Figure Skating: Waltz on Ice

The waiting area.

Du Liangchen was in a low mood and remained silent. Grandpa Du didn't know how to comfort him, so he could only stay by his side in silence.

Du Liangchen wore headphones to block out the outside noise, forcing his restless heart to calm down.

"Du Liangchen, get ready to go on stage," a staff member announced as they came in.

Du Liangchen took off his sports jacket, revealing a sparkling rhinestone-encrusted knit top.

"Wow~ So beautiful..."

"..."

Du Liangchen heard people talking about his Kausten, but he was in a bad state and worried about the upcoming match, so he didn't have time to pay attention to anything else.

The person who competed before her was Mei Jing. While waiting for the results and the division, Du Liangchen suppressed his desire to pay attention and followed the staff's instructions to get on the ice.

The broadcast announced: "Du Liangchen, please prepare for the competition."

Coach Liu stood outside the barrier, his brow furrowed, and said nervously, "Go ahead and skate boldly, don't be afraid, okay?"

Du Liangchen took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. Standing on the ice, the anxiety he felt seemed to vanish; he calmed down completely, his mind going blank.

Draw the character "士" (shi) on your body to determine the axis...

Du Liangchen skated to the center of the ice within a minute, got into position, and waited for the music.

Traditional folk music filled the venue from the radio, and Du Liangchen glided and jumped to the rhythm of the music.

2A——燕式滑行——提刀燕式——后燕式滑行——蹲转——跳起蹲转——外大一字——2S——2lz2lo2s燕式——2t2t——贝尔曼——联合旋转——结束

When Du Liangchen took his bow to the judges, tears welled up in his eyes and streamed down his face. Although the tears flowed smoothly, there were many mistakes he made.

Upon reaching the exit, Du Liangchen saw Coach Liu and Grandpa Du waiting there. He said sadly, "I made a mistake. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, you've already done great," Coach Liu said encouragingly.

Grandpa Du didn't care about Du Liangchen's grades; instead, his first thought was to touch the spot where Du Liangchen had just fallen, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at him.

"Are you injured?"

"No," Du Liangchen said, his voice choked with emotion.

Grandpa Du's care warmed Du Liangchen's heart, making him feel that his mistakes in the competition were not so unacceptable. This rekindled his fighting spirit, which had been shaken by his recent defeat.

In the end, Du Liangchen ranked eighth, more than ten points behind the first place.

Hao Shuxue ranked second. Mei Jing ranked first.

They all came over to comfort Du Liangchen. But before they could say more than a few words, their coach called them away.

Du Liangchen watched them leave, feeling that his training partners were getting further and further away...

"Xiao Chen, what are you looking at? We should go, the car is here."

Grandpa Du went to pick up Grandma Du and brought her to Du Liangchen's side. He noticed that Du Liangchen was staring blankly in the direction they had left.

"Oh, let's go."

Du Liangchen pulled his suitcase and followed in Grandpa Du's footsteps.

Back to the hotel.

Du Liangchen stopped thinking about today's competition. After eating, he went to training, practicing his free skate program. He made a decision to add a triple jump. This was his only chance. Although his triple jump wasn't perfect yet, why not take a gamble?

Du Liangchen used his grandfather's phone to call the coach.

"Coach Liu."

"Du Liangchen?! What do you want with me so late?"

"Coach, do I still have a chance to make it into the top three?"