Chapter 61 Canada’s Defeat

Compared to the free skate, the short program is merely a test of a skater’s fundamental skills. The entire program lasts less than three minutes and contains seven technical elements: three jump combinations, three spins, and a step sequence. These seven densely arranged elements must be completed while also delivering a performance.

So, rather than a test of basics, the short program is more a battle of stamina.

Shuran’s original short program was built on the assumption that she was in good physical condition. Now, unwell, the biggest problem became whether she could make it through the entire program without running out of strength.

Because of her physical state, Shuran could no longer pay equal attention to artistry, but fortunately, the underlying tone of the music matched the stoic expression she wore, so no one noticed anything amiss.

Even after receiving IV fluids, a dull pain still throbbed in Shuran’s lower abdomen from time to time. The performance costume was thin, and the chill of the ice seeped through, the pain in her abdomen growing worse.

The wind rushed past her cheeks, a fine layer of sweat beading on her forehead. Three-turn into bracket step, right foot changed edge to outside mohawk.

Next, a twizzle step—her footwork unpredictable, dazzling to the eyes.

Others might not notice, but Fu Yiqing could not be deceived. Shuran’s reactions were slightly slower than usual; her Yana step sequence was shortened by a few seconds just to keep up with the music’s rhythm.

The first triple flip landed a bit unevenly, but not enough to warrant a deduction.

The triple Salchow-triple toe loop was pre-rotated; whether it was under-rotated would be left to the judges’ slow-motion review after the competition.

Finally, the triple Axel.

After several sword-dance-like twizzles, Shuran prepared for the takeoff with a bracket step. She put too much force into it. A sudden sharp pain cut through her abdomen, sweeping over her entire body.

Shuran’s nerves tensed; realizing she was about to fail the jump, she tried desperately to regain her balance on the landing.

A heavy thud.

Shuran failed, crashing hard onto the ice.

Everything hurt—her leg, her hip, her abdomen—there was nowhere that didn’t ache. For a moment she was dazed, her reaction even slower than when falling during practice.

Outside the rink, Fu Yiqing’s brows knitted tightly, his hand unconsciously clenched in worry.

The audience was alarmed, holding their breath for her, but Shuran quickly rose and continued skating.

Less than forty seconds remained. Shuran’s composure collapsed. Dragging her sick body, she was utterly incapable of completing the triple Axel.

In the end, Shuran finished her program with a spin.

She held her ending pose for over three seconds, staring into the unreachable rafters above the rink, her heart heavy with loss.

The first day’s short program ended with Shuran at the very bottom and Samantha in first place.

*

If an athlete wants the world’s sports media to recognize her, there are two ways:

1. Place among the top finishers at the Olympics.
2. Break a world record.

Shuran achieved the latter, drawing so much attention from the figure skating world that this Grand Prix Final became the focus of more scrutiny than even the current season’s world championships.

Breaking a world record meant Shuran had the strength to win Olympic gold.

But after watching her performance, some sighed in disappointment, while others breathed a sigh of relief.

—

5:13 a.m., French time.

The girl on the television screen looked dejected, her final short program score appearing at the bottom of the screen.

The man immediately turned off the TV.

Leaning against the sofa, he dialed a number. On the other end, the girl sounded as if she’d just woken up, her voice tinged with morning irritation, “Who is this?”

“Christina.”

At the sound of his voice, Christina’s eyes snapped open. “Is something wrong?”

“If you want to fall as she has, you can announce your retirement now. But I must tell you, once you retire, there’s no turning back. I hope you think it through.”

Suspicion sharpened Christina’s tone. “Like her? Coach Quentin, what do you mean?”

Quentin replied, “The kid who broke the world record—her final short program score was 50.13.”

Christina was stunned.

Although Shuran’s breakthrough in the short program had made waves in the sports world, everyone now realized her brilliance would be short-lived.

Those in other countries who had once feared Shuran’s presence could now relax.

And back home, the storm of criticism began.

A Weibo post by a user named “Ranran on Fire” quickly caught the attention of netizens.

@RanranOnFire: “As a devoted skating fan, I’ve always regretted that our country’s figure skating scene is lackluster. Thankfully, in the past two years, men’s singles and pairs have finally shown promise. Shuran’s exhibition skate last season made me her fan, and this season she broke the world record. I’m just a poor student, can’t afford to chase events live, but for Shuran, I worked part-time for half a month and borrowed money to get tickets. And this is what I got? Listless and expressionless the entire time, she fell and took a full two seconds to get up. Maybe all the praise online went to her head? I was so full of anticipation—now I’m just as disappointed. Even Zhu Hongzhe didn’t do well this time. Luckily, pairs saved the day. Don’t call me a hater—I just wish they’d do better. I’d appreciate it if athletes focused on training instead of dabbling in showbiz and neglecting their main profession.”

“I feel you. I never watch these competitions, but I set an alarm to get up early, and this is what I got?”

“Poor OP, had to pay for tickets to such a lousy performance and still owes money.”

“What’s with all of you? There’s winning and losing. Shuran broke the world record and brought honor to the country. One poor outing and you guys are attacking her? I felt for Shuran—she took a hard fall. If it were you, you wouldn’t get up in ten seconds.”

“Is this Shuran’s PR team in the comments? The blogger isn’t upset about her score but her attitude. All the praise has gone to her head. Even before she went on, she looked wilted—like she hadn’t rested. If you want to know why, check out the interview from @WorldOnIce. The editor said the interview was recorded just days before the competition. Instead of training, she was doing interviews.”

“When an athlete’s heart is no longer in competition but chasing fame, her downfall is inevitable.”

…

Online, two camps formed: one believed “competition is unpredictable, and Shuran can’t be blamed for losing,” while the other insisted “Shuran’s heart is in entertainment, not sports.”

The internet was in uproar.

Shuran herself was unaware of any of this.

Fu Yiqing crouched beside her, inspecting her foot carefully. “That fall just now was serious. Does your foot still hurt?”

With her thoughts consumed by the competition, Shuran paid no attention to such tender details and shook her head.

Fu Yiqing, worried she was hiding something, pressed her, “Are you sure your foot is really fine?”

Preoccupied, Shuran only replied, “Mm.”

She looked up to see Fu Yiqing’s lips parting, and she forced a bitter smile. “No matter what you’re going to say, I understand—GPF isn’t important, right?”

Fu Yiqing paused, then smiled faintly and pressed her shoulder. “Since you know, just rest. When tomorrow’s competition is over, come home and recover.”

Shuran nodded.

In the next day’s free skate, Shuran’s performance was not as disastrous as her short program, but the difference from other skaters was still clear.

—

The last to take the ice was Lorraine, who had ranked second in the short program. She reused last season’s program, “The Legend of 1900.” Her performance was nothing short of brilliant; one jump even received full GOE marks. Even with a repeated program, Lorraine’s artistry moved the audience, earning her the GPF championship.

In the end, Shuran, as expected, finished last.

Head bowed, Shuran walked out, only to see a pair of skates appear on the ground before her.

She looked up.

It was an old acquaintance, but the encounter was hardly friendly.

Samantha glanced at her a few times. “Your programs are getting duller. I thought you’d remember my words.”

Shuran grew impatient. “Sorry to disappoint you. But how did you do?”

“Losing to Lorraine—I accept that.” She paused, disappointment in her eyes. “I thought you’d be a skater like her.”

Shuran’s heart skipped a beat.

This defeat was devastating—she finished nearly twenty points behind fifth-place Eftinia, fueling the online frenzy about the competition.

Although the official Weibo issued a statement saying Shuran was unwell, some netizens mocked, “I saw her the day before the competition and she looked perfectly fine.”

That night, the hashtag “Women’s Singles Need 300 More Years” trended for half an hour before vanishing without a trace. This only intensified the online attacks, with many claiming Shuran had mastered the PR tricks of the entertainment industry.

Because of her illness, Shuran did not stay for the celebration banquet and returned home that night to rest.

After two days on IV fluids, the pain in her abdomen subsided, but taking care of her stomach became a priority.

Shuran could only drink porridge to recuperate.

Worried she’d overthink, Fu Yiqing called Qin Liubei, asking him to bring Xu Jingyu over to stay for a few days.

Qin Liubei was astonished. “Huh, didn’t you say before that having my girlfriend stay at your place was improper? What’s changed now?”

Fu Yiqing said nothing.

Qin Liubei sighed. “Got it. We’ll come right away.”

While Xu Jingyu packed, Qin Liubei continued, “I don’t know what the higher-ups are thinking—why not issue a statement to clarify things for Shuran? Instead, they just took down the trending topic. Isn’t that even more suspicious?”

Fu Yiqing’s voice darkened. “I was the one who took it down.”

“What?”

“I was afraid she’d see it and get upset.”

Qin Liubei immediately understood who “she” was. “But listen, shouldn’t you be helping explain that Shuran was sick, and that’s why she performed poorly? If you just take it down, the keyboard warriors will only get angrier.”

Fu Yiqing was silent for a few seconds, then said, “I promised him I wouldn’t make the details of Shuran’s illness public.”

“Who?”

“Huo Guang.”