Despite experiencing growing pains, the competition had to go on.

By the time the check-up was done, the short program competition for the last group of male singles had ended, and Zhang Jue was informed he needed to go collect a small medal.

Zhang Junbao suddenly remembered to ask: “What place did he get?”

Shen Liu asked a few questions in Russian, and the staff kindly replied: “Zhang is second in the short program, just behind Sergey. Ilya is in third place. You all need to go receive your medals and attend an interview together.”

Although Sergey was known as the perpetual third place in world-class events, unable to break through the rivalry between Vasily and Maquen, his skills were actually quite good.

In international competitions, there’s an unspoken rule that the top skaters from each country usually receive the best scores. Judges from different blocs tend to give their highest-scoring resources to their top skaters. For example, Vasily, as the top skater from Russia, received scoring benefits only matched by Maquen, the top European. Second-tier skaters like Sergey didn’t get the same treatment.

Sergey’s skills were indeed a bit inferior to Vasily’s, and he had been stuck as the second-tier skater for years, unable to surpass Vasily. His scoring treatment was slightly better than Ilya’s, but still better than Zhang Jue’s.

In other words, even the top skater from China couldn’t match the scoring benefits of the second-tier Russian skater. If it weren’t for Zhang Jue’s excellent performance, he wouldn’t have outscored Ilya.

The Russian judges didn’t suppress Zhang Jue’s score this time, but the scoring benefits for the two Russian skaters were substantial, with their GOEs easily breaking 2 and performance scores rising rapidly.

On the other hand, China wasn’t known for strong male singles skaters. Zhang Jue’s ability to outperform Ilya in the short program was actually surprising to many.
Due to Shen Liu’s pre-competition warning, Zhang Jue had mentally prepared himself to come home with a bronze medal.

But this didn’t upset the Russian fans, as Zhang Jue had just beaten Maquen, Vasily’s arch-rival, at the US leg. For some, seeing Maquen only able to secure a second place in a segment was enough to make them happy for half a year.

Russian figure skating fans, straightforward in their likes and dislikes, would be your friends as long as you could beat Maquen.

Additionally, many pure skating fans had a good impression of this young challenger who had recently joined the senior ranks and was already boldly taking on world champions. After all, Zhang Jue’s scores were earned purely through skill, and in competitive sports, skilled athletes never lacked popularity.

The only trouble for Zhang Jue and Shen Liu was during the interviews when the reporters spoke heavily accented English.

After struggling to understand a few sentences, Shen Liu honestly admitted: “I understand Russian. Please speak Russian.”

As for Zhang Jue, who had managed interviews independently at the US leg, he felt like he was listening to a foreign language, despite maintaining a polite smile. Those who knew him could tell he was mentally absent.

Seeing him like this, Shen Liu sighed inwardly.

This kid couldn’t understand heavily accented English, so he probably wouldn’t fare well with Japanese-accented English either.

Though he was an assistant coach, he also had to double as a translator and language tutor, with no end in sight.

On the way back, his uncle patted his head, comforting him: “You’ve grown nearly two centimeters in half a month. Growing this fast is bound to be uncomfortable. I went through this stage too. Just bear with it; it’ll be over soon.”

As he spoke, he started to laugh: “I used to worry that you’d never grow taller because of figure skating. If you never reached 1.65 meters, your mom would’ve killed me.”

Shen Liu and Yang Zhiyuan also burst into hearty laughter.

Shen Liu reassured Zhang Jue: “Don’t worry, this growth spurt will last at most two months. I remember my senior brother grew six centimeters in one summer, and his height hasn’t changed since.”

Yang Zhiyuan nodded: “Yes, he grew three centimeters in one month, which scared our coach so much he couldn’t enjoy his meals. But then it stopped just like that. You and your uncle share a lot of traits, so your growth process should be similar.”

Looking at their naive smiles, Zhang Jue thought to himself that they would soon be too stressed to enjoy their meals.

Then the kid took a calcium tablet, drank 200 milliliters of milk, collapsed onto his bed, closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

A few hours later, Zhang Jue woke up in pain, his calves aching and his stomach growling loudly. It was 3 a.m.

Zhang Jue: Almost forgot, during my growth spurt, I was always hungry, sometimes waking up in the middle of the night to make fried rice with leftovers, and eating two bowls of noodles in the morning.

He reached into his backpack, feeling for his stash of snacks, and found a note with Zhang Junbao’s flamboyant handwriting.

“Eat less.”

Zhang Jue: “…”

He reluctantly put his beloved taro chips back, curled up on the bed, and held his stomach.

There were quite a few male singles skaters over 1.80 meters in figure skating, and some could still do quadruple jumps, like David Bisoli, who was 1.86 meters tall.

However, growing so much at once would undoubtedly impact his technique significantly.

Just like David, who, as Belgium’s top male skater, had no rivals in the junior ranks but struggled for two years in the senior ranks due to a ten-centimeter growth spurt, which completely threw off his center of gravity, making even triple jumps unstable.

In a few months, Zhang Jue might be less competitive than David was two years ago. If he gained weight, his jumps would be doomed.

Zhang Jue tried to control his diet, but his uncle began to relax the restrictions.

At breakfast, his uncle loaded his plate with meat: “You need more protein. Once we get back, you should take more vitamin D. This is your last big growth phase. If male singles skaters get through this well, they gain a lot of strength. Missing this opportunity means you’ll never have it again.”

“Look at Shen Liu. He didn’t get enough nutrients back then, so his bones are more fragile. A minor mistake on a triple jump led to an injury that ended his career. Don’t be like him.”

Shen Liu wasn’t offended by the mention and agreed wholeheartedly: “Exactly. This is a crucial time for you. Strong bones mean a longer career. There was a girl named Huo Xiaobing, coached by your uncle. She overdid it with dieting and training during her growth phase. She only grew to 1.52 meters and was prone to fractures. She retired before you joined the provincial team because of injuries.”

Saying this, he peeled an egg for Zhang Jue.

“Eat more. Your body fat is too low. I could see your leg muscles bulging during your jumps. You don’t have enough energy reserves for growth. Eat more for these two months. You can lose weight again after you finish growing.”

With the principle of prioritizing health and necessary supplements, the two coaches adopted a cafeteria-lady approach, ensuring Zhang Jue’s breakfast caught the attention of other athletes and coaches.

Those Chinese coaches must be crazy. Jue’s a world-class skater known for his quadruple Salchow. If he gains weight, what then?

Someone passing by scoffed: “Pig.”

Zhang Jue didn’t understand and kept eating. Shen Liu frowned in displeasure.

He knew Russian, which wasn’t a secret, but that guy mocked Zhang Jue right in front of him. Did he really think Coach Shen wouldn’t get angry?

Back in the day, he and Senior Zhang fought in group brawls together!

Though it might not look good for a coach to confront a foreign athlete over some harsh words, he wouldn’t mind finding a mop, dipping it in the toilet, and disgusting the kid.

Getting disgusted by a mop with feces would be mild compared to what would happen if Zhang Junbao heard this. The kid’s face would be smashed flat like a brick, just like what happened to that basketball team member years ago.

Then, Sergey passed by and scolded the boy without hesitation: “Vadim, if you can’t be polite, then keep quiet. They are foreign athletes. Are you trying to tarnish the image of our country’s athletes with your rudeness?”

Vadim snorted: “Don’t lecture me. I’m just stating the truth. No figure skater eats as much as he does.”

He then lifted his chin towards Zhang Jue and walked away. Sergey nodded to them, saying: “He’s just a small fry, don’t mind him.”

Then Sergey also left. If Shen Liu didn’t understand Russian, with Sergey’s constant expression as if someone owed him millions, it might have looked like he was there to cause trouble.

Shen Liu internally rubbed his chin, surprised to find that the second Russian skater was actually a decent person.

Zhang Jue and Zhang Junbao crowded around Shen Liu, asking: “What did that kid say just now?”

Seeing their identical, clear phoenix eyes, Shen Liu coughed and said: “Just some irrelevant nonsense. You don’t need to bother with it.”

Zhang Junbao simply responded with an “Oh,” and didn’t ask further. He then turned to Zhang Jue: “Little Jue, finish the chicken leg, then let’s go for a walk to digest.”

By the afternoon, the men’s singles event started promptly at six o’clock.

Zhang Jue sat in a chair while Yang Ning massaged his calves. The boy complained: “My arms are uncomfortable too.”

For most people, arm span is about the same as height, but Zhang Jue had longer arms. In his past life, his adult height was 179 cm, but his arm span was 187 cm.

While having a long arm span is advantageous in basketball, Zhang Jue preferred soccer since he was relatively short for basketball and had to put in extra effort to dunk.

Zhang Junbao applied a hot herbal pack to his arm, skillfully comforting the boy: “Just bear with it. It’ll be over in two months. Having long limbs is a good thing, makes you look elegant.”

Outside, the competition was ongoing, and there was a live broadcast on backstage TVs, allowing athletes to warm up while watching their competitors.
Bored, Zhang Jue looked up at the TV and noticed the competition was in the third group, with the boy who had rolled his eyes at him in the morning now performing.

The boy looked very young, probably under 20, with black hair and green eyes, and a typical Slavic-Tatar mixed face. He was slender, likely no taller than 165 cm, with shoulder-length hair.

He looks a lot like me now, Zhang Jue realized. Moreover, the guy’s jumps were identical to his.

He’s also a skater who relies on speed!

Shen Liu saw his interest and casually said: “That’s Vadim, a Russian men’s singles skater. He tried the 4T but didn’t succeed. He switched jumping techniques this season to manage a still unstable quadruple jump.”

Yang Zhiyuan wondered: “Is he imitating our Little Jue?”

Zhang Junbao, observing Vadim’s opening 4T, confirmed: “He’s definitely copying Little Jue. But his jump quality isn’t as good. He stepped on the blade during the takeoff, missing about 120 degrees in rotation, though the judges didn’t penalize him.”

The 4T is a toe loop, requiring skaters to use the toe pick to push off. Some skaters, however, use the whole blade to push off, which is improper technique.
And the reason judges didn’t penalize Vadim’s blade push-off was simple: home advantage. Unless the skater had offended them, Russian judges would often turn a blind eye to minor errors of their own athletes, even if they didn’t inflate their scores.

Zhang Jue had tried using the blade push-off technique for the 4T, finding it easier to exert force and land with more control. But he ultimately gave it up.
Sometimes, taking shortcuts might yield immediate benefits, but improper techniques would only sow future problems. Winning medals through cheating wasn’t satisfying either.

Zhang Jue preferred to stick with the correct toe-pick technique and face off with his 4T properly.

Vadim’s free skate was to “Carmen.” He tied up his black hair with a red ribbon, performing in a fiery red costume, scoring 163 points, seemingly a personal best. Seeing his score, Vadim excitedly hugged his coach.

With Shen Liu translating, Zhang Jue, Uncle Zhang, and the team doctor understood that the commentators praised Vadim’s breakthrough performance and suggested he might make it to the podium for this stage.

Interestingly, the camera soon focused on Ilya waiting to compete.

Last year, Ilya also skated to “Carmen,” but he never performed a clean program and was criticized for lacking passion and appeal. This year, he switched to Igor Krutoy’s “Sad Angel,” a combination of Russian music and a Russian skater that received better reviews.

Shen Liu chuckled: “A podium? Sergey, Ilya, and our Little Jue aren’t dead. It won’t be his turn.”

Zhang Junbao looked puzzled: “Why don’t you like him? He did roll his eyes at us this morning, but as seniors, we shouldn’t hold grudges against juniors.”

Holding a grudge over an eye-roll would seem too petty.

For the sake of Vadim not getting his face smashed, Shen Liu swallowed his words and obediently nodded: “Yes, Senior.”

Zhang Jue took a sip of his drink, swallowed a painkiller, and got up to stretch his legs.

Yang Zhiyuan reminded him: “Try to relax. If you stay too tense, you might cramp easily in your condition.”

Zhang Jue nodded, then the first skater of the last group took the ice.

Then, the competition took a strange turn.

In figure skating, there’s an odd phenomenon—sometimes, the competition gets so fierce that everyone skates cleanly, creating a showdown, while other times, they all fall as if the ice were cursed.

In the final group of the Russian stage, unfortunately, everyone fell together.

The first skater fell twice on his jumps, the second skater did slightly better but still stumbled during a combination jump, and the third skater under-rotated his 3A, which was downgraded by the judges, turning it into a 2A.

When Ilya took the ice, he fell on his opening quadruple jump, rolling across the ice, but managed to pull his score back with his later combinations and 3A.

Zhang Jue topped it all with a flat fall during his footwork sequence. In the latter part of the routine, he gave up on the 3T and 2T combinations because his left leg cramped up, forcing him to use his right leg for the 3Lo.

The last competitor, Sergey, didn’t fare much better. He made mistakes on three consecutive jumps, but managed to salvage his landings thanks to his extensive competition experience. His recovery was reminiscent of Zhang Jue’s ability to force his body into the correct landing position when performing a 4T jump, relying on strong reflexes and flexible joints.

Achieving a clean program in figure skating is quite rare, and that’s why audiences get so excited when it happens. The chances of seeing a clean program in a competition are similar to winning a lottery, so witnessing it is a big deal.

During the free skate at the Russia event, the last group of skaters made so many mistakes that even their own coaches couldn’t bear to watch. Notably, if Zhang Jue hadn’t experienced a leg cramp in the latter half and firmly used his right foot to handle most of the moves, Vadim might have made it to the podium.
Fortunately, Zhang Jue quickly adjusted the difficulty of his jumps after noticing the issue. In the end, he secured the bronze medal at the Russian event by a narrow margin of 3 points.

When his score was announced, Zhang Junbao hugged his child tightly, while Shen Liu clapped joyfully and subtly glanced towards Vadim’s direction. Vadim’s face turned darker than Cha Hanbuhuahua, which was quite impressive.

Having competed in two events, Zhang Jue had accumulated 26 points from one gold and one bronze medal, placing him second in the current rankings. With the French and Japanese events still ongoing, the leaderboard was expected to see fierce competition. However, based on past trends, 26 points were usually enough to secure a spot in the Grand Prix Final. This meant that the 15-year-old Zhang Jue had earned a ticket to the prestigious final in his first year after moving up to the senior level.

After breaking free from his uncle’s embrace, Zhang Jue stood up and waved to the surrounding crowd. Someone shouted: “Tama-chan, love you!” Zhang Jue turned to see Yoon Mijung from the Kazakhstan team waving at him, while Liu Mengcheng held up fans featuring Ilya and Zhang Jue.

The camera zoomed in on them, showing the top ice dancers with their fans on the big screen, which drew a burst of good-natured laughter from the audience, celebrating the athletes’ friendships.

Ilya’s coach, Mr. Boris, noticed this and suggested to Sergey: “Those fans are selling well, aren’t they?” After receiving confirmation, the coach proposed: “Why don’t you hold up a little crocodile next time?” Sergey hesitated, not wanting to promote such “black history” merchandise.

Despite his reluctance, when stepping onto the podium, both Sergey and Ilya instinctively tried to assist Zhang Jue, but he effortlessly climbed up on his own. After examining Zhang Jue, Sergey asked: “Did you grow taller?” Ilya added: “Have you hit puberty? Congratulations.”

Zhang Jue smiled politely and replied: “Thank you.”

Watching from the side, Zhang Junbao observed: “He has definitely grown. His pants look shorter, but they seem loose. It looks like all the nutrition is going to his height.”

Shen Liu adjusted his glasses: “If he grows another 7 to 8 centimeters, his current costume might not fit anymore. We should inform the studio to prepare a new one.”

Good News! Our Brother Made it to the Finals!

1L:
As the title suggests, after all these years, our country finally has a male skater in the senior Grand Prix Final! This is a historic breakthrough!

2L:
I’m so thrilled! My heart was pounding during the livestream. The ice at the Russian event seemed cursed, with one skater falling after another. I almost thought our little crocodile would fail, but he made it to the podium in the end!

3L:
Our current champion may be young, but he’s incredibly strong. I love him more and more. His free skate choreography gives me the feeling of watching a child transform into a more mature performer. Madam Mia’s choreography highlighting male dance qualities turned out amazingly well.

4L:
Our champion is a reliable kid. Despite his playful nature, he never fails in critical moments. Making it to the Grand Prix Final basically means being one of the world’s top six. He’s definitely a top-tier male skater.

5L:
The little crocodile’s performance at this event wasn’t as good as in the US, but since everyone else fell, his performance score helped him beat Vadim to the podium. Otherwise, he might have ended up in fourth place.

6L:
If he had been fourth, he would have only had 24 points. Then his entry into the final would have depended on luck.

7L:
Our champion’s luck… Haha, it’s good that he secured the bronze. I never expected him to rely on luck for anything good.

8L:
The little crocodile’s luck has become a running joke in figure skating. I even heard laughter when he was the first to perform in the short program. So, even the Russian fans know his luck is a mystery?

9L:
Definitely. Our champion’s journey has been tough, competing without much support, facing older, more experienced competitors. He’s the only hope of his village, carrying a lot of pressure and always pushing himself.

10L:
Speaking of which, I found a good alternative at the Russian event, Vadim. Although he’s not as handsome as our little crocodile, he’s a pretty good-looking guy, and their physiques and styles are very similar. He also has great rotational speed and can do the doughnut spin.

11L:
The doughnut spin? I remember that move requires flexibility, though not as much as a Biellmann spin. Few male skaters can do it. Is it Vadim?

12L:
Yes, Vadim. He also has long hair, and I feel like Vadim and our champion are more alike than Xu Chuo.

13L:
Xu Chuo used to jump with power but switched to rotational speed last year. But we already have our champion, so why need an alternative? Our champion excels in expression, jumps, and looks. Watching him is enough. I’m also tired of Carmen, there are new ones every year, but few are innovative. Our champion’s programs are always interesting.

14L:
We know our champion is great, but we can’t just watch him. He doesn’t engage much outside of competitions and doesn’t even have a social media account. When he’s not competing, we can’t find him. We need someone else to follow too. It’s not like we can only be fans of our champion.

15L

Um, the upstairs comment is correct. Little Crocodile is great, but there are people who are just as good, if not better. We are fans of figure skating and have the right to like all excellent athletes, don’t we? Using only one approach is not nice.

16L

But I don’t like Vadim, not because of Little Crocodile, but because he seems so rude. Remember when Little Crocodile’s scores came out and the camera was on Vadim’s face? His expression was so dark, and it took him a while to reluctantly clap.

17L

It’s normal to have a dark face after losing a competition. Our Little Crocodile also gets a dark face.

18L

To respond to the comment above, Little Crocodile has never had a dark face because he rarely loses.

19L

Right, although he looked a bit disappointed when he saw the scores this time, it was probably because after beating Maquen, he wanted to continue challenging Sergey. He didn’t expect to fall flat on the ground. However, after his disappointment, he was very friendly on the podium with Sergey and Ilya and even talked with them. This kid is straightforward but always well-mannered and polite.

20L

You know, everyone thinks Little Crocodile is a social butterfly in figure skating by 2012. Do people still believe he’s straightforward? No way, right? Don’t forget that figure skating is a competitive sport, and there’s definitely some tension between rivals. But he acts friendly with everyone. How can a straightforward person do that? He’s definitely a schemer! I prefer those who show their true emotions after losing. At least it shows they express their feelings honestly.

21L

Wow, the person above is so full of negativity. Since when is it wrong to get along well with others?

22L

Our Little Crocodile can talk nicely with those who beat him because he can handle losing. He’s popular because he’s cute, brave, honest, kind, and very skilled. He trained hard and made history as the first male single skater from our country to enter the Grand Prix Final. Being likable and being a schemer are not synonymous. The person above should retake their language classes.

23L

Yes, and besides being an outstanding athlete, Little Crocodile is also a top student who got into the top high school on his own merit. How can such a kid not be likable? I dream of having a kid like him in the future.

24L

Me too. I’m only 18, but seeing Little Crocodile makes me want to have kids, haha. I’ve become a mom fan without realizing it.

25L

I’m a big sister fan 【covering face】, even though I’m 10 years older than Little Crocodile.

26L

But if we really had a kid like him, everyone would have headaches, haha. Ever since Shen started coaching Zhang Jue, his hairline has receded. Look, he’s now styling his hair with bangs, but he used to prefer slicked-back hair when he was active.

27L

However, Coach Zhang’s hairline remains as safe as ever. Looking at his face and hair volume, you wouldn’t guess he’s already 33 years old.

28L

I regularly drool over Coach Zhang. Ever since his swimsuit poster came out, the posters keep getting stolen. Behind every missing poster is at least one, or even a group of, cultured thieves.

29L

What cultured thieves, haha. I’m reminded of the classic joke from this forum: “Yuer, I’m your long-lost little auntie!”

30L

Hahaha, there are many auntie fans on this forum. By the way, Xu Chuo’s sister seems to have also qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, but unfortunately, she always loses to Shiratsuka Keiko. It’s like she’s her nemesis. Do the judges favor Japanese skaters over China skaters when scoring?

31L
Yes, but since following her current coach Zhao, Xu Chuo’s jump stability has greatly improved. Her jumps are now lighter, but she’s so thin now. Her coach must be very strict. In contrast, Coach Zhang spoils his kids too much. Our Little Crocodile is becoming unruly, haha.

32L
If Coach Zhao were coaching, Little Crocodile wouldn’t dare be so wild on the rink. Coach Zhao is famously strict. Unfortunately, he and Coach Zhang are related, so switching coaches is out of the question.

33L
Why do I feel little crocodile has also lost a lot of weight this year? His legs are like bamboo sticks—long, straight, and shockingly thin. I wonder how he has the strength to jump.

34L
Little Crocodile has grown a lot this year. He doesn’t look like an elementary school kid anymore, probably due to puberty.

35L
They say nephews take after their uncles. If Coach Zhang is only 1.7 meters tall, then Little Crocodile’s puberty should be manageable. Now, we just hope he gains more strength. His jumps are too low, it seems he relies solely on rotation speed for quad jumps. He mentioned practicing the 4T two years ago, but he still hasn’t mastered it.

36L
However, only Vasily has mastered two types of quad jumps, showing how difficult it is to master new quad jumps. For Little Crocodile, rotation speed is his best asset. He didn’t earn the title of World’s Fastest Spinner for nothing. His jumps are quite far and look beautiful to me.

37L
In comparison, Vadim’s jumps rely purely on rotation speed and lack distance. However, achieving the beauty and power of Little Crocodile’s jumps also requires talent. Not everyone has star-level talent.

38L
Little Crocodile’s jump distance is related to his fast skating. Vadim struggles with his skating, so he can’t compare in distance. However, since Vadim also has a quad jump, he shouldn’t be underestimated. Little Crocodile should be cautious, as he almost lost at the Russia stop.

39L
I hope this kid calms down and improves his stability in competitions. Otherwise, I feel he should change coaches. Coach Zhang spoils him too much. Sometimes, when Little Crocodile can’t adjust to the time difference, Coach Zhang even carries him to the hotel. Even in real life, parents rarely spoil their kids this much. Little Crocodile is already 15, he should walk on his own!

40L
Eh? Although Little Crocodile is wild, he has never messed up in key competitions. Regarding stability, he’s the most stable China male single skater to date. Check his competition statistics before commenting. In the figure skating world, he’s already considered very stable. Even Maquen, known for his stability, has had mishaps, but our Little Crocodile hasn’t.

41L
Isn’t Coach Zhang doing a great job with Little Crocodile? His techniques are superbly precise, his stamina and artistic expression are top-notch. Do you think he got here solely on talent? The coaching team definitely supports him greatly. Don’t get brainwashed by Xu Chuo’s mom’s propaganda.

42L
But Little Crocodile doesn’t even want to go to the national team for training. Isn’t this proof that his uncle is holding him back? Look, has any previous top skater stayed in the provincial team instead of moving up? I still think he should aim higher. If he joined the national team, he’d get more resources, like overseas training.

43L
Great, I sense this post is going to turn into an argument again. By the way, does anyone remember that Little Crocodile stayed home to balance his studies and didn’t want to leave his prestigious high school? Wake up, people! There are no special university recruitment spots for figure skating! If Little Crocodile doesn’t study, are you going to take his exams for him?

……

Zhang Jue’s competition in Russia was in early November, and the Grand Prix Final was in early December, meaning he had about a month to make final adjustments to his condition.

As the first male singles skater from China to make it to the Grand Prix Final, it was Zhang Jue’s responsibility to use this time for intensive training to achieve a good result in the final.

However, when he returned to the country, everyone from Songcheng to the cafeteria staff realized that Zhang Jue’s intensive training might not happen.

This was because the kid had not only officially entered puberty but was growing rapidly, with significant reactions. In less than half a month, Zhang Jue’s usual ice skates no longer fit because his feet had grown larger as he grew taller, and the old skates were too tight.

For a figure skater, changing skates was particularly troublesome and was akin to adding insult to injury.

That wasn’t all. The kid vividly illustrated the peak of growing pains. Even though the coaching team tried their best to reduce training and extend the time and effort put into physical therapy, Zhang Jue still felt the pain.

If the kid just wanted to pretend to be in pain to avoid training, the coaching team wouldn’t worry, at most, they’d just scold him. But Zhang Jue was genuinely in pain.

Waking up in the middle of the night from pain and hunger was a basic routine for Zhang Jue during puberty. Mrs. Zhang Qingyan more than once got up in the middle of the night to cook boiled vegetables for him and then used hot towels to soothe his arms and legs.

By the time the Grand Prix Final arrived, Zhang Jue was 163 cm tall without skates, successfully matching Cui Zhengshu’s height.

But anyone with a keen eye knew he still had room to grow.

On the last day before departure, Zhang Jue insisted on skating a few laps and doing some jump training on the ice before hugging a moxibustion bag and falling asleep in the back seat of the car.

Zhang Junbao looked at his breathing evenly, watching the rise and fall of his chest in the rearview mirror, and felt full of helplessness

“Why is this kid in so much pain? I didn’t hurt this much, and neither did my sister and brother-in-law.”

Shen Liu thought for a moment: “Could it be due to the quadruple jump training? You didn’t hurt because you didn’t train for the quadruple jump back then, right?”

Zhang Junbao indeed hadn’t trained for the quadruple jump. Due to a hip injury, he didn’t even master the triple Axel, his double Axel was just particularly smooth.

Just then, a ringtone rang out.

“After the infinitely extending dreams…”

Facing Shen Liu’s look of “You still watch Digimon?”, Zhang Junbao cleared his throat and quickly answered the phone, glancing back to make sure Zhang Little Jue wasn’t woken up.

“Hello, who is it?”

A voice that still made Zhang Junbao instinctively want to grab a brick even after 15 years.

“It’s me, ahem, Lan Kun.”

Zhang Junbao was silent for a long time, then suddenly let out an “Ah”, startling Shen Liu in the passenger seat.

Lan Kun, unsure of what the person who once put him in the hospital was “ah-ing” about, stood by the wall, adopting a defensive posture against his wife’s disdainful look, and spoke with a wary yet firm tone.

“I watched TV. Little Jue has started growing taller, right? Well, even though we haven’t seen each other for over a decade, he’s still my nephew. I just wanted to remind you that he might grow pretty fast, so make sure to buy him some moisturizer to prevent stretch marks.”

“Stretch marks?”

Lan Kun remained cautious as if expecting a brick to fly at his face any moment, flattening it and making him afraid to show his face for months, similar to the trauma his brother felt when seeing folding chairs—psychological scars left by the Zhang siblings.

“Yes, if he grows too fast, he might get unsightly marks on his skin. Make sure to moisturize him.”

Zhang Junbao stared ahead. After a while, he stammered: “How tall is your brother? It’s been over ten years, and I’ve forgotten his height.”

Lan Kun’s brow twitched, and he replied: “I’m 1.91 meters, and my brother is 1.93 meters. Why?”

Thud.

Zhang Junbao’s phone fell onto the steering wheel.

Fifteen years after his sister and her ex-husband’s divorce, the uncle suddenly remembered that their Little Jue’s biological father wasn’t Xu Yan!

Because Xu Yan was so close and affectionate with Little Jue, he had completely forgotten about it!

 

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