Chapter One: I Want to Quit the Team

As Shu Ran sat outside the rink putting on her skates, she heard footsteps approaching. Liang Yue and Jiang Wanru seemed to be in good spirits, humming a little tune, but as soon as their eyes landed on her, it was as if they’d spotted something filthy. The smiles on their faces froze instantly, like ice forming over water, and with a cold snort, they sat down at the far end of the bench to change their skates.

While tying her laces, Liang Yue sneered, “Some people, year after year with that pig-tail of hers, never once won a medal in the junior division, and now in the adult group, last year she went to an international competition and placed fifth from last. What a waste of a spot.”

She switched to the other foot. “If I were her, I’d have quit figure skating ages ago. Doesn’t she feel ashamed to embarrass the country like that?”

Shu Ran wanted to retort, but the words died on her lips.

Although Liang Yue’s results weren’t impressive, and hardly anyone in the international arena paid her much attention, she was still far ahead of Shu Ran. At least Liang Yue’s short program scores were good enough to qualify her for the free skate, while Shu Ran’s short program never made the cut.

What Liang Yue said was true—she really had brought shame upon her country.

Shu Ran stood up and looked deeply at Liang Yue.

Liang Yue met her gaze with arrogance, brushing past her with a mocking smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth. She took off her skate guards and glided onto the ice like a nimble swallow. Jiang Wanru, also a women’s singles skater, was already executing various moves smoothly.

Shu Ran stepped onto the ice, but her peripheral vision couldn’t help but notice the two of them. Yet neither was watching her train—her gaze drifted, and so did her thoughts.

Her parents’ words from last night still echoed in her ears.

“Ranran, it’s not that we don’t support your skating. We can afford it, but the problem is, after all these years, you haven’t won anything.”

“It’s not that we don’t believe in you. You were good at math when you were little. Everyone has their calling, and maybe figure skating isn’t yours. You’re only seventeen—there’s still time to switch. If you keep skating and end up with nothing but a body full of injuries… Kids your age are still in school. How about we find you a high school to attend?”

“At your age in sports, by twenty-three you’re already considered old. But if you take a different path, you’re still young. Don’t worry about falling behind in your studies—we’ll get you tutors. If it comes to it, we’ll send you abroad. Any road is better than being an athlete.”

Shu Ran lifted her right leg into an arabesque. The wind from her gliding swept across her face, bringing a chill.

After so many years without a single medal to prove herself, the fire in her heart had long since cooled; now it felt as if it had been frozen solid.

Her right skate blade touched the ice, and the friction brought her to a stop.

Maybe… she really should give up on her dream.

Suddenly, a round of applause broke out. Coach He Ming entered, his expression stern, his booming voice echoing through the rink. “Everyone, come out. I have an important announcement.”

The three skaters all slid off the ice. Liang Yue was the first to ask, “Coach He, what’s going on?”

“Intra-team trials.”

“Ah—”

Their surprise was understandable. The first round of team trials for the year had already finished in mid-August. The second round usually wasn’t until late December. With the first just recently completed, it was clearly not time for the second, and there had never been an extra round before.

Shu Ran thought of her decision just moments ago. After Liang Yue and Jiang Wanru left the rink, she called out to Coach He. “Coach He.”

“What is it?”

“I want to leave the team.”

He Ming looked at the quiet, gentle girl before him, feeling a mix of emotions.

In figure skating, an artistic sport, each competition consists of a short program followed by a free skate, with the combined scores determining the final result.

Both the short and free programs are scored based on technical elements and artistic presentation.

Most skaters rely on technical merit, a few on artistic impression.

But this girl before him—her technique was average, her artistry no more remarkable.

There were countless skaters just like her in the world of figure skating—her presence or absence made no difference.

But for her own life, to waste herself in this sport was truly a pity.

He Ming came to his senses and patted Shu Ran’s shoulder. “Think it over. Go do the team trials first—when the results come out in two days, give me your answer.”

Shu Ran nodded.

For the trials, all the skaters wore makeup and costumes, no different from an official competition.

There were even ISU-level judges scoring each of them.

Everyone sensed something unusual about this round of trials—only women’s singles were present, both adult and junior. The men’s singles, pairs, and ice dance skaters weren’t there.

Jiang Wanru asked the coach about it, but He Ming didn’t seem to know the reason either; he just told them to skate their best.

Looking at the thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls, Shu Ran realized that, in the world of figure skating, she was no longer young.

Seeing how seriously the authorities took this trial, Liang Yue and Jiang Wanru gave it their all.

Their performances were far better than Shu Ran’s. She felt faint-hearted, but once she stood on the ice, feeling the cold seeping up from beneath, she was suddenly reluctant to part from it.

Shu Ran thought: If that’s the case, let this be my final farewell.

She poured everything she had learned into those three minutes. In her mind, she relived her brief but intense eleven years in the world of figure skating.

Shu Ran was clear-eyed about herself. She knew her results in this trial wouldn’t be good, so she didn’t pay much attention to the scores two days later.

The results came out. Liang Yue was first, several junior girls surpassed the adult Shu Ran, but she didn’t care—she was leaving anyway.

As she packed her suitcase, she called her parents to tell them her decision to leave the team. Her parents were quite pleased and immediately offered to come pick her up in City B, but Shu Ran declined.

Her bags were packed.

There was only one step left: submitting her resignation from the team.

She first informed Coach He, then took the resignation form to the head coach’s office.

She held the form; at the very top, the bolded words “Resignation” seemed to stain her vision, leaving her eyes empty.

She had started skating at six, eleven years gone in a flash. She had entered the world of figure skating with dreams, but left with nothing but back pain.

She knocked. Head coach Huo Guang opened the door. “Come back later—Shu Ran?”

Shu Ran nodded, not understanding why the head coach was calling her name with such uncertainty.

She glanced up, and from the corner of her eye caught sight of a pair of pitch-black eyes, and half a face hidden by the coach’s slightly plump figure, sitting on the office sofa.

Realizing the coach had a guest, Shu Ran quickly said, “Coach Huo, I’ll come back later.”

“Come in, it’ll save me the trouble of looking for you.”

“Oh.”

Shu Ran went in and closed the door behind her. She heard Huo Guang say, “Mr. Fu, this is Shu Ran.”

Shu Ran turned and found herself faced with a breathtakingly handsome man—thick brows, star-like eyes, a straight nose, tightly pressed lips, and a gaze so deep it seemed to draw in one’s soul.

Her first impression was simply: so handsome. Those two words crowded out all other thoughts, flooding her mind with everything beautiful, leaving no room for reason.

He was sizing her up.

Meeting his searching gaze, Shu Ran felt a wave of pressure crash over her.

Huo Guang, seeing the two of them staring at each other, made the introduction. “Shu Ran, let me introduce you. This is Coach Fu Yiqing. From now on, he’ll be coaching you.”

Shu Ran let out a surprised “ah,” her hand trembling so that her form fluttered to the floor.

Huo Guang smiled at Shu Ran, kindly. “Oh right, was there something you wanted to talk to me about?”

Shu Ran looked from Fu Yiqing to Huo Guang, picked up the form, and handed it to Huo Guang. “Coach Huo, I’m here to submit my resignation from the team.”

Huo Guang, just about to sit down, nearly tripped. He shot a glance at Fu Yiqing, hurriedly took the form from her, and when he saw she wasn’t joking, spoke softly, “Resign? Why would you want to quit?”

“My results… aren’t good. I’m afraid if I keep going, I’ll waste my life. So, Coach Huo, I’m really sorry to have let you down.”

She bowed to the two of them and turned to leave.

“Who said you could resign?”

Shu Ran froze. That unfamiliar voice could only be Fu Yiqing. She turned back. “Coach He already agreed.”

Fu Yiqing’s previously indifferent eyes flickered. He walked up to Shu Ran, looking down at her, his voice cold. “As of now, I’m your coach.”

“But I’ve already resigned.”

“The process isn’t finished. You’re still a national team athlete. If I don’t agree, you can’t quit.”

For unimportant athletes, all it took was a word to the coach and submitting the form—just a formality, really. They could leave whenever they wished.

If she were a seeded singles skater, it would make sense for them to try to keep her. But she was just an underdog whose results weren’t even as good as the junior skaters—what was there to keep?

Head Coach Huo Guang stepped in, trying to smooth things over. “Let’s talk this through, we’re all one family behind closed doors… You haven’t resigned yet, so we can still discuss it.”

“So, why is it?” Shu Ran was confused. “My results aren’t good at all.”

“As long as you stay, I can make you a world champion.”

Shu Ran stared at Fu Yiqing for a long moment—not because she was dazzled by his looks, but because she realized that God was fair. This man might be beautiful, but he was clearly out of his mind.