The cold winter air passed through the players’ nostrils, transforming into warm white mist, mixing with the heat from their bodies after warming up, and rising above the field.

Both teams lined up, and the piercing whistle echoed through the air.

Yongchuan Hengda kicked off first.

After the start, both sides arranged their formations.

No matter how anxious they were before the match, once they stood on the field, the students only saw the pitch itself.

The boys’ expressions were serious, their positioning strict, as they tried hard to maintain formation.

But Lin Wanxing’s observation of the students didn’t last long before Yongchuan Hengda scored first.

This goal was initiated by Qin Qichu, who broke through directly from the wing, and with just two passes, entered the penalty area. The defenders couldn’t retreat in time, and Yongchuan Hengda’s forward gently pushed the ball into the penalty area, easily sliding it into Hongjing No.8 Middle School’s goal.

The referee’s whistle sounded, and only then did Lin Wanxing come to her senses. The ball went in?

The field was very quiet.

The warm winter sun was gentle, completely different from the usual enthusiastic atmosphere after a goal.

Yongchuan Hengda’s players seemed to think this goal was ordinary, with no celebration at all.

Only Qin Qichu stood by the sideline, making a cute hat-duffing gesture toward the others.

The young man’s smile was particularly dazzling in the sunlight.

The field was exceptionally silent.

The boys from Hongjing No.8 Middle School seemed ignited by this action, each one furious.

Qin Ao’s face was ashen as he clenched his fists, silently returning to the center to restart the game, as if he wanted to make every second count to teach the opponents a lesson.

But their spirited momentum had just built up, only to feel like a punch thrown into cotton, with no effect.

The long-standing tactic of Hongjing No.8 Middle School was the most basic counter-attack defense.

The boys were always challenging stronger opponents beyond their level, and they were accustomed to being pressured by their opponents during matches.

So after being provoked by Qin Qichu, their reckless forced attacks seemed particularly full of vulnerabilities.

At least that’s what Lin Wanxing thought.

Hongjing No.8 Middle School’s players hadn’t properly positioned themselves defensively before they started seeking opportunities for frantic attacks, causing their formation to be completely stretched.

Also frantically organizing attacks was Wen Chengye.

No matter what his attitude was during regular training, once he stood on the field, he instinctively wanted to win.

Wen Chengye was very active on the field.

He ran quickly, intercepted left and right, extremely brave.

He even waved his hand, communicating with Qi Liang, and organizing Fu Xinshu to press forward and attack.

But Hongjing No.8 Middle School’s attacks were completely outmatched against Yongchuan Hengda.

Wen Chengye pressed forward again.

When a Yongchuan Hengda player took the ball, as Wen Chengye rushed forward to intercept, the opponent easily passed the ball to the wing where Qin Qichu was waiting.

The enthusiastic young man’s face broke into a smile. He extended his long leg to block, and the ball rolled down from his thigh. With a twist of his ankle, Qin Qichu effortlessly passed the ball to the center of the penalty area.

There, an unmarked forward shot at goal, 2-0.

Everything happened too quickly. Just three minutes after the first goal, Yongchuan Hengda so easily breached Hongjing No.8 Middle School’s goal again.

The whistle sounded again, and the students finally reacted, their faces momentarily at a loss.

Goalkeeper Feng Suo was somewhat sluggish. He picked up the ball and stared at it for a while as if wondering why goals could be so easy. How could the ball so simply roll into the goal he was defending?

Lin Wanxing looked at Wang Fa.

Wang Fa stood with arms crossed, leaning against the bench, just watching the field, unmoved by everything before him.

Although the boys from Hongjing No.8 Middle School quickly walked back to the center of the field, ready to regroup for another counter-attack, it was destined to be in vain.

No matter how much training they had done, no matter how many times they had seen their clear progress written on charts when facing a truly difficult challenge, all previous efforts only made them feel more hopeless.

Lin Wanxing saw confusion in the students’ eyes; they didn’t know how to continue the match.

The difference between a team like Yongchuan Hengda and the strong opponents they had faced before was probably that Yongchuan Hengda always played very relaxed and free.

This freedom referred to their state during the match, not meaning they weren’t rigorous.

Their offense and defense were watertight; they knew clearly where to go next and how to handle each wave of attack from their opponents, or how to pass the ball to create scoring opportunities.

Afterward, the goal whistle kept sounding.

In just the first half, Yongchuan Hengda scored 7 goals, exceeding the total number of goals Hongjing had conceded in the previous two rounds.

When the halftime whistle blew, each student awoke as if from a dream.

They looked at each other, wiping sweat from their foreheads as they walked off the field.

Lin Wanxing quickly stood up, holding towels and water. But looking at the students’ expressions, she felt that no matter what she said, it wouldn’t have any effect.

The boys silently wiped the sweat from their heads with towels.

They didn’t speak for a long time.

Not far away was the Yongchuan Hengda Club. Lin Wanxing glanced over and saw their players happily chatting.

Those confident, casual conversations were carried over by the wind from the field, and Qin Ao forcefully, heavily punched the bench.

Hearing this, Wen Chengye softly made a “hmph” sound, full of mockery.

Qin Ao’s anger immediately surged. He threw aside his towel and rushed in front of Wen Chengye, “You have the nerve to sneer? Look at yourself, are you playing well?”

“What kind of ‘well’?” Wen Chengye tilted his head slightly, sweat dripping from his sideburns down his neck. “The kind of ‘well’ where the opponent’s defender easily takes the ball from you?”

This referred to when Qin Qichu intercepted the ball from Qin Ao, after which Yongchuan Hengda scored.

“You have the nerve to say that?” Qin Ao grabbed Wen Chengye’s collar angrily, “You’re running around wildly the whole match, didn’t you see others having to cover your defensive positions?”

“Even if I have defensive issues, what does that have to do with you being dispossessed in a one-on-one?”

“Are you an idiot?”

“No need to curse. Just answer the question—is—there—any—connection?” He smirked, “You’re not deliberately letting them win because they asked for your autograph and you’re taking yourself too seriously, are you?”

Wen Chengye questioned word by word, seizing Qin Ao’s weak spot and not letting go.

Fu Xinshu also joined in, “Wen Chengye, you still need to remember to defend well first, and Qin Ao will be careful too. We need to organize attacks based on good defense.”

“So it’s my fault?” Wen Chengye raised an eyebrow.

The conversation between the boys was full of tension.

Lin Wanxing didn’t interrupt them, just silently listening.

Wang Fa remained motionless from beginning to end, showing no intention of mediating or giving the students new tactical arrangements.

The students argued throughout the entire halftime break, and when the second half began, they returned to the field.

Lin Wanxing finally got to ask Wang Fa, “Hey, when the babies argue, whose side are you on?”

“They argue quite a bit, so we need to analyze specific issues specifically.”

“Just, about Wen Chengye’s part.” Lin Wanxing thought for a moment and said, “Does Wen Chengye greatly affect the defensive line?”

“Defense is indeed interconnected. Wen Chengye is often not in the position he should theoretically be in, so other players have to cover, and that’s how our defensive line gets torn apart by our players,” Wang Fa said.

“Then what should we do?” Lin Wanxing asked again.

“But, what is theory?” Wang Fa questioned back.

Lin Wanxing was stunned for a moment. She felt that Wang Fa might have his ideas, but she wasn’t clear what they were.

“Let’s see,” Wang Fa said.

But the rest of the match went exactly as Wang Fa had said.

Because Wen Chengye didn’t want to follow the previous arrangements, he kept missing his defensive positions, causing their defensive line to be torn apart by their players.

The problem that Wang Fa had identified was also discovered by Yongchuan Hengda long ago.

At the start of the second half, they changed their approach, reducing breakthroughs from Qin Ao’s side; instead, Qin Qichu began to specifically target Wen Chengye, repeatedly initiating attacks from his position.

Qin Qichu was enthusiastic and excited, but also arrogant and domineering.

When dribbling past opponents, his face always wore a genuine smile.

Although Wen Chengye always pretended to be cold and indifferent, he was after all an 18-year-old youth who couldn’t withstand such provocation.

Soon, fifteen minutes into the second half, there were four more goals conceded.

At this point, they were already 0-11 behind.

After losing so much, the students’ tempers flared.

Since Wen Chengye was playing recklessly, the others also became chaotic. When Wen Chengye got the ball, Qin Ao even rushed over to intercept his own teammate’s ball. He no longer trusted his teammates and wanted to take the ball forward himself.

Led by Qin Ao, the other students also simply pressed forward in mass into Yongchuan Hengda’s half, as if they weren’t heavily behind but had the advantage.

But even facing opponents who had lost their rationality due to heated emotions, Yongchuan Hengda wasn’t prepared to give them any chances.

With truly impenetrable defense, they easily and leisurely reduced wave after wave of Hongjing No.8 Middle School’s attacks.

Time passed minute by minute.

Yongchuan Hengda’s young players were well-mannered.

Seeing that Hongjing No.8 Middle School had no counter-attacking ability left, they didn’t continue with fierce attacks but kept the ball at their feet, consuming time.

During a dead ball opportunity, Qin Ao stood outside the field to throw the ball in. He used hand gestures to indicate that Fu Xinshu should pass the ball back to him afterward.

Qin Qichu, as a defensive player, moved close to Qin Ao and very earnestly said to him, “You can’t play like this. You need to calm down.”

“Are you sick in the head?” Qin Ao just replied this way.

Qin Ao’s attempt to counter-attack seemed more like a powerless venting.

Qin Qichu controlled the ball again, orchestrating a new goal.

At the moment the final whistle sounded, Qin Ao angrily raised his foot and kicked the ball hard into the sky.

The ball soared high, flying into the blue sky, then fell heavily.

Lin Wanxing looked at Wang Fa, and Wang Fa looked at her.

There was no disappointment on his face; he remained calm and composed.

The match result was within expectations.

Even the way they lost, Wang Fa seemed to have warned about in advance, so Lin Wanxing wasn’t surprised.

It had been agreed upon that they were coming to see the view from halfway up the mountain, and they had worked hard to get this far. They should be more optimistic.

But the downpour was overwhelming, thoroughly drenching them.

Lin Wanxing felt somewhat uncomfortable, and she could also feel the students’ powerlessness and frustration.

Anyone who had watched or played in this match knew one thing very clearly.

Whether in offense or defense, the distance between Hongjing No.8 Middle School and Yongchuan Hengda was like an unbridgeable chasm.

This distance was something they couldn’t make up no matter how desperately they ran on the field.

A sense of hopelessness burned like a fire in one’s heart, and wrapped around that fire was the cold, deep blue sea water.

The seawater was both salty and heavy, bringing a huge, dull roaring sound that made it hard to breathe.

Lin Wanxing could feel this emotion from the students.

Qin Ao kicked the ball high, lowered his head, and quickly walked toward the rest area. He grabbed a towel from the bench to cover his head, preparing to walk to the locker room.

“Qin Ao!” Just then, Qin Qichu shouted from a distance.

The young man’s crisp voice rang out on the otherwise quiet field, sounding more like some distinctly shaped mockery.

Qin Ao’s figure froze.

Wen Chengye let out a low “hmph.”

Qin Ao clutched his large towel, veins bulging on his hand.

“Qin Ao, Qin Ao, Qin Ao, don’t go!” Qin Qichu called out while running swiftly from afar.

The young man’s figure was agile and full of energy, looking nothing like someone who had just gone through ninety minutes of intense matchplay.

“Can I exchange jerseys with you?” Qin Qichu tugged at a white jersey with red letters, the signature look of Yongchuan Hengda Club, his smile radiant, eyes gleaming brightly.

Qin Ao was stunned at first, then felt even worse.

When the opponent is much stronger than you, crushes you thoroughly, yet wants to exchange jerseys with you at the end—what does this mean?

Isn’t it just collecting trophies?

But you don’t hit someone with a smiling face, especially for a normal post-match ritual like exchanging jerseys. Qin Ao had no reason to explode in anger and could only suppress it himself.

So he could only walk toward the locker room without looking back, pretending not to hear, taking large strides.

But Qin Qichu added fuel to the fire, slapping his shoulder, “Brother, don’t ignore me!”

Qin Ao immediately turned around, forcefully shaking off Qin Qichu’s hand, and shouted, “That’s enough, stop being disgusting!”

Qin Qichu stood frozen, and after a while, mumbled, “Are you angry?”

Other students around also froze, feeling very awkward.

Lin Wanxing wanted to step forward to resolve the situation, but Fu Xinshu beat her to it. His voice was very dry, “You’ve already won, just stop this.”

“Huh?” Qin Qichu opened his round eyes, emitting a single syllable.

“Stop messing with our mentality. You’re so amazing, isn’t this just humiliating people?” Fu Xinshu spoke out about what was in Qin Ao’s heart.

“Sorry, it’s his problem.”

A tall figure appeared behind Qin Qichu, saying this.

The newcomer wore a Yongchuan Hengda football team uniform with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, wearing the captain’s armband.

Lin Wanxing remembered that earlier in the match, this number 11 player from Yongchuan Hengda had a brilliant free kick that directly broke through the goal.

“Fang… Fang…”

Fu Xinshu seemed a bit nervous; this player was somewhat famous, and Fu Xinshu wasn’t good at dealing with such people.

“Fang Sulun.” Yongchuan Hengda’s number 11 extended his hand to Fu Xinshu, who slightly bowed and shook it.

Thus, two players from Yongchuan Hengda found themselves surrounded by Hongjing No.8 Middle School players, looking quite dangerous.

There was an awkward silence. Although they had played against each other for ninety minutes, when it came to talking with Yongchuan Hengda players off the field, the boys weren’t so natural.

Fu Xinshu licked his dry lips and said, “I’ve heard of you. Well, you guys are really strong.”

“I know,” Fang Sulun said.

Fu Xinshu: “…”

Qin Qichu came out to smooth things over at the right time, “Our captain isn’t very good with words, don’t mind him!”

“There’s nothing to mind. It’s just that we’re not good enough,” Fu Xinshu said helplessly. “You guys are already so powerful, just stop doing these things.” He looked at the red jersey in the young man’s hands as he said this.

“Huh? We can’t exchange jerseys either?” Qin Qichu rubbed his arm, very shocked.

“No, you’re messing with our mentality,” Fu Xinshu said, also becoming somewhat angry. “You pretended to admire Qin Ao before the match, asking for his autograph, and now you want to exchange jerseys. What’s that about?”

“I admire you guys,” Qin Qichu finally showed some arrogance befitting a chosen one. “You guys had never made it to an official match before, right? A school football team getting into the group stage and being grouped with us is impressive.”

“So why are you mocking Qin Ao?”

“How is it mocking? I just came to greet your coach, then asked Qin Ao for an autograph. Is that not allowed?” Qin Qichu continued to be shocked.

Fu Xinshu seemed to finally understand that their thought processes were on different frequencies and could only say, “Fine, it doesn’t matter. Just be happy.”

After saying this, he also wanted to leave, but seeing this, Qin Qichu persisted, “So can we exchange jerseys?”

“Please manage your team member,” Fu Xinshu couldn’t take it anymore and turned to speak to Fang Sulun.

“He genuinely likes you guys, and exchanging jerseys after a match is a normal request. How am I supposed to manage that?” Fang Sulun paused, “If you don’t want to exchange, you should refuse.”

“Get lost, get lost, get lost! I don’t want to exchange jerseys with an idiot like you!” Upon hearing this, Qin Ao irritably shouted at Qin Qichu.

Qin Qichu was stunned, “Why are you so angry?”

“Because they feel that players like you from a strong team admiring them and wanting to exchange jerseys is not a friendly gesture, but rather hurts their self-esteem and humiliates them.”

Fang Sulun was a very straightforward person, but perhaps after dealing with someone with such jumpy thoughts as Qin Qichu for a long time, being direct was indeed necessary.

Lin Wanxing, as an adult, could accept these words.

But falling on the ears of the hot-blooded students, these words took on a different meaning.

The boys’ faces turned dark, yet they couldn’t find words to refute.

Often in such situations, physical action would be the best choice, but they were on a football field and couldn’t resort to that.

So after a moment of deadlock, Wen Chengye directly turned and walked toward the locker room.

“Huh? How strange.” Qin Qichu looked at the backs of the opponents, not understanding but deciding to respect them.

He put back on the jersey he had taken off, still muttering, “Are you upset because I beat you? You can’t blame me for that. I also think it’s strange. You played very differently today compared to before—poor defense, poor offense. Are you going to review the match later? Do you need me to analyze it with you?”

Hearing this, Lin Wanxing couldn’t help but smile wryly. Yongchuan Hengda’s players were indeed interesting. Especially Qin Qichu, it was hard to figure out what they were thinking.

Fu Xinshu: “No need.”

Qin Ao: “Take care of yourself, idiot.”

“You’re so fierce.” Qin Qichu looked pitiful.

The students’ last bit of patience was exhausted; even saying one more word to Yongchuan Hengda’s strange duo would make them idiots.

The group resolutely walked toward the locker room without looking back.

Lin Wanxing and Wang Fa stayed behind.

Fang Sulun walked up to Wang Fa and greeted him.

Wang Fa stood with his hands in his pockets, nodding slightly.

They chatted briefly while Qin Qichu excitedly jumped around like a monkey again. Finally, Fang Sulun bowed respectfully to Wang Fa and grabbed Qin Qichu by the neck to leave.

Lin Wanxing thought for a moment, then walked up to Qin Qichu and Fang Sulun, stopping the two, “Please wait.”

“Is there something else?” Fang Sulun asked.

Qin Qichu suddenly became excited, “Big sister, are you the team’s teacher? Do you want to invite us to review the match?!”

“That’s not my intention,” Lin Wanxing was a bit helpless and stated clearly, “I mean, I don’t intend to invite you to review the match.”

“Oh.” Qin Qichu immediately lost his excitement, “Then what are you here for?”

“I just want to explain to you why they won’t exchange jerseys with you,” Lin Wanxing said.

“Huh?”

“They won’t exchange jerseys with you, not just because of wounded pride after losing,” Lin Wanxing looked at Fang Sulun, explaining seriously, “But because we only have one set of jerseys.”

A rare flash of surprise appeared on the captain’s face.

Qin Qichu: “Just one set?”

“Yes, they don’t even wear jerseys during regular training, only putting them on for matches. One set is enough,” Lin Wanxing said.

“Okay.” Qin Qichu let the matter drop.

“After this break in the season, we’ll be going to Yongchuan. See you then.”

After saying this, Lin Wanxing waved to Qin Qichu and Fang Sulun.

But Qin Qichu’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he exclaimed, “Wow, teacher, can you say ‘See you then’ again? It sounds so cool, so confident!”

Lin Wanxing stopped, looking at Qin Qichu in confusion.

“You’re making a tough statement!” Qin Qichu said with certainty, “Can I make a tough statement too?”

Lin Wanxing smiled, “Of course.”

Qin Qichu straightened his chest, revealing the proud expression of heaven’s chosen one, “Too bad, teacher, your visit to Yongchuan isn’t the last match of the group stage. Otherwise, you could have exchanged the jersey with me then.”