On February 8, Dong Xiaolong exited the airport and first answered his mother’s call.

“Mom, I’m going to an old friend’s house to deliver a gift, and then I’ll take a car back to the village for the New Year… Yes, I can stay until the fourth day of the Lunar New Year.”

In fact, if it weren’t for the freezing fog causing flight delays, Dong Xiaolong could have returned to H City yesterday.

After all, compared to the past two years when he had to give his all in the Four Continents and World Championships because there were no male singles in the domestic adult group and thus couldn’t go home for the Spring Festival, this year, Dong Xiaolong, who only placed fourth in the National Championships, could completely return home for the New Year.

He hailed a taxi and said: “To Dacheng Community.”

The driver asked: “Near the sports institute?”

Dong Xiaolong smiled: “Yes, that’s the one.”

Shen Liu lived in that community.

As the car drove along, familiar street scenes came into view, and a nostalgic smile appeared on Dong Xiaolong’s face.

When he was younger, he used to take the bus and look at these street scenes, but now the scenery has changed, and so has he.

Although he was once considered the most promising male singles skater in China after Shen Liu to complete a quadruple jump, after injuries, Dong Xiaolong could only manage a 3A. He no longer dared to attempt the more joint-stressing quadruple jump. The once hopeful and carefree young man had eventually been molded by reality into a quiet and reserved figure.

As they neared their destination, Dong Xiaolong spotted a Baroque pizza shop and quickly called out: “Stop the car.”

Brother Shen liked pizza, so bringing one would definitely make him happy.

Good junior Dong Xiaolong briskly went upstairs and knocked on the door of room 302 while calling out: “Brother Shen, it’s Xiaolong. I’ve come to see you. Open the door.”

Then he heard a clear and pleasant response.

“Coming.”

With a clang, there was a heavy thud inside, followed by Zhang Junbao’s angry roar: “Zhang Jue, don’t open the door.”

In a flash, the door opened, and Zhang Jue stood there holding the doorknob, looking back with a bewildered expression.

“Why can’t I open it? I already did.”

Zhang Junbao and Shen Liu, both dressed in sailor suits, were mortified. Dong Xiaolong was dumbfounded, and on the floor lay a tape recorder, looping the words

“Brother, brother…”

What on earth were these three up to?

However, Dong Xiaolong had to admit that whatever they were doing, his two senior brothers looked great in sailor suits.

Shen Liu, wearing glasses and with fair skin, looked like a quiet, tall high school student. Zhang Junbao, with his tight sailor suit, muscular legs, and baby face, created a striking contrast between his appearance and his muscular build, making him appear endearingly lovable despite his terror-stricken expression.

Dong Xiaolong quickly dismissed his wandering thoughts.

Zhang Jue picked up the tape recorder and gave Dong Xiaolong an apologetic smile.

“Uncle and Brother Shen had a bet that I would only grow to 1.68 meters, while the other bet I’d reach at most 1.70. The loser had to wear a sailor suit and call the other ‘brother.’ But now I’m 1.71 meters tall, so they both have to fulfill the bet. Brother Dong, would you like something to drink? We have freshly squeezed orange juice and apple juice in the kitchen.”

Dong Xiaolong quickly replied: “Apple juice, thank you. By the way, I brought pizza, but it has bacon, so you might not be able to eat it.”

Just then, a tall man, who made the 1.65-meter-tall Dong Xiaolong look up in awe, walked out of the kitchen. He had black hair, gray eyes, and sharp facial features.

The tall, handsome mixed-race man said in fluent Beijing dialect: “What pizza? I made steamed shrimp balls and shrimp dumplings. Come and try them, little Jue.”
In a room filled with northeastern accents, his Beijing accent was strikingly out of place, but his meatballs were genuinely delicious.

The young man even made shrimp dumplings, which tasted exquisite.

When Dong Xiaolong inquired, he found out that the young man was the grandson of Doctor Qin. The young man had grown up in Beijing but still returned to his hometown for the Spring Festival. He also had decent therapeutic skills and, with his free time, had arranged to give Zhang Jue a foot massage.

During one of these sessions, Shen Liu casually invited him to dinner at his place. Shen Liu now lived alone and would soon return to his hometown for the New Year, so this pre-holiday gathering was a rare opportunity. The young man courteously brought over a few pounds of sea shrimp, saying he wanted to showcase his culinary skills.

Dong Xiaolong unwittingly ended up enjoying a delicious feast, and most of the pizza he brought was eaten by Zhang Junbao. He learned that Shen Liu preferred fruit pizza, while Brother Zhang liked bacon pizza.

Since Dong Xiaolong and Zhang Jue were active athletes, they couldn’t touch such food. As they were satisfied and full, Shen Liu casually asked.

“Xiaolong, what are your plans for the coming year? How’s your injury? Can you do commercial performances during the off-season?”

Dong Xiaolong was taken aback: “My injury has healed well. I haven’t competed in any high-intensity events this year. My knee has recovered to the point where I can perform a 3A again. Commercial performances are no problem; I can participate.”

Shen Liu and Zhang Junbao exchanged a glance: “That’s great. We received an invitation from Shiratsuka Keiko to participate in the Fantasia of Love on Ice in Fukuoka in June. If you have the time, prepare a standout performance.”

For retired figure skaters, earning money through commercial performances is common. Therefore, they often need to prepare impressive exhibition programs while still active to leave a good impression on commercial performance organizers, paving the way for their retirement.

Although Dong Xiaolong was only 22 years old this year, his potential had already peaked. Young skaters in the country were gradually emerging, and with Zhang Jue simultaneously hampered by injuries and growth issues, and Jin Zixuan’s limited abilities, the strength of the China men’s singles team at the World Championships this year would be limited. At best, they could secure two spots, but there was no place for Dong Xiaolong. Continuing to skate made little sense.

After all, Zhang Junbao had also considered retirement after failing to qualify for the 2002 Winter Olympics.

In the eyes of his two senior brothers, he was already seen as a soon-to-retire athlete. Naturally, they wanted to help him as much as they could.

However, at this moment, Dong Xiaolong asked himself, did he want to retire?

No.

He smiled, thanked them, but during the meal, he was very restrained and didn’t touch any extra carbs.

Zhang Jue seemed to notice something. After the meal, he took out a bottle of calcium tablets, chewed two for himself, and offered some to Dong Xiaolong.

“Brother Dong, want some?”

It was common for athletes to take calcium supplements. Dong Xiaolong popped them into his mouth, noting the strong milk flavor. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were calcium tablets for adolescents aged 12-16.

Oh, the kid before him was now 6 cm taller than him, making Dong Xiaolong realize he was only 15 years old.

Qin Xuejun naturally reached out: “I want some too, I want to keep growing.”

Zhang Jue gave him two more: “You’re already 19, you’ve stopped growing. Why does a doctor need to be so tall?”

Qin Xuejun retorted: “There’s a saying that men can still grow a bit after 20, and I play basketball regularly, so being tall helps with dunking.”

At 1.79 meters tall, Zhang Jue could dunk, but he looked at Qin, who was 1.95 meters and couldn’t dunk, focusing on his three-point shots. Zhang Jue smiled but said nothing. They both moved to the couch, where Zhang Jue turned on the TV to the H Province channel, which frequently broadcasted figure skating events since he became famous.

Qin Xuejun placed Zhang Jue’s legs on his lap and calmly massaged them.

Zhang Jue raised his eyebrows: “I washed my feet before coming out. How’s that, not smelly, right?”

Qin Xuejun nodded: “Yeah, a strong ginger smell completely covers everything else.”

Zhang Jue now washed his feet with ginger water his parents boiled, which was good for circulation and dispelling cold.

Dong Xiaolong chewed on a stack of beef jerky and chicken jerky. On TV, the women’s singles free skate was on. Shiratsuka Keiko was 14 this year and wouldn’t turn 15 until next season, making her ineligible to represent Japan in the Sochi Olympics. Moreover, the competition in the Four Continents was never as fierce as in the European Championships. As they watched, they realized that a skater from Kazakhstan stood out the most.

Shen Liu gossiped with Dong Xiaolong: “This girl is Ayala’s protégé, started training even earlier than Kharhasha, and she’s already 19.”

Dong Xiaolong’s hand trembled: “No way! I thought she hadn’t developed yet, judging by her figure.”

Shen Liu sighed: “Some people are just blessed by the heavens. She has a body perfect for figure skating. Initially, my brother and I thought Zhang Jue was the same, but who knew…”

He glanced at Zhang Jue with sorrowful eyes.

Who knew this kid would grow so fast, causing both him and Zhang Junbao to lose their bet badly, resulting in them wearing sailor suits and calling each other “brother.”

After the women’s singles free skate ended, the day’s Four Continents competition neared its end. The pairs’ free skate, men’s free skate, and ice dance free dance would start the next day.

Zhang Junbao took the two kids downstairs to the parking lot, saying he would drive Qin Xuejun and Dong Xiaolong home before taking Zhang Jue home since it was on the way.

Zhang Jue stood by the roadside eating beef jerky, his tall and slim figure resembling a young poplar tree. His black hair added a touch of classical elegance to his cool silhouette, making him unforgettable.

Just then, the familiar theme song of Pigsy rang out. Dong Xiaolong gave Zhang Jue a peculiar look, watching him naturally answer the phone.

“Hello, this is Zhang Jue. Who is this?”

As a passenger electric car drove by, Dong Xiaolong pulled Zhang Jue: “Watch out!”

Zhang Jue staggered, standing steady with the help of Qin Xuejun and Dong Xiaolong. He balanced on his right toe, putting all his weight on his left foot.
“What? Jin Zixuan?”

 

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