The buzz surrounding the competition between Luo Qiao and Soukai lasted for a while before it finally cooled down. Since the end of the match, Soukai had disappeared from public view. As he was the one who instigated the provocation, no one stood up to say anything.
Additionally, Luo Qiao's donation of the prize money managed to silence the crowd, leaving no room for idle gossip – at least not to her face. This match was of significant importance and even boosted the morale of the Chinese students studying in Boston.
One morning when Emma arrived at the lab, she pulled Luo Qiao aside to the break room: "Did you know? Aoi was taken back, they've arranged for him to study from home."
Luo Qiao didn't speak, but she was already well aware of the outcome. If nothing went wrong, he would become a disabled person, likely unable to have a normal and ordinary life because painkillers would be his lifelong companion.