning’s mother slapped her thigh in excitement.

“That’s right—Ning Ning is amazing!”

Lin Xiao instantly joined in, turning into Ning Ning’s number-one fan. The two of them praised her so much it was as if they’d lift her to the heavens. Ning Ning hid a laugh behind her hand, resting her chin in her palm as she looked at them fondly. It was a warm, harmonious scene.

The next day, once Yue Chi arrived, the three of them went to the county town together. Only a larger place like the county had sports coaches—there was nothing like that in the countryside. Yue Chi seemed to know a coach personally; instead of heading to a school or training ground, they went straight to the coach’s house.

The coach’s surname was Liu. When he opened the door and saw Yue Chi, he was surprised, greeting him warmly with a punch to the chest.

“Good kid, long time no see. What brings you here all of a sudden?”

“Oh, and you’ve brought two young girls. Are they your sisters, or your wives?”

“Coach Liu, I came for something serious. This girl has real potential in running. Will you take her on?”

Yue Chi rubbed his chest helplessly. Wives? Who’s ever seen someone with two wives?

“Of course I’ll take her, as long as she’s promising. But one looks scrawny, the other looks delicate and fragile—so which one are you talking about?”

Coach Liu cast a teasing glance at Lin Xiao and Ning Ning. Lin Xiao, shy as ever, panicked under his gaze and hid behind Ning Ning.

“It’s her. She runs fast. Yesterday we tested her roughly—maybe a bit of error in timing, but not by much. Fifty meters in 7.4 seconds, a hundred meters in twelve, two hundred meters in 24.3, and eight hundred meters in two minutes twelve seconds. You can test her again on a proper track.”

Ning Ning held Lin Xiao’s hand firmly, meeting Coach Liu’s eyes without wavering.

“Why didn’t you test her at 400 meters?”

Coach Liu’s first reaction wasn’t surprise at the times but to raise a practical question.

“Wait—those results are that good? And she can handle both sprints and middle distance? Are you sure?”

He seemed to realize the implications only then.

“Absolutely sure,” Ning Ning replied firmly.

At that, Coach Liu grew excited. He grabbed his stopwatch at once.

“Let’s go. I’ll test her myself!”

He hurried them to a designated running area. If the results held up, she was truly a rare seedling. More importantly, she was balanced in both sprint and endurance—a rare combination. Usually, athletes excel in one and lack in the other.

The “special training ground” was really just a patch of open land with white markings drawn for lanes. Crude compared to future synthetic tracks.

“Do you know how to run properly? You must stay in one lane, no crossing over. And if you run like this, you’ll be faster…”

Coach Liu patiently explained the rules and even demonstrated a starting stance. But Lin Xiao, unfamiliar with it, didn’t know where to put her arms or legs. Nervous, she looked at Ning Ning helplessly.

“Forget the stance for now. It’s too sudden—she won’t adjust right away. Let’s just test her speed. Once we know her pace is good, her form can be corrected anytime.”

Protective as ever, Ning Ning stepped in. With her support, Lin Xiao finally dared to nod. Coach Liu chuckled at the sight.

“What are you to her, anyway? Why is it you do all the talking, while she stays silent?”

“Ning Ning is my best friend!”

For the first time, Lin Xiao stood forward in indignation, glaring at Coach Liu as if he’d bullied Ning Ning.

“Task One progress +5. Current total: 30.”

Excellent—she could now stand up for someone else. Her personality was changing. Ning Ning raised her brows slightly, pleased.

“Alright, alright. You’re good sisters, I spoke out of turn. Come on then, little girl. Show me your strength.”

Coach Liu’s manner was far from solemn—his teasing tone explained why Lin Xiao thought he’d been mean to Ning Ning. Before running, Lin Xiao clenched her fists, looking a bit puffed up.

“Go for it, Xiao. Remember, your fate is under your own feet. Your other glass slipper—you’ll have to win it yourself.”

Ning Ning gave her routine encouragement. Lin Xiao nodded hard, then shot forward like a blazing firebird.

Only then did Yue Chi stroll over, speaking lightly.

“What’s a glass slipper?”

“It’s a type of shoe. Don’t ask—just know you can’t have it.”

Ning Ning brushed him off without taking her eyes off Lin Xiao’s sprinting form. Yue Chi smirked faintly. Something I can’t have? Not necessarily.

Well, if he wanted to cross-dress as a Disney princess, with his looks he probably could pull it off…

“This result really is good. But she’s a bit late in starting. If she wants to become a professional athlete, she’ll need a lot of preparation and to enter many competitions. I’ll have to discuss the future with her parents.”