Chapter 87
Yun Duo was pretty much visiting the training base daily these days. If she had interviews to conduct during the day, she would rush over as soon as she was done with her task list. If she was just working at the office, she would shamelessly request to leave early. Since she was now considered a 'big shot' at the agency, even Director Liu turned a blind eye to this, so no one else was going to say anything about it.
She did all this because Coach Wu had mentioned that Tang Yi-Bai trained better when she was around.
So she hoped she could accompany him as much as possible since she could not help in any other way.
Qi Rui-Feng was away during this time, so Tang Yi-Bai would always passionately invite her to rest at his dorm room. However, Yun Duo felt that if she kept running off with him to the dorm room to do this and that, he would just end up overexerting himself and this would affect his training. His training was already so tough and demanding, draining a lot of his energy; he should save up his energy at night.
As such, Tang Yi-Bai's invitations were mostly rebuffed.
But whenever she refused, Tang Yi-Bai would insist on sending her home at night. He was already tired out from training after his additional training in the evenings, and Yun Duo was rather reluctant to see him make the trip out and back. Finally, she found a compromise — she booked at room at a hotel near the training base.
And so she stationed herself there for this period of time; she was working pretty hard for Tang Yi-Bai's sake.
When Tang Yi-Bai sent her back at night, a taxi ride of over an hour had now been shortened to less than 10 minutes of walking time. The tar road from the gates of the training base to the doors of the hotel was very wide, and the street lights were tall and bright. However, there were not many people staying in the area and there was very little traffic, so this road seemed very vast and empty. Old folks selling fruits on trishaws could sometimes spotted at the intersection. Tang Yi-Bai would often buy a great pile of fruit for Yun Duo, stating grandly that 'eating more fruits will make you prettier and prettier'.
Yun Duo sweatdropped. Hefting the big bag of fruits, she said, "This is too much. Even elephants don't eat this much."
Tang Yi-Bai still continued to do as he liked. When they arrived at the doors of the hotel, he would give her a hug. His chest was broad and his arms were long — locked in his embrace, she felt extremely safe and secure. At this time, he would always ask, "Duoduo, can I stay over tonight?"
Yun Duo refused flatly, "No. If you dare to try and stay and don't go back to the dorms, I will tell Coach Wu."
Then he would act very pitiful. "So mean."
Yun Duo was a very principled person. She had agreed with Tang Yi-Bai that she would stay at Tang Yi-Bai's once a week, and then stay the remaining six days on her own at the hotel in order to help Tang Yi-Bai 'conserve energy'. This reason left Tang Yi-Bai unsure whether to laugh or cry, but he had no choice but to accept her determined decision. Moreover, this was just the current plan. According to Yun Duo's planning, once Qi Rui-Feng returns from Australia, there would be less than a month to the World Championships. At that time, she was determined to not have any more physical relations with Tang Yi-Bai. She would definitely hold out until after the World Championships had ended. She did not want to become his 'Helen of Troy'{红颜祸水: More literally, calamitous beauty. This refers to how obsession over great beauty can cause the downfall of otherwise great men.}.
Tang Yi-Bai said rather helplessly, "Duoduo, can you have a little more faith in me?"
Yun Duo replied, "I have a lot of faith in you. That's why you must train properly. Good luck!"
He shook his head, smiling. "No, what I mean is, you should have faith in my kidneys."
This phrase left her blushing to her roots, and she ducked her head and ignored him.
Tang Yi-Bai pushed his luck. "What are you being shy for now? Wasn't it just last night? Do you still remember everything you said last night?"
"Tang Yi-Bai, shut up!"
Tang Yi-Bai shut up, but then smirked sneakily, intentionally cackling. Her face was bright and red like a ripened apple under the autumn sun. He could not help but poke and pinch it, and then while her guard was still down, he swooped in for a quick kiss.
Dog-tired after training every day, the only leisure activity left to him was to tease his girlfriend. Thus, he would rile her up for no reason, so much so that his entire temperament was now slightly sleazy. Yun Duo did not have the strength to even comment on it anymore.
Other than this bit of entertainment, there was hardly any change to his daily routine. It was like a regulated wave, repeating again and again in a simple and almost monotonously boring cycle.
Due to time constraints, he had basically given up on training for the 50-metre freestyle to focus on the 100-metre freestyle instead. This was his best specialisation and it was a highly competitive event on the world stage. He no longer paid attention to honing the finer details, putting more emphasis on training volume to regain his peak condition.
Tang Yi-Bai liked having Yun Duo present to watch him train. Staying under her gaze, her eyes were filled with him. Just the awareness of this always left him in a great mood and high spirits. This was an uncontrollable change. Everyone wished to be at their own peak conditions, but all the rationalisation and self-regulation may not be as effective as a small emotional spark.
Yun Duo also liked watching over him silently. Watching as her merman made waves in the water, watching as he improved bit by bit. Day after day, time stretched out long and silent, like a tranquil little path with no end in sight. But when you stepped onto the cobblestones and walked the path step by step, you would still eventually reach the end.
The swimming pool was very raucous during the day, and at night, as everyone slowly left, Tang Yi-Bai was always the last one to leave. Only the two of them remained in the large hall, which seemed especially wide and empty with no one else around. Yun Duo sat by the side of the pool, watching him swimming along in the great expanse of water. The scene seemed a little lonesome. He was like a warrior battling all on his own — even when there was no one else by his side, he still continued to forge on relentlessly.
Yun Duo felt that Tang Yi-Bai was at his most charismatic at this moment. At his loneliest moment, he was still composed, calm, and focused. Regardless of how things may change, he remained true to himself. Under everyone's disbelieving and suspicious eyes, he continued to move forwards steadily in silence.
Tang Yi-Bai, no matter how lonely you are, I am willing to stay by your side, now and always.
A little more than a month away from the World Championships, Tang Yi-Bai continued training while keeping a low-profile. However, the public were unwilling to let him go — rumours about his girlfriend suddenly began spreading over the internet. Initially, Tang Yi-Bai's fans were practically immune to the words 'Tang Yi-Bai's girlfriend'. Every day, there would be someone claiming to be Tang Yi-Bai's girlfriend, and there were also some unknown small-time models and stars trying to stand out from the crowd who purposefully aimed to concoct scandals involving Tang Yi-Bai. Tang Yi-Bai did not know any of these people though. Therefore, in the eyes of most fans, 'Tang Yi-Bai's girlfriend' was synonymous with 'popularity stunt'.
But this time was different. In the past, all of Tang Yi-Bai's scandals had been exposed from the entertainment circles, but this time, the source of the rumours was the sports circles. The news came from some of the staff related to the swimming team, as well as some sports media. After much corroboration and anonymous reports, even without actual proof, many people were convinced and began spreading the rumours even further.
As soon as Yun Duo opened Tang Yi-Bai's Weibo account, she would see many people asking him whether he had a girlfriend.
Besides that, there were many gossipy media calling Wu Yong to ask about the matter too, only to be frightened off by the harsh scolding of the hot-tempered Coach Wu.
Just a little more than a month to go before the World Championships, this group of people did not care at all about how Tang Yi-Bai was doing, or how his training was going. They did not even care whether or not his injury would recur, only latching onto this juicy bit of gossip and refusing to let go... were their brain complete rot?
In contrast, the sports media journalist were much more agreeable, like little Yun Duo for example.
Yun Duo was also alarmed by this development. After that, she would disguise herself a little whenever she went in and out of the base, donning a hat and some sunglasses or something like that. Of course, if she wasn't standing beside Tang Yi-Bai, no one would recognise her anyway.
However, in the face of all the questioning, Yun Duo suddenly realised something. She was always avoiding their relationship being exposed — put nicely, she was unwilling to be followed around, but in truth, she was just not confident enough. She was afraid. Afraid that when she was mentioned alongside Tang Yi-Bai, others would say that she was not worthy of Tang Yi-Bai.
When in fact, love was a matter between two people and had nothing at all to do with anyone else{T/N: Well, there are relationships which involve more than two... it all just depends on how open-minded you are. :P}. Since they loved each other, she should stand bravely with him under the sunlight. Tang Yi-Bai was such a confident and strong person. She could not be afraid, otherwise she would truly be unworthy of him.
Thus, she said to Tang Yi-Bai, "Tang Yi-Bai, I think you can disclose our relationship to the public now. I want to stand with you proudly in the open."
Tang Yi-Bai was a bit taken aback, but also very happy. However, he quickly shook his head. "Now isn't the right time."
"Right, of course it isn't the right time now. I mean, let's wait till the World Championships are over to announce it."
Actually, that was not what Tang Yi-Bai meant.
He was, recently, planning something very important. He hoped that when they finally announced their relationship to the public, Yun Duo would not be his 'girlfriend' but his 'wife'.
That's right, he was planning to propose.
The standard equipment for a proposal were fresh flowers and a ring. He was so busy every day that he had no time at all to go choose a ring, so he asked his mum for help. His mother's taste was renowned among her peers for being impeccable, so he had full trust in her.
When Madam Lu heard that her son was planning to propose, she was surprised. "You're so busy right now. Why not wait till after the World Championship is over to propose?"
"Mum, you don't understand. If I succeed during the World Championships, the proposal will be like icing on the cake of the victory. That would weaken the importance of our marriage. And if I fail, my pride as a man tells me that I would not be able to propose anytime soon after that. So, I believe that now is just the right time to propose."
Madam Lu did not think that her son would think so much, a classic case of having too many braincells to spare. She asked, "Are all athletes this convoluted?"
"No, I inherited your genes, so don't think about shirking your responsibility."
Madam Lu viewed her son's overthinking with some contempt, but she would of course still do her duty in selecting a ring. Her son's wings were strong now; he did not need his parents’ money to buy the ring. He sent a cash card straight to Madam Lu, and when Madam Lu took a look at the balance, she was quite surprised. "You're quite wealthy now, eh?"
"Mum, did you forget? Your son is now a sports superstar."
"Gloating? No matter how amazing you become, you are still my son... it won't cost this much to buy a ring."
"Buy yourself a car with the remaining balance. You can buy whatever kind you like. Don't worry about the money. Also, mum, can you help me take a look at some real estate? I want to buy a villa, one with a private pool."
"Buy a villa?"
"Yes, for a marriage home."
Madam Lu was rendered speechless. "Have you already thought up your child's name as well?"
"Well, not yet. I still don't know if it'll be a boy or a girl."
"So you have thought about a child..."
She really had no words. Still... fine, she herself had also imagined it, wondering what a child of Doudou and Yun Duo's would look like. Would the child look more like the father or the mother? Or maybe like the grandfather or grandmother? As people grow older, they find themselves growing increasingly fond of children. She really wanted to hold a grandson or granddaughter in her arms soon...
The next day, Madam Lu ran to the shopping mall to peruse the various brand-name counters, picking and choosing, in no rush to buy any particular one. She took pictures of the ones she felt were nice and sent them to Tang Yi-Bai. After all, he was the one proposing, so she wanted to respect her son's opinion.
That night, Tang Yi-Bai called her. He said, "Mum, I suddenly don't feel like buying a ring anymore."
Madam Lu was furious. "You don't plan on proposing anymore? You think proposing is a joke? That you can change your mind as you like?"
"Mum, don't be angry. I didn't say I won't propose. What I meant was that those rings produced in factories are not worthy of the special unique feelings of Duoduo and I. So my token of proposal should also be special. It would be best if it could also be uniquely one-of-a-kind."
"..." This brat, already so skilled at building a mood at such a young age — such a natural playboy! Madam Lu grumbled internally, and sneered and said, "Harvest a kidney and give it to her then. That will definitely be absolutely one-of-a-kind."
Tang Yi-Bai was petrified. "Mum, I'm your dear son."
"Fine, then what on earth do you want to buy?"
"What do you think about buying a piece of jade? Lovers in ancient times would give jade pendants to each other. I think that's quite romantic. Buy a piece of jade for me please and find someone to engrave it with a pattern that will be one-of-a-kind in the world. What do you think?"
Madam Lu was gobsmacked. She covered the mouthpiece of the phone and remarked to Daddy Tang who was beside her, "I find that Doudou is a veritable saint of love."
"Right? I'm surprised too."
"That's not like you or me, so who was the one to teach him all that?"
Daddy Tang sighed and said, "Honey, some things are god-given."
With regards to her son suddenly displaying Casanova qualities in his genes, Madam Lu did not react much other than to marvel at it for a moment. Still, she now felt rather sympathetic for her future daughter-in-law Yun Duo...
After that, Madam Lu asked Tang Yi-Bai, "What kind of jade would you like?"
"How about white tallow jade? That would look nice. I want the best. Cost is no issue."
After Madam Lu hung up, she mused on the matter and realised that her brat's decision was not only incredibly romantic, it was also completely practical from an economic perspective. Diamond rings were all mass-produced and would depreciate in value after purchase. White tallow jade was different. Quality white tallow jade engraved by a famous designer would only shoot up in value over time and never depreciate.
... What a monster.
The jade industry was riddled with inferior products and counterfeits — true high-quality jade was a rare find which required some element of luck. Madam Lu was keen and astute from her many years in business, so she absolutely would not be deceived. Moreover, she had many contacts, so after over a week of searching, she finally found a piece of raw material which was particularly suitable for their purposes. After that, she contacted a sculptor. Madam Lu hardened her resolve and looked for an especially famous sculptor. However, the sculptor's time was already fully booked so Madam Lu had to humble herself to ask others for a favour. She had never humbled herself like this before in her entire life — Tang Yi-Bai was indeed her dear son.
The master craftsman was a compassionate person. He heard that the request came from a young man who had asked his mother for help with his marriage proposal, so he permitted Madam Lu to cut in line and even personally helped her design the carvings.
In July, the national swimming team entered closed-door training mode in preparation for the World Championships. As soon as Yun Duo heard about the closed-door training, she thought that she would no longer be allowed to see Tang Yi-Bai. However, unexpectedly, Coach Wu specially obtained approval for her to visit. After all, she would not be disturbing anyone else when she visited — she would just sit to one side, her primary purpose being to raise Tang Yi-Bai's morale — so there were no negative effects to consider.
Thus, the team management readily agreed.
Once again, Tang Yi-Bai began living like a monk — his Duoduo was really doing her utmost best to conserve his energy...
The training over the course of this one month was even more intense and gruelling, and of course, the effects were also extremely significant. His recovery was progressing beyond everyone's expectations — Coach Wu had even begun hoping again that he might medal in the World Championships.
At where Tang Yi-Bai was right now, chances were low that he'd be able to take on Sanger and Arbussy. That said, Bayard was relatively weaker so Tang Yi-Bai still had a chance to compete there. If he did well, he might be able to score a bronze medal.
However, Bayard had a great advantage — the World Championships this time would be held in Liverpool, England, which was home ground for Bayard. It would give him an edge.
At second glance, a medal might be hoping for too much...
Wu Yong sighed. Forget it, the boy has already worked so hard. No matter what kind of results he obtains, they should cheer for him.
The days go by like this. July 22nd was the day Yun Duo and Tang Yi-Bai temporarily separated. Because she would be taking a flight to Liverpool first the next day. The World Championships would begin on the 28th of July and end on the 13th of August. The entire event would last for 17 days, and Yun Duo would not miss a single day. As the agency was not sending as many reporters this time as they had during the Asian Games, the workload of everyone they sent this time was even greater. From diving to artistic swimming to just regular swimming, she had to be present and report on all of these events. Thus, she had to travel to the site a day in advance. Meanwhile, Tang Yi-Bai's events would only begin on the 6th of August, so he would not be headed to Liverpool this early.
That night, Yun Duo sat by the pool as usual to wait for Tang Yi-Bai's extra training to end. And then he led her out of the training hall for a walk around the base.
Yun Duo said, "Tang Yi-Bai, you have to train properly these few days while I'm not around. Don't miss me too much. We'll be able to see each other again soon."
Tang Yi-Bai's head was bowed as he mused, and then he suddenly stopped and turned to look intently at her face. She was surprised. "What?"
He stroked her hair, smiled and said, "Duoduo, there is something I must do. If I don't do it, I won't have the peace of mind to compete."
Yun Duo huffed, "No! You can only do it after the competition. What did you promise me back then?"
He was stunned still for a moment, and then he leaned against her shoulder and chuckled uncontrollably under her baffled stare. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "You little pervert, where has your mind gone to?"
Yun Duo blushed and turned her head aside. "I, I was just joking. Don't you have any humour cells in you?"
He smiled and said, "Although I also really want to do that, it isn't what I want to do right now." As he said this, he suddenly took a step back, drew out a box, knelt down on one knee, and then he gently lifted the box up to present it to her.
Yun Duo gaped. She was all too familiar with this series of actions — it was often shown on TV. She was a little surprised, but mostly moved. Her heart felt as if it were about to soar. She looked steadily at him.
But... that box was really big. Was it really a ring box?
"Duoduo," his face was lifted so he could look tenderly at her, and then he opened the box before her, "Will you marry me?"
As expected, Yun Duo saw that the box did not contain a ring. Instead, it was a large white jade pendant, carved with motifs of a dragon and a phoenix. Oddly enough, there were two strings threaded through the pendant — were there actually two parts to the pendant? She carefully lifted out the jade pendant, and with just a slight application of force, the pendant separated neatly into two parts to become a dragon pendant and a phoenix pendant respectively.
The jade pendant was as pure and white as if it had been birthed from clouds, and it was warm and smooth to the touch, like premium tallow. The craftsmanship was exquisite and vivid, brimming with meaningful history and artistry. The phoenix soars amongst clouds of fortune as the dragon emerges from the vast oceans — grand and auspicious symbols, yet still extremely beautiful. Yun Duo could discern the symbolism of the two motifs, and her eyes felt hot. "Where did you find this?" It was so thoughtful.
"I wouldn't have been able to find something like this. This was specially made to order... so, are you or are you not going to say yes to my proposal?"
She sniffled and resisted the urge to cry. "What do you think?"
Tang Yi-Bai said softly, "Say yes, you will, that you want to marry me."
"Tang Yi-Bai, I want to marry you."
Tang Yi-Bai's feelings soared, and he stood up to pull her into a tight embrace. He smiled and said, "From today onwards, you are really my wife."
"Yes." She was a little embarrassed. With her face pressed to his warm chest, she asked, "Tang Yi-Bai, is this real jade?"
Tang Yi-Bai did not know whether to laugh or cry. He retorted with her previous words, "What do you think?" It would be too insincere if it was fake.
"But... such a large piece of white tallow jade... it must have been very expensive, right?" She wasn't married to him yet and she was already worrying over his finances and trying to help him save money.
He said tenderly, "Duoduo, this jade pendant was a custom order. There is only this one set in the entire world. Just like you and I, the only such pairing in this world."
Yun Duo hugged his waist and mumbled, "Are you determined to make me cry today?"
Tang Yi-Bai hugged her back tightly, like he was holding onto the most valuable treasure in the world.
That night, Tang Yi-Bai returned to his dormitory still floating on cloud nine. Because he was so happy, he couldn't stop himself from humming.
Qi Rui-Feng almost had his pee scared out of him. Flummoxed, he stared at Tang Yi-Bai, "Tang Yi-Bai, are you singing?"
"Huh? No." Tang Yi-Bai thought, 'You single-dogs will never understand my joy.' He reached out a hand to Qi Rui-Feng. "Feng, lend me your phone."
Even though Tang Yi-Bai was now a 'claimed man'{有“家室”的人: I was so tempted to translate this as 'family man', but Google results indicate that term refers to a man with spouse and children.}, but Coach Wu managed him as strictly as ever, perhaps even more so now out of worry that he might chat with his little girlfriend too much at night without watching his limits. As such, the coach even confiscated his phone during the period of closed-door training.
Thus, whenever he wanted to use a phone now, he could only borrow Qi Rui-Feng's.
Can everyone please stop calling me hubby? I already have a wife. ~(^_^)~
Previous: Chapter 86
Next: Chapter 88: Final Chapter
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She did all this because Coach Wu had mentioned that Tang Yi-Bai trained better when she was around.
So she hoped she could accompany him as much as possible since she could not help in any other way.
Qi Rui-Feng was away during this time, so Tang Yi-Bai would always passionately invite her to rest at his dorm room. However, Yun Duo felt that if she kept running off with him to the dorm room to do this and that, he would just end up overexerting himself and this would affect his training. His training was already so tough and demanding, draining a lot of his energy; he should save up his energy at night.
As such, Tang Yi-Bai's invitations were mostly rebuffed.
But whenever she refused, Tang Yi-Bai would insist on sending her home at night. He was already tired out from training after his additional training in the evenings, and Yun Duo was rather reluctant to see him make the trip out and back. Finally, she found a compromise — she booked at room at a hotel near the training base.
And so she stationed herself there for this period of time; she was working pretty hard for Tang Yi-Bai's sake.
When Tang Yi-Bai sent her back at night, a taxi ride of over an hour had now been shortened to less than 10 minutes of walking time. The tar road from the gates of the training base to the doors of the hotel was very wide, and the street lights were tall and bright. However, there were not many people staying in the area and there was very little traffic, so this road seemed very vast and empty. Old folks selling fruits on trishaws could sometimes spotted at the intersection. Tang Yi-Bai would often buy a great pile of fruit for Yun Duo, stating grandly that 'eating more fruits will make you prettier and prettier'.
Yun Duo sweatdropped. Hefting the big bag of fruits, she said, "This is too much. Even elephants don't eat this much."
Tang Yi-Bai still continued to do as he liked. When they arrived at the doors of the hotel, he would give her a hug. His chest was broad and his arms were long — locked in his embrace, she felt extremely safe and secure. At this time, he would always ask, "Duoduo, can I stay over tonight?"
Yun Duo refused flatly, "No. If you dare to try and stay and don't go back to the dorms, I will tell Coach Wu."
Then he would act very pitiful. "So mean."
Yun Duo was a very principled person. She had agreed with Tang Yi-Bai that she would stay at Tang Yi-Bai's once a week, and then stay the remaining six days on her own at the hotel in order to help Tang Yi-Bai 'conserve energy'. This reason left Tang Yi-Bai unsure whether to laugh or cry, but he had no choice but to accept her determined decision. Moreover, this was just the current plan. According to Yun Duo's planning, once Qi Rui-Feng returns from Australia, there would be less than a month to the World Championships. At that time, she was determined to not have any more physical relations with Tang Yi-Bai. She would definitely hold out until after the World Championships had ended. She did not want to become his 'Helen of Troy'{红颜祸水: More literally, calamitous beauty. This refers to how obsession over great beauty can cause the downfall of otherwise great men.}.
Tang Yi-Bai said rather helplessly, "Duoduo, can you have a little more faith in me?"
Yun Duo replied, "I have a lot of faith in you. That's why you must train properly. Good luck!"
He shook his head, smiling. "No, what I mean is, you should have faith in my kidneys."
This phrase left her blushing to her roots, and she ducked her head and ignored him.
Tang Yi-Bai pushed his luck. "What are you being shy for now? Wasn't it just last night? Do you still remember everything you said last night?"
"Tang Yi-Bai, shut up!"
Tang Yi-Bai shut up, but then smirked sneakily, intentionally cackling. Her face was bright and red like a ripened apple under the autumn sun. He could not help but poke and pinch it, and then while her guard was still down, he swooped in for a quick kiss.
Dog-tired after training every day, the only leisure activity left to him was to tease his girlfriend. Thus, he would rile her up for no reason, so much so that his entire temperament was now slightly sleazy. Yun Duo did not have the strength to even comment on it anymore.
Other than this bit of entertainment, there was hardly any change to his daily routine. It was like a regulated wave, repeating again and again in a simple and almost monotonously boring cycle.
Due to time constraints, he had basically given up on training for the 50-metre freestyle to focus on the 100-metre freestyle instead. This was his best specialisation and it was a highly competitive event on the world stage. He no longer paid attention to honing the finer details, putting more emphasis on training volume to regain his peak condition.
Tang Yi-Bai liked having Yun Duo present to watch him train. Staying under her gaze, her eyes were filled with him. Just the awareness of this always left him in a great mood and high spirits. This was an uncontrollable change. Everyone wished to be at their own peak conditions, but all the rationalisation and self-regulation may not be as effective as a small emotional spark.
Yun Duo also liked watching over him silently. Watching as her merman made waves in the water, watching as he improved bit by bit. Day after day, time stretched out long and silent, like a tranquil little path with no end in sight. But when you stepped onto the cobblestones and walked the path step by step, you would still eventually reach the end.
The swimming pool was very raucous during the day, and at night, as everyone slowly left, Tang Yi-Bai was always the last one to leave. Only the two of them remained in the large hall, which seemed especially wide and empty with no one else around. Yun Duo sat by the side of the pool, watching him swimming along in the great expanse of water. The scene seemed a little lonesome. He was like a warrior battling all on his own — even when there was no one else by his side, he still continued to forge on relentlessly.
Yun Duo felt that Tang Yi-Bai was at his most charismatic at this moment. At his loneliest moment, he was still composed, calm, and focused. Regardless of how things may change, he remained true to himself. Under everyone's disbelieving and suspicious eyes, he continued to move forwards steadily in silence.
Tang Yi-Bai, no matter how lonely you are, I am willing to stay by your side, now and always.
A little more than a month away from the World Championships, Tang Yi-Bai continued training while keeping a low-profile. However, the public were unwilling to let him go — rumours about his girlfriend suddenly began spreading over the internet. Initially, Tang Yi-Bai's fans were practically immune to the words 'Tang Yi-Bai's girlfriend'. Every day, there would be someone claiming to be Tang Yi-Bai's girlfriend, and there were also some unknown small-time models and stars trying to stand out from the crowd who purposefully aimed to concoct scandals involving Tang Yi-Bai. Tang Yi-Bai did not know any of these people though. Therefore, in the eyes of most fans, 'Tang Yi-Bai's girlfriend' was synonymous with 'popularity stunt'.
But this time was different. In the past, all of Tang Yi-Bai's scandals had been exposed from the entertainment circles, but this time, the source of the rumours was the sports circles. The news came from some of the staff related to the swimming team, as well as some sports media. After much corroboration and anonymous reports, even without actual proof, many people were convinced and began spreading the rumours even further.
As soon as Yun Duo opened Tang Yi-Bai's Weibo account, she would see many people asking him whether he had a girlfriend.
Besides that, there were many gossipy media calling Wu Yong to ask about the matter too, only to be frightened off by the harsh scolding of the hot-tempered Coach Wu.
Just a little more than a month to go before the World Championships, this group of people did not care at all about how Tang Yi-Bai was doing, or how his training was going. They did not even care whether or not his injury would recur, only latching onto this juicy bit of gossip and refusing to let go... were their brain complete rot?
In contrast, the sports media journalist were much more agreeable, like little Yun Duo for example.
Yun Duo was also alarmed by this development. After that, she would disguise herself a little whenever she went in and out of the base, donning a hat and some sunglasses or something like that. Of course, if she wasn't standing beside Tang Yi-Bai, no one would recognise her anyway.
However, in the face of all the questioning, Yun Duo suddenly realised something. She was always avoiding their relationship being exposed — put nicely, she was unwilling to be followed around, but in truth, she was just not confident enough. She was afraid. Afraid that when she was mentioned alongside Tang Yi-Bai, others would say that she was not worthy of Tang Yi-Bai.
When in fact, love was a matter between two people and had nothing at all to do with anyone else{T/N: Well, there are relationships which involve more than two... it all just depends on how open-minded you are. :P}. Since they loved each other, she should stand bravely with him under the sunlight. Tang Yi-Bai was such a confident and strong person. She could not be afraid, otherwise she would truly be unworthy of him.
Thus, she said to Tang Yi-Bai, "Tang Yi-Bai, I think you can disclose our relationship to the public now. I want to stand with you proudly in the open."
Tang Yi-Bai was a bit taken aback, but also very happy. However, he quickly shook his head. "Now isn't the right time."
"Right, of course it isn't the right time now. I mean, let's wait till the World Championships are over to announce it."
Actually, that was not what Tang Yi-Bai meant.
He was, recently, planning something very important. He hoped that when they finally announced their relationship to the public, Yun Duo would not be his 'girlfriend' but his 'wife'.
That's right, he was planning to propose.
The standard equipment for a proposal were fresh flowers and a ring. He was so busy every day that he had no time at all to go choose a ring, so he asked his mum for help. His mother's taste was renowned among her peers for being impeccable, so he had full trust in her.
When Madam Lu heard that her son was planning to propose, she was surprised. "You're so busy right now. Why not wait till after the World Championship is over to propose?"
"Mum, you don't understand. If I succeed during the World Championships, the proposal will be like icing on the cake of the victory. That would weaken the importance of our marriage. And if I fail, my pride as a man tells me that I would not be able to propose anytime soon after that. So, I believe that now is just the right time to propose."
Madam Lu did not think that her son would think so much, a classic case of having too many braincells to spare. She asked, "Are all athletes this convoluted?"
"No, I inherited your genes, so don't think about shirking your responsibility."
Madam Lu viewed her son's overthinking with some contempt, but she would of course still do her duty in selecting a ring. Her son's wings were strong now; he did not need his parents’ money to buy the ring. He sent a cash card straight to Madam Lu, and when Madam Lu took a look at the balance, she was quite surprised. "You're quite wealthy now, eh?"
"Mum, did you forget? Your son is now a sports superstar."
"Gloating? No matter how amazing you become, you are still my son... it won't cost this much to buy a ring."
"Buy yourself a car with the remaining balance. You can buy whatever kind you like. Don't worry about the money. Also, mum, can you help me take a look at some real estate? I want to buy a villa, one with a private pool."
"Buy a villa?"
"Yes, for a marriage home."
Madam Lu was rendered speechless. "Have you already thought up your child's name as well?"
"Well, not yet. I still don't know if it'll be a boy or a girl."
"So you have thought about a child..."
She really had no words. Still... fine, she herself had also imagined it, wondering what a child of Doudou and Yun Duo's would look like. Would the child look more like the father or the mother? Or maybe like the grandfather or grandmother? As people grow older, they find themselves growing increasingly fond of children. She really wanted to hold a grandson or granddaughter in her arms soon...
The next day, Madam Lu ran to the shopping mall to peruse the various brand-name counters, picking and choosing, in no rush to buy any particular one. She took pictures of the ones she felt were nice and sent them to Tang Yi-Bai. After all, he was the one proposing, so she wanted to respect her son's opinion.
That night, Tang Yi-Bai called her. He said, "Mum, I suddenly don't feel like buying a ring anymore."
Madam Lu was furious. "You don't plan on proposing anymore? You think proposing is a joke? That you can change your mind as you like?"
"Mum, don't be angry. I didn't say I won't propose. What I meant was that those rings produced in factories are not worthy of the special unique feelings of Duoduo and I. So my token of proposal should also be special. It would be best if it could also be uniquely one-of-a-kind."
"..." This brat, already so skilled at building a mood at such a young age — such a natural playboy! Madam Lu grumbled internally, and sneered and said, "Harvest a kidney and give it to her then. That will definitely be absolutely one-of-a-kind."
Tang Yi-Bai was petrified. "Mum, I'm your dear son."
"Fine, then what on earth do you want to buy?"
"What do you think about buying a piece of jade? Lovers in ancient times would give jade pendants to each other. I think that's quite romantic. Buy a piece of jade for me please and find someone to engrave it with a pattern that will be one-of-a-kind in the world. What do you think?"
Madam Lu was gobsmacked. She covered the mouthpiece of the phone and remarked to Daddy Tang who was beside her, "I find that Doudou is a veritable saint of love."
"Right? I'm surprised too."
"That's not like you or me, so who was the one to teach him all that?"
Daddy Tang sighed and said, "Honey, some things are god-given."
With regards to her son suddenly displaying Casanova qualities in his genes, Madam Lu did not react much other than to marvel at it for a moment. Still, she now felt rather sympathetic for her future daughter-in-law Yun Duo...
After that, Madam Lu asked Tang Yi-Bai, "What kind of jade would you like?"
"How about white tallow jade? That would look nice. I want the best. Cost is no issue."
After Madam Lu hung up, she mused on the matter and realised that her brat's decision was not only incredibly romantic, it was also completely practical from an economic perspective. Diamond rings were all mass-produced and would depreciate in value after purchase. White tallow jade was different. Quality white tallow jade engraved by a famous designer would only shoot up in value over time and never depreciate.
... What a monster.
The jade industry was riddled with inferior products and counterfeits — true high-quality jade was a rare find which required some element of luck. Madam Lu was keen and astute from her many years in business, so she absolutely would not be deceived. Moreover, she had many contacts, so after over a week of searching, she finally found a piece of raw material which was particularly suitable for their purposes. After that, she contacted a sculptor. Madam Lu hardened her resolve and looked for an especially famous sculptor. However, the sculptor's time was already fully booked so Madam Lu had to humble herself to ask others for a favour. She had never humbled herself like this before in her entire life — Tang Yi-Bai was indeed her dear son.
The master craftsman was a compassionate person. He heard that the request came from a young man who had asked his mother for help with his marriage proposal, so he permitted Madam Lu to cut in line and even personally helped her design the carvings.
In July, the national swimming team entered closed-door training mode in preparation for the World Championships. As soon as Yun Duo heard about the closed-door training, she thought that she would no longer be allowed to see Tang Yi-Bai. However, unexpectedly, Coach Wu specially obtained approval for her to visit. After all, she would not be disturbing anyone else when she visited — she would just sit to one side, her primary purpose being to raise Tang Yi-Bai's morale — so there were no negative effects to consider.
Thus, the team management readily agreed.
Once again, Tang Yi-Bai began living like a monk — his Duoduo was really doing her utmost best to conserve his energy...
The training over the course of this one month was even more intense and gruelling, and of course, the effects were also extremely significant. His recovery was progressing beyond everyone's expectations — Coach Wu had even begun hoping again that he might medal in the World Championships.
At where Tang Yi-Bai was right now, chances were low that he'd be able to take on Sanger and Arbussy. That said, Bayard was relatively weaker so Tang Yi-Bai still had a chance to compete there. If he did well, he might be able to score a bronze medal.
However, Bayard had a great advantage — the World Championships this time would be held in Liverpool, England, which was home ground for Bayard. It would give him an edge.
At second glance, a medal might be hoping for too much...
Wu Yong sighed. Forget it, the boy has already worked so hard. No matter what kind of results he obtains, they should cheer for him.
The days go by like this. July 22nd was the day Yun Duo and Tang Yi-Bai temporarily separated. Because she would be taking a flight to Liverpool first the next day. The World Championships would begin on the 28th of July and end on the 13th of August. The entire event would last for 17 days, and Yun Duo would not miss a single day. As the agency was not sending as many reporters this time as they had during the Asian Games, the workload of everyone they sent this time was even greater. From diving to artistic swimming to just regular swimming, she had to be present and report on all of these events. Thus, she had to travel to the site a day in advance. Meanwhile, Tang Yi-Bai's events would only begin on the 6th of August, so he would not be headed to Liverpool this early.
That night, Yun Duo sat by the pool as usual to wait for Tang Yi-Bai's extra training to end. And then he led her out of the training hall for a walk around the base.
Yun Duo said, "Tang Yi-Bai, you have to train properly these few days while I'm not around. Don't miss me too much. We'll be able to see each other again soon."
Tang Yi-Bai's head was bowed as he mused, and then he suddenly stopped and turned to look intently at her face. She was surprised. "What?"
He stroked her hair, smiled and said, "Duoduo, there is something I must do. If I don't do it, I won't have the peace of mind to compete."
Yun Duo huffed, "No! You can only do it after the competition. What did you promise me back then?"
He was stunned still for a moment, and then he leaned against her shoulder and chuckled uncontrollably under her baffled stare. He kissed her on the forehead and said, "You little pervert, where has your mind gone to?"
Yun Duo blushed and turned her head aside. "I, I was just joking. Don't you have any humour cells in you?"
He smiled and said, "Although I also really want to do that, it isn't what I want to do right now." As he said this, he suddenly took a step back, drew out a box, knelt down on one knee, and then he gently lifted the box up to present it to her.
Yun Duo gaped. She was all too familiar with this series of actions — it was often shown on TV. She was a little surprised, but mostly moved. Her heart felt as if it were about to soar. She looked steadily at him.
But... that box was really big. Was it really a ring box?
"Duoduo," his face was lifted so he could look tenderly at her, and then he opened the box before her, "Will you marry me?"
As expected, Yun Duo saw that the box did not contain a ring. Instead, it was a large white jade pendant, carved with motifs of a dragon and a phoenix. Oddly enough, there were two strings threaded through the pendant — were there actually two parts to the pendant? She carefully lifted out the jade pendant, and with just a slight application of force, the pendant separated neatly into two parts to become a dragon pendant and a phoenix pendant respectively.
The jade pendant was as pure and white as if it had been birthed from clouds, and it was warm and smooth to the touch, like premium tallow. The craftsmanship was exquisite and vivid, brimming with meaningful history and artistry. The phoenix soars amongst clouds of fortune as the dragon emerges from the vast oceans — grand and auspicious symbols, yet still extremely beautiful. Yun Duo could discern the symbolism of the two motifs, and her eyes felt hot. "Where did you find this?" It was so thoughtful.
"I wouldn't have been able to find something like this. This was specially made to order... so, are you or are you not going to say yes to my proposal?"
She sniffled and resisted the urge to cry. "What do you think?"
Tang Yi-Bai said softly, "Say yes, you will, that you want to marry me."
"Tang Yi-Bai, I want to marry you."
Tang Yi-Bai's feelings soared, and he stood up to pull her into a tight embrace. He smiled and said, "From today onwards, you are really my wife."
"Yes." She was a little embarrassed. With her face pressed to his warm chest, she asked, "Tang Yi-Bai, is this real jade?"
Tang Yi-Bai did not know whether to laugh or cry. He retorted with her previous words, "What do you think?" It would be too insincere if it was fake.
"But... such a large piece of white tallow jade... it must have been very expensive, right?" She wasn't married to him yet and she was already worrying over his finances and trying to help him save money.
He said tenderly, "Duoduo, this jade pendant was a custom order. There is only this one set in the entire world. Just like you and I, the only such pairing in this world."
Yun Duo hugged his waist and mumbled, "Are you determined to make me cry today?"
Tang Yi-Bai hugged her back tightly, like he was holding onto the most valuable treasure in the world.
That night, Tang Yi-Bai returned to his dormitory still floating on cloud nine. Because he was so happy, he couldn't stop himself from humming.
Qi Rui-Feng almost had his pee scared out of him. Flummoxed, he stared at Tang Yi-Bai, "Tang Yi-Bai, are you singing?"
"Huh? No." Tang Yi-Bai thought, 'You single-dogs will never understand my joy.' He reached out a hand to Qi Rui-Feng. "Feng, lend me your phone."
Even though Tang Yi-Bai was now a 'claimed man'{有“家室”的人: I was so tempted to translate this as 'family man', but Google results indicate that term refers to a man with spouse and children.}, but Coach Wu managed him as strictly as ever, perhaps even more so now out of worry that he might chat with his little girlfriend too much at night without watching his limits. As such, the coach even confiscated his phone during the period of closed-door training.
Thus, whenever he wanted to use a phone now, he could only borrow Qi Rui-Feng's.
Can everyone please stop calling me hubby? I already have a wife. ~(^_^)~
Previous: Chapter 86
Next: Chapter 88: Final Chapter
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And finally the line from the synopsis! These two are too cute! ♥️♥️
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