Chapter Fifteen: Just Don’t Lose!

After finishing training, Jiang Hong was already drenched in sweat.

Su Cheng took a bottle of water from her bag and handed it to Jiang Hong.

“Have some water.”

Jiang Hong didn’t hesitate. After taking the bottle, he twisted off the cap and took a sip.

As the mineral water flowed down his throat, he felt revitalized.

Turning his head, he nodded approvingly.

“Not bad, not bad. You’re doing a great job as a ball boy!”

Su Cheng immediately seized the opportunity, grinning as she held out her hand. “Since I’m working so hard, boss, have you thought about giving me a raise?”

Jiang Hong knew she was joking. He spread his hands helplessly. “I’m not exactly rolling in extra grain here!”

Su Cheng smirked as she watched Jiang Hong imitate Ge You’s famous pose, unable to suppress a small laugh.

Suddenly recalling something, she asked, “By the way, Jiang Hong, you guys have a match at another school tomorrow, so no practice today?”

This two-day championship wasn’t being held at their school.

“We have the match tomorrow, so no practice for now.”

With Jiang Hong’s training volume, if he kept practicing on match day, it wouldn’t matter how tough his opponents were—he’d likely wear himself out first.

Su Cheng’s eyes flickered subtly as she asked casually, “Where’s the match being held?”

“Why? Planning to come cheer me on as my cheerleader?”

Jiang Hong found it odd that Su Cheng, who usually spent her free time working part-time jobs, suddenly took an interest in his match.

Su Cheng pouted in response.

“Nothing much. Tomorrow’s a day off and I don’t have plans. If it’s not far, I might just go check it out.”

Though she had only heard of tennis before, during the time she’d been training alongside Jiang Hong, she had grown fond of the sport, finding it quite interesting.

“The tennis court is at the Tianxiang Club next to Xigong. It’s an indoor court, and you can get there by taking bus number 22.”

Jiang Hong didn’t bother exposing Su Cheng’s coyness.

“Alright, then see you tomorrow.”

Waving his hand, he felt uncomfortable with the sweat on his body and decided to take a shower to relax.

“Oh.”

Su Cheng nodded instinctively.

Her eyes flickered once more. “By the way, good luck in tomorrow’s match. Don’t let me see you lose when I come to watch!”

“You have no faith in me, huh? Just wait and see tomorrow!”

Jiang Hong shrugged. With his current level, he shouldn’t be defeated in this amateur college match.

…

“Godfather!”

Jiang Hong had just entered the room when suddenly a black ball came flying straight at him!

At a meter away, the other boy slid into a kneeling position right in front of him.

“Huazi, what are you doing?”

Jiang Hong quickly raised his hand to stop him. Was this guy out of his mind?

Li Hua looked up, a look of sorrow and indignation on his face.

“Old Jiang… no, I mean Brother Jiang!” His expression shifted into a sycophantic smile.

Jiang Hong felt a bit awkward. He moved around Li Hua and sat on his own bench, placing his racket beside him.

“Spit it out. If you’ve got something to say, say it.”

“Heh heh.” Li Hua rubbed his hands nervously and came closer. “Brother Jiang, you know I’m the last in my line, right? I’ve never even held a girl’s hand, let alone been in a relationship!”

Jiang Hong glanced sideways at Li Hua, sensing he was full of nonsense.

“Didn’t you just visit your uncle’s place a few days ago?”

“Uh!” Li Hua stumbled over his words, then cleared his throat. “Old Jiang, can you just watch me stay a lonely single forever?”

“Go find someone at a matchmaking agency. What can I do?”

Helping this guy find a partner was no easy task.

He stammered whenever he spoke to girls.

Not to mention, he wasn’t exactly handsome, so chances of dating were slim.

“Brother Jiang, today I saw Senior Xia Ling from our tennis club and Su Cheng—they’re both vying for your attention!”

Jiang Hong’s mouth twitched. This guy clearly misunderstood.

“You’re overthinking it. Su Cheng’s just worried about losing her job, and Xia Ling… well, you’ll see.”

Girls like Xia Ling, who appeared confident and would take the initiative to approach you, could be quite overwhelming to the average guy.

When you start liking them, they’d say, “I only see you as a friend. Are you mistaken?”

Perhaps it was the club’s internal selection contest that caught their attention.

Such girls weren’t after anything in particular—just found it amusing.

Jiang Hong’s principle with such girls was always to keep a respectful distance.

“Alright, if you want to chase girls, just go find someone you like and try to be friends.”

“What if I get rejected?”

“Then move on. There’s always someone who’s blind enough to like you.”

Jiang Hong patted Li Hua on the shoulder and stood up to change clothes.

Li Hua remained in the dorm, lost in thought.

After freshening up, Jiang Hong noticed that Li Hua had finally quieted down.

Tomorrow marked the first match of his rebirth. Though it was an amateur contest, it was the first step on his tennis journey.

It seemed he hadn’t checked on his “adorable” online fans for several days.

Recently, all his training videos on Youku had been filmed, edited, and uploaded by Su Cheng.

He wanted to see if they had any good advice.

When he first posted the training videos, netizens thought Jiang Hong was just seeking attention and wouldn’t last long.

After all, his training regimen was unrealistic and would only harm his body.

Because it wasn’t “scientific.”

Countless netizens and tennis experts had said Nadal’s style could only last a year or two because it was too taxing physically.

But the results thoroughly proved those experts wrong.

Competitive sports are full of seemingly unscientific methods.

Before Usain Bolt burst onto the scene, no one thought the 100-meter world record could be so astonishing.

As Jiang Hong posted his daily training videos, the comments gradually changed.

“Xiao Jiang is working way too hard. I’d have given up long ago!”

“At first, I thought he was just bragging, but now it’s clear he really loves tennis and wants to go pro.”

“Professional tennis is extremely tough. Most players start young with proper training. Xiao Jiang’s starting late.”

“Although Xiao Jiang probably won’t make it professionally, becoming a top amateur is very possible. Everyone can see his progress!”

Many projected their own abandoned dreams onto Jiang Hong.

He felt the weight on his shoulders heavily.

He possessed what others longed for, and if he couldn’t persevere, it would be a crime.