Chapter Sixty: Her Persistence

Talking with Fu Yiqing always brought a sense of comfort. Perhaps it was because they had chatted for so long that Shu Ran ended up sleeping from four in the afternoon until ten at night.

When Shu Ran woke, she was still groggy. The room was dim, so quiet she could hear the rustle of the blankets. Memories from yesterday flooded her mind, and she quickly slipped out of bed and hurried to the bathroom.

With a click, the bathroom lights illuminated the mirror and brightened her vision. In the glass, a girl with pale skin and a frail appearance stared back; only faint red spots dotted her face. These marks could easily be concealed with a touch of concealer.

Relief washed over Shu Ran. The weight in her chest eased, and she returned to bed. Perhaps it was her discomfort that made it easy for her to drift back into sleep.

Around midnight, Shu Ran awoke again. Her stomach churned violently, and she curled up under the covers, seeking warmth. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, soaking her nightdress, which clung to her skin. Occasionally, when air from outside the blanket slipped in, goosebumps prickled her skin, intensifying the pain in her abdomen.

Shu Ran understood clearly—this wasn’t just a chill, but a sign of digestive distress.

Over the next hour, she visited the bathroom twice more. Finally, she wrapped her abdomen in layer upon layer of blankets. Although lying down was uncomfortable, her condition gradually improved.

By three in the morning, she couldn’t sleep any longer. She groped for her phone and dialed a number.

The call was answered after just three rings.

“On my way,” Fu Yiqing’s voice was still tinged with sleep, yet oddly calm.

Moments later, her bedroom door was knocked upon. “I’m coming in,” he announced.

Turning on the light, Fu Yiqing approached and saw Shu Ran, drenched in sweat and pale-faced.

Pain showed plainly on her features. “My stomach hurts. I’ve been to the bathroom four times already.”

Fu Yiqing’s brow furrowed. He sat beside her, feeling her forehead for fever. Finding none, he relaxed a little. “I’ll call Dr. Liu.”

Dr. Liu, their family physician, suggested they come to his clinic for a check-up after hearing Fu Yiqing’s description.

Time was of the essence for Shu Ran. The hospital opened a fast-track for them, and within half an hour, all the test results were ready.

Dr. Liu looked at the blood report, his expression puzzled. “Her diarrhea doesn’t seem to be due to a seafood allergy.”

Fu Yiqing’s face darkened.

Dr. Liu looked up. “Besides crab, what else did she eat yesterday?”

Apart from the crab, Shu Ran had only eaten familiar foods. The problem must have been with the crab.

Dr. Liu’s expression grew serious. “The crab may not have been clean. She has mild acute gastroenteritis; she needs an IV to reduce inflammation, otherwise her stomach will continue to hurt.”

Fu Yiqing replied, “Alright, I’ll follow your instructions…”

“How long will the IV take?” Shu Ran asked urgently. “How many days?”

Dr. Liu answered, “About two hours each time, for two days.”

Shu Ran looked up at Fu Yiqing. “Coach, will I still have time to go to Vancouver after the IV?”

Fu Yiqing immediately understood her meaning. “You still want to compete?”

Shu Ran hesitated. “Aren’t I supposed to?”

Fu Yiqing fell silent.

Dr. Liu, aware of Shu Ran’s situation, couldn’t help but interject, “Wait, are you still planning to compete? Your health isn’t good right now; you’d be at a disadvantage. Why not recover completely first?”

Shu Ran kept her head bowed, silent. Dr. Liu sighed, “You’re still young, and right now you’re a patient. You should be resting.”

She didn’t reply.

Fu Yiqing stood by her side, his gaze never leaving her.

He knew her too well. After so much effort, finally she had a chance to stand before the world—how could she let it go so easily?

She lowered her eyes, thinking deeply, and finally spoke calmly, “Coach, I’ve competed in the Grand Prix many times, never with much success. Now that I’ve finally reached the finals, I don’t want to give up.”

Fu Yiqing said, “I understand.”

“I want to compete, even if I’m uncomfortable…” She lifted her head, and a faint light shone in her somber eyes—her dream. “Even if I’m destined to lose this time, I still want to go.”

Seeing Shu Ran’s refusal to heed his advice, Dr. Liu turned to Fu Yiqing. “Xiao Fu, talk some sense into her. Competing in this condition is reckless. If anything happens…”

Fu Yiqing interrupted, “Dr. Liu, there’s no need.”

Dr. Liu turned to Shu Ran, “That’s right—listen to your coach. He’ll never…” harm you.

“Dr. Liu, please prescribe tomorrow’s IV as well. I’ll take the drip with me and administer it on the plane.”

Dr. Liu was stunned, speechless for a moment.

“But, how can you have an IV on the plane?”

“No need to worry about that; I’ll make arrangements. Just prepare the medication and fluids, and please hurry—we need to catch a flight at six.”

As he called for preparations, Dr. Liu muttered, “This is absurd…”

The two left the clinic, and Shu Ran occasionally looked up at Fu Yiqing. “Won’t others say you’re abusing your privileges?”

Fu Yiqing’s smile was so faint it was elusive. “I only offer special treatment in special circumstances.”

Shu Ran lowered her gaze, her heartstrings resonating like musical notes surging into her chest.

Just before they exited the clinic, a sudden weight pressed onto her shoulder.

Shu Ran looked up, startled.

Fu Yiqing had removed his black coat, folding it around her, sealing her inside, warmth seeping through her body. The gentle scent of the fabric brought a sense of reassurance.

He stooped his broad shoulders and said softly, “This way you won’t catch cold,” his tone laced with subtle affection.

Underneath, Fu Yiqing wore only a black sweater, its collar low.

Shu Ran immediately noticed his exposed skin shivering. “You don’t have to; I’m not cold. You should wear it yourself.”

But Fu Yiqing quickly pulled the coat tighter, almost binding her, leaving her unable to move.

Shu Ran blinked in confusion.

Fu Yiqing held the coat’s edges, still keeping her trapped. “If you want to compete tomorrow, from this moment on, you must listen to me completely.”

Shu Ran nodded dumbly.

Outside, she felt the full force of the cold anew.

Seeing Fu Yiqing’s calm expression, Shu Ran grew suspicious. “Coach Fu, are you really not cold?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

Just as they were about to get in the car, Fu Yiqing sneezed.

Shu Ran’s gaze snapped to him like a searchlight, alert as a patrolling soldier.

Even though she said nothing, Fu Yiqing understood her look.

“I’m not cold.”

Shu Ran didn’t believe him, but with her hands pinned by the coat, she could only let him pretend.

They finally returned to the warmth of the car.

Fu Yiqing turned the key, starting the engine.

“I’ll take responsibility,” he said, his voice muffled and stubborn.

“Hmm?”

Shu Ran looked up, her eyes full of determination. “If you catch a cold, I’ll take good care of you!”

Fu Yiqing watched her for a moment, then a smile slowly curved his lips. “If you take care of yourself, I won’t have to worry about you,” he said, then turned back to drive.

At six in the morning, after contacting several parties, Fu Yiqing finally got them on the plane.

Given the need for IVs, he arranged for a nurse to accompany them.

The nurse inserted the needle for Shu Ran, then returned to her seat.

Outside the window, the sky was gray, matching Shu Ran’s mood.

As Dr. Liu had said, she was a patient—a patient competing was at a disadvantage. Even before she fell ill, Shu Ran hadn’t felt confident about this competition, much less now.

“If you had little confidence to begin with, then treat this as an opportunity to gain experience.”

Shu Ran turned to look at him.

Fu Yiqing’s gaze was gentle, and suddenly, Shu Ran felt at ease.

The long-awaited Grand Prix Final finally began.

Word had it that many Chinese fans had bought tickets just to watch the Chinese team live, and Shu Ran was among them.

Zhu Hongzhe had been brooding over Fu Yiqing’s remarks from the other day, and even head coach Huo Guang was concerned about Shu Ran’s condition.

“Shu Ran didn’t attend the opening ceremony yesterday. Is she really not coming to compete?” Wu Xinchen, aware of Shu Ran’s situation, couldn’t help but worry.

Shen Yu said, “Since there’s been no official withdrawal announcement, it means she will compete. Otherwise, without a proper reason, Shu Ran would only attract criticism.”

Wu Xinchen replied, “If that’s the case… wait, isn’t that Shu Ran?”

Zhu Hongzhe, who had been absent-minded, suddenly looked up and indeed saw Fu Yiqing, shielding Shu Ran closely.

She looked unwell and listless.

Zhu Hongzhe was about to call her name, but remembering Fu Yiqing’s words, he held his tongue.

Unexpectedly, Wu Xinchen called out first, “Shu Ran!”

But Shu Ran, distracted, didn’t hear. Instead, Fu Yiqing noticed them first, his gaze cold and unyielding.

Wu Xinchen shrank back, not daring to call again.

The two walked away before them.

Wu Xinchen sighed, “Looks like Shu Ran is fine. By the way, why didn’t you call her? Her coach is good-looking, but too hard to approach. I didn’t dare call her.”

Zhu Hongzhe replied, “As long as she’s okay.”

Except for ice dance, the Chinese team only had one competitor per event.

The men’s short program was first; Zhu Hongzhe, off his game, placed third.

Next came the women’s short program.

After six minutes of warm-up, Shu Ran entered the rink.

Fu Yiqing waited by the exit. “Can you still hold on?”

With the medication, Shu Ran had fewer trips to the bathroom, but her stomach still ached intermittently.

“Yes.”

“If you can’t, stop immediately. I’ve said this many times before—normally, you can push through, but today you must remember, the Grand Prix Final isn’t important. Understand?”

Fu Yiqing’s expression was serious, even tense.

Shu Ran nodded firmly. “Understood.”

Yet even with her relaxed mindset, the challenges she faced extended beyond her own condition.

There was also the matter of the program itself.

When the Chinese-inspired music from "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" sounded from the speakers, Fu Yiqing murmured, in a tone only Qin Liubei and he could hear, “The tempo is too fast.”