Lin Chong's Women's Cuju Team

Du Shiniang noticed that the girls on the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) team were discussing the Cuju match against Shen Daoyuan and his team three days later. Some were puzzled, some were angry, and some were indifferent. In short, the expressions of the five girls, including Du Rushuang, were all interesting, but they all took the matter very seriously.

"Ladies, please calm down and let Coach Lin say a few words to you." Du Shiniang loudly stopped the five girls from their private discussion and pushed Lin Chong in front of them, asking him to explain the football match in three days to everyone.

Lin Chong was actually quite helpless, because he had never approved of Du Shiniang issuing a challenge to Shen Daoyuan in the first place. However, Du Shiniang insisted on meeting Shen Daoyuan to persuade Chai Nianci to stay, and also to test Shen Daoyuan's attitude towards Chai Nianci joining the Song Dynasty women's football team. Now that the die was cast, Lin Chong had no choice but to bite the bullet and say to the five girls of the football team:

"Everyone, let Lin Chong explain. In the Cuju match three days from now, we will draw lots to determine the teams. Except for Shen Daoyuan and Chai Nianci, who will not participate in the draw, the four of you, Gao Can, Xiao Minghao, General Zhou, and I will all participate, forming two teams of three men and two women or three women and two men. Therefore, we do not know which team will be strong or which team will be weak."

"Therefore, for the next three days, I hope you can cooperate with me to train your Cuju skills and physical fitness. Coach Wu will be in charge of physical fitness, and I will be in charge of skills. Shi Niang will be in charge of everyone's Cuju balls, Cuju clothes and boots, as well as the food arrangements. What do you all think?"

Du Rushuang was the first to answer loudly, "Okay! We'll listen to Instructor Lin and Sister."

Pan Jinghe gazed at Lin Chong with affectionate eyes and replied, "Jinghe will follow Brother Lin's arrangements completely. I trust Brother Lin!"

Chen Jinhuan held Chai Nianci's hand, and the two answered in unison: "We are both willing to do our best to cooperate with Coach Lin in the Cuju training."

Zou Xiaoyan knew that Xiao Minghao had deliberately brought up their past relationship in front of the Emperor and revealed the Cuju (ancient Chinese football) match agreement between Shen Daoyuan and Du Shiniang, which had put everyone in such a passive position. She felt a little guilty. Then, hearing that everyone was willing to go all out against Shen Daoyuan and Gao Can's Cuju team, she looked around the hall with grateful eyes, and then sobbed, "..."

"This whole mess was orchestrated by my ex-husband, Xiao Minghao. He wanted to clear his name of abandoning his wife and children, but instead he dragged everyone into this dangerous situation with me, forcing us to participate in the football match three days from now. I'm so sorry, Xiao Yanzi!"

Du Rushuang quickly stepped forward to support Zou Xiaoyan, preventing her from bowing and apologizing to the crowd. She frowned and said to Zou Xiaoyan, "Madam Zou, we all know that Xiao Minghao abandoned you, and we don't blame you. I even want to avenge you at the Cuju match in three days and teach that Xiao fellow a lesson."

Chai Nianci fiddled with the string of Buddhist beads in her hand a few times, then half-closed her eyes and said to Zou Xiaoyan, "Madam Zou, you are a woman with a tragic fate. Xiao Minghao is destined to be a tribulation in your life. We are all willing to face this tribulation with you. You don't need to blame yourself. I believe everyone understands the Buddha's saying, 'If I don't go to hell, who will?'"

Lu Zhichen stood behind Chai Nianci. When he heard Chai Nianci mention the Buddha, he immediately chimed in loudly, "Junior sister is right. If I don't go to hell, who will? I also know a little about Cuju (ancient Chinese football). I can practice with you girls these few days. Of course, I will mainly focus on junior sister and practice with her one-on-one."

"The suggestion of one-on-one practice is good. I thank Brother Lu for his kindness." Lin Chong bowed to Lu Zhichen to express his gratitude, while glancing back at Du Shiniang to see if she agreed with Lu Zhichen's suggestion. After all, Shiniang had some reservations about Lu Zhichen's impulsive and reckless personality.

Du Shiniang pursed her lips and slightly raised her chin. Lin Chong understood that she had agreed to let Lu Zhichen be the female football player's training partner. Only then did his expression relax, and the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing his undisguised smugness.

"Alright, now that everyone has discussed the competition and training arrangements, please go back and prepare yourselves." Du Shiniang waved her hand, signaling everyone in the hall to disperse, and at the same time gave Xu Gui a wink. Xu Gui then quickly approached Lin Chong and whispered a few words to him about the football training equipment and football balls that he needed to help Lin Chong prepare.

Lu Zhichen followed behind Chai Nianci, shouting loudly, "Junior sister, don't walk so fast! Didn't we agree that I would practice Cuju with you? You didn't even wait for me!"

"I've known you, Senior Brother, for so many days, and I've never heard of you playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football). Are you just making this up to find an excuse to stay in the pavilion? My Cuju skills are among the best of the noble ladies in the capital. Don't cry out in pain if I kick you with my Cuju ball later." Chai Nianci said to Lu Zhichen without turning her head as she walked quickly toward the door.

"No! Junior sister, go ahead and kick me! Your senior brother is thick-skinned and doesn't feel pain." Lu Zhichen caught up with Chai Nianci, then turned around and walked backwards, shouting loudly to her. He even chuckled a few times after saying that.

Chai Nianci ignored Lu Zhichen until they walked outside and reached a corridor in the north courtyard. Lu Zhichen had somehow acquired a Cuju (an ancient Chinese football game) and stood in the corridor, insisting that Chai Nianci watch him play.

Chai Nianci was quite helpless against Lu Zhichen's stubbornness. She had no choice but to stop and watch him jog around in front of and behind her with a football, sometimes dodging to her left, sometimes to her right. Despite his tall and strong body, he acted as agile as a monkey. Chai Nianci wanted to laugh but bit her lip to hold it in.

"Junior sister, why don't you try to steal my cuju ball? We can kick it as we walk back to your room," Lu Zhichen said, controlling the cuju ball with his foot as he invited Chai Nianci. Seeing Lu Zhichen's sincere expression, Chai Nianci agreed to play cuju with him.

However, after watching Lu Zhichen's clumsy performance for about half an hour, Chai Nianci couldn't bear it any longer. So when they reached the lotus pond, Chai Nianci kindly advised Lu Zhichen, "Senior brother, I see you're sweating. Why don't we stop and rest for a bit?"

"No need! I've only just warmed up. Don't underestimate my strength." Lu Zhichen, his face flushed from the heat, wiped away his sweat and said to Chai Nianci. Seeing Lu Zhichen's nonchalant attitude, Chai Nianci unleashed her hidden strength, snatching the football from Lu Zhichen's feet with a swift, diagonal pass.

Seeing that he had lost control of the football, Lu Zhichen shouted, "Junior sister, so you were just trying to distract me by chatting with me earlier. I'll take your football back!" In his desperation, Lu Zhichen quickened his pace and ran in front of Chai Nianci, spreading his arms to block her path. At the same time, he stared intently at the football at Chai Nianci's feet, ready to seize the opportunity to kick it away.

Without a trace of fear, Chai Nianci, with the football tucked in her hand, deftly slid past Lu Zhichen's armpit. The football seemed glued to her ankle, rolling past Lu Zhichen's feet. Lu Zhichen couldn't help but shout, "Good!"

Just as Chai Nianci regained her footing and was about to continue running forward, she heard a massive, tree-like figure behind her suddenly plunge into the lotus pond with a splash. Chai Nianci quickly turned around to look. To her surprise, she discovered that Lu Zhichen had fallen into the lotus pond.

Just then, a familiar male voice came lazily: "Ci'er, have you missed me these days?" Chai Nianci looked up at a locust tree next to her and saw Shen Daoyuan wearing a moon-white robe and a jade crown on his head, leaning against the tree branch and talking to her lazily.

"No! Shen Daoyuan, don't flatter yourself. I haven't even settled the score with you for promising the Emperor that you would play Cuju with us, and yet you've come to pick a fight with me." Chai Nianci shouted angrily at Shen Daoyuan in the tree.

“Ci’er, the football match is not my fault. It was Xiao Minghao who first mentioned it to the Emperor. If I don’t admit that it happened and it’s discovered later, it’s a crime of deceiving the Emperor. Do you want to become a widow for me at such a young age?” Shen Daoyuan jumped down from the tree and came to Chai Nianci’s side, speaking to her gently.

“Who wants to be a widow for you? Did I agree to marry you? Don’t try to pressure me with this marriage contract, or I’ll run back to Xiangshan Temple and shave my head.” Chai Nianci said to Shen Daoyuan in a disdainful and threatening tone. After saying that, she strode forward and called out twice by the lotus pond: “Senior brother, are you alright? I remember you can swim, why aren’t you on the surface yet? Let’s get out of here quickly.”

However, Lu Zhichen was not seen in the lotus pond. Instead, a series of bubbles seemed to rise from the lotus flowers. Chai Nianci was very worried and called Lu Zhichen's name several times, but no one answered.