It was a soft touch, so vague in the unlit street.
"Goodbye, Lin." Rex said softly.
"Goodbye." Lin Yifei bid farewell to him with the most confident smile.
A few years later, Rex was very famous in the French fencing world, and he was also Lin Yifei's strong opponent in the World Championships.
The streets that he walked many times that night seemed to be longer than before, Lin Yifei stood there watching Rex's back as he left.
On the other side of the street, Chris stood quietly.
The game entered the quarter-finals, such a critical moment. Chelsea accompanied Lin Yifei in the hotel room, replaying the opponent's game video over and over again, analyzing the technical points. Whenever nine o'clock in the evening, Chelsea would turn off the TV, pat Lin Yifei on the shoulder and tell him to go to bed early.
That night, Chelsea met Chris in the elevator as he was leaving the hotel.
That young man was handsome and cold, with a restraint that did not belong to that age. Although Lin Yifei beat him in the team's qualifying match, but their level is between the same, it's hard to say who will win next time.
It took less than ten seconds to go from the eighth floor to the lobby. Chelsea looked at the boy's side face and felt a little lonely.
The moment the elevator door opened, Chelsea subconsciously stopped the boy.
"Hey, take it."
Chris reached out and grabbed it, which turned out to be just a small piece of chocolate.
"You're still young, so you don't have to put on a sullen face every day. Be a little kid, just like the kid I'm teaching now, his eyes will light up when he sees chocolate and fried chicken."
Chelsea smiled at Chris who was stunned there, and walked towards the hotel entrance.
Needless to say, he also knew that the child Chelsea was referring to was Lin Yifei.
Chris clenched the chocolate in his hand, it was a classic Ferrero model. For a while, Lin Yifei became obsessed with sweets, such as mousse cake, toffee and chocolate. He was sitting on the bed playing online games, and next to the mouse was a large box of Ferrero. Occasionally, Chris would be very jealous of online games and chocolates, as if they occupied Lin Yifei's full attention, especially when Lin Yifei opened his mouth slightly, and Ferrero rubbed against his lips, leaving faint traces. Chris would put down his book and sit by the bed, lick and kiss Lin Yifei, taste the sweetness of his tongue, and then turn off the computer. Only then will Chris realize that chocolate that is too sweet is actually delicious.
Before going to bed, Mr. Osborne called Chris.
"Our stock has been going up, and the Taylor family can't wait to buy our stock with their entire family."
Chris pursed his lips. "Wouldn't that be nice? The more they pay, the more we can make money elsewhere."
The quarter-finals finally came, and Chris's game was ahead of Lin Yifei. Besides Lin Yifei, Chris was the most watched young player in this tournament. Many young swordsmen who had high hopes were knocked down by him. It is not yet the end, and many media have predicted that the final will be between Chris and Lin Yifei.
Some media have even given Chris the nickname "Ice Blade Prince". Lin Yifei almost laughed out loud when he saw this nickname. It seems that no matter how many times he lives, Chris's nickname will never change.
Chris' opponent is a young man from China with a very high level. In the first game, Chris was almost overwhelmed by the opponent, and he lost three points in just half the game, which was almost unprecedented in the past. Because Lin Yifei's game was right behind Chris, he stood in the aisle and watched, this position was even clearer than the nearest auditorium. The opponent's sword control is definitely at the level of a professional athlete, and the coordination of the shoulders and arms is perfect.
At this time, Lin Yifei had already put on the protective gear, with a mask in one hand and a saber in the other, standing in the shadow of the passage, tilting his head to see Chris's game clearly, his whole body was submerged in the looming beauty .
The moment Chris stepped back, he saw Lin Yifei's figure. The opponent's sword was drawn towards him, and Chris was startled. He had an illusion that the opponent's sword tip seemed to cut through Lin Yifei's figure. The heart was raised, and Chris's sword blocked the opponent while turning his wrist, and stabbed the opponent fiercely with a sword.
The lights came on and Chris scored.
He took a breath and subconsciously turned his head to the side. Lin Yifei was still standing there with his shoulders shrugged, which was his gesture when he was nervous.
Little fool. Chris pulled the corners of his lips, only when he was wearing a mask could he smile at him so recklessly.
With this sword, Chris seemed to adapt to the opponent instantly, and kept pressing the sword to score. The opponent's rhythm became more and more chaotic, while Chris became more stable.
Chelsea walked to Lin Yifei's side, looked at his slightly nervous expression and laughed, "Do you know what is the most incredible thing about you?"
"What?"
"A lot of kids get nervous when they face a tough opponent, but you never do. But now, because of Chris Osborne, you put on that face, like his wins and losses are more important than your own."
For a while, Lin Yifei didn't know how to respond to Chelsea.
"I've had this feeling too. I stood watching him from the sidelines, very nervous. It seemed that the harder I looked, the more likely he would win." Chelsea sneered, as if recalling something absurd Things, but the smile on the corner of his mouth is full of nostalgia.
While they were chatting, Chris slashed his sword for the last time, as aggressive as ever, and the opponent could not retreat.
The referee declared the victory for Chris, and he advanced to the Final Four.
"Next is your showtime." Chelsea patted Lin Yifei on the shoulder.
Chris, who exited the scene, took off his mask, and the gesture of reaching out to fiddle with his hair was extremely beautiful. He walked past Lin Yifei, and Lin Yifei's heart felt as if he passed by.
I want to win, I must win. Only by winning can I meet you in the final.
Lin Yifei's fingertips were slightly hot. He defeated his opponent with Lingyun's momentum, and he firmly controlled his opponent in every round. That poor Dutch boy lost himself as if chained.
When the game was over, Lin Yifei subconsciously searched for Chris in the auditorium and various exit passages.
At this time, Chris was standing in the bathroom, pouring cold water on his face, trying to wake up. The smell in Lin Yifei's hair the moment he walked past Lin Yifei, and the elongated lines when he was fencing, looked so sexy. He only felt that he was very hot, and the impulse in his mind was about to break through the defense of reason. In just one minute of walking in the corridor, Chris imagined countless times that he pushed Lin Yifei against the wall, kissed him fiercely, pulled off all the restraints on his body, felt his skin and temperature, and pulled him apart. into the abdomen.
Chris was going crazy, fantasizing about getting into that warm body, ramming madly, possessing it all.
Reaching out to touch his lower body, where it was swollen to the point of pain, Chris pushed open a private room, slammed the door, raised his head and clenched his teeth to soothe his body. Lin Yifei's breath and his smell occupied all of Chris' thoughts.
"What are you looking at?" Chelsea took the saber from Lin Yifei's hand and asked amusedly.
"No... nothing..."
"Are you looking for Chris Osborne?" Chelsea smiled teasingly, "After confirming that you won the game, that guy hurried to the bathroom. It seems that he held it in for a long time, in order to see your The game endured for ten minutes."
Chris had just returned to the hotel that afternoon when he received a call from Elizabeth's father.
"What do you mean by sending Liz away?"
"It's not interesting. I need to concentrate on the game, and Elizabeth will distract me." Chris turned on the computer to check the stock price while holding the phone. When he saw today's stock price, his lips pulled a mocking arc.
"Okay, Chris. Have you talked to your father recently about the stock prices in some of the Ozborne properties that have fallen sharply, and have you developed any strategies to stabilize the stock price?"
"I'm afraid you have to discuss countermeasures with my cousins. You know, my father sold a lot of shares in order to invest in the tens of billions of projects in Dubai. Who knew that project was stranded. Now he I'm having a headache, I'm afraid he doesn't have enough energy to deal with the stock price of Oz's family."
"Since the Oz family wants to form an alliance with our Taylor family, at least we must be sincere to guarantee our interests in the Oz family..." Mr. Taylor chattered over there, while Chris turned on the computer and played Tetris.
The voices of teenagers laughing came from the corridor.
"Lin, you are really good! You must win the championship!"
"You must not have seen that Dutch kid who was defeated by you cried a lot in the arms of the coach!"
Chris froze, Mr. Taylor's voice was still on the phone, and Chris's full attention was focused on the door.
"His name seems to be Jasque. In fact, he is very good. My coach has been analyzing his games with me in the past two nights, so I am well prepared." Lin Yifei's voice was calm.
His voice was getting closer, and Chris even stopped breathing.
Even without opening the door, Chris knew Lin Yifei's footsteps very well. It wasn't until those teenagers walked farther and farther away that their chatter and laughter could no longer be heard that Chris' breathing returned to normal.
The semi-finals are two days later, and Lin Yifei has not arranged training for these few days. During the day, Chelsea will analyze his opponents with Lin Yifei. The boy named Kean was from Switzerland and had a baby face that resembled Ivy, but when it came to swordsmanship, the two of them had completely different styles. To be able to enter the semi-finals, Keane's level is naturally comparable to that of professional players, and Lin Yifei is inevitably more focused than usual.
From the beginning of the game to now, Lin Yifei suffered from insomnia for the first time. As soon as he closed his eyes, the scene of Keane's game was repeated in his mind. Only by crossing Keane can he have a chance to meet Chris's eyes. He cared so much about this game that he was a little nervous and not like himself.
At ten o'clock in the evening, Lin Yifei went to bed, but at half past eleven, he didn't even feel sleepy at all. Fortunately, the restaurant here is open 24 hours, Lin Yifei decided to drink something, maybe the milk he hates the most.
There were very few people in the restaurant, so Lin Yifei found a table and sat down, ordered a glass of milk and caramel toast.
The whole space was very quiet, but when Lin Yifei turned his head, his eyes trembled slightly.
A tall and straight figure was sitting not far away, and the laptop blocked their sight. But even without seeing the face, Lin Yifei knew that that person was Chris.
The waiter put milk and toast in front of Lin Yifei.
"Thank you." Lin Yifei lowered his voice, as guilty as a thief for fear of being discovered by Chris.
He sipped the milk slowly, tore off the toast and stuffed it into his mouth. Occasionally, he couldn't help but look at Chris' figure. Hearing the sound of Chris typing on the keyboard, like a lullaby, Lin Yifei gradually fell asleep leaning against the back of the chair.
After an unknown amount of time, a waiter came over and shook Lin Yifei awake.
"Sir, if you are tired, why don't you go back to your room and rest?"
"Oh, thank you." Lin Yifei was a little embarrassed, if the waiter didn't wake him up, if he slept like this for a long time, his neck would definitely be crooked tomorrow.
Take another look at Chris' place, it's empty.
Stretching his shoulders, Lin Yifei got up and walked to the elevator, returned to the room and fell asleep with his head on the pillow. The video about Keen disappeared in his mind, replaced by the rhythmic sound of Chris typing on the keyboard.
On the day of the semi-finals, Lin Yifei's family and friends had a strong lineup, not to mention Catherine and Ivy, and the entire saber team from Ghosn Middle School came.
Lin Yifei's opponent, Keen, has chestnut half-length hair and sea-blue eyes. Before playing, he was tying up his hair with a rubber warp, talking to the coach with a smile on his face.
"That Kean looks calmer than you." Chelsea said to Lin Yifei amusedly.
"Yeah, I'm very nervous, I can't control this emotion, dear coach, what can you do?" Lin Yifei said half-jokingly.
"Well, now try closing your eyes and taking a long breath. Think about why you want to win, because of honor? Other people's expectations? Or something else?"
Lin Yifei closed his eyes, and his tense nerves naturally relaxed, but what emerged in his mind was the figure of Chris holding the sword. It was like the last scene I saw when I was hit by a bullet before I was reborn.
He was wearing a white fencing uniform, holding a saber in his hand, and saluted elegantly and sharply, as if the world had stopped because of him.
"I’m waiting for you."
Lin Yifei said silently in his heart: "I'm here."
If you have a goal, you have nothing to fear.
Lin Yifei let out a breath, raised his sword and entered the stage.
The deft angle of the first sword shocked the opponent. Keane saw Lin Yifei's quiet gaze through the mask.
He has long heard that this Chinese teenager who grew up in the United States is good at fencing, so he also studied Lin Yifei's game with his coach. Keane's coach once told him that Lin Yifei no longer has any flaws in his technical movements, and even the momentum and aura of swinging the sword are outstanding among his peers, so from the preparation for the match to the moment before he went on the field, he was nervous It's terrible, I can only talk and laugh with the coach to adjust my emotions.
But when he personally experienced Lin Yifei's sword skills, Keane could only act in a hurry. Lin Yifei's sword was too smooth, and the movement of twisting the sword was like magic.
He saw a desperate self-confidence in his eyes, and it was because of this that Keane suddenly felt that he was sorry for his opponent because of his clumsiness on the field.
At the end of the round, Lin Yifei sat calmly on the chair, while Keen adjusted his breathing.
At the beginning of the next round, Keane took the initiative to attack, but Lin Yifei's defense was not good. For the first time, Keane felt that fencing was also a sport that challenged the limits of human endurance. After more than a dozen sword swings, Lin Yifei retreated step by step, but the one who was really nervous was Ke En, because if he was not careful, Lin Yifei would press the sword and fight back.
Compared with Keane's pressure, Lin Yifei's mind was extremely clear. He analyzed and predicted Keane's next strike, and instantly saw through his feint. Whenever Keane showed a gap, it was Lin Yifei's chance to score.
But at the end of the two rounds, Keane was already feeling tired. Lin Yifei treated him like a natural reaction, but Keane himself had to be careful whether every attack left a gap for counterattack.
When the third game came, Keane was about to collapse. Lin Yifei was much more active than in the previous rounds, Keane could feel the opponent's sword wind through the mask. There was no way he could have won the game, and Keane had no hope of it. But he is not a cowardly person, and he still stubbornly resists. All he wanted was more experience, at least the next time he saw Lin Yifei, he wouldn't be so embarrassed again.
The outcome of the match was expected by everyone, but Lin Yifei looked ecstatic, as if Kean was such an unattainable opponent and he beat him by surprise.
He put his arms around Chelsea's waist and jumped: "I won! I won!"
Chelsea was a little surprised, patted his back and smiled helplessly: "Yes, you won. You should have won."
Off the field, both Catherine and Ivy ran over, and the group hugged each other.
From a distance, Chris glanced at their direction, and turned his eyes away as if he had been stabbed. He knew it was because he was jealous. He was jealous of Catherine, Ivy, Chelsea coach, and even the atmosphere around Lin Yifei. He still remembered Lin Yifei's temperature when he curled up beside him and read a book with him, he could kiss him as long as he lowered his head.
The fencing world in the United States is very exciting. Although it is not a competition for professional athletes, it can best reflect the fencing level of a country in the next five years and what kind of reserve force it will have. It is such a game that the final final is played between two American teenagers. Why is it not exciting
In the evening, Chen Linji closed for the day to entertain Lin Yifei's friends. Chelsea showed embarrassment for the first time under the enthusiasm of Lin Yifei's parents, but Catherine and the others naturally had a lot of food, and their mouths were full of greasy food.
"Oh, look at you, your son has just entered the finals, not that he has already won the championship." Papa Lin made fun of his wife, but he couldn't stop laughing from ear to ear.
"It's already very good! Don't you see that this competition is of a global nature? Even Lao Chen said that our son made a living for the Chinese in the United States!" Mother Lin thought of something, and asked Chelsea seriously, "What is that?" , will Yifei's opponent in the final be very strong?"
Chelsea looked at the mountain of food already piled up on her plate, feeling a little overwhelmed.
"Yeah, the level is high. But only high-level opponents have high-level games."
"Oh, so where is that kid from?"
Ivy on the side was forgetting himself, and continued casually: "Auntie, you know him, he is Chris!"
"Chris? Oh, he's very good at fencing, and he's been good friends with our family, Yifei. Now that he's back in Washington, why doesn't he come to have dinner with him?"
For a moment, the dining table fell silent. Catherine elbowed Ivy, and the forked lion's head plopped back into the plate.
"Chris also has his own affairs." Lin Yifei smiled and asked his mother not to bring food for Chelsea, which was considered to have saved Chelsea's life.
In the evening, Lin Yifei sent his friends to leave Chinatown.
He walked side by side with Chelsea, and Chinatown was still noisy after nine o'clock.
"The opponent in the final is Chris, are you getting nervous again?"
Lin Yifei nodded and admitted, "That's right. Like I told you during the team qualifying match, Chris knows me very well. I won against him last time, but this time it might not be possible."
"He knows you very well, and you know him very well, so the outcome of this game is unpredictable, so that we can look forward to it. If it is a game that must be won, what is the point of continuing?"
"Of course." Lin Yifei laughed.
Rather than being nervous, he was excited. Finally, he was going to meet him face to face.
If there is no hug and no language, there is only fencing between them. I have walked all the way through thorns and thorns, just for this moment.
At this time, Chris was seeing an unexpected visitor.
Chris's hotel room was undoubtedly the most luxurious of all the contestants. He lives in a suite with a study.
When Chris opened the door after dinner, he saw a middle-aged man in his forties sitting at the desk. His expression was calm, but the ups and downs in his eyes revealed his anxiety at the moment.
Chris stuck the key card by the door, and the lights came on. He unhurriedly took off his gloves, threw them on the table, and glanced at the elder in front of him, "Mr. Taylor."
"Obviously you weren't very patient listening to me on the phone, so I'll come and see you in person." The man in front of him was Elizabeth's father, a greedy passer-by who always coveted the Osborne family and thought he had covered himself up. Known guy. Of course, the Taylor family behind him is still powerful, otherwise how could the Oz family be so polite to him.
"What's the matter?" Chris pulled out the chair, sat down with crossed legs and looked at him. It was a casual gesture, but it was stressful.
"Aren't you lonely living in such a big suite? Why did you send Elizabeth away? Although you said she distracted you, I think that's just an excuse."
"She's annoying." Chris didn't tact at all, he was used to looking directly into the eyes of the elders, "and you definitely didn't come here because of Elizabeth."
"Well, you should know by now that the financial markets are illiquid, that many lenders are filing for bankruptcy and investment funds are closing. The stock market is also volatile, and everyone is in danger. You can still live like a little prince. The life of the package, but you should know that the stock of your Ozben family has plummeted, and if it falls further, it will go bankrupt."
"If the Oz family goes bankrupt, you can marry Elizabeth to a more powerful family." Chris frowned.
"Don't act like it's nothing to do with yourself. Although the crisis started to emerge in 2006, your father is also considered a veteran. He has been slowly letting go of stocks and cashing out, and using the funds to invest in other projects. But what he invested in Isn’t that tens of billions project also on hold?” Mr. Taylor straightened up and looked at Chris, “As long as he is willing to use his connections to find a way to keep Oz’s stock stable, I will give him back some shares.”