Chapter 104: An Unexpected Encounter with an Old Friend

Shuran’s hand clenched tightly, her gaze instantly dropping, a wave of indescribable tension flooding her mind.

Silence engulfed the car, gradually casting a shadow over her.

After a long pause, seeing that Yi Qing had no intention of avoiding the topic, Shuran finally spoke, “I’m afraid I can’t do it.”

Yi Qing replied, “Perhaps you should try. Don’t you still want to fulfill your dream? The bet still stands, so there’s no need to feel sorry.”

No one had anticipated the outcome of that Winter Olympics.

Samantha narrowly missed the championship, while the team’s youngest member, just seventeen-year-old Nadilova, emerged as the biggest dark horse, clinching her first Olympic gold. Haruka Chiyuan took silver, the former Winter Olympic champion settled for bronze, and Kristina came in fourth.

After the competition, Quentin reached out to Yi Qing, offering to extend the validity of their bet.

In the past, Yi Qing would never have accepted such a favor, but since the bet concerned Shuran, he agreed.

“Everything remains the same as before,” Yi Qing said, then turned to look at Shuran.

Her hand finally relaxed, and just as he thought her heart was softening, she tightened her grip on the hem of her clothes again.

“It’s different now,” she murmured.

She no longer believed she could improve, no longer had the means to win. Four years from now, she would be twenty-five, and she lacked the confidence to skate to a better result.

Nothing remains eternal.

As expected, Shuran was still the same. Yi Qing understood that their conversation was about to reach another dead end. He took a deep breath and shifted the topic, “Didn’t Xu Jingyu and the others ask you to bring something?”

Suddenly realizing, Shuran pulled out her phone and began reciting the shopping list.

Yi Qing smiled wryly and started the car engine.

At the mall, Shuran was delighted by this rare opportunity to shop casually. The foreign signage and atmosphere fascinated her; she wandered here and there, exploring.

Yi Qing’s phone rang. He glanced at Shuran, who cheerfully said, “You should take it. Don’t worry about me.”

He nodded and walked outside to answer.

On the other end, Qin Liubei asked, “How is she?”

Yi Qing replied, “She’s in a good mood today, helping Xu Jingyu pick out a bag.”

Qin Liubei said, “That’s good. Little Goldfish wanted her to feel better, so she’s been asked to help with errands. Otherwise, staying home all day in the country, she’d be sick from boredom even if she wasn’t ill.”

Yi Qing’s eyes darkened instinctively as he glanced at the people inside the store.

Because of the incident on Weibo, Shuran had become increasingly recognized. Afraid of being recognized, she chose not to leave the house and refused to return to D City. Yi Qing thought her reluctance stemmed from fear of facing the townsfolk there, who might see their disappointment or disdain.

Though most people sympathize with the weak, sympathy eventually runs out.

From Shuran’s coach’s perspective, Yi Qing naturally didn’t want her to return to D City. If she went back, regaining her place on the ice would mean convincing not only herself but also her parents.

After witnessing what happened at the Winter Olympics, Mr. and Mrs. Shu were even more reluctant for their daughter to endure such pain again.

Yi Qing’s gaze softened as it met Shuran’s gentle eyes. He smiled and continued chatting with Qin Liubei about the details of the follow-up appointment.

After Shuran finished choosing a bag for Xu Jingyu, she turned to look at the other bags.

This brand’s bags were indeed captivating, stirring excitement even in Shuran, who was usually indifferent to buying bags.

Her eyes lingered, eventually settling on a pale purple shoulder bag.

Just as she reached out, another hand beat her to it.

The other person said something in Italian, then held the bag up to the mirror for comparison.

Shuran suddenly recognized her and instinctively exclaimed in Chinese, “Rolene.”

Rolene, turning as if she understood, caught sight of Shuran and her eyes flickered with surprise before softening into a smile.

“Shuran, it’s you,” Rolene said.

Though they had only spoken a few times before, their shared profession and mutual respect bound them like old friends, and they embraced warmly.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Nor did I,” Shuran replied.

Rolene didn’t look back at the bags, paying for hers immediately. Then she enthusiastically invited Shuran to join her for a meal.

Just then, Yi Qing arrived and saw Shuran’s worried expression. “Sure,” he said.

Shuran frowned at him but said nothing.

Rolene, puzzled, looked at Yi Qing, who explained, “Mind if I come along? She’s probably hesitating because she doesn’t want to leave me behind.”

Rolene welcomed the extra company.

The three got into Yi Qing’s car and headed to an Italian restaurant Rolene recommended.

Rolene asked, “Why haven’t you competed this past year? Is your injury still not healed? Need me to introduce you to a good doctor? He treated my injury.”

Shuran’s gaze flickered uneasily as she deliberately avoided the topic. “No, my injury’s mostly healed. By the way, how are you?”

Rolene raised her eyebrows. “Life after retirement is happier than I imagined. I can binge-watch shows, go shopping, eat whatever I want.” She sighed softly. “But there are downsides.”

Shuran looked puzzled. “What downsides?”

Rolene said, “I miss the ice rink, I miss training.”

Shuran said, “Training’s tough. Isn’t it easier now?”

“Yeah,” Rolene replied. “So I’m only a bit unhappy because I can’t train. Most of the time, I enjoy retired life, but I think you’d understand—training and competing were my whole life growing up. Now with so much free time, binge-watching and shopping get boring… That’s why I envy you; you can still compete.”

Shuran could no longer hide it and sighed, “Actually…”

From the driver’s seat, Yi Qing glanced into the rearview mirror at her. She said softly, “I’m no longer skating.”

Rolene’s face showed only a fleeting surprise. Considering Shuran’s performance at the Winter Olympics and her current somber expression, Rolene had already guessed much. She quickly masked her surprise and moved on.

During the meal, Shuran casually mentioned the restaurant’s pasta was good, prompting the enthusiastic Rolene to invite her to stay at her place.

Shuran looked to Yi Qing for help, but he agreed immediately.

That visit turned into an indefinite stay.

The snow fell heavier and heavier. Overnight, a thick blanket covered the city. Flights were canceled, and public travel became difficult.

Fortunately, there was a convenience store nearby where the three bought supplies.

They spent the following days indoors at Rolene’s house, not stepping outside once.

One morning, as Rolene was about to go downstairs, she saw Shuran sitting on a wide windowsill on the second floor, just twenty centimeters above the floor, gazing out over the vast snowy landscape, lost in thought.

After a day together, the two had become friends.

Rolene quietly approached and sat beside her. “What are you looking at?”

Shuran glanced sideways, then resumed looking out. “The snow is so heavy here.”

Rolene nodded. “It hasn’t snowed this much in years. I wonder if it’s because of global warming?”

They shared a glance and smiled.

Elsewhere, Yi Qing, just waking, rounded the corner intending to head downstairs but paused upon seeing the peaceful scene by the window.

He softened his footsteps, careful not to disturb them, and quietly went downstairs.

Rolene’s smile gradually faded, her cheeks flushed from the heat.

“When I competed, every event was a struggle,” she began. “The environment wasn’t supportive, and my family couldn’t afford skating. It’s a niche sport with high fees. But I convinced my parents to pay half, and I worked part-time after training to cover the rest.”

Shuran looked at her in surprise, unaware of Rolene’s past hardships. Despite it all, Rolene’s eyes shone warmly as she spoke.

“World ranking points only count the top two Challenger Series scores, but I entered nearly every competition because I needed the money,” Rolene continued. “The better I placed, the more I earned. That’s how I kept my dream alive. Maybe that’s why I suffered that serious injury later.”

“But I don’t regret it,” she smiled brightly. “Without that, my dream might have ended long ago. So Shuran, why give up? You have advantages most don’t, including your top-tier artistry. Your coach never abandoned you. You haven’t proven yourself yet—how can you just quit? What about the you who trained tirelessly before?”

Shuran stared at her for a long time, tears welling up.

“I want to skate too, but…”

Rolene frowned. “What’s holding you back?”

Shuran said, “I can’t win anymore. The doctor said I might never improve. How can an athlete who can’t progress win?”

“Win?”

Rolene’s puzzled expression struck a chord deep inside Shuran, stirring emotions barely restrained.

“No,” Rolene shook her head. “You’re wrong, Shuran. Winning might drive some to compete, but your original reason wasn’t that.”

Shuran was stunned.

Rolene placed a hand gently on her shoulder and whispered, “Didn’t you start figure skating because you loved it?”

Rolene’s clear, sincere eyes filled Shuran with shame.

Her heart shattered completely.