Children really change quickly. For example, Zhang Jue had already reached the end of his voice-changing period without even realizing it. After a month of not seeing him, Yin Meijing found that the little crocodile’s voice had changed from the clear, childlike voice she remembered to a clear and bright male voice.

How pleasant was that voice? When Yin Meijing spoke to him, Zhang Jue responded with “uh-huhs” and “yeahs,” and it made her ears feel tingly.

The finals were held in Sochi, the site of next year’s Winter Olympics. According to the competition rules, the order of appearance was based on the ranking on the points leaderboard. However, this year several athletes had the same points, so the organizers decided to hold a draw ceremony, causing Zhang Junbao and Shen Liu to curse.

Originally, Zhang Jue was second on the points list, allowing him to skate second to last, but now he had to… ugh!
The draw ceremony prepared by the organizers was similar to a banquet. The skaters dressed in formal attire, walked the red carpet, and waited in leather chairs for their names to be called to pick a badge engraved with a number.

Zhang Jue felt like he was attending a banquet in advance.

A banquet is a party held after the competition, where skaters dress up, socialize, take pictures, and interact with sponsors. If they were lucky, they might even secure new sponsorships.

For example, last year at the banquet, a representative from Shiseido Japan talked to Zhang Jue for quite a while. Although Zhang Jue didn’t understand a word of Japanese English, luckily Shen Liu was there. They almost secured a shower gel endorsement, but his uncle firmly refused to let Zhang Jue, still a child, soak in a bubble-filled bathtub with his long legs raised, so the deal fell through. This was also the point where Zhang Junbao received the most criticism from online haters.
That was Shiseido! In the figure skating world of China, where popularity was ice-cold, how rare was it for athletes to get quality endorsement opportunities? And it was all ruined by this clueless coach. When Zhang Junbao himself later accepted a swimsuit endorsement and posed for a poster that many fans called “a human masterpiece,” the criticism grew even louder.

Was this coach only allowed to do what the governor does and not what the common people do?

But Zhang Junbao was resolute. Call him old-fashioned, but Zhang Jue was his nephew and his athlete, not a money-making tool! Before Zhang Jue turned eighteen, he would never allow him to earn money by exposing his body on camera.

After an A-class competition like the finals, there would definitely be a banquet, so Zhang Jue had prepared a suit in advance, which was perfect for the draw ceremony.

The kid didn’t grow much when he was in the youth group, so he wore the same suit for two years. This year, he had to get a new one. Mia, who bought his clothes, had excellent taste. The fitted style made him look even taller, and since Zhang Jue’s body fat had dropped during his growth spurt, she added a belt.

When his name was called, the young boy walked onto the stage lightly, his waist-length black hair flowing, and two white jade rings dangling from his ears. With his aloof and cold demeanor and broader shoulders than before, he looked like a noble young CEO, exuding a powerful aura.

Maquen whistled: “He’s got a lot more presence now.”

Helena, next to him, gave him a disdainful look: “Don’t whistle at a minor.”

Her look was as if she was seeing trash.

Maquen quickly explained: “I just think this kid will be incredible once he grows up. I meant no harm; I only like girls with an S-shaped figure!”

Helena rolled her eyes and turned away, and Maquen lightly slapped his own mouth.

However, many at the scene shared Maquen’s sentiment. When Zhang Jue appeared, many people were at least surprised for a second.

No one expected the image of the cute, adorable, mischievous little crocodile, who had captured the hearts of figure skating moms and sister fans, to grow into someone even more aloof than Ilya.

It wasn’t that Zhang Jue’s personality had become cold, but he had grown a face that looked like a cold, ethereal fairy. Ilya’s aloofness had a touch of simplicity, akin to a human polar bear, while Zhang Jue’s coldness, to Westerners, was like an archangel with a spear, instantly making him unapproachable.

Until Zhang Jue raised his badge and the host announced the number.

Yin Meijing covered her mouth and laughed.

Zhang Jue remained calm. He flicked his hair out of his eyes and calmly walked off the stage. When he sat next to Zhang Junbao, his face fell.

He touched his earlobe and complained to his uncle: “Didn’t you say that when mom wore these lucky charms, she won a 20,000-yuan lottery ticket? Why didn’t they work for me at all? They’re just heavy and make my ears hurt.”

Zhang Junbao took off his earrings: “If they’re heavy, don’t wear them. They don’t work anyway. Your luck is so bizarre. Did you use up all your luck in your previous life?”

Zhang Jue was firm: “Impossible! I never had any great luck!”

Zhang Junbao said: “I’m talking about your past life. How do you know you didn’t have good luck then?”

Zhang Jue actually knew.

If he had been lucky in his previous life, would he have died alone on stage with no relatives?

The kid thought bitterly.

After the competition, Liu Mengcheng came over and reached to support Zhang Jue under his arms. Zhang Jue was about to dodge when Liu Mengcheng shook his head.

“Forget it. You look too thin. If I accidentally dropped you, you’d definitely get hurt.”

Zhang Jue didn’t understand: “No way, my bones are strong. My uncle even found reliable traditional Chinese medicine for medicinal baths for me.”

To help Zhang Jue grow a good physique, they almost made him drink bone-strengthening wine. He had fallen many times practicing quadruple jumps recently, but even if he got injured, it was just superficial wounds. Zhang Jue thought his body was quite sturdy.

Liu Mengcheng firmly stepped back: “Fat can protect you from injury, but with your current body fat… is it even eight percent?”
Uh, actually not.

To add fat, the cafeteria aunt even made a pot of milk tea for him last week. Can you imagine? A figure skater like Zhang Jue got to drink milk tea before retiring!
But he was still very thin. As an athlete, even if Zhang Junbao thought his strength was weak, it was still much higher than the average person’s. So when he got thin enough, his abs showed.

The kid lifted his shirt: “I still have muscle protection. Look.”

Now he had something he didn’t even have at his slimmest in his previous life – chocolate abs!

Yin Meijing’s eyes nearly popped out.

She didn’t expect this noodle-thin kid to have such a well-defined physique. Meijing immediately counted and saw six clear abs above his pants, with a faint hint of the seventh and eighth abs below. Unfortunately, unless Zhang Jue took off his pants, she wouldn’t see the full picture.

Sure enough, his fast spins weren’t just because of his lightweight and small frame; his strength was relatively high for his size and bone structure!

Shen Liu immediately rushed over, pulled his shirt down, apologized to Yin Meijing with a “sorry,” and dragged Zhang Jue away by the ear.

Zhang Jue didn’t mind the embarrassing position and even gave them a “peace” sign before leaving.

Yin Meijing and Liu Mengcheng thought: No matter how ethereal he looks on the outside, this kid is still that mischievous little crocodile at heart.

When they arrived at the venue, his coach handed him a black parka to keep warm, and the CEO aura returned.

On the day of the Grand Prix, Zhang Jue was the first to skate among the six male singles competitors. Wearing a costume, he once again amazed the audience.

Chen Sijia, in front of the TV, gasped: “He, he changed to his costume!”

The outfit for “Adios Nonino” had originally been a purple-black design with glittering rhinestones like a galaxy. Now, although the basic design remained, it was completely black, with only a navy blue sash hanging from the shoulder to the lower back. The back featured a deep V-cut, and when Zhang Jue moved his arms, the inner edges of his shoulder blades lifted, resembling a butterfly with its wings spread, while his long black hair was tied back with a black silk scarf.

This long hair was also quite fascinating for Zhang Jue, as he discovered that its weight actually helped him find his center of gravity during a flying spin.

So if not for the negative impact of having his hair loose during a performance, he wouldn’t have even wanted to tie it back.

The boy used his gloved fingers to smooth his hair and glanced back at the coaching team.

Zhang Junbao gave him a thumbs up.

Don’t be afraid, just go for it. Even if you fail because of your development, the coaches still love you!

Zhang Junbao wasn’t sure if Zhang Jue received his message, but he saw the smile Zhang Jue displayed afterward.

Shen Liu said: “The kid’s mindset is still very stable.”

Yang Zhiyuan, still holding the moxibustion pack that had just come out of the microwave to keep it warm, grimaced from the heat while answering their questions: “The only issue with Zhang Jue isn’t the new 3 cm of height, but whether he can adapt to the new skates.”

“In the past, American Erik also landed a 4S during his career peak, but after changing his skates, he lost that jump. The more sensitive athletes are to their skates, the more impact a change can have.”

Zhang Jue happened to be the type whose sensitivity made even ankle braces feel awkward, so changing skates had a particularly large effect on him. He had been adjusting to the new skates for the previous week, but the results were still uncertain.

Shen Liu murmured: “It’s okay. Just making it to the finals is historic. It’s understandable for a kid in his first year in the senior group to face setbacks in major competitions.”

If Zhang Jue hadn’t beaten Maquen before, Shen Liu’s words would have been reasonable. But since Zhang Jue had won against Maquen once, domestic figure skating fans had higher expectations. His bronze medal at the Russian event had already led some fans to speak negatively.

Although many fans believed the generous scoring for local skaters at the Russian event had disadvantaged Zhang Jue, it was also a consensus that Zhang Jue was affected by his development.

Zhang Jue was actually the first in his family to have a social media account, but it was an unverified account with a name completely unrelated to him: “Ten Thousand Bucks.” Zhang Junbao discovered online criticisms calling him a “dictator” and “hindering athletes’ endorsements” through Zhang Jue.

He couldn’t have been unaware of the fans’ comments, but no one knew the pressure he was under.

Zhang Junbao clenched his fists until Zhang Jue was about to start his first jump.

3lz+3lo, it was about to begin…

Zhang Jue decisively used his right foot to take off from the ice with a standard outer edge takeoff. When landing, he noticeably tilted, causing the coaching team to tense up. Then, Zhang Jue swiftly changed his takeoff position.

He didn’t attempt the 3lo, which required a stable axis and had a value of 5.1, but instead used his left foot to take off and performed a 3T with a value of 4.3.
Then the boy turned around, showing a very unique expression. His facial muscles were smiling, but his eyes had no trace of a smile. It looked like a forced grin, yet was quite sharp, like a rose’s thorn.

This version of “Adios Nonino” performed by Zhang Jue was more aggressive than the two previous versions, and it finally had a touch of tango’s hormone.

Most importantly, he didn’t make any mistakes.

Zhang Jue’s ability to adapt on the spot and quickly adjust after a near mistake to return to normal performance relieved all the fans and coaches who hoped he would win.

In front of the TV, Sun Qian and Jiang Chaosheng said: “In terms of stability, Zhang Jue is definitely the best in the country. Ice dance doesn’t require jumps, but their stability can’t match Zhang Jue’s.”

Don’t be fooled by how this kid seems reckless; his performance in major competitions never disappoints!

It wasn’t until the end of the segment, when he left the public eye and entered the athlete’s tunnel, that Zhang Jue squatted down, clutching his ankle and taking deep breaths.

“Brother Yang, my foot tilted a bit when I landed the first jump. Can you take a look?”

 

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