Return to the Pinnacle of Figure Skating [Competitive]
Return to the Pinnacle of Figure Skating [Competitive] | Chapter 13: Provincial Team  

Cheng Cheng never thought there’d come a day when he’d be showing Qiao Nan around his own workplace. 

Especially considering he had just recently resigned. 

In recent years, with the whole nation preparing for the Olympics, the authorities had placed little emphasis on winter sports. Furthermore, since no promising successors had emerged in figure skating and the top female skater Chen Xi had retired, funding for the sport had dwindled. 

This lack of support trickled down from the national team to provincial teams, causing budgets for figure skating to tighten across all levels. 

Coaches weren’t fired outright, but pay cuts started coming in. Eventually, it got to the point where many couldn’t even make ends meet and had no choice but to leave. 

That was exactly where Cheng Cheng found himself now. His last student had just quit, and without anyone left to coach, his income had basically dried up. 

Sure, he had family ties to the Cheng family business and still held a shareholder title, so money wasn’t the issue. But he couldn’t just cling to figure skating forever out of pure passion. 

This was his second month receiving the minimum living allowance, and he’d already decided—this was the month he’d finally walk away from figure skating for good. 

So when Qiao Nan called, it felt like fate throwing him one last reason to stay. 

“You want to visit the provincial team?” he asked with a chuckle after hearing her slightly fuzzy voice over the phone. “If you just want a tour, you can ask Madam Xie to send you over. 

“Just inform the guard at the entrance and you’ll get in.” Cheng Cheng paused, his voice tinged with amusement. “But the provincial team’s ice rink isn’t open to the public.” 

Visit? Wasn’t Cheng Cheng a coach on the provincial team? 

“Then, Uncle Cheng, will you be there?” Qiao Nan asked in confusion. Still, since Cheng Cheng had been recommended as the top coach on Tuan Tuan’s previous list, she persisted. “Can I train with you?” 

“Train?” Cheng Cheng slowed down as he was packing his bags. “If you’re just looking to use the ice rink, I can talk to the higher-ups for you.” 

“But joining the team’s not something you decide on a whim,” his tone turned more serious. “Once you’re in, your life’s basically locked in. You won’t even get to choose your competitions. Are you really sure about joining the provincial team?” 

Qiao Nan wasn’t unfamiliar with provincial-level training. Sure, this was a different world, but she knew exactly what kind of rigid system Cheng Cheng was talking about. 

She’d been through years of that so-called “hell training.” It led to muscle fatigue, sure, but from a scientific standpoint, she didn’t really have any complaints. 

Besides, she wasn’t planning on staying with the team for long. 

According to her own plan, she aimed to join the national youth team by the time she turned ten. Before that, she needed to shine in domestic competitions—and the provincial team was a necessary stepping stone. 

Right now, China only had two major figure skating events: the National Championships and the Grand Prix. Entry into either required backing from a certified organization. 

Not to mention, she was drooling over all that training equipment at the provincial team. 

“I get it,” she said, smiling even though he couldn’t see her. “So can I train with you, Uncle Cheng?” 

“Cheng Cheng, hey!” a coworker nudged him. “Last bus is about to leave—are you coming or not?” 

Cheng Cheng had to file paperwork at the national sports office to finalize his resignation. If he didn’t leave now, it’d be too late. 

“Forget it. I’m not going anymore.” He hung up the phone after chatting with Qiao Nan a bit, then turned to his surprised colleague. “Guess what? I’m getting promoted.” 

✵✵✵ 

Getting Qiao Nan into the provincial team wasn’t as easy as just saying yes, even with Cheng Cheng’s ties to the Qiao family. It took a ton of effort before he finally got the guardian’s signature from Qiao Li. 

Why not just ask Xie Luoying or Qiao You’an? 

Because Cheng Cheng was scared. Compared to the Qiao family elders, it was much easier to talk to Qiao Li, with whom he had some previous connection. 

Even though this was something Xie Luoying had already agreed to in the first place. 

Cheng Cheng and Qiao Nan had agreed she’d report to the provincial team over the weekend, but even after wrapping up all the formalities, he was still uneasy. So before her ballet class even finished, he was already waiting outside the classroom. 

Even though she had signed with the provincial team, Qiao Nan had decided to continue taking her regular side classes like ballet. 

Which meant Cheng Cheng had to make the trip himself. 

And then, just his luck, he ran into Xie Luoying, who he’d been avoiding for a week. 

Cheng Cheng: This is way too much of a coincidence QAQ 

Xie Luoying was always kind and gentle around Qiao Nan, but when it came to outsiders, she had a natural aura of dominance that still made Cheng Cheng nervous. 

Well, not nervous exactly—more like deeply respectful. 

After all, she was a self-made businesswoman. For someone like Cheng Cheng, who lived off family shares, her presence was overwhelming. 

Especially since he’d just been lectured about the girl not long ago. 

Cheng Cheng had no shortage of dark memories involving Xie Luoying. 

“Madam Xie, fancy running into you here,” he forced a smile, swallowing hard. “Would you like to come see the provincial training center?” 

She looked up from the papers she was reading and gave him a side-eye. 

“Not exactly a coincidence,” she said, putting the documents down and standing up. “I heard you signed an agreement with my daughter?” 

Qiao Nan had a contract with the provincial team, and naturally, the Qiao family had a separate agreement with Cheng Cheng. 

Even if they trusted the girl, there was no way they’d just hand over a promising kid—who had been doing great under Coach Marlon—without setting any terms. That would be irresponsible. 

So in the additional agreement with Cheng Cheng, there were quite a few conditions. But on the flip side, the compensation for any potential disruptions was generous. 

It’s that classic Qiao family move—give a slap, then offer a sweet date. Everyone in the Qiao family, except for the naive and sweet Qiao Nan, was good at this balancing act. 

Most of the agreement’s terms focused on Cheng Cheng’s public image and behavior. When it came to Qiao Nan’s training, there weren’t many restrictions. 

Basically, the main points boiled down to: don’t overwork her or negatively influence the child. Reasonable enough, nothing too binding for either party. 

“That’s right,” Cheng Cheng said, pressing his lips together. “Madam Xie, is there anything else you’d like to add?” 

“Just one thing,” the woman nodded. 

She hadn’t drafted the contract herself. When it came time to review the final version, she let the two clueless guys at home take a quick look and then signed it without much thought. 

Qiao Youyu usually focused on technical issues, and Qiao Li had only just graduated college. Compared to an old hand like Xie Luoying who had done her homework, the two were practically clueless when it came to contract details. 

So it wasn’t surprising that when Xie Luoying took a glance while filing the contract, she immediately noticed the issues. Without hesitation, she called them into her office for a proper scolding. 

Turning to glance at her daughter through the glass window of the classroom, Xie Luoying slowly stood up. 

“As for performance-related matters, please make sure to follow Qiao Nan’s preferences.” 

✵✵✵ 

Giving her that say meant Qiao Nan would have some control over choreography and music choices—which, honestly, wasn’t exactly ideal for Cheng Cheng. 

If her taste wasn’t quite there yet, too much involvement could lower her performance scores. 

Still, she was the girl he cared deeply about, and after a moment of hesitation, he agreed to Xie Luoying’s request. 

After all, he’d traveled to Russia with her and had a decent grasp of her personality by now. Forget worrying about bad taste—in the end, he might even find himself begging her to tone things down. 

The training center wasn’t far from her ballet class, just about a ten-minute walk. Soon, Cheng Cheng led Qiao Nan, who had packed up her things, through the doors of the provincial team’s ice rink. 

It was already past five, but the rink was still lively. 

Some skaters were warming up, others were practicing spins. A few coaches were sitting off to the side chatting, and the door to the equipment training room was tightly shut. Qiao Nan scanned the space in a single glance, and her eyes instantly lit up with curiosity and excitement. 

Clearly, though, she wouldn’t be stepping into that training room just yet. 

“Hey, Cheng Cheng, you’re back?” One of the chatting coaches looked up as the door opened and gave a curious look. “Heard you argued with the higher-ups for two hours yesterday over this kid. What happened, you won and brought her back?” 

Cheng Cheng always looked like a laid-back guy, but he wasn’t afraid to argue with the bosses or brawl with rival clubs. He had a bit of a reputation on the figure skating team as a force to be reckoned with. 

And to be fair, he earned it—most of the skaters he trained ended up doing really well. If rival clubs hadn’t been snatching up his promising kids in recent years, he probably would’ve advanced even further by now. 

With his skills, becoming a national-level coach was definitely within reach. 

“Oh come on, don’t spread rumors,” Cheng Cheng snorted, pretending to get annoyed. He turned to Qiao Nan and pointed at the two chatting coaches. “This guy on the left who’s always got time to scratch his feet is Fang Longze. The one on the right who’s broke as hell is He Yelan.” 

“Nan Nan, remember these two. If they ever come talk to you when I’m not around, don’t bother with them.” 

“Hey, what’s with the slander?” Fang Longze immediately shouted. “Come on, folks, let’s be real—who’s the one clocking out at five sharp every day to go home and scratch his feet?” 

“Exactly,” He Yelan added, clicking his tongue. “Who’s been living on the base salary for two months straight? I won’t name names, but Cheng Cheng, don’t go making stuff up in front of the kid.” 

“Nice to meet you, Coach Fang, Coach He.” 

Qiao Nan wasn’t clueless—she could tell the three of them were joking around. She blinked and gave them a polite smile. 

“Such a well-mannered kid.” Fang Longze gave her head a gentle pat. “Wanna try skating?” 

“The conditions here may not be the best, but the ice quality is great.” 

He paused, then added, “Cheng Cheng said you can land a double jump already, right? Wanna give it a try?” 

“Are you serious?” He Yelan immediately interjected, looking a bit alarmed. 

Cheng Cheng hadn’t told his colleagues the exact level of Qiao Nan, only that she was not yet seven and had trained for one and a half years. Based on the average level of seven-year-olds on the provincial team, forget double jumps, even stabilizing a one-and-a-half rotation Axel would be considered genius. 

No matter how talented she was, Fang Longze was pushing it. 

Qiao Nan could tell—Coach Fang might’ve asked with a smile, but he definitely wanted to size her up. See if the girl Cheng Cheng kept hyping up was actually the real deal. 

“Sure!” she replied sweetly, flashing a bright smile. “Then wait a moment, I’ll go change into my skates.” 

Author’s Note: 
Coach ranking: Level 1 → Level 2 → Level 3 → Senior Coach → National-Level Coach. 

Cheng Cheng is currently a senior coach, just one Nan Nan away from making it to national level (lol). 

The requirements for National-Level Coach are a bit many, so I won’t put them here. Interested readers can look it up online. 

xiaocaojade[Translator]

Kindly refer to the synopsis in the comment section of the book for the unlocking schedule. Thank you! 😊

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