Zhang Jingdong entered the stadium and, when he reached the court, he spotted Shu Ran from afar.
At that moment, she was practicing with Ye Sijing.
Today, she was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt, black shorts below, and a pair of white sports shoes on her feet.
Although her almost perfect figure could still overshadow those so-called sporty internet celebrities of later generations, for her, it was still somewhat imperfect.
After all, the visual effect of a short skirt while playing badminton is much better than that of shorts.
Shorts can also show off long legs, but they are too monotonous after all.
However, a short skirt creates a sense of freshness that can’t quite be described as it flutters during the game.
During a rally, Shu Ran suddenly caught sight of Zhang Jingdong, and she completely botched what should have been an easy lob.
At the same time, a hint of embarrassment appeared on her originally serious and focused face.
She wasn’t embarrassed because she saw Zhang Jingdong, but because of the text message she had sent him on a whim during her rest.
Before sending the message, she hesitated for a long time, and right after sending it, she immediately regretted it.
Although it seemed reasonable to text him asking about his whereabouts after he was late, especially since they had agreed to play five games every day for the upcoming week,
she knew that besides work, this was the first time she had taken the initiative to text a man, and the content of the message was close to an invitation.
She feared Zhang Jingdong would misunderstand.
After their last game, Zhang Jingdong obviously longer held the same reverence for her as he would for a teacher, instead treating her like a fellow badminton player.
Although she had never been in a relationship, she vaguely sensed Zhang Jingdong’s "ulterior motives" in doing so.
Additionally, there was Ye Sijing’s analysis of her interaction with him.
So, she was worried her proactive text might spark Zhang Jingdong’s imagination, potentially leading to various overreaches on his part.
Ye Sijing, being Shu Ran’s old teammate and friend, spotted Shu Ran’s unusual behavior after just one rally, and she turned her head to look around.
Upon seeing Zhang Jingdong, Ye Sijing gave a meaningful smile, "Senior sister, I was wondering what’s gotten into you just now, turns out it’s your official male badminton partner arriving. Alright then, I’ll leave you two to play!"
Saying this, Ye Sijing greeted Zhang Jingdong and then left directly.
Zhang Jingdong touched his nose and then stepped onto the court.
"Teacher Shu, sorry for making you wait, I guarantee I’ll absolutely not be late next time!"
Seeing Zhang Jingdong hinting at the text message she had sent earlier, Shu Ran’s already somewhat embarrassed face turned even redder.
But since she had been playing until just now, it wasn’t apparent anything was amiss.
She feigned indifference: "Alright, you warm up first."
Zhang Jingdong waved his hand: "No need, I saw you were playing quite well just now, it seems you’ve already adjusted to your best condition. If I warm up now, you might lose your rhythm, and then it’ll be even harder for you to beat me. So let’s just start now!"
Shu Ran hesitated: "Are you sure?"
"Of course!" Zhang Jingdong replied with a carefree smile: "But since I haven’t warmed up, chances are it’ll end up 50-50 today, so how about we play a little game?"
"If you lose later, you’ll agree to a small request from me, and if I lose, I’ll agree to a small request from you. What do you think?"
What Zhang Jingdong was actually doing was setting the stage for a bigger request seven days later, or rather, gradually pushing Shu Ran’s boundaries.
Upon hearing this and seeing the mischievous smile on Zhang Jingdong’s lips, Shu Ran frowned slightly: "Didn’t you say yesterday that we’ll play out this week’s games before doing that?"
Zhang Jingdong curled his lip: "I just want to make our matchup every day more intense and exciting!"
"And then, the seven-day game will lead to a big request, while our minor game every day will lead to a small request."
Seeing Shu Ran still hesitant, Zhang Jingdong continued to provoke her. "What’s the matter, Teacher Shu? You’ve been practicing for sure these past few days, and your condition is on point now. I haven’t even warmed up, yet you don’t even have this much confidence?"
Shu Ran knew full well Zhang Jingdong was saying this on purpose, but upon hearing it, her competitive spirit as an athlete was ignited.
She then said: "Alright, since you’re so confident, I agree to your proposal."
Seeing her take the bait, Zhang Jingdong promptly said: "Great, since it’s decided, let’s begin now!"
The two briefly prepared and then the match officially began.
Twenty minutes later, the first game ended.
It had to be said, Shu Ran, as a former professional player, was truly strong.
Of course, Zhang Jingdong also lost on purpose.
He deliberately slowed down on a few key points.
And because Shu Ran was elated from finally winning a game against Zhang Jingdong, she didn’t notice and thought it was the result of her recent practice.
After a 5-minute break, they started the second game.
The first 10 points were tied at 5-5, then 11-11, and 18-18.
In the end, Shu Ran scored 3 consecutive points, winning another game 21-18!
At this point, Zhang Jingdong laughed self-deprecatingly: "Ah man, I got careless. Truly, pride comes before a fall, just like a brash dog gets hit by a brick!"