Chapter 80: A Secret Between Two People

Before today, Chen Yongjun had already provoked Long Bisheng and his group during team training, sometimes intentionally, sometimes not. He especially targeted Long Bisheng, often mocking him with biting sarcasm whenever Long made a mistake during practice. Even the calmest person has limits; though Long Bisheng always responded by ignoring these taunts, the anger inside him kept building. This time, Chen Yongjun’s words were particularly harsh, and he even spoke disrespectfully about Ning Xi. Long Bisheng’s fury surged like a tidal wave, and had it not been for a sliver of restraint, he might have thrown his fist for the first time at someone else.

Fortunately, Chen Yongjun was savvy enough to recognize the situation, and the others’ intervention helped. After storming out of the training hall, the cold wind sobered Long Bisheng a little, but the feeling of frustration lingered.

Yet, when Ning Xi grabbed Long Bisheng’s hand, he suddenly realized that his anger had vanished without a trace. Held by Ning Xi’s warm, gentle hand, Long Bisheng’s face flushed as never before. Helplessly, he was pulled along by Ning Xi, who was running ahead, still mumbling, “Where are we going?”

“To a nice place,” Ning Xi answered with a smile as she ran. Long Bisheng fell silent, stretched his long legs, and followed the suddenly cheerful girl.

The Yun Jia Tianyu Football School covered a vast area. Besides six standard training fields, a large playground, a teaching building, two dormitory blocks, and other facilities, there were many unused open spaces. North of the school, before the boundary wall, stood a large grove of pine trees. It was said these trees predated the football school itself, and to preserve the greenery—with no need for further construction—they had been left untouched, becoming a popular spot for students during their leisure time.

Long Bisheng had previously come to this grove with his roommates to escape the summer heat. So when Ning Xi led him into the woods, he couldn’t help but ask, “I’ve been to the pine grove before… It’s a nice place, but everyone knows about it.”

Ning Xi slowed her pace, noticing she was still holding Long Bisheng’s hand. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she discreetly released her grip, then smiled, “There’s a reason I brought you here.”

With that, Ning Xi led the way into the grove. “Come, follow me.”

Long Bisheng smiled helplessly and walked behind her.

The pine needles crackled beneath their feet, loud in the empty woods yet oddly calming, not at all irritating. Rather, the sound brought a sense of tranquility.

But their walk didn’t last long, as the grove wasn’t very large. Soon, they reached its depths, approaching the school’s boundary wall.

“Here is…” Long Bisheng began.

Ning Xi led him around a dense cluster of branches, and suddenly the view opened up. Behind five closely spaced trees lay a small clearing, covered thickly with pine needles. Though the ground was bare earth, the soft layer of needles meant even a fall would cause no harm.

“See? This is a perfect spot for practicing individual skills,” Ning Xi said, turning to him with a bright smile. “It’s small and secluded; no one comes here. If you want to work on your technique and make mistakes, you won’t have to worry about anyone laughing.”

Long Bisheng was delighted as he surveyed the area. It was indeed small—about half the size of his home’s courtyard—but peaceful. Who knew how many years’ worth of pine needles had accumulated here? Falling onto them felt like landing on a mat; there was no pain at all.

The only disadvantage was the softness of the ground, lacking the feeling of firm footing. But what did that matter? Was it any softer than a beach? Many Brazilian football stars had honed their extraordinary skills playing beach soccer. If you could handle the ball here, the pitch would be no challenge!

“You’re amazing!” Long Bisheng exclaimed in surprise. “I’ve been here for over two years and never noticed this place. You’ve only been here a few months and found it! No wonder they say girls are more attentive. I don’t think anyone else has discovered it.”

“Of course,” Ning Xi said proudly. “It’s really hard to spot. Come, see for yourself.”

Long Bisheng followed her out and studied the grove closely, clicking his tongue in wonder.

The pine grove wasn’t particularly large, but not small either. It seemed to have been planted without a plan—sparse at the edges, denser toward the center, and at its heart, around the clearing, the trees were thickly clustered. With overlapping branches, it was impossible to see the hidden space with the naked eye. Even the most patient people would rest in the middle of the grove, never venturing so deep.

“Hehe, I’ve always been curious since I was little. I want to explore every place thoroughly. That’s why I went to the deepest part of the woods. At first, I just wanted to see if there were more trees inside, but unexpectedly, I found this great spot!” Ning Xi said, beaming, like a little girl showing off her candy.

“You really are incredible,” Long Bisheng said with genuine admiration.

“This is my secret. No one else knows about it.” Ning Xi stood on tiptoe, patting his shoulder with a big-sister air. “Now I’m telling you—don’t tell anyone else. If you want to practice new moves and don’t want to be laughed at, come here. No one will laugh at you, and I certainly won’t.”

Long Bisheng stared at Ning Xi until her cheeks reddened and she grew uncomfortable. “Why are you looking at me? Is there something on my face?”

“I won’t tell anyone—never, not to anyone,” Long Bisheng said, oblivious to how intense his gaze was. So much had happened today: first, Chen Yongjun’s mocking had angered him, then Ning Xi’s generous sharing of her secret spot had thrilled him. This was the first time in his life he’d shared a secret with someone—a secret known only to the two of them.

Long Bisheng felt the secret was sacred, and so he spoke solemnly to Ning Xi, as if making a vow.

“I believe you! But…” Ning Xi’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “We should seal it with a pinky promise. Come!”

Seeing her extended little finger, Long Bisheng grinned happily, then carefully reached out his own, as if touching a priceless gem, hooking fingers with Ning Xi.

“Remember, this is our secret. No one else must know…”

The girl’s playful voice echoed through the woods, followed by a deep, earnest reply: “Mm, I won’t tell anyone.”

The girl’s voice was tinged with delight. “Then let’s start training. Let me, your best coach, teach you those dazzling moves!”

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In the mountains, time is forgotten, and the cold passes without a sense of years. In the relatively closed world of the football school, the idea of weeks held little meaning. Even during the New Year, few students went home, preferring not to waste time traveling—especially those in junior high, just a step away from becoming semi-professional players.

This winter, no one from Dormitory 101 went home for the holidays. They stayed at school, training diligently. Even in the depths of winter, braving snow, their lively figures could be seen in the training hall.

Why did Yun Jia Tianyu Football School lose over a million yuan a year? The answer lay in the little details of this season: the school’s training hall was enormous, covering a thousand square meters—enough for nearly two hundred students to train inside. It had central air conditioning, whose cost was calculated per square meter, and a single unit was as expensive as a prime city apartment. This was a grand investment, all so that students could train even during snowfall.

Because of such thoughtful facilities, training continued at Yun Jia Tianyu Football School throughout winter without interruption.

When summer vacation began, academic classes ended. Morning runs were canceled, and no coach supervised the students’ training. Apart from the kitchen staff, nearly all the school’s employees went on holiday. Only a few coaches who lived on campus occasionally offered guidance or oversight to the students who remained; otherwise, supervision was nonexistent.

No one slacked off, of course. If a student wanted to be lazy, they could simply go home and do so openly. For those who chose to stay on campus during vacation, their training was motivated by “I want to play,” not “I’m told to play.”

ps: Let me recommend a book, “The High Eight Talent Group,” book number 1179236.

While others worry about finding talent, his trouble is having too much of it.

Viewed by others as a rogue employee, Li Huanwen supports a top-tier writing group on his modest salary. Each member is extraordinarily talented and renowned, but for various reasons, they must publish online under pseudonyms. The result…

Forced to change his perspective, Li Huanwen explores all kinds of paths, with one principle: he must not let this potential powerhouse collapse under his watch, or else his intelligence might rival that of the Football Association…

After taking the first step of a long journey, he established a company—The High Eight Talent Group.

Main members include: Li Bai, Cao Xueqin, Yu Xuanji, Luo Guanzhong, Cao Cao, Tang Xianzu, Shakespeare...