Unexpectedly, Ji Yuan’s foot twisted again, aggravating his injury. It would likely take at least ten to fifteen days to heal. Although Ji Cheng harbored suspicions, she didn’t expose her brother’s intentions. At home, her brother had always been devoted to studying the classics, showing no interest in horsemanship or archery, let alone polo. It was understandable that he’d want to back out now, faced with the challenge of last-minute preparation. Yet, he couldn’t resist the allure of polo’s glory, so he had no choice but to pin his hopes on his sister.
With Ji Yuan injured again, Ji Cheng had no option but to step up reluctantly.
On the day of the match, Ji Cheng walked slowly into the arena, wearing a rattan helmet. In recent days, she had used the excuse of catching a cold to avoid training with Shen Jing and the others. This had already sparked gossip among her teammates, but Ji Cheng had no choice.
Seeing Ji Cheng, Shen Jing immediately approached her. “Tianze, are you feeling better?”
Ji Cheng nodded silently.
Shen Jing continued, “Come quickly, Second Brother is explaining tactics to us. He’s a busy man, and we were fortunate to get him here.”
Protected by her rattan helmet, Ji Cheng wasn’t intimidated by Shen Che. She stood quietly next to Shen Jing, listening to Shen Che’s strategic deployment. It was evident that Shen Che had a keen understanding of each Chuyang Society member’s strengths and weaknesses, assigning everyone to their most suitable positions.
When it came to Ji Yuan’s turn, Ji Cheng’s ears perked up. However, Shen Che said, “Don’t you feel stuffy wearing that helmet? You don’t need to be on the field yet.”
Ji Cheng nearly choked on her saliva upon hearing this. She coughed loudly twice, “My throat is still a bit uncomfortable. I’m afraid of spreading the illness to everyone, so it’s better to keep the helmet on.”
Shen Che said nothing, merely observing Ji Cheng silently. His gaze made Ji Cheng’s skin crawl, fearing he might spot a flaw. Fortunately, Shen Che soon withdrew his scrutinizing look and said, “Last time, I saw you remain calm under pressure, with clean and swift passing moves. Why don’t you try assisting Zhen Chang from the left wing?”
Ji Cheng hurriedly shook her head, speaking in a hoarse voice, “This… I was just lucky last time. I’d rather be a substitute.”
Shen Che smiled, “Tianze, you’re being too modest. You won’t know your true potential until you’re on the field. Today’s opponent is the Dagu Society, last year’s champion. The situation will be more intense than your previous match against the Lanping Society. Tianze, you’ll start first, consider it as testing the opponent’s tactics for your teammates.”
Looking through the gaps in her rattan helmet, Ji Cheng suddenly noticed that Shen Che’s teeth were exceptionally white, cleaner, and whiter than others. This oddly reminded Ji Cheng of wolf fangs. As she observed Shen Che’s smile, his words about sending her to test the opponent’s tactics gave her the unsettling feeling that he was smilingly throwing her to the wolves, and she couldn’t refuse.
Ji Cheng’s performance in this polo match was neither outstanding nor poor. She didn’t score any goals, but as a left-wing assistant, her contribution to Chu Zhen was undeniable. Several times, it was her perfect and precise passes that enabled Chu Zhen to score.
Ji Cheng trudged slowly at the back of the team, listening to her teammates excitedly discussing the day’s match. She used the excuse of needing the restroom to avoid Shen Jing, who wanted to include her in the discussion.
When Ji Cheng finally emerged, she saw Chu Zhen and the others gathered around Shen Che, talking. From Ji Cheng’s perspective, Shen Che wore a constant smile as he commented on Chuyang Society’s performance. Everyone was eager to hear his evaluation of their progress and mistakes.
Though he was only a few years older than them, he somehow exuded the air of an elder. Ji Cheng found it perplexing, especially seeing the admiration on Chu Zhen and the others’ faces. These usually headstrong noble youths, who typically yielded to no one, seemed to transform in Shen Che’s presence.
Shen Jing spotted Ji Cheng and waved her over. “Tianze.”
Ji Cheng had no choice but to take a few steps forward, hearing Shen Jing ask Shen Che, “Second Brother, how was Tianze’s performance today?”
At this, Shen Che’s gaze fell on Ji Cheng, making her extremely uncomfortable. When his eyes swept over her chest, Ji Cheng began to worry if she hadn’t bound her chest tightly enough.
“Tianze is truly surprising. I never expected that among you, he would be the best rider. Astonishingly, you’ve kept him as a substitute for so long,” Shen Che said with a smile.
The best rider? The others looked at each other in disbelief, wondering if Shen Che’s eyes were playing tricks on him.
“Go look at his horse, and you’ll understand. This was a fierce battle against the Dagu Society. Can any of you claim your horses weren’t injured?” Shen Che asked.
On the polo field, with balls rolling and mallets flying, accidental injuries were inevitable. Sometimes, to compete for the ball, players had to charge forward knowing they might take a hit from an opponent’s mallet. So, after a match, both humans and horses were exhausted and injured.
As Shen Che spoke, someone had already run to check Ji Cheng’s horse. He came running back, shouting, “Tianze is indeed impressive! His horse doesn’t have a single injury and is still full of energy!”
Ji Cheng looked at Shen Che from behind her helmet, amazed at his attention to detail, and raised her guard even higher.
“I observed that Tianze assisted Zhen Chang with ease in this match. For the next game, we could have him assist both Zhen Chang and Zitong in midfield,” Shen Che suggested.
Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to Ji Cheng. The midfield assistant essentially controlled the entire field—a crucial position. They were astounded by Shen Che’s recommendation.
Ji Cheng inwardly cursed Shen Che.
Shen Che stood up and walked to Ji Cheng’s side, lightly placing his hand on her shoulder. “People truly only discover their potential when pushed,” he said softly near Ji Cheng’s ear.
Despite the rattan helmet, Ji Cheng’s entire face, including her ears, turned blood-red.
Fortunately, Ji Cheng didn’t make any mistakes in the subsequent matches. Although she was moved to midfield assistant, her role was still supportive rather than leading the charge with the ball. So, except for the experts, most people’s attention remained on Chu Zhen and Shen Jing, who had become quite famous.
Ji Cheng managed to keep a low profile through the semi-finals, and the Chuyang Society advanced to the finals.
On the eve of the finals, Ji Cheng was arranging her attire with Liu Ye’er. Looking at the long chest binding cloth, Ji Cheng couldn’t help but sigh, hoping that tomorrow’s final would pass quickly. She had had enough of these nerve-wracking days, always feeling the urge to run away whenever she saw Shen Che.
“Yuqian’er, has Elder Sister Cheng retired for the night?” Shen Cui’s voice came from outside.
Liu Ye’er quickly put away Ji Cheng’s things, while Ji Cheng walked out suspiciously. “Fifth Sister, do you need something from me?”
“Indeed, Elder Sister Cheng, I have a favor to ask of you,” Shen Cui said.
Ji Cheng immediately had a bad feeling. It was rare for Shen Cui to use the word “favor.” “There’s no need for such formality between sisters.”
“Elder Sister, you know tomorrow is the day of the central altar performance, but Zhang E’er twisted her foot during practice tonight. What should we do, Elder Sister?” Shen Cui looked anxious.
Ji Cheng said, “Didn’t we instruct them to rest today? We were worried about last-minute accidents. Why didn’t Zhang E’er listen?”
Shen Cui’s face reddened. “The central altar performance is tomorrow, and I was nervous. I feared they might become rusty if they didn’t practice today, so…”
At this point, Ji Cheng understood everything. She had suggested to Shen Cui not to practice today, but Shen Cui hadn’t listened.
“That’s troublesome. Zhang E’er’s dance is quite difficult. Where can we find someone to replace her at such short notice?” Ji Cheng feigned ignorance.
Shen Cui shook Ji Cheng’s arm. “Dear Elder Sister, naturally, we can’t find anyone else at this late hour. That’s why I’ve come to you for help. You’ve been practicing with me all along and know every part of their dances by heart. You’re also an excellent dancer. There’s no one else but you who can help me.”
It wasn’t that Ji Cheng didn’t want to help Shen Cui, but she was truly stretched thin. She still had to play polo for her brother tomorrow.
“Elder Sister Cheng, are you unwilling to help me?” Seeing Ji Cheng’s troubled expression, Shen Cui’s face immediately turned cold.
Ji Cheng weighed her options. Helping Shen Cui wasn’t impossible, but she had to consider if it was worth it. If Shen Cui messed up this time, she would certainly be ridiculed by the Wang sisters. Regardless, Shen Cui was her sister. Ji Cheng smiled helplessly, “How could I be unwilling to help you? It’s just that I’ve never performed Zhang E’er’s part before, so I’m a bit unsure.”
“Elder Sister Cheng, with your grace and talent, this surely won’t be difficult for you,” Shen Cui’s anger turned to joy, her childish mood changing quickly.
While Shen Cui was now at ease, Ji Cheng was in for a tough night. She had to practice Zhang E’er’s part in the wee hours. Fortunately, she had been helping Shen Cui prepare for the central altar performance all along, and although she hadn’t danced Zhang E’er’s part before, she had choreographed it.
Come the final match, Ji Cheng was naturally in the starting lineup again. Being adept at conserving energy and deliberately holding back, she was one of the few players who could last the entire game. She had managed through the first two matches, but this time she couldn’t last the whole game.
Ji Cheng kept track of time, sensing that the first half was about to end. She made a sudden move, reining in her horse and charging towards Du Xiaoguang of the Taohua Society. She snatched the ball from under his mallet and passed it to Shen Jing on her right with one swift stroke. Although this interception and pass were clean and beautiful, Ji Cheng was inevitably struck by Du Xiaoguang’s mallet and fell from her horse. Fortunately, she rolled twice on the ground, avoiding the hooves of the horses behind her and escaping being trampled.
Ji Cheng clutched her arm as she left the field, naturally being replaced by a substitute team member.
“It’s nothing serious, I’ll just apply some medicinal wine myself,” Ji Cheng told the doctor who came to check her injury. She didn’t have much time and needed to change clothes quickly.
Luckily, the changing room was empty, and everyone’s attention was captured by the final match. Ji Cheng retrieved the package she had prepared in advance, wiped off her sweat with a handkerchief, and swiftly removed her scarlet team uniform. She yanked off the small cotton jacket underneath, using the chest binding cloth to wipe the sweat from her neck and chest while taking out a hand mirror from her bundle to fix her hair.
But what she saw terrified her, causing the mirror to clatter to the ground.
Ji Cheng spun around quickly to face Shen Che, who was leaning against a black lacquered coat rack five steps away.