As someone who had dropped out of university halfway through, incurred significant debt and had everything managed by an agent after becoming an idol trainee, Zhang Jue still didn’t know how to buy a plane ticket. If he had to fly on his own, he would probably be confused.

Therefore, Zhang Jue had no idea that airlines provided special services for people with mobility issues.

For example, wheelchair services.

When Shen Liu booked the flight, he adeptly reserved wheelchair services for Zhang Jue. As soon as Zhang Junbao lifted him out of the car, a staff member came over with a wheelchair, smiling as they invited him to sit. He was then wheeled onto a lift and into the plane, where he transferred to another wheelchair inside the aircraft.

Shen Liu patted Zhang Jue’s head affectionately: “When I was injured during an overseas competition, I returned home in a wheelchair too.”
Zhang Jue looked at his tightly wrapped right foot and pressed his lips together.

After landing, instead of heading straight back to the Northeast, Zhang Jue was taken by Zhang Junbao to the 703 Hospital in the capital. This hospital was well-known among the national figure skating team and many other athletes.

According to a certain hospital ranking website, this hospital had the best orthopedics department in Beijing, so many national team athletes went there for treatment after getting injured.

As the car got closer, a subtle look of nostalgia appeared on Zhang Junbao’s face.

Ever since he remembered Zhang Jue’s troublesome father, who had issues ranging from genetic to alcoholism, Zhang Junbao recalled that he had even fought Lan Kun over it

In the end, Lan Kun had a fractured leg and a face smashed with a brick, while Zhang Junbao had a broken arm and ended up in the hospital.

He couldn’t help but reminisce with Zhang Jue: “Your brother Shen and I have both been hospitalized here more than once. My hip injury and his knee injury were treated here by Dr. Chai, who is very skilled and patient.”

Even when Zhang Qingyan injured a leg fighting Lan Jin, it was Dr. Chai who applied the cast.

Shen Liu added: “When I saw Dr. Chai for my knee, he had been promoted to Chief Chai. He still remembered you and said he could never forget the scene of you fighting a 1.9-meter-tall guy at the hospital entrance.”

Of course, Shen Liu’s dramatic scene of crying “Senior brother!” while carrying Zhang Junbao into the hospital also left a lasting impression on Dr. Chai, who still recognized Shen Liu after many years.

Zhang Jue laughed: “Uncle, you once fought with a 1.9-meter-tall guy? That’s impressive. No wonder you’re my uncle.”

Zhang Junbao suddenly hesitated and gave a couple of embarrassed laughs: “Yeah, yeah, I was quite something back then. But fighting is not something to emulate. You mustn’t get into fights, understand?”

Fighting harms the body, and an athlete’s body is their most important asset. Zhang Jue was too valuable now to risk getting injured.

Zhang Jue obediently replied: “I understand. I won’t fight easily.”

At this time, it was 6:30 PM, and Zhang Jue thought he might need to go to the emergency room at the hospital.

When they arrived at the hospital entrance, they saw Zhang Jue’s mother, Ms. Zhang, standing in the cold wind with a stern expression.

Her long black hair was tied up high, and her plump face radiated an intimidating aura. She wore a striking red down jacket.

The world suddenly felt very quiet. Zhang Jue grabbed Shen Liu’s arm in terror, squeezing so hard that Shen Liu almost cried out in pain.

Zhang Junbao’s legs trembled a bit. When Ms. Zhang pulled out a ruler from behind, he instinctively turned to run. Zhang Qingyan shouted: “Where do you think you’re going?” and immediately chased after him.

Oddly enough, despite Ms. Zhang being 36 years old, standing only 1.58 meters tall, and not being a professional athlete, she ran almost as fast as the 1.7-meter-tall former athlete uncle.

She kicked off her shoes and threw them ahead, causing Zhang Junbao to fall with a cry. Zhang Qingyan rushed forward and swung the ruler at his raised buttocks.
With a loud smack, Shen Liu saw Zhang Junbao’s butt bounce.

“Zhang little Bao! How dare you! I entrusted my son to you, and you didn’t even tell me about his painkillers? I only found out through TV that his injury was bad enough to need a wheelchair!”

Song Cheng appeared out of nowhere, meekly trying to intervene: “Qingyan, Junbao didn’t do it on purpose. Please stop hitting him.”

Coach Song now deeply regretted telling Zhang Qingyan the truth when she called to inquire about Zhang Jue’s injury. If he had known she still had such a temper, he would have lied.

Back when Zhang Junbao was a small child, Zhang Qingyan used to ride a bike to take him to training. When he got into trouble or fights, it was Ms. Zhang who brought the clothes hanger to clean up the mess.

If someone else hit Zhang Junbao, Coach Song would be furious. But if Ms. Zhang was disciplining him, Coach Song wouldn’t get mad, he might even hand her a weapon if necessary.

It was understandable why Ms. Zhang was furious, not knowing about her son’s painkiller use and injury severity.

Zhang Junbao gave Coach Song a betrayed look: “Coach!”

Weren’t we supposed to explain this to my sister in person after I got back? How could you spill the beans like this?

Coach Song wiped sweat off his shiny bald head, explaining: “Qingyan didn’t want to wait for your return to get an explanation.”

She demanded to know her son’s condition right away, and Coach Song couldn’t refuse. If she grabbed a folding stool to swing, he’d have no way to argue.

Zhang Jue looked around, seeing that Ms. Zhang was not paying attention to them. He hopped on one foot and urgently whispered to Shen Liu: “Brother Shen, the situation is urgent. Get me into the hospital where she can’t find me.”

Shen Liu paused for a second, then carried Zhang Jue into the hospital. From behind, they heard Ms. Zhang’s angry shout.

“Zhang Jue, stand still!”

Shen Liu froze.

Ms. Zhang was a force to be reckoned with.

After that, Zhang Junbao, holding his sore butt, went to register. Ms. Zhang handed Zhang Jue a card: “We don’t know how bad your injury is. Medical care in Beijing is expensive. Here’s 100,000 yuan. If it’s not enough, ask Mom for more.”

She scowled: “Figure skating depends on your legs. No matter the cost, we must heal them. I won’t hit you now. Focus on your recovery.”

This meant the beating was postponed until he was healed.

Zhang Jue felt like a prisoner on death row, trying to behave well in hopes of a reduced sentence.

He hugged his mother’s arm, flashed a sweet smile, and called out in a sugary voice that even made Song Cheng and Yang Zhiyuan cringe: “Mommy—

Ms. Zhang didn’t respond to his charm. She pinched his cheek, then examined his face closely.

“Why are you so skinny? With 7% body fat, I bet a third is in your face and the rest in your butt.”

Zhang Jue wanted to argue that his face was small, just full of collagen, but he decided to rest his chin on her hand and tried his best to act cute.

Ms. Zhang was silent for a moment, not showing if she was swayed. She went to find a nurse and got a wheelchair, pushing Zhang Jue to get his injury checked.

Dr. Chai, who treated Zhang Jue, was the same doctor that Uncle and Brother Shen highly recommended. He was a bespectacled uncle who showed a bewildered expression upon seeing Zhang Qingyan, Zhang Junbao, and Shen Liu.

“Why are you all here together?”

In the past, they came to see him separately, but now they had formed a group to bring a kid.

Zhang Junbao chuckled awkwardly and pointed at Zhang Jue: “Dr. Chai, this is my nephew, my sister’s oldest child. He also practices figure skating and injured the lateral ligament of his right ankle during a competition in Russia. He pushed through the pain with a painkilling injection, but now he can’t even walk.”

Dr. Chai responded: “So, after treating you two siblings from your generation, I now have to treat the second generation of your family?”

Zhang Jue turned back, confused: “Mom also came to Dr. Chai for treatment before?”

Then Zhang Qingyan, Zhang Junbao, Shen Liu, and Song Cheng all suddenly seemed to remember something and yelled in unison: “It’s none of your business!”
Zhang Jue felt a bit aggrieved: “If it’s not my business, then it’s not, but why are you so fierce?”

Song Cheng kept signaling Dr. Chai with his eyes. Whether Dr. Chai understood or not, he squatted down to examine Zhang Jue, exchanged a few words with Yang Zhiyuan, and then wrote up an order.

“MRI, both the ankle and the knee.”

No one expected Zhang Jue to have issues beyond his ankle. Seeing their confusion, Dr. Chai touched Zhang Jue’s knee.

“You mentioned he has growing pains, but normal growing pains shouldn’t cause him to dislike being touched. Given he’s a figure skater, his joints are under considerable stress, so it’s better to check thoroughly.”

At Dr. Chai’s words, the two coaches’ expressions changed.

After the MRI, Zhang Jue also had blood tests. The final diagnosis was chronic synovitis, not severe, and could be treated conservatively with bed rest and regular physiotherapy.

“Your child is growing fast, so it’s understandable that severe growing pains might mask knee synovitis. However, he can’t practice quadruple jumps anymore due to the ligament damage. For his health, he needs at least a month of rest.”

Compared to the severe cases of bone necrosis requiring joint replacements that Dr. Chai usually saw, Zhang Jue’s issues were minor, not warranting hospitalization. Physiotherapy at a local hospital in Northeast China would suffice, without taking up a precious bed at 703 Hospital.

Yang Zhiyuan could even handle Zhang Jue’s physiotherapy, as he was competent enough.

Zhang Qingyan agreed with the plan for Zhang Jue’s recovery. She patted his head: “It’s just as well. Your final exams are coming up, so focus on your studies.”
Zhang Jue hesitated and asked the coach: “What about the National Championships?”

The figure skating season usually runs from September to April, with the Grand Prix Final in early December being the climax of the first half of the season. After that, Zhang Jue still had domestic competitions before qualifying for the Four Continents Championships in late January and the World Championships in late March.

His season wasn’t over yet.

Shen Liu crouched down to comfort him: “It’s okay. The National Championships are a month away. We have enough time, so let’s focus on recovery first.”

Zhang Jue was silent for a moment and then posed another concern: “But with my current growth rate, if I don’t train for a month, can I still maintain my jumps? Also, I can’t just rest for a month and then jump into the National Championships without any recovery training. I’m not that amazing.”

He hadn’t lost his skills so far because he trained on ice every day, allowing his body to adapt. Even athletes not in their growth phase would experience a decline in performance and technique without training!

Performance and technique require consistent training to maintain!

Shen Liu wanted to reassure him that his foundation was solid and that no one in the country was better than him, but he couldn’t guarantee it at this moment.

This is the dilemma athletes face: not training leads to a decline in technique, but training aggravates injuries. Some push through injuries, while others choose to retire. Many have shed tears over this difficult choice.

Ultimately, Zhang Qingyan made the decision for Zhang Jue.

She turned to Dr. Chai: “Doctor, the child wants a faster recovery. Your treatment here is definitely better than at home. I’ll keep him in Beijing until the National Championships. We have a house here, so can he stay in the hospital for one night? I’ll tidy up the place, and he can go home tomorrow morning after his physiotherapy.”

Dr. Chai, without looking up, wrote in the medical records: “One night is fine. So, he’ll stay in Beijing and come for daily physiotherapy?”

Zhang Qingyan nodded repeatedly: “Yes.”

Dr. Chai said: “His injury might not fully heal in a month because of the ligament issue, which takes longer to recover.”

Zhang Qingyan replied decisively: “It’s okay if it doesn’t fully heal in a month. Just make him more comfortable with your physiotherapy.”

After arranging everything with the doctor, Zhang Qingyan turned to Zhang Jue with a terrifying expression.

“Listen, you must return for your final exams. If your grades drop significantly, you won’t compete in the Four Continents or the World Championships. You’ll go to cram school instead. Got it?”

Zhang Jue, moved to tears, nodded: “Got it, Mom. I’ll study hard.”

Song Cheng sighed: “I’ll inform Coach Sun. You’re the top male singles skater, so we need to report your injury.”

He also still hadn’t told Coach Sun that Zhang Jue’s biological father was 1.93 meters tall, which might complicate his growth phase.

He sat on the staircase, dialing a number.

“Coach Sun, here’s the situation. Zhang Jue has been examined at 703 Hospital. His injury is… and his growth phase might be difficult…”

After a long explanation, he heard a thud from the other end of the line.

He paused and then shouted: “Coach Sun? Are you still there? Are you okay?”

Meanwhile, Zhang Qingyan and Zhang Junbao discussed who would stay with Zhang Jue in Beijing. Zhang Jue suggested: “Brother Shen or Uncle should return to H City; otherwise, my juniors will have no one to supervise. Actually, I can take care of myself.”

But Shen Liu, Zhang Junbao, Zhang Qingyan, and Yang Zhiyuan all objected in unison: “No way! Someone must stay with you!”

Then they heard a desperate cry from outside.

“Coach Sun—”

 

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