13. Wang Chuqin

Since the young couple got together, the national table tennis team seemed to be filled with a sweet atmosphere every day.

At first, Nan Zhou was still mindful of the unspoken rule about keeping romances low-key within the team, sometimes reminding Chu Qin to be a bit more discreet to avoid suspicion.

But eventually, faced with Chu Qin’s plaintive gaze, Nan Zhou gave in. Maybe being overly cautious wasn’t helping; after all, they spent more time together before becoming official.

So Nan Zhou relaxed, and from then on, everyone in the national team saw Chu Qin waiting downstairs at the women’s dorm every morning for Nan Zhou. They would have breakfast together, then train side by side all day. After training, they’d eat dinner, take a walk, and see each other back to their dormitories.

At first, teammates were curious and tried to pry into their relationship, but gradually they grew indifferent.

The coaches, too, initially wondered if they should intervene when they saw the two always together openly, but soon realized that training together made them more disciplined and their skills improved steadily. It felt like two top students pushing each other forward. So the coaches turned a blind eye and tacitly approved.

Thus, they became the unofficial model couple within the national team.

On this day, the young couple was training together again, but—

“Big Head! Focus!” Nan Zhou warned her boyfriend sharply once more.

“Oh…” Chu Qin looked a little aggrieved. After all these days together, he felt tricked. Why did his dear Nan Zhou keep scolding him and acting so harshly? And yet, they still hadn’t shared a single kiss! Why was that?

That was Big Head’s inner cry.

If Nan Zhou knew what he was thinking, she’d be speechless. Since they started dating, he kept staring at her face and daydreaming. She could always catch him sneaking glances, no matter where they were.

But training was serious business, especially with a major tournament approaching. As for kissing, that was on Big Head—he simply wasn’t making the first move.

After training that day, Nan Zhou didn’t head straight to the cafeteria as usual. Instead, she stayed behind, leaning against the ping pong table, lost in thought.

While Nan Zhou was daydreaming, Chu Qin diligently packed their things nearby.

“Zhou Zhou? I’m done, shall we go?” Chu Qin asked, puzzled by her girlfriend’s daze.

“Wait a moment, let’s not go to the cafeteria just yet,” Nan Zhou said, still reviewing the day’s training in her mind. She motioned for him to be quiet and not rush off.

When Nan Zhou finally snapped out of her thoughts, she found Chu Qin leaning beside her, playing with her hair one moment, pinching her cheek the next, then gesturing at her hand—completely engrossed in his own little world.

Without hesitation, Nan Zhou’s “iron palm” landed on Big Head’s arm, earning a shocked yet hurt look in return.

“Zhou Zhou!”

“I told you to be quiet!”

“But I’m not disturbing your thinking.”

Chu Qin’s grievance grew; why was Nan Zhou becoming increasingly impatient with him?

Nan Zhou looked at her boyfriend’s adorably clueless expression and pinched his cheek mercilessly. Not bad texture!

“Keep this up and the coaches might transfer you elsewhere,” she warned. Lately, she noticed the coaches’ glances toward Chu Qin had shifted. Mainly because he was too lovestruck, often distracted during training. Although his skills hadn’t declined, the coaching staff was considering separating them, thinking some might be more motivated alone.

“It’s because you never look at me! Don’t you like me?” Chu Qin sounded pitiful. His girlfriend was such a career-driven workaholic; once training started, she was completely absorbed. This made him feel like it was a one-sided crush.

Nan Zhou was baffled by this conclusion. If she didn’t like him, would she even stay with him?

“What are you thinking about all day?”

“You, of course!” he retorted, stubbornly.

This was when his clinginess became apparent: training together all day, chatting on the phone at night, constantly sending messages like “Baby, I missed you right after we parted,” “Baby, I really like you,” “Baby, baby, baby,” and so on.

Compared to that, Nan Zhou seemed less enthusiastic, but that was probably just his imagination.

“Alright, alright, think all you want,” she said, not wanting to argue but pondering how his previous training methods no longer suited him since falling in love. She needed to figure out a new approach to help him improve faster and more steadily.

Chu Qin was getting angry. Why did his girlfriend seem so indifferent? Couldn’t she see his little grievances and frustrations? So he went silent, planning a silent treatment until Nan Zhou came to soothe him.

Seeing her boyfriend’s sudden change in mood and silence, Nan Zhou guessed he was sulking again. How did she end up with such a lovesick boyfriend? No wonder they often felt out of sync.

“Come here, I have something to tell you,” Nan Zhou beckoned, signaling Chu Qin to come closer. At nearly six feet tall, he had to lower his head to bridge the distance.

“What is it?” Chu Qin asked, stiffly, reluctant to give in first.

“Come on, it’s important.”

Reluctantly, Chu Qin lowered his head and leaned in. Just as he was about to hear what she had to say, he felt a fleeting kiss on his lips.

His mind went blank. He never expected his first kiss to come so suddenly. When he recovered, his eyes sparkled as he looked at Nan Zhou, savoring the moment as if saying, “I want more.”

Seeing her boyfriend’s shy and playful expression, Nan Zhou wondered if their roles were reversed—this script felt off somehow.

Under Chu Qin’s expectant gaze, Nan Zhou kissed him again. This time, it was more than just a brush of lips; it was a deeper exchange.

“Close your eyes!”

Obediently, Chu Qin closed his eyes. Gradually, he took the lead, and by the end of the kiss, he had learned a great deal.

Thus, in the empty training hall after a long day, the young couple successfully shared their first kiss.

That moment seemed to flip a switch in Chu Qin. Afterward, he no longer settled for just hugging and cuddling. He always sought out secluded places or chances to steal kisses.

“Let’s practice some more, I’m still not familiar with this~”

“Baby, baby, baby, I want a kiss~”

“Zhou Zhou~ one more time~”

All these flirtatious whispers came from the newly awakened Big Head.

Meanwhile,

“Baby, don’t call me Big Head anymore. Call me Head Head, or I’ll get mad!”

Nan Zhou gave a blank look. Couldn’t she have a normal Chu Qin back? This lovey-dovey way of talking felt a little gross. Was this what being in love forever meant? She could never be that passionate.

These were the inner thoughts of Nan Zhou—a steel-willed woman who should never have had a boyfriend, yet somehow did, and still wasn’t used to it.

“Head Head, training!”

“Head Head, change your play style!”

“Head Head, come train with Brother Yan, Brother Long, and Brother Bo!”

Nan Zhou’s daily calls of “Head Head” began, but her words were cold and ruthless, leaving Chu Qin utterly disheartened.

Chu Qin’s two “big brothers,” Yan An and Fang Bo, always watched these scenes and openly teased him, watching their younger brother being bossed around clearly.

“Big Head, your status is basically set now!” teased Yan An.

“Big Head, hurry up and train, or Nan Zhou will come scold you again, hahaha...” laughed Fang Bo.

Under Nan Zhou’s “loving education,” Chu Qin painfully but happily improved at a visible pace.

This routine continued until the military training at the beginning of the year 2020.

“Why do we have to do military training...” came Sun Yingsha’s painful wails from the girls’ dorm, with many others in agreement nearby.

“Zhou Zhou, why don’t you react at all?” Sun Yingsha asked Nan Zhou, who appeared unusually calm. Was Zhou Zhou actually looking forward to this?

“I’m cursing them silently in my heart,” Nan Zhou replied flatly.

So these two best friends both fell asleep during the opening ceremony of military training, even while sitting in the front row.

On stage, Liu Guoliang passionately gave a speech extolling the virtues of military training, but everyone in the audience was drowsy.

Nan Zhou and Sun Yingsha were among the braver ones, openly closing their eyes right in front of everyone.

When it came to sleeping, the two were remarkably in sync, requiring plenty of rest and often arriving late. Early mornings were just too difficult for them.

Nan Zhou had nothing to say about the hardships of military training: the shabby dorm, the less-than-appetizing cafeteria food, and the daily drills made it almost unbearable.

Could she fast-forward to the Spring Festival? She wanted to go home and lie down.

Chu Qin was also unhappy. Military training meant fully regimented group life, so he couldn’t stay with Nan Zhou as usual. The boys and girls were basically separated.

Having so little time with Nan Zhou during this honeymoon phase felt like torture to Big Head. He complained secretly about the training keeping them apart, only to be teased mercilessly by Yan and Fang.

Overall, the military training opened perfectly, proceeded smoothly, and ended flawlessly. It also forced the inseparable couple to live apart for a few days, which only made Big Head more passionate and clingy.