Chapter Seventy: Fleeing in Panic

Shu Ran composed herself, though she still seemed a bit skeptical. “How can you be sure these are river shrimp and not seafood?”

Fu Yiqing couldn’t help but laugh. “Because it says so on the packaging.”

“Hmm—” Shu Ran lowered her head, picked up a shrimp, and popped it into her mouth.

Her eyes lit up. “It tastes great!”

A faint smile played on Fu Yiqing’s lips.

Shu Ran reached for another shrimp, only to notice Fu Yiqing’s elegant hand was already peeling one.

She didn’t like to get her hands dirty, so she preferred to chew a little longer rather than peel the shrimp herself.

As she spat out a shrimp shell and turned her head, she found another shrimp in her bowl—this time, the meat had been peeled.

“?”

Meeting Shu Ran’s questioning gaze, Fu Yiqing said, “The doctor said you need to take in more protein these days.”

“Oh.” What she really wanted to ask was, why was he peeling them for her?

Shrimp after shrimp disappeared, and Fu Yiqing never picked up his chopsticks, only lowering his head to peel more, his expression so earnest it was as if he were engaged in something of the utmost importance.

Finally, Shu Ran couldn’t hold back. “Coach Fu, you should eat some too.”

“The shrimp was cooked especially for you. I’m not hungry.”

Shu Ran fell silent, quietly accepting Fu Yiqing’s VIP treatment.

After dinner, Fu Yiqing put the dishes in the dishwasher and watched TV with Shu Ran for a while before urging her to go to her room and rest.

Shu Ran glanced at the time—it wasn’t even eight o’clock yet. “I’m not sleepy.”

Fu Yiqing paused for a moment, a hint of a smile in his gentle eyes. “But I am.”

Only then did Shu Ran notice the red veins in his eyes and the clear fatigue on his face. She hurried to hook her arms around his neck, signaling that he could carry her upstairs.

And the scene froze at that very moment.

Once again, Fu Yiqing was stunned by her action. When he finally came to himself, he tugged at his lips in a tired smile.

Shu Ran suddenly realized what she had just done.

It was just that Fu Yiqing had carried her so often these past few days that she’d grown used to every subtle motion, every fleeting expression, could even anticipate from a single word that the next would be, “I’ll carry you.”

She’d thought she’d gotten used to not blushing, but now, because of Fu Yiqing’s lazy smile, her cheeks burned as if on fire.

Just as she was about to withdraw her arm, Fu Yiqing encircled it once more.

“I can only sleep soundly after you’ve gone to bed.”

“Oh.”

As she was carried up the stairs, step by step, dangling in the air, Shu Ran asked softly, “Coach—”

“Hmm?”

“Am I heavy?”

Fu Yiqing didn’t answer at once. Looking down at the woman in his arms, he smiled, “You’re only asking now? You’re awfully slow, I’ve been carrying you for quite a while.”

“Oh.” Shu Ran shrank her neck.

“We’re here.”

Shu Ran’s left foot touched the ground, and when she looked up, she found Fu Yiqing had brought her to the bathroom.

“Aunt Zhang said you’re due for a bath tonight.”

It was winter, and with her injured foot, Shu Ran only bathed every other day. The last time she’d bathed was the night before last.

Just that one sentence made her blush even harder.

“It’s fine if I skip tonight.”

Fu Yiqing replied, “Aunt Zhang won’t be back until the day after tomorrow. Are you going to skip tomorrow too?”

Shu Ran braced herself. “It’s all right. I’m not going anywhere; I just lie in bed all day.”

With a swish, a shower curtain descended between them, separating their two worlds.

Fu Yiqing’s voice came from outside the curtain. “I’ll steady you. Once you’ve undressed, just sit down.”

Shu Ran stared at the curtain, racking her brain but unable to recall ever having this curtain in her bathroom.

When she didn’t make any move to undress, Fu Yiqing couldn’t help pulling the curtain aside, only to see her lost in thought, staring at the cloth.

Fu Yiqing explained, “Aunt Zhang called me this afternoon, so I bought it on the way home.”

He’d anticipated the awkwardness they’d face that night and had come up with this solution to spare them both embarrassment.

Suddenly, Shu Ran felt that when it came to matters outside of figure skating, Fu Yiqing really was a man worth relying on.

With a small smile, she drew the curtain closed again.

Fu Yiqing held her hand as the sleeve of her robe slipped away, revealing a slender, pale arm that disappeared behind the mysterious veil of the curtain.

He only glanced for a moment to make sure she was steady, then quickly turned away.

The warmth in their joined hands rose swiftly, but neither knew whose warmth had infected the other.

When Shu Ran finally let go, Fu Yiqing felt an unaccountable sense of loss.

He gazed at his empty palm, his thoughts interrupted by the sound of running water.

He turned his back completely, silent, his Adam’s apple bobbing as heat surged through his veins. After a while, he caught sight of his own reflection in the mirror to his right—his cheeks flushed crimson in the patch unclouded by steam.

Behind the curtain, Shu Ran’s face was just as red, her mind a whirl of chaos.

“Shu Ran.”

The sudden call made her nearly drop the showerhead. “Ah?” Her voice wavered.

“I’ll wait outside the door. Call me if you need anything.”

Only then did the taut string in Shu Ran’s heart relax. Before she could truly breathe easy, he added, “Don’t try to stand up on your own. When you’re done, call me while you’re still sitting.”

“Okay.”

Only now did Shu Ran finally understand what Dr. He had meant when he said, “It’s not convenient for Fu Yiqing to take care of you.”

When she finished bathing, Shu Ran called out to Fu Yiqing. Their hands clasped tightly as he helped her up, and she took the bathrobe from him and wrapped herself in it.

A muffled “I’m done” was all she said before Fu Yiqing drew back the curtain.

A cloud of warm, fragrant steam rushed out, mingled with the sweet scent of body wash, lingering in the air like fruit.

Without a word or even a sidelong glance, Fu Yiqing scooped Shu Ran up in his arms, laid her on the bed, and tucked her in.

“Goodnight, Coach,” Shu Ran said.

But Fu Yiqing hurried away, tossing over his shoulder a rather perfunctory, “Goodnight, sleep early,” before leaving the room.

The door closed, shutting them off from each other.

Shu Ran wondered if her instincts were wrong, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Fu Yiqing’s retreat had been nothing short of a panicked flight.

Day by day, life went on. Even while recuperating, Shu Ran hardly had it easy—neither in her heart nor in her daily routine.

All her struggles, Fu Yiqing saw with his own eyes.

Xu Jingyu had returned to City B for a while. Taking into account both Fu Yiqing and Shu Ran’s thoughts, she had revised the martial arts elements in Shu Ran’s short program, presenting them all as dance movements instead. The difficulty had dropped considerably, but for Shu Ran, it was all for the better.

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

Today was another follow-up appointment at the hospital.

To avoid the paparazzi, Fu Yiqing chose to drive there at night.

Qin Liubei was at the wheel, with Fu Yiqing and Xu Jingyu sitting on either side of Shu Ran.

Xu Jingyu held Shu Ran’s left hand tightly, offering her warmth in the most direct way.

“Nervous?” Xu Jingyu asked.

Shu Ran shook her head, then nodded.

She shook her head so vigorously that the hair tucked behind her ear slipped loose.

Suddenly, someone took hold of her hair and tucked it back behind her ear, fingertips brushing her ear. “There’s nothing to be nervous about. Even in the worst case, you’ll just have to wait for the next Winter Olympics.”

Shu Ran pressed her lips together. That really did sound like the worst case—she didn’t want to wait another five years.

The car drove straight into the hospital’s underground garage.

Fu Yiqing got out first.

As Shu Ran prepared to get out, a hand appeared in her field of vision.

The lighting in the garage was poor. Overhead, the fluorescent lights were too harsh, making the shadows beyond even deeper and gloomier. Fu Yiqing’s face was isolated by the light, his expression hard to read, but his voice was gentle and warm.

“Hold on.”

Shu Ran was still dazed when he suddenly bent down and lifted her out of the car.

“I can walk on my own,” Shu Ran said, arms around his neck.

Fu Yiqing was about to reply, but Qin Liubei spoke first. “Put her down. It won’t look good if the media spot us.”

Fu Yiqing’s intention had been to minimize the strain on Shu Ran’s injured right foot, but Qin Liubei had a point.

Carefully, Fu Yiqing set Shu Ran on the ground.

The three of them stuck close together, with Fu Yiqing supporting Shu Ran under her arm as they entered the elevator.

After the scans were done, the four of them went to Dr. He’s office.

Dr. He, wearing silver-rimmed glasses, examined the X-rays intently, flipping them over and over.

Everyone watched his expression carefully. As long as his brows remained furrowed, their hearts were clenched as well.

At last, Dr. He set the X-rays down, smoothing out his brow. His eyes curved in a kindly smile. “Hmm, you’ve recovered very well.”

Qin Liubei finally felt his heart return to its place, only then noticing the pain in his hand. “Ow—Xu Jingyu, why are you pinching me?”

Xu Jingyu laughed and turned to Shu Ran. “Shu Ran, congratulations!”

Shu Ran beamed; there could be no better news.

But when she turned, she saw that Fu Yiqing still wasn’t quite at ease, a shadow of worry lingering between his brows.

Shu Ran reached out. “Coach?”

“Hmm?”

She froze, realizing the hand she held was slick with sweat, its owner still smiling at her, eyes bright and clear, free of any gloom.

So it was Fu Yiqing who had been the most nervous all along.

Fu Yiqing pressed, “What’s wrong?”

Shu Ran was touched, but outwardly imitated his calm composure.

Qin Liubei pried Xu Jingyu’s mischievous hand off and rubbed his palm gently. “Xu Jingyu, even if you’re happy, you didn’t need to pinch me so hard.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“If you did it on purpose, there’d be something wrong with you!” Qin Liubei retorted.

“Hey—wait, I’m not done talking!”

Dr. He’s voice silenced everyone again, just as the clouds seemed to be parting, only for the sky to darken once more.

Dr. He said, “As I’ve said before, it’s best not to resume training. Figure skating is tough on the feet, and your injury’s only just healed. Competing now could easily cause a relapse.”

No matter how much Dr. He advised against it, Shu Ran stuck to her original decision.

Dr. He could only respect her wishes, but in the end he turned to Fu Yiqing. “Training over the next month must be especially cautious. No more than an hour of skating per day, and you need to come in for a checkup every week.”

Fu Yiqing took note of every word.

With Shu Ran’s recovery, the gloom that had hung over the villa at last dispersed.

Everyone decided it was time to have a proper meal to celebrate.