9. Life’s journey stretches long and far, yet the white egrets are ever by my side.

It’s been said that the imperial palace and brothels are the filthiest places of all, but in Bai Haonan’s eyes, nothing in the country compares to the corruption of the football world. Not that he’d use such lofty words—he’d just call it rotten to the core. From top to bottom, inside and out, everything is tainted: officials, coaches, players, clubs—there’s not a clean one among them!

How could anything good ever come out of such pitch-black darkness? It’s like trying to play an erhu inside your pants—pure nonsense.

So at this moment, Bai Haonan felt an urge to shout with exhilaration. At last, he could leave this cesspool behind—he’d made up his mind, and that was that! He’d be damned if he let himself be stifled to death by his own indecision.

Feeling a sudden, profound relief, Bai Haonan stealthily bundled the limp, boneless girl into a taxi. Ignoring her cloying attempts to cling to his arm, and her syrupy pleas for him to stay, he firmly refused, claiming he had other matters to attend to. He turned and ran, leaving the girl—who’d been tipsy before, and was now thoroughly dazed—likely unable to recall the wild events that had transpired.

Jogging a couple of kilometers back along the street, he arrived at the curb outside the stadium. As expected, Old Chen’s inconspicuous white Polo was parked among a row of assorted cars. Bai Haonan glanced around shrewdly—the street was deathly quiet, well past two in the morning. Crouching beside the right rear wheel, his hand found the car keys tucked into the gap of the shock absorber spring.

After surviving a deadly car crash, a brawl, and a swift alleyway tryst, the alcohol in his head had been sweated out by his run. Now, clear-headed and nimble, he retrieved the keys, slipped into the car, and as he started the engine, spotted a thick leather envelope beneath the handbrake. He didn’t need to open it; just hefting its familiar size and weight told him enough. Whistling with excitement, he guessed it was at least twenty thousand yuan for his getaway—Old Chen was a real friend!

Not that he hadn’t earned it, he thought wryly.

Without turning on the headlights, he expertly eased the car into the street, only switching them on once he’d merged onto the main road, now populated only by taxis. Then he floored the accelerator, heading straight for Rongdu, the provincial capital several hundred kilometers away.

Old Chen’s daughter, Chen Sufen, was studying at a university in Rongdu. The whole team, including Old Chen himself, assumed she was Bai Haonan’s sweetheart.

But as Bai Haonan sped down the highway, he was plagued by doubts about whether he should go to her at all.

Failing to find any raucous music to keep himself awake, he flicked on the radio and randomly searched for a station. The traffic report was just covering a recent, brutal sports car accident in the city center, with at least one body found at the scene. Hearing this, Bai Haonan felt a chill deepen in his bones—he only wanted to get as far away as possible!

Fleeing in the night was indeed the right decision. The police hadn’t set up checkpoints at the major exits, and as he hit the deserted highway, the events of the night started to feel almost unreal.

But Bai Haonan knew all too well that the images seared into his mind—the insane collision, the screams, the inferno—were horrifyingly real.

There was no going back.

All he could do now was run—run as far and as fast as he could. Even visiting Sufen would be dangerous; the last thing he wanted was to drag her into this mess.

Bai Haonan at least had that much sense. The bookies had lost millions, and now one of their men was dead. In this underworld, there had to be a reckoning—a vendetta with no end. As long as they knew he was alive, everyone connected to him would be hunted down.

So, when dawn broke and he reached Rongdu, Bai Haonan didn’t go straight to Chen Sufen’s university. Instead, he found a nearby parking lot, left the car, and curled up in the backseat for a nap. Only when the city outside had woken with the clamor of morning traffic did he step out, bleary-eyed, and find a public phone to call her.

The phone rang at least ten times before a testy voice answered, “Who is it?”

Bai Haonan kept it brief: “It’s me. Did Old Chen tell you? I’m in trouble and on the run. Passing through Rongdu to see you.”

There was silence for ten seconds—maybe she was covering the receiver to find privacy—then Chen Sufen’s voice came through, hoarse and furious, barely more than a hiss: “Damn you... You damned jinx, so now you remember me, now that you’re in trouble?”

Bai Haonan listened with a silly grin as she unleashed a torrent of curses. The old lady at the phone booth could overhear the shouting and stared at him, bewildered by his silence and his easy smile.

He fanned the flames: “Do whatever you want to my mother, but just tell me—are you coming or not? Otherwise, I’ll leave.”

There was a pause, then her voice rose in fresh fury: “Damn you... Where are you? Wait there!” She sounded ready to come at him with a knife.

Bai Haonan glanced around, gave her his location, and she hung up, still fuming.

The booth lady wasn’t pleased when he paid for his call with a hundred yuan bill, muttering about him emptying her change first thing in the morning. Only when he bought some breakfast and drinks did her mood improve.

So when Chen Sufen strode out the main gate of Shudu Sports Academy, what greeted her was Bai Haonan’s beaming smile, a straw stuck in one hand’s yogurt, the other holding a tea egg and corn on the cob. “Care for a snack between classes? They’re pretty good,” he offered.

Striding truly was the word; the long legs under her denim shorts were as lithe and full of energy as a young doe’s. Even in purple foam flip-flops, she couldn’t hide her athletic grace. Her black tank top was striking, her tall, agile figure marking her unmistakably as an athlete. Her neat short hair and doll-like face were almost less eye-catching than her physique, which drew plenty of admiring and envious glances from the loiterers who hung around the sports academy just to watch pretty girls.

But seeing that tall, well-built young man approach with a fawning grin, they couldn’t help but think—those two really do make a pair of rascals!

Truth be told, Bai Haonan was no slouch himself. Years of professional training had left him with a naturally athletic build. Even with his rumpled clothes and lowered face, his broad-shouldered frame radiated an undeniable masculinity. A handsome couple, some thought, and clearly he was a seasoned charmer with all that coaxing.

The look in the tall girl’s eyes betrayed her as well. Though she had charged out in a fury, her hurried steps revealed her true feelings. Standing before him, she managed a haughty, icy tone: “Don’t think I don’t know your tricks. Don’t try that with me!” Arms crossed, her tank top only emphasized her chest.

Bai Haonan called her bluff: “Alright, alright. I’ve been washing your underwear since we were kids. No need to pretend you’ve grown up in front of me. All legs and no chest—that’s you.”

Chen Sufen bristled, hands flying away from her chest: “What did you say…?” True, she was a bit flat, but not that bad.

He fended her off with the food: “Enough. This time it’s serious—someone’s dead, and I have to run. I just came by to see you. You’d better find yourself a good man and settle down soon.”

Her bravado faded instantly, replaced by worry as she grabbed his hand. “What? What happened? You can’t go!” she pleaded, afraid he’d vanish.

Onlookers shook their heads in sympathy. The girl was like a lamb on the chopping block—life just wasn’t fair.

Such legs!