18 Wang Chuqin

Post-Match Interview.

The reporters had just finished interviewing another tearful Itō Mima and were about to find the last female singles finalists of the day.

However, the scene they feared or wished to see—of the two close friends ignoring each other both on and off the court—did not appear. Instead, what stood before them was Duan Nanzhou with her arm around Sun Yingsha’s shoulder. The two were happily chatting as they walked.

Remember, audience: is this harmony or what?

The next moment, the usually aloof Duan Nanzhou smiled warmly and pulled a candy from her pocket, offering it to Sun Yingsha, who was both surprised and delighted, happily taking it and popping it into her mouth.

Sun Yingsha, the sweet little dumpling, readily let Duan Nanzhou gently stroke her cheek, and both were thoroughly pleased.

The reporters quickly stopped them, eager to interview before one of them got distracted and disappeared.

Recognizing familiar faces from the national sports bureau, the two graciously stayed for the interview.

After some routine and sincere post-match questions, the reporters shifted to less formal ones, such as:

“Duan Nanzhou just gave Yingsha a candy, right?”

“Yeah, super sweet!” Sun Yingsha replied cheerfully.

“Can we see what kind of candy it is?”

“Nope~” Sun Yingsha, with her most adorable expression, refused and added, “It’s mine!”

The reporters, only asking casually, were a bit amused at being seen as candy thieves. They quickly reassured, “If it’s yours, then it’s yours.”

Viewers watching the interview were swooning.

At the end of the interview, as the two prepared to leave, Sun Yingsha patted her good friend Duan Nanzhou’s arm as a signal. Amid the reporters’ puzzled expressions, Duan Nanzhou smiled and pulled out another candy from her pocket, handing it to the young reporter before they departed.

The reporter’s face lit up with surprise and joy.

The cameraman beside him even zoomed in on the candy, clearly a bit envious.

The audience watching online erupted:

“Too flirtatious!”

“Aloof cool girl × soft cute dumpling, perfect ship!”

“I want to be that candy!”

“Reporter, hand over the candy! (Killer instinct activated)”

In an instant, the number of fans shipping the pair grew steadily. Some fans who had previously supported the Duan Nanzhou–Wang Chuqin pairing even jumped ship, delivering a heavy blow to the already fragile “NanChu” ship. In contrast, the “ShaZhou” ship grew stronger by the day.

Wang Chuqin, an avid 5G surfer, quickly noticed and expressed frustration: how come no one recognizes his status as the official partner?

Thus, Wang Chuqin vented and complained about Duan Nanzhou to her on his phone, receiving consolation and a few kisses before calling it a day.

…

After the men’s and women’s singles concluded, only the team events remained.

In the women’s team matches, due to Liu Shiwen’s physical condition and the mixed doubles already being successfully completed, she withdrew, allowing P-card holder Chen Meng to step in.

The women’s team event proceeded surprisingly smoothly, especially since Duan Nanzhou’s name had become well-known among all major table tennis teams. Everyone was praying not to face her.

In the end, most breathed a sigh of relief—except those unlucky enough to be matched against Duan Nanzhou, who were destined to cry. Such bad luck.

During the women’s team event, Duan Nanzhou shouldered the main burden, first pairing with Sun Yingsha in doubles, then playing singles. Whichever the format, she left opponents and their coaches in despair.

One could tell by the opposing coach covering his eyes and refusing to watch that the results were inevitable. After this Olympics, studying Duan Nanzhou’s playstyle would surely become a focus for national table tennis teams worldwide.

Unsurprisingly, the Chinese team swept every gold medal in table tennis, with the national anthem echoing endlessly in the Japanese arena.

After over ten days of continuous competition, the athletes were understandably exhausted, especially given the less than ideal living and dining conditions and the relentless daily matches.

Hence, shortly after the conclusion of the games, the Chinese team packed up and headed home.

However, this Olympics was fruitful for many. For example, Duan Nanzhou met numerous athletes, some even approaching her with photos for autographs or phones for selfies.

Off the court, athletes were generally friendly and open, but since Duan Nanzhou had brought some to tears during matches, she faced a “massive reprimand” afterward:

Opposing coaches arrived with their young female athletes, muttering complaints. Their serious demeanor made Liu Guoliang and Li Sun nervous—had Duan Nanzhou caused trouble? Were they coming to settle scores?

But the coaches explained that Duan Nanzhou had beaten their athletes into a state of “introversion.” They dreamed of her matches, crying from the pressure, and now wanted some sort of explanation.

Their request was simple: could Duan Nanzhou kindly offer a few words of encouragement to their athletes? Perhaps even a hug? Because they admired and respected her deeply.

What could have turned into an international dispute left Duan Nanzhou speechless and incredulous.

Liu Guoliang and Li Sun beside her relaxed: “As long as it’s nothing serious.”

In the end, Duan Nanzhou did hug the young athletes and even gave them her signature candy. Their faces lit up instantly, and they eagerly asked to exchange contact info for future communication.

The coaching staff observing nearby teased her: “You’re quite the charmer, aren’t you?”

Sun Yingsha exclaimed, “What! My candy isn’t unique anymore?”—pouting.

Her boyfriend Wang Chuqin was the most jealous: his girlfriend was handing out the special candy he had prepared to many others?

From then on, Duan Nanzhou began a spree of winning the hearts of female table tennis players. Whenever people talked about her, their eyes sparkled with admiration—she was just too strong, too lovable!

Sun Yingsha responded: “Step aside, she’s mine!”

Wang Chuqin, in a frenzy: “My candy got stolen? But it was clearly mine!”

…

On the way home, the Chinese team attracted much attention and filming. Wang Chuqin found it impossible to get close to his girlfriend.

Only after boarding the plane could he finally sit beside Duan Nanzhou and begin a series of affectionate gestures: squeezing hands, comparing hand sizes, intertwining fingers, stroking her head, pinching her cheeks, and more.

Knowing Wang Chuqin had been unable to talk to her much these days due to circumstances, Duan Nanzhou tolerated his pesky antics. After all, once back home, they would each stay alone in their hotel rooms for many days—long stretches apart.

However, Duan Nanzhou was exhausted and wished to rest, but Wang Chuqin’s “harassment” made quiet impossible. She gently tapped his hand to hush him.

Before he could start complaining, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him slightly down, and leaned into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder to nap.

Wang Chuqin’s sulky mood melted instantly at her sweet gestures. For most of the flight, he dared not move, wanting to ensure his girlfriend slept comfortably.

The small Chinese team, coaches, and staff nearby watched, thinking: “They should be used to this by now, but why are they still so clingy?”

Upon landing, Duan Nanzhou awoke to find her boyfriend frozen in place beside her. Only he could do something so silly—remaining motionless the entire time. She immediately gave his hand a squeeze and added a few rare affectionate gestures.

Wang Chuqin laughed so hard his eyes nearly disappeared. How could he not be falling deeper in love with his Zhou Zhou?

At that moment, Wang Chuqin forgot the reality of not seeing each other for weeks, lost in the sweetness of his girlfriend.

…

Stuck in their hotel rooms with nothing to do, the small Chinese team looked for ways to entertain themselves:

Live streams and chatting, interacting with fans, shooting short videos for fun, documenting a day in the life of athletes at the hotel, and so on.

They sought amusement wherever possible, and netizens eagerly anticipated their antics.

Due to the Olympics’ postponement, Japan as host, quarantine restrictions, table tennis sweeping all gold medals, social media promotion, and internet accessibility, table tennis became a major Olympic highlight. Many people followed and took interest in the athletes’ lives and competitions.

Most of the eight athletes on the Chinese Olympic table tennis squad had short video accounts, gaining followers during this time, except for a few notable exceptions like Fan Zhendong and Duan Nanzhou.

Consequently, netizens who couldn’t find their accounts left comments on teammates’ videos, hoping these two would join short video platforms to share their lives.

Unaware of this, Duan Nanzhou was resting in her hotel room when Sun Yingsha sent her a message. Opening it, she found a recent video of her boyfriend.

Since everyone knew Duan Nanzhou didn’t have a short video account, they occasionally forwarded interesting clips to her via WeChat.

However, this particular video was so cringe-worthy she couldn’t watch it all at once. She watched a bit, then paused to calm herself before continuing. If not for it being her boyfriend, she would have definitely closed it immediately, grumbling.

Sun Yingsha laughed uncontrollably and quickly forwarded the video to her best friend, insisting they save this awkward clip as a black history treasure.

That evening, during their couple’s video time, Duan Nanzhou boldly mimicked a clip from Wang Chuqin’s video. Afterward, she laughed heartily at his stiff smile and expression on the other side of the screen, teasing him mercilessly.

Wang Chuqin hadn’t minded initially but, after seeing her imitation, felt deeply embarrassed. He feigned indifference and tried to change the subject, hoping she’d drop the matter.

Wang Chuqin: “I’m going to assassinate Sun Yingsha! It must be her who sent this to Zhou Zhou to mock me!”

Sun Yingsha: “Bring it on, I’m not scared! Zhou Zhou will totally protect me!”

Duan Nanzhou: “I don’t see this, thank you very much!”