Several songs later, the bar began a countdown. Midnight was nigh. Yun Duo and the other people were shouting out the numbers, and when the countdown ended, the cheers seemed like they would bring the roof down.
Tang Yi-Bai sat in a corner, quietly watching her lively figure. All these years, he had always been chasing after his dreams. He had never felt that this annual cycle of a year had any particular reason to be celebrated. Now, settling down to ruminate, many things did not actually need to have any special meaning. The greatest meaning was to take joy in the moment itself.
He had been sprinting for so long — it had really begun to feel a little lonely. Suddenly, he had a companion, and his heart felt like it was being filled. Anything he did with her made him happy, even if it was just cheering with her right now like a fool.
It's so great that you're here.
When the cheering ended, the owner of the bar ran up onto the stage to give a brief speech, and then he signalled for the staff to give out new year presents to the guests. Yun Duo heard the cheers and laughter of those who received the gifts and she was very curious what the gifts were.
But when the gift tray was finally before her, she was gobsmacked.
On the tray was a large pile of condoms. The condoms came in various sizes — the guests could choose whichever fit; each person could take a maximum of 10.
Yun Duo was just about to say something when the voluptuous waitress carrying the tray suddenly squealed and covered her mouth. "Ah!"
The lights had come on again, so she must have recognised Tang Yi-Bai. Tang Yi-Bai quickly made a shushing motion with his index finger before his lips. "Shh —"
The waitress shut her mouth instantly, but continued to stare at him, wide-eyed.
Tang Yi-Bai calmly put his face mask back on and then searched through the tray. He picked out a large-size condom. "Thank you."
The waitress blushed.
Yun Duo's face was also red. She turned her face aside and said, "Don't take it."
"It's a waste if I don't take it. We've spent some money here, so of course we should reap the benefits." Tang Yi-Bai said righteously.
Yun Duo's lips twitched. He was making a lot of sense!
It was now already past midnight; they really should be going home. They needed to get out of the alley before they could hail a taxi. Tang Yi-Bai was a little distracted holding Yun Duo's hand. When he passed by a hotel, he stopped and peered inside, seeming eager to try it out. And then, he gave Yun Duo a meaningful look.
Yun Duo's face was so red it seemed like it was about to bleed. She put all her strength into pulling him away from the hotel. "Let's go."
Tang Yi-Bai looked down at the condom in his other hand, and his expression was one of regret. "It's such a waste not to use this. Don't you think?"
"You...! Go use it on your own! I don't care anymore!" With that said, she turned to escape.
He chased after her and hugged her from behind. He then leaned down to chuckle and whisper by her ear, "Eh, eh, angry? Don's be angry, okay? I'll do whatever you want."
Head bowed, Yun Duo said, "Let's go home."
"Okay."
It was not an easy matter to go home at this time. New Year's Eve had just ended so traffic was bad everywhere. Yun Duo's head drooped little by little — she was dreadfully sleepy. Tang Yi-Bai tucked her in his arms. "Sleep."
Heavens knows how long they were stuck on the road before they finally arrived home. Yun Duo still had not woken up. Hazily, she felt herself being picked up and piggybacked, and then a gust of cool wind made her shiver.
Tang Yi-Bai removed his scarf and used it to cover Yun Duo's head and neck, and then, just like that, he carried her into the house.
She continued to sleep deeply.
Tang Yi-Bai was also sleepy. His daily routine was as solid as iron; he had hardly ever stayed up late. Right then, he was so sleepy that his eyes were crossing. When he entered the house and Er-Bai ran over to beg for attention, he kicked the dog away with one foot.
He entered Yun Duo's room and gently laid her down on her bed. The room had already been redecorated by Yun Duo until it was completely unrecognisable. The bed sheets had been changed to a rose-coloured set, very youthful and feminine like a delicate flower, suiting her perfectly.
He helped her to take off her coat and shoes and then arranged her into a comfortable sleeping position. Seeing her sleeping so sweetly, his lips curved and he bent down to kiss her gently.
Eyebrows, eyes, face, nose, lips. He used his lips to trace her face, his heart was a field of tenderness, unbelievably warm. Kiss after kiss, suddenly, he felt very reluctant to leave.
'I'm so sleepy,' he thought, 'I have no more strength to go back to my own room.'
And so he lied down on her bed as well, lifting up the covers and slipping under them, and then pulling her into his arms.
There was no complicated purpose for it — he just wanted to hold her and sleep. She was his treasure. Holding her in his arms as he dropped off into sleep gave him a great sense of happiness that filled his entire heart.
Tang Yi-Bai's biological clock had always been consistent. When he opened his eyes early the next day, Yun Duo was still asleep. Under the blanket, the two of them were locked in a deep embrace with practically no space between them. It was especially warm under the blanket, and her body was so amazingly soft.
Inexplicably, Tang Yi-Bai's body suddenly felt a little hot.
He moved a little before abruptly realising that there was an awkward development in one part of his body... it was the physiological phenomenon common in men in the morning.
Unprecedentedly, Tang Yi-Bai blushed. In that instant, he thought of many things. He thought of the faint fragrance of her body, he thought of the bra he had accidentally caught sight of on the balcony, and he thought of the little gift he received last night at the bar...
There was a fire within him, burning fiercely in anticipation. Yet the firewood lying by his side was still in a dormant state and would not burn...
He took a deep breath and pushed her aside with great difficulty to sit up.
He then got out of bed and tucked the blanket around her again. He pulled his coat over, took out the gift in his pocket, and put it into her drawer.
After that, he put his coat in front of him to cover his awkward condition, and then he tiptoed out the door.
Madam Lu had just woken up, and she happened to see her son sneaking out of Yun Duo's room.
Her eyes opened wide and then as if coming to some realisation, she snickered.
"Cough." Tang Yi-Bai hastened to explain, "I didn't do anything."
"I know," replied Madam Lu.
Tang Yi-Bai was surprised by this. "How did you know?"
"Your face is filled with regret."
Fine... his mum was Sherlock Holmes reborn after all — no one could hide anything from her. Tang Yi-Bai then asked, "Then why did you laugh?"
"I laughed because you actually didn't do anything. Hehe."
Tang Yi-Bai: "..."
When he returned to the team, Tang Yi-Bai immediately went to the training hall. Before getting into the water, he carefully removed the bracelet Yun Duo had given him yesterday and kept it away properly. Swimming with a bracelet on would affect his speed, and the bracelet would break easily after soaking in the pool water.
When he returned back on land for a dryland training, he rushed to put the bracelet back on.
Qi Rui-Feng saw the bracelet and was curious. "Tang Yi-Bai, who gave you this bracelet?"
Tang Yi-Bai smiled. "What do you think?"
Qi Rui-Feng's gaze was a little strange though. As far as he knew, Xiang Yang-Yang just so happened to be making a bracelet like this one. When he last saw it, it was already almost done. In that case... could this bracelet be a gift from Xiang Yang-Yang?
What was Xiang Yang-Yang thinking? Could she be trying to fight Yun Duo for Tang Yi-Bai?
Qi Rui-Feng sensed danger. As the leader of their small group (at least he thinks he is), he could not allow such disharmony to happen. Stop, he must stop it.
So, Qi Rui-Feng found Xiang Yang-Yang and asked, "Xiang Yang-Yang, who did you give your bracelet to?"
"Eh, how did you know my bracelet was done?"
He thought, 'Hmph, of course I know.' He said, "Who did you give it to?"
"Why do you care who I gave it to?"
Qi Rui-Feng was frustrated. "Xiang Yang-Yang, you cannot like Tang Yi-Bai!"
Xiang Yang-Yang was boggled. "Who told you I like Tang Yi-Bai? Are you nuts?"
"Then why did you give your bracelet to him?"
"Which eye of yours saw me giving him my bracelet?" said Xiang Yang-Yang, taking out her bracelet from a pocket. "See, I just finished it. I haven't even worn it myself. The one Yi-Bai is wearing must definitely be the one Yun Duo made for him. You idiot!"
Qi Rui-Feng took a closer look at the bracelet and found that it was different from Tang Yi-Bai's. Although the two had similar colours and patterns, the design was reversed. Qi Rui-Feng's eyes pored over it for a moment, and then he said, "Even if it isn't, you still cannot wear this bracelet."
"Why?"
"If you wear it, you would be wearing a couple bracelet with Tang Yi-Bai. Yun Duo won't be happy to see it. And the media will start talking nonsense and spread gossip about you two."
Xiang Yang-Yang rubbed her jaw. "I actually think you make a good point. This is one of those rare times you're smart."
"So," Qi Rui-Feng nodded solemnly. "Let me help you wear this bracelet. Tang Yi-Bai and I are brothers, so it's fine for us to wear the same type of bracelet."
"Alright." Xiang Yang-Yang reluctantly handed the bracelet to him. "You need to treat it well and not break it!"
"Okay." Qi Rui-Feng extended his wrist. "Help me put it on."
As if performing a solemn ceremony, Xiang Yang-Yang helped him put on the bracelet. And then Qi Rui-Feng happily went off to show it off to Tang Yi-Bai.
As today was New Year's Day, once training ended for the day, the two good brothers attended the sponsorship activities of the swimming team sporting the exact same type of bracelet. A few other famous athletes went with them as well.
The next day, a news from the sports circle dominated the internet. It overshadowed the scandal of an entertainment industry queen to become the headline of the various gossip and entertainment websites —
Tang Yi-Bai and Qi Rui-Feng appeared at an event wearing couple bracelets, behaving intimately. The netizens: Abusing the single dogs!
Qi Rui-Feng: #%￥&#&*￥!!!!!
Several songs later, the bar began a countdown. Midnight was nigh. Yun Duo and the other people were shouting out the numbers, and when the countdown ended, the cheers seemed like they would bring the roof down.
Tang Yi-Bai sat in a corner, quietly watching her lively figure. All these years, he had always been chasing after his dreams. He had never felt that this annual cycle of a year had any particular reason to be celebrated. Now, settling down to ruminate, many things did not actually need to have any special meaning. The greatest meaning was to take joy in the moment itself.
He had been sprinting for so long — it had really begun to feel a little lonely. Suddenly, he had a companion, and his heart felt like it was being filled. Anything he did with her made him happy, even if it was just cheering with her right now like a fool.
It's so great that you're here.
When the cheering ended, the owner of the bar ran up onto the stage to give a brief speech, and then he signalled for the staff to give out new year presents to the guests. Yun Duo heard the cheers and laughter of those who received the gifts and she was very curious what the gifts were.
But when the gift tray was finally before her, she was gobsmacked.
On the tray was a large pile of condoms. The condoms came in various sizes — the guests could choose whichever fit; each person could take a maximum of 10.
Yun Duo was just about to say something when the voluptuous waitress carrying the tray suddenly squealed and covered her mouth. "Ah!"
The lights had come on again, so she must have recognised Tang Yi-Bai. Tang Yi-Bai quickly made a shushing motion with his index finger before his lips. "Shh —"
The waitress shut her mouth instantly, but continued to stare at him, wide-eyed.
Tang Yi-Bai calmly put his face mask back on and then searched through the tray. He picked out a large-size condom. "Thank you."
The waitress blushed.
Yun Duo's face was also red. She turned her face aside and said, "Don't take it."
"It's a waste if I don't take it. We've spent some money here, so of course we should reap the benefits." Tang Yi-Bai said righteously.
Yun Duo's lips twitched. He was making a lot of sense!
It was now already past midnight; they really should be going home. They needed to get out of the alley before they could hail a taxi. Tang Yi-Bai was a little distracted holding Yun Duo's hand. When he passed by a hotel, he stopped and peered inside, seeming eager to try it out. And then, he gave Yun Duo a meaningful look.
Yun Duo's face was so red it seemed like it was about to bleed. She put all her strength into pulling him away from the hotel. "Let's go."
Tang Yi-Bai looked down at the condom in his other hand, and his expression was one of regret. "It's such a waste not to use this. Don't you think?"
"You...! Go use it on your own! I don't care anymore!" With that said, she turned to escape.
He chased after her and hugged her from behind. He then leaned down to chuckle and whisper by her ear, "Eh, eh, angry? Don's be angry, okay? I'll do whatever you want."
Head bowed, Yun Duo said, "Let's go home."
"Okay."
It was not an easy matter to go home at this time. New Year's Eve had just ended so traffic was bad everywhere. Yun Duo's head drooped little by little — she was dreadfully sleepy. Tang Yi-Bai tucked her in his arms. "Sleep."
Heavens knows how long they were stuck on the road before they finally arrived home. Yun Duo still had not woken up. Hazily, she felt herself being picked up and piggybacked, and then a gust of cool wind made her shiver.
Tang Yi-Bai removed his scarf and used it to cover Yun Duo's head and neck, and then, just like that, he carried her into the house.
She continued to sleep deeply.
Tang Yi-Bai was also sleepy. His daily routine was as solid as iron; he had hardly ever stayed up late. Right then, he was so sleepy that his eyes were crossing. When he entered the house and Er-Bai ran over to beg for attention, he kicked the dog away with one foot.
He entered Yun Duo's room and gently laid her down on her bed. The room had already been redecorated by Yun Duo until it was completely unrecognisable. The bed sheets had been changed to a rose-coloured set, very youthful and feminine like a delicate flower, suiting her perfectly.
He helped her to take off her coat and shoes and then arranged her into a comfortable sleeping position. Seeing her sleeping so sweetly, his lips curved and he bent down to kiss her gently.
Eyebrows, eyes, face, nose, lips. He used his lips to trace her face, his heart was a field of tenderness, unbelievably warm. Kiss after kiss, suddenly, he felt very reluctant to leave.
'I'm so sleepy,' he thought, 'I have no more strength to go back to my own room.'
And so he lied down on her bed as well, lifting up the covers and slipping under them, and then pulling her into his arms.
There was no complicated purpose for it — he just wanted to hold her and sleep. She was his treasure. Holding her in his arms as he dropped off into sleep gave him a great sense of happiness that filled his entire heart.
Tang Yi-Bai's biological clock had always been consistent. When he opened his eyes early the next day, Yun Duo was still asleep. Under the blanket, the two of them were locked in a deep embrace with practically no space between them. It was especially warm under the blanket, and her body was so amazingly soft.
Inexplicably, Tang Yi-Bai's body suddenly felt a little hot.
He moved a little before abruptly realising that there was an awkward development in one part of his body... it was the physiological phenomenon common in men in the morning.
Unprecedentedly, Tang Yi-Bai blushed. In that instant, he thought of many things. He thought of the faint fragrance of her body, he thought of the bra he had accidentally caught sight of on the balcony, and he thought of the little gift he received last night at the bar...
There was a fire within him, burning fiercely in anticipation. Yet the firewood lying by his side was still in a dormant state and would not burn...
He took a deep breath and pushed her aside with great difficulty to sit up.
He then got out of bed and tucked the blanket around her again. He pulled his coat over, took out the gift in his pocket, and put it into her drawer.
After that, he put his coat in front of him to cover his awkward condition, and then he tiptoed out the door.
Madam Lu had just woken up, and she happened to see her son sneaking out of Yun Duo's room.
Her eyes opened wide and then as if coming to some realisation, she snickered.
"Cough." Tang Yi-Bai hastened to explain, "I didn't do anything."
"I know," replied Madam Lu.
Tang Yi-Bai was surprised by this. "How did you know?"
"Your face is filled with regret."
Fine... his mum was Sherlock Holmes reborn after all — no one could hide anything from her. Tang Yi-Bai then asked, "Then why did you laugh?"
"I laughed because you actually didn't do anything. Hehe."
Tang Yi-Bai: "..."
When he returned to the team, Tang Yi-Bai immediately went to the training hall. Before getting into the water, he carefully removed the bracelet Yun Duo had given him yesterday and kept it away properly. Swimming with a bracelet on would affect his speed, and the bracelet would break easily after soaking in the pool water.
When he returned back on land for a dryland training, he rushed to put the bracelet back on.
Qi Rui-Feng saw the bracelet and was curious. "Tang Yi-Bai, who gave you this bracelet?"
Tang Yi-Bai smiled. "What do you think?"
Qi Rui-Feng's gaze was a little strange though. As far as he knew, Xiang Yang-Yang just so happened to be making a bracelet like this one. When he last saw it, it was already almost done. In that case... could this bracelet be a gift from Xiang Yang-Yang?
What was Xiang Yang-Yang thinking? Could she be trying to fight Yun Duo for Tang Yi-Bai?
Qi Rui-Feng sensed danger. As the leader of their small group (at least he thinks he is), he could not allow such disharmony to happen. Stop, he must stop it.
So, Qi Rui-Feng found Xiang Yang-Yang and asked, "Xiang Yang-Yang, who did you give your bracelet to?"
"Eh, how did you know my bracelet was done?"
He thought, 'Hmph, of course I know.' He said, "Who did you give it to?"
"Why do you care who I gave it to?"
Qi Rui-Feng was frustrated. "Xiang Yang-Yang, you cannot like Tang Yi-Bai!"
Xiang Yang-Yang was boggled. "Who told you I like Tang Yi-Bai? Are you nuts?"
"Then why did you give your bracelet to him?"
"Which eye of yours saw me giving him my bracelet?" said Xiang Yang-Yang, taking out her bracelet from a pocket. "See, I just finished it. I haven't even worn it myself. The one Yi-Bai is wearing must definitely be the one Yun Duo made for him. You idiot!"
Qi Rui-Feng took a closer look at the bracelet and found that it was different from Tang Yi-Bai's. Although the two had similar colours and patterns, the design was reversed. Qi Rui-Feng's eyes pored over it for a moment, and then he said, "Even if it isn't, you still cannot wear this bracelet."
"Why?"
"If you wear it, you would be wearing a couple bracelet with Tang Yi-Bai. Yun Duo won't be happy to see it. And the media will start talking nonsense and spread gossip about you two."
Xiang Yang-Yang rubbed her jaw. "I actually think you make a good point. This is one of those rare times you're smart."
"So," Qi Rui-Feng nodded solemnly. "Let me help you wear this bracelet. Tang Yi-Bai and I are brothers, so it's fine for us to wear the same type of bracelet."
"Alright." Xiang Yang-Yang reluctantly handed the bracelet to him. "You need to treat it well and not break it!"
"Okay." Qi Rui-Feng extended his wrist. "Help me put it on."
As if performing a solemn ceremony, Xiang Yang-Yang helped him put on the bracelet. And then Qi Rui-Feng happily went off to show it off to Tang Yi-Bai.
As today was New Year's Day, once training ended for the day, the two good brothers attended the sponsorship activities of the swimming team sporting the exact same type of bracelet. A few other famous athletes went with them as well.
The next day, a news from the sports circle dominated the internet. It overshadowed the scandal of an entertainment industry queen to become the headline of the various gossip and entertainment websites —
Tang Yi-Bai and Qi Rui-Feng appeared at an event wearing couple bracelets, behaving intimately. The netizens: Abusing the single dogs!
Qi Rui-Feng: #%￥&#&*￥!!!!!
