Chapter Seven: The Beautiful Coach

Since Fang Wan did not actually go to the tutoring class after leaving the others' sight, as he had told his classmates, the only place left with a hope of finding clues was the fitness center where the private elementary school held its PE classes.

After bidding farewell to the anxious Teacher Xu, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan headed straight for the fitness center. It was already close to seven in the evening, the rush hour had passed, and the gym was not far from the tutoring class, so they arrived quickly. They found the owner without difficulty and inquired about the cooperation with the elementary school where Fang Wan studied. With the owner's help, they soon met the two fitness instructors who had taught Fang Wan's class that day.

"That elementary school doesn’t even have its own gymnasium or PE teachers?" An Changpu was a little surprised.

The fitness center owner shrugged as if he’d seen it all before, grinning, "It’s about saving money! Don’t be fooled by the school title—its nature isn’t much different from my fitness center. At the end of the day, the purpose is still to make money. Hiring more teachers means paying more out of the boss’s pocket, and who wouldn’t feel the pinch? Anyway, they have a contract with us, use our space and studios, and pay extra to use our coaches. They save money, we earn more—everyone’s happy!"

"Why arrange two coaches then?" Qin Ruonan was puzzled.

"Boys and girls have separate classes; boys do ball sports, girls do body training."

After some small talk, the owner went off to attend to his business. An Changpu and Qin Ruonan sat on chairs nearby, idly watching a few early arrivals play badminton, while waiting for the instructors who had taught Fang Wan’s class.

After about twenty minutes, a medium-built woman, appearing around thirty, hurriedly pushed open the door and rushed in. Her rapid steps left her slightly out of breath. She went straight to the owner, exchanged a few words, and he pointed toward An Changpu and Qin Ruonan. The woman glanced over and immediately walked their way.

"Hello, I’m the fitness coach who taught the students PE that day. My name is Chai Xiu. I just heard from the boss. Is there anything I can help with?" She greeted them with a gentle smile tinged with faint worry between her brows, her tone soft and warm.

Chai Xiu invited them to a coach's lounge deeper inside, away from the noisy badminton courts, making conversation easier.

After sitting down, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan introduced themselves briefly and chatted casually with Chai Xiu. She was thirty-five, a resident body training coach at this center, teaching several classes from Fang Wan’s private school, and was also a popular personal trainer here.

Soon, the conversation shifted to the purpose of their visit—Fang Wan.

When asked about the boy, Chai Xiu looked a little puzzled, as if the name was unfamiliar. Qin Ruonan handed her a photo provided by Fang Da. Chai Xiu glanced at it and suddenly remembered.

"I have some impression of this boy. Though the boys have ball sports downstairs and I teach the girls body training upstairs," she pointed at the ceiling, "this kid stands out! Every time their class comes here, he and two or three other boys run upstairs, making faces outside the glass wall or sneaking in to play pranks when I’m not looking. It happens all the time!"

"Shouldn’t the boys be downstairs for ball sports? Why are they allowed upstairs to cause trouble?" An Changpu asked.

"The restroom is upstairs. I asked them why they came up, and they said it was to use the bathroom. The ball sports coach doesn’t care, and I only teach girls, so it’s not my place to interfere," Chai Xiu replied.

As they spoke, the lounge door was suddenly pushed open with force, banging against the wall and startling all three inside. A tall, muscular young man, nearly 190 centimeters, appeared at the doorway. He looked at them and spoke gruffly to Chai Xiu, "Are these two police?"

The young man’s attitude made Qin Ruonan frown, but An Changpu’s expression stayed calm. He stood up, approaching the burly, imposing youth.

"Yes, I’m An Changpu, detective from the C City Public Security Bureau’s Major Crimes Unit. We need your cooperation for an investigation. Let’s find somewhere else to talk," he said in a negotiating tone, but his actions were decisive as he walked past the young man.

The young man scowled, grabbed the door handle, and slammed the door shut.

"Don’t mind him," Chai Xiu smiled apologetically to Qin Ruonan nearly a minute after the door closed. "That’s the coach for the boys’ ball sports—our boss’s nephew. He’s not a bad guy, just has a temper. Here, he acts like the assistant boss, always throwing his weight around. Don’t take it personally."

Qin Ruonan nodded. Since An Changpu was dealing with the troublesome coach, she could continue with Chai Xiu.

"On Monday, did the boy in the photo attend class?" she asked. Though Fang Wan’s friend said he came to PE, he spoke in front of the homeroom teacher—who could be sure he wasn’t covering for his friend out of loyalty?

Chai Xiu frowned in thought, uncertain. "I think he came. I vaguely remember. That kid almost always comes upstairs during class, either playing pranks on the girls or fiddling with the gym equipment. It happens so often I can’t recall which time was which. It’d be better if your colleague asked the ball sports coach."

"Do you usually take attendance after PE class before dismissing the kids?"

Qin Ruonan’s question made Chai Xiu look embarrassed. She rubbed her hands and replied slowly, "Actually, we rarely take attendance, since the school didn’t require it. We don’t get strict about it—if the kids aren’t happy, the school might cancel our contract. The boss always says we just need to keep the kids happy, and that’s good enough."

They chatted more about their impressions of Fang Wan. From Chai Xiu’s description and the homeroom teacher’s, Fang Wan seemed to be a clever but mischievous boy, fond of playing pranks and not very well-behaved.

"I don’t teach the boys. As long as they don’t cause too much trouble, I don’t interfere. I’m afraid I can’t help you much regarding this child," Chai Xiu said apologetically to Qin Ruonan.

"What’s the name of the coach who teaches the boys? How does he interact with the students?" Qin Ruonan probed about the hot-tempered coach. In the time she’d spent with Chai Xiu, it was quiet outside, and she didn’t know where An Changpu and the young man were talking. The coach had only appeared briefly, but his presence exuded a certain hostility. Qin Ruonan trusted her intuition, and felt a vague worry for An Changpu.

She kept her concern to herself, so Chai Xiu didn’t notice. But when asked about the young man, Chai Xiu seemed wary as well. "His name is Zhang Lei. He doesn't really like kids. When the boss asked him to teach elementary students, he was furious and refused at first. Later, for some reason, he changed his mind and agreed. Besides his temper, I don’t know much about him. He’s the boss’s nephew—you’ll need to bear with him."

Qin Ruonan understood Chai Xiu’s concerns and didn’t push further. Both fell silent for a while, until Chai Xiu’s phone rang, startling her. She glanced at the caller ID and smiled shyly at Qin Ruonan. "It’s my husband. I’ll take this call."

Chai Xiu walked to the other end of the lounge to answer her husband’s call, while Qin Ruonan sat deep in thought, observing her.

Though the woman was thirty-five, her figure and features made her look barely thirty. She had a lovely oval face, fair skin, a slender, well-toned body, and an elegant air from her work in body training. With a gentle smile and soft voice speaking to her husband, she was a pleasure to behold—even to Qin Ruonan, herself a woman.

Perhaps this was the ideal image of a real woman in men’s minds: refined temperament, gentle manner, and a delicate vulnerability that easily stirred a man’s protective instincts.

Qin Ruonan felt a twinge of envy. Comparing her own style and appearance to Chai Xiu’s, the difference was so great she couldn’t feel any jealousy toward this stranger—only deep admiration.

Chai Xiu soon finished her call, turned around, and found Qin Ruonan watching her. She smiled bashfully. "Sorry, my husband was worried it’s late and not safe to walk home, so he’s coming to pick me up."

"I don’t need anything else for now. If you’re in a hurry, you can leave first," Qin Ruonan replied quickly.

Chai Xiu shook her head. "It’s fine, I’m not in a rush. He’s just left home. Your colleague isn’t back yet, and I’d be waiting for my husband anyway. I’ll keep you company."

"From your accent, you’re not a local, are you?" Qin Ruonan had long noticed Chai Xiu’s different accent, which was even more obvious when she spoke to her husband.

"Yes, I’m from H Province. I moved here because of my husband’s job," Chai Xiu’s face lit up with happiness at the mention of her husband.

Watching her, Qin Ruonan sighed inwardly. The world’s men and women were truly varied. Both around thirty-five, Chai Xiu spoke of her husband with undisguised affection, while Fang Wan’s parents were like sworn enemies.

"Coach Chai, how old is your child?" Qin Ruonan asked casually.

[It seems I forgot to thank Di Tongzi for the pink ticket earlier. Lately, Xiao Mo has been quite dizzy—please forgive me! Also, wishing everyone a happy Lantern Festival, full of sweetness and joy!]