Chapter Twenty-Six: No Room
In truth, time was indeed tight—so tight, in fact, that Qin Liubei hadn’t managed to book a hotel.
Fu Yiqing’s expression was grim, barely containing his anger. After sitting through such a long flight, exhaustion made it easy for emotions to erupt.
“So you bought the plane ticket without booking the hotel first?”
Qin Liubei was somewhat apologetic. “I was busy snatching tickets at the time. I meant to book a hotel while having dinner, but I forgot.”
Fu Yiqing rubbed his forehead, clearly exasperated and unable to say more—he was probably at his limit.
It was the first time Fu Yiqing and Qin Liubei had clashed like this. Seeing the distress signal from Qin Liubei, Shu Ran glanced at them and spoke up to comfort, “Coach Fu, don’t blame him. He’s got so many things to handle. Forgetting is perfectly normal.”
Fu Yiqing looked at her, his mood unreadable. “Where will you sleep tonight? It’s almost two in the morning. Without proper rest, how will you compete?”
What could she do? She was desperate herself. Comforting words came easily, but solutions were much harder to find. Shu Ran lowered her head, and Qin Liubei also tried to minimize his presence.
Fu Yiqing took a deep breath, pausing to think. “Let’s try our luck.”
By “try our luck,” Fu Yiqing meant perhaps someone had just cancelled a room before it appeared online.
The chances were slim. After an hour of searching, all three were exhausted. Shu Ran’s feet ached so much she could hardly walk, but she stubbornly pressed on.
She cast her gaze toward a hotel three meters away, brows furrowed, pinching her thigh, praying for a miracle in the next moment.
Seeing her slow down, Fu Yiqing glanced back, catching her tired face and the way she was massaging her leg.
He asked, “What’s wrong? Is your leg hurting?”
Shu Ran denied it, but the hesitation in her answer betrayed her. Fu Yiqing looked over at Qin Liubei.
Qin Liubei, feeling guilty under his gaze, knew this was all because he hadn’t booked a hotel. He raised both hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, I give up. It’s all my fault.”
Immediately, Qin Liubei shook his head, bent his knees. “Come on, Little Shu Ran, let me carry you.”
His posture made it clear: he was offering a princess carry.
The thought of being carried like that by Qin Liubei was a bit much for Shu Ran. Instinctively, she resisted. Besides, booking the hotel wasn’t solely Qin Liubei’s responsibility. She didn’t know how he and Fu Yiqing used to handle tasks, but she didn’t believe the blame fell entirely on Qin Liubei, so there was no reason for him to shoulder it alone.
She waved her hand. “It’s fine, there’s no need.”
Fu Yiqing’s eyes were filled with concern. “Are you sure? You have another match the day after tomorrow—hiding the truth won’t help you.”
“I…”
Shu Ran couldn’t lie. Fu Yiqing knew her feet couldn’t take it anymore and gave Qin Liubei a signal.
Qin Liubei had no choice but to squat down. “Fine, I’ll carry you on my back, alright?”
Shu Ran pressed her lips together and climbed onto his back.
As he felt her weight, Qin Liubei pressed his feet to the ground, frowning as if her weight was too much for him. Before his legs had straightened, he nearly toppled forward.
Fu Yiqing instinctively reached out, his arm stopping just short of Qin Liubei’s chest, but the weight never pressed down.
A mischievous smile spread across Qin Liubei’s face as he turned to Shu Ran. “Hey, got you, didn’t I?”
“The mood was so heavy, so I thought I’d lighten things up,” Qin Liubei said. “Well, how is it? Isn’t my broad back warm?”
Shu Ran: “…”
Fu Yiqing subtly withdrew his hand, speaking dryly. “Put her down, I’ll carry her.”
Qin Liubei was more than happy to comply and immediately set Shu Ran down.
Fu Yiqing’s tall figure bent before Shu Ran, his straight back lowered, hand beckoning her. “What are you waiting for?”
“Oh.”
With her heart pounding, Shu Ran once again climbed onto a man’s back. Afraid Fu Yiqing might feel her racing heartbeat, she hesitated to press close.
The night was bitterly cold, and both wore padded coats, making it harder for Fu Yiqing to carry her. He stopped and bounced her up higher. “Lean on me. It’s hard to carry you like this.”
“Oh.” Her anxious heart pretended at composure as she leaned in.
It was only late November, yet the night felt like midwinter—frigid and biting. But Fu Yiqing’s back was so warm, inviting her in, soothing her, calming her heart.
Noticing Fu Yiqing’s slow steps, Shu Ran worried aloud, “Coach Fu, am I too heavy? If there’s no vacant room here, I’ll walk by myself.”
“You’re indeed heavy. Maybe you should watch your diet in the future?”
She was 164 cm tall, weighing 44 kg—too slender for most people, merely average among athletes. Yet to Fu Yiqing, she was “indeed heavy”?
“Oh.”
“Your feet have to bear your weight. Let them rest.”
“…”
A faint, imperceptible smile curled at Fu Yiqing’s lips.
Both seemed to share a silent understanding, and Shu Ran’s lips curled up too. At last, the cold night gained a hint of warmth.
Qin Liubei pushed open the next hotel door. The warmth inside instantly lowered their guard. Fu Yiqing set Shu Ran down and went to inquire. Shu Ran lingered, gazing at his back.
“Excuse me, are there any rooms available?”
The three watched the receptionist with hopeful eyes as she checked the records, glancing among them. “There’s only one double room left.”
Shu Ran, having lost hope in any other hotels, nearly leapt with joy. “Let’s all stay together!”
Qin Liubei chimed in, “Special times call for special measures, Old Fu!”
Fu Yiqing had already decided to take the room, intent on settling Shu Ran’s lodging. He and Qin Liubei didn’t need to compete—they could manage without sleep for two days. Hearing Qin Liubei, he agreed to share the room with all three.
“Alright, we’ll take it.”
They checked their IDs, and just as they were about to get the room card, the sound of suitcase wheels drew their attention. A middle-aged woman, arm around a tightly bundled girl, approached the front desk.
The woman said, “We have a reservation.”
The receptionist checked the booking and suddenly said, “Sorry, there’s an issue with your reservation. The system only shows one room booked, not two.”
“That’s impossible!”
After some negotiation and phone calls, they learned another receptionist had entered the information incorrectly. The woman had indeed booked two rooms.
Fu Yiqing realized what was about to happen and quickly said, “Could you give us the room card?”
The receptionist was about to hand over the card, when the middle-aged woman snatched it away. “You said there were no rooms left, so what’s this?”
“Madam, they arrived before you.”
“But didn’t I book two rooms first? If your staff hadn’t made a mistake, would they still have a room?”
The receptionist was silenced.
Fatigue robbed Fu Yiqing of patience, and he began negotiating directly.
Leaning beside Qin Liubei, Shu Ran whispered, “Are they speaking French?”
“Yes.”
Shu Ran swallowed hard. “Coach Fu can speak French? That’s amazing.”
“Is that the point?” Qin Liubei said, half amused, half exasperated. “I can too. Does that make me amazing?”
“Heh.”
“You’re both biased.”
Shu Ran didn’t realize that “you’re both” referred to someone else as well, when suddenly the girl accompanying the woman unwound her scarf, revealing her lips, and said something that made the woman look surprised.
Shu Ran whispered, “What did she say?”
Qin Liubei helped translate.
“Your Coach Fu said you’re competing the day after tomorrow and asked them to give you their single room so you could rest, and let them have our double room. The older woman refused, saying they shouldn’t be penalized for the hotel’s mistake. Then Old Fu said it’s too late, and sending a young girl out in the cold is dangerous. The girl replied that she didn’t want to share a room with the older woman.”
Qin Liubei finished translating, frowning, rubbing his chin. “But I feel like I've seen these two somewhere before. They look familiar.”
Neither the middle-aged woman nor the girl seemed easy to talk to—the girl was as aloof as the woman. The negotiations had clearly failed.
Shu Ran sighed in disappointment, seeing Fu Yiqing teetering on the edge of anger. She tugged his sleeve, “Forget it. Let’s try somewhere else.”
Just then, the girl stepped to the right, her gaze fixed entirely on Shu Ran, and said something.
Fu Yiqing’s expression softened.
“What did she say?” Shu Ran looked up at Fu Yiqing.
He raised his brows, his features gentle. “She said she can share the double room with you.”
“Huh?”
The girl walked up to Shu Ran, stared at her for a moment as if pondering something, then suddenly her eyes lit up. In English, she said to Shu Ran, “I recognize you.”
Shu Ran was caught off guard. “What?”
“I watched yesterday’s live broadcast of the exhibition skate at the French event.” The girl smiled lightly and extended her hand. “My name is Ephythenia—I’m also here for the Tallinn Cup the day after tomorrow.”
Qin Liubei finally remembered where he’d seen this pair before. He quickly looked up the name on his phone. “They’re…Belgian figure skaters, just moved up to the senior group this year.”
But at the moment, the most important thing was the biting cold outside. If Shu Ran went back out now, the sudden change in temperature could make her ill.
Seeing Ephythenia agree, the middle-aged woman relented, nodded, and checked in at the desk.
Shu Ran’s brows were tightly knit, worried about Fu Yiqing and Qin Liubei’s situation.
“What about you two?”
Qin Liubei flicked her forehead. “Just worry about yourself. Old Fu and I will find a place that’s open all night, come back at eight for breakfast with you. We’ll sort the hotel out after midnight—right now, it’s just too cold.”
Noticing Shu Ran’s worried gaze, Fu Yiqing said, “We can talk to the hotel staff about resting for a while in the lobby. Don’t worry about us.”
There were a few sofas and chairs in the lobby. Shu Ran scanned the area, still uneasy.
A warm hand rested atop her head as Fu Yiqing gently stroked her hair. “Alright. You have another match the day after tomorrow. Take care of yourself, and focus all your energy on competing.”
His large palm seemed to carry a kind of magic, dispelling the chill from her body and calming all her worries.
He smiled. “Understood?”
Shu Ran looked at him deeply, then nodded.