Stringy Wind in the Ear - Chap 55
The most shocking thing is that there is a message saying that Song Yang is about to make his debut and Li Xun is his agent.
The bragging became more and more exaggerated, which gave Li Xun a headache. Later, he had no choice but to accept an interview from a more reliable platform.
This reporter is from the sports channel, his name is Wang Kai. I have interviewed him at the stadium before, but that was more than ten years ago.
If Wang Kai didn’t mention it, he would have forgotten it.
The interview was scheduled for Sunday afternoon. He and Wang Kai met at a coffee shop near their home, which was just across the street from the Children’s Palace where the child took painting classes. After the interview, they could pick up the child and take him home directly.
The coffee shop was deserted, and a piano piece was playing on the Bluetooth speaker. Before the recording began, Wang Kai showed him the script. There were not many problems, but they were cleverly throughout his career.
Fragmented images of the past popped into his mind.
Thinking back now, it’s a little funny. He once had a period of being a middle school student. At that time, he admired Liu Xiang very much. He always heard reports about him on TV or radio. He imagined that one day he would be like Liu Xiang, breaking records and becoming famous. Countless media would compete for interviews. Then he would be able to proudly say to the foreign media camera, “Who said that Chinese people can’t win championships?”
But he never expected that ten years later, he would unexpectedly become famous in this way and tell everyone in this way that he loves archery and was once an archery athlete of the national team.
My chest felt like it was burning with magma.
He looked at the black words on the white paper and missed the time when he was not so clear-headed. At least he had a firm goal at that time.
Wang Kaijing sat opposite him drinking coffee and saw many parents queuing outside the Children’s Palace. Most of them were elderly uncles and aunts, some riding bicycles and some driving electric bikes, all parked at the door.
The security guards didn’t seem to care much. There were so many vehicles that the sidewalk was almost blocked.
After a while, he retracted his gaze from outside and said, “If there is anything that offends you, we can fix it.”
“It’s okay.” Li Xun handed the script back, “You can ask anything.”
“Okay.” Wang Kai nodded and smiled, “Then let’s get started.”
The photographer adjusted the angle, and the black lens focused on Li Xun’s face like a human eye.
“Remember when you first came into contact with archery?”
“Sixth grade.”
A narrow path paved with bluestone slabs appeared in front of Li Xun. On both sides were low bungalows with white walls and green tiles. The shadows under the sunlight covered half of the alley. At the end of the path was a noisy market. It was New Year’s time, and all the shops piled up their goods outside the doors and sold them.
Many children were clamoring for fireworks, candied haws, popcorn, and sugar-roasted chestnuts, but he was not interested in any of those things. He walked towards the middle-aged man’s stall, clutching a dozen bills in his pocket.
“Three dolls were taken away that day, and when I went back the next day, the uncle’s stall had raised its prices.”
Wang Kai restrained himself from laughing too loudly and asked, “What opportunity led you to enter this industry?”
“When I was 19, I won the National Archery Championship and was approved to join the national team.”
Wang Kai: “Do you remember what it was like when you reported in on your first day?”
“Of course, it happened to be winter training at that time, and the weather in Beijing was very cold. I remember that I arrived there very late, and it was snowing. I didn’t know the way, so I had to call the coach who contacted me at the time and ask him how to get there. As a result, he rode out on a bicycle to pick me up.”
Wang Kai was surprised and asked, “Did you go there alone?”
“right.”
“When you were nineteen? From South City to Beijing? By train?”
“Um.”
“Aren’t you scared?”
“Now that I think about it, it was quite scary. After all, it was my first time to go to such a far place, and getting lost would be a disaster. But at that time, I was very young, and I just thought how bright the city was at night, with restaurants and night markets all brightly lit. I was more curious than scared.” Speaking of this, he raised a faint smile and gestured, “I still remember the first thing my coach said when he received me was, ‘Come on, put on your clothes quickly’. He probably feared that I would be cold, so he brought me a super thick green military coat.”
“Ah… I have had similar experiences. In a foreign country, such behavior will make people feel warm and even affect your impression of the city.”
“Yes,” Li Xun nodded heavily, “The coach usually takes good care of us. He would invite us to his house for dinner and would leave the snacks he saved for us.”
“It feels like I’m bringing up a bunch of kids. Do you understand that now?”
Li Xun laughed.
Wang Kai is a very talkative person. The interview process was not as tense as Li Xun imagined. The more they talked, the more relaxed they became. If it weren’t for the camera, it would have been more like a gathering with an old friend who hadn’t seen him for a long time.
Finally, Wang Kai put down the script in his hand and said, “Then let me ask on behalf of the majority of netizens, have you ever thought about returning to the national team?”
This problem was not in the script. Li Xun was stunned, glanced at the camera, and then looked at Wang Kai.
As I was thinking silently, the gunfire at the Children’s Palace rang again, and a bunch of kids with backpacks on their backs swarmed towards the door.
Li Xun accidentally caught a glimpse of Li Chuzhi’s figure, and all his thoughts were gone. He stood up in a hurry: “Sorry, I have to pick up the child first, she will run around again in a while.”
Wang Kai followed him in surprise and asked, “You already have a child?”
“No, she’s my niece.”
Wang Kai and the photographer followed Li Xun all the way to the entrance of the Children’s Palace. The photographer turned the camera and captured Li Xun holding Li Chuzhi’s hand and whispering, “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the security room after class and don’t run around? There are so many cars on the road, isn’t it dangerous?”
Li Chuzhi knew he was “guilty” and bit his fingernails without making a sound. Li Xun slapped him on the back of his hand: “Still biting? You bit your fingernails into a state of chaos. Do you still want to eat delicious food?”
Li Chuzhi’s mouth pursed, tears welled up in her eyes again, she tugged at Li Xun’s clothes and shook him, “I know I was wrong…Uncle, I want to eat Doraemon’s donut.”
“There is no Doraemon, only bread. Eat it if you want.”
“Okay.” Li Chuzhi had no choice but to compromise, “What kind of bread? Is there any filling? I like the one with blueberry jam.”
Li Xun said, “I went too late, and I only bought strawberries.”
“Why are you late?” Li Chuzhi looked up and saw Li Xun’s unhappy expression. He took the bread and comforted himself, “Okay, I like strawberry bread too, but you have to remember to buy me blueberry bread next time.”
“I understand.” Li Xun smiled and rubbed her head, and the already loose ponytail completely fell apart, turning into a bird’s nest.
Wang Kai thought Li Chuzhi was also very photogenic, so he walked over, squatted down and asked, “Little boy, what grade are you in this year?”
“Third grade.” Li Chuzhi didn’t like to answer adults’ questions while eating, so he shrank behind Li Xun and rubbed his mouth full of strawberry jam all over his clothes, which was a white shirt.
Li Xun took a breath and gritted his teeth: “Li, Chu, Zhi.”
Li Chuzhi’s courage trembled with fear, and he continued to chew the bread.
Wang Kai looked at Li Xun: “Are you usually the one who takes her home?”
“Yeah.” The strawberry jam on the clothes left a stain that couldn’t be wiped off. Li Xun pointed at the clothes and glared at Li Chuzhi fiercely, “You did a good thing.”
Li Chuzhi apologized softly and said, “I’ll wash it when we get back.”
Wang Kai thought their way of getting along was quite interesting, so he smiled and asked, “Are her parents busy?”
When talking about his parents, Li Chuzhi sensitively shifted his gaze from the bread to Wang Kai.
Li Xun looked down at the little guy and said, “They all work outside the city and don’t come back often.”
Li Chuzhi frowned and added: “I never go home.”
Wang Kai was stunned, and several scenarios popped up in his mind.
“Do you have any other questions?” Li Xun pushed Chu Zhi into the car. “If there is nothing else, we have to go back. She still has some homework to finish.”
Wang Kai understood that he didn’t want to talk more, so the two shook hands in a friendly manner and said goodbye.
The studio acted quickly, and that evening, Li Xun received an @ from a daily newspaper on Weibo. What surprised him was that in addition to the interview with him in the coffee shop, there was also a short clip of Li Chuzhi.
The screen was full of comments, all praising her for being beautiful, sensible, and cute. The comments were so exaggerated that they even covered the subtitles below.
The topic #李絔男妈妈# has become a hot topic again among netizens.
It’s unbelievable and unheard of.
Song Yang finished watching the interview on the way back to school, and explained to him with a smile: “Male mother is a joke in the e-sports circle. I don’t know how it evolved into a father who can take care of children. Anyway, netizens are just praising you.”
“strange.”
Song Yang put the phone back into his trouser pocket and saw that the stain on his shirt was still there.
When we got home, he said, “Take off your clothes. I’ll help you rub the strawberry jam off.”
Li Xun was a little incredulous: “You want to help me wash it?”
“This kind of mark definitely can’t be washed off with a washing machine. You have to use special detergent to lather it and then rub it.”
“You’re so particular.”
“I always see my mom do this.”
Li Xun smiled and unbuttoned a button, like taking off a T-shirt, and lifted the hem up.
Song Yang was startled by his performance, staring at his abdominal muscles and said, “How can you take off your shirt like that? Be careful that the buttons break.”
Li Xun’s head was almost popping out of his collar. Hearing this, he went back the same way, with his hands behind his back, looking like he was at the mercy of others: “Then teach me how to take it off.”
