Chapter Two World Champion

Shu Ran ended up staying. There were several reasons for this, but the most important was that Fu Yiqing refused to let her go.

When she returned to the dormitory, Shu Ran ran into Jiang Wanru, who knew Shu Ran had decided to leave the team. Upon seeing her, Jiang Wanru greeted her, “Shu Ran, are you here to collect your things? I’ll help you.”

There were only three women in the adult singles division of the national team. Liang Yue had always looked down on Shu Ran, but Jiang Wanru was quite friendly.

However, the recent events were so bewildering that Shu Ran truly didn’t know how to explain why she was staying.

“No need,” Shu Ran replied vaguely. “I’m not leaving the team anymore.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know myself.”

Shu Ran was telling the truth, but Jiang Wanru thought she was just reluctant to give up figure skating. She patted Shu Ran on the shoulder and comforted her, “Staying means you’ll always have a chance. Honestly, we’ve trained for more than ten years; it really would be a shame to give up now.”

Fu Yiqing said he had something to attend to and told her to go to the rink first.

When Shu Ran arrived, she found several girls from the youth group already training on their ice. They were at the age to be promoted, so their training was naturally aligning with the adult division.

In sports, generations turned over rapidly—a few years’ difference was like a lifetime.

As Shu Ran changed into her skates, she thought about her future, uncertain and adrift like duckweed.

“Shu Ran, didn’t you quit the team?” one girl asked in surprise.

Another girl’s eyes widened. “Don’t get us wrong, we didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… Sister Liang Yue said you were leaving.”

Shu Ran used to share a dorm with Liang Yue, but after Liang Yue took a dislike to her, she moved in with Jiang Wanru, who was always kind and perhaps tried to mediate when she heard Shu Ran was leaving—only for Liang Yue to spread the news everywhere.

The matter had already gotten out, and Shu Ran didn’t know how to explain.

She racked her brain for an excuse, but then footsteps approached.

“Shu Ran won’t leave the team! Because… she’ll become world champion.”

That voice…

Even though she’d only met him once, Shu Ran recognized it instantly.

So even someone with a flawless appearance could sound terribly melodramatic saying such things.

Not only the younger girls, but even Jiang Wanru and Liang Yue were stunned by his words and turned to look at the source.

At that moment, everyone’s heartbeat quickened.

The man exuded an unapproachable, aloof air. He was strikingly handsome, tall, and lean. Only his fair skin softened the coldness in his face, but the black shirt he wore outlined him in such a way that he seemed even more distant. His fringe curled up over his forehead, his eyes deep and black—one could only see the darkness on the surface, but who could say whether there was light at the end of that abyss?

Before anyone could recover from the conviction in his words, his looks had already left them speechless.

It was Liang Yue who first snapped out of the spell. Leaning on the rail, she couldn’t help but laugh, “World champion? Sorry, let me laugh for a moment.”

Faced with her doubt, Fu Yiqing didn’t respond, only looked at Shu Ran with an expressionless face, as if waiting for her to fight back.

Liang Yue teased, “World champion, world champion, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Her voice was laced with mockery, each note a needle in Shu Ran’s heart.

Jiang Wanru couldn’t watch any longer. “Enough, Liang Yue, that’s too much this time.”

“Too much? I’m doing this for her sake, so she won’t embarrass herself abroad one day. The ridicule she’ll face then will be far harsher than mine!”

“Who said I was leaving?” Shu Ran’s voice was gentle but her tone was different from usual.

She stood up, fully laced into her skates, and met Liang Yue’s gaze head-on, unflinching. “I’m not leaving the team.”

Liang Yue faltered under her stare; her eyes held not resolve, but the struggle of someone in a difficult spot. “So what, are you challenging me now? Planning to beat me?”

“I won’t do that.” As the others fell silent, Shu Ran added, “Because you’re not the world champion.”

Her words landed like a depth charge—there was a brief illusion of calm, then a shockwave.

To become world champion, one must defeat the world champion. As for Liang Yue, she’d only just made it to the free skate; not being a champion herself, she wasn’t even worth defeating.

The darkness in the only man’s eyes faded a little, light dancing there. At the corner of his mouth, a barely perceptible smile appeared.

Before anyone could process it, the usually silent Fu Yiqing finally spoke. “Shu Ran, come with me.”

He walked out, Shu Ran following at first, then overtaking him in her haste to leave the rink.

The others watched her departing figure, lost in thought.

Shu Ran was always gentle and quiet, rarely speaking much, but she would lend a helping hand when needed. So, despite being a bit soft, many of the younger skaters liked her.

She seldom responded directly to Liang Yue’s constant jabs, but this time, everyone felt something in her had changed.

Liang Yue, stung to the core, glared after her until she vanished from view, then skated furiously to the center of the ice.

The younger girls came to their senses. “Liang Yue really went too far this time.”

“I agree,” another chimed in, “but… that line Shu Ran just dropped was so cool!”

“I thought so too! I’m going to write it down and use it on my rivals someday.”

Her friends teased, “World champion?”

“Come on, who doesn’t want to be world champion if you’re on the national team?”

As the girls started chattering again, Jiang Wanru’s gaze finally focused, and she smiled gently. “Alright, enough playing around. If the coach comes and sees this, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Yes, Sister Wanru.”

Watching them glide onto the ice, Jiang Wanru felt as if the scene overlapped with memories from years past.

Shu Ran really had changed—or perhaps, she’d simply become the Shu Ran she once was.

The girls’ words lingered in her ears.

—Who doesn’t want to be world champion?

Seeing Shu Ran walking away faster and faster, Fu Yiqing called out to her a few times. When she didn’t respond, he hurried to catch up and block her path.

Shu Ran was fuming. “Just who said I wanted to be world champion?! Why am I still here if not because you forced me?”

“But you sounded so confident with those girls just now.”

She lowered her head, feeling guilty, and frowned. “They know better than anyone what I’m capable of.”

“You’re not much of a threat right now, but if you follow my training plan, it’s only a matter of time before you impress them.”

Shu Ran stared at him, stunned, then sighed. “Coach Fu, just let me leave. It’s not that I haven’t tried, but all my effort has only brought me this far. Wouldn’t it be better to focus on the younger skaters with more potential?”

Fu Yiqing didn’t answer right away. He was silent for a moment before saying, “You really want to leave the team?”

She nodded.

“It’s not impossible. But… there’s a condition. If you meet it, I’ll approve your resignation.”

*

It was the weekend, and the mall was bustling inside and out.

Shu Ran couldn’t understand why Fu Yiqing had brought her there, or what the condition had to do with a shopping mall.

Could it be… he planned to go on a crazy shopping spree and make her foot the bill?

Terrifying—if that was the case, she’d have to call her father for help.

As they passed a dessert shop, through the glass Shu Ran saw girls chatting happily as they enjoyed their treats, and she felt a longing stir inside her.

For years, to maintain her figure and weight for skating, she could count on one hand the times she’d had dessert.

Just as she was pondering what life would be like after quitting, Fu Yiqing patted her. “Go on.”

She was distracted. “What?”

Following his gaze, she saw an ice rink.

Fu Yiqing said calmly, “If you can skate your short program on this ice, I’ll approve your resignation.”

Shu Ran couldn’t believe her ears. The condition was too simple. From Fu Yiqing’s previous behavior, she’d thought he’d never let her go easily, but now the requirement was so straightforward she doubted herself.

“Really?”

“Remember, I never repeat myself. Now, change into your skates and get on the ice.”

Shu Ran entered the rink as quickly as possible, glancing toward the exit, but didn’t see Fu Yiqing anywhere.

She frowned slightly, wondering when she should begin.

It was a public rink—the first time she’d ever skated with so many people. She watched her surroundings, trying to figure out how best to use the space.

Then several staff members stepped out, dividing the rink into two sections. Shu Ran had one side to herself and started to warm up.

“Ready?” Fu Yiqing’s voice came over the loudspeaker. Shu Ran stretched, settling into position.

The music for her short program began.

Golden notes swept into her ears, gentle music cascading, serene and beautiful, evoking a sense of tranquil years.

The music was a medley of pure instrumentals from the film “Secret.” It began softly, then, as the film’s plot turned, grew warmer—then suddenly sorrowful, tense when the truth was revealed, and finally accelerated toward the end.

Because the music was so delicate, her steps were equally graceful.

In the past, when Shu Ran skated, she’d focus on nailing each move, always thinking ahead to the next.

But this time, she wasn’t anxious or preoccupied.

Because this was her last time skating as a national team singles skater. In the future, she’d be just an ordinary person.

So, at the very least, let her final memory end beautifully.

As the golden notes flowed through her heart, her restless spirit suddenly calmed.

The gentle music, combined with her captivating performance, quickly drew the attention of passersby. Some guests on the other side of the rink were annoyed at first that Shu Ran had the large space to herself, but, seeing her extraordinary skill, they soon gathered by the divider to watch her up close.

The light, bittersweet music tugged at every emotion. The bright smile that had lit up Shu Ran’s face faded into a tranquil, melancholy expression as her arms moved in soft arcs, hands and feet flowing like water.

Two clean double jumps—she was like a sprite on ice, leaping into and landing in the hearts of everyone watching, leaving an indelible mark.

Jumps, footwork, spins.

More and more people stopped to watch. Shu Ran could even hear the cheers of onlookers outside the rink, an unfamiliar warmth rising within her.

As the music softened into stillness, Shu Ran finished her final performance with a Biellmann spin.

She struck her final pose. The music stopped. So did her figure.

Shu Ran’s eyes filled with tears.

Everyone was stunned by her performance. For a moment, the crowd was silent; then, as the girl on the ice glided toward the edge, they broke into thunderous applause.

One clap led to another.

The applause was deafening.

It felt as if all her years of training had been acknowledged in that moment.

She didn’t skate off, but stopped, and, like a competitor in a real event, bowed toward every direction, thanking her audience.