{"id":7038,"date":"2025-06-09T09:07:40","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T07:07:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7038"},"modified":"2025-07-20T17:50:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T15:50:46","slug":"figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics-208-consensus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/06\/09\/figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics-208-consensus\/","title":{"rendered":"Figure Skating: I’m More Suited for the Olympics – Chapter 208 – Consensus"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

\u201cAhhh, I really wanted to know what Captain Zhang\u2019s music choice was this year. He kept it secret until now\u2014it was driving everyone crazy!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cExactly. I heard that his short program choreography was done by Francis, and the free skate by Grandma Mia, but the music selection, editing, and costume design were all handled by Captain Zhang himself. Plus, it\u2019s an Olympic year\u2014he was definitely aiming for a classic.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s on the same level as Bah Fire and Rain, then the men\u2019s singles this year are going to be a bloodbath. The Prince of Goose and the Prince of the Archipelago already showcased their programs at B-level events\u2014both were masterpieces from top choreographers. The men\u2019s field has been insane these last few years.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cSay what you will about our Crocodile God, his skill in creating programs had always been top-tier. When it came to quality, he never lost!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cAm I the only one curious about what the Crocodile God\u2019s costume looks like this year? His short program costume last year was wild\u2014those reflective leather pants had my eyes glued to his butt\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Right\u2014Captain Zhang hadn\u2019t just kept his program a secret, he hadn\u2019t let anyone see his costume either.<\/p>\r\n

Lying in bed, enjoying being waited on by Xuejun, Zhang Jue scrolled through this Weibo post, blinked, and gave Qin Xuejun a side glance before curling his finger to beckon him over.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cBrother Xuejun, come to think of it, you haven\u2019t seen my costume for this year, right?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Qin Xuejun picked up the empty fruit plate Zhang Jue had just finished: “Didn\u2019t you bring a few home the other day?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue replied: “Yeah, but you never saw me wear them. Don\u2019t you want to see?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Qin Xuejun knew Zhang Jue all too well\u2014Master Zhang didn\u2019t need to spell it out before Qin got the idea.<\/p>\r\n

Although they hadn\u2019t defined their relationship yet, Zhang Jue had made plenty of moves toward taking things further. The boldest one was when he sat on Qin\u2019s bed in a kimono, opened the collar, and asked if Qin wanted a drink of “collarbone wine.”<\/p>\r\n

Qin glanced at Zhang Jue and showed a \u201cbring it on\u201d expression.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI want to see.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue tilted his chin: “Then just watch.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

That night, Zhang Jue\u2019s main account surprisingly updated. He posted two photos.<\/p>\r\n

In the first, he wore a faux two-piece: a deep sky-blue shirt decorated with rhinestones underneath a purplish-blue tailcoat, paired with standard black trousers. The overall look was elegant and dashing\u2014like a Mediterranean prince bathed in sea breeze.<\/p>\r\n

The second outfit was much sexier.<\/p>\r\n

It was a black bodysuit. The left side was modestly covered in solid fabric, while the right was made of semi-transparent black mesh, embroidered with gold thread in swirling patterns. A gold rope cinched the waist.<\/p>\r\n

This design highlighted every strength and flaw in an athlete\u2019s physique. If someone with less-than-perfect proportions and body fat in the single digits wore it, they\u2019d be in trouble. But for Zhang Jue? Perfection.<\/p>\r\n

Since the previous off-season, Zhang Jue hadn\u2019t cut his hair. By this year, it had grown to shoulder length. He usually tied it in a ponytail for practice, but left it flowing freely for the photos.<\/p>\r\n

That was peak beauty. Peak. Beauty.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue almost never interacted with fans online, so this rare visual treat sent the skating fandom into a frenzy. They reposted his photos nonstop.<\/p>\r\n

If those really were Zhang Jue\u2019s official competition costumes, fans would move heaven and earth to attend every one of his performances.<\/p>\r\n

Unfortunately, even wearing the second costume and pulling out a pole for a spontaneous sexy dance, Zhang Jue still didn\u2019t manage to \u201cget on the train before buying the ticket.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Qin Xuejun was definitely aroused, but he restrained himself. He explained that sex carried some risk, and with Zhang Jue heading into the Olympic season, he wasn\u2019t going to risk anything\u2014not even a gentle night.<\/p>\r\n

It was a step forward, though\u2014implying after the season ended, it would be fair game.<\/p>\r\n

But then Zhang Jue looked shocked.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cW-wait, but isn\u2019t it usually said that the top doesn\u2019t face any risk? I swear I\u2019d be gentle\u2014I wouldn\u2019t let us get hurt\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Then both of them went silent.<\/p>\r\n

They suddenly realized something: they had never agreed on who would top.<\/p>\r\n

Qin Xuejun assumed that, given his age and physique, he\u2019d top. Zhang Jue believed that, as an elite athlete with better stamina, he should top.<\/p>\r\n

Years of mutual understanding kicked in\u2014they both attacked at once. Zhang Jue poked Qin in the waist; Qin retaliated by tickling his underarms.<\/p>\r\n

The tickle war began.<\/p>\r\n

They wrestled until they were both out of breath, collapsed on the sofa.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue nudged Qin\u2019s arm with his toe: “Hey, I have a question.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Qin answered lazily: “What?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue said: “If\u2014and I mean if\u2014I weren\u2019t a figure skater, but just some failed composer who never made it, and you weren\u2019t the famous orthopedic surgeon with golden hands, but a blind man… If we met as two nobodies, would you still like me?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

What kind of question was that?<\/p>\r\n

Qin was confused, but considering Zhang Jue always had an artistic temperament and random whimsical thoughts, he didn\u2019t overthink it. He just replied:<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI think I would. After all, I like you not because of your success. Even if you were so poor you had to eat plain buns with water, and I couldn\u2019t even see your face, I\u2019d still like you the moment we met.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He smiled: “Because we just click.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

When it came to relationships, isn\u2019t clicking all that mattered?<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue felt deeply satisfied. He stared at the ceiling, heart full of love.<\/p>\r\n

After a long silence, Zhang Jue started softly singing: “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands\u2026\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Under the parrot\u2019s melodious accompaniment, he said: “Xuejun, I\u2019ve decided. Let\u2019s wait until I retire before we deal with the top-bottom issue.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Qin Xuejun nodded: “Very wise.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

And so, twenty-year-old Zhang Jue and twenty-four-year-old Qin Xuejun were still virgins.<\/p>\r\n

At this point, the powers-that-be were happy to see figure skating gaining popularity, especially since it helped build hype for the 2022 Beijing-Zhangjiakou Winter Olympics. When Zhang Jue released the costume photos and gained even more fans, both officials and coaches were pleased.<\/p>\r\n

Sun Qian even praised him for looking sharp in costume. But not even a day later, Zhang Jue caused chaos again.<\/p>\r\n

In early September, the Men\u2019s Singles Three Musketeers\u2014Zhang Jue, Teraoka Hayato, and Ilya\u2014hosted a livestream competition: eating burgers. By the time their coaches found out, Zhang Jue had already eaten his fifth one!<\/p>\r\n

It was the most jaw-dropping event in men’s figure skating history.<\/p>\r\n

Russian commentator Ekaterina screamed into her mic: “Of course it\u2019s Tama-chan! He\u2019s on his fourth! Teraoka\u2019s only eaten two, Ilya just finished three\u2014wait, why are you drinking vodka? Liquid takes up space too! If you want to win this, don\u2019t drink!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Behind Teraoka, Keiko wore a headband that said “Go Keiko!” and held a neon sign: “Keiko is a Beauty.”<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue continued devouring burgers, accompanied by a cockatiel with red cheeks, straddling its legs like an old man, singing the Doraemon theme before bursting into eerie laughter.<\/p>\r\n

Shen Liu spat out soy milk when he saw the stream, grabbed his phone to call Zhang Junbao, and jumped into his car. Coach Lu, cane in hand, quickly joined him.<\/p>\r\n

But Beijing was too big. By the time the coaches arrived, the contest was over. Zhang Jue had won with eleven burgers. Teraoka surprisingly ate eight. Ilia collapsed at seven\u2014he\u2019d downed a full 800ml bottle of vodka mid-competition. Without the alcohol, he might\u2019ve beat Teraoka.<\/p>\r\n

Per their bet, the one who ate the least had to go to the French Grand Prix. That meant Ilia was headed to France.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue\u2019s massive mouth became a meme online\u2014just five bites per burger, lightning-fast chewing. It rivaled Korea\u2019s mukbang queen Boki.<\/p>\r\n

Later, both Teraoka and Ilia agreed that Zhang Jue\u2019s burger-eating contest idea had been premeditated.<\/p>\r\n

They were right.<\/p>\r\n

Still, they had a blast. As skaters, they rarely got to eat that much junk food\u2014it was heaven.<\/p>\r\n

The audience loved it. But all three skaters paid the price: their coaches beat them, and they were sentenced to a month of diet meals. Their faces turned green from sadness.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue, triumphant, applied for the Russian and Japanese Grand Prix events\u2014effectively booting his rivals from their home turfs.<\/p>\r\n

October 20, Moscow. Zhang Jue entered the arena with his skates. Behind him were Cha Hanbuhua, Jiang Xiuling, Luo Mi, Sai Peng, and Sai Qiong.<\/p>\r\n

Holding a notebook, he said: \u201cThis round\u2019s strong local contender is Popov\u2014he\u2019s a veteran. There\u2019s also Carlson and Spain\u2019s Rojas. Hanbuhua, your stamina is your strength. If you don\u2019t fall on the 4S, you have a shot at the podium.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cFatty, your main rivals are still that Russian top pair. Don\u2019t stress. At the moment, your biggest competition is Guan Lin and Yingying. The stronger juniors won\u2019t move up until next year\u2014just go in with a challenger\u2019s mindset.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cSai Peng, Sai Qiong\u2014it\u2019s your first senior Grand Prix. All I ask is you skate your best, and don\u2019t fight before or after.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Watching him speak, Shen Liu whispered to Coach Lu: “The kid\u2019s more mature than before.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Everyone in the national team had once crushed their peers as teenage prodigies. And prodigies usually had egos. But Zhang Jue always made them listen.<\/p>\r\n

Seventy-six-year-old Coach Lu smiled with pride.<\/p>\r\n

That day, the venue was packed. After the rhythm dance ended, the men\u2019s short program began, finishing three groups.<\/p>\r\n

A Chinese fan filming from the stands said excitedly: \u201cEveryone, Captain Zhang is about to go on! We\u2019re finally going to see his short program! Place your bets now\u2014he wore the prince tailcoat during warmups, so I bet he\u2019s going classical! Maybe piano, or maybe opera!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

During the off-season and B-level events, Teraoka and Ilya had already revealed their programs.<\/p>\r\n

Teraoka\u2019s short program was A Day Without Rain, and his free skate was Schubert\u2019s Impromptu in G-flat major.<\/p>\r\n

Ilya\u2019s short was Beethoven\u2019s Fate, and his free was Chopin\u2019s Brilliant Waltz.<\/p>\r\n

Only Zhang Jue had kept everything secret until now.<\/p>\r\n

Suddenly, the announcer\u2019s voice echoed: \u201cRepresenting China, Jue Zhang.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The skating fan quickly sat up straight: \u201cHere he comes, here he comes, Captain Zhang is going on!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue, with his hair tied in a ponytail, stepped onto the ice in his prince-style faux two-piece tailcoat. He high-fived Shen Liu, nodded at Coach Lu, and skated toward the center of the rink. A lock of hair fell beside his cheek as he stood on the ice with lowered eyes.<\/p>\r\n

A burst of guitar music played\u2014the familiar intro made many people widen their eyes in surprise.<\/p>\r\n

It was\u2026 the famous guitar concerto Concierto de Aranjuez, composed by Spanish composer Joaqu\u00edn Rodrigo.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue opened with a light tap on the ice, completing a 4Lo+3T combination.<\/p>\r\n

Concierto de Aranjuez also had another name\u2014The Love of Aranjuez. Rodrigo wrote it after experiencing both sweet love with his wife and the horrors of war. It was a piece born of love, a flower blooming in flames.<\/p>\r\n

And Joaqu\u00edn was blind.<\/p>\r\n

Naturally, Zhang Jue was also one of those going all out in this Olympic year, so even though it was just the season opener, his performance was absolutely brilliant.<\/p>\r\n

When the program ended, the entire venue fell silent. Zhang Jue bowed with poise and skated off the ice, only then did the applause begin to swell.<\/p>\r\n

Shen Liu handed over his blade guards: “You didn\u2019t go for the highest difficulty in jumps, but the blend of choreography and technique was seamless. I told you, Francis likes you best. The quality of this program is off the charts.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue smiled as he put on his jacket and walked toward the Kiss & Cry. The applause continued even after they sat down.<\/p>\r\n

A Chinese skating fan, hands trembling, exclaimed: “I\u2014I\u2019ll be damned, Captain Zhang is insane this year. This program is so strong, really strong! If the PCS drops below 48, I\u2019ll swallow my phone whole!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Everyone who watched the program gave it glowing reviews. The public\u2019s judgment was razor-sharp\u2014starting with the short program, Zhang Jue was already leading the men\u2019s field at the Russian Grand Prix by a margin of 12 points.<\/p>\r\n

By the time the free skate ended, his lead had grown to a jaw-dropping 39 points!<\/p>\r\n

Though his short and free programs were choreographed by different people, both were structurally sound, rich in creativity, and highly artistic. With Zhang Jue\u2019s masterful execution, both programs’ performance scores were within 2 points of perfect marks.<\/p>\r\n

He claimed the gold medal of his season debut with an overwhelming lead.<\/p>\r\n

At the same time, his choice of music for the free skate stunned the crowd. Less than a minute into the program, a fan posted online with a hesitant guess:<\/p>\r\n

\u201cCaptain Zhang\u2019s artistic level this season is off the charts. This man brought out two masterpieces\u2014it\u2019s insane. But\u2026 I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m remembering it wrong, but is his free skate music Spartacus and Phrygia by Khachaturian?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cYep, you\u2019re spot on. It\u2019s from the ballet Spartacus by Khachaturian. His free skate was choreographed by Grandma Mia, and ballet is her specialty\u2014makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cBut Zhang Jue\u2019s performance is too sensual! Even though there\u2019s a clear ballet influence, it somehow reminds me of how this music was used in the infamous film Caligula. If that\u2019s not just me imagining things, then this music choice is incredibly bold.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cWait what? Caligula? Isn\u2019t that the erotic film by Tinto Brass?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The thread grew to over twenty stories tall. On the 27th floor, a bombshell dropped:<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThird commenter, come back! You weren\u2019t imagining things. Zhang Jue\u2019s music choice really is that bold. After the awards ceremony, he said in an interview that his free skate isn\u2019t called Spartacus\u2014it\u2019s called Caligula!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

No matter how heatedly the fans debated, Zhang Jue\u2019s coaches and officials remained dead silent.<\/p>\r\n

Actually, when his music choice was first revealed, some did notice something was off and tried to persuade him otherwise. But Zhang Jue just shrugged.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThe program\u2019s already choreographed. How about watching me skate it once before saying anything?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Though confused, the officials sat down to watch\u2014and by the end, even those unfamiliar with figure skating were unable to find a single flaw in it, aside from the slightly risqu\u00e9 theme.<\/p>\r\n

It is too perfect, once the world is known to be going to the Olympic gold medal, and the gold medal is certainly more important than anything else, so everyone simply defaulted.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"This<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cAhhh, I really wanted to know what Captain Zhang\u2019s music choice was this year. He kept it secret until now\u2014it was driving everyone crazy!\u201d \u201cExactly. I heard that his short program choreography was done by Francis, and the free skate by Grandma Mia, but the music selection, editing, and costume design were all handled by […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fg.png?fit=200%2C281&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7038","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7038"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7038\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7097,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7038\/revisions\/7097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7038"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7038"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7038"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}