Chapter 112: She Admitted It

The World Championships marked the beginning of the off-season, but with the World Team Trophy following immediately after, the team only truly felt the start of their break from this moment on.

Everyone was in high spirits, seemingly determined not to call it a night until they had exhausted every possibility for fun. Shu Ran assumed Fu Yiqing would have no interest in such activities, but out of respect, she asked him, "Coach, we’re heading out to go shopping later. Are you and Qin Liubei coming?"

Qin Liubei laughed, "You don’t know him yet? I’ve never seen him go shopping in my life." He leaned in closer, scanned the crowd, and whispered, "Especially not with a bunch of young people he doesn't know well."

Shu Ran agreed with that logic and nodded, deciding not to press further.

Just as she was about to respond, a voice cut through the air, "Who said I wasn't going?"

Shu Ran turned around, surprised.

Qin Liubei was even more stunned. "Old Fu, did you take the wrong medicine?"

Fu Yiqing gave him a cool, detached look. "You wouldn't understand the lifestyle of young people." He said this without a blush or a flutter of his heart.

Shu Ran and Qin Liubei exchanged a glance, reading the sheer horror in each other's eyes.

Qin Liubei swallowed hard and said slowly, "Right. A thirty-two-year-old 'young person.'"

Fu Yiqing ignored him and followed Shu Ran outside.

When the team members saw Fu Yiqing arrive, their smiles froze, and they were completely dumbfounded. They had only invited the coaches out of politeness, fully expecting them to decline. Who would have thought Shu Ran would actually succeed in convincing him? Everyone just prayed the trip wouldn't turn into a disaster.

On the streets of a foreign country, everything felt novel. Before long, Wu Xincheng had finished her shopping list and was ready to head back. It wasn't that she didn't want to keep shopping, but she couldn't. Japan is a powerhouse in figure skating, and its citizens hold a unique passion for the sport. This enthusiasm has elevated the status of figure skaters domestically; they respect not only their own athletes but also international skating stars.

Zhu Hongzhe was one such star. Shu Ran figured it was probably because he was quite good-looking.

They were quickly recognized by skating fans. Since Zhu Hongzhe never turned anyone away, their shopping trip completely devolved into a fan-service event. With the world-class star surrounded by fans, Shu Ran stood on the periphery, wiping sweat from her brow. "It’s a good thing no one recognizes me..."

Before she could finish, a girl stepped out from the circle surrounding Zhu Hongzhe, trotted over to Shu Ran, and asked in halting Chinese, "Hello, can I... have your autograph?"

Although Shu Ran suspected the girl likely didn't know who she was and was just getting an autograph because she was there, she signed it anyway. She returned the notebook, but the girl stood there, shy and hesitant, not moving.

Just as Shu Ran was wondering what the girl wanted, she heard her say something in Japanese. Since Fu Yiqing usually acted as their translator abroad, Shu Ran instinctively looked to him for help. In reality, however, Fu Yiqing only spoke English, German, French, and Russian; he did not know Japanese.

The girl pointed at Shu Ran, then at Fu Yiqing, and spoke again—this time in English. However, her Japanese-accented English still sounded so much like Japanese that they couldn't understand her.

Qin Liubei grew impatient and tried to communicate with her, "Let's just use Chinese."

The girl understood and struggled to say, "You, him, autograph. He, idol."

This time, Shu Ran understood. She turned to Fu Yiqing with a smirk, "The assassin’s dagger is meant for King Pei; it turns out I’m just the promotional gift, like the sausage thrown into a cup of instant noodles."

Fu Yiqing pressed his left fist to his lips to hide his smile, but the amusement in his eyes was impossible to mask. His smile caused another wave of squeals from the young female fans.

Everyone was so busy that Shu Ran’s feelings became complicated. "I suddenly don't know if I should be glad that no one recognizes me."

"Be grateful for small mercies. At least you’re being sold as a bundle; I can’t even get sold at all!" Qin Liubei complained mournfully.

Shu Ran let out a laugh.

Still, Shu Ran couldn't remain entirely anonymous. Even though she hadn't competed internationally for two years, whether it was her world-record short program or her sudden withdrawal from the Winter Olympics, skating fans remembered the female singles skater who carried an air of mystery.

After finishing their shopping, Wu Xincheng resolutely abandoned any plans to continue. The others felt the same way.

On the way back, everyone was tired, and the conversation had lost the liveliness it had when they first set out. Then, Chen Lecheng suddenly said, "A skate shop. Everyone wait a moment, I’m going to go in and ask something."

Since they were waiting anyway, they figured they might as well go in and take a look. The shop wasn't large, but it was packed to the brim. While there were skates on display in the front, the back was a hidden gem, much like the layout of a Japanese skate shop Shu Ran had visited before.

Bored, Shu Ran let her gaze wander over the displayed skates. Suddenly, the lively atmosphere among her companions chilled. A familiar, all-too-familiar female voice spoke up, "It’s you guys." The tone was nonchalant, tinged with sarcasm.

Shu Ran recognized the voice instantly, and upon looking up, her suspicions were confirmed. Whether it was her imagination or not, the disdain in the other woman's eyes—which had been sweeping across the group—seemed to vanish the moment they landed on her. After a flicker of surprise, her gaze grew heavy, and an indescribable emotion welled up in Liang Yue’s eyes.

Because of Liang Yue’s appearance, the team started grumbling at Chen Lecheng, asking why he wouldn't just leave. Liang Yue seemed to be there to buy skates, and under the weight of their collective stares, she became uncomfortable, quickly bought what she needed, and left.

After much prodding, Chen Lecheng finally returned. He looked at their cold glares with a bewildered smile. "What’s wrong?"

Wu Xincheng frowned. "Let's go, let's go."

A confused Chen Lecheng led the way, but just as he stepped out of the shop, he heard heavy panting. He looked up and gasped, "Whoa!"

Seeing that Liang Yue had returned, the group's expressions grew cold again. Liang Yue ignored their glares. "Shu..." She stopped after just one syllable and walked slowly up to Shu Ran.

Shu Ran knew Liang Yue too well; she immediately realized that the look in Liang Yue's eyes had changed. There was no longer any hostility.

Fu Yiqing, who didn't know Liang Yue well, stepped forward, placing himself between them. "Do you need something?"

Liang Yue frowned. "Shu Ran, let's talk." She completely ignored Fu Yiqing.

Fu Yiqing: "That’s not necessary."

Shu Ran had always followed the principle of avoiding Liang Yue whenever possible, but today, Liang Yue felt like a stranger—she seemed to be extending an olive branch. "Okay."

Hearing Shu Ran’s answer, Fu Yiqing looked at her, his eyes full of caution. "Shu Ran."

Unlike Fu Yiqing’s wariness, Shu Ran arched her brows and smiled calmly. "It’s really fine." As she raised her eyes to look at Liang Yue, her smile faded, and she said seriously, "We should talk."

They walked about ten meters away from the group. Shu Ran caught a glimpse of her teammates, who looked ready to jump into a fight at any moment, and she couldn't help but smile helplessly.

"The incident three years ago... it was me."

Shu Ran was stunned. "What?"

"The seafood porridge three years ago," Liang Yue said, her eyes downcast. After a half-second of silence, she looked up. "I swapped Zhu Hongzhe’s takeout. I deliberately ordered seafood porridge because I didn't want you to get a good result at the Grand Prix Final."

So much time had passed, but Shu Ran would never forget that bowl of porridge. She suddenly remembered Wu Huihui mentioning that Liang Yue was about to retire, and suggesting that perhaps she had been the one behind the porridge incident. Now, hearing Liang Yue admit it, everything clicked into place.

Liang Yue frowned, a flash of remorse in her eyes. "I never thought you’d get injured because of it, and I never imagined the injury would be so severe..." She looked away, her voice choking. "I just wanted to teach you a lesson at the time. These past few years, I’ve been in pain. Seeing netizens blame you, I felt guilty too. So, Shu Ran, can you forgive me?"

Her eyes were filled with desperate hope as she looked at Shu Ran.

"No."

Liang Yue’s eyes widened in shock. Her mouth opened and closed, as if she were trying to say Shu Ran’s name.

Shu Ran shook her head seriously. "I’m no saint. If I had already won a medal and retired, maybe I could forgive you. But you attacked a teammate simply because you disliked me and wanted to teach me a lesson."

Liang Yue stared at Shu Ran without blinking, which soon drew Fu Yiqing over.

"Liang Yue, you were too selfish," Shu Ran said. "You want my forgiveness so you can feel better, but do you have any idea how hard it is for me to get back to the level I was at? Do you know how fierce the competition is this season?"

Even though her words were meant to cut deep, Shu Ran spoke with a calm, indifferent air, as if she were a detached observer.

A breeze stirred Shu Ran’s hair. For a few seconds, no one spoke, just a quiet, steady gaze.

It was Fu Yiqing who finally broke the silence. He pulled Shu Ran. "Let's go back."

Shu Ran didn't move.

Tears rolled down Liang Yue’s cheeks. She bit her lower lip, struggling internally, though her face remained stiff. "I’m sorry." Every word was weighted with genuine regret.

Seeing Shu Ran start to walk away, Liang Yue wanted to call her back several times to keep begging for forgiveness, but remembering Shu Ran’s words, she lost her nerve. Shu Ran was right. The damage she had caused was irreparable. The biggest difference between the world of adults and children is that there is no such thing as "sorry" and "it's okay"; one must bear the consequences of their own mistakes.

Liang Yue looked at the ground, her heart growing heavier.

"Liang Yue."

Liang Yue: "Yes?"

Shu Ran stopped and turned around. "If my injury had truly been caused by your seafood porridge, I would never forgive you in this lifetime."

A glimmer of an answer flashed through Liang Yue’s mind.

"But that bowl of seafood porridge only gave me a stomachache for a few days and ruined the GPF. I got my injury during training. So, whether I forgive you or not doesn't really matter."

"Shu Ran..." Liang Yue said, her voice trembling. Just one name, but it carried all of her unspoken relief, gratitude, and emotional turmoil.

The old hatred was rooted out in that exchange of glances.

"So, Liang Yue, what are you doing now?" Shu Ran asked suddenly.

Liang Yue was taken aback. "I’m coaching at the XX Figure Skating Club."

Shu Ran nodded. "Teach them well." She looked up at Fu Yiqing and smiled. "Let's go."

Fu Yiqing glanced at her, a faint smile touching his lips, and they returned to the team.

Liang Yue watched Shu Ran walk away with a complex expression, nodding and smiling at her back. "I will."

Everyone was curious about what they had talked about, but when they asked, Shu Ran only smiled and said nothing. They tried to get the information from the other witness, but one look at Fu Yiqing’s icy, unapproachable face, and they all retreated.

The two walked at the back of the group.

"Why did you forgive her?" Fu Yiqing asked.

Shu Ran pursed her lips and smiled faintly. "Life is hard enough for everyone as it is. Why make things harder for each other?"

Fu Yiqing: "She was always making things hard for you."

Shu Ran paused, nodded, and a mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "You already punished her, didn't you?"

Fu Yiqing didn't answer, neither confirming nor denying it.

Shu Ran sighed. "For a female singles skater, a three-year ban is basically the end of a career. Not being able to skate... it’s truly painful. So, just let it be."

Having forgiven Liang Yue, Shu Ran felt much more relaxed, and a smile blossomed on her face. She seemed to have suddenly realized the true meaning of the saying, "It is better to have one more friend than one more enemy." By forgiving Liang Yue, she had freed Liang Yue, but more importantly, she had liberated herself—the version of her that had been pushed into depression by Liang Yue’s actions.

"I wonder who it was that refused to go back to the rink to skate for a whole year."

His voice was low and slow, but Shu Ran caught the implication.

Knowing she was in the wrong, she said guiltily, "I was recovering..."

Their eyes met, and they both burst into laughter simultaneously.