Heroine: Fencing athlete x hero: space physicist
An indomitable ray of sunshine x a lofty, elegant beauty
1.
As a student, Ning Qianxun was the classic case that made teachers despair. She worked hard, but her grades never improved. She always ended up in the last exam room, a walking counterexample to motivational slogans.
Gu Qingzhou was the standard model of someone else's child. He studied calculus in English class and TOEFL in math class, won so many competition prizes he couldn't keep track, and secured early admission to university. He was as refined and bright as the moon, peerless in the world.
Once, Gu Qingzhou fell ill and missed an exam, so he was forced to take it in the same room as Ning Qianxun.
They both handed in their papers and left at the same time, but their circumstances couldn't have been more different: one had finished and had no reason to stay, while the other couldn't write a thing even if she stayed.
Ning Qianxun smiled brightly. "Hey, Gu Qingzhou, are you really not coming to watch my competition next week? I'm really good. My coach is always praising me."
Gu Qingzhou leaned against the railing. His peach-blossom eyes gleamed as he glanced at her, took out a piece of chocolate, and handed it to her. He said lazily, "I have the provincial physics competition this weekend."
Ning Qianxun nodded. "Then good luck!"
But Gu Qingzhou came to watch her competition anyway, handing in his exam early to make it in time.
2.
When Ning Qianxun won the first gold medal of her life, she excitedly hung it around Gu Qingzhou's neck and said proudly, "Look, I conquered this kingdom for you."
Gu Qingzhou caught the mask she nearly dropped, then tossed her the admission letter to the Chinese Academy of Sciences' gifted youth program. In the calmest voice, he said the most audacious thing: "One day, I'll give you the whole universe."
3.
After ten years of hard work, Ning Qianxun finally won Olympic gold in foil fencing.
The day she held her gold medal, draped in the national flag and surrounded by everyone's attention, the space probe satellite that Gu Qingzhou's research institute had worked tirelessly on officially entered orbit.
Gu Qingzhou only got his phone from his locker after work. By the time he saw the livestream, the girl he loved had already finished taking pictures through her tears and was about to leave the arena.
4. We all have bright futures ahead of us.
The title comes from a poem by Wang Lishan. The fencing scenes were inspired in part by Reason's fencing memoir, Draw Your Sword and Raise Your Head.
This story draws on real fencing tactics and competition scenarios, and pays tribute to several of our country's fencers. The story itself is not based on any real people.
Because of the timeline for space probe satellites, the story will most likely be set ten years in the past.
Theme: We've lost and we've won, but we've never lost hope.
