This was his childhood room.

The realization sent a jolt through Li Nan. He wanted to turn his head to find a mirror to check how he looked now, but a sharp pain shot through his neck. Letting out a yelp, Li Nan fell back onto the bed, clutching his neck as tears welled up in his eyes.

It hurt—really hurt.

How on earth did he sleep to end up with such a stiff neck?

Li Nan let out a few more groans from the bed when the door suddenly burst open. A middle-aged woman with a protruding belly stormed in, her presence commanding. Seeing Li Nan howling on the bed, she frowned and snapped, “Do you know what time it is? Still lazing in bed? Aren’t you going to class?”

Li Nan stared at the woman in front of him, stunned. For a moment, he forgot all about the aching pain in his neck. In disbelief, he exclaimed, “Mom?!”

“Calling me ‘Mom’ won’t help!” Li Wenqing glared at him. “You were the one who begged and cried to join that guitar extracurricular class. It was a hassle to get you enrolled, and now, if you’re backing out, just see how I’ll deal with you!”

As she spoke, Li Wenqing reached out, intending to tug at his ear—a habitual move of hers. After years of dodging his mom’s infamous “claws,” Li Nan’s instincts had been honed to perfection. Reflexively, he rolled over on the bed, evading her hand. Then, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, his eyes brimming with tears.

“Mom!”

Li Nan hugged Li Wenqing tightly, the tangible warmth of her body under his arms stirring an ache in his heart.

Was this a dream? Otherwise, how could he be seeing his mother again?

She had passed away from cancer several years ago.

Li Wenqing froze for a moment. It’s often said that no one knows a child better than their mother, and Li Nan, who had once been a part of her, was no exception. She had raised him by her side, knowing what kind of mischief he was up to just by the look on his face. Seeing him now, his reaction felt like he was genuinely overwhelmed with emotion, as if they hadn’t seen each other in ages.

But how could that be possible? Her mischievous little monkey had never been sentimental like this since birth… This brat was definitely trying to skip class again!

Li Wenqing’s brow twitched. This time, her hand shot out swiftly and accurately, grabbing Li Nan’s ear and giving it a hard twist. “You little rascal! Even if you call your grandparents over today, you’re still going to class!”

Li Nan’s eyes were brimming with tears, and he yelped repeatedly in pain. “Ouch, ouch, ouch! Mom, Mom—my dearest Mom, please let go!”

The commotion inside the room must have been too loud, as Li Nan’s father, Shen Xudong, came over to check. Peeking his head in through the doorway, he took in the scene inside and chuckled helplessly. “What’s Xiao Nan done this time? Why are you twisting his ear every day? You’re going to damage it at this rate.”

As he spoke, Shen Xudong stepped forward, intercepting Li Wenqing’s “violent behavior” toward Li Nan. He placed a hand on his wife’s waist, offering some support to his pregnant wife, while gently knocking on Li Nan’s head. “And you—what did you do this time to make your mom so angry?”

Li Nan, apart from his earlier cries of pain, had been staring intently at Li Wenqing. Now that Shen Xudong had stepped in, his gaze shifted to his father. After studying him for a moment, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “Wow, Dad, you were so handsome when you were younger!”

“And Mom—” Li Nan’s eyes shifted back to Li Wenqing as he rubbed his own face, concluding with a grin, “No wonder! Mom is so beautiful too. With good-looking parents like you two, no wonder I turned out so handsome!”

“This kid,” Shen Xudong chuckled, tapping Li Nan’s forehead again. “Always so full of yourself. Where did you even pick up this habit?”

“Where else could I have learned it? Who in this family cares about appearances more than me?” Li Nan had snapped out of his earlier daze, now grinning cheekily as he winked at his mom. “Isn’t that right, my dearest mom?”

Li Wenqing kept a stern face, refusing to respond. The frustration she had been holding onto was mostly dissipated by the father and son’s playful banter. However, letting it slide completely would make her, as the head of the household, seem like a pushover. Keeping her face cold, she glared at Li Nan and barked, “Get up now and come eat breakfast. After that, have your dad take you to your extracurricular class. We spent a lot of money on that class, and if you dare slack off, you’ll see how I deal with you.”

She shot another glare at Shen Xudong, brushing away his hand from her waist. “It’s because you’re always spoiling him.”

With that, she stomped out of Li Nan’s room, her steps echoing down the hallway.

Shen Xudong and Li Nan exchanged a glance, both wearing expressions of helplessness.

“All right, hurry up and get ready. I’ll take you to class later.” Shen Xudong patted his son’s shoulder and reminded him, “The weather’s been hot lately, and your mom’s not feeling well. Her mood hasn’t been great because of it, so be good and don’t make her any angrier, okay?”

Li Nan obediently nodded, jumped out of bed, and slipped into his slippers before dashing into the bathroom. His grandmother, sitting on the sofa in the living room, called out, “Slow down, dear! Don’t trip!”

The bathroom, shared by their family of five, wasn’t very spacious. They usually had to schedule bath times, as the electric water heater didn’t hold enough hot water for everyone.

Inside the small bathroom, the showerhead was at the far end. Closer to the entrance were the toilet and the sink, with a small mirror hanging next to the sink.

Li Nan glanced at himself in the mirror and was stunned to see the face of his ten-year-old self staring back at him.

Judging by the age of Shen Ranran, his mom’s second child, he calculated… Shen Ranran wasn’t born yet. However, judging by his mom’s belly, it wouldn’t be long. So that would mean… he was ten years old now?

Initially, Li Nan thought this was just a dream. But now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

What kind of dream lets you feel pain this vividly?

He touched his ear, which had just been twisted moments ago, and winced again from the lingering ache.

This is definitely his mom. No one else could impersonate her so perfectly—not even the pain of having his ear twisted was any different!

So… does this mean he’s gone back to the past?

Rebirth? Time travel? Or just some fantastical dream?

Li Nan had once been a trendy young man. In his youth, driven by sheer determination, he ventured into the entertainment industry. While he might not have become a superstar, he had at least gained some level of recognition.

After all, even more than a decade later, there were still fans who remembered him—how could that not be considered an achievement?

However, Li Nan’s interests could only last for a few years at a time. After failing to make a name for himself in the music industry, he switched careers to become an actor. But after only a few roles, he grew tired of it.

It wasn’t until he encountered figure skating that things changed.

At the time, he was nineteen, and he had taken on a role in a documentary film about figure skating, where he was to portray an outstanding figure skater.

Because of this film, he was introduced to figure skating—and he fell in love with the sport.

At the age of nineteen, after finishing his final movie, he packed up and left the entertainment industry, choosing to enter the sports world instead.

Back then, everyone advised him to think it over carefully. Some people in the sports industry, including the coach who had first introduced him to figure skating, told him: “It’s too late.”

At this age, it’s fine to learn figure skating as a hobby, but if you’re aiming to achieve results and win medals in national or international competitions, it’s completely impossible.

Forget about the national team members; even athletes from provincial teams or figure skating clubs have often started practicing since they were five or six years old. The oldest among them might have started at eight, nine, or even ten years old, which is already considered very late. How about Li Nan, who was nineteen, an adult, with his body already set in terms of flexibility?

It’s fine to have it as a hobby, but comparing a hobby to someone else’s profession? That’s pushing it.

How many years had others practiced to be at their peak at the age of nineteen? How many years would Li Nan need to catch up and reach the level of others at nineteen?

Figure skating careers are short-lived, and some people’s careers end as quickly as they begin. To be blunt, who is Li Nan? How could he enter the sports world at the age of nineteen and still manage to achieve results?

Everyone thought it was an impossible dream. But Li Nan, through effort, sweat, and, most importantly, his talent, slowly advanced from the club to the provincial team, and then from the provincial team to the national team.

It was likely because China had so few figure skating talents that Li Nan, a latecomer to the sport, found himself on the ice at Sochi at the age of twenty-four. As the only representative from China, he made it from the short program into the free skate. Unfortunately, he ranked sixth overall, missing the podium.

But even with that result, it was already impressive. He started at nineteen and was on the Winter Olympics ice at twenty-four. With such talent, if he had started as a child, China might have already had a potential gold medal contender in figure skating by now.

Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as “what if” in this world.

Li Nan’s career as an athlete was actually quite ordinary. He managed to touch a few medals at the World Championships, and during the Grand Prix series, he earned a couple of gold medals here and there. Four years passed, and he finished fourth at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

That year, there were a few extremely talented young athletes who not only had impressive skills but were also very young. The medals were all swept up by them, and Li Nan ultimately missed out on a podium finish.

Then came his rebirth at the Winter Olympics in B City. The Winter Olympics held right at his doorstep, with everyone placing high hopes on him. He, too, wanted to give his best and win a medal to bring glory to his country…

At thirty-one, and about to turn thirty-two, he was definitely an “overaged” athlete in the figure skating world.

Despite his body being riddled with injuries, he still insisted on competing, because at that time, aside from him, no one else in China could contest for a spot on the podium.

So, Li Nan took the field, but the final result was that he missed the medal by just one point.

Was it a shame? Yes, it was.

Was it regrettable? Yes, it was.

But if you were to ask him whether he regretted becoming a figure skater, enduring all the injuries without winning an Olympic medal, his answer would definitely be: no, he didn’t regret it.

How many times in life can one truly say, “I want this”?

Becoming a figure skater was Li Nan’s “I want this.”

Li Nan awoke from his memories, staring blankly at his reflection in the mirror. He abruptly turned on the faucet, filling the basin with water, and plunged his head into it.

He stayed underwater for a while, nearly suffocating, before suddenly lifting his head, staring at his reflection in the mirror, and feeling a strong sense of reality.

In his eyes, a mix of disbelief, panic, surprise, and shock flickered…

Various emotions intertwined, eventually converging into one—joy.

It’s real!

He had actually returned from the age of thirty-one to when he was ten?

Not only had he turned back the clock on his age, but even time itself had reversed. He was back to a time when his parents were still alive and well, his younger sister Shen Ranran hadn’t been born yet, and he had yet to impulsively enter the entertainment industry during his youth!

It was truly unbelievable!