Chapter Fifty-Nine: Invite Me to Sit

The delivered meal had been switched, and it was the very seafood Shu Ran had mentioned at lunch would trigger her allergies.

Such obvious intent.

Zhu Hongzhe immediately understood why Fu Yiqing was so furious.

“How is Shu Ran now?” Zhu Hongzhe’s face was tight with worry, his concern for Shu Ran written all over his features. Only then did Fu Yiqing believe that Zhu Hongzhe had nothing to do with this.

Fu Yiqing turned and walked away.

Zhu Hongzhe hurriedly blocked his path, anxiety clear in his voice. “How is Shu Ran? Where is she now?”

Fu Yiqing’s brow was furrowed, his gaze dark.

Instinctively, Zhu Hongzhe sensed that Fu Yiqing wanted to hit him.

But Fu Yiqing, uncharacteristically, turned his back instead. “Even if it wasn’t you, the person responsible must be connected to you. You’d better think carefully about who might have done this. Tell me when you figure it out.”

No matter what Zhu Hongzhe said, Fu Yiqing did not stop walking.

Zhu Hongzhe shouted after him, “If I tell you, will you tell me how Shu Ran is?”

But Fu Yiqing gave no answer.

*

After inducing vomiting and washing her stomach with salt water, Shu Ran felt worse than ever. Her throat was raw, her stomach painfully empty. She lay on a small cot in the infirmary. “Dr. Zhang, will I be alright now that I’ve thrown up?”

“Luckily, you caught it in time. But to say there’s no effect at all would be impossible. Everyone’s body reacts differently; allergic reactions can vary,” Dr. Zhang Ning began, then remembering Shu Ran had a competition tomorrow, she shifted her tone, “But it shouldn’t have too much impact on your performance tomorrow.”

Shu Ran still felt uneasy, deep anxiety gnawing at her.

“How do you feel now?”

A voice, calm as rain and filled with quiet strength, broke through, like a lost sailor finally glimpsing the faint light of a lighthouse. Shu Ran looked up; her pale face was bloodless and fragile.

“Dr. Zhang said I’m alright for now, but tomorrow’s competition…” Her soft voice betrayed her inner turmoil.

Fu Yiqing frowned faintly and turned to Dr. Zhang. “Will this affect her performance tomorrow?”

As if fearing Dr. Zhang would try to gloss things over, he added, “The competition is tomorrow. There’s no hiding it.”

Dr. Zhang hesitated for a few seconds, her serious gaze flitting between the two. “As I said, everyone’s constitution is different. Allergic reactions vary. Usually, you’d see hives. Even though she vomited most of it out, the few minutes it spent in her system can sometimes be enough to trigger a reaction. Whether or not a rash develops—we’ll only know by tomorrow morning.”

Shu Ran grew agitated. “What if I do break out?”

Dr. Zhang replied, “I’ll prescribe you some allergy medication and ointment. If you get a rash, apply it. Even if it happens, don’t worry. You can use makeup to cover it for the performance, and just remove it as soon as you finish.”

Shu Ran swung her legs off the bed, staring down at her feet, clearly troubled.

Fu Yiqing gently rubbed her shoulder, comforting her. “Don’t worry. It won’t affect your competition tomorrow.”

She felt unsteady even walking, so Fu Yiqing supported her by the shoulder.

“Oh, Shu Ran,” Dr. Zhang called.

They turned to look at her.

Dr. Zhang appeared to ponder something. “When you’ve had allergic reactions before, did you ever get stomach discomfort… diarrhea, for instance?”

Shu Ran’s gaze lifted, and for a moment, she stood there, stunned and motionless.

Her expression was answer enough for Dr. Zhang.

Instead of returning to the dorm to gather her things, Shu Ran was taken by Fu Yiqing to his villa.

It wasn’t safe to keep her with the team any longer. Until the culprit was found, Fu Yiqing had no intention of letting Shu Ran return to team practice.

On the way back, Shu Ran leaned quietly against her seat, head tilted to watch the scenery pass.

Fu Yiqing was on the phone with Huo Guang. “Yes, we’ll wait until we’re sure she’s alright before heading to Vancouver.”

Huo Guang already knew what had happened to Shu Ran, but Fu Yiqing’s sudden change of plans still made his heart skip a beat. “If you leave tomorrow, will you make it in time?”

“Tomorrow is just the opening ceremony. The competition itself is the day after. We’ll know more by tomorrow morning.”

It had been too long since the national women’s singles had produced a strong contender. Huo Guang had high hopes for Shu Ran at the GPF, but he hadn’t expected such an incident right before the event.

Of course, he wanted Shu Ran to compete and prove the national team’s strength. After all, there were too many variables at the World Championships, and who knew what next year’s Winter Olympics would bring.

But this wasn’t entirely his decision to make.

“Alright. Let her rest well,” Huo Guang said, then gritted his teeth, “I’ll find out who’s behind this.”

Fu Yiqing was most satisfied with Huo Guang’s last remark. “Good. Let me know first when you do.”

As soon as he hung up, Fu Yiqing felt Shu Ran’s gaze, timid as a fawn’s.

She asked hesitantly, “Is it really okay to miss the opening ceremony?”

Fu Yiqing replied, “Given your condition, whether you can even compete at the GPF is still uncertain.”

At that, Shu Ran’s brows knit tighter, unable to hide her distress.

Fu Yiqing sighed and quickly contacted Qin Liubei to go ahead and explain the situation, arranging a leave of absence for Shu Ran.

No matter what, she would miss tomorrow’s opening ceremony.

Once they arrived at the villa, Fu Yiqing sent Shu Ran straight to bed.

Shu Ran was exhausted. Normally, she would beg for a break, but now that she had time to rest, she couldn’t sleep at all.

She had been ready to shine at the GPF, but her plans were now in shambles. She was anxious and unsettled.

She took a deep breath, rolled over, and tried to close her eyes, but faint, angry male voices drifted in from outside the door—quiet, but so cold that the chill was unmistakable.

She couldn’t make out the words, so she dragged her tired body out to investigate.

Following the sound, she reached the study door. It was ajar, and through the crack she could see Fu Yiqing’s grim face.

“So this is how you handle problems?”

“Fine. I’ll give you two days. If you haven’t resolved this by then, I’ll take matters into my own hands.”

Someone was still talking on the other end of the line, but Fu Yiqing had lost all patience. Just as he was about to hang up, a shadow crossed his vision.

“Shu Ran.” His lips mouthed the words silently.

He hung up and walked over.

Only then did Shu Ran realize she’d been eavesdropping, and hurried to explain. “I heard you talking on the phone from my room and thought… something might’ve happened.”

“Still awake?” The cold, severe man from moments ago was gone. Now Fu Yiqing’s gaze was gentle, his voice soft.

He noticed her words and frowned lightly. “Sorry, was I too loud and woke you?”

Shu Ran replied, “No, I just can’t sleep.”

Seeing her standing there in thin nightwear, Fu Yiqing frowned and signaled her to go back to her room—he still had things to handle.

This time, Fu Yiqing closed the study door.

With no more sounds leaking in, Shu Ran’s mind only grew clearer.

She didn’t know how much time passed before she turned over.

The door opened slowly, and a tall figure edged through the narrow gap, careful not to make the slightest noise that might disturb her.

Fu Yiqing closed the door softly and paused. “Still can’t sleep?”

Shu Ran nodded from where she lay on her side.

Fu Yiqing walked over and sat at the edge of the bed, looking down at her. “Thinking about the competition?”

“Yes.”

Shu Ran recalled Fu Yiqing’s earlier outburst and couldn’t help but ask, “Were you that angry… because of me?” She pressed her lips together, uncertain.

Fu Yiqing gently smoothed her furrowed brow. “If I said yes, you’d feel guilty, wouldn’t you?”

Shu Ran kept silent.

Fu Yiqing’s lips curved faintly. “No, but all my current work is related to figure skating. To say it has nothing to do with you isn’t quite right, but you can rest assured—handling this sort of thing is nothing to me.”

In the past, Shu Ran had thought that Fu Yiqing was blunt, that he always said the wrong thing.

But now, she felt there was no one in the world who could speak more wisely than Fu Yiqing.

His comfort wasn’t about telling people what they wanted to hear, but about truly considering their position and feelings.

“In that case, even if I keep telling you not to worry about the GPF, you’ll just ignore me.” Fu Yiqing’s gentle voice held a trace of helplessness as he shook his head. “Then I won’t say it anymore.”

Shu Ran only blinked quietly, then looked at him.

“What do you want to do in the future?” Fu Yiqing asked.

She was taken aback, her fixed gaze showing she hadn’t caught his meaning.

Fu Yiqing chuckled softly. “I mean, after you retire, what do you want to do?”

After retirement…

It sounded far away.

But thinking it over, she was already nineteen. After the next Winter Olympics, she’d be twenty-one. If she lost, Fu Yiqing would leave.

Shu Ran suddenly realized she’d only known Fu Yiqing for two years, yet she couldn’t imagine life without him.

A future without Fu Yiqing, without figure skating, with so much time—how would she spend it?

She was suddenly stumped by the question.

After a moment’s silence, she shook her head. “I don’t know.” Then, moved by a sudden thought, she looked at him. “What about you?”

Fu Yiqing smiled again. “Silly girl, as long as I wish, I never have to retire.”

“And if you don’t go back to the International Skating Union?” As soon as she asked, her heart pounded.

Fu Yiqing didn’t notice her nervousness. “If I don’t go back… maybe I’d live on a small, quiet island.”

Shu Ran’s mind immediately conjured the image.

A sunlit island, where drawing back the curtains revealed the sea. Mornings spent exercising facing the ocean, then basking in the sun and sea breeze, reading, watching dramas, and if bored, diving in the shallows.

A beautiful vision.

Suddenly, an idea jumped into her mind. “If I retire, I want to travel and see the world. I want to experience what it’s like to live as an ordinary person.”

“That’s a wonderful idea.” Fu Yiqing patted her head gently. “You’ll have your chance.”

“Yes. When the day comes that I can’t improve anymore, I’ll retire.” Her eyes, dark and shining like a cat’s, fixed on him. “Then, can I visit your house on that island?”

Fu Yiqing was stunned.

After a long moment, he laughed out loud.

Shu Ran couldn’t help but laugh at her own question, and in both their eyes was a tenderness as deep as the sea.