Chapter 6

Jiu Sheng stood with his back to the light, his silhouette outlined against the glow, paired with a disdainful expression that left Jiu Li momentarily dazed.  

When Jiu Li snapped out of it, he immediately flushed with anger. “You think you can win the championship? Keep dreaming!”  

Beside him, Jiu Wen Sang also reacted, cursing loudly. “Jiu Sheng, have you lost your mind? How dare you speak to your elder brother like that!”  

But no matter how much they berated him, Jiu Sheng remained unfazed, still wearing a triumphant smirk.  

In the end, he didn’t even bother listening and simply walked away.  

Humming a tune, Jiu Sheng felt exceptionally pleased.  

He had finally avenged the original owner in one small way.  

The feeling of showing off like this was truly exhilarating.  

The next day, Jiu Sheng left early without waiting for Jiu Li.  

During this time, aside from committing himself wholeheartedly to figure skating, he had also been cramming middle school knowledge and had managed to cover most of it.  

Once at school, he buried himself in his books, not even noticing when Jiu Li arrived.  

The classmates hadn’t seen Jiu Li in over a week, and as soon as he appeared, more than half the class crowded around him.  

However, when the others saw Jiu Li, they froze for a moment.  

Before, the contrast between Jiu Sheng and Jiu Li hadn’t been too stark—one existed in reality, the other in memory. So even if Jiu Sheng outshone Jiu Li, they could dismiss it as a trick of memory. But now, with Jiu Li standing right there in person, the difference wasn’t just obvious—it was brutal. Next to Jiu Sheng, Jiu Li looked like nothing more than a cheap imitation.  

Still, they didn’t hesitate for long and soon showered Jiu Li with flattery.  

Looks might matter in figure skating competitions, but in the end, skill was king. What use was beauty without technique?  

“Jiu Li, you’re finally back! How’s your leg injury?”  

“Jiu Sheng, what a shame. If only you’d competed in the Grand Prix, the Japanese skater would never have taken second place.”  

“Exactly! Jiu Sheng is the top junior skater, after all.”  

Normally, Jiu Li would have been thrilled by such praise. But today, he felt no joy whatsoever.  

He glared at Jiu Sheng, grinding his teeth in frustration.  

Poor stability, unable to land all five triple jumps—and yet dreaming of surpassing him for gold? Keep dreaming!  

During training at the national team that day, Jiu Li practiced like a man possessed, startling his teammates.  

“What’s gotten into him? Did something set him off?”  

“Who else could rattle him besides Stepan and our top skater Qin Bai?”  

“Who knows?”  

Today was Jiu Sheng’s first visit to the provincial figure skating team.  

Located in the north, City B had abundant snowfall in winter, making it ideal for nurturing figure skating talent.  

However, the national team was also based in City B, which inadvertently siphoned off all the best prospects, leaving the provincial team lagging behind.  

When Jiu Sheng stood outside the provincial figure skating training hall, a security guard approached to shoo him away. “Who are you? What are you doing here? Move along!”  

But upon seeing Jiu Sheng’s face, the guard took a step back. “Jiu Li?”

As a security guard for the provincial figure skating team, he was also an ice skating fan and naturally knew Jiu Li.  

The guard looked incredulous. “Why would Jiu Li show up here?”  

Jiu Sheng slightly parted his lips. “I’m not Jiu Li. My name is Jiu Sheng—Jiu Li’s younger brother.”  

The guard blinked. “Jiu Sheng? Younger brother? Since when did Jiu Li have a brother?”  

Before the guard could finish puzzling over it, Xu Zhou appeared.  

Today, Xu Zhou was dressed in white, looking unexpectedly refined.  

Xu Zhou said, “You’re here? Then come in quickly.”  

After the two entered, the guard scratched his head in confusion.  

“What in the world is going on?”  

The ice rink at the provincial figure skating team’s training facility was incomparable to commercial training camps outside. The ice surface was impeccably smooth, and to enhance its resilience, milk—an ingredient typically reserved for international competitions—had even been mixed into the ice.  

Inside the training hall, only a few provincial team athletes were practicing their skating. Most of them were quite young, as figure skating is a sport with an extremely short competitive lifespan. Athletes’ peak performance usually occurs in their teens, and if they miss that window, they lose any chance of contending for medals.  

Though it was Xu Zhou’s first time coaching Jiu Sheng, he didn’t seem the least bit inexperienced.  

He had Jiu Sheng start with warm-up exercises—first, 1,000 jump ropes and 100 squats.  

Figure skating demands both explosive power and endurance. To ensure sufficient stamina for jumps and spins on the ice, figure skaters undergo strength training that’s no less intense than that of track and field athletes.  

Jiu Sheng didn’t argue with Xu Zhou’s instructions. He quietly picked up the jump rope and began, his expression steady and composed.  

As Jiu Sheng trained, Xu Zhou analyzed the disastrous 3A jump Jiu Sheng had attempted during their first meeting.  

“Your takeoff for the 3A was correct, but your blade work was too tilted, and your center of gravity was off. You should jump like this—this is the right way.”  

Xu Zhou demonstrated as he explained.  

“Your timing was also a bit early—it should be a few seconds later.”  

Xu Zhou was a professional, and Jiu Sheng memorized every key point while continuing his jump rope routine.  

For the rest of the afternoon, Xu Zhou didn’t let Jiu Sheng step onto the ice. Soon, it was dinnertime.  

Jiu Sheng stretched and headed to the cafeteria to collect his meal.  

The plump cafeteria lady at the provincial team gasped when she saw him. “Oh my, are you the new figure skater who joined today? You’re so handsome—but you look just like Jiu Li!”  

Jiu Sheng took his portion of food and, as he walked away, replied, “It’s not that I look like him. He looks like me.”  

The cafeteria lady stood frozen in shock for a long moment.  

Jiu Sheng found a quiet spot to sit and eat.  

Figure skaters adhere to strict weight management. Today, the provincial team had prepared a meal for Jiu Sheng consisting of multigrain porridge, chicken breast, half an apple, a wheat-flavored chicken nugget, and a box of sugar-free, fat-free milk.  

Since figure skating involves gliding and jumping on ice, excess weight puts immense pressure on joints and ankles, hindering jumps. Thus, weight control is crucial for skaters.  

Staring at the food in front of him, Jiu Sheng felt utterly miserable.

In his past life as a ballet dancer, he had to strictly control his diet every day, eating things that could hardly be considered human food. He never expected that in this life as a figure skater, his meals would be almost equally terrible.

Jiu Sheng slurped a mouthful of multigrain porridge and took a big bite of the bland chicken breast.

Ah, how he craved fried chicken legs.

From a distance, Song Yang watched Jiu Sheng’s slightly aggrieved expression and laughed heartily, patting Xu Zhou on the shoulder. “Seems like the athlete you’re coaching isn’t just talented—he’s also this adorable.”

Xu Zhou: “…”

Although figure skaters have strict dietary restrictions, the food provided is enough to keep them about 70-80% full, given they need energy to perform on the ice. So despite the tasteless meals, Jiu Sheng still regained his strength.

After eating, Jiu Sheng went to rest.

In the rest area, he unexpectedly ran into an old acquaintance—Jiang Xu Guang.

At just 13 years old, Jiang Xu Guang could already perform a 2A and five other double jumps on the ice, making him a promising talent in the provincial team.

However, Jiang Xu Guang seemed slightly uncomfortable upon seeing Jiu Sheng.

After finishing his meal, Xu Zhou went to look for Jiu Sheng but found that he was no longer in the rest area—nowhere to be seen.

Well, teenagers are full of energy and love to run around. He understood.

Xu Zhou nodded knowingly and then wandered over to the rink.

To his surprise, he found a large crowd gathered there.

Aside from the men’s and women’s singles figure skaters, he even spotted several ice dance and pair skating athletes.

Xu Zhou’s first instinct was that something had happened. He quickly pushed through the crowd and saw two people in the center of the rink—one of whom he recognized immediately as Jiu Sheng, who had just arrived today.

The other was also familiar—it was Lin Feng, the only National-level athlete in the provincial men’s singles team!!

What the hell, how did these two end up clashing?!

The technical grading standards for figure skating differ from other sports. For example, in the men’s 100-meter sprint, running under 10.91 seconds qualifies as National-level.  

But figure skating is different. For men’s and women’s singles to earn the title of International Master of Sports, they must place within the top eight at the Winter Olympics or World Championships.  

To achieve the title of Master of Sports, they need to rank within the top six in individual or overall scores at national competitions like the National Games or National Championships.  

As for National-level athletes, they must place between seventh and twelfth in individual or overall scores at these events.  

Lin Feng was currently the only men’s singles skater in the provincial team with the National-level title, having placed seventh at the National Championships. If he had performed slightly better, he would have reached Master of Sports level.  

What the hell, how did these two end up clashing?!  

Xu Zhou asked a nearby women’s singles skater for details. Recognizing him, she immediately explained everything that had happened.  

Half an hour earlier, after resting, Jiu Sheng had returned to continue training when Lin Feng suddenly showed up.  

Though Lin Feng was a National-level athlete, he was only 16 this year—still young and hot-headed. The moment he saw Jiu Sheng, he recognized him as Jiu Li’s “useless little brother.”

Upon learning that Jiu Sheng had been directly recruited into the provincial team without any assessment, Lin Feng immediately challenged him.  

Athletes are naturally competitive, driven by a pursuit of medals and glory stronger than anyone else’s—even the seemingly elegant figure skaters, often likened to ice princes and princesses, are no exception.  

For those who rely on connections rather than hard training, they harbor nothing but contempt, wishing to crush them outright.  

Challenges among figure skaters usually revolve around jumps and balance.  

And what Lin Feng challenged Jiu Sheng to was the Axel jump—to see who could perform the most Double Axels in a short time.  

At sixteen, Lin Feng had already mastered the 3A, but he assumed a “waste” like Jiu Sheng couldn’t possibly handle it, so he lowered the difficulty to a 2A.  

Even then, Lin Feng was convinced Jiu Sheng couldn’t even manage a 2A.  

He wanted to defeat Jiu Sheng, to expose his true nature to everyone.  

But when the two attempted their first Double Axel, Lin Feng realized he had severely underestimated Jiu Sheng.  

A jump requires a glide—the longer the glide, the higher the jump.  

Yet, before Lin Feng could even complete his glide, Jiu Sheng had already launched into the air. And his jump was astonishing, easily clearing 60 cm in height!  

For a thirteen-year-old to achieve such a terrifying height could only be described as prodigious.  

The crowd erupted in cheers. As the one closest to Jiu Sheng, Lin Feng felt the impact of that jump most directly.  

Not only was the height astounding, but his takeoff was textbook-perfect—blade work precise, form impeccable.  

Witnessing this, Lin Feng gritted his teeth and forced a jump without even completing his glide.  

How could he possibly lose to Jiu Sheng?  

He had to surpass him!  

The sound of his ice blade landing echoed, and Lin Feng’s eyes lit up with triumph.  

He had succeeded.  

See? There was no way he’d lose to Jiu Sheng!  

But his elation was short-lived—Jiu Sheng had already begun his second jump.  

Another flawless 2A.  

And still just as high.  

Lin Feng clenched his jaw and pushed on, gliding longer, jumping again—but his height dwindled with each attempt, his glides growing more prolonged.  

Lin Feng might not have noticed the widening gap, but the spectators certainly did.  

In contrast, Jiu Sheng’s jumps remained unchanged. His breathing was light, only a faint flush coloring his cheeks, as if he hadn’t just executed multiple 2As in succession.  

Of course, Jiu Sheng noticed Lin Feng struggling to keep up. But like all athletes, he shared one defining trait—an unwillingness to concede.  

He wanted to win. He wanted to crush the person beside him!  

Sweat poured down his forehead, nearly blinding him.  

Yet Jiu Sheng kept his teeth gritted—this was exhilaration.  

Figure skating is a solitary sport, lacking the overt competitive tension of track or ball games.  

But now, he had a rival right beside him. He wanted to surpass him, leap over him, trample him underfoot!  

A surge of euphoria flooded his limbs. Eyes narrowing, Jiu Sheng jumped higher and higher.

Finally, Lin Feng couldn’t hold on any longer. He hurriedly stepped off the ice, his exit almost resembling a stumbling crawl.

At this point, only Jiu Sheng remained on the ice.

He was still attempting 2A jumps, silent and solitary like a prince in the snow—except this prince was stubborn to the extreme.

Jiu Sheng, jumping one 2A after another, looked lonely and desolate on the ice. Jiang Xu Guang watched him and took a quiet breath.

He had actually defeated the top skater of the provincial team so effortlessly. Lin Feng was a National-level athlete!!

Had Jiu Sheng’s skill already reached such a terrifying level?

Jiang Xu Guang’s teeth chattered slightly, his body feeling icy cold.

But Jiang Xu Guang’s shock didn’t end there.

At that moment, he noticed that Jiu Sheng’s glide this time was unusually long—almost twice as long as his previous 2A glides!!

Xu Zhou couldn’t help but step forward.

Damn it, what was this kid planning now?

Having witnessed Jiu Sheng’s previous reckless acts twice, Xu Zhou could easily tell he was about to pull another outrageous stunt.

Couldn’t he just take better care of his body?!

This was a sure way to get injured!

Finally, Jiu Sheng’s glide ended. He took off from his left outside edge, his slightly long hair whipping through the air like a dancing butterfly.

With a crisp “click,” Jiu Sheng rotated three times in the air before landing perfectly!

Silence fell over the rink. Jiang Xu Guang’s breathing grew rapid.

That was a 3A! A fully rotated, perfectly landed 3A!!

Jiu Sheng had actually pulled off such a flawless 3A!!

Just days ago, his 3A attempts had been shaky, ending in falls on the ice. Yet now, he had successfully executed one!!

How had it only been a few days?!

If his previous flawed 3A could be attributed to luck, this one was undeniably proof of his skill.

The others’ minds went blank, unsure what to even think.

Currently, no one in the provincial team could land a quadruple jump—they were all stuck mastering triple and double jumps.

And now, out of nowhere, this kid who had just joined the team could land such a perfect 3A??

After completing the 3A, Jiu Sheng was exhausted. He finally stopped, his hair clinging to his face as he panted lightly, his striking cheeks flushed.

Having defeated Lin Feng, Jiu Sheng stood quietly on the ice. Now, everyone’s attention was drawn to his eyes.

They burned with an unyielding, razor-sharp light.

He had proven his strength with action—he was no pushover.

Watching Jiu Sheng on the ice, Xu Zhou trembled with excitement.

He had only given Jiu Sheng a brief explanation on how to refine his 3A technique, but his execution was astonishing—enough to shock everyone on the ice.

Xu Zhou’s intuition grew stronger: this skater would become the backbone of China’s figure skating—a sharp, lethal blade at the forefront of the sport.

After the performance, Jiu Sheng was utterly drained. The exhaustion hadn’t hit him on the ice, but now, off the rink, he gasped for breath.

The adrenaline from the jumps faded from his body, his limbs growing weak. He slumped to his knees, too tired to even put the skate guards on.

His stamina was still too weak. Figure skating wasn’t just about skating and jumps—it also tested an athlete’s endurance, explosive power, and stamina.

On the ice, Jiu Sheng’s mind was exhilarated, and for a while, he couldn’t feel the exhaustion brought on by his draining stamina. But once he stepped off the ice, the fatigue slowly crept in.

Lin Feng noticed this and awkwardly approached, “Are you okay?”

Jiu Sheng: “??”

The kid who had been acting all arrogant earlier was now taking the initiative to show concern?

Lin Feng could tell what Jiu Sheng was thinking from his expression. His face flushed red as he shouted, “What’s wrong with me caring about you? Am I not even allowed to care??”

Figure skating was a world where strength reigned supreme—only skill could prove everything. Jiu Sheng had landed a 3A, showcasing his ability, and that alone deserved respect.

*Thud!* Jiu Sheng felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.

Clutching his head, Jiu Sheng stared at Xu Zhou in disbelief.

Xu Zhou: “You little brat, you’re really something, huh? Ignoring my orders to train, recklessly jumping on the ice to compete with other skaters on Axel jumps? And then, just to show off, you went straight for a 3A? Unbelievable.”

Xu Zhou was furious about Jiu Sheng’s actions. Even though he had won, Xu Zhou was still seething.

Didn’t he know? An athlete’s health was just as important as their results. Just wait until he broke a bone—then let’s see if he could still laugh.

Watching this scene, the imbalance in Lin Feng’s heart instantly vanished.

So even after winning, Jiu Sheng still got scolded. That made him feel much better.

After this battle, Jiu Sheng became famous throughout the entire provincial team. Everyone knew that a 13-year-old prodigy capable of landing a flawless 3A had joined the team.

And more importantly, he seemed to be Jiu Li’s twin brother.

Jiu Li was currently the most talented young skater in the country, yet even he hadn’t mastered the 3A.

Of course, this didn’t mean Jiu Sheng’s skills were already above Jiu Li’s.

After all, Jiu Li still held the title of figure skating prodigy. He had already mastered all five other triple jumps besides the 3A, and his combination jumps were formidable—he currently had four advanced triple-triple combinations under his belt.

Meanwhile, Jiu Sheng hadn’t even started training for combination jumps yet.

With his newfound fame, Jiu Sheng’s treatment in the provincial team skyrocketed. Even the cafeteria lady stopped saying he looked like Jiu Li.

At this stage, Xu Zhou’s training plan for Jiu Sheng focused on building a solid foundation and cutting body fat, avoiding any attempts at the 3A or quadruple jumps for now.

This left Jiu Sheng a little disappointed, but he still threw himself enthusiastically into Xu Zhou’s training regimen.

After half a month of strict exercise and diet, Jiu Sheng had slimmed down considerably. However, he hadn’t stepped on the ice to attempt any jumps, which left him itching to get back on and spin a few rounds.

Soon enough, his wish was granted—Xu Zhou began training his skating and jumps.

Among all triple jumps, the 3A was the hardest. Most figure skating athletes only attempted it after mastering the other five triple jumps. Jiu Sheng was the sole exception—he couldn’t do any of the other five, yet somehow managed to land the 3A first. Xu Zhou didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

But this was actually a good thing. Since Jiu Sheng had already mastered the 3A, learning the other five triple jumps would come much faster.

As soon as Jiu Sheng received Xu Zhou’s order, she couldn’t wait to step onto the ice and glide around.  

After losing weight, Jiu Sheng’s body had become even more agile, and the height of her jumps was astonishing—Xu Zhou even estimated it might exceed 70 cm.  

Such an incredible jump height was rare even among adult skaters, let alone juniors. Few could match it.

Jiu Sheng initially trained on the most basic triple jump, the 3T, also known as the Triple Toe Loop.  

Having previously jumped the 2T, Jiu Sheng found the 3T relatively easy to pick up. Within a day, he was already attempting it on ice with a 70% success rate.  

Witnessing this, Xu Zhou couldn’t help but marvel at Jiu Sheng’s natural talent.  

But why had his older brother, Jiu Li, been the one to gain fame in China, while Jiu Sheng remained unknown?  

Even though Jiu Sheng had already mastered the jump, Xu Zhou wasn’t about to go easy on him. He rigorously scrutinized Jiu Sheng’s blade work, only letting him off the hook once his outside edge was perfectly controlled.  

After mastering the 3T, Jiu Sheng went on to practice the combination jump 3A+3T.  

The 3A had a base value of 8.00 points, while the 3T was worth 4.2 points. Together, the combination jump totaled a staggering 12.2 points—a score that would stand out even on the international stage, making it a formidable weapon.  

However, the process was far from smooth. During his first attempt at the 3A+3T on ice, Jiu Sheng took a hard fall. It took him nearly five days to land the combination jump successfully for the first time, and another two weeks to raise his success rate to 40%.  

Riding this momentum, Jiu Sheng went on to conquer the 3S and 3Lo.  

The day after mastering the 3Lo, Jiu Sheng was in high spirits and rewarded himself with a small piece of fried chicken.  

When Song Yang learned that Jiu Sheng had mastered three different triple jumps in less than two months, he was stunned.  

Song Yang was also a provincial figure skating coach, with Lin Feng under his guidance, but he had never seen a prodigy like Jiu Sheng before.  

Pouring Xu Zhou a drink, he remarked, “That kid Jiu Sheng is something else. It’s unbelievable that such incredible talent went unnoticed for so long.”  

Xu Zhou replied, “I’ve been wondering the same thing. The Jiu family is a well-known figure skating dynasty in China—they shouldn’t have made such a basic oversight.”  

Song Yang scoffed. “Not long ago, I visited the national team and happened to run into Jiu Li and Jiu Wen Sang. The way Jiu Wen Sang dotes on Jiu Li is downright ridiculous—he might as well spoon-feed him at meals.”  

“Honestly, the Jiu family is ridiculously biased. They treat Jiu Li like royalty while neglecting Jiu Sheng so harshly.”  

Xu Zhou remained silent.  

Song Yang prodded, “Still, it worked out in your favor. Xu Zhou, why so quiet? What’s on your mind?”  

Xu Zhou lowered his head. “I’m just thinking… I can’t wait to take Jiu Sheng to competitions and watch him prove them all wrong.”  

Song Yang: “…”  

As time passed, the final exams drew closer.  

While practicing his triple jumps, Jiu Sheng didn’t neglect his studies.  

In the original timeline, the protagonist had ranked last in his class during the first semester of seventh grade. This time, he couldn’t afford to embarrass himself again.  

However, something else loomed on the horizon—something even more pressing than exams.  

The National Figure Skating Championships, scheduled for February.