From the beginning of May to mid-June, during the span of fifty days, Zhang Jue frequently went out for business performances. Not only did he participate in his own POI events, but he also supported his friends’ events.

How much he earned is unclear to anyone except perhaps the tax authorities, but after buying a new house, he still had about a million in cash left.

After all, he not only participated in business performances, but endorsements and advertisements were also ways for him to make money.

However, the reason Zhang Jue’s savings could surpass eight figures was also related to Mrs. Zhang sending him money. It was said that this year the restaurant’s earnings were good, so Mrs. Qingyan consolidated their savings and took out two-thirds to split between Zhang Jue and Xu Dela, keeping one-third for themselves as startup capital for opening a new store.

Yes, Mrs. Zhang thought that the two restaurants in H City were no longer enough for her, so she left them in the hands of Xu Yan’s two apprentices, who would be coming to Beijing to start a business.

It just so happened that her son had bought them a 300-square-meter shop in Beijing, which even had a two-bedroom apartment behind it, enough for them to tinker with.

When Zhang Jue received the money, he couldn’t believe it. He called his mother immediately: “Mom, why are you giving me money? I’m not lacking anything. You should give it to Dela! Besides, you don’t need money to open a new store, right?”

He had a house, a car, and his career was at its peak. Instead of giving him money, his family might as well worry more about his younger brother.

But Mrs. Zhang calmly said: “I can’t not give you anything just because you have it. I’ve read a lot of books and know that if parents don’t treat their children equally, it causes a lot of harm. So, even though you’re a boy, your dad and I won’t favor anyone because of gender. Your dad said that if we continue making good money in the future, we’ll keep splitting it equally between you and Dela.”

Zhang Jue was both amused and speechless: “Hey, that’s really unnecessary. You’re still young, keep the money for yourselves and enjoy it.”

Mrs. Zhang’s tone shifted as she reminded him: “What are you talking about? Don’t waste the money! I know young people like to buy luxury goods to show off, but don’t fall for that. Consumerism is just a concept capitalists use to fool young people. You can invest your money or donate it, understood?”

“Also, your dad and I are coming to Beijing next Monday. You need to pick us up. We’ve got a lot of things to bring, so rent a car that can carry everything!”

After ending the video call with his parents, Zhang Jue stood stunned for a few seconds. He could sense from his mother’s words that Mr. Xu also agreed with her arrangement.

Qin Xuejun, who had been sitting beside him peeling an apple, paused her movements.

Is this what parental love is? How nice.

Perhaps because of his emotional nature as a performer, Zhang Jue’s mind was flooded with memories. He thought about the time when his mom held his hand to send him to school as a child, and the day his dad carried him through a slippery street in the snow.

Finally, he imagined the future when his parents were elderly. He thought that when that time came, he would be more than happy to carry his parents wherever they wanted to go.

He said: “Xuejun, I finally have an idea for a new show.”

Qin Xuejun ruffled his hair: “Your shows are always inspired by love.”

Zhang Jue grabbed her hand, holding it in front of his face. After a moment, he gently said: “This show might be a little heavy.”

He had always been a lucky child, never lacking in love. This was why he was able to create a program like Tree of Life and turn it into a classic, a classic built on love.

So, if he had to leave such a wonderful family, Zhang Jue knew he would be devastated. Yes, he had once been separated from them by life and death, and his life had fallen into darkness. If it hadn’t been for his uncle, he would have never been able to recover.

Every child who loses the love of their parents and has to leave them experiences great pain, just as parents who lose a child will also suffer greatly.

Their hands clasped together, and Qin Xuejun looked at their intertwined hands, her fingers slipping into the gaps between Zhang Jue’s, eventually closing into a fist. Zhang Jue didn’t pull away.

Though nothing was said aloud, they both understood each other’s thoughts.

It was a subtle, unspoken affection that neither would express, but both understood.

Both were now adults, living independently, working to earn their own money, and having seen all sorts of people and situations. With high emotional intelligence and intellect, they were both perceptive people. Sometimes, all it took was realizing that the other person was subtly flirting, and it was clear that both were drawn to each other.

Qin Xuejun blinked her gray eyes and changed the topic: “By the way, when are your parents arriving? I should ask for leave. Also, should we go ahead and clean the house? I know a patient who does that for a living.”

In the past, Zhang Jue would have never accepted Qin Xuejun’s offer to help pick up his parents, because this was something he could manage on his own. And Qin Xuejun wouldn’t have volunteered to help either.

It was like a test, to see if Zhang Jue was ready to bring him to meet his parents.

He raised his eyebrows and looked at Qin Xuejun: “It’s fine if someone helps with the pick-up, but I’m not dating before I retire, because I don’t have the time.”

Zhang Jue was straightforward; he didn’t test things out but simply stated his thoughts.

He was willing to bring Qin Xuejun to meet his parents, but not right now.

Qin Xuejun shoved an apple into his hand and began massaging his foot: “Sounds like I have time, but before I get promoted to associate chief physician, I need to stay single.”

So, did that mean they had reached the unspoken understanding of being single together? Zhang Jue blinked and took a bite of the apple.

Wow, this apple is sweet!

In the end, Qin Xuejun still took a leave of absence and helped Zhang Jue pick up his parents. After helping them settle in, it was already July, and Zhang Jue turned 18.

Since his parents and relatives were all in Beijing, even Dela transferred his school registration to the city to sign with Fengming. Zhang Jue’s birthday celebration was particularly lively.

Although it was just a family dinner, and Zhang Jue didn’t eat the cake because of dietary restrictions, only having chicken legs and beef that his uncle brought from the cafeteria, he was still the one who ate the least at the table. But just being together with family made him feel incredibly happy.

Qin Xuejun and Shen Liu, as Zhang Jue and his uncle’s roommates, were also invited to the family feast. Qin Xuejun gave Zhang Jue a new pair of headphones as a gift, while Shen Liu gave him a book, The Lovely Bones.

He casually said: “I saw you post your thoughts on The Lovely Bones on WeChat, this is the original book.”

Zhang Jue was delighted to receive it: “Thank you, this is exactly what I needed.”

Xu Dela leaned on Zhang Jue’s shoulder: “Bro, why are you suddenly reading this? It’s so heavy, I couldn’t get through half of it.”

Zhang Jue gave his younger brother a knock on the head: “I have a use for it. I want to create a program with this theme for next season. Originally, I planned to do it as a performance, but after outlining the framework, I think a short program would be more suitable.”

Zhang Junbao and Shen Liu exchanged glances, realizing their work was about to begin.

Creating a new program wasn’t just up to the athletes; as coaches, they too had to do their homework. Zhang Jue had been delaying his choice of music, and even the head coach, Sun Qian, had started asking about it recently.

If they didn’t pick the right music soon, they would miss the deadline.

“Have you chosen your free skate music? Also, if you’re doing a short program, what are you planning to perform?” Zhang Junbao asked in a string of questions. Zhang Jue organized his thoughts and replied: “I’m planning to skate to Requiem for a Dream for my free skate. For the short program, I want to try something with a Chinese style. What do you think about adding elements of Peking opera?”

“Peking opera?”

Mr. Xu turned around: “Little Jue, do you want to skate to Peking opera?”

Zhang Jue nodded and said: “I want to skate to Farewell My Concubine, I think it’s really interesting, but I’ve never practiced it before, so I’m afraid I might not do well.”

Shen Liu laughed: “What’s there to be afraid of? We can get Bai Xiaozhen to arrange a teacher for you. Doesn’t she have a lot of connections?”

In just a few words, they had figured out what to do next. Zhang Jue was mentally running through his schedule. He had already completed his final exams and, thanks to his past achievements, managed to rank in the top ten of his grade. His classmates at school had posted his results online, which led to a wave of praise.

However, due to the tight schedule, he needed about half a month to choreograph The Lovely Bones himself, and the free skate was given to Francis. With the time required for practicing the short program choreography and learning Peking opera, Zhang Jue probably wouldn’t have time to get his driver’s license this summer.

Sigh, so busy.

Zhang Qingyan and Xu Yan exchanged a glance. Xu Yan looked somewhat troubled, and Zhang Qingyan squeezed his hand, mouthing “It’s okay, the kid can handle it on his own, you don’t need to help.”

Xu Yan lowered his eyes, his classical and refined appearance was clearly not feminine, yet it inexplicably evoked pity. Unfortunately, only Zhang Qingyan saw this moment, because everyone else had gathered around Zhang Jue to discuss the program.

Zhang Jue, a record-breaking machine in the figure skating world, a human factory that created classic programs, had always produced masterpieces with every new program, from the youth division to now.

In figure skating, it was customary for athletes to post their chosen music on social media, sometimes even sharing their choreography. Everyone was eagerly awaiting Zhang Jue’s new program choices, and some fans even started petitioning on Weibo, hoping the “Crocodile King” would reveal his music choices soon.

Of course, some athletes would save their programs until the season started to avoid others copying their music, which might result in a clash. Some considerate fans even said: “It’s okay, you don’t have to tell us.”

Zhang Jue hummed to himself; he was one of the few skaters who didn’t fear music clashes, extremely confident in his own performance. On his birthday night, he posted on Weibo and Twitter:

Little Crocodile Zhang Jue-V

Choreographed the short program myself, still looking for a choreographer for the free skate. Open to reliable choreographers, meals and lodging provided, travel arrangements covered, salary private message.

[Poster of The Lovely Bones protagonist.jpg]

[Cross on a blue background.jpg]

[Poster of Farewell My Concubine.jpg]

Not long after, Sun Qian reposted his tweet, adding: “Actually, we haven’t finished choreographing the short program for Yihong and Shanshan either.”

Zhang Junbao, Shen Liu, and Coach Lu also shared it.

Zhang Jue’s four major disciples always had excellent choreography. Zhang Junbao personally choreographed the programs for Cha Hanbuhua and the others, while Mia handled the free skate for Jiang Yihong and Min Shan. The short program was still undecided, though the national team frequently collaborated with well-known choreographers, but those choreographers mainly worked on pair skating, and their solo choreography was only average, without any masterpieces.

The coaches also used Zhang Jue’s fame to attract reliable choreographers.

Soon after, Zhang Jue received a few direct messages on Twitter. When he opened them, he found they were from top choreographers. All the messages could be summed up in three words: “Pick me!”

In the current figure skating industry, which choreographer wouldn’t want to work with Zhang Jue to create a new classic? Just look at Francis, who had worked with Zhang Jue for several seasons. He even bought a house and, after marrying his boyfriend last month and went to Antarctica for their honeymoon!

Of course, if he hadn’t gone to Antarctica, Zhang Jue wouldn’t have bothered seeking other choreographers.

Zhang Jue, for a moment, felt like he was in the position of an emperor selecting a concubine. He was the emperor, and the choreographers were the talented women, each one trying to win his favor. He had become entangled in the decision.

These choreographers had all produced impressive works. Who should he choose?

An hour later, a lady sent him a message.

She introduced herself as Darya, a Russian who had once practiced figure skating before switching to roller figure skating, where she became a world champion before retiring due to injury. She was now a roller skating coach and had experience choreographing for her students.

She provided an email address with videos of her work and her resume and salary requirements.

Roller figure skating and figure skating were similar, with both involving jumps and spins, though roller skating used inline skates, and its competitions still retained the compulsory figures that figure skating had long eliminated.

To be honest, Darya’s salary demands weren’t high, but what caught Zhang Jue’s attention was the quality of her choreography.

Also, the name Darya Sorinkova… Zhang Jue opened his computer and searched Requiem for a Dream and ice dance. The first result was a photo of a pair of ice dancers.

It was a couple that won the gold medal at the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics with Requiem for a Dream. The male partner’s name was Sorinkov. This couple had married in 1996, had a daughter, then divorced when their daughter was three, remarried when she was five, and divorced again when she was seven. They were notorious for their dramatic relationship in the figure skating world, but one thing that remained constant was their protective love for their daughter.

By the way, Russian names have gendered surnames. The same surname can be masculine, like Sorinkov or Sorinski, and feminine, like Sorinkova or Sorinkova.

Zhang Jue: I was just looking for a choreographer, but now I’ve ended up with the daughter of two legendary ice dancers.

At that moment, Bai Xiaozhen called him: “Ancient ancestor, are you really going to cancel all business activities?”

Zhang Jue held the phone between his shoulder and head while typing a reply to Darya. He said: “Yes, I’m going into seclusion to create new programs. I won’t take any commercial work until after next year’s World Championships.”

Bai Xiaozhen sighed in frustration.

Since she began working with Zhang Jue, she realized he was the perfect athlete: disciplined, with a stellar personal image, and excellent results in both academics and competitions. He was driven and career-oriented.

Since working with him, Bai Xiaozhen had no trouble securing endorsements or advertisements. Which agent wouldn’t like such a young star?

Unfortunately, Zhang Jue was also very career-focused, so he insisted that his endorsements not exceed ten, and some of them were for charity causes, which helped limit the time he spent on commercial activities, ensuring it didn’t interfere with his training and studies.

Now, he was saying that after July and during the competition season, he would not participate in any work, meaning he would only attend commercial activities in the months of April, May, and June. Given his commercial value, this was a complete waste.

But as Bai Xiaozhen called him, Zhang Jue was the kind of person who, once he made a decision, no one could stop him. So, Bai Xiaozhen had no choice but to arrange things according to Zhang Jue’s plan. Although her father, Bai Suqing, criticized her and gave her a lot of grief, she still made sure these matters didn’t affect Zhang Jue.

The music was finalized, and the design and production of Kostin’s costumes were on the schedule. Min Shan’s father, Min Xiaoshuai, personally came to the national team to have her and her senior brother measured for costumes.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiaozhen really did find Zhang Jue a good Peking opera teacher, who was rumored to be from the Xu family, known as Xu Ye, a frequent guest on CCTV’s Channel 11. He had been a famous performer of martial roles in his youth and, in his later years, switched to literary roles, performing Drunken Concubine and Farewell My Concubine with ease.

The old man looked very thin, and when they first met, he was all smiles. Zhang Jue felt he looked familiar, but it wasn’t until after the first lesson that he realized this man was likely similar to Coach Lu in his methods.

He was excellent at disciplining naughty kids!

When Shen Liu heard him complain, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You know you’re a naughty kid, right? Good, this tough teacher should give you a lot of discipline!”

The Zhang family’s calendar was one of those thick books where you tear off a page every day. As the sound of paper tearing filled the air, time quickly passed, and it was September.

The new season was about to start.

 

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