Chapter Twenty-Five: Do You Have a Blanket?

Since last year, the name Christina had repeatedly echoed in Shu Ran’s ears, yet she had never actually met her. To Shu Ran, Christina was akin to the legendary “other people’s child”—that paragon always held up as a comparison. But in truth, just a year ago, Shu Ran and Christina had been on equal footing. Now, Christina’s progress was nothing short of meteoric—she had soared straight into the Grand Prix Final. Even if she had only made it as the lowest-ranked of the six qualifiers, it was still enough to make Shu Ran deeply impressed.

Fu Yiqing’s words instantly chilled the lively atmosphere inside the car to below freezing.

Qin Liubei tapped the steering wheel in mock protest, “Hey, hey, don’t be so pessimistic! It’s just the Grand Prix Final. When the time comes, I’ll personally go and see for myself—let’s find out exactly how good she is now.”

Shu Ran suddenly asked, “Coach Fu, what was that thing you said I needed to do?”

“I told you before. Did you forget?” Fu Yiqing shot her a stern look. “This season, our main goal is to earn points. In Challenger events, only your best two results each season count. You finished fifth at the Warsaw Cup, which had a weak field this year. Do you think fifth-place points are useful?”

Shu Ran felt a wave of embarrassment, suddenly convinced that Qin Liubei’s earlier claim—“Fu Yiqing is in a bad mood today”—was true. Clearly, his mood really was off; otherwise, the usually understanding Coach Fu wouldn’t have reverted to his old, almost tyrannical self.

She ventured in a small voice, “So… we’re going to compete at the Tallinn Cup?”

“Mm.”

An uneasy silence fell in the car.

If they were to enter the Tallinn Cup, the schedule would be extremely tight—they would have to fly to Estonia tonight, rest up tomorrow, and attend the opening ceremony the following afternoon.

There was also an important variable: in previous years, the Tallinn Cup usually featured a weaker lineup, but last year, several top contenders had shown up. Not just one or two, but four in succession. That meant the Tallinn Cup wouldn’t be as easy as it once was.

But with ten Challenger events in the season and only two left—Tallinn Cup and Golden Spin—there was no choice. Tallinn’s strength was unpredictable and the timing was tight, but Golden Spin was the most competitive event of all. So it had to be Tallinn.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Fu Yiqing finally broke the silence. “If you don’t even have the confidence to face the big names, how will you ever stand on the Olympic stage?”

“Uh… Coach.”

Fu Yiqing’s eyes passed coolly over Shu Ran’s face, waiting for her to speak.

She hesitated, a little embarrassed. “That’s not what I wanted to ask. I meant, are we leaving now or flying tomorrow morning?”

Qin Liubei’s laughter broke the tension, barely stifled behind pressed lips. “Let’s have dinner first. After that, we’ll head to the airport.”

“Oh.”

Shu Ran glanced at Fu Yiqing, who turned away to look out the window, silent. For some reason, Shu Ran thought she glimpsed a fleeting hint of embarrassment on his face. The discovery delighted her—like finding a hidden treasure, she couldn’t help but smile to herself.

Coach Fu was actually quite adorable.

The tickets were bought at the last minute: two adjacent economy seats, one in business class.

At dinner, Fu Yiqing didn’t say a word, so afterward, Qin Liubei took charge of distributing the tickets. “I’ll sit in economy with Old Fu. Shu Ran, you take business class.”

Fu Yiqing replied, “I’m not sitting with you.”

Qin Liubei blinked. “What?”

Fu Yiqing said, “You talk too much.”

Qin Liubei feigned hurt. “So you don’t love me anymore?”

When Fu Yiqing didn’t relent, Qin Liubei put on a look of exasperated disappointment. “Are you even human? Shu Ran’s been exhausted these past days, and you want to fight her for the business class seat? Can’t you just let her rest?”

Fu Yiqing lifted his gaze slowly. “I’m not the one fighting her for it. You are.”

“...Where am I fighting?” Qin Liubei protested, bewildered. “Aren’t you in a bad mood and not speaking to Shu Ran? Why do you want to sit with her?”

“Who said I wasn’t speaking to her?” Fu Yiqing turned to Shu Ran. “I’m not speaking to you?”

Shu Ran wanted to answer “yes,” but given the circumstances, she decided it was better to shake her head—so that’s what she did.

Qin Liubei suddenly felt left out, like agreeing with a classmate not to do homework, only to be the only one who actually didn’t do it.

“All right, you two sit together in economy. Leave me to enjoy the loneliness of business class in silence.” He took the ticket, his figure both dejected and dignified. “These days, people would rather sit in economy than business. The heart is all too obvious.”

On the plane, Shu Ran suddenly realized that the business class seat was meant for her—so how had Fu Yiqing managed to take away her right to choose? She resolved that once they were back, she’d reclaim her say no matter what.

Fu Yiqing was as capricious as ever. When he didn’t speak to her, and with fatigue weighing her down, Shu Ran simply closed her eyes to sleep.

A flight attendant approached, about to remind Shu Ran to turn off her phone, but was distracted by Fu Yiqing’s swift gesture. His long fingers pressed to his lips in a hush, and the attendant instantly understood, nodding and mouthing a silent reminder to him instead.

Fu Yiqing asked softly, “Excuse me, do you have a blanket?”

The attendant brought one over but was struck by the scene before her. The handsome man merely glanced at the girl beside him, his expression gentle, eyes tender. Her mouth was slightly open, as if she were drooling. The man couldn’t help but chuckle, a helpless smile gracing his lips as he gently wiped her mouth, his movements infinitely soft.

No one could resist such a gentle, chivalrous act from such a striking man.

The flight attendant felt a pang of regret for the woman beside him—regret that she had missed witnessing the moment.

Fu Yiqing took the blanket, carefully tucking Shu Ran in, and nodded his thanks in a whisper.

Suddenly, a little girl in the row ahead began clamoring for her mother. The flight attendant hadn’t yet moved to soothe her before Fu Yiqing acted first.

The attendant’s smile froze.

“Hello?” he said.

The little girl was captivated by the sudden, pleasant voice above her. She looked up, only to be stunned by the man’s good looks, momentarily forgetting why she’d been fussing.

Fu Yiqing said quietly, “Miss, could you be a little quieter? She’s sleeping.” He gestured to Shu Ran beside him, his manner unfailingly courteous, his voice melodious.

The little girl nodded as if enchanted, but just before Fu Yiqing sat down, she shook her head. “Big brother, you’re really handsome.”

“Thank you.” Even in the face of a compliment, Fu Yiqing’s demeanor was aristocratic—not overly pleased, but not cold either.

The little girl hugged the seatback, kneeling on her seat, eyes darting between the sleeping Shu Ran and Fu Yiqing, her brow furrowed in deep thought.

“Big brother, is she your girlfriend?”

A ripple disturbed the calm surface.

Fu Yiqing’s expression shifted, his brows knitting slightly. “No.”

Not only the little girl, but even the flight attendant was surprised. With such tenderness in his gaze, how could this charming, handsome man not be adored by the woman beside him?

The flight attendant felt a renewed sense of pity for Fu Yiqing.

The little girl pressed on undeterred, “Then why are you so gentle with her? Big brother, do you like her?”

Fu Yiqing was momentarily at a loss for words.

At that moment, the attendant noticed a woman approaching—no doubt the little girl’s mother. She quickly helped the girl into her seat and fastened her seatbelt before moving on to check on other passengers.

When Shu Ran woke, the plane was landing. Outside the window, scattered dots of light gradually grew into glowing halos, and the shape of a city began to emerge.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting. Checking the time, she found it was only a little after nine. “We’re here already?”

“No,” came the instant reply—a cold bucket of water.

Shu Ran stared wide-eyed at Fu Yiqing, her gaze pleading, “Tell me you’re joking, or I’ll never forgive you.”

Fu Yiqing replied seriously, “We have a connecting flight. This is Warsaw Airport.”

After some explanation, Shu Ran finally understood that they had to transfer in Warsaw before flying on to Tallinn. The journey would take another three hours.

Shu Ran, deflated, slumped back in her seat. “My legs are numb—I don’t want to sit anymore.”

Half an hour later, they finally boarded the next flight, and Shu Ran collapsed into her seat, venting her frustration at Fu Yiqing. “It’s all your fault. The business class seat was supposed to be mine.”

Fu Yiqing’s expression turned inscrutable, his eyes narrowing—a warning sign that a storm was brewing.

“You don’t want to sit with me?”

“No.”

“You don’t want to talk to me?”

“No.”

Satisfied, Fu Yiqing leaned back, relaxed. “Well, you want to sit with me and talk to me. Both wishes are granted. What’s left to complain about?”

So in Fu Yiqing’s world, the opposite of ‘don’t want’ is always ‘want’?

Unable to out-argue him, Shu Ran slumped back again. This time, she couldn’t fall asleep. Instead, she gazed out the window. The sky was already dark, so there was no scenery to see—only dots of light on the ground, forming their own unique landscape.

“Shu Ran,” Fu Yiqing suddenly called.

“Mm?”

She turned her head just as Fu Yiqing did the same, their faces close, eyes meeting—a breathless moment suspended between them.

Fu Yiqing broke the stillness first, draping the blanket over Shu Ran’s head.

Her world went instantly dark.

From the darkness, she heard Fu Yiqing’s voice. “My birthday is coming soon, Shu Ran.”

She pulled the blanket down, settling it over herself. Her hand brushed his by accident; the coldness of his skin sent a shiver up her arm.

“Have you thought about what you’ll get me for a present?” he asked.

She paused, then took his hand in hers, feeling how cold it was. Calmly, she tucked the blanket snugly around him.

Fu Yiqing looked at her in surprise, something stirring deep inside him.

When she finished, Shu Ran patted his shoulder. “Then I’ll give you warmth for your birthday.”