Spring passed and autumn came, and in the blink of an eye, a year had gone by.
Tomorrow was Xie Yan Si’s tenth birthday, and it was also the day of Lin Yue’s Wing Chun fighting finals.
Lin Yue asked Xie Yan Si what he wanted for his birthday gift.
Xie Yan Si didn’t hold back at all, though his tone remained somewhat reserved. “I think the Wing Chun fighting trophy looks really nice, especially that pair of boxing gloves as the prize—so cool.”
“Putting on those gloves to fight must look really cool and powerful.”
Seeing the roundabout way this little kid was asking for a gift, Lin Yue smiled and tugged at her lips. “Got it. I’ll win it for you tomorrow.”
Xie Yan Si’s eyes lit up, and he chuckled as he walked over, giving Lin Yue’s arms and legs a gentle massage.
“Then tomorrow, I’ll definitely go watch with my own eyes how our Yueyue beats those people to a pulp!”
“Our Yueyue is definitely unbeatable, the most amazing in the whole universe!”
Lin Yue hadn’t expected Xie Yan Si’s way of showering praise to be like this.
Honestly, it was kind of cute.
To welcome the amazing Yueyue, Xie Yan Si decided to go back and put on his cool battle attire, so that tomorrow he’d be worthy of standing beside Lin Yue on the dazzling championship stage.
Lin Yue hadn’t expected Xie Yan Si to insist on going back so late. She frowned. “What are you going back for at this hour?”
“This is your first time on such a big stage, Yueyue,” Xie Yan Si said, straightening his back and adjusting his collar.
“I have to dress up too, can’t let you lose face.”
“Don’t worry,” Xie Yan Si said as he walked toward the door, turning back to wave at Lin Yue. “I’ll definitely be at the match tomorrow!”
The next day, the Wing Chun fighting venue was bustling with excitement.
Lin Yue looked toward Xie Yan Si’s seat for a long time.
It was empty, with not a single person in sight.
She dialed Xie Yan Si’s number on her smartwatch, but the line just rang and rang, with no one answering.
Wen Wan noticed Lin Yue’s anxiety and came over to comfort her. “I just called Auntie Xie and asked. She said they’ve already left and are probably stuck in traffic right now. Don’t worry, they might arrive any moment.”
Lin Yue gave a muffled “Mm.”
Just then, the referee stepped onto the ring and rang the bell, calling the contestants for the match to come up.
“Now, we have contestant number 666, Lin Yue, from the youth women’s division, and contestant number 011, Song Qianqian, please come to the stage.”
Lin Yue glanced once more at Xie Yan Si’s seat, then took off her outer jacket, revealing the solemn black fighting uniform underneath, and walked toward the stage.
Under the referee’s guidance, Lin Yue shook hands with her opponent and exchanged glances.
Even before the match began, the venue erupted with astonishing cheers, everyone cheering for the two contestants.
Today’s finals promised to be absolutely thrilling.
Song Qianqian had been the Wing Chun fighting champion for five consecutive years since she was eleven.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue had risen to fame overnight, winning match after match to become the dark horse of this Wing Chun fighting league.
The showdown between these two contestants had everyone’s attention.
The referee stood between them. “Ready!”
Lin Yue glanced once more at Xie Yan Si’s seat out of the corner of her eye—still empty.
He promised he’d be here. He promised he’d watch her beat the others to a pulp with his own eyes.
If Xie Yan Si dared to lie to her, she’d never speak to him again. Hmph.
Having been a child for so long, it was hard not to become a little childish inside.
The referee’s whistle sounded in her ears. “Begin!”
Her opponent started with a series of rapid punches, forcing Lin Yue to retreat step by step.
Song Qianqian had a proud personality, but she never expected her opponent to be even prouder. “Still in the mood to look around? Your opponent is me, Song Qianqian!”
Infuriated by her opponent’s actions, Song Qianqian unleashed a combination of moves—a straight punch followed by an elbow strike, then a double palm thrust and a leg sweep.
These strikes nearly sent Lin Yue tumbling off the ring, and her arms were struck several times by palm chops.
The pain from these blows made Lin Yue furrow her brows, but her opponent pressed the advantage, delivering a powerful axe kick to her shoulder and pressing down hard.
The force left Lin Yue gasping for breath, her body in extreme discomfort, and her heart inexplicably aching with a sudden, sharp pain.
…
At the same time, a major car accident occurred at the intersection in the northern part of the city.
Blood flowed across the ground, and adorable little bear-shaped cookies were scattered everywhere, slowly soaked in blood until they fell apart and turned mushy.
A little boy dressed in a small suit and black vest, with a stylish hairstyle, was pulled from the pool of blood by emergency responders.
“Hurry! This child has lost too much blood and is in critical condition. Get him to the hospital for emergency treatment immediately!”
The scene was chaotic, with people trampling over the bear-shaped cookies until even the last traces of mush were gone.
The little boy clutched a smartwatch in his hand. Before the accident, he had received a call from Lin Yue—the first time she had ever called him.
But before he could answer, a truck crashed head-on into their car.
Amid the violent impact, he never got to take that call.
Xie Yan Si handed the watch to the medical staff, his pale lips moving slightly, but no one could make out what he was saying—
—Please, help me make a call, to Yueyue.
He didn’t want Yueyue to worry. They were supposed to celebrate together that evening, blowing out birthday candles and making wishes together.
The siren of the ambulance drowned out his faint voice, echoing across the northern part of the city.
Lin Yue faintly heard the siren, and her legs suddenly regained strength.
She quickly pulled her scattered thoughts back together.
She trusted Xie Yan Si. After spending so much time together, the boy had always kept his word, so she believed he would definitely come.
Lin Yue focused on her punches, and the pressure she exerted suddenly skyrocketed.
She seamlessly linked combinations of punches and footwork, showcasing the unique characteristic of Wing Chun: as long as she kept moving, her opponent would never be able to touch her.
Her moves provoked even the experienced Song Qianqian, who grew impatient and tried to wear Lin Yue down.
This led to her becoming too eager, her punches lacking sufficient force and veering off target.
Seizing the opportunity, Lin Yue struck Song Qianqian in the chest with a palm strike, sending her stumbling backward and nearly falling off the ring.
It was only thanks to Lin Yue’s quick reflexes that she grabbed Song Qianqian’s combat uniform and pulled her back.
Otherwise, Song Qianqian’s fall would have been both embarrassing and humiliating.
Song Qianqian had to admit that this petite girl was quite… impressive.
Her punches were sharp and precise, and her footwork was both unexpected and steady.
Song Qianqian was proud, but she also knew her limits.
Knowing that continuing the fight would only lead to further humiliation, she decided to adopt the demeanor of an older sister. “I… I forfeit.”
Ten minutes into the match, it was over!
The audience erupted into cheers even more enthusiastic than at the start of the match.
“666!”
“666, Lin Yue!”
“Lin Yue truly is 666!”
The spotlight shone on Lin Yue as she stood on the dazzling ring. The award presenter handed the trophy and prize to her.
“Congratulations, child. The future holds great promise for you.”
Wen Wan was also applauding for her daughter below, but she noticed that Lin Yue didn’t seem particularly happy.
Amid the roaring cheers, Lin Yue saw that the seat she had prepared for Xie Yan Si remained empty, with no sign of him.
Xie Yan Si never came, even after her match ended.
A sense of disappointment welled up in her heart.
Lin Yue couldn’t help but wonder.
Was Xie Yan Si still stuck in traffic?
Would he arrive any minute now?
Lin Yue lowered her gaze to the boxing gloves in her hands.
This was the prize Xie Yan Si had been longing for. When she gave it to him later, he would surely grin from ear to ear.
As the match concluded, the bustling competition venue gradually grew quiet and empty.
Holding the trophy and boxing gloves that Xie Yan Si loved, Lin Yue sat in his usual seat, occasionally glancing toward the entrance.
With each glance, she would think.
Perhaps in the next second, Xie Yan Si would appear at the door, holding her favorite teddy bear cookies, smiling at her, and calling her “Yue Yue” over and over.
But on that day, Lin Yue waited in the competition venue for a very, very long time.
She never got to see Xie Yan Si appear.