Chapter 5

Then a furry little head popped over, sounding surprised: "Oh, are you also a fan of Yu Run?"

A small group of people began to shout for refunds, as the weather in Country B was already hot, and the air conditioning inside the venue was set very low, leaving everyone sweating profusely and visibly agitated

Overwhelmed by guilt, Kong Anhuai covered his face and collapsed onto the back seat of the taxi

After hanging up the phone, Kong Anhuai clenched his palm tightly, watching as the security personnel on site gradually suppressed the noise of the crowd. The scattered photos of Yu Run, which had not yet been picked up from the ground, were worn and tattered.

Yu Run smiled at that and replied, "I will."

Kong Anhuai does not have much understanding of rock climbing. Initially, it was due to Yu Ze's influence, as he would deliberately avoid mentioning extreme sports when discussing sports on television or in newspapers.

Kong Anhuai's slender eyes flickered; she was very familiar with this kind of metaphorical tone, reminiscent of an abandoned stray dog. Each time, she knew that there was an element of pretense, yet she would unconsciously step into the trap every single time

Miss Li was still holding onto Kong Anhuai's hand, feeling that Kong Anhuai, like herself, had sweaty palms when Yu Run made his entrance

Kong Anhuai lowered his head and entered the name Yu Run into the search engine. After a moment's thought, he added a club to the end of the name

Yu Run, dressed in competition attire, exudes a strong sense of aggression. He is tall and slender, with his exposed arms and thighs lacking bulging muscles and prominent veins. Instead, they exhibit a subtle firmness, with muscle fibers appearing soft and well-proportioned.

There were both cheers and boos at the scene, but Yu Run's expression remained unchanged

The sound system at the competition venue has been adjusted, and uplifting music has begun to play. The host has also tidied up their attire and re-entered the stage, skipping over the unpleasant interlude at the beginning and interrupting the conversation with Miss Li

Yu Run's fans are equally angry

Just like her current mood

Then, glancing at the chaotic scene, I calmly encouraged Yu Run: "Keep it up."

The tone has lowered a few degrees, making even ordinary words sound tinged with grievance

Kong Anhuai lowered his head, pretending to look at his phone, but he perked up his ears

Kong Anhuai steadied his mind and first reported his safety: "I have arrived and am already in my seat"

Many people specifically flew in for this event, and the tickets were bought at several times their original price on the black market. Most attendees came with a passion for rock climbing or admiration for Yu Run himself. Several young women, appearing quite youthful, were picking up scattered photos of Yu Run from the ground, crying as they collected them

Sitting two seats away from her, these two seats have remained vacant ever since the previous chaos

And Yu Run seemed to have been transformed into a beautiful woman with a snake's body, bound and waiting for a price to be offered...

... but this is really disgusting. Just look at this rock wall, it's so flashy that you can't even see where to step. Who is this meant to humiliate? The girl felt wronged and indignant

"There are reporters outside, I won't go out. Remember to come watch the match tomorrow." Yu Run sighed, ultimately not wanting to push too hard, "Although it is not a major competition, it is still your first time watching me participate in such an international event."

She has never hurt anyone like that before. Now it seems that throughout her life as a well-behaved girl, she has perhaps devoted her only rebellious phase to Yu Run. Therefore, at this moment, even if Yu Run furrows her brow slightly, she would neurotically think that this is probably a scar she has left behind.

Sigh, let's just go back to the country after watching this, there's no need to take photos on site, posting them on Weibo would be off-putting. After the more composed girl reached this conclusion, the two lost the desire to continue the conversation

Kong Anhuai furrowed his brows as he found his seat and began to call Yu Run

Thus, Miss Li believed she had found a kindred spirit, and the conversation became more abundant.

The climbing venue is also quite chaotic, with the rock walls being gaudy and extravagant, the host appearing lethargic, and the speakers occasionally emitting harsh screeches, creating an atmosphere as disordered as a circus troupe in the suburban markets of China's fourth and fifth-tier towns

The phone rang several times before it was answered, and after Yu Run said a word, there was no further sound.

Miss Li suddenly became excited, shaking Kong Anhuai's hand vigorously and exclaiming, "Oh my, you actually know him!"

The two young girls sitting behind were also fans of Yu Run, busily organizing the autographed photos they had collected, while indignantly cursing: "This club is truly disgusting; they don't even understand the principles of righteousness when business fails. What benefit does it bring to the club to create such a scene?"

A few local security guards, resembling burly men, maintained order for half a day before some spectators grudgingly entered, while others simply left. This is truly not a major competition; the organizers' gimmick is the bizarre title of competing against the soon-to-retire Yu Run.

Kong Anhuai nodded, and at that moment, she suddenly felt a surge of emotions

Miss Li, the wife of Mr. Bai.

It was that Li Darong, whose voice had changed during puberty and was often mocked for his duck-like voice, who kept cursing.

"Look at the media on site." Another girl sounded a bit calmer, her tone laced with disdain, "Tickets are so expensive, and within a minute of going on sale, all the good seats were sold out. At the same time, the black market prices skyrocketed to four or five times the original. Under the guise of Yu Run's retirement match, they are hosting a bouldering competition that Yu Run is not particularly good at, and then they pull off this stunt at the entrance. They have achieved their promotional goals and made money. Do you think the club is foolish? They will definitely squeeze out the remaining value before letting anyone go; this is not the first time they have done such a thing."

Kong Anhuai squinted his eyes, watching Yu Run as he made his entrance following the host's introduction

Miss Li tugged at her hand beside her, softly exclaiming: "So handsome"

However, with just this little understanding, she also felt that this rock climbing competition was quite unreliable

Kong Anhuai actually does not understand, but she guesses that the meaning should be that she is dissatisfied with the low difficulty of this competition. Her expression was already not very pleasant, and at this moment, her pursed lips made her look even more serious

This statement is suggestive in nature

She always feels that if she had been a bit more tactful at that time, Yu Run would not have left so decisively, and at the very least, he would not have cut off contact with Yu Ze either

Audiences who have grown weary of such promotional tactics took photos and simply tossed them on the ground or into the trash. Kong Anhuai, watching Yu Run's face being trampled underfoot, felt a pang of anger in his liver at this farcical retirement match.

Kong Anhuai's face turned red, and her gaze began to drift towards the door again

Kong Anhuai put down the phone, smiled politely, neither denying nor affirming

It was only after getting into the taxi that she realized she had completely put the matter of the elderly couple out of her mind

Her only understanding of rock climbing comes from the backpackers she meets while staying at the hostel and guesthouses. She often encounters several enthusiastic climbers, equipped with expensive gear, a bunch of equipment she cannot comprehend, and bags of magnesium powder, all of which give off a rather reckless impression

Moreover, as she sensed that he did not seem to be doing very well either, the feeling of guilt in her heart became even more intense

The impact that Yu Run, whom she had not seen for seven years, brought to her far exceeded her expectations. She herself could not comprehend the overwhelming sense of guilt that surged within her. It was also the first time she realized that deep down, she seemed to associate Yu Run's complete break with his family during that departure with the hurtful way she had rejected his attempts to contact her.

Miss Li looked left and right, then leaned close to Kong Anhuai's ear and quietly shared: "He has a wealthy friend, and according to reliable sources, Yu Run is expected to return to the country after retirement to open an outdoor club with him"

Bouldering does not require ropes; participants only need a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag to compete. After Yu Run took the stage, Kong Anhuai's eyes were fixed on him, watching him turn, maneuver, leap, and perform pull-ups, tightly pressed against the rock wall, like a mountain goat

Thus, before she softened her heart once again, she responded in a coarse voice, pushed open the hotel door without looking back, and walked out

The competition venue is not large, it is indoors, and various promotional photos are displayed at the entrance, featuring Yu Run as well as other athletes. From the moment ticket checks begin, there are people holding some plastic trinkets, asking each person entering to pay a few more yuan, claiming they are souvenirs from Yu Run's retirement match—generally, such souvenirs would be included in the ticket price if they were to be distributed at all. However, this group of people is openly standing at the ticket check area under the pretense of Yu Run's name, stating that you cannot enter unless you make a purchase. Each person entering is asked to pay a few more yuan, claiming they are souvenirs from Yu Run's retirement match—generally, such souvenirs would be included in the ticket price if they were to be distributed at all. However, this group of people is openly standing at the ticket check area under the pretense of Yu Run's name, stating that you cannot enter unless you make a purchase.

Because it is truly very handsome

Kong Anhuai shook her head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. Over the past seven years, she had not made any effort to inquire about Yu Run's news. After their reunion, she had heard that he was going to retire, yet she had not actually cared about where he would go. The sense of guilt from yesterday surged back all at once.

Miss Li does not seem to be in a particularly good mood at the moment, so she simply left her husband and sat down next to Kong Anhuai, gesturing towards the rock wall not far away: "The difficulty rating is only Redpoint 5.13c, I really don't know who this competition is meant to belittle."

Not all those who came to watch the match were fans of Yu Run. Some were unwilling to buy tickets, while others were trying to sell them at inflated prices. After a few heated exchanges, a group of people began to cause a disturbance around the ticket gate. In the midst of the chaos, Kong Anhuai entered the venue only to discover that the majority of the audience was trapped outside. The host on the makeshift stage was awkwardly scratching his head as he looked at the low attendance rate.

Yu Run is still exactly the same as he was seven years ago, doesn't that mean he really hasn't moved on

In such disarray, there are still people distributing photos of Yu Run, including signed copies, which are said to be limited editions

Yu Run's close friend is actually just that one person ... . ... On Kong Anhuai's face, a smile was maintained, but inside, emotions were already tumultuous.

If Yu Ze were to find out that Yu Run is going to do business with Ji Jianzhe, it would really lead to a fatal outcome

However, bouldering is indeed a benefit for the fans, and Yu Run rarely participates. Miss Li has an outgoing personality and is optimistic; just picturing it in her mind made her happy again. "By the way, do you know where Yu Run plans to go after retirement?"

Kong Anhuai frowned: "Ji Jianze?"