It is only because I love you that I indulge you.

Bai Haonan did not disappoint Qiao Yingna.

He didn’t delay for a moment; by the time Qiao Yingna came out, she already saw Bai Haonan warmly chatting and arm-in-arm with that locally well-known music instructor outside the training hall. The instructor, kindly and affable, urged Qiao Yingna to train well in the coming days, so as not to let her second uncle’s painstaking efforts go to waste.

Qiao Yingna had to muster all her mental strength just to shake his hand—it felt as if she were grasping a lump of filth.

Smiling, she bade farewell and got into the car, then shared her feelings with Bai Haonan: “I’ve had my share of affectionate interactions with customers at bars, but none of it ever felt as dirty as just now.”

Bai Haonan dropped his earlier frivolous grin and sneered, “I win women over with my own abilities. Even in nightclubs, at least people tip for attention. But him? He just bullies people with his little bit of power. Of course it feels disgusting. But don’t take it to heart—small fry like him are easy to deal with.”

Qiao Yingna asked cautiously at last, “How did you deal with him?”

Bai Haonan answered breezily, “I’ve been here so many times, I’ve dated a few airline stewardesses. They all know who’s on the market and who’s taking jobs. So, without a word, I called three girls over to keep him company, all pretending to be pure and innocent. After a lively exchange and sharing of numbers, do you think he enjoyed it? Their looks and figures are no worse than yours.”

Qiao Yingna wasn’t offended, “Of course, any one of them is taller than me... But why three?”

That sly, wicked smile returned to Bai Haonan’s face: “A threesome, of course. The extra one was just a backup in case he got greedy. Turns out I overestimated him. He’s only good for a bit of sneaky abuse of power. Hmph, I ended up saving one for my own midnight snack.”

After all he had done for her, Qiao Yingna could only shake her head helplessly, “Can’t you ever let me think well of you? Are you so afraid I’ll cling to you? How much did it cost? I’ll pay you back.”

Bai Haonan boasted, “Did I even have to pay?!”

Qiao Yingna tried to be gentle, “But the room, the drinks, the wining and dining—those must have cost something?”

Bai Haonan grinned shamelessly, “Didn’t I say I paid in kind?”

Qiao Yingna turned serious, “Either you settle down and be my real boyfriend—I’d sing every day to support you if you wanted. Or don’t even think about touching me. I know you don’t need me, but I really don’t want our relationship to be that sort anymore.”

The man driving muttered, “Forget it, so stingy.”

Qiao Yingna made one last attempt, gently placing her hand over his on the wheel, “Really, Haonan, I know you’re a good man, just not grown up yet. Some things you haven’t figured out. I don’t even know how to say it, but either I keep spoiling you like a child forever, or you really need to change. No one can live their whole life just on luck and clever tricks.”

Bai Haonan frowned, “That’s exactly why I don’t want to get tied down. Old Chen nagged me for twenty years, and Chen Sufen, that old woman, wants to keep nagging. You’ve only known me two months, and already, anyone who halfway gets along with me wants to put a leash on me. Isn’t that annoying?!”

The girl beside him gripped his hand tighter, leaning back in the seat, gazing at his strong profile: “Those who love you, all hope you’ll grow up—not just as a person, but truly mature in the ways of the world... I’m still just a college student myself, immature, not sure how to advise you. But I think Wang Quanfeng is mature, and so are most of those senior teammates of yours—successful elites. Leading them is a chance for you to learn from them...”

Bai Haonan cut her off impatiently, “Go, go, go! If you think they’re so mature, go be with them! Don’t waste your breath on an illiterate like me...” He tried to gesture for emphasis, but on the highway could only raise his right hand. Qiao Yingna still hadn’t let go, so his momentum faltered. “Please, I didn’t ask you for money, or your body, so why say all this nonsense!”

Qiao Yingna fell silent, and her bright eyes shone with a hint of tears.

She turned away, and never spoke of it again.

After settling the matter with the competition judge, Bai Haonan’s debut was even earlier than Qiao Yingna’s.

The Seventh Chengdu Medical and Health System Football Tournament had begun. Dozens of hospital and institution teams were divided into eight groups. In this knockout format, doctors and staff would need to play only seven or eight matches to determine the winner. Despite their numbers, the First Affiliated Hospital had never made it past the group stage, as once they reached the top sixteen, the military hospitals, sports medicine hospitals, and those with football traditions always locked down the top eight spots. The First Affiliated Hospital had never advanced further.

But this year, both the First and the ragtag Second Affiliated teams seemed ambitious. According to Wang Quanfeng, on the eve of the tournament, he couldn’t sleep. This industry elite, calm in the face of major surgeries and academic presentations, lay awake half the night, restless over an amateur football game.

And as he said this, the others all agreed.

There were no locker rooms and no tactical boards—just a group of high-level medical professionals sitting on the steps by the field at the medical university, faces flushed with excitement and nerves, like teenagers. Many had competed in school and professional tournaments before, and in the past half month they’d played a dozen friendly matches with every wild team they could find. But today felt different, a fierce energy bottled up inside.

Bai Haonan understood completely. “This excitement is normal, but it’s also burning through your energy. If you play with this much adrenaline, you’ll be winded in ten minutes. Stamina is like a tank of gas—you only have so much, and once it’s gone, that’s it. So no matter how strong or weak the opponent, stick to the tactics we practiced, and follow the timing I laid out. If you don’t want to be sent home in disgrace after all the money you spent hiring me, remember one thing: I’m the professional. Remember everything I say!”

The team captain was already explaining how enzymes affect human hormones, but this discussion finally helped calm their nerves. Then Bai Haonan stood at the sideline, having each player walk past him as he issued simple, direct instructions: “Within five meters, go all out; beyond that, let it go...” “Sprint for ten meters, then pass immediately, don’t wait...”

Such straightforward advice was reminiscent of the way Old Chen used to lead the team—Bai Haonan always held that example in his mind.

There were no home or away games; in the group stage, everyone played each other. Most hospitals didn’t have football fields, so the university’s pitch was one of the main venues. Now, the stands were packed with medical students. School had been in session for a month, and even the freshmen knew the staff team took over the field every afternoon for practice. Other students never complained, content to play on the track or just watch. Now came the chance to see their senior brothers perform, including the legendary “glasses-wearing football god” Bai Haonan, and so many top students from various disciplines—no wonder even the girls turned out in force, drums and all.

Thus began Bai Haonan’s first official match as coach.