chapter 17
Chapter 17
“Come on, don’t tease me. I have a girlfriend.”
The two exchanged a smile, while only Liu Nanyu, sitting beside them, looked bewildered, unable to figure out what the joke was between the two.
“I want to set up an amateur football club and invite you to join. With your skills, you could totally play professionally!”
Wu Ai took a cigarette from the pack and held it in his mouth. “You’ve got sharp eyes. I actually was in the youth training squad of Beijing Guoan before.”
Beijing Guoan is a professional football club based in Beijing, one of the four traditional powerhouses in the Chinese Super League.
Getting into the professional team of Beijing Guoan is nearly impossible. The youth training squad, as the reserve for the professional team, is also not to be underestimated.
Liang Tianhang slapped his thigh in excitement. “That’s awesome! Our team is just missing a tough guy like you. Are you interested?”
Wu Ai was a little intrigued. “How many people are on your team now?”
“Just me. If you join, that makes two.” Liang Tianhang scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
Wu Ai almost burst out laughing. Although Liang Tianhang sounded sincere, he couldn’t help but feel this chubby guy was trying to rope him into some kind of pyramid scheme.
“So where do you train?”
“Huilongguan Sports Center, it’s close to my place.”
His answer left Wu Ai puzzled. He lived in Chaoyang District, and Huilongguan was across half of Beijing.
“What about Dongdan? That’s closer to me.”
“Dongdan is far from my place,” Liang Tianhang replied, sounding completely justified.
Wu Ai was pretty self-centered himself, but he’d never seen anyone so unabashed about it.
Suppressing the urge to strangle him, Wu Ai continued patiently, “So what competitions do you want to sign up for in the future?”
“How about playing in the Haidian league and cup matches!”
“Why are the matches in Haidian now?” Wu Ai was even more confused.
“Because I got into Capital University of Physical Education and Sports through a special exam, and both events are held near my school.”
Wu Ai couldn’t hold it in anymore. Before he could start complaining, Liu Nanyu, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up.
“That’s unfair to other team members. Even though I don’t know much about football, I know no one would want to cross half the city just for training.”
Liu Nanyu crossed her arms, speaking at a measured pace, but her words carried an invisible pressure.
Liang Tianhang had never faced such a situation before. He immediately lowered his head and smiled apologetically. “You’re right, I didn’t think it through. Since you, sis-in-law, have spoken, let’s discuss it again later.”
“I’m not his girlfriend.”
Liu Nanyu’s face tightened, her expression growing more serious, clearly displeased by the comment.
Liang Tianhang froze for a moment, then quickly leaned over to Wu Ai and whispered, “Bro, did you have a fight with sis-in-law?”
Wu Ai found it funny, but seeing Liu Nanyu’s icy expression, he hurried to explain.
“You misunderstood, we’re not…”
“I get it, I get it, sis-in-law is still mad at you.”
Liang Tianhang winked and hurriedly added Wu Ai on WeChat. “Bro, think it over when you get home, and remember to make it up to sis-in-law!”
Wu Ai was at a loss for words at his analysis.
Watching Liang Tianhang’s broad back, he wondered how someone with that build managed to get into Capital University of Physical Education and Sports.
“What are you thinking about?” Liu Nanyu’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
Wu Ai snapped back and smiled, “I was thinking about where to take Miss Liu later.”
They looked at each other for a few seconds before Liu Nanyu suddenly turned away, pursing her lips.
“Tch, I don’t believe you.”
Wu Ai chuckled, then grabbed Liu Nanyu’s hand and pulled her up from the chair.
“Let’s go, Miss Liu. I’ll show you the bustling atmosphere of Wangfujing…”
The Wangfujing Foreign Language Bookstore is located in the bustling central commercial street of Wangfujing, right next to the New Dong’an Market and Beijing Department Store.
Usually, the people who come here are scholars preparing to go abroad, borrowing reference books, or book lovers with a unique passion for foreign novels.
Wu Ai held a copy of “Harry Potter: The Chamber of Secrets” in his hands, taking a photo of each page before turning it.
He would only continue reading once the English on his phone had been translated into something he could understand.
“Weren’t we supposed to experience the vibrant street culture of Wangfujing? Why are you so interested in this place?”
Liu Nanyu gently put down her copy of “The Bell Jar,” her fingertips still holding a bookmark, her elegance standing out from the crowd.
Perhaps sensing Wu Ai’s gaze, Liu Nanyu turned her head, her expression still calm, betraying no emotion.
“I prefer quiet places. Isn’t this nice?”
“Fine, fine. After all, the young lady went abroad when she was young and has a special fondness for English.”
“Not at all. I only learned English because my family wanted me to study abroad in the future.”
Seeing Wu Ai tease her like this, she wasn’t annoyed. Instead, she looked at him with playful amusement.
“How about… I teach you English?”
Wu Ai was stunned. The coldness she had before was gone, replaced by a smile at the corners of her mouth and a gentle grace in her eyes.
“Why would you help me?”
She smiled and said, “Because you helped me before. Isn’t it right to repay kindness?”
Wu Ai suddenly understood. The incident of taking her to the hospital wasn’t the end; the story was still continuing, and the value Liu Nanyu could offer was clearly more than just material things.
He thought the warm scene would last a little longer, but Liu Nanyu suddenly became serious.
“From now on, we’ll communicate in English. Understand?”
The sudden switch to an unfamiliar language left Wu Ai momentarily blank, searching his mind for the meaning in Chinese.
“No understand.”
A hint of confusion flashed in her beautiful eyes, and she continued speaking a long string of English that Wu Ai couldn’t comprehend.
“Stop, stop! Young lady, let’s speak Chinese!” Wu Ai quickly waved his hand.
Liu Nanyu was amused. “So what should we do?”
Wu Ai thought for a moment, his eyes lighting up.
“How about you help me memorize vocabulary?”
After he spoke, Liu Nanyu looked at him, puzzled.
“You need help memorizing words? Isn’t that like kindergarteners reciting nursery rhymes?”
Night had fallen. A man and a woman walked out of the bookstore, side by side along the bustling Wangfujing commercial street, though Wu Ai’s expression was a bit odd.
Liu Nanyu was somewhat confused, but said nothing more.
“Are there any famous Western restaurants around here?” Liu Nanyu asked.
Wu Ai waved his hand. “What’s so great about Western food? Let me take you to try something different.”
He led her into a shopping center, took the elevator down to B1, and stopped in front of a shop.
Seeing the sign “Wan Chuan Chuan’er,” Liu Nanyu was curious. “Is this the ‘different’ you mentioned?”
“How can Beijing nightlife be complete without spicy hotpot?”
Liu Nanyu nodded thoughtfully, tacitly agreeing.
Wu Ai found a small table and sat down, biting into a skewer. Liu Nanyu took a bite and her eyes widened.
“Why is it cold?”
“It may be cold to eat, but it warms the heart.”
Wu Ai pointed to the other tables behind them. “This must be your first time eating in such a lively place, right?”