Chapter 111: World Team Championship (Part II)

The World Team Trophy was about to begin.

Shu Ran looked down at their attire and hesitated, "Are we... really going to go out there wearing this?"

Chen Jiahe also shrank back, nodding in agreement, "I feel like we might lose face for our country."

In contrast to the hesitation of these two, the others were wholeheartedly in favor.

Chen Lecheng: "I think it’s fine."

Zhu Hongzhe: "It won't be a disgrace; we might actually go viral."

Wu Xincheng stroked her chin thoughtfully, "If we go viral, that would be great. I need to pay off my mortgage lately. If we gain some buzz, I could land a spot on a variety show and earn some extra money." Having said that, she patted Shen Yu, who remained mostly expressionless, "What about you? You don't have any objections, right?"

As Shen Yu looked at her, a smile seeped into his eyes.

Looking like that, how could he have any objections?

Shu Ran felt that this group had the potential to be comedians. Turning her head to see Fu Yiqing, she couldn't help but find it strange; he usually disapproved of her hanging out with Zhu Hongzhe, so why was he so amiable all day today?

She walked over, "Do you think it's okay for me to dress like this?"

Fu Yiqing seemed to be thinking about something else, but her voice drew his focus. He scanned her up and down, a glimmer of laughter appearing in his eyes, "Very cute."

That was beside the point.

Shu Ran: "No, I mean, can we really go out onto the ice wearing this?"

Fu Yiqing: "Why not?"

Seeing that even Fu Yiqing approved, Shu Ran had no more concerns.

The opening ceremony began immediately.

Following the alphabetical order of the countries, China was the third to appear.

When Shu Ran saw the American skaters all cosplaying as various Marvel superheroes, she suddenly felt that her own outfit wasn't such a big deal.

The Canadian skaters wore their standard team uniforms, only performing a few exaggerated and funny movements before leaving the ice.

Then, a voice came over the broadcast: "Team China."

Eight people dashed out like arrows, circled the rink as if they were speed skaters, then glided to the center of the ice and stood still.

The audience finally noticed that the Chinese skaters were dressed quite differently.

Both the men and women were wearing old-fashioned, diagonal-buttoned green cotton-padded jackets, much like the one worn by Chiaotzu in the childhood anime "Dragon Ball"—green jackets with yellow sleeves, and a large circle on the chest with the character "Dumpling" written inside.

Everyone was also wearing a small black round hat on their heads.

It was cute, yet filled with a sense of childishness and fun.

Unlike the bows performed by other countries' athletes, the captain, Shen Yu, looked left and right. Realizing his teammates were ready, his lips moved slightly, "Salute."

All eight people performed a traditional fist-and-palm salute in unison. The teammates in even-numbered positions turned simultaneously, forming four pairs.

Shu Ran happened to be facing Chen Lecheng.

She saw Chen Lecheng pull an extremely distorted face and make a provocative gesture at her, "Come on over!"

Shu Ran tried her best to hold back her laughter. The four who had turned around faced the audience again, and the eight of them bowed to the stands with their fists raised.

The applause was thunderous.

Once off the ice, Shu Ran let out a sigh of relief. Looking at Chen Lecheng again, she broke into uncontrollable laughter.

Taking advantage of the time before the President of the Japan Skating Federation began the opening remarks, Shu Ran raced to find Fu Yiqing, "Coach, did you see that?"

A clear smile played on her cheeks. Because of the unstoppable laughter, her face flushed, and her apples were tinged with a soft pink. Fu Yiqing’s heart felt full.

His lips caught a hint of her smile, "What?"

Shu Ran tugged at his sleeve and pointed at Chen Lecheng, "Chen Lecheng! That expression he made just now was hilarious, did you see it?"

Fu Yiqing: "I only saw you."

Shu Ran’s laughter stopped. The smile still lingered on her face, but her breathing became erratic due to her racing heart.

"Silly," he curled his lips, shaking his head as he smiled, "Because Chen Lecheng had his back to me, I couldn't see."

Shu Ran stared at him blankly for a moment, feeling guilty from the brief pause. Hurriedly leaving behind a "It’s time to go on," she turned and walked away.

Fu Yiqing watched her retreating figure as she fled, his lips curling upward, his smile undiminished.

The first day featured the men's singles and ice dance short programs.

Shu Ran changed back into her own clothes and prepared to return to the hotel. She went to call Fu Yiqing, but found him still standing outside the arena.

She tugged on his arm and blinked at him.

Fu Yiqing: "No rush, let's finish watching the competition before we leave."

Shu Ran wondered if Fu Yiqing had taken the wrong medicine.

Hadn't he said he disliked Zhu Hongzhe?

Moreover, given Fu Yiqing's personality, watching a men's singles competition offered them no benefit; he wouldn't normally waste time sitting here watching a match so calmly.

Had something happened that she didn't know about?

Fu Yiqing had already turned his gaze back to the competition.

"Do you think he's acting strange today, too?" Qin Liubei leaned into Shu Ran's ear and whispered.

Shu Ran nodded.

Qin Liubei, looking as if she had found a kindred spirit, pulled Shu Ran aside and started talking endlessly.

Although the World Team Trophy was more entertainment-focused, the athletes present were among the best in their respective countries. Regardless of the lighthearted nature, as long as there were no major mistakes, the competition remained quite intense.

There were twelve skaters in the men's short program.

Zhu Hongzhe performed fifth in the second group, while Chen Lecheng went third in the first group.

Among them was an old acquaintance of Shu Ran's.

Her senior, Yura Kura.

Yura Kura performed second in the second group.

At the previous Winter Olympics, Yura Kura had once again taken home the world championship title. Having won two consecutive Olympic golds, he had not chosen to retire.

After going through two Olympic cycles, Yura Kura's form seemed even better than before, which put immense pressure on his contemporaries in men's singles, leaving them with the feeling that no one could stand against him.

Yura Kura's landings were rock solid. His toe-picks, take-offs, landings, and glides were like flowing water. Among all the competitors, his completion could rarely be described as anything less than perfect.

Qin Liubei couldn't help but "tsk" in admiration.

Sure enough, Yura Kura’s performance today remained stable, and as soon as he finished, he had surpassed the current leader of the short program by six points.

By the time Zhu Hongzhe finished his performance, his short program score couldn't surpass Yura Kura's, but he still secured second place, with Chen Lecheng in seventh.

In the subsequent ice dance short program, Li Yuanxing and Wan Yushan had minor errors, ranking fourth among the six pairs.

The women's singles and free skate short programs were held on the second day.

Perhaps because of the relaxed atmosphere, Shu Ran felt a sense of ease she had never experienced before. Listening to the music, her expression completely opened up. It was a lively piece, and Shu Ran's demeanor matched it perfectly. Her arm movements shifted continuously during her spins, dazzling to the eye and truly enjoyable to watch.

While spinning, Shu Ran couldn't help but think of her former self.

In the past, she used to look at the amateur figure skaters dancing gracefully on the ice with envy. Although she couldn't judge their technical difficulty back then, in her own eyes, they were amazing. That was why she had longed for the day when she could be like them, put on beautiful performance costumes, stand on the ice, and enjoy the admiration of everyone.

But applause wasn't the only desire.

There was also the sheer joy of performing.

The intoxicating performance she once felt while immersed in music had slowly been lost through repeated, grueling training.

But at the World Team Trophy, Shu Ran suddenly rediscovered that enjoyment. She didn't care about the scores; she only cared about having fun. All the athletes were competing with a joyful and relaxed state of mind.

She spun faster and faster, her wrists constantly crossing and shifting.

Fu Yiqing's eyes were fixed on her, his previously tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxing.

Shu Ran had never been in such a good state.

He felt a bit fortunate—fortunate that he had agreed to let Shu Ran participate in the World Team Trophy.

Shu Ran’s state of mind lasted until the final day of the competition.

Out of twelve skaters, Shu Ran ranked third overall, earning 10 points for Team China. Combined with the points earned by other teammates, China ultimately ranked fifth overall.

Team events had always been a weakness for the Chinese team; in previous World Team Trophies, China's best result had also been fifth, especially given the entertainment-first nature of the competition.

On the way back, the car was filled with laughter and chatter.

"This year has been the happiest World Team Trophy I've ever participated in," Chen Lecheng said in a concluding statement.

Coach He Ming’s face darkened, "Was it not happy before?"

Chen Lecheng hurriedly steered the topic in a different direction, "Because this year we have our old friend Shu Ran. It’s truly a rarity today; if I remember correctly, this should be the first time she’s ever sat on the team bus, right?"

Everyone looked at Shu Ran, and then at the two coaches beside her.

One was filled with a sense of detachment, while the other looked at them as if they were little children. Among the three, only Shu Ran looked kind.

The two coaches looked like they would be difficult to get along with.

The new team members couldn't help but feel a surge of sympathy for Shu Ran.

Zhu Hongzhe coughed lightly and signaled to Chen Lecheng, indicating he should stop talking.

Chen Lecheng received the signal and immediately changed the subject, "What are we eating tonight?"

Coach He Ming cleared his throat, "Meals have already been prepared for everyone in the dorms. We'll eat back there."

Everyone looked disappointed.

At the same time, everyone's phones buzzed. Wu Xincheng typed into the "World Team Trophy Squad" group chat.

Wu Xincheng: "I’ve already planned our happy activities for tonight."

Chen Lecheng: "You want us to help you carry bags while you go shopping? Don't even think about it."

Wu Xincheng: "With Shen Yu helping, I’m only worried your hands might dirty my shopping bags."

Shu Ran and Fu Yiqing were sitting in the back.

Seeing Shu Ran typing with her head down the whole time, Fu Yiqing frowned slightly and glanced at her. He looked up to see that all the team members were in the same position and understood the situation. He just reminded her softly, "Don't play on your phone all the time."

Shu Ran agreed verbally, but her body was honest; she didn't let go of her phone.

Fu Yiqing was not used to riding the bus; the stagnant air in the vehicle made him feel dizzy, so he lowered his seat back and closed his eyes to rest.

As his consciousness drifted away, the car jolted suddenly, and he slowly opened his eyes.

He saw Shu Ran twisting her neck, her raised right hand resting on it.

"Neck hurting?"

Shu Ran nodded.

"Let me." Fu Yiqing moved her hand away and began to massage her shoulders to soothe the pain.

With Fu Yiqing's help, Shu Ran felt much better.

Fu Yiqing: "I told you not to stay on your phone; it's bad for your spine and cervical vertebrae."

"I wasn't," she pouted, feeling wronged, and mumbled, "I wanted to sleep just now, but I didn't know how to lower the seat back, so I just..."

Fu Yiqing finished her sentence, "So you just curled up like that to sleep?"

She nodded.

Fu Yiqing chuckled.

He said, "Watch carefully," and took her hand.

Her heart palpitated; it felt like the crisp sound of a water droplet falling onto a calm lake, knocking at the door of her heart bit by bit. The little deer in her heart was surely going to cause a disaster.

Her hand was guided by Fu Yiqing to explore the armrest on her right side. Fu Yiqing’s arm happened to brush across her waist. With just that light touch, her face turned red.

The seat back reclined.

Fu Yiqing: "There, did you learn it?"

Shu Ran blushed and nodded vaguely.