Chapter 43

Yun Duo stood where she was, looking at Tang Yi-Bai's staunch and determined back, and felt some bitterness in her heart. Qi Rui-Feng did not understand what was going on. He saw Tang Yi-Bai hurrying off and quickly chased after him. Before going, he even turned to Yun Duo to say, "Hurry up."

I won't!

Yun Duo refused to move in a fit of pique. She stared after the two athletes and said through puffed up cheeks, "Even if you don't like me, you don't have to act like this! Taking all this effort to come and welcome you back, and you don't even bother to say thank you! A big shot, are you? My idol is Qi Rui-Feng, not you!" As she ranted, she really started to become mad, and so she turned to ask Lin Zi, "Don't you agree?"

Lin Zi was very supportive. He nodded emphatically and said, "Right!" Seeing her cheeks bulging from anger, an almost imperceptible smile graced his eyes. He said, "Boss, let's go have some Haagen-Dazs, okay?"

Yun Duo glared at him. "All you know is eat!" No understanding for my sorrow at all!

In the end, the two of them still went out for Haagen-Dazs. Under typical circumstances, when a poor person like Yun Duo wanted to eat Haagen-Dazs, the first step would be to search and see whether there was a group-buying or the like. When Lin Zi saw her opening the green icon for the group-buying app, he decided to object. Because based on past experience, anything one could buy on these group-buying apps would not be the hottest or latest products. He pressed down lightly on her wrist. "My treat."

"You can't be treating every single time." Yun Duo brushed him off and stubbornly continued to search through the app.

"Yun Duo," Lin Zi's voice suddenly became solemn, "I can treat you every single time, as long as you are willing."

"Hm?" Yun Duo raised her head in surprise to look at him. Her eyes met his calm tapered eyes, and she asked, "Why?"

"Because you're poor."

"..." Logical and backed with evidence, there was no way for her to refute his claim!

When Qi Rui-Feng managed to chase up to Tang Yi-Bai, he grumbled, "Why are you walking so fast? Yun Duo has short legs. She won't be able to keep up with us."

Tang Yi-Bai halted and turned to look back at her. However, all he saw was her back. She was walking away with that strange lackey of hers, and her figure was shrinking into the distance.

Qi Rui-Feng said in an odd tone, "Wasn't she here to welcome us back?"

Tang Yi-Bai stared mutely at her back.

Was she angry?

He suddenly felt really bad, like there was something clogging up his heart, heavy and uncomfortable and impossible to resolve. He had the urge to run over to her, hold her hand, make her laugh, and take her home ... his feet actually began to move.

But he only took one step before he stopped once again. He looked down at the black suitcase at his feet and his expression was dismayed.

He had made a decision, so he should stick to it.

Tang Yi-Bai sighed. "Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Back to the team."

The two hailed a taxi. In the car, Tang Yi-Bai kept looking out the car window. Even someone as slow as Qi Rui-Feng picked up the strange mood Tang Yi-Bai was in, so he asked Tang Yi-Bai, "Why are you in such low spirits right after getting off the plane?"

"It's nothing. Just a little tired."

"Oh. Then you should get some sleep." Qi Rui-Feng did not say anything more but started playing with his phone. After playing for a while, he forgot he had asked Tang Yi-Bai to rest. He nudged Tang Yi-Bai's shoulder. "Hey, it turns out that Yun Duo went to get ice-cream!"

Tang Yi-Bai turned his head to look at the screen of Qi Rui-Feng's phone. Qi Rui-Feng was chatting on WeChat with Yun Duo. Yun Duo had just sent him a picture of ice-cream.

Very pretty ice-cream.

Tang Yi-Bai turned his eyes away to stop looking any further. He closed his eyes to rest them.

Qi Rui-Feng said, "I don't like sweet stuff. I'll send this ice-cream pic to Ming Tian later. That'll kill him. Haha! Sigh, if Yun Duo insists on treating me though, I'll deign to try a mouthful ..."

Tang Yi-Bai found that Qi Rui-Feng was rather noisy.

Qi Rui-Feng was still nattering on. "I really thought she was there to welcome us back. Who could have guessed she had really come all this way just to eat ice-cream? Also, say, what's up with her? She clearly saw us. Why didn't she invite us along? At most I could have paid ..."

Tang Yi-Bai interrupted impatiently, "You just want to eat ice-cream, right? Is so much nonsense necessary? So shameful for a guy to love ice-cream so much."

Qi Rui-Feng twisted his face aside. "Who loves eating that thing?!"

"Then shut up."

Qi Rui-Feng was a little unhappy. "Hey, what's up with you really?!"

"Sorry," Tang Yi-Bai shook his head. He sighed long and loud, and raised a hand to knead his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and said, "Bro Feng, I want to go home for a bit."

"Hm?" It was Qi Rui-Feng's turn to be unable to keep up with Tang Yi-Bai's thought process. He asked in surprise, "Why?"

"No special reason. I haven't seen my parents in a while. I want to go back to see them."

"Didn't you say you want to go meet your coach first?"

Tang Yi-Bai did not explain any further, merely saying, "Why don't you go back first? I'll take another car ... Sir, could you please stop a little further up. I'm getting off."

"Wait a moment." Qi Rui-Feng stopped him.

"What?"

"Uh, I haven't been to your place in a long time..."

After finishing off her ice-cream, Yun Duo felt just that little bit better. She and Lin Zi took a taxi back to the city, and since the two of them were rather free with nothing else to do, they went shopping. There were so many watch shops on the first floor of the shopping mall. Lin Zi randomly chose one of the watches on display and put it on his wrist. He then raised his hand and asked Yun Duo, "Does it look good?"

"Nice."

Lin Zi nodded, "Okay, I'll take it."

When they entered another shop, he tried yet another model and asked Yun Duo whether it looked good. Yun Duo had her head bent over a display case and replied after just a cursory glance over at him, "Not bad."

"Okay, pack it up."

Yun Duo's eyelids jumped. She felt a sympathetic ache just thinking about the combined price of the two watches. After that, she was much more careful with her responses. When Lin Zi asked her again whether something looked good, she would only say "so-so".

Sure enough, Lin Zi did not purchase anymore watches.

The two of them entered a jewellery store. Yun Duo saw a beautiful sapphire-studded pendant and was instantly frozen in place. The female shop assistant smiled and said, "You can try it on if you like it. This design is very flattering."

Based on Yun Duo's current financial ability, she would not be able to buy the pendant even if she sold herself, but trying it out would cost nothing anyway. After the shop assistant helped her put it on, she admired herself in the mirror, and the longer she looked at her reflection, the more unwilling she was to take the pendant off.

The shop assistant smiled and said, "Miss, you look really pretty wearing this sapphire. The colour also matches especially well with your clothes. I've already sold quite a few of this particular pendant design, but so far it looks best on you."

Lin Zi turned to look at Yun Duo and his eyes were gentle. "Like it?"

Mhm, mhm, mhm, I really, really like it!

Still, no matter how much she liked it, she still had to return it in the end... Yun Duo asked the shop assistant for help taking it off, and then she tapped lightly on her own cheek. "Hmm, no, not really."

Lin Zi knew she was lying though, so he said, "I think it looks very pretty. Can I buy it for you?"

Yun Duo pursed her lips. "Don't. It feels like you're becoming my sugar daddy like this."

He shook his head. "There's just two more months to your birthday. Can't I just give you an early birthday present?"

"No, it's too expensive."

Yun Duo had not much interest for shopping after that. The two of them split up outside the mall. After he watched Yun Duo walk down into the subway, Lin Zi turned to go back into the mall.

He went back to buy that pendant.

After entering the subway, one still needed to walk for about 10 minutes. Yun Duo brow was coated in sweat just after walking for a bit. She saw a drink stand by the side of the road and so she bought a glass of fresh watermelon juice. As she was waiting for the watermelon juice, she casually flipped through the menu. Suddenly, she asked, "You also sell fresh pomegranate juice here?"

"Yes."

"Oh, then give me a cup of pomegranate juice instead."

"Miss, your watermelon juice is already being made right now."

"Ah?" Yun Duo hesitated for only a moment. "Then add on a glass of pomegranate juice too." She might not be able to afford a sapphire, but she can afford juice! So what if she ends up with two glasses of juice? She can just drink one and dump the other. Hmph!

As she sipped on the pomegranate juice, Yun Duo thought of Tang Yi-Bai. On that autumn day on campus, he had joked around with her. The cheeky grin as he bit on his straw was clear and sharp in her mind.

A sour pang shot through her heart, making her feel weak. It felt like sadness, but not too sad, and then it would suddenly flip into a sense of loss. It was crazy.

When she got home, Yun Duo had the cup of pomegranate juice in one hand, with her ring finger and little finger hooked around the handle of a plastic bag containing the cup of watermelon juice, freeing the other hand to open the door.

She turned the key, only to find the door unlocked, and so she pushed the door open and entered, feeling a little puzzled.

Two people were seated side by side on the sofa. This was not the main point. The main point was the posture of the two... why was Qi Rui-Feng laying against Tang Yi-Bai's shoulder?

Moreover, his head was in constant motion — turning one moment to face the television screen, then turning back again the next. And his shoulders were shaking slightly... could he be crying?

Heavens! Qi Rui-Feng crying on Tang Yi-Bai's shoulder... what's with this rhythm of events?

Could this be the true reason why Tang Yi-Bai did not like her?

In that instant, Yun Duo's thoughts wandered a little too far, but she very quickly rejected this bold assumption. Tang Yi-Bai was most definitely straight! Pencil straight!

When Tang Yi-Bai turned to look towards the doorway, Er-Bai was hurrying over happily with Yun Duo's slippers in his mouth. By the time Yun Duo changed into her slippers, Qi Rui-Feng had righted himself. He leaned back into the sofa and nodded at Yun Duo. "You're back," and then he glanced at the TV and instantly wailed, "Fuck! Why stop here?!"

Yun Duo walked into the living room and stared curiously at the television. There was a horrifying ghoul pictured on it.

So they were watching a horror movie... No wonder Qi Rui-Feng would act like that; he must have been scared. Yun Duo found it rather funny — the peerless Qi Rui-Feng was afraid to watch horror movies? She said, "Don't be afraid, it's all fake."

Qi Rui-Feng said testily, "Who's afraid?"

"You know, couples always watch horror movies together."

"What? No way."

The two guys stared dubiously at Yun Duo.

Yun Duo smiled widely and said, "Yes, because when the girl gets scared, she'll jump into the boy's arms, just like you did just now."

Qi Rui-Feng was suddenly covered in goose bumps. "Who jumped into his arms?!" As he shouted, he quickly put some distance between himself and Tang Yi-Bai.

Tang Yi-Bai threw a helpless look at Yun Duo, but there was a faint smile in his eyes.

Yun Duo pretended not to see him. She passed the watermelon juice to Qi Rui-Feng. "Watermelon juice. My treat."

"Thanks!" Qi Rui-Feng accepted it and took a large gulp. It was sweet and refreshing, tasting pretty great. After swallowing his mouthful, he asked in surprise, "Doesn't Tang Yi-Bai get a share?"

Tang Yi-Bai pursed his lips, a trace of anticipation in his eyes.

However, Yun Duo only smiled at Qi Rui-Feng and said, "I only have one idol."

Tang Yi-Bai's eyes dimmed.

Qi Rui-Feng waved his hand. You shouldn't be so direct. Tang Yi-Bai will also become a world champion in future."

"What's that got to do with me?" With that last word, Yun Duo put down her things and went to take a shower. Today, she had gone halfway across City-B to welcome Tang Yi-Bai back and had gotten all sweaty as a result, and in the end, the other hadn't even appreciated the effort.

Er-Bai really liked pushing his head through the doorway to look into the restroom while Yun Duo was inside. No matter what she was doing, he always wanted to take a peek. Of course, when she was on the loo or taking a shower, he would not be able to enter and see anything. At those times, he would hover around the door, scratching at it, just like a perverted wolf.

Qi Rui-Feng saw the husky scratching at the door and said to Tang Yi-Bai, "Even dogs like pretty ladies."

Tang Yi-Bai stretched and then reached out to pick up the juice Yun Duo had put down on the coffee table. He put his nose close to the straw and sniffed lightly.

A sweet and sourish tang, carrying the distinct fragrance of pomegranates. He couldn't be more familiar with the taste.

He suddenly smiled, his lips curving up and his eyes gentle and lively.

Qi Rui-Feng had his hands over his eyes to avoid looking at the TV screen, so he naturally missed seeing this expression on Tang Yi-Bai's face. Qi Rui-Feng said, "Let's not watch this movie anymore. How about we switch to Conan?"

"You won't understand Conan. Let's watch Totoro instead," said Tang Yi-Bai. When he sat down again, he still held that cup of juice in his hand. Qi Rui-Feng saw him casually put the straw to his mouth and take a drink.

Qi Rui-Feng stared in shock and scolded him, "How can you drink Yun Duo's watermelon juice without permission?"

"This isn't watermelon juice. It's pomegranate juice. You know my favourite drink is pomegranate juice, how can I resist? Can I be blamed for this?" He spoke shamelessly, his expression innocent.

His shamelessness touched Qi Rui-Feng, hence Qi Rui-Feng was convinced that Tang Yi-Bai's lack of control was understandable.

After her shower, Yun Duo changed into a cotton short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, her attire as plain as a boy's. She walked back into the living room and found that the image on the television screen was now completely different. Right then, an animated film was playing. It was her beloved Hayao Miyazaki.

She circled round the sofa and saw Tang Yi-Bai sipping mouthful after mouthful from her half-drunk fruit juice, as cool as a cucumber.

"Hey!" Yun Duo was speechless at this behaviour, and felt her face heat up slightly at the same time. After all, he was using a straw she had used before.

"Hm?" Tang Yi-Bai was biting on the straw, and replied with a muffled sound as he raised his head to look at her. His eyes were soft and clear, as moving as the waters of spring. At that moment, he was looking at her with a half-smile, his gaze weighted with meaning.

Yun Duo's breath caught, and she was suddenly unable to say anything at all.

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Previous: Chapter 42
Next: Chapter 44

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