Chapter Fifty-One: As It Should Be

@Old Fu ice liked a comment in the thread.

“Folks in the comments, I urge you to face reality. Even if Old Fu has an old soul, he’s still incredibly handsome!”

Shu Ran’s lips twitched.

Nowadays, there were countless imitation accounts. Besides, the little fans on her Weibo were quite amusing; it wasn’t out of the question for fans to register with the same username.

So she didn’t take it to heart.

Her attention quickly drifted to several new followers.

Among them were Chen Lecheng, Wu Xincheng, and Shen Yu.

These three were already considered national treasures of the figure skating team. Now, all of them had followed Shu Ran, which clearly indicated their good relationship. Yet, what puzzled everyone even more was that Zhu Hongzhe, who often hung out with this group, wasn’t among them.

She still remembered how, just last year, the five of them had made pottery together at a pottery studio. So why had Zhu Hongzhe fallen behind and not followed her?

Naturally, the media began speculating wildly.

Netizens claimed the media were reading too much into things, but Shu Ran couldn’t help but admire the media’s sensitivity.

Although Zhu Hongzhe had spoken on her behalf in the conference room that day, if Liang Yue hadn’t started the conversation, Zhu Hongzhe probably wouldn’t have greeted her at all.

No matter how she mulled it over, she couldn’t figure out how she had offended Zhu Hongzhe.

This wave of attention caused the skating fans to focus particularly on Shu Ran’s upcoming Grand Prix event in America.

Half a month later, at the US leg, Shu Ran made several errors in her free skate. Fortunately, the judges’ GOE didn’t drop into the negatives. Since many other competitors also made mistakes—some even more severe—Shu Ran managed to stay in the top three, taking second place at the American Grand Prix.

Kristina registered for the Japan and Canada events.

Historically, these two legs had been tougher than the US event, but this year, many skaters signed up for the Russian Grand Prix, which would serve as the main venue for the next Winter Olympics. Kristina didn’t sign up for the Russian event for two possible reasons:

First, she was confident in herself and figured she could always experience the Russian venue during next year’s Grand Prix.

Second, her coach Quentin might have wanted to avoid a head-to-head battle with her at this stage.

Whichever the reason, it wasn’t good news for Shu Ran.

But as Fu Yiqing had said, in the end, skating was about the athlete’s own strength. All she could do now was train diligently.

Once the online situation was resolved, Shu Ran moved back into the dormitory.

On the day she returned, Aunt Zhang helped her unpack, tears brimming in her eyes as she worked. “Seeing you reminds me of my little granddaughter. She’s only two years younger than you, just as quiet, but unlike you, she’s just an ordinary girl. You’re already a skating prodigy...”

Aunt Zhang sighed as she finished with the suitcase. “There now. I hear from Mr. Fu that this year’s competitions are crucial for you—you’ll probably be away for a long time. I wish you the best of luck, but above all, take care of your health.”

Shu Ran nodded.

Ever since Shu Ran had begun living there, Aunt Zhang had always been kind and warm toward her.

From birth, Shu Ran had lived with her grandparents. Her parents had left to start their business and seldom returned home. Later, when she stumbled upon skating at age five, she finally stopped asking when her parents would visit.

After dabbling in skating intermittently for half a year, her parents finally brought her home, but the family lived together for less than a year before Shu Ran devoted herself to figure skating.

In her childhood memories, aside from skating, only her grandparents remained.

So whenever she saw Aunt Zhang, it was as if she saw her own grandparents, and she was filled with gratitude and longing.

Shu Ran opened her arms, and Aunt Zhang, understanding her intent, embraced her.

“Aunt Zhang, I’ll come back to visit you.”

“All right, all right. Take good care of yourself out there, understand?”

Shu Ran nodded firmly.

Then Shu Ran went to knock on Fu Yiqing’s study door. She knocked for a long while without response, but she heard movement from the room next door.

Soon, the door to Fu Yiqing’s bedroom opened.

Fu Yiqing appeared. “What is it?”

When Shu Ran turned to look at him, her eyes were red, which made Fu Yiqing stop in his tracks, stunned.

His gaze deepened. “Why are you crying?” There was a gentleness in his voice, even he didn’t notice.

Thinking of how she had just mistaken Aunt Zhang for her grandmother and burst into tears, Shu Ran felt her cheeks grow hot. She quickly wiped her eyes. “I’m not crying—I just washed my face.”

Fu Yiqing’s voice grew quieter, but he didn’t expose her lie. “All right.”

He glanced at the suitcase she’d left at his door. “All packed?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll just grab a jacket.” Fu Yiqing returned to his room, put on a coat, and said, “All right, I’ll drive you to the dorm.”

Long after Shu Ran got out of the car, Fu Yiqing sat motionless, not starting the engine. Every time he remembered the sight of Shu Ran standing before him with reddened eyes, an overwhelming tenderness filled his heart.

He picked up his phone and dialed Qin Liubei’s number. For a long time, he said nothing.

Qin Liubei sounded exasperated. “Hey, man, if you have something to say, just say it. You know I’m signing a house purchase contract today?”

“She cried.”

“What?”

“Shu Ran cried.”

“Why?” Qin Liubei’s tone softened. “Did you upset her? Weren’t you just taking her back to the team today?”

He sighed. “Ah—she probably can’t bear to part with you.”

“She can’t bear to part with me?” Fu Yiqing’s gaze grew serious. “I understand now.”

“What do you understand?”

“I’m moving in here, too.”

Qin Liubei sucked in a sharp breath on the other end. “Old Fu, are you out of your mind? You always hated dorm life.”

Fu Yiqing’s tone was very calm. “I’ll apply for a single room.”

Given Fu Yiqing’s quirks, there was no way he could endure the dorm beds, nor the risk of being disturbed.

Qin Liubei began to enumerate the drawbacks. “The dorm beds aren’t nearly as soft as the one at your place. You really think you can handle it?”

Fu Yiqing frowned slightly.

He was very particular about beds—if they weren’t soft enough, he couldn’t sleep.

“And—the soundproofing isn’t great. If you stay long-term, you’ll probably have trouble sleeping.”

Fu Yiqing was a light sleeper; the slightest noise would wake him.

“And more importantly...”

Listening to all this, Fu Yiqing’s expression grew darker, but his eyes remained resolute. “All right. After you sign the contract, come by. We have to do data tests for Shu Ran this afternoon.”

He hung up.

Staring at “Fu Yiqing” in his call log, Qin Liubei muttered, “Is he listening to me, or not?”

When Huo Guang heard that Fu Yiqing was applying for dorm accommodation, he was so astonished that he personally expedited the approval for a single room and led Fu Yiqing to move in.

“Chairman Fu, Shu Ran’s progress is all thanks to you.”

Fu Yiqing replied, “She’s my student. It’s only right.”

Huo Guang grinned from ear to ear. “I shouldn’t have been so formal; we’re like family here.”

In the end, Fu Yiqing was assigned to a VIP room in the coaches’ dormitory.

Upon entering, the first thing he did was test the bed.

Huo Guang watched anxiously as Fu Yiqing frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the mattress.

“Is something wrong? Would you like another bed?” Huo Guang asked, though it was mostly out of politeness. To his surprise, Fu Yiqing actually considered it for a few seconds before saying, “I’ll try it out first.”

Huo Guang wiped the sweat from his brow and nodded, thinking it was finally settled. But then Fu Yiqing asked, “How’s the soundproofing here?”

Huo Guang, who had stayed there occasionally, nodded. “Pretty good.”

Fu Yiqing finally nodded in satisfaction. “This will do.”

Huo Guang forced a smile, thinking: This is the best room we have, after all.

Fu Yiqing didn’t show up for the morning training session, and Shu Ran felt a bit disappointed.

But she quickly adjusted her mindset and threw herself into practice.

Finally, Fu Yiqing arrived in the afternoon. Shu Ran waved to him from the ice, but he simply gestured for her to continue practicing and said, “Qin Liubei will be here at two.”

Shu Ran nodded.

In the end, all of Qin Liubei’s data tests showed Shu Ran in excellent form. As long as she maintained her current state, qualifying for the Winter Olympics wouldn’t be difficult.

Shu Ran clenched her fist, delight shining in her eyes.

After the tests, Fu Yiqing pointed out her recurring mistakes during the performance. Shu Ran took his advice to heart and returned to practice on the ice.

Qin Liubei observed Fu Yiqing quietly for a moment. “I ran into Huo Guang on my way here. He asked if I wanted to move in, too.”

Fu Yiqing glanced at him but said nothing.

Qin Liubei grinned, took a deep breath, and folded his arms. “You see, love really is powerful.”

“I didn’t call you here to talk nonsense.”

Knowing that Fu Yiqing was uncomfortable with teasing, Qin Liubei felt even more amused. “Fine, let’s talk business.”

He looked toward Shu Ran, who was still practicing, and his tone grew serious. “The Canadian Grand Prix is in three days. Whether Shu Ran has closed the gap with Kristina depends on Kristina’s performance then. Also—I’ve heard Quentin and Kristina have had a falling-out.”

Fu Yiqing looked at him, a faint smile curling on his lips. “That’s an opportunity for us.”

“True, but you were never one to take advantage of someone’s misfortune before, were you?”

Fu Yiqing replied, “Sometimes, luck is part of the game. Winning a championship takes luck, too.”

Hearing this, a trace of a smile appeared in Qin Liubei’s surprised gaze.

His eyes shifted between Fu Yiqing and Shu Ran, and his heart settled.

At last, his friend had grown up.

After dinner, they had an extra training session.

It was late, and Fu Yiqing insisted on taking Shu Ran back to her dorm, while Shu Ran urged him to go home instead.

“It’s so late, it’s not safe for you to drive back. I’ll be fine here.”

Fu Yiqing raised an eyebrow. “Then I’ll stay here, too.”

Shu Ran immediately glanced at his face, but he looked perfectly serious, not joking at all. She was left speechless.

“What?”

Was he saying what she thought he was? Her Coach Fu wanted to stay here? Where would he stay? With her?

Under the dim sky, Fu Yiqing didn’t notice how red Shu Ran’s face had become.

He continued, “Let me walk you back first.”

“Coach Fu, isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

Fu Yiqing suddenly realized what she was thinking and laughed softly. “What are you imagining? I’m living here now, too.”

“Huh?”

Realizing what he meant, Shu Ran’s cheeks grew even hotter.

She decided she’d better not stay here any longer. “Well, it’s getting late. Goodnight, Coach.”

With that, she hurried off in a panic.

Watching Shu Ran dash away, Fu Yiqing’s eyes sparkled with laughter, and as he gazed at her retreating figure, his spirits soared.