Chapter 3

Currently, the most well-known junior men’s singles figure skater in the country is Jiu Li. At just 13 years old, Jiu Li is hailed as the future hope of Chinese figure skating. Yet even he has been unable to conquer the formidable challenge of the 3A.

But no one could have imagined that in a place overlooked by everyone, in a corner unseen by all, Jiu Li’s younger brother Jiu Sheng actually—actually managed to successfully land this Triple Axel!

Internationally, there are only three junior men’s singles skaters who can perform the 3A.

Xu Zhou’s mind kept replaying Jiu Sheng’s jump.

Jiu Sheng’s takeoff wasn’t perfect—the edge was unclear, with a slight slip. If it had been more precise, the 3A wouldn’t have been under-rotated by 170 degrees but fully completed, and the landing would have been smoother.

Yet beyond that, Xu Zhou also noticed the astonishing flexibility Jiu Sheng displayed during the jump. If Xu Zhou hadn’t been certain the person before him was a boy, he might have mistaken him for a girl. Only girls typically possess such remarkable flexibility—and not just any girl, but one with innate talent and rigorous training.

And then there was Jiu Sheng’s gaze during the takeoff—how could it be described? Like a wolf or a tiger, the kind of look Xu Zhou had only seen in athletes or talents from other fields with an intense hunger for victory.

In all these years, this was the first time he’d seen such a look in a 13-year-old.

On the ice, Jiu Sheng pushed himself up from the surface.

His palm bore a sizable wound from scraping against the ice, blood trickling out, but Jiu Sheng paid it no mind, still lingering in the exhilarating sensation of the jump.

Jiu Sheng was someone who thrived on pushing limits and seeking thrills. When he first chose ballet, it was for the adrenaline of leaping high and the intensity of backbends and splits.

Though his attempt at the 3A had ultimately failed, it was within his expectations. Yet in that moment mid-air, he’d experienced an unprecedented rush—something ballet could never give him.

Limping off the ice, Jiu Sheng wobbled away from the rink before removing his skates.

These secondhand skates were uncomfortable and prone to causing injuries. Once he had the money, he’d replace them with a brand-new pair.

Expressionless, Jiu Sheng walked past the stunned onlookers.

But as he passed Xu Zhou, the man suddenly spoke up: “Do you have a figure skating coach?”

Jiu Sheng gave him a puzzled look, but in his good mood, he answered casually, “No.”

Jiu Sheng’s father, Jiu Wen Sang, was an excellent figure skating coach in the country, but his focus was solely on Jiu Li—he poured all his energy into him. As for Jiu Sheng? He couldn’t be bothered to teach him.

Xu Zhou’s eyes burned even brighter. “Then how about I become your coach?”

Song Yang: “?? Xu Zhou, are you serious? You really want to coach this kid?”

Jiang Xu Guang’s expression darkened at Xu Zhou’s words.

Xu Zhou was a treasure of a coach in the provincial team. He had previously been a figure skating coach for the national team, but since joining their figure skating team, he hadn’t selected any athletes. Jiu Sheng had always wanted to train under Xu Zhou, but the latter had never responded.

Yet now, the opportunity he had desperately pursued had effortlessly fallen into Jiu Sheng’s lap.

Faced with Xu Zhou’s invitation, Jiu Sheng seemed somewhat hesitant.

“So, if I let you be my coach, that means I’d officially become a figure skater?”

Xu Zhou replied, “You could say that.”

Jiu Sheng scratched his head. “I’m really sorry, but I haven’t made up my mind yet.”

Although Jiu Sheng quite enjoyed the thrill of spinning in the air, he hadn’t yet decided whether to continue with ballet—his passion from his past life—or give figure skating a try. After all, both could give him that exhilarating rush.

Song Qing burst into laughter. “Hahahaha, Xu Zhou actually got rejected!”

Xu Zhou shot Song Qing a glance but didn’t get angry. He simply handed Jiu Sheng a phone number. “Here’s my contact. If you change your mind, you can reach out anytime.”

Jiu Sheng didn’t refuse. He took out his phone, saved Xu Zhou’s number, then picked up his ice skates and left.

As Jiu Sheng walked away, Song Qing clicked his tongue in amazement. “If he really decides to pursue figure skating and chooses you as his coach, you’ll have struck gold. His talent is definitely no weaker than his brother’s—in fact, it might even surpass Jiu Li’s!”

Their conversation was overheard by Jiang Xu Guang and his lackeys nearby.

One of the lackeys exclaimed, “Jiang-ge, did I hear that right? They said Jiu Sheng’s talent might even exceed Jiu Li’s!”

Jiang Xu Guang stared deeply at Jiu Sheng’s retreating figure before turning to his lackey. “Don’t go spreading this around. And… from now on, don’t bully Jiu Sheng at school like the others do.”

Jiu Sheng returned home with his secondhand ice skates.

The house was empty and silent. Jiu Wen Sang and Luo Ming Qiu, worried about Jiu Li who was currently abroad, had followed him overseas, leaving Jiu Sheng behind without a second thought.

Hungry, Jiu Sheng opened the fridge to see what ingredients were inside, then made himself a vegetable salad from the greens he found.

As a ballet dancer who had always been strict about his physique, Jiu Sheng still preferred low-calorie meals like salads.

But he also had a sweet tooth—or rather, a savory one—so he ended up frying himself an egg and two slices of bacon.

After finishing the egg and bacon, Jiu Sheng guiltily yet contentedly patted his stomach.

How could fried eggs and bacon be so delicious?!

Once he’d lazed around for a bit, Jiu Sheng searched online for ice skates. Seeing the prices, he let out a deep sigh.

They’re way too expensive.

He shut his laptop and stretched into a split on the floor.

Generally, men weren’t as flexible as women, but Jiu Sheng was an exception. In his past life, he’d been hailed as the most flexible male dancer in the world. Though his current body—after transmigrating—was still far more supple than the average person’s, it wasn’t quite at his previous level.

But that was fine. He could gradually train it back to his former flexibility.

Jiu Sheng continued practicing pointed toes and splits for a long time before going to sleep, even having an intimate encounter with his dream skates in his sleep.

The next day after breakfast, Jiu Sheng shouldered his backpack and headed to school.

During his school days, Jiu Sheng had been an excellent student, often ranking first in his grade. However, after so long, much of that knowledge had faded from memory.

Jiu Sheng and Jiu Li were in the same class – Class 3. Both were quite famous in their class, though for different reasons. Jiu Li was renowned for his figure skating talent, while the original host of Jiu Sheng’s body was infamous for being useless.

But today, when Jiu Sheng walked in, his classmates barely recognized him.

Compared to the gloomy original host, today’s Jiu Sheng radiated confidence and arrogance – an arrogance deeply embedded in his flesh, carrying an overwhelming self-assurance that commanded respect.

This confidence made Jiu Sheng’s already striking features appear even more dazzling, surpassing even the most beautiful geishas.

Jiu Li was also an arrogant person, but compared to Jiu Sheng, he seemed like a mere star next to the moon.

“Is that Jiu Li?”

“When did Jiu Sheng become like this?!”

“Jiu Sheng looks amazing today. Though he and Jiu Li look similar, there’s this feeling he could completely overpower Jiu Li.”

“This is total domination. Who knew fraternal twins could be so different.”

And this was without direct comparison. Who knew what would happen if they stood side by side.

Hearing the commotion, Mu Ying came over. “What are you all gossiping about? Don’t you have enough homework?” she scolded.

Mu Ying was a figure skating fan and Jiu Li’s devoted supporter. Hearing people say Jiu Li couldn’t compare to Jiu Sheng infuriated her.

As the class monitor, her words immediately silenced the other students.

Mu Ying shot Jiu Sheng a warning glare. “You’d better behave yourself,” she threatened.

Ignoring the girl, Jiu Sheng took out his math book and began cramming middle school knowledge.

Soon it was noon. Jiu Sheng casually bought a sandwich for lunch.

Nearby, Mu Ying and some other skating fans were secretly watching the live broadcast of the Junior Grand Prix Final on their phones.

Jiu Li should have competed in this Junior Grand Prix Final, but an unexpected leg injury prevented his participation. Though another Chinese skater had qualified, their skills were nowhere near the other competitors – they’d only made it through sheer luck.

Since it was lunch break anyway, Jiu Sheng joined them in watching the broadcast.

While not as widely followed as the senior division, the Junior Grand Prix Final still drew considerable attention as it represented figure skating’s future stars.

Mu Ying’s friend sighed, “If only Jiu Li could compete in this Junior Grand Prix Final. He’s the top junior skater in our country, the strongest below senior level. If he were here, he’d definitely make the finals and might even reach the podium.”

China hadn’t seen anyone stand on an international podium for over twenty years. They desperately needed someone to change this situation, even if it was just the junior division podium.

As Jiu Li’s number one fan, Mu Ying said smugly: “Standing on the podium is absolutely guaranteed. Jiu Li just didn’t participate this time. If she had, her results would definitely be excellent—unlike certain people who can’t even skate properly.”

Jiang Xu Guang was also in this class. When he heard Mu Ying’s words, he nearly jumped out of his seat.

Jiu Sheng can’t even skate properly??!

He was the one who landed a 3A before Jiu Li did!!

How could he possibly be useless!

However, Jiang Xu Guang ultimately held back from speaking out, because he had once thought the same way.

The Figure Skating Grand Prix is divided into senior and junior divisions. Only the top six skaters with the highest cumulative points from previous competitions qualify for the Finals, where they compete for gold, silver, and bronze.

Figure skating competitions consist of the Short Program and the Free Skate, with the Short Program coming first, followed by the Free Skate a day or two later.

Now, China’s representative had completed both programs, scoring a total of 171.88 points—placing dead last among all competitors who had finished so far.

Hearing this result, their classmates clutched their heads and wailed in despair.

Such a devastating score! Even after making it to the Finals, they still got completely outclassed by skaters from other countries.

The next skater after China’s representative was Japan’s Miyazaki Hirano.

In this parallel world, Japan and China faced nearly identical struggles in figure skating—neither country had seen a podium finish in over twenty years. Both nations were desperate for change.

This shared fate, combined with their geographical proximity, fueled fierce rivalry between their skaters, each determined to outdo the other.

Soon, Miyazaki Hirano took the ice. Dressed in a white feathered costume, he resembled an elegant nobleman from ancient times—like most figure skaters, slender and graceful.

The music for his Free Skate began.

Jiu Sheng watched the livestream with keen interest. Miyazaki Hirano was clearly more skilled than previous competitors—he had a solid 3A and had even mastered the Quadruple Toe Loop, one of the most difficult quadruple jumps.

Miyazaki Hirano’s Free Skate concluded.

As a ballet dancer with a keen eye for movement, Jiu Sheng easily recognized Miyazaki Hirano’s strong artistic expression—likely trained under professional ballet instructors. However, his youth still left room for improvement.

Miyazaki’s scores were announced: 145.38 for the Free Skate, combined with his Short Program score of 60.22, totaling 205.60 points. He shot straight to first place, dethroning the previous leader.

Jiang Xu Guang couldn’t help but curse: “Damn.”

Incredible! By comparison, China’s skater looked even more pitiful!

The American skater who followed Japan’s representative scored 193.52 points—another high score.

Finally, the last competitor was Russia’s Stepan, who had ranked first in the Short Program.

Russians have always dominated the field of figure skating—this was true in Jiu Sheng’s original world, and even more so in this parallel universe, to an almost overbearing degree.  

Currently, the world’s top-ranked male and female singles figure skaters are both Russian, and the second-ranked male skater also has Russian heritage.  

As a junior competitor, Stepan not only possesses the 3A but also wields two major weapons—the Quadruple Toe Loop and Quadruple Salchow—making him a force to be reckoned with.  

For Hua Country’s skaters to avoid last place, Stepan would have to completely collapse on all his high-difficulty elements—an almost impossible scenario.  

Yet, though nearly everyone knew this was unrealistic, a tiny flame of hope still flickered in their hearts.  

They prayed for a miracle.  

Soon, Stepan’s Free Skate concluded. Though he made minor mistakes on his 3A and an advanced triple-triple combination jump, the rest of his performance was flawless, and his artistry far surpassed that of the previous skaters.  

His scores were announced shortly after—a total of 223.93.  

He led Miyazaki Hirano, who ranked second, by over 30 points!  

Upon seeing this result, Hua Country’s ice skating fans wept in despair.  

Last place—yet again. And the gap to the international podium was still so vast!  

But perhaps the most humiliating part was yet to come.  

Jiu Sheng’s eyes remained fixed on the live broadcast.  

In this world, Hua Country and Japan’s figure skating levels were nearly on par, and both nations were locked in a silent battle, each desperate to surpass the other and step onto a new stage.  

Hua Country longed for someone to finally reach the podium—and so did Japan, eager to crush their rivals beneath their feet.  

If Jiu Li was Hua Country’s great hope, then Miyazaki Hirano was Japan’s. But now, on the international stage, Japan’s Miyazaki Hirano had surged ahead of Hua Country, claiming the podium with a silver medal—and a lead of over ten points above third place!  

This was no longer just a competition between athletes—it was a battle between nations.  

Commentator Wang Li couldn’t hide his regret and sorrow.  

“Who would have thought… this time, Japan’s skater has beaten ours to the podium.”  

He could already imagine the Japanese commentators and guests celebrating wildly on their end.  

Wang Li sighed heavily.  

Ultimately, Hua Country’s foundation in figure skating was still too weak compared to other nations.  

An athlete’s glory was inseparable from their country’s. When an athlete won medals, the honor no longer belonged to them alone—it belonged to the entire nation.  

They yearned for someone—anyone—to rise and lead Hua Country’s figure skating to new heights, to stand atop the world stage.  

But Wang Li didn’t stay disheartened for long.  

That moment wouldn’t be far off. Japan had only taken the lead this time because Hua Country’s rising star, Jiu Li, hadn’t competed.  

Had Jiu Li participated, he would have undoubtedly defeated Japan’s skater—becoming the first from Hua Country to step onto the podium!  

**Author’s Note:**  

Jiu Sheng: *Hmph, is that so?*

The pitiful author snuggled under the blanket, poking her head out to whisper: Could you give me some favorites? Mwah~

This chapter will have some red packets too.