Qin Xuejun was someone who enjoyed working in the emergency department. He believed it gave him the chance to see more cases and gain clinical experience. Moreover, he thought it was best to take advantage of his youth and do more night shifts while he could, as he might not be able to handle them as he got older.

This pragmatic mindset made him one of the fastest-growing doctors among his peers, and he was highly valued by his mentors. He was tall, handsome, and considered one of the most eligible bachelors in the entire hospital.

However, this prized catch had already been taken by another equally exceptional individual. By the time he finished work, it was already 8 p.m. The two of them heated some soup in the microwave in the break room and poured it into paper cups.

Zhang Jue raised his cup: “Cheers.”

The two clinked their cups and drank it all in one go.

Zhang Jue joked: “I watched Dr. Qin work all day today and realized that being an orthopedic doctor is incredibly exhausting. From now on, I won’t dare to brag about how good my stamina is in front of you.”

Qin Xuejun, with his refined manners, cupped his hands in a salute: “As far as stamina goes, you’re still better. I can’t run a marathon, half a marathon would be my limit.”

Zhang Jue glanced at him sideways and teased: “By the way, I overheard some nurses saying that a fellow doctor from your department has been throwing shade at you. They don’t seem to like you. What’s going on?”

Qin Xuejun silently admired Zhang Jue’s ability to catch all kinds of gossip wherever he went, but his expression remained calm and unbothered.

“It’s nothing, just a petty person.”

Qin Xuejun was a gentleman who rarely offended anyone. He was always considerate toward his patients, helping improve their emotional well-being. That’s why he had more banners of appreciation in his office than most others. The recent trouble had to do with some personal matters between men and women.

He had good conditions, and he treated people politely. Even women who had no romantic interest in him were happy to smile at him. Once, a nurse named Lin had fallen and was given a ride home by Qin Xuejun (after informing Zhang Jue beforehand). To thank him, she bought him bubble tea during lunch break. However, this caught the attention of another doctor who had been persistently pursuing Nurse Lin but had been rejected multiple times. The two doctors ended up having a falling out.

Zhang Jue paused, remembering: “Oh, so that’s what happened. I remember you told me about it before.”

Although one was an athlete and the other a doctor, they were just an ordinary couple who naturally shared the little things that happened around them.

Apparently, Nurse Lin had initially considered accepting Dr. Lu’s pursuit, but after exchanging WeChat, she saw some inappropriate posts he had shared on social media, such as ones about knives, female dogs, and how men were better than women. Lin was from a respectable family, and upon seeing these things, she immediately decided to cut ties for her own safety.

This was perfectly understandable, and the others in the department all thought Lin had made the right choice, including the male doctors.

Yet, Dr. Lu refused to give up. He asked Nurse Lin if his dowry was too small and insulted her for being materialistic. Lin had no way to defend herself and thought he was crazy, so she resigned immediately and went to work elsewhere after the New Year.

As for Qin Xuejun, he had long planned to switch jobs with his mentor. He was also planning to change departments after the New Year.

Zhang Jue, curious, asked: “Switch jobs?”

Qin Xuejun explained briefly: “My mentor made a breakthrough in bone tumors last year. He wants to go to Hospital 703 to work with an old classmate on research and aim for an academic title. I’ll go with him.”

Zhang Jue, surprised, widened his eyes: “You—you’re really leaving here? But this is Hesheng!”

Qin Xuejun nodded: “I know, I’ve learned a lot here. But the other place has promised me a higher position.”

He held Zhang Jue’s hand, rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb: “And aren’t the athletes from your figure skating team treated there when they’re injured? Or do you think it’s better if I stay here?”

Many people thought Hesheng’s reputation was bigger than 703’s. Qin Xuejun had grown used to being here, but if moving meant being closer to Zhang Jue, adapting to the new workplace became a pleasant thought.

Zhang Jue quickly replied: “No, I’m really happy to see you and your mentor moving to a higher field. If you want to switch, then switch. Even if it doesn’t work out, I’ll support you.”

Leaving here was a good thing. At least he wouldn’t have to deal with that annoying patient’s family anymore. Qin Xuejun’s gray eyes were as beautiful as the Siberian sky, and Zhang Jue could spend two hours just staring at the patterns in them.

Grandpa Yu fully supported Xuejun’s decision to change jobs. The two held hands and returned to the car, where Zhang Jue drove them back to their home.

During the three-day holiday, Zhang Jue spent one day at his parents’ and brother’s house and spent the remaining two days with Xuejun. By the time they returned to the ice rink, Zhang Jue was back to his energetic self.

In short, Zhang Jue was back to his prime, ready to dominate the men’s singles competition, except for the “Three Musketeers.”

In the upcoming National Championships, Zhang Jue scored a total of 330 points, securing a spot for the Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, the other four male singles athletes—Cha Hanbuhua, Jiang Yihong, Liu Yeming, and Jin Zixuan—fought for the remaining two spots.

Before the competition, these four knew that two of them would not make it to the Winter Olympics. After all, Zhang Jue was the highest performer with the most consistent results, and the team needed him.

After a fierce competition, Jin Zixuan barely defeated Liu Yeming and Jiang Yihong, earning one precious spot, while Cha Hanbuhua secured the other with steady performance.

At the same time, in pairs skating, Huang Ying, Guan Lin, Jiang Xiuling, and Luo Mi, along with a pair from L Province, secured spots.

In the women’s singles, Min Shan and Xu Chao took first and second place, with the third spot going to a skater under Chen Zhu’s coaching. Although her highest difficulty jump was only a 3lo+3T, her consistency was commendable.

In ice dance, the two spots went to Hua Taishi, Mei Chunguo pair and Sai Peng and Sai Qiong.

These individuals would represent China in figure skating at the Winter Olympics and would soon depart for high-altitude training in Yunnan.

Before leaving, Zhang Jue entered the meeting room with a notebook and thermos.

Sun Qian waved at him: “Hey, over here.”

Once everyone gathered, the meeting started, discussing how to arrange the team for the Winter Olympics. Zhang Jue’s suggestions would be an important basis for the leaders’ decisions.

Zhang Jue straightforwardly told everyone: “Min Shan, Huang Ying, Guan Lin, and I all have varying degrees of injuries. If we’re expected to do the short program and free skate for the team event, as well as the individual event short program and free skate, forget about the individual event medals. Our stamina isn’t that strong.”

“Especially Huang Ying, her ankle was already problematic during the finals. If she had surgery now, she wouldn’t recover in time for the Winter Olympics, which is why she hasn’t treated it yet. They should only focus on the individual event.”

The leaders flipped through their notes, scribbled some things, and pinched the bridge of their noses: “You’re all so young, why are you all injured like this?”

The worst fear in sports is having your capable athletes broken down by injuries. Huang Ying was at the brink of collapse, with only a thin layer of skin holding her together.

Zhang Jue also said he could only participate in the team short program. They would need to check Min Shan’s opinion.

Shen Liu added: “Since it’s a meeting with our own people, we’re being honest. Min Shan’s performance score isn’t as high as Keiko, and due to injuries, she can’t land as many quadruple jumps as Katerina. If she doesn’t attend the team event and focuses on the individual event, she should be able to secure second place. But if she attends the team event, her chances of competing in the individual event will decrease.”

“In fact, she’s the only one in the national team who’s still healthy enough to handle full attendance.”

Laders: “…”

Since the last century and the Pyeongchang cycle, China’s figure skating gradually began to prosper. Three out of the four disciplines had SSR-level cards, and in men’s singles, there was even a unique god card that no one else had. Chinese ice skating fans who played the game Earth Figure Skating Online finally tasted the joy of winning.

Who knew that just a few years later, the health bars of those cards started dropping rapidly? The worst part was that the game’s healers were all ordinary N cards, not even an R-level one.

They couldn’t even release the most basic healing aura. How frustrating!

Poor reviews!

Sun Qian sighed: “Alright, I’ve seen your medical results. This suggestion sounds good. Next issue—since you guys don’t plan to participate fully, let others take the group free skate. Who do you think is suitable?”

Zhang Jue paused for a moment and then listed several names, recommending the best-suited people for each of the four figure skating disciplines, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. For example, Jin Zixuan was stronger, but Cha Hanbuhua was more stable. He also mentioned that while Xu Chuo’s energy was limited, if she gave up her individual competition to focus on the group women’s singles free skate, she could still defeat all but the Russian and Japanese women’s singles.

The leaders thought, We almost forgot we still have this card that dropped from SSR to SR.

Since they were about to leave for training and wouldn’t be able to go home for a while, Zhang Jue couldn’t bear to part with his Xuejun, parrot, and three chickens. He leaned against the kitchen door, sighing.

“This time it’s closed training, and after this, I’ll go straight to Pyeongchang. We won’t see each other for a long time. The Olympic Village is chaotic. Last time I went, someone even threw something at me.”

Qin Xuejun’s ears twitched, and he turned around, holding a bright red chili pepper, pointing the sharp end toward Zhang Jue like a sword.

“You can play cards, do truth or dare, live-stream eating contests, or even blow up a latrine, but you are not allowed to participate in anything that involves those things.”

Zhang Jue raised both hands in a pledge: “I swear, I have no interest in anyone but you.”

Besides, someone as handsome as him would be the one at a disadvantage if he got involved in such things.

Qin Xuejun seemed satisfied, scooping a bowl of spicy chicken soup and placing it on the table. Zhang Yingjun, ever the showman, began singing “Ah, friends, goodbye” to set the mood.

It’s said that parrots become more human-like as they age, and Zhang Jue now felt his own Zhang Yingjun could be overly clever at times.

Unfortunately, when Sa Zhi left, Zhang Yingjun hadn’t been born yet, and he never got the chance to sing a farewell song to his sister before she left.

In mid-January, Zhang Jue arrived at the high-altitude training base in Yunnan. There, he not only met athletes from other ice sports but also greeted athletes from snow sports.

Short track speed skating was one of the major medal-winning events in this Winter Olympics, apart from figure skating. There were both veteran and young athletes, each taller than those in figure skating, with their muscles especially developed. Some had thighs as thick as chicken legs.

On this day, Zhang Jue went to the equipment room to lift weights. Under the watchful eye of his uncle, he squatted 1.5 times his body weight for two sets. After sweating a little, he came down and was immediately asked how his knees felt.

Just then, Coach Wang from the short track speed skating team brought over a tall athlete: “Junbao, I have a kid here who says he gets tired when using his waist for power. Can you check him out?

Zhang Junbao mumbled: “Did you see the team doctor?” as he walked over to perform an examination.

Zhang Jue sipped his water and blinked his eyes.

“Oh, isn’t this the guy who almost won gold in short track speed skating back in the day, only to be pushed off the track by his opponent?”

Shen Liu sighed: “There are more world champions in this high-altitude training base than in the National Championships. That’s the gold-winning spot for short track speed skating.”

The pressure for gold in short track speed skating was no less than that in figure skating.

Zhang Jue casually said: “Then they’ll have to watch out for dirty tricks from their opponents. In figure skating, it’s just us out there, we won’t be in close contact with the enemy. They’re much more dangerous than we are.”

This remark clearly questioned the character of some short track athletes. Zhang Jue was friends with Cui Zhengshu, Yin Meijing, and Liu Mengcheng. Shen Liu didn’t think Zhang Jue had any animosity toward the country, but he was more perceptive than anyone.

Then he heard Zhang Jue continue: “Meijing and Mengcheng were held up during their entry application, right? If this Winter Olympics wasn’t their last chance for a gold medal, I don’t think they would have pushed through to Pyeongchang. And the Russian athletes can’t compete under their country’s flag. Even if they win, their national anthem won’t be played.”

Zhang Jue nodded with certainty: “There are definitely going to be many problems in this Winter Olympics. I need to remind the younger ones to focus on the competition once we’re there. No running around when we’re not competing.”

Shen Liu: “Alright, you’ve said everything.”

It was unclear whether Zhang Jue realized that when he referred to the others as “the younger ones,” he sounded like a gang leader.

Just then, Zhang Jue coughed, and Shen Liu quickly patted him on the back.

“How old are you? You’re still choking on water?”

Zhang Jue gave a wry smile: “Sorry, I won’t drink water again before catching my breath.”

 

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