The news about Zhang Jue, the king of short programs, breaking his own short program world record once again spread across the social media circles of ice skating fans worldwide in less than four hours.

Naturally, his loyal fans were overjoyed.

If someone else had broken the record so easily, the haters might have jumped up, saying: “You only broke it because the judges favor you.” But when Zhang Jue broke the record at the Chinese Grand Prix, known as “the dehydration station,” everyone was convinced.

There was no need for further explanation, he broke the record based on his own skill. Both the difficulty and the artistic performance were world-class, truly impressive.

After the competition, the incredibly strong Zhang Jue experienced muscle tightness, requiring the team doctor to help him relax with a massage and post-game cold compresses.

Yang Zhiyuan had already collected small ice shards in a bag and was now pressing the bag against Zhang Jue’s joints. Even though Zhang Jue knew it was for his own good, no matter how many times they pressed the cold compress, he still felt uncomfortable.

“It’s too cold,” he joked to his coaches: “When I get older, my legs will definitely give me trouble.”

His uncle and Shen Liu, whose legs already caused them trouble, both chuckled.

For figure skaters, leg issues usually have little to do with the cold, they are mostly due to injuries.

Qin Xuejun squatted in front of him and reached out his hand. “Your foot.”

Zhang Jue swiftly removed his shoes and socks, lifting his foot. Qin Xuejun, who had come over with Yang Zhiyuan, was ready to give him a massage. He took out a bottle of ointment from his backpack, squeezed a bit into his hand, rubbed his palms together to warm them up, and then began massaging Zhang Jue’s foot.

It’s hard for people who practice both figure skating and ballet to have beautiful feet, but the two were used to this routine, so it felt natural.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Junbao and Shen Liu sighed: “I remember when you were in elementary school, you used to fall all the time. After skating, you would always whine to your mom that your feet were sore, and I massaged your feet countless times.”

Shen Liu felt embarrassed: “Senior, that was so many years ago. How do you still remember it so clearly?”

After hearing this, Qin Xuejun’s expression shifted slightly. He asked Zhang Jue: “Your uncle and Brother Shen live together now, right?”

Zhang Jue nodded without understanding: “Yes, after all, they live in a four-bedroom, two-living-room apartment now. If my uncle lived there alone, it would be too lonely, so I invited Brother Shen to live with him.”

He whispered to Dr. Qin: “Didn’t you say that long-term loneliness can lead to dementia in older people?”

Qin Xuejun twitched at the corner of his mouth: “I meant those who are already retired, have nothing to do, and have no one to talk to are more prone to dementia. Your uncle is busy managing athletes during the day and often works overtime at night, preparing your training plans and taking you all to competitions…”

Your uncle doesn’t seem like someone who would get dementia at all!

Qin Xuejun wasn’t exaggerating. Every time he saw Zhang Jue’s uncle with his muscular build and the energy he had when scolding Zhang Jue, Qin felt like he wouldn’t live as long as him.

Even though Zhang Junbao was 18 years older than Zhang Jue and already 35 this year—technically middle-aged—he worked out every day. His body fat was below 12%, he had completely quit smoking and drinking, rarely got sick, and had a health checkup every three months. He had no signs of hypertension, hyperglycemia, or fatty liver. His physical fitness was so good that he could run 10 kilometers like it was nothing, and if he felt like it, he could still land a double Axel.

Isn’t that better than 90% of young people?

Oh, by the way, Uncle Zhang still looked young enough to pass for a college student. His skin showed no signs of sagging, and his crow’s feet were so faint they were barely noticeable. Whenever he attended commercial events, he always caused a wave of screams. It was amazing— even for a former athlete, Zhang Junbao’s physical condition was outstanding.

Qin Xuejun could only dream of being in that kind of shape at 35.

As a medical student, Qin often had to work night shifts and stand for hours during surgeries, and occasionally he had to juggle papers and deal with difficult patients. If his luck didn’t improve in the future… it wouldn’t be surprising if Zhang Junbao had to attend his funeral and reminisce about him for a bit.

Of course, Qin Xuejun would never let Zhang Jue notice him criticizing his uncle in his mind, so he simply kept a blank expression as he continued massaging Zhang Jue’s feet.

Zhang Jue was quite particular about his appearance, he had sprayed himself with men’s cologne before leaving. So even after finishing a high-intensity competition, he didn’t smell bad at all.

It was Gucci Guilty—a clean, woody scent, elegant with a hint of seduction.

Qin Xuejun knew he always smelled like disinfectant, and though Zhang Jue never complained, if he didn’t shower, even Saori, the cat, wouldn’t want to sit on his lap.

Saori: Disgusted mommy meme

Qin’s skilled hands, not only adept at surgery, were also good at massages, and Zhang Jue let out soft hums of contentment. His voice, already pleasant to hear, with a couple of gentle murmurs, caused David, who had just finished competing, to stumble a bit as he left in a hurry.

An insider: “Yep, he’s definitely not straight.”

A while later, someone came over to notify Zhang Jue to receive his small medal.

This time, the long-time second place finisher, Sergey from Canada, and Belgium’s top skater, David, both attended the Chinese Grand Prix. Both had a quad jump success rate above 50% in competition, with good jump quality and unique performances. Jin Zixuan had to settle for fourth place, enviously watching as the two veterans and Zhang Jue went to collect their medals.

It was said that originally Vasily was supposed to attend, but his junior, Ilya, sprained his ankle during training and wasn’t in good shape. As Ilya’s senior and future head coach, Vasily had to stay in St. Petersburg, while Sergey was accompanied to the competition by their choreographer and assistant coach.

Zhang Jue expressed his regret about this. If Vasily had come, he would’ve taken him along to try some duck vermicelli soup.

During the group photo, Zhang Jue stood with Sergey and David. The photographer waved and shouted in English: “Closer! Get closer!”

Alright, let’s get closer.

Sergey casually placed his hand around Zhang Jue’s waist, while David, known in the skating world for not being straight, kept his hands respectfully away from Zhang Jue’s waist. Meanwhile, Zhang Jue remained calm, with a poised and graceful smile, as if the medal ceremony was nothing more than an ordinary event.

Seeing this, ice skating fans laughed, joking that this was the difference between straight and non-straight people: the straight guy didn’t think anything of it, while the non-straight one was extra cautious.

However, after receiving their medals, David still had a chat with Zhang Jue.

They were the two tallest men in the men’s singles event. David knew his real height was 186 cm, while Zhang Jue claimed to be 180 cm, but David thought he had grown just a little bit since last year.

In this world where people usually exaggerate their height, men’s singles skaters were one of the few who consistently reported their height as lower than it really was.

David whispered to Zhang Jue: “Ever since I grew taller, I’ve felt like my axis tilts backward when I jump. Core training helps, but it’s still not as easy as it is for shorter skaters.”

Zhang Jue nodded in agreement: “Exactly! Once the center of gravity gets higher, it’s so much harder to control. And I have really long legs, so it feels like my center of gravity is closer to my legs than my core. It took me a long time to adjust.”

He counted on his fingers: “At first, I couldn’t stabilize, and I had to use both arms to help adjust my axis. It wasn’t until this year, after my core strength improved, that I could put my hands down while jumping.”

During his growth spurt, his weight increased too fast, and raising his arms helped him tighten his core and increase his rotation speed. At that time, Zhang Jue hadn’t yet switched to a power-based jumping technique, so raising his arms actually benefited him.

But now, his strength has increased, and raising his arms is no longer necessary—it all depends on his mood.

David chimed in: “Exactly! I also adjusted my axis by raising my arms, but once the axis was stable, I didn’t need to anymore. After all, my jumps weren’t stable with my arms up. I remember there’s a girl named Olivia in North America, quite tall, she just moved up to the senior level this year, already 1.68 meters, but she can’t jump without raising her arms. Even for a double jump combo, she has to raise her arms twice. Oh man, her rhythm in jumps is really poor.”

Olivia would be the future USA women’s singles champion.

Zhang Jue knew of her and frowned instinctively: “That’s because she hasn’t built up her core strength. Without raising her arms, she can’t stay stable. But that technique isn’t good for long-term development.”

Both Zhang Jue and David had learned proper basic jumps when they were young and only raised their arms later to earn higher GOE. But their jumping techniques were always standardized.

However, that girl Olivia jump axis was off, which meant that her joints would endure more stress upon landing. Over time, this would be detrimental to her health. But with women’s singles careers being short, Zhang Jue could understand if she gave up practicing proper techniques in favor of short-term results by raising her arms.

Of course, what strangers choose to do has nothing to do with Zhang Jue. Xu Chuo had called him earlier asking about the feasibility of such techniques, and Zhang Jue had immediately scolded her.

Her bones were already weak, and she was still messing around with such techniques. Was the girl trying to get herself fractured? He told her to practice proper techniques diligently, eat solid meals, and build muscle. Once her axis was correct, whether she raised her arms or not would be up to her!

Zhang Jue also called Xu Chuo’s coach, Ming Jia, and blocked any attempts for her to practice secretly.

Athletes like Cha Hanbuhua, Min Shan, and Jiang Yihong all trained properly from the very basics, just like Shen Liu. Any unhealthy technical habits were swiftly corrected by Coach Lu, along with strength training from their uncle and nutritional meals from Aunt Ning.

These kids may or may not make it to the top, but they would definitely have longer careers than others.

They were still talking about techniques when Keiko joined the conversation.

Although she was short, she was also a member of the standardized technique group, which is why she managed to skate from Sochi to Pyeongchang.

Don’t be fooled by Keiko’s late-career injuries—competing in two Winter Olympics was proof of her resilience in a sport where female skaters are quickly replaced.

Keiko sighed: “Nowadays, many girls ignore proper techniques and push for difficulty, just to get results before their prime ends. But if they want high scores without standardized techniques…well, unless they come from the U.S., Canada, or Russia.”

They continued chatting and realized that Oliver wouldn’t have risen so quickly if she hadn’t been from a top country. Especially with that performance score—it wasn’t just overinflated, it was like the floodgates had opened.

But Keiko remained confident: “That girl’s toughest jump combo is only a 3F+3T, and her 3Lz is far from standard. She’s no match for me.”

Keiko’s toughest combo was a 3Lz+3Lo, and she had recently been practicing the 3A with her sister, though she was stuck at the strength stage.

Then, they started talking about the exchange program China and the Japanese Skating Federation were preparing.

It’s well known that China technical standards are strict and excel at helping skaters “come out of the lake” (make breakthroughs). Star skater Zhang Jue turned into a record-breaking machine right after making his breakthrough, and he would’ve beaten Vasily if not for biased judging.

Meanwhile, Japan specializes in developing strong skating skills, with their A-jump technique being internationally renowned. The Japanese Skating Federation proposed sending their athletes and coaches to Rabbit Village for a month during the off-season, sharing knowledge, and wrapping up with a commercial performance.

The China Skating Federation was quite tempted by the idea, and since everyone—from leaders to athletes—was enthusiastic, there was a high chance it would happen.

Just then, Zhang Junbao called out to Zhang Jue.

“Little Jue, come here! Look who’s here.”

Zhang Jue turned around and exclaimed in surprise.

Keiko followed Zhang Jue’s gaze and saw a 1.75-meter-tall, classically handsome man in his early thirties—a refined and elegant gentleman, like a scholar from an ancient aristocratic family. If Genji Hikaru were 30 years old, this is what he would look like.

“Dad!”

Zhang Jue, who had been discussing figure skating techniques so passionately, happily bounded over and immediately hugged his father.

Though Zhang Jue was 1.80 meters tall and full of muscle, and Xu Yan had a slender frame, he didn’t fall over from the hug.

After all, Zhang Jue’s mom wasn’t light either, and Xu Yan had long since developed a solid stance from everyday life with his wife.

Xu Yan skillfully shifted into a horse stance and held up his eldest son.

Zhang Jue asked excitedly: “Dad, why are you in Shanghai?”

Xu Yan smiled lovingly: “I created a new dish, and a friend who tried it invited me to Shanghai to participate in a chef competition.”

Zhang Jue asked curiously: “A new dish? Better than the fermented black bean goose pot?”

The fermented black bean goose pot, sauerkraut soymilk fish pot, and fruity ham pot were the top three signature dishes at their family’s restaurant.

Xu Yan pinched his son’s cheek playfully: “Different flavor, not comparable.”

Zhang Junbao, standing nearby, said helplessly: “Your brother-in-law’s new dish is a mixed mushroom hotpot, inspired by vegetarian cuisine. All the ingredients are things you can eat too, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on family meals when you come home.”

In reality, Xu Yan had developed this dish out of love for his son. It was healthy and delicious, and it had been recommended to the competition by a well-known gourmet.

Sigh, his brother-in-law spoiled his son too much. Even with his sister around, Zhang Jue occasionally went overboard. Without her supervision, who knows what Zhang Jue would do?

Xu Yan’s cooking competition ended at two o’clock, and he reportedly won a gold medal. But being a humble man, he never bragged about his honors. He simply told Zhang Jue that he had some leftover ingredients and could cook a meal for him.

Not only did he want to treat his son, but also Zhang Jue’s coaches and teammates, to thank them for taking care of his little Zhang Jue.

Back when Zhang Jue was on the provincial team, Head Coach Song lost the last of his hair, Shen Liu constantly used hair growth products, Zhang Junbao developed chronic liver disease from staying up late, and Coach Lu, at 73, lost 10 kilograms. His high cholesterol and high blood sugar even improved significantly from all the stress.

Since they had worried so much about his son, Xu Yan felt it was only right to treat them to a meal.

They happily left together, unaware that a certain basketball coach, who had come to Shanghai for a friendly game and to watch his nephew’s competition, was hiding behind some bushes, his face filled with a mix of anger and fear.

“Xu Yan… what’s he doing in Shanghai?”

Lan Kun didn’t have a good impression of Xu Yan.

When they were younger, that martial artist was always cunning, acting like a well-behaved younger brother in front of Sister Yan. But before she and Lan Kun’s brother got married, Xu Yan had shown up with a mop to pick a fight. The way he wielded that mop was fierce, so much so that Lan Kun didn’t dare get close and could only watch his brother get beaten. Afterward, Xu Yan warned them sternly: “Don’t treat Sister Yan badly.”

Later, when Lan Jun mistreated Zhang Qingyan, Xu Yan immediately canceled his family’s matchmaking plans and came to steal his brother’s fiancée. The worst part was that Sister Yan actually left with him, and even little Zhang Jue ended up being raised by him like a son.

Lan Kun’s tall basketball players were stunned, seeing their coach crouched down, seething and lost in thought.

Their captain, urged by the others, finally gathered his courage and called out.

“Coach, are you okay?”

 

…

 

With his dad around, Zhang Jue was a happy little crocodile. As Xu Yan politely chatted with Coach Lu, Zhang Jue sat beside them, eating non-stop.

Qin Xuejun silently poured a cup of water and let it cool. When Zhang Jue reached for the kettle, Qin Xuejun pushed the cup in front of him, his actions identical to Xu Yan’s.

Xu Yan exchanged a glance with the young man and smiled even more warmly.

Once Zhang Jue had almost finished eating, he heard his uncle ask his dad: “When does my brother plan to return to H City?”

Xu Yan answered gently: “I haven’t bought the tickets yet, but I should be leaving tomorrow.”

Zhang Jue quickly swallowed his food and interjected: “No, dad, stay and watch my competition before you leave.”

Xu Yan was a chef and, though he occasionally traveled, he usually left the business to his apprentices. He rarely attended his son’s competitions. When he saw Zhang Jue blinking at him with eyes full of pleading, Xu Yan hesitated.

Zhang Jue shot his uncle a glance.

Zhang Junbao understood.

He cleared his throat and said: “Brother-in-law, you and Sister rarely get to watch the kids’ competitions in person. Since you’re in Shanghai this time, it would be a good opportunity to take some pictures of little Jue and show them to sister.”

Zhang Junbao’s words hit the mark. Xu Yan and Zhang Qingyan had a close relationship, and he knew his wife missed their eldest son, even though she didn’t say it out loud. If staying a couple more days in Shanghai for Xiao Yu’s competition would make her happy, he figured she would appreciate it.

He sighed. “Alright, I’ll stay.”

Even though he couldn’t help in any other way, as a father, he could still take a picture and give his son a little toy.

 

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