OSTF - 73

The scene was too noisy; Chi Suisui’s words could only be heard by those nearby.

Song Miaoli froze for a second, then suddenly laughed. “You’re right.”

When it came to emotions, everyone was different. She didn’t often ask about Chi Suisui and He Xingwang’s relationship, but she understood it well enough.

Her impression of He Xingwang mostly came from others’ evaluations.

At most, his only rival might be the gun in his hand. But given He Xingwang’s personality, even if the gun was important, it likely couldn’t compare to a person.

Song Miaoli inexplicably felt a sense of romance.

“Suisui, tell me the truth,” she leaned on Chi Suisui’s shoulder. “Are you really fond of He Xingwang now?”

She had never heard her say it before.

Chi Suisui turned her head, pinched her cheek, and said, “If I didn’t like him, why would I marry him?”

Song Miaoli said, “I used to think it was an arranged marriage.”

Chi Suisui smiled without responding.

It was undeniable that she once held such thoughts. From childhood to adulthood, she never considered He Xingwang as her future spouse.

Not until their cohabitation began.

Seeing her carefree demeanor, Chi Suisui thought of something and reminded her: “Miaoli, you should know your family doesn’t need you to marry into another family.”

That idea was one-sided on her part.

The Song family was truly a wealthy household in Nancheng. Although her parents were indeed from an arranged marriage, they respected each other and had no messy affairs. Both children were doted on since childhood. With the Song family’s financial power, adding more wealth wasn’t necessary—especially at the cost of their children’s happiness.

Chi Suisui had known the Song family parents for many years. It was common for parents to hope their daughters married early in today’s society, but from the daughter’s perspective, this might lead to misunderstandings.

From their viewpoint, Gu Nanyan was truly an exceptional individual.

Under normal circumstances, encountering a man who excelled in every aspect was rare, especially with such a prominent family background—human hearts were unpredictable.

Song Miaoli felt somewhat lost. “But I can’t be too willful either, right?”

Chi Suisui didn’t want to break it all at once or discuss it seriously in such a setting. “You might want to think about it yourself.”

Beside them, Su Mian indicated she couldn’t join the conversation.

“Alright, let’s focus on your husband’s match first, not my issues,” Song Miaoli didn’t want to discuss serious matters in this situation.

The match was about to begin.

The athletes were warming up, following the same procedures as any competition. In reality, all competitions were the same; the only difference was in the results.

“He Shen, go for it!”

The audience around them started cheering.

Japanese and English voices echoed chaotically inside the arena. At this moment, the match officially began.

Their seats were in the front row, offering a clear view.

There were many athletes in the qualification round—hundreds of shooters from dozens of countries. Just looking at them could make one dizzy.

Yet Chi Suisui could easily spot He Xingwang.

He had already put on protective gear, obscuring his expression, but his unique, cool demeanor set him apart from others. His slender fingers were adjusting the gun.

Chi Suisui’s heart paused for a moment.

She always knew his charm, but every time she saw him—even in the same scenario—she couldn’t help but be drawn in.

He hit all her points perfectly.

“Oh my god, I’m so nervous as a spectator!” Su Mian covered her mouth. “I’ve never been this tense watching matches before.”

The girl in front probably heard her and turned back confidently. “He Shen is definitely going to win gold this time.”

Then she noticed Chi Suisui.

The girl’s mouth opened, and she blinked. “Journalist Chi?”

It could be said that no fan of He Xingwang didn’t know Chi Suisui.

“Hello.” Chi Suisui lowered her head, meeting her gaze and smiling faintly. “I believe what you said—He Shen will win gold.”

Like cherry blossoms in full bloom.

The girl was captivated by her beauty, dazedly turning her head, only to be startled awake by the sudden sound of gunfire after a while.

The qualification round had begun.

Gunfire echoed incessantly.

After one shot, most athletes’ scores had already jumped out. Apart from several scores above eight rings, most were in the nine-ring range, with some exceeding ten rings.

10.4 rings—He Xingwang’s first shot score.

“It’s within He Shen’s normal range,” Su Mian immediately relaxed her shoulders. “My heart has been jumping up and down.”

Although she knew He Xingwang’s hand injury had long healed, she still worried.

Su Mian tilted her head. “Boss, are you worried?”

Song Miaoli blinked. “Little Cotton, recall the question you just asked. Can a wife not trust her own husband?”

“…”

Seeing Su Mian shut up, Chi Suisui raised an eyebrow. “No, I’m not worried.”

Good results made her happy.

Poor results didn’t sadden her.

His glory was already deeply rooted; one failed match wouldn’t negate past honors.

Moreover, he wouldn’t make mistakes.

The smooth start of the first shot set a good tone. The cheers from the stands grew louder, making ears itch.

“Suisui, does this mean the finals start after this?”

Qi Xincheng and Chi Meiyuan sat behind them. Seizing the moment between shots, Qi Xincheng quickly asked.

“Yes, starting at two-thirty,” Chi Suisui replied.

“Little He has had it hard,” Chi Meiyuan patted Qi Xincheng’s hand and spoke to Jiang Huizuo beside her. “All these years, he has worked hard.”

A decade of training day in and day out—it wasn’t something ordinary people could endure.

With He Xingwang’s status and family background, he didn’t need to stay in the shooting sports center, especially considering he had once been framed.

His heart was strong and powerful.

The more Chi Meiyuan thought about it, the more she believed she hadn’t misjudged him.

Though Qi Xincheng was older, being in such a setting stirred the热血 (passion) in his bones. Though he didn’t speak much, his hands were busy.

Meanwhile, back in China, countless people were watching the live stream.

Whether on TV or online.

Shooting was the first gold medal opportunity in the Olympics. The women’s event in the morning had already secured the first gold, and this one would also be a beautiful start.

Below the stage, He Xingwang raised his arm.

Since electronic targets were used, the scores were displayed for everyone to see, and there were large screens in the arena showing the results.

Every shot was public.

Unlike other events, shooting had no insider dealings; every ranking was based purely on personal performance.

The results of the qualification round came out quite quickly. He Xingwang advanced to the finals in first place, just like during the World Cup.

As expected, the results would likely mirror that occasion.

During the intermission, there were fewer people in the stands. Su Mian also needed to use the restroom and pulled Chi Suisui along.

Many girls had come to watch the shooting competition.

Chi Suisui stood in line, wearing a mask, and casually glanced forward. Unexpectedly, she spotted a familiar face.

Jiang Lu, who had been fired from the company, was here too.

Jiang Lu also wore a mask, but having interacted closely before, Chi Suisui recognized her at a glance.

She didn’t dwell on it much. Anyone could buy tickets to watch the match. Though she disliked her, it had nothing to do with her.

“Boss, who are you looking at?” Su Mian looked over and only saw the long queue. “We still have a long wait.”

“Nothing,” Chi Suisui withdrew her gaze.

Few people knew about Jiang Lu’s situation, and she didn’t want to say more. Besides, she had entered the entertainment industry and had no connection with their family anymore.

“Boss, look how fast the trending topics exploded—it’s still just the qualification round.” Because they had to queue, Su Mian increased her phone screen brightness. “So many people are watching.”

“Is that so?” Chi Suisui lowered her head to look.

This was the official live broadcast channel, and the viewer count had already reached tens of millions.

When she exited and looked again, the comments had surpassed ten thousand. With every refresh, hundreds of new comments appeared.

[Oh my god, official daddy is killing me! How could they film it so well?!]

[Our He Shen is too excellent!]

[I just finished watching the qualifiers, and I almost had a heart attack!]

[You’re all watching the match, but am I the only one staring at He Shen himself? His body proportions are absolutely perfect!!]

[Hurry up and win! Get on that podium! Play our national anthem! Raise our flag!]

Su Mian said, “I’m going to post a Weibo.”

She sent out a tweet filled with exclamation marks, then switched back to the trending topics.

The video on the trending Weibo showed the last two shots, then him lowering the gun, removing his protective gear, and finally revealing that face.

The camera cleverly zoomed in for a close-up.

A flawless face, black hair slightly disheveled, giving off an edgy vibe, even making his gaze seem deeper.

Chi Suisui’s eyes lingered.

The bright, lively red five-star flag on his chest contrasted beautifully with his fair, slender neck and prominent Adam’s apple—an indescribable sexiness.

He Xingwang truly looked amazing.

This person belonged to the nation—and also to her.

The intermission seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and the finals were about to begin.

Though there had been buildup earlier, the atmosphere in the stands was now even livelier, with all kinds of cheers and support.

Chi Suisui took a deep breath and leaned back into her chair.

She opened her phone; the chat history with He Xingwang on WeChat still rested on last night’s messages of encouragement and goodnight.

Even if she sent something now, He Xingwang wouldn’t have time to see it.

Chi Suisui glanced down at the stage. Coach Zhu was talking to the athletes. She opened her camera and snapped a photo of He Xingwang slightly bowing his head below.

As if sensing something, He Xingwang raised his eyes and looked over.

In just two hours, the two locked gazes across the crowd once more. Chi Suisui curved her lips into a smile, pointed at her phone, and made a heart gesture.

He Xingwang’s lips quirked upward.

Beside her, Song Miaoli and Su Mian remained expressionless. Coming to watch the match only to eat dog food—what could they do when the two were married?

Coach Zhu noticed his player’s unusual expression and followed his line of sight, spotting Chi Suisui making the heart gesture.

“...”

He coughed twice. “Did you remember everything I just said?”

There were only two Chinese shooters who advanced to the finals—a normal number for such competitions. Some countries didn’t even make it this far.

He Xingwang retracted his gaze. “Mm.”

Li Huaiming’s entire demeanor screamed nervousness: “Remembered!”

With a few minutes left, the stands were still bustling, naturally leading to discussions about He Xingwang’s gaze moments ago.

“Didn’t He Shen just look over here? Was he looking at me? Was it me?”

“There are so many spectators. How would you know who he’s looking at?”

The girl who had previously turned around and seen Chi Suisui didn’t join the conversation.

For some reason, she felt He Xingwang was looking in her direction—but not at her—

She inexplicably thought of Chi Suisui behind her.

But the next second, she dismissed the thought. He Xingwang was already married, and his relationship with Chi Suisui was a normal idol-fan dynamic—it couldn’t be.

Minutes later, the match began.

The big screen still displayed the rankings from the qualifiers, where He Xingwang had left the second place competitor 1.4 rings behind.

After the first four shots of the finals, He Xingwang ranked first.

Second place was an American athlete—one of his old rivals.

The opponent hadn’t participated in the previous World Cup due to circumstances, but this time he returned strongly, trailing He Xingwang by just 0.6 rings.

A gap that could be closed with a single shot.

Shooting was fair yet ruthless.

One could hit over ten rings in one shot and drop to eight in the next—all within a fleeting moment.

Under these circumstances, He Xingwang’s calm and steady demeanor stood out among the finalists.

Every time he raised his arm, he fired at the exact same timing.

The surrounding noises were blocked out by his specialized equipment; only the gun in his hand and its recoil kept him grounded.

At this moment, even the score from the previous shot wasn’t his focus.

His goal was always the current shot.

After the foreign athlete beside him finished shooting, he took a deep breath, glanced at the composed He Xingwang, and gritted his teeth.

As long as He Xingwang was present, he was like an insurmountable barrier.

As time ticked by, the venue gradually fell silent. Everyone was waiting for the final result.

Currently, He Xingwang led by 0.8 rings.

Only one shot remained.

For the first time, Chi Suisui had an impulse to rush down and grab his hand to shoot herself. She closed her eyes briefly.

“I’m never watching such a match again,” Song Miaoli clutched her heart. “I feel more nervous than during surgery.”

At least during surgery, she was confident.

Su Mian suddenly slapped her thigh. “Why is He Shen standing there motionless? The people beside him have already finished shooting! I’m dying of anxiety!”

It wasn’t just her—the viewers watching the livestream were equally anxious.

Each of them felt as if they were reliving the tension of the World Cup finals, wishing they could rush forward and shove the electronic target right under He Xingwang’s nose.

And then, the decisive shot came.

An incredible, rare 10.9 rings.

—There’s no 11 rings in shooting.

Better than his performance in the World Cup finals, and the highest possible score in shooting.

—Equivalent to a perfect score.

He Xingwang’s lips curved faintly as he lowered his gun. His solitary figure stood tall like a cedar tree—cool, distant, and untouchable.

The total score on the screen refreshed immediately, firmly securing his first-place position. This represented his youthful years, his faith.

And it concealed his love.

Almost all cameras on-site turned toward He Xingwang—close-ups, wide shots, mixed with the foreign-language announcements blaring over the loudspeakers.

He Xingwang had won gold once again.

“Boss, wuwuwuwu, I feel like I’m suffocating,” Su Mian grabbed Chi Suisui’s hand. “I can’t breathe!”

“Do you want your idol to see your tear-streaked face?” Song Miaoli teased. “After this, you might not even get his autograph.”

“…”

Su Mian hiccupped through tears but didn’t forget to complain. “Dr. Song, how could you be like this?”

Song Miaoli burst into laughter after teasing her like this.

Both domestic and international media were focused on this result. All press releases were pre-written and immediately published.

At this moment, the world shone as brightly as he did.

He Xingwang removed his goggles and turned to face the audience.

Countless spectators rose to their feet. The roaring cheers nearly shattered the arena’s roof, drowning out the foreign-language announcements.

“Ahhhh, I’m dead!” The girls around them jumped up from their seats, nearly rushing down to the stage.

Chi Suisui loosened her grip, revealing a faint crescent-shaped mark on her palm.

She trusted him completely, but in such a setting, it was impossible not to feel nervous or worried for him.

Fortunately, the outcome was joyful.

One on the stage, one in the stands.

Separated by a vast competition venue and a crowded audience, they could still sense each other’s presence.

Only now did the on-site cameras begin to come alive again.

Someone in the stands handed a national flag to Coach Zhu—a recurring scene. The live broadcast cameras were primed to sweep across the audience.

Chi Suisui was captured perfectly in this moment.

Her palm-sized face was smooth and fair, her eyebrows arched, her clear eyes sparkling like stars, holding a bright red five-star flag.

This image was screenshot countless times.

And news outlets, having been lying in wait, naturally didn’t miss any opportunity to exploit.

Chi Suisui’s photo instantly exploded online.