Chapter Fourteen: Like Little Bei

Ran Jing disappears for a few days each time, and I have gotten used to it. When I open the door and find her in the house, it's a pleasant surprise for me. Today was one of those surprising days.

To enrich employees' leisure life and to improve physical fitness, the company arranged a soccer match for tomorrow, a weekend, with a certain famous foreign company. Naturally, I was an unquestionable choice for the team. After all, during my college days, I was a main substitute for the school team's midfield. Usually, when I look at the guys in the office, each one of them with their "numb" faces staring at computer screens, I never would have thought that many of them were once "campus legends" in their school days. I, the main substitute, was only at an average level among them. If everything was as they claimed, then tomorrow, we would have a good chance to "fix" those arrogant guys from the famous foreign company we have a partnership with.

It had been a long time since I last played this sport that I always loved. Thinking about having a chance to make a comeback tomorrow and show off in front of a crowd, I couldn't help but feel excited. What made me even happier was finding a beautiful figure sitting on the sofa when I got home.

"You're back," Ran Jing greeted me cheerfully.

"Huh?" I had originally thought that after what happened a few days ago, Ran Jing wouldn't talk to me. I didn't expect her to greet me so warmly.

"What's wrong with you? You look silly," Ran Jing asked, puzzled by my strange expression.

"I... I thought you wouldn't talk to me."

"Why?"

"100 days, and it's only been three."

"Of course, it's 100 days. I just want you to feel guilty for 100 days."

"Then why are you..."

"Of course, I want to be nice to you. If I ignored you and got angry with you, you'd feel like you've paid off your debt to me. But I won't do that. I'll be even nicer to you so you'll feel even guiltier," Ran Jing proudly explained her logic, which almost made me pass out. Whether her theory was sound or not didn't matter. The fact that she was willing to be nice to me made me very happy.

"Then I'll give you a chance," I said, sitting down next to Ran Jing.

"What chance?"

"A chance to be nice to me."

"Hmm... Let's hear it."

"Tomorrow, we have a soccer match with a certain company. Come and be my cheerleader!"

"A soccer match? I like that. You want me to be a cheerleader? Should I wear a short skirt like a soccer babe?" Ran Jing asked seriously. I couldn't help but imagine her in a short skirt, looking fiery and sexy while cheering for me on the sidelines. Wow, that feeling—one word: awesome!

"Sure, sure," I quickly agreed.

"You wish. Look at you, drooling like that. I'm not doing it."

The next morning, when I woke up, that damn girl had already disappeared again. I got up a bit later than usual, and she was nowhere to be seen. Didn't she say she'd come watch me play yesterday? Soccer is definitely an activity that excites me, but it feels like something is missing without a beauty watching. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to impress the company's girls today.

It had only been a few years since I graduated from university, but it felt like I had aged significantly. Back then, I could play soccer under the noon sun without stopping until I lost sight of the ball. Nowadays, after just five minutes on the field—just five minutes—I was already completely exhausted. The demanding nature of IT work is definitely a killer for physical fitness. Those guys who boasted about being the main players at some school—some of them, I even doubted if they had ever played soccer before. Quickly, the first half ended, and we were already down 0:2.

"Lu Fei, go Lu Fei!" At the beginning of the second half, the voice I had been waiting for rang out. From a distance, I saw a girl in a red shirt and white shorts in the stands. Although I couldn't see her face clearly, I knew who she was.

Damn it, I couldn't lose face in front of a beauty. A beauty is definitely a special stimulant for unleashing life's potential. It also proves that human potential is incredible and can surpass normal capabilities in special circumstances. I started giving my all, tackling, breaking through, making precise passes, and shooting. I seemed to have fully recovered and even surpassed my past skills, causing chaos in the opposing team's defense. My teammates, inspired by my performance, also started playing above their usual level. However... the score didn't change. Although we created many chances, our ability to squander opportunities surpassed our ability to create them.

At the end of the match, we managed to maintain the score, but even potential couldn't support us playing above our usual level for a whole game. Despite losing the match, I was extremely satisfied with my performance. My teammates highly praised my breakthroughs and passes. As a main substitute midfielder, my reputation wasn't unfounded. But none of that mattered now. What mattered most was the beauty's evaluation of my performance.

Ran Jing ran over to me, drawing envious looks from my colleagues. She spun around to show off her outfit—a Manchester United soccer jersey, giving off a different kind of charm. She even wore a headband, looking like a true soccer fan. But everyone's attention was mostly on her long, beautiful, and bare legs.

"How do I look? Professional, right?" Ran Jing asked proudly.

"Absolutely better than those soccer babes," I praised Ran Jing, but I was more eager for her to praise my on-field performance. "So, how do you think we played today?"

"Pretty good. Who won?" Faint. So she watched the whole game without knowing who won? Maybe she missed the two goals in the first half.

"We lost, 0:2."

"Oh, that's okay. It was just an accident. I think you guys should've won."

"You noticed that we had absolute dominance at the start of the second half?"

"Yeah, the ball stayed in their half. It never reached your half." Wow, not bad. She's actually a real fan, with some knowledge.

"Exactly. Did you see my dribbling, breakthroughs, and passes? Give me an evaluation." I eagerly awaited her praise for my efforts today.

"Hmm..." Ran Jing thought for a while and then asked, "The team you played against, was it that certain company?"

"Yes." Why ask that? Just give me some compliments already.

"Their number 8 is so handsome, like Beckham."

"..."

"..."