As soon as the second half began, Chen Yang immediately sensed something was amiss. First, the school team's tactics had changed; only number 7 was left in the attacking third, while captain Hu Tian had been pulled back to defend. Keep in mind, the score was currently tied! Logically, the school team should have intensified their attack to try and regain the lead! Secondly, Chen Yang clearly felt the opponent's defensive pressure on him had increased. Whenever he received the ball, at least two players would surround him to block him, and their defensive actions were very aggressive, sometimes even targeting the player rather than the ball.
When things are out of the ordinary, something is amiss.
While Chen Yang was still pondering the reasons, Huang Qunfei in the backfield passed the ball to him again. Chen Yang's skillful footwork and exceptional awareness displayed in the first half had gradually made his teammates dependent on him; after receiving the ball, they would almost instinctively pass it to him.
It was a half-high ball. Chen Yang skillfully chested it down. As the ball fell halfway, Chen Yang stretched out his right foot to guide it forward when he suddenly heard a whooshing sound behind him and the screech of a body scraping against the grass.
Oh no!
Chen Yang suddenly became alert.
At this moment, the ball was completely under Chen Yang's control. The opponent's aggressive sliding tackle from behind was clearly aimed at Chen Yang.
But it was too late to dodge. Chen Yang could only twist his body with all his might, trying to avoid the tackle with his supporting foot. In a flash, a loud "thump" was heard, and Chen Yang felt a sharp pain in his calf. Then, he and the ball were tackled to the ground.
"Ah!"
The sudden turn of events caused Su He in the stands to cry out in surprise. She covered her mouth with both hands, her face pale, watching Chen Yang writhe in pain on the field, her eyes filled with worry.
"Beep!" Coach Lu quickly stopped the game and immediately issued a yellow card to Shen Tu Fan for his tackle.
Upon seeing Chen Yang's situation, Cao Xiao immediately protested, rushing forward and pointing at Shen Tu Fan, shouting:
"You son of a bitch! That tackle was too malicious! I think you did it on purpose, trying to get rid of Third Brother because of his good footwork!"
After saying that, Cao Xiao loudly protested to the referee:
"Coach Lu, that kind of foul should be a straight red card! A tackle from behind, and a malicious one at that!"
Shen Tu Fan shrugged innocently, a sly smile playing on his lips, and said:
"Don't make false accusations! I was just trying to..." "He was tackling! Who told him to stupidly stick his foot out like that?"
Hu Tian stepped forward and said,
"Kid, what are you saying? That's a legitimate collision, okay? Who can guarantee they won't get injured when playing football? It's just an accident! You can only blame his poor physical condition!"
"Yeah! Kid! If you're afraid of getting injured, just stay home and play house, don't come out here and embarrass yourself!"
"A bunch of country bumpkins, can't even play football but still spouting nonsense!"
The school team members chimed in, adding their sarcastic remarks.
"Damn it!" Cao Xiao's eyes turned red, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to rush forward. Han Song quickly grabbed Cao Xiao, saying,
"Fourth brother! Don't be impulsive, check on third brother first!"
Cao Xiao immediately came to his senses: Chen Yang was still lying on the grass! He forgot all about arguing with Hu Tian and the others, rushing to Chen Yang's side and squatting down to ask with concern, "Third Brother, how are you?"
"Third Brother, are you alright?" Han Song also squatted down, helping Chen Yang sit up and asking.
Chen Yang felt a burning pain in his left calf. He moved slightly, immediately gasping in pain. Carefully pulling up his sweatpants, he saw three shocking bloody scratches on his calf, clearly from being cut by shoe spikes. The superficial wounds were secondary; Chen Yang clearly felt he couldn't put weight on his left leg, fearing a bone or tendon injury.
Fortunately, Chen Yang had managed to avoid a serious ankle injury at the last moment, otherwise, he might have suffered a severe ankle injury or even a lifelong disability. Thinking about this, Chen Yang felt a wave of fear.
Chen Yang rubbed his left leg, frowning as he said,
"Boss, Fourth Brother, I might not be able to play anymore. My left leg is too weak..."
Han Song's face immediately showed worry, but he quickly forced a smile and said,
"It's okay, you go off the field and rest. Da Liu and the others brought a friend, who's going to be our substitute!"
Cao Xiao, however, was furious, pointing at Chen Yang's calf and shouting to the referee,
"Teacher Lu, look at this wound! It's clearly from a tackle aimed at someone. Does a tackle involve showing studs?"
Shen Tu Fan had also heard Chen Yang and the others' conversation. He exchanged a glance with Hu Tian, and a hint of joy appeared in their eyes. Hearing Cao Xiao still relentlessly arguing with the referee, Shen Tu Fan feigned innocence, saying,
"I was going so fast, I just couldn't stop for a second..."
Hu Tian was even more arrogant, pointing at Cao Xiao and shouting,
"The referee has already made the call, what are you still babbling about? Don't you know how to respect the referee?!"
Teacher Lu was also in a dilemma. After all, this wasn't a professional match, and both sides were his acquaintances. If he were to issue a red card and send Shen Tu Fan off the field, it wouldn't look good. So he could only appease Cao Xiao a few times and then give Shen Tu Fan a verbal warning.
"Fourth brother, stop talking!" Chen Yang struggled to stand up on one leg and said, "I'm going to rest for a bit, you guys continue the match!"
Cao Xiao and Han Song quickly helped Chen Yang, who limped, to the sidelines.
Su He had already rushed down from the stands. As soon as Chen Yang stepped off the field, she anxiously rushed over to him, asking with concern, "Chen Yang, is your leg alright?!"
Having witnessed Chen Yang being tackled by Shen Tu Fan, ball and all, flying through the air, and then writhing in pain on the field, Su He's heart had nearly jumped out of her chest.
Chen Yang struggled to sit down on the grass by the side of the field, forcing a smile, and said, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious!"
Su He squatted down beside Chen Yang. When she saw the frightening wound on his calf, tears immediately streamed down her face.
Chen Yang panicked. He clumsily wiped away Su He's tears, saying, "Silly girl, why are you crying? I'm perfectly fine! It's just a scratch, it'll be fine in a couple of days!"
Su He, her eyes red, jumped up, and without a word, ran towards the edge of Field C. "Hey! Su He, where are you going?" Chen Yang shouted, but Su He seemed not to hear him and ran out of the C field without looking back. Chen Yang wanted to chase after her, but looking at his injured leg, he gave up helplessly.
What on earth is this girl up to?
Chen Yang was extremely puzzled.
After the game restarted, the situation on the field immediately changed dramatically. Luo Ziqiang, who replaced Chen Yang, had mediocre skills, and with Chen Yang's threat gone, the school team's offense became unrestrained again. With this shift in momentum, Han Song and his teammates appeared stretched thin and struggling.
Chen Yang frowned. This couldn't go on. Pure defense, following the opponent's rhythm, was extremely exhausting, and even the best defense could have a lapse. Han Song, Cao Xiao, and the others were all holding their breath because of Chen Yang's injury. They might be able to hold on for a while with that anger, but it would cause problems in the long run.
Sure enough, only five minutes after Chen Yang left the field, Hu Tian scored again for the school team, making the score 2-1.
Twelve minutes later, the school team's number 7 scored again.
3-1!
Seeing Cao Xiao's increasingly grim expression on the field, Chen Yang's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. This couldn't go on; defeat was inevitable!
Chen Yang carefully moved his left leg again, the stinging pain still intense. After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yang gritted his teeth and gently pressed on his left calf.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through him, and Chen Yang groaned. Beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, but a hint of joy appeared on his face. His examination revealed that although the injury to his leg was very painful, it hadn't broken any bones.
Chen Yang quickly massaged the injured area. His technique was quite unique; anyone knowledgeable in Traditional Chinese Medicine would be astonished, as the bruises and swelling on his calf visibly subsided with each rapid movement of his fingers.
Simultaneously, Chen Yang consciously stimulated several specific acupoints to reduce his sensitivity to pain. This was similar to receiving a pain-relieving injection, which is actually detrimental to recovery; it only alleviates the pain, while the injury remains. However, given the urgency of the situation, Chen Yang had no other choice.
Two or three minutes later, Chen Yang tried to stand up and slowly walked a few steps on the grass. The effect was decent; although he still felt a stinging pain when exerting force, he was barely able to compete.
"Chen Yang, what are you doing? Sit down!" Su He appeared breathlessly in front of him as Chen Yang was moving his calf. Su He carried a small bag, her breathing still uneven, perhaps from running all the way; her alluring chest rose and fell slightly, and beads of sweat clung to her face.
Without a word, Su He pulled Chen Yang to sit down on the grass again, then opened the plastic bag and carefully took out various items: iodine, cotton swabs, gauze, tape…
Su He wiped her sweat, tidied her disheveled hair, and began cleaning Chen Yang's wound with cotton swabs and iodine. She carefully applied the iodine to the wound with the cotton swabs, her movements gentle, as if afraid of causing Chen Yang pain.
Chen Yang stared blankly at Su He. A few beads of sweat still clung to the tip of her nose, glistening in the afternoon sun. She gently bit her lower lip, her expression focused, radiating a holy glow in the sunlight.
Su He felt Chen Yang's gaze, looked up, smiled sweetly, and said,
"Just bear with it! It won't hurt for long!"
Chen Yang's heart fluttered. He grabbed Su He's hand, looked into her eyes, and said softly,
"Su He, you're so good to me..."