Chasing the Wind Episode 6 Recap
> Chasing the Wind Recap
Zhu Zhu's parents attempted to offer Ms. Han a box of fruit, asking her to "take care of Zhu." Ms. Han refused, stating she couldn't accept it and treated everyone equally, emphasizing that the gift wouldn't influence her judgment regarding the national team. When the bag ripped, revealing money inside, Ms. Han pointed it out, causing Zhu Zhu extreme embarrassment. Zhu Zhu quickly pulled her parents away. Outside, Zhu Zhu expressed her distress and told them not to return.
Her parents, however, felt they were being generous and that Ms. Han was unappreciative, suggesting she either already accepted gifts from others or they hadn't found the right way. Zhu Zhu found their actions mortifying. Later, seeing Chao Jinting arrive, Zhu Zhu pulled her friend away, avoiding her parents. Chao Jinting returned to the base during her spring break. Zhu Zhu saw her and impulsively challenged her to a 1000-meter race, despite acknowledging her knee injury "can't be fixed."
During the race, commentators noted Zhu Zhu employed a trailing tactic, hoping to conserve energy by staying behind Chao Jinting and benefiting from the wind block, as her endurance wasn't as strong. However, Chao Jinting, having trained with the national team for a year, showed significant improvement, rapidly increasing her speed and leaving Zhu Zhu struggling to keep pace. After the race, Zhu Zhu collapsed in pain from her leg.
Ms. Han instructed Ding Yi to take her to the hospital. At the hospital, Zhu Zhu was diagnosed with severe bursitis. The doctor stated she should have had surgery much earlier and insisted it was required. Zhu Zhu, however, refused surgery, prioritizing an important upcoming competition, and requested conservative treatment. The doctor cautioned that this would necessitate a minimum of three months of rest. Back at the base, Chao Jinting attempted to visit Zhu Zhu in her room.
Zhu Zhu, behind the closed door, told Chao Jinting to leave and wait for her in the national team. Ms. Han announced the exciting news that Beijing had won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, calling it a dream opportunity for athletes.
She then revealed a new ISU rule prohibiting the tip-of-the-blade start, requiring both feet on the ice, emphasizing its critical importance for success in the 500m event, especially for short-distance skaters like Huang Han, Nie Chi, and Lin Ge. Later, Zhu Zhu confronted Ms. Han, questioning why she hadn't received the same detailed coaching on fundamentals and technique as Lin Ge did upon joining the team.
Zhu Zhu suggested Ms. Han focused on developing talented athletes while pushing others, whom she considered "ordinary," purely on results. Ms. Han admitted she hadn't considered this perspective and was left without a response. Meanwhile, Lin Ge experienced significant leg pain, which had been bothering her for several days. Nie Chi expressed concern and advised her to rest. Despite this, Lin Ge returned to training the following day.
Huang Han attempted to visit Zhu Zhu, bringing homemade food, but was unable to see her, though he expressed determination to keep trying. As Gao Kai, a senior skater, prepared to leave, he said goodbye to Lin Ge and Nie Chi. After Gao Kai departed, Nie Chi was visibly affected, watching Lin Ge and appearing jealous.
Later, Fang Chao encouraged Lin Ge about her potential selection for the upcoming Starlight Cup, expressing confidence in her chances based on her performance, with Nie Chi present. The team list for the Starlight Cup was announced. Lin Ge was selected for the women's team, alongside Zhou Yao and Tian Yu. Huang Han, Nie Chi, and Fang Chao were selected for the men's team.
Excited by her selection, Lin Ge called her Master (who is also her father and the Master of Nie Chi and Fang Chao). Her Master expressed pride in all three (Lin Ge, Nie Chi, Fang Chao) and emphasized the significance of the Starlight Cup as a potential pathway to the national team, adding some playful remarks to Fang Chao. Noticeably absent from the list was Zhu Zhu.
Zhu Zhu later spoke privately with Ms. Han, asking why she wasn't selected despite having been training again. Ms. Han explained that her injury hadn't fully healed, and she hadn't yet mastered the new starting technique. Zhu Zhu insisted her injury wouldn't be a factor and pleaded that this could be her last opportunity to make the national team.
Zhu Zhu pleaded with Ms. Han, explaining her strong desire to reach the national team, a long-held ambition, and expressed fear of regretting it if she didn't try now, especially feeling that at 21 years old, she was getting "old." Ms. Han conveyed her internal conflict regarding Zhu Zhu, recognizing her high ambition but also the physical toll it had taken.
She attempted to offer a broader perspective, reminding Zhu Zhu that her life and future extend well beyond her skating career and that national team entry isn't the only significant goal. Unswayed, Zhu Zhu framed it as possibly her final chance and earnestly requested one more opportunity. She proposed resting completely for one month to focus on full recovery, after which Ms. Han could evaluate her status and allow her to compete if deemed ready.
Faced with Zhu Zhu's unwavering determination, Ms. Han eventually agreed to her proposal. Reflecting on her intense ambition and struggles since joining the provincial team, Zhu Zhu went to the training hall late one night and found Nie Chi still practicing. Despite her own injury, she joined him on the ice. She observed his skating and pointed out a technical flaw, a habit likely carried over from sports school, where he placed excessive weight on his right leg during turns.
She warned him this could cause pain, decrease speed over time, and potentially lead to a chronic injury similar to her own. Nie Chi was appreciative of her observation. Zhu Zhu offered to stay and help him refine his technique if he had time.
While working together, Zhu Zhu opened up, sharing her history of being identified as a promising skater early on, her parents making significant sacrifices to support her, and how their love, though important, also became a source of pressure. She recounted injuring herself pushing hard in her first year in the hopes of quickly making the national team and how she had consistently been just shy of selection ever since, viewing this year as potentially her last chance.
Nie Chi listened sympathetically and offered his perspective, suggesting that while parents' love is crucial, she should primarily live and strive for her own passion, believing this might ease the pressure she feels. Zhu Zhu thanked him, noting his understanding and positive outlook, and expressed hope that they could both make it to the national team. Nie Chi's parents arrived at the training base.
Seeing them, Nie Chi immediately tried to avoid them, telling Fang Chao he didn't want to see them. His parents then met with Ms. Han, stating they wanted to discuss Nie Chi leaving the team. They explained their arrangement with Nie Chi: he would train for a year to achieve national-level results and then go abroad to study, as he had already been accepted by several universities.
They expressed concern about the uncertain nature of a professional athletic career, viewing it as transient ("youth career"), and preferred a more stable path for his future. Ms. Han mentioned Nie Chi's potential for the national team, especially after winning a national relay gold, but his parents were insistent on the urgency of the overseas opportunity. Later, Fang Chao urged Nie Chi to talk to his parents directly instead of hiding. Nie Chi felt communication wouldn't work.
He explained their prior agreement was for one year of training before deciding on studying abroad, but his parents were now pushing him due to the university acceptances. Feeling they were imposing their desired outcome on him just as he was close to reaching the national team, Nie Chi believed stalling until after the upcoming competition, hoping to secure a spot on the national team, was the only viable strategy to gain independence and pursue his own path.
