Li Wenqing never would have expected that after her son went out for a bit of “playtime” in the afternoon, he’d come back home with a provincial team coach in tow.

She looked at Ding Jianguo, then turned to glance at Li Nan, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

She really wanted to ask what exactly this coach saw in her son that made him chase the boy all the way to their home. Could it be because her son was good-looking?

But if that were the case, shouldn’t it be a talent scout knocking on their door? Why would it be a coach from the provincial team…?

Shen Xudong, on the other hand, remained relatively calm. After speaking with Ding Jianguo for a bit, he went back to the bedroom to make a couple of calls. Once those were done, he confirmed that Ding Jianguo was indeed a coach with the newly formed figure skating team in S City.

[Your kid’s going to take up figure skating?] Shen Xudong’s friend asked over the phone.

[Yeah, Xiao Nan must’ve heard about it from somewhere and told his mom he wanted to give it a try. He even promised he’d rank in the top three in his class on the next exam, so his mom agreed,] Shen Xudong replied with a cheerful chuckle, slipping into that most classic of Chinese habits—humble bragging about one’s child. [Who would’ve thought that before we even had time to think it over, a provincial coach would show up at our door insisting Xiao Nan should try out for the team, saying our kid is a one-in-ten-thousand talent and it’d be a shame not to train him.]

Friend: [….]

[Oh right, the coach also said that our Xiao Nan could easily make it to the competition, and maybe even win a gold medal. Xiao Nan even said he’d get several gold medals to trade with his mom for fun.]

Friend: [….]

[Ah, I thought that was a bit of an exaggeration. Isn’t that just implying that coach is a scammer? That’s why I called you to ask, but turns out he’s really a coach for the provincial team. Now I can relax. Hehe, I wonder when Xiao Nan will bring home a gold medal for his family. The first one will definitely go to his mom, and the second and third should go as gifts to his grandparents. The fourth one—well, it’s gotta be for me, right? Should I buy a suit to match? What do you think of a suit from xx brand? Would it be too low-key? Is it okay to pair it with a gold medal?]

Friend: [Hehe, looks like Xiao Nan is really something! It seems like your family, Old Shen, is going to have an Olympic prospect.” The friend continued, following Shen Xudong’s lead, “I guess I should congratulate you in advance.]

Shen Xudong: [No, no, not at all. It’s still a long way to go.]

Then, Shen Xudong shifted his tone and started pondering, [Say, if Xiao Nan really makes it to the Olympics, should I get a makeover for the occasion?]

Friend: [….]

Can’t listen to this anymore, better hang up!

In the living room, where the soundproofing in the rooms isn’t very good, everyone could hear everything clearly: “…”

Li Nan: This is it, his toenails are about to dig out the Great Wall.

When Shen Xudong came out, he was met with several glares from Li Wenqing, leaving him somewhat confused.

Ding Jianguo was thick-skinned and didn’t care at all about Shen Xudong’s boasting in the bedroom. He even thought some of what was said made sense. With Li Nan’s talent, he might indeed get a chance to compete and win medals soon.

However, the Olympic gold medal? That’s something to think about later. Given the current level of China’s figure skating national team, just making it onto the podium at the Winter Olympics would be a stroke of luck, let alone winning a gold medal.

Ding Jianguo sighed heavily when he thought about the current state of China’s figure skating.

There’s nothing they can do. Right now, China is focusing all its efforts on economic development, with no extra resources to nurture so many talented athletes. The little support that remains is all directed at higher-profile summer sports, leaving winter sports in an awkward position.

That’s why the Olympics are often seen as a showcase of a country’s strength—only powerful nations can produce Olympic champions.

While Shen Xudong and Ding Jianguo were talking, Li Wenqing pulled Li Nan aside.

“Do you really want to join that provincial team?” Li Wenqing asked, staring at Li Nan’s expression. “To become a figure skater? I’m telling you in advance, being an athlete is extremely tough. Do you really think you can handle that?”

Li Wenqing and Shen Xudong had originally planned to sign Li Nan up for a club, treating it as a way to cultivate an interest and also improve his physical fitness. There were many benefits to this approach, but now they couldn’t think about it so casually.

What kind of place was that? It was the provincial sports team!

The kids there were all trained as real athletes, and just the thought of it made them feel the hardship.

Li Nan’s maternal grandfather had originally driven long-haul trucks, and Li Wenqing had grown up on the truck. Later, she even joined her grandfather on the long hauls. It wasn’t until she got pregnant with Li Nan that she stopped driving trucks and began running a supermarket.

After Li Nan was born, the Li family gradually became wealthier and had more free time. With nothing much to do, they focused on raising the child. Li Nan was treated like a precious gem by his grandparents, and he hadn’t experienced any hardship. Li Wenqing didn’t think Li Nan could endure the hardships of becoming a professional athlete.

Moreover, if the child suffered too much, wouldn’t it be the elders who would feel heartbroken? Especially Li Nan’s grandparents. Right now, they were happy to hear that their grandson might have a bright future and bring honor to the country. But once the child was worn out by the training, they would be the first to protest.

She and Shen Xudong would probably feel bad for a long time as well…

Li Wenqing privately didn’t want to send Li Nan to that provincial team.

Li Nan thought for a moment. “Actually, I was initially planning to join a club for practice.”

When Li Wenqing heard that Li Nan’s plan was similar to her own, she relaxed a little, her furrowed brow softening. Just as she started to feel a bit relieved, she heard Li Nan continue.

“But after thinking about it, maybe the provincial team is a good option, so now I’m leaning towards joining the provincial team,” Li Nan said.

On the way home, Li Nan thought about a lot of things.

In his previous life, he had entered the provincial team through a club route, not from S city, but from another province. Then, through competitions and internal recommendations, he eventually joined the national team and participated in international competitions under their banner.

It had taken too long, and his age had always been a limitation, with constant rejections. The only option available to him back then was the club, a place where money could buy access to better resources.

In this life, Li Nan had originally planned to follow the same path. After all, it was a familiar process, and it would be easier to replicate. This time, however, things would be less complicated. His age was younger, his talent higher, and he would be more easily noticed by the national team’s coaches.

Li Nan predicted that within two years, if he performed well, he could successfully enter the national team.

But then, Ding Jianguo appeared.

A new figure skating provincial team had been established in S city, and it was like the perfect opportunity falling into his lap—just when he had hoped for it.

A club could never compare to an official team. Even the national team prioritized selecting top talent from provincial teams, so for any promising player in a club to catch the attention of a national coach, that was incredibly difficult.

Although the provincial team in S city had just been established and probably didn’t have many athletes yet, it was precisely because of this that they were desperately seeking talent. Li Nan believed that with his talent, not only would he receive significant resources, but he would also be a key figure in the team.

The provincial team would provide him with resources, and the national team would offer a fast track for advancement. In return, he would bring honor and strive for awards, creating a mutually beneficial and perfect relationship.

Li Nan felt that this newly established provincial team was simply too good, as if it had been built according to his own desires.

Perhaps the establishment of this provincial team was a result of the butterfly effect caused by his rebirth.

Li Wenqing stared at Li Nan for a long time, suddenly realizing that her son seemed a bit unfamiliar. It was as if the young chick had suddenly spread its wings to fly, and in the blink of an eye, it had become an eagle soaring in the sky.

He had matured.

“Mom, you’ll definitely support me, right?” Li Nan hugged Li Wenqing, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her. “I’ll bring back tons and tons of medals. You’ll need to start working hard to make money so you can buy a big house to hang my medals, fill the entire house with them!”

Li Wenqing was momentarily stunned. After regaining her composure, she smiled speechlessly, realizing she had overthought things.

Her little brat was still the same as before, talking about buying a house just to hang medals, as if it was really possible to fill an entire house with them.

Li Wenqing poked Li Nan’s forehead. “You sure know how to brag. Let’s see if, in the future, you’ll be crying and begging us to save you from the provincial team.”

Li Nan put on an innocent face. “How could I be? I’m not that delicate!”

“You’re the most delicate one in the whole family!”

Ding Jianguo’s visit to the Li household had gone incredibly smoothly. He successfully recruited this promising talent, and it was agreed that Li Nan would go for a trial training with the provincial team in two days.

After all, not just anyone could get into the provincial team—even though the figure skating division had only just been established, it was still an official team.

The trial was essentially a two-way selection process: the coaches would assess whether a student was worth training, and the student (and their family) would evaluate the environment and resources offered by the team. If both sides were satisfied, the student could stay on for a period of training.

In reality, it was this training period that constituted the true trial. During this time, the team would observe the student’s aptitude and determine whether to offer them a formal position. Once that decision was made, the team would present a contract, officially making the student a full member of the team. From that point on, they would train regularly and even receive a monthly stipend—essentially, it would become their job.

Li Nan was ten years old this year, which was already considered a bit late to begin training in figure skating. In other provinces, sports teams usually selected their talents from specialized sports schools, and promising children were often recruited as early as five years old. All sports required early training, and figure skating in particular was a discipline where youth was everything.

Still, Li Nan’s talent was undeniable, and the S City figure skating team had only just been formed. Many gifted children had already been sent to train with major clubs, and the sports schools didn’t yet offer specialized figure skating programs. That’s why Ding Jianguo had stepped in to bring Li Nan into the team—he even personally accompanied the boy home to recruit him.

Just as Li Nan had suspected, the figure skating team was truly desperate for talent.

And Li Nan was the rare drop of sweet rain delivered just when their thirst was greatest.

…

Now that a place to learn figure skating was secured, the only thing left undecided was ballet. But since he was about to join the provincial team, there wasn’t much to worry about on that front either. If he performed well enough, there would naturally be coaches concerned with nurturing his artistic expression.

Some well-funded teams even had their own dance instructors. S City was the most economically developed city in all of Huaguo—surely, even a newly established team wouldn’t be completely strapped for resources, right?

With all the worries out of the way, Li Nan spent the days leading up to the trial training in blissful leisure.

Still, he decided to work on his strength during this time. After all, a stat of 3 was just too embarrassing to look at.

So it came as a total shock to the Li family when the usually late-sleeping Li Nan—who never woke before the sun was high in the sky—suddenly got up at six in the morning!

Not only did he skip his usual sleep-in, he even said he wanted to go for a morning run and pick up breakfast on the way home?!

Of course, Li Nan didn’t actually need to buy breakfast. Qiao Cuiping had been going to the market every morning at five anyway, so she would pick up breakfast as well. By the time Li Nan went out at six, there probably wouldn’t be much left.

But the morning run—that was what really left the whole family dumbfounded.

“Looks like Xiao Nan really intends to take this seriously,” Li Wenqing said, her expression complicated. Half-reclined on the bed, she held a supermarket supplier’s price list in her hand but was too distracted to keep reading. Glancing at Shen Xudong, who was at the desk writing a lesson plan, she added, “Do you think our son might actually have some kind of athletic talent?”

Wearing his glasses, Shen Xudong looked up and chuckled. “And you’re not happy about that? Weren’t you just saying yesterday that we’d need to buy a big house to display all his future medals?”

Li Wenqing’s face flushed red as she stammered, “I was just… going along with what Xiao Nan said, wasn’t I? That brat came right out and told me to work hard and make money so I could buy him a big house to display his medals. If I’d shut him down, wouldn’t he have thrown a fit for days?”

A pretty flimsy excuse.

Shen Xudong didn’t comment further on her reasoning, but he did agree with the idea of buying a house. “I actually think we really should start looking for a new place.”

Li Wenqing blinked in surprise. “You’re seriously planning to buy Xiao Nan a house just to store his medals?”

“What are you thinking?” Shen Xudong replied helplessly. “Look, our current place is a three-bedroom with a living room—it’s fine for now. But when our daughter’s born, she’ll be living with us for a while too. And when she gets a bit older? We can’t expect her to keep sharing space with us, right? And we definitely can’t make her and Xiao Nan squeeze into one room. We have to be fair to both kids. It wouldn’t be right for the younger one to take over the older one’s space from the moment she’s born, don’t you think?”

Li Wenqing suddenly understood. “You’re right. That makes sense.”

“The most important thing—” Shen Xudong added with a complicated expression, “is that when we buy a new place, we really ought to pick one with good soundproofing.”

Just thinking about how all the nonsense he bragged about in their bedroom had been overheard made Shen Xudong feel incredibly embarrassed.

Li Wenqing burst out laughing.

“Alright, alright, we’ll go with your idea—let’s get one with better soundproofing,” she teased. “That way you can brag all you want in the bedroom without worrying.”

Shen Xudong: “.…”

…

The day of the trial came quickly. Early in the morning, Shen Xudong dragged Li Nan out of bed.

Li Nan blearily glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand. His mind was still foggy, and his vision unfocused. Once he made out the time, he let his head fall back onto the pillow and groaned, “Dad—my dearest dad, it’s barely even light out. Why are you waking me up already?”

The clock read 5:25 a.m.

“So what?” Shen Xudong said with a deadpan expression. “Haven’t you been getting up at six these past few days anyway? Your mom told me to wake you up so you can get ready. You can’t just show up without doing anything—people will laugh at you.”

As he spoke, Shen Xudong yawned, clearly just as tired. “Those were your mom’s exact words. I’m just the messenger.”

“Hurry up and get up before your mom starts nagging me too.”

Li Nan: “.…”

When something good happens, it’s always “my wife this, my wife that,” but the moment there’s trouble, it becomes “your mom.” Tch. Men.

Since it was an order from Ms. Li Wenqing herself, Li Nan had no choice but to crawl out of bed and slowly begin getting ready.

Not that there was much to prepare—just change into clothes suitable for skating and tame the mess of hair he’d slept on so he wouldn’t look like he was wearing a bird’s nest on his head.

He picked out a comfortable, slim-fit tracksuit, slipped on a pair of slippers, and made his way to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, he ran a comb through his unruly hair a few times, only to suddenly realize it had gotten kind of long.

He lifted a hand and gestured at the mirror. His hair had almost reached the bottom of his ears, and the strands on his forehead kept falling into his eyes, which was incredibly annoying.

Should he give it a trim?

Forget it. With his skills, what if he ended up giving himself a dog-bitten haircut? He still wanted to make a good impression on the provincial team coach today.

Li Nan, who cared a lot about his image, scratched his head and ran off to Shen Xudong and Li Wenqing’s bedroom. He rummaged through Li Wenqing’s vanity drawer and found a simple hair tie—nothing fancy, just a plain elastic band. Then he spent quite a while in front of the mirror fiddling with his hair.

A while later, Li Nan stepped out.

As soon as Li Wenqing looked up, she saw Li Nan with a tiny ponytail on top of his head. Her mouth twitched, and she looked away, unable to bear it. “What are you doing now?”

Li Nan poked at the little tuft on top of his head. “My hair’s too long—it keeps getting in my eyes.”

Li Wenqing: “I’ve got some hair clips. Use those instead.”

Still, she had to admit—her son with a tiny ponytail was pretty cute. If he let his hair grow a bit longer, he’d probably look even more adorable.

She grabbed a few black bobby pins and helped him pin up all the hair from his forehead, fixing it neatly at the top of his head. It revealed his smooth forehead and refined, handsome features.

As expected of her child—so good-looking.

Li Wenqing nodded to herself in quiet satisfaction.

Even after getting everything ready and eating breakfast, it was only just past six. There were still more than two hours left until the scheduled tryout at nine.

Bored, Li Nan began to tinker with his system. The weekly store had refreshed with new items—still the same two product slots as before.

【Ultra-Radiant Superstar Aura】
Price: 1000/hour

【Rapid Stamina Recovery Potion】
Price: 100/bottle

The 【Rapid Stamina Recovery Potion】 was the same as last week—a potion that quickly restored physical energy. Nothing new there, so Li Nan didn’t pay it much attention. Instead, he focused on the other item.

【Ultra-Radiant Superstar Aura】

Judging by the name, it sounded like something related to celebrities, which made Li Nan think it probably wasn’t all that useful for him.

He tapped to view the detailed description:
【Ultra-Radiant Superstar Aura: Tired of your packed schedule? Worried about being caught in unflattering fan photos? Put on the Ultra-Radiant Superstar Aura and we guarantee that every second you’re caught on camera, you’ll be absolutely dazzling.】

From that description, Li Nan figured it meant you’d look great in every photo as long as you had this aura on.

Anyone who’s been a celebrity knows—it’s best to make yourself look presentable before stepping out. Because if you happen to run into a fan and they snap a photo where you look bad, once it’s uploaded online, people will start saying things like “Oh, so this is what they really look like?” or “Their studio pics are all fake, heavily retouched, huh.”

Along with that would come a wave of disappointed fans lamenting how their illusions had been shattered.

But really, all that happened was that the celebrity hadn’t tidied themselves up before going out. They just weren’t in top form at the time.

With this aura, it was basically like having a built-in beauty filter.

That’s how Li Nan understood it.

Still, it was useless to him, so he casually tapped the daily sign-in button in the system shop.

【Signing in—】

【Sign-in successful!】

【Congratulations! You’ve received: 【Ultra-Radiant Superstar Aura 24-Hour Trial Voucher】 x1】

Li Nan: “??”

He blinked in surprise.

His finger accidentally brushed the screen, and the system reacted instantly, popping up another line of text.

【Activated successfully!】

Li Nan: ??

Yeah, there’s no way this wasn’t intentional on the system’s part—he refused to believe otherwise.

Ah, whatever. He was going to meet the coaches today anyway. Having a built-in beauty filter might actually help him leave a better impression.