25 Wang Chuqin

The Asian Games table tennis tournament officially commenced. The team events were first on the schedule, with the men’s and women’s squads from the Chinese national team taking the stage. The atmosphere was exceptionally lively, with the venue packed with volunteers, staff, and spectators. The background music played in the arena was particularly inspired.

Whenever she approached a major competition, Duan Nanzhou would adopt her signature "cool girl" persona. Throughout the matches, she would barely crack a smile, leading those unfamiliar with her to wonder why she was acting so arrogant or pretentious. However, everyone on the national team was used to it; they knew that whenever Duan Nanzhou entered this state, she was unstoppable, decimating her opponents without mercy. The team actually looked forward to seeing this version of her, provided she didn’t direct that intensity toward them.

Before the matches even officially began, Duan Nanzhou had already trended on social media due to her striking appearance. Many viewers had become fans during the Tokyo Olympics but had lost track of table tennis in the year or two since. Seeing her again, they felt she had become even more beautiful—hardly looking like a table tennis player at all. Many new fans were drawn in by her cool demeanor and beauty, prompting them to dive into her past matches.

In doing so, they noticed that in seven or eight out of every ten videos, a certain figure would appear: Wang Chuqin. Consequently, many fans began to ship them as a couple. At this stage, however, the public’s impression of Wang Chuqin was not yet profound; aside from noticing his "king oyster mushroom" hairstyle, they didn't think much of him.

Once the matches officially started, Duan Nanzhou, the "B-king" (a slang term for someone who exudes an air of cool dominance) of the women's team, continued to crush her international opponents as usual, to the point where they felt miserable the moment they saw they were paired against her. On the men's side, Wang Chuqin stepped up, showcasing his own "B-king" aura throughout his matches. That distinctive intensity drew many people’s attention to him.

Unlike Duan Nanzhou, whose cool persona was consistent in both skill and demeanor, Wang Chuqin exhibited a stark contrast between his "B-king" aura on court and the vibe of a "silly son of a landlord" off court. This contrast amused the audience. During the Asian Games, Wang Chuqin contributed numerous memes and funny videos—such as the "silly guy putting on pants" in the arena, or hiding behind "Brother Long" (Ma Long) to avoid interviews alongside "Little Fatty" (Fan Zhendong).

This humorous, handsome athlete successfully stood out among the sea of muscular swimmers at the Asian Games, winning over countless fans. As more people recognized him, they began to see him as a match for Duan Nanzhou. More "shipper" fans joined the fray, scouring every video for proof that the two were dating. When Wang Chuqin saw this while surfing the web, he grinned from ear to ear; he desperately wanted to shout to those fans that, yes, they were indeed dating!

These sweet videos momentarily made Wang Chuqin forget the online mockery regarding his mushroom hairstyle—until Duan Nanzhou changed her WeChat profile picture to the meme of him struggling with his pants. Wang Chuqin’s smile froze.

"Baby, how could you!" Wang Chuqin immediately video-called his girlfriend to protest. How could his dear girlfriend rub salt in his wounds?

"It's so cute, hahahaha..." Duan Nanzhou had stumbled upon the screenshot by chance and changed her profile picture without a second thought. It really did look silly and adorable.

"Tou-tou, I like it so much!" Duan Nanzhou sincerely promised.

Knowing he couldn't change her mind, Wang Chuqin changed his own profile picture to a beautiful photo of Duan Nanzhou, creating a matching set. "That makes them couple profile pictures!" thought Wang "Big Head" Chuqin, nodding with self-satisfied intelligence.

***

Then came the mixed doubles.

This time, the coaching staff did not split up Duan Nanzhou and Wang Chuqin. Their combination possessed a level of tacit understanding and stability that other pairings lacked, so the coaches were quite confident in them for major tournaments. Ever since Wang Chuqin realized he could team up with his girlfriend for mixed doubles at the Asian Games, he had been incredibly satisfied, feeling that the coaching staff had finally done something right!

Duan Nanzhou and Wang Chuqin’s mixed doubles performance was invincible from the start, driving their opponents to the brink of collapse. On court, the two were remarkably relaxed; their intimacy and chemistry left both opponents and spectators suspicious of their relationship. They seemed like more than just partners, yet not quite officially a couple—a truly confusing dynamic.

Wang Chuqin thought: *I’m acting like this, how is it still ambiguous? Do I need to write "Duan Nanzhou’s boyfriend" on my face?*

On court, both were cold and professional, but their off-court interactions were far more relaxed and affectionate. Many fans dubbed them "The Young Lady and Her Doting Husband." Wang Chuqin’s attentiveness off court was particularly hard to ignore; he would fetch her water, fold her towels, and always hand her the ball so she wouldn't have to pick it up herself. When it came time for interviews, a single glance from Duan Nanzhou was enough for Wang Chuqin to obediently take the microphone and answer, a stark contrast to his previous habit of hiding behind Ma Long.

Ma Long: *Why am I the one getting hurt again?*

The blatant nature of their behavior during these Asian Games led many suspicious international athletes and coaches to approach them, either to ask if they were a couple or to gossip directly to their faces. After receiving confirmation, they would walk away satisfied, only to engage in further hushed discussions behind their backs.

The biggest winners were the "shipper" fans. They refused to believe they weren't a couple after seeing all this—it was already obvious! They were so deeply invested in the romance that they couldn't pull themselves away.

However, due to the high level of scrutiny, the coaching staff privately warned Wang Chuqin to be careful. They noted that it wasn't the right time to go public and that he should be more discreet in public to avoid harming their careers. If one asked why only Wang Chuqin was warned, his "lovestruck" brain was the answer. Duan Nanzhou remained more calm and rational, which was the only reason she was able to suppress Wang Chuqin’s restless heart; otherwise, their relationship would have leaked long ago.

The scolded Wang "Big Head" agreed with outward obedience, but the moment the coach turned his back, he made a face. He then obediently switched from being openly affectionate to being sneaky about it.

Coaching Staff: *These two are so troublesome!*

By the time the mixed doubles final arrived, the arena was playing the classic song "Only Have Feelings for You." Because Wang Chuqin had previously mentioned on social media that he loved this song, and fans had received the same answer when asking Duan Nanzhou what she was listening to, the fans now called it their "love battle anthem." When the song played in the arena, the crowd's cheers nearly drowned out the venue; it was clear the spectators knew the context.

The moment the music started, Wang Chuqin looked at his girlfriend with a sweet smile, but under the warning glare from her, he quickly turned his head and wiped the smile off his face. The speed of his reaction was captured and replayed by netizens in short clips, with comments like "If there's nothing going on here, I’m a ghost" flooding the section.

To Wang Chuqin, this was their love song. He had even set their duet of it as his ringtone, which everyone around him knew. As for Duan Nanzhou’s ringtone, it was a song Wang Chuqin had sung with friends, containing the lyrics: "Whispering in my dreams, a gentle breeze arises; how could my longing be confined to a few words? Dreams or reality, you are everywhere." This, too, was public knowledge within the national team—a blatant display of affection.

It was fair to say Wang Chuqin was completely lovestruck, but Duan Nanzhou was also very doting toward her boyfriend; even as rational as she was, she had become somewhat lovestruck herself.

At that moment, in the mixed doubles final, it was an internal battle. Duan Nanzhou looked at her good friend Sun Yingsha across the net, while Wang Chuqin looked at his good brother Lin Gaoyuan. The four of them just stared at each other, completely lacking the tension of a final. The coaching staff had long since vanished to the spectator seats to watch the show, leaving only the four of them on the court.

The "Mooncake" duo (Sun Yingsha and Lin Gaoyuan) felt a massive headache looking at the couple across the net. They weren't afraid of anything else, but these two had such tacit chemistry that they were practically flawless. Furthermore, Duan Nanzhou acted as an unofficial consultant for the national team’s coaching staff; she knew everyone’s habits and often predicted their moves. Being her teammate was a joy, but meeting her as an opponent was the most painful thing imaginable.

As the referee signaled the start, the "Mooncake" siblings began an agonizing match, their "masks of pain" never slipping once.

***

When the match ended, Sun Yingsha rushed over and threw herself into Duan Nanzhou’s arms for comfort. After being hugged, patted, and having her hair ruffled with sweet words, she finally brightened up and walked off the court chatting excitedly with her good friend "Zhouzhou."

The "Mop" brothers (Wang Chuqin and Lin Gaoyuan) standing nearby exchanged a glance. What about them? Were they just going to be left behind?

When Sun Yingsha first lunged into Duan Nanzhou’s arms, both men were stunned. Wang Chuqin looked bitterly at Sun Yingsha, who was free to hug his girlfriend, while Lin Gaoyuan was a bit bewildered, especially with the crowd's teasing cheers, wondering if he should give Wang Chuqin a hug too.

However, the "Mop" brothers were both quite disgusted by each other, so they resisted and kept a further distance. When Duan Nanzhou and Sun Yingsha left them behind, the two were dumbfounded and hurriedly packed their gear to follow.

During the interview, the two were once again subjected to the same fate, forced to answer questions. Duan Nanzhou and Sun Yingsha didn't escape either, answering questions like what they had been talking about—whether it was a post-match analysis.

The four national team players all had question marks written on their faces.

"We were just talking about what to eat later," the foodie Sun Yingsha answered, true to her reputation.

Duan Nanzhou thought, *She couldn't possibly be that dedicated, could she? What kind of impression do I have on everyone that they think I'd be doing a post-match review right now?*

Veteran Reporter: *Duan Nanzhou has always been a workaholic; isn't that her style?*

But now, reporters no longer dared to ask why they were so close after playing each other. They had tried several times before and were shut down. Sun Yingsha, as the number one protector of her good friend, had given those reporters looks that suggested she wanted to "slay" them, which had made them quite afraid.

At the end of the interview, the reporters dug a pit, fueled by their own gossip and that of the audience.

"So, Dage (Big Head) and Nanzhou have won the gold medal in mixed doubles. Any thoughts? And what kind of person do you think Nanzhou is?"

Reporters who had interviewed her before usually avoided asking her direct questions because Duan Nanzhou’s answers were always official and watertight. She was emotionally intelligent, but it left the reporters with no gossip to work with.

Wang Chuqin was different. When it came to questions about Duan Nanzhou, he tended to let things slip. Although he tried to cover his tracks, it only left people imagining more.

Sure enough, the "leaky sieve" almost blurted out "Baby" but caught himself in time, changing it to "Zhouzhou," followed by endless praise and talk of their chemistry.

Beside them, Lin Gaoyuan and Sun Yingsha’s pupils widened at the word "Baby." They tilted their heads to sneak a look at Wang Chuqin, then at the extremely calm Duan Nanzhou beside him, and immediately tried to feign indifference. Unfortunately, sharp-eyed viewers had already caught their reactions, which only further confirmed that Duan Nanzhou and Wang Chuqin’s relationship was anything but ordinary.

Most of the national team called Duan Nanzhou "Nanzhou" or "Sister Duan." Only a few close friends on the women’s team, like Sun Yingsha and Wang Manyu, called her "Zhouzhou." If Wang Chuqin called her that immediately, didn't that say it all?

After that, the reporters and the audience listened as Wang Chuqin spent five minutes non-stop praising Duan Nanzhou. Everyone fell silent. *This isn't just a leaky sieve anymore! Is this really the "socially anxious" Wang Chuqin who couldn't even say a word behind Captain Long?*

However, everyone looked at the incredibly calm Duan Nanzhou. *Is she used to this? It seems like no matter what shocking thing Wang Chuqin says, she has no reaction.*

Duan Nanzhou: *Well, of course. When your boyfriend is a big-mouth, you have to have a strong heart.*

Wang Chuqin: *Did I say too much? I didn't reveal anything, right?*

The rest of the national team and the coaching staff: ... (Silence)