Sports highlight videos went viral, and Xiao Jinyu's fans joined in the fun.
Video 1: "Competitive Sports Is a Grand Tragedy of Aesthetic Beauty"
A passerby in the comments: Right, everyone else is tragic, while Xiao Jinyu is the aesthetic beauty.
Video 2: "If I Don't Step on Your Dream, Mine Will Shatter"
A passerby in the comments: Has Xiao Jinyu ever had a dream shattered in a match since his debut?
Video 3: "Xiao Jinyu Opens a Feel-Good Novel, But It Isn't Feel-Good at All"
A passerby in the comments: That's more like it. Keep editing like this. I've liked, reposted, and bookmarked it. Please update soon!
"The gold medal." Seven-year-old Xiao Jinyu had already finished his event. As soon as the award ceremony was over, he handed the medal to Coach Wang.
Coach Wang smiled as he held the delicate-looking little Jinyu, who was frowning. The competition was for children aged six to twelve, and his prized student Xiao Jinyu had basically swept the whole thing. The instant he saw the boy frown, Coach Wang hurried him to the washroom.
Three years of coaching had taught Coach Wang to quickly pick up on Xiao Jinyu's preferences. After a match, the boy had to shower right away. He especially hated feeling sticky.
As Coach Wang admired the gold medal, he changed his own clothes too. For Xiao Jinyu, clothes that had touched sweat were dirty as well.
When Xiao Jinyu was all cleaned up, Coach Wang took out the hair dryer he always carried and dried his hair.
"You're amazing," Xiao Xingxue said. Lately, he'd become a fan of reclusive masters from martial arts novels and was paying special attention to how he spoke. Since their mothers were close friends, Xiaoyu had attended a table tennis class, and Xiao Xingxue had joined him for two or three months. But after moving abroad to study, he'd given up the sport long ago. Now he'd come back to China because he saw that Xiaoyu was going to compete in this important event, and he'd made a special trip home to watch.
"You're amazing too," Xiao Jinyu replied in a way that sounded rather odd, but Xiao Xingxue understood what he meant. It really was impressive to come back to China alone.
"There's a competition next door. Xiaoyu, shall we go watch?" Coach Wang asked gently. "It's a big event, with lots of people watching the players."
A big event, lots of people: those words were irresistible to Xiao Jinyu, who wanted more than anything to be loved by lots and lots of people.
At the venue, Coach Wang held little Jinyu as he looked up at him. So this was what you meant by lots of people? There were scattered spectators, a bunch of old men watching the match, and even more family members and friends of the athletes.
"It's still growing, still growing," Coach Wang said, a little sheepishly. He knew his prized student would be drawn in by what he said. This trick never failed, just like a hungry fish biting a hook. Add bait and you could reel him in.
"The Olympics are different."
"Oh," Xiao Jinyu said flatly. Coach Wang was always tricking kids.
A tablet playing a video was placed in front of Xiao Jinyu. It showed the sort of thing he liked: cheering, excitement, and a competition everyone was watching.
"How many people will come to love the champion?" Xiao Jinyu asked uncertainly.
"Lots and lots. Countless people will love you."
Xiao Jinyu paused the video, then dragged it back to the beginning. He had no idea the next [Video Recommendation] would be [A Recording of a Superstar's Concert at the Bird's Nest].
I've always wanted to write an alternate sports-competition story for Xiao Jinyu. Ahem, I did my best. If Xiao Jinyu competed in sports, most of the time it would be The Little Emperor Xiao Jinyu and His Treacherous Ministers. Everyone would dote on him and indulge him. Xiao Jinyu wouldn't say anything, but he'd make everyone guess what he wanted.
Content warnings:
1. This was a rare chance to get featured, so I dug out this rough draft of the blurb. I'll revise it later.
2. This is probably a sports story where the protagonist keeps winning. I've wanted to write one for a long time.
3. It's badminton. It's badminton.
Theme: Though battered by a thousand blows, still standing strong
