vstars Chapter 203 A Little Interlude in Football
Chapter 203 A Little Interlude in Football
On that sunny afternoon, the entire high school campus was filled with the vibrant energy of youth. On the playground, a group of enthusiastic teenagers were engaged in a fierce soccer practice match, among whom the most eye-catching was Liu Qicheng, who ran incredibly fast and displayed remarkable skill.
Liu Qicheng, nicknamed "Little Flying Man of Soccer," is a formidable figure on the soccer field, seemingly moving with lightning speed, dribbling past opponents in a fluid motion, always leaving them defenseless. His dream is to one day become a professional soccer player and shine on a bigger stage.
At that moment, he was dribbling the ball, rushing towards the opponent's goal like a whirlwind. His teammates shouted loudly from the sidelines, "Liu Qicheng, come on! Shoot!" A confident smile appeared on his lips as he thought, "This time I'm sure I'll score a beautiful goal." Just as he was about to shoot, an opposing defender suddenly rushed over, trying to steal the ball. Liu Qicheng turned sharply, trying to avoid the defender, but unexpectedly, he slipped, lost his balance, and fell directly to the ground.
"Ouch!" Liu Qicheng screamed, clutching his right foot and rolling on the ground. This startled all the students on the field; the once lively football field instantly fell silent as everyone gathered around.
"Liu Qicheng, how are you?" "Are you badly injured?" The students asked all at once.
Liu Qicheng gritted his teeth, tears welling in his eyes from the pain, and kept muttering, "My foot, my football dream, it's all over!"
Just as everyone was at a loss, a girl squeezed out from the crowd—it was Yang Xuexue. Yang Xuexue and Liu Qicheng were classmates. She usually seemed quiet and reserved, but she was actually very kind and warm-hearted. Looking at Liu Qicheng lying on the ground in great pain, she looked worried and hurriedly said, "Don't panic, everyone. Help him up and take him to the infirmary."
As she spoke, she and a few boys carefully helped Liu Qicheng up.
Liu Qicheng was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely. As he was being helped to walk, he kept muttering, "What did I do to deserve this? I was just playing football and I ended up like this."
On the way to the infirmary, Yang Xuexue kept comforting him: "Liu Qicheng, don't worry, it's probably just a scrape. We'll put some medicine on it at the infirmary in a bit and it'll be fine."
Liu Qicheng said with a pained expression, "Xuexue, don't try to comfort me. My foot hurts terribly; it must be broken. If it's broken, how am I supposed to participate in next week's soccer game? Our class is counting on me to win the championship."
Yang Xuexue couldn't help but laugh: "You, stop overthinking. A fracture? It's not that easy to break a bone. You're usually so capable, why do you start overthinking as soon as you get injured?"
Liu Qicheng said with a wronged look, "I'm just scared. I really love football. If I can't play football because of this injury, I'll be heartbroken."
As they spoke, they arrived at the infirmary. The school doctor was a kind and approachable middle-aged man. Seeing Liu Qicheng limping in, he quickly asked him to sit down and then began to examine his injuries.
As the school doctor examined him, he asked, "Young man, what happened?"
Liu Qicheng recounted the entire incident in detail. After listening, the school doctor gently pressed his ankle and asked, "Does it hurt?"
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Liu Qicheng almost jumped up in pain.
The school doctor frowned and said, "It looks a bit serious. It might be a sprain, but we'll need to take an X-ray to see if there's a fracture."
Upon hearing that he needed to have an X-ray, Liu Qicheng became even more nervous and asked in a low voice, "Doctor, is an X-ray expensive? I don't have that much money with me."
The school doctor smiled and said, "Don't worry, the school's medical insurance can reimburse part of it, it won't cost much."
Yang Xuexue comforted him from the side, "Liu Qicheng, don't worry about the money. If it's not enough, I'll help you out first."
Liu Qicheng looked at Yang Xuexue gratefully and said, "Xuexue, you are truly my savior. Once I recover, I will definitely treat you to a big meal."
Yang Xuexue waved her hand with a smile: "Alright, don't think about treating me to dinner yet, getting your injury healed is the most important thing."
While waiting for the filming to begin, Liu Qicheng kept complaining about his bad luck.
"I just don't understand. I'm usually such a good soccer player, how could I be so careless today? I must have forgotten to check the almanac before I left home, my luck was just too bad."
Yang Xuexue couldn't help but tease him: "You've become superstitious. What does this have to do with the almanac? I think it's because you've been too complacent lately. You weren't focused when you were playing football, which is why you fell and got injured."
Liu Qicheng retorted, "Where did I not concentrate? I was focused on scoring. It's all that defender's fault; he tackled too hard."
Yang Xuexue rolled her eyes at him: "That was normal defense, you just weren't paying attention. You need to be more careful when you play football in the future, don't just focus on showing off."
Liu Qicheng chuckled: "I was just trying to show off in front of everyone, but who knew this would happen."
After a while, the X-ray was taken. The school doctor looked at it carefully and said, "It's okay, there's no fracture, but the ankle sprain is quite severe. You'll need to rest for a while. Try to walk less these few days and elevate your foot to help reduce the swelling. I'll prescribe some medicine for you; apply it and take it as prescribed."
Hearing that there were no fractures, Liu Qicheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "That's great, it's good that there are no fractures. Doctor, how long will it take for me to recover? Will I be able to participate in the football match next week?"
The school doctor shook his head and said, "You'll need at least two weeks of rest with this injury, so you definitely won't be able to participate in next week's game. Don't worry, wait until the injury is completely healed before playing football, otherwise it will be troublesome if you have any aftereffects."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qicheng's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a worried expression: "Half a month? What about our class's soccer match? I'm a key player!"
Yang Xuexue advised from the side, "Liu Qicheng, don't think about the competition. Your health is the most important thing. Focus on recovering from your injury. Once you're better, there will be many more competitions to participate in."
Liu Qicheng sighed helplessly, "That's all we can do. Xuexue, I really owe you a lot today. I don't know what I would have done without you."
Yang Xuexue smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite with me? We're classmates. You're injured, so of course I have to help."
After leaving the infirmary, Yang Xuexue helped Liu Qicheng slowly walk towards the classroom. Along the way, Liu Qicheng kept talking about the soccer match.
"Xuexue, do you think our class can still win without me?"
Yang Xuexue said, "Don't worry, the students are all very good. Even if you're not here, they will work hard. Besides, we might even discover some new football talents through this competition."
Liu Qicheng was still skeptical: "I think it's unlikely. I know our class's football level best. Without me as a key player, it won't be easy to win the championship."
Yang Xuexue teased him on purpose: "Don't take yourself too seriously. Does the earth stop turning without you? Maybe your classmates can perform even better without your 'burden'."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qicheng became displeased: "How am I a burden? I have made great contributions to the class."
Yang Xuexue smiled and said, "Okay, okay, you're a great hero. Alright, don't think about it so much, go back to the classroom and rest."
Back in the classroom, the students gathered around to check on Liu Qicheng's injuries. They were all relieved to learn that he hadn't broken any bones.
"Liu Qicheng, just focus on recovering. We'll do our best in the competition."
"Yes, we'll play football together again when you're better."
Liu Qicheng felt warm inside from his classmates' concern, and he said gratefully, "Thank you everyone, I will definitely get better as soon as possible."
Yang Xuexue helped Liu Qicheng pack his schoolbag and then helped him out of the classroom. Because Liu Qicheng's home was not far from the school, he decided to walk home by himself.
"Xuexue, thank you so much for today. You should go home now, don't take up any more of your time," Liu Qicheng said.
Yang Xuexue said worriedly, "Can you manage on your own? Your foot is still injured."
Liu Qicheng patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll walk slowly. If you're worried, just watch me walk out of the school gate before you leave."
Yang Xuexue thought for a moment and said, "Okay then, be careful on the road, and send me a message when you get home."
Liu Qicheng nodded: "Okay, definitely. Xuexue, please be careful on the road too."
After saying that, Liu Qicheng limped towards the school gate. Yang Xuexue stood there, watching his back until he disappeared from the school gate.
When Liu Qicheng got home, he told his parents about his injury. His parents were heartbroken and immediately cooked him a bone broth to help him recover.
That night, Liu Qicheng lay in bed, reflecting on the day's events, his heart filled with emotion. He thought of Yang Xuexue's care and help, and a warm feeling welled up inside him. He suddenly realized that this seemingly unremarkable girl was actually so kind and warm-hearted.
"Looks like I should thank Xuexue properly. Once I'm healed, I'll treat her to her favorite hot pot," Liu Qicheng thought to himself.
In the days that followed, Liu Qicheng followed the school doctor's instructions and focused on recovering from his injury. Although he found it boring not being able to play football, he still insisted on doing some simple rehabilitation exercises every day, hoping to recover as soon as possible.
Yang Xuexue would visit Liu Qicheng every day during breaks between classes, bringing him review materials and telling him funny stories from school to cheer him up. With Yang Xuexue's company, Liu Qicheng found the days of recuperation not so difficult.