Chapter 124: Flattered

The man had a smooth, balding forehead, hair greying at the back, and wore rimless glasses, his expression kind and gentle.

It was Yo-Yo Ma, the performer of the Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major.

He approached slowly, smiling warmly. "Hello. I’ve seen your skating videos online; they are wonderful."

Shu Ran had watched many live performance videos of Yo-Yo Ma over this period. He was always seen with that 1733 Stradivarius cello, playing with elegant movements. She had never imagined seeing him without his instrument, let alone having him stand right in front of her, greeting her with a smile.

Flattered.

That was the only word in Shu Ran’s mind.

Fu Yiqing called out softly, "Shu Ran."

Shu Ran finally snapped out of her daze and bowed stiffly. "Hello, Ma... Senior."

The man was taken aback for a moment before his smile broadened. Seeing him smile, Shu Ran felt a bit embarrassed and laughed as well.

Yo-Yo Ma and Shu Ran sat together to chat, with Fu Yiqing present in the hospital room.

The two discussed their individual interpretations of the Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, using Shu Ran’s short program as the starting point. Chatting with him was delightful, and for a moment, Shu Ran forgot about her foot injury.

After learning about her condition, he paused, his brow slightly furrowed and his gaze deepening. "Are you very worried about the Winter Olympics?"

He was direct, but that directness did not feel as heavy as Shu Ran had feared.

Shu Ran replied, "Yes."

"True art leaves a profound impression, and your performance already qualifies as a work of art," he said with a smile. "For those with talent, you will not always be lucky, but you will not always be unfortunate, either. Believe me, good luck is already waiting outside your door."

Shu Ran nodded. "I understand."

Yo-Yo Ma raised his eyebrows, glancing at Fu Yiqing beside him with a persistent twinkle in his eyes. "It seems you are much stronger than we imagined."

Seeing Fu Yiqing cough behind his hand to avoid the gaze, Shu Ran suddenly understood something.

Yo-Yo Ma continued, "My task is finished ahead of schedule, so I won't stay any longer. I have a tour performance at one o'clock. If you would like to come, just come with Barrow."

Fu Yiqing saw him out. When he returned, he was met with a pair of probing eyes.

Shu Ran said calmly, "So, how did you manage to invite Senior Ma? Are you very close?"

Fu Yiqing replied, "Not particularly."

This answer was completely unexpected. How could he invite a world-class cellist if they weren't close?

Seeing Shu Ran's confusion, Fu Yiqing began to explain. "I was afraid you were overthinking things. It just so happened that he was in City B for a tour, so I asked him to come and counsel you."

Shu Ran was curious. "So you thought he could counsel me?"

Fu Yiqing said, "He did, didn't he?"

Shu Ran did not answer immediately, then shook her head with a smile. "No."

"I told you, since I decided to return to the rink, I was prepared for all sorts of difficulties, including the recurrence of an old injury." Seeing his surprised expression, she continued, "However, my self-regulation mechanism needs time. After all, I only just found out that the treatment wasn't having much effect, right?"

The smile on Shu Ran’s lips was warm. "But you made me recover faster. Thank you, Coach."

At lunchtime, Aunt Zhang arrived with food, and Fu Yiqing went out to help her. Shu Ran remained by the window, lost in thought, and slipped back into her simulated training mode.

She was only halfway through her mental practice of the short program when she heard the door open. Expecting it to be Fu Yiqing, she was about to ask why he was back so soon, but when she turned her head, she saw an angry face—one that radiated a sense of disappointment in her lack of resolve.

"Liang Yue?"

Liang Yue walked straight up to her, her pace quickened by irritation. Within seconds, she stood over Shu Ran, glaring down at her. "Aren't you supposed to be so capable?"

Shu Ran blinked. "Huh?"

Hadn't they reconciled? Why were they back to square one?

Liang Yue was furious. "It’s just an old injury, not a broken leg. Why are you moping around? Didn't you say you wanted to win a world championship? What world champion sits by a window all day like you? If your legs won't move, can't you train your arms?"

Shu Ran said, "I think there might be a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding?" Liang Yue scoffed. "There certainly is. I thought you were full of fighting spirit, and while everyone else is running themselves ragged for you, I’ve gone to great lengths to find you a doctor, yet here you are, wallowing in despair?"

Shu Ran didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Wait, who said I was wallowing? Stop, Liang Yue. I’m waiting for my coach to bring lunch, and I’m just resting."

Liang Yue, having gone full throttle, realized she was attacking an ally. "You aren't giving up? Then why did I hear from people on the team that you’re in low spirits?"

Shu Ran shook her head helplessly. "With an injury flaring up at a time like this, who would be in high spirits?"

Liang Yue was taken aback.

When Fu Yiqing returned and saw Liang Yue, he was surprised, and even more so when he learned she was there to help.

Liang Yue said, "My grandfather is a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor. I told him about your injury, and he said acupuncture and physiotherapy might temporarily alleviate the pain. Do you want to try it?"

Shu Ran sighed. "I’ve tried traditional medicine before, but it didn't do much."

Liang Yue lifted her chin, crossed her arms, and looked at her with disdain. "Do you know how many people beg for my grandfather's acupuncture? Have you heard of Song Ziren? Plenty of Westerners who don't even believe in traditional medicine fly to China specifically to see him!"

Before Shu Ran could answer, Fu Yiqing was more eager than she was. "Song Ziren is your grandfather?"

Shu Ran wondered if he was truly that famous. She hadn't heard of him, but since Fu Yiqing knew him, it proved Liang Yue was telling the truth.

Through Liang Yue’s connection, Song Ziren came to the hospital to examine Shu Ran.

The old man was eighty-nine years old, yet his steps were steady and his eyes bright and keen; he truly carried the air of a legendary healer. Seeing him stare at the injury for a long time without saying a word, Shu Ran prepared for the worst.

Song Ziren withdrew his hand, and amidst the anxious anticipation of everyone in the room, he said only two words: "It’s treatable."

Fu Yiqing interjected, "Mr. Song, Shu Ran has to compete in the Winter Olympics in two and a half months. She needs to resume training one month before the games, so..."

Liang Yue picked up where he left off. "So, Grandpa, can you help her suppress the injury within a month and a half?"

Song Ziren raised his aged face and swept his gaze over everyone in the room. "In the next month and a half, I can provide physiotherapy to ease the pain while treating the injury. But you must understand: her injury is severe. Continuing to skate will inevitably worsen it. The rate of recovery cannot keep up with the rate of deterioration. I cannot guarantee she will be able to participate in the Winter Olympics."

"Don't worry, sir, the recovery training won't be too strenuous," Fu Yiqing assured him.

Song Ziren huffed. "It’s up to you to be careful. But since that’s the case, I’ll start the treatment. If the recovery goes well, perhaps it won't be as dire as I’ve predicted."

The addition of Song Ziren made the expert team even more formidable.

Days passed, and Shu Ran felt the pain in her injury dulling, which eased her mind. She and Fu Yiqing would occasionally receive contact information for foot injury specialists from netizens on Weibo. Even though she knew these experts likely couldn't help, Shu Ran was deeply moved by the spontaneous care of the public.

As the Winter Olympics drew closer, some netizens began to worry whether Shu Ran would be able to compete in Nagano.

The national team stated that Shu Ran’s recovery was progressing well.

For other countries, Shu Ran was a formidable rival.

As the games approached, rumors began to circulate online to undermine Shu Ran’s morale, with some attempting to manipulate public opinion to her disadvantage.

This time, however, the netizens were remarkably rational.

Everyone chose to stand by Shu Ran, silencing the marketing accounts that tried to stir up trouble. It wasn't just film stars; celebrities from the sports world, e-sports, and beyond all stood up to support her. Even Shu Ran’s former competitors joined in.

The most surprising among them was former world champion Samantha.

@Samantha: "Let the athletes decide the victory on the ice. Playing dirty tricks behind the scenes is just self-deception. To those trying to manipulate public opinion: your strength has already been affirmed by the world."

As Shu Ran’s friend, Evitignia felt that supporting her on Twitter wasn't enough, so she posted the same message on Weibo.

Then, Italian star Luolin, American skaters Jennifer and Chen Yuqi, and others all voiced their support. Even Yuzuru Kura, who rarely tweeted, broke his rule for Shu Ran.

Because of his legendary status, Yuzuru Kura had fans all over the world. Seeing their idol step up to protect Shu Ran, his fans joined the "battlefield" as well.

The Chinese netizens, however, had a different focus.

@SomeNetizen: "Can someone tell me why so many people are speaking up for Shu Ran? Aside from the celebrity bandwagoners, the fact that her peers are defending her is the most impressive part, right?"

"I’m actually a bit jealous of Shu Ran. She even got Yuzuru Kura, who never posts, to speak up for her. What kind of crowd favorite is she?!"

"The ultimate crowd favorite. Talented and a good person—the haters must be having a headache. Actually, I suspect the haters might just be fans of Shu Ran’s friends."

"Ignoring the few marketing accounts trying to stir up trouble, hasn't everyone noticed there are no haters in the comment section lately? Shu Ran—an artist of the sports world that even the haters love."

Looking at these comments, Shu Ran couldn't help but laugh.

While Shu Ran was still recovering before resuming training, Qin Liubei and Xu Jingyu held their wedding in City D.

The two had debated between holding the wedding in City B or City D. Their home was in City B, but Xu Jingyu’s family and friends were all in City D, and Qin Liubei’s family had been living abroad for years, so the location didn't matter to them. Eventually, both families decided on City D.

When she received the invitation, Shu Ran was still a bit dazed. She asked Xu Jingyu, "You’re really getting married?"

Xu Jingyu laughed uncontrollably. "I made a bet with my cousin that if I got married before 28, he’d have to give me a ten-thousand-yuan red envelope."

Shu Ran’s mind whirred. "You were planning to get married at this time all along? Looking at it that way, if I hadn't had a recurrence of my injury, I might have missed your wedding."

Xu Jingyu replied, "It was precisely because you were injured that we moved it up."

Shu Ran scratched the tip of her nose.

That sounded strange no matter how she looked at it.