The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 1231 - 199: Who Could It Be If Not Her!

This punishment is severe! They feel that Jiao Lihong and Cai Fenfang were too foolish; with their abilities, they would surely win gold medals in the future.

"Gosh!" Xi Rongrong exclaimed, "To make it onto the national team, enduring so much hardship, once we leave, it’s uncertain if we can ever come back. Plus, being banned for two years, we can’t compete in the World Championships or the Asian Games."

"Yeah," Zhu Zhitao sighed, "Such promising talent, wasted just like this. To be honest, even though Jiao Lihong and Cai Fenfang’s results aren’t top-notch, they’re not bad either. They might not win gold, but sprinting for the silver is absolutely possible. Whether it’s a gold or a silver, as long as it’s a medal, future employment is secured."

"Indeed," Xie Feifei said, "They were too impatient, not thinking things through."

"But I feel like Jiao Lihong and Cai Fenfang, being so clever, couldn’t possibly have failed to consider this. Moreover, Director Jiao is a shrewd person; he would certainly have warned Jiao Lihong. Besides, even without a gold medal, with an uncle like Director Jiao, she can still land a good job," Liu Yihua said, unable to understand and feeling very puzzled.

He Tiantian gave Liu Yihua a glance, not expecting this girl to be so perceptive.

"Yeah, it’s a bit strange," Zhu Zhitao said, "Anyway, it’s in the past, don’t dwell on it too much. Remember, the right path is to work harder in the future. Do not consider any underhanded shortcuts."

"Got it, Coach," He Tiantian took the lead in responding, feeling no sympathy at all for Jiao Lihong and Cai Fenfang.

Those two were downright malicious, always scheming against others.

Now it’s their turn to taste being framed by someone else.

While meetings were ongoing in the team, two young women sat face to face in a small teahouse outside.

Their faces were filled with resentment; they were Jiao Lihong and Cai Fenfang.

"Why did you frame me?" the two women said in unison.

Jiao Lihong continued, "You go first. We’re both punished now, let’s just tell the truth."

Jiao Lihong was no fool, after the incident unfolded, she had trouble sleeping, endlessly pondering who could have plotted against her. And she felt the most likely person was Cai Fenfang, since they shared a room and because she didn’t guard against her.

Cai Fenfang’s face appeared somewhat unnatural as she sighed and said, "One moment makes a Buddha, another a devil. I was just too greedy."

"Was it really you?" Jiao Lihong was agitated, "I’ve been so good to you. Why would you do this to me?"

Seeing her swimming career in ruins, Cai Fenfang no longer feared Jiao Lihong and looked her straight in the eye, saying coldly, "You call that being good to me? Summoned at whim and dismissed just as quickly, never considering my feelings, no matter the occasion. My family is just ordinary, unlike yours. If I don’t cling to you, others will bully me, so I have no choice but to keep quiet and endure. In my heart, I’ve always truly despised you!"

Jiao Lihong was taken aback, not expecting Cai Fenfang to speak like this.

In truth, she considered Cai Fenfang a good friend in her heart, and since she herself had a bad temper, which Cai Fenfang never mentioned, she thought Cai Fenfang was not petty.

"Alright then, my attitude might have been poor in the past, I’m sorry. But can you tell me why you framed me?" Jiao Lihong couldn’t understand. Merely holding a grudge couldn’t justify the framing for doping, right?

Cai Fenfang sneered, "I saw you hiding things sneakily and knew they were illicit. So I took half of it secretly and slipped it into the water He Tiantian was drinking. I originally thought He Tiantian’s drug test would come back positive, but I never would have guessed that it would be you and me who failed."

"What?" Jiao Lihong was astonished, "You just stole my medication to drug He Tiantian? You didn’t drug me?"

"We’re not in the same event, of course, I wouldn’t drug you," Cai Fenfang stated, "Even though I despise you, I would not take such a risk."

"Then why did you drug He Tiantian? And why use my medication?" Jiao Lihong quickly asked, "How come Coach Wu and Doctor Li suddenly came to check on me?"

"Heh!" Cai Fenfang chuckled, "You’ve guessed it already, why make me repeat it? But why did my drug test come back positive? Why was the drug in my system almost the same as yours? Did you drug me?"

Jiao Lihong shook her head, saying, "I didn’t drug you. I just wanted to drug He Tiantian. If she couldn’t compete, maybe I’d get the gold. You drugged He Tiantian with my medication, planning to use me as a pawn then?"

"You could say that," Cai Fenfang replied, "Since neither of us drugged the other, why did our drug tests come back positive?"

"It must have been somebody else drugging us," Jiao Lihong said, "Guess who it could be?"

Cai Fenfang gave a bitter smile, saying, "What does it matter who it is, now that we’ve ended up like this? After all, we intended to strike first and got struck instead. Others have given us a dose of our own medicine, what can we do? It’s just a case of being outsmarted, that’s all."

Jiao Lihong felt somewhat dazed, adding, "You also think it’s that old lady, He Tiantian?"

"Who else could it be!" Cai Fenfang said, "But we have no evidence. We can only swallow this bitter pill in silence."

Tears reddened Jiao Lihong’s eyes. With things as they were, she had nothing more to say.

Cai Fenfang felt uncomfortable inside, never anticipating it would come to this.

"Well, things are as they are, let’s part ways hereafter. Consider us strangers. I’ve treated you poorly, and you’ve harmed me. Let’s call it even," Jiao Lihong said, then walked out, wiping her tears once outside.

Cai Fenfang hung her head, tears dropping on the table.

Not only weeping for herself but also mourning the past she didn’t wish to recall.

How Jiao Lihong and Cai Fenfang fared was of no concern to He Tiantian anymore; they had received their punishment, no need for her to act further.

He Tiantian, joined by her teammates, went with their coach to appear on an interview show.

The host Zhu Hao was amazed upon seeing He Tiantian up close, who looked even prettier than he expected.

The host sat on a single armchair at the side, while the long couch across from him seated Coach Wu, Zhu Zhitao, and He Tiantian.

Because He Tiantian was attractive, the cameraman couldn’t help but focus on her.

"Teacher He, could you tell us why, as an athlete, everyone from the coaches to the athletes, even the janitors, refer to you as ’Teacher He’?" Zhu Hao asked with a smile, knowing the answer from his research, but wanting to let the guest tell it herself for the interview.

He Tiantian chuckled and replied, "Hehe, actually there are two reasons. First, because I used to be a teacher; and second, because I’m relatively old, even two years older than our Coach Zhu here. The other athletes are all young men and women in their twenties. Calling me by name seemed a bit embarrassing, so they started calling me Teacher He."