The night wind carried the coolness of early autumn, sliding down from the tops of the sycamore trees outside the gymnasium, and brushed past Yun Xiao's trousers, like a hand that refused to leave. He leaned on crutches and stood outside the glass curtain wall. His eyes passed through the cold mirror and fell on the suffocatingly empty stadium.
The ball, one hit, another hit.
Bang——
Bang——
The sound echoed in the empty venue, like a heartbeat, like a countdown, like some kind of stubborn farewell. Jiang Ruhan was alone, wearing the washed-white No. 7 Jersey, his sweat shimmering in the moonlight, and the floor under his feet was polished to a shine, but it was still clean, as if it had never been abandoned.
Yun Xiao's knees hurt a little, which was an old injury and a heart disease. Three months ago, the qualification for the national competition was canceled due to "poor management of the team" - but everyone knew that it was because he, Yun Xiao, tore his cruciate ligament in order to save a fast-breaking teammate in the last crucial game. The moment he fell, the audience was silent, and even the referee forgot to blow the whistle. And Jiang Ruhan, the captain who never spoke, never celebrated, never hugged, just stood there, staring in the direction where he was being carried on the stretcher, motionless.
The team disbanded. The coach resigned and went south. The teammates went their separate ways. Some went to the professional echelon, some changed careers, and some posted on WeChat: "Finally free." Only Jiang Ruhan showed up on time at six o'clock every evening and left at one o'clock in the morning. No one knew what he was waiting for, and no one dared to ask.
