Face to face, they were too close, so close that Yan Qing’s senses were amplified infinitely.
He smelled the stronger scent on Wen Jueli’s body, heard the concealed coldness in Wen Jueli’s casual tone, and felt his own heart pounding.
Yan Qing reflexively stepped back, but accidentally stepped into empty space, nearly tumbling down the stone steps. Fortunately, Wen Jueli quickly reached out and grabbed his waist hidden beneath the loose T-shirt. When their eyes met, both were momentarily stunned, realizing the intimacy of the situation.
Not far away, Ni Li saw it and, with a smile, pulled Gu Siwei away, who seemed interested in the commotion.
The other three kids chattered while feeding the swans. Ni Li’s eyes shifted and found Ling Chen sitting alone on a wooden bench. She held Gu Siwei’s hand and approached him, asking, “Ling Chen, aren’t you going to spend time with Zijia?”
Ling Chen collected his thoughts, raised his head, and replied, “No need, I’ll just watch her play.”
Ni Li said, “Then, Gu Siwei and I will continue our walk.”
Ling Chen absentmindedly agreed, “Okay.”
After they left, Ling Chen turned his gaze to the other side, where Wen Jueli held Yan Qing. They seemed to be having a conversation, and Yan Qing was delighted, displaying a bright, almost blinding smile.
Ling Chen wore sunglasses, leaving everyone wondering whom he was watching.
The fans in the livestream chat room assumed he was gazing lovingly at He Zijia, and they were all excitedly shouting about the sweetness.
Wen Jueli wrapped his arm around Yan Qing’s waist, and in that moment, his fingertips, along with the palm of his hand, seemed to have an amplified perception. Making him acutely aware of Yan Qing’s waist, which was softer and more resilient than he had imagined.
Suddenly, Yan Qing’s features relaxed, and he flashed a brilliant and attractive smile.
Wen Jueli couldn’t read him, “What are you smiling about?”
Of course, Yan Qing was smiling because Wen Jueli clearly likes him a lot, yet Wen Jueli keeps babbling about this contract. The contract became void ages ago, didn’t it? It’s quite adorable, how stubborn Wen Jueli is!
Yan Qing squinted his eyes and chuckled a few times. He certainly wouldn’t say what was on his mind. Instead, he said, “Nothing, I just thought about my parents watching the livestream. Seeing you hug me so willingly, they must be really happy.”
At his words, Wen Jueli pursed his lips slightly, and the only response was the blush on his ears.
Did he hear what I said?…
Bending down, Yan Qing picked up the fallen Polaroid on the grass and said, “Well, thanks for agreeing to keep this photo. I really like it.”
Wen Jueli remained silent, unsure of what was so likeable about this photo.
Yan Qing thought of something and suddenly, in a low, joyous tone, said, “Jueli, can we take a picture together?”
His voice was so soft, as if each word was a gentle feather brushing against Wen Jueli’s heart.
Wen Jueli asked, “A picture together?”
Yan Qing, with a smile in his eyes, replied, “Yes.”
“Didn’t you say that according to the contract, you would cooperate with me to maintain our relationship as a couple? Can we take a picture, then? I went through my phone, and it seems like we don’t have any photos together.”
Yan Qing had felt a bit envious when he saw Ni Li’s phone wallpaper, which was a picture of her and Gu Siwei.
He considerately added, “But if you’re not comfortable with it, it’s okay… I can edit a photo to put us together.”
Wen Jueli, “…”
[Ah, my heart is racing! What are they whispering about?]
[I want to know what they’re saying!]
[Mr. Wen’s expression keeps changing, 2333333333.]
The idea of taking a picture and maintaining their relationship didn’t seem to connect, but Yan Qing appeared unusually eager.
Wen Jueli wasn’t used to taking photos, mainly because he hadn’t taken any in a long time. When he was a child, his foster mother used to take pictures of him. She would take several photos of him with his foster father throughout the year and hang them on the wall. The photos changed with the seasons and were all unique, carrying beautiful memories.
However, after she passed away, the photos on the wall remained frozen in that not-so-cold winter of that year.
Later, his foster father also passed away, and Wen Jueli naturally lost the habit and desire to take photos. Of course, he could do it if needed.
Yan Qing was eagerly looking at him, blinking his captivating eyes. Although he knew Yan Qing was playing cute, Wen Jueli said, “We can take it now. No need to edit.”
Yan Qing’s foxy tail appeared, and he said, “I knew you’re the best to me!”
This was their first picture together as a couple.
Yan Qing was very serious.
He sat on a park bench with Wen Jueli, behind them a lush garden, where the flowers were in full bloom but not overwhelming. The lighting was just right, neither too bright nor too dim, and the temperature was pleasant.
Yan Qing took a deep breath and carefully confirmed, “Shall I start taking the pictures?”
Wen Jueli replied, “Mmm.”
With the confirmation, Yan Qing extended his hand and held the Polaroid camera, about to press the shutter button. However, he suddenly remembered something and muttered, “Wait, I almost forgot… this is a couple’s photo.”
So, Yan Qing lowered his head and naturally took hold of Wen Jueli’s arm, ensuring there was no space between them.
Yan Qing said, “Now it’s good.”
Click—
Two minutes later, the Polaroid developed, showing Yan Qing smiling happily at the camera, while Wen Jueli…
Yan Qing showed it to him and said, “Let’s take another one, but this time, you can’t look at me. You should look at the camera!”
Wen Jueli responded with silence.
They went on to take several more pictures, and Yan Qing was pleased with the results.
Yan Qing held the stack of photos and thought to himself, ‘It seems like the first one looks the best. Although Wen Jueli looked at the camera and smiled at the others, the first one just felt different… it’s like I see nothing but myself in it.’
However, Yan Qing knew he couldn’t say that out loud, as being openly affectionate like this could attract some negative attention.
Carrying the photos, Yan Qing and Wen Jueli continued to stroll along the lakeside. Besides the two-tone swans on the lake, there were several gray pigeons hopping around by the roadside.
The circumference of Swan Lake was longer than they had initially thought, but Yan Qing didn’t mind. His attention was fully focused on their conversation.
Then, he noticed a public piano by the roadside.
The piano was entirely black and placed in the center of an elegant gazebo, next to a sign that read: “Please take care of it.”
Before Yan Qing could think much about it, a homeless man approached. He was dressed in tattered clothes but confidently entered the European-style gazebo, sat down on a plastic bench that seemed out of place beside the piano, lifted the lid, and in the next moment, a melodious piano tune flowed gracefully from his dancing fingertips.
The music seemed to take flight, spreading throughout the entire Swan Lake square, causing ripples to dance on the lake’s surface.
[Wow, don’t judge a book by its cover! This is so good!]
[Can anyone tell me the name of this piece?]
[This is Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”… So impressive, I’ve been learning it for a long time, sob sob sob.]
[Could it be some destitute artist?]
Yan Qing was equally captivated.
He stood by the side of the road, tilting his head to listen and enjoy. Occasionally, a few passersby would stop to watch and listen. Yan Qing overheard their conversations and learned that the homeless man’s name was Arthur. He had no fixed address but almost every day at this time, he would come to the park to practice the piano, rain or shine.
The music abruptly came to a halt, breaking abruptly at a particular note.
Yan Qing looked over and saw Arthur standing, looking perplexed, hands on his hips, with an indecisive expression. After a while, the “Swan Lake” piece resumed, but it still paused at the same note as before.
The first half of the piece was beautiful and melodious, but for some reason, it hadn’t continued past that particular note.
Yan Qing, who had a strong curiosity, couldn’t resist. He let go of Wen Jueli’s hand, walked up, and greeted, “Good afternoon.”
Arthur had a scruffy beard that obscured his mouth, and his voice sounded hoarse and muffled due to the facial hair. He replied, “Good afternoon.”
It was only when he noticed Yan Qing’s elegant East Asian features and the several photographers standing behind him that he asked, “Are you filming a show?”
“Yes, we’re filming a travel show. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. You’re very welcome to be here.”
Yan Qing turned to introduce, “This is my Husband.”
“I was walking with him just now, and when we passed by, we saw you playing the piano. Is this Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’?”
Arthur hesitated for a moment and repeated several times the name of the piece that Yan Qing had just mentioned, Swan Lake.
Then, he opened his mouth hesitantly and said, “It should be… I don’t know the name of this piece.”
Yan Qing was surprised, “You don’t know?”
The Eastern man in front of him had a graceful and captivating appearance, and he spoke gently and amiably. Naturally, Arthur relaxed as he responded, “I don’t actually know. I just happened to overhear it while I was eating at a cafe over at Putro Square.”
Yan Qing was amazed, “So, you mean you only heard it once, and you can play it?”
Arthur wasn’t modest and nodded, “I love the piano, and I’m thankful that there’s a free piano here for me to practice.”
“But I’ve never formally learned it. When my parents were still around, they only had me attend a few days of introductory lessons, which means I can’t accurately restore a piece.”
Yan Qing understood now. It explained why Arthur’s performance of the piece was flawless in the first half, almost comparable to the original, but in the latter half, he didn’t even play. It was because Arthur had never seen the sheet music and relied purely on his sense of hearing to recreate it.
Yan Qing didn’t hesitate to praise him, “You’re really amazing! It took me half a month to learn this piece when I was a kid.”
Arthur smiled helplessly and muttered, “I can’t read sheet music, but if God could give me the chance to see someone play an entire piece once, I would definitely learn it, even if it were just one time.”
After saying that, Arthur suddenly perked up, and his light blue eyes seemed to catch fire. “Young man! Did you say you learned this piece when you were a kid?”
Yan Qing was the only child in his family and had been showered with his parents’ affection, which also included cultivating numerous hobbies and interests. He excelled in everything, from music to arts and sports. Playing a small piece on the piano was no exception.
Yan Qing thought for a moment and replied, “I learned a bit, but that was a long time ago. I’m sure you’re much better than me.”
Playing a challenging piano piece primarily requires muscle memory. Although he hadn’t touched a piano since the “graduation ceremony” of his “last year” in high school, for this body, it had been six years.
Arthur asked, “Do you still remember the sheet music?”
Definitely.
Yan Qing participated in a competition in the fourth grade, and his performance piece was “Swan Lake.” Back then, his mind had been entirely occupied with building blocks, and as the competition drew near, he still hadn’t learned it. In the end, he had to practice all night, crying and struggling.
So, even if he turned into ashes, he would never forget the sheet music for “Swan Lake.”
Under Arthur’s pleading gaze, Yan Qing looked back at Wen Jueli.
Wen Jueli seemed to hear the voice inside his heart and said, “If you want to play, go ahead and give it a try.”
Yan Qing sat down on the plastic chair, his posture upright and proper. His hands were level, fingertips resting on the black and white keys that still retained some warmth. Faintly, he saw the indelible musical notation from his memory, and then, a complete “Swan Lake” began to play, delicate and ethereal.
His state of mind when playing the piano was deeply focused. Even though it had been a long time since he last played this piece, his body responded instinctively to his memory.
As the piece came to an end, a moment of silence followed.
The performance was better than he had imagined.
Yan Qing thought he would stumble in a few places.
Arthur was in awe, “This… this is exactly the same as what I heard at the cafe over there! Thank you!!”
“I’ve memorized it, and I believe I’ll be able to learn ‘Swan Lake’ soon!”
While Yan Qing was proud of himself and happy for Arthur, he couldn’t help but complain internally: Is this the legendary talent? Being able to memorize it after hearing it once… that’s incredible! If he had been this skilled as a child, he would have had more pocket money than he could spend.
Yan Qing and Arthur conducted their entire conversation in English.
The live broadcast audience was now divided into two groups: those who understood English and those who didn’t.
The ones who didn’t understand English were screaming:
[I never expected Yan Qing could play the piano! He must have practiced for a long time, right? If I didn’t see it with my own eyes, I would have thought it was pre-recorded!]
[Wow, my husband is so talented! He looks incredibly handsome when he plays the piano!]
[You in the front, calm down! Yan Qing is already taken!]
[Well, I’ll just secretly steal him away. (gently)]
The English-speaking audience, on the other hand, was in shock:
[This is just a little skill? A little? Huh? A little?!]
[Arthur is really something, memorizing it after hearing it once. Is this for real, or did the production team bring in a ringer?]
[These two are such humble monsters…]
Yan Qing stood up from the chair, and at some point, other people had gathered around as well.
As a musician, Xia Xingchen, who had just finished feeding the swans, was astonished and couldn’t help but lower his chin, saying, “Amazing.”
He Zijia, standing beside him, also watched with mixed feelings.
The journey continued, and after bidding farewell to Arthur, Yan Qing left. He took hold of Wen Jue Li’s arm, much like a cat seeking praise after doing something good. He blinked his captivating peach blossom eyes and asked, “Did I play well?”
Wen Jue Li replied, “Very well.”
Yan Qing grinned, “Hehe.”
Having received his approval, Yan Qing unexpectedly thought about playing the background music at their future wedding. But he decided to bring it up with Wen Jue Li at a later time.
At that moment, the program director stepped forward and said, “Dear guests, the production team has a last-minute task for you. Are you willing to accept it?”
None of the participants expected this unexpected task to be part of the program. Curiosity sparked as they wondered what the production team had in store.
The director continued, “Today, on the other side of the exit of Swan Lake Square, there’s a public market.”
According to the director, this public market was like an open-air bazaar where vendors didn’t have fixed stalls but operated out of vans. They would set up shop at different locations in various towns on specific days of the week, like today in this square and tomorrow in a different town’s suburb.
The impromptu task was for the participants to go to the market at their own expense, buy a gift for the daughter of the campsite owner they would be visiting the day after tomorrow. If they managed to find a gift she liked, they might even get a discount on their accommodation fee.
Xia Xingchen asked, “What if we buy something she doesn’t like?”
The director replied, “Then consider it a souvenir for yourselves.”
Everyone chuckled at the proposition.
It was indeed an unusual task.
Due to the substantial rewards for completing this task, which could save the participants some expenses, they all agreed to go to the open-air market, which only occurred once a week.
As they crossed the park, they could already hear the bustling sounds of the crowd.
Before them stretched along commercial streets with canopy umbrellas, and both sides of the street were lined with vehicles carrying merchandise. In the middle of the road, people were bustling to and fro, creating a lively atmosphere.
As the departure time of the train was just one and a half hours away, Yan Qing decided to split up from Wen Jueli to save time. He teamed up with the cameraman and the assistant director.
The market’s streets crisscrossed in all directions, and since it was Yan Qing’s first time in the area, he didn’t pay much attention to the route he took. He simply strolled around. As he walked, he suddenly spotted a handicraft shop selling seashell products.
Yan Qing approached the shop and noticed several customers trying on seashell necklaces. They looked nice, but Yan Qing felt they might not be very practical.
Once, he had struggled with what gift to give on Mother’s Day. He had asked some of his female classmates, and they had told him that when giving gifts to girls, it’s best to avoid things that are impractical and overly flashy.
Yan Qing pondered for a moment.
He turned around and plunged into the quest to find the next shop.
While walking through the market, he visited several stores, but the items either didn’t meet his requirements or were too expensive.
Until he passed by a shop selling felted wool products. Among a pile of finished wool felt creations, Yan Qing’s attention was captivated by a sleeping silver ear cat.
Felted wool is a type of non-woven fabric made from wool. Its lifelike appearance has made it popular and endearing to many.
The cute appearance of the cat, sound asleep, melted Yan Qing’s heart. He asked, “How much for this one?”
The shop owner, a friendly middle-aged man, responded with a smile, “It’s only £35.”
Yan Qing hesitated, and then inquired, “Can you make it a bit cheaper? £30?”
[Hahaha, how did he start bargaining?]
[I thought Yan Xing had an honest personality. It’s surprising to see him bargaining.]
[But clearly, he hasn’t mastered the art of bargaining. He only negotiated down by £5? Is he too soft-hearted?]
[Oh, the cat is so cute. Does anyone know where to buy one?]
The shop owner still politely declined, “I’m sorry, young man, this is pure handmade work. I can’t make it cheaper.”
Yan Qing hesitated, then said, “How about £33?”
The shop owner chuckled, “It’s only a £2 difference, why don’t you just buy it as is? I can even wrap it up for you as a gift for free!”
Yan Qing was still hesitating. He didn’t have a better idea for a gift to give to a girl. Just when he was at a loss, the vendor from the neighboring stall suddenly approached, generously saying, “Handsome young man, come to my stall! I also have felted wool animals, and I sell them for just £34!”
Upon hearing this, the shop owner’s eyes widened. They couldn’t believe there was such a brazen customer-stealing incident happening in broad daylight. Who could tolerate this!
The shop owner approached the situation, and the two of them began a back-and-forth argument, lowering the price to £32 for no apparent reason.
They both turned to Yan Qing and asked, “Young man, which wool felt do you want to buy?”
At this moment, another person arrived. She was the owner of the stall next to the neighboring stall’s stall. She had overheard the commotion and walked over. Seeing the customer dispute over their attention, she decided to get involved, smiling at Yan Qing and saying, “Handsome, are you buying wool felt as a gift? We have them too. You’re so good-looking, and your taste must be impeccable. Why not check out my stall first?”
The two shop owners exclaimed in unison, “Alice, you’ve gone too far! You know you should be first come, first served, right?”
Yan Qing didn’t respond; he simply went to Alice’s stall and said, “I’ll take this one…”
Alice grinned, “You’ve got great taste, handsome!”
After paying, Yan Qing sheepishly apologized to the other two shop owners.
Balance: -£35.99.
Yan Qing picked a small, lifelike orange Shiba Inu felted wool piece, about the size of his palm, and it was incredibly cute.
[Hmm? Why did Yan Qing choose a more expensive one?]
[Aren’t the cat and this dog of similar size? I feel like most girls would prefer the cat.]
[I’m not sure.]
On the way back, the assistant director also asked with some curiosity, “Yan Qing, why did you choose a more expensive one? Is it because you like Shiba Inus?”
Yan Qing blushed a bit and stammered, “No, it’s just that the lady… the lady… she said I was good-looking…”
Assistant Director: “…”
While Yan Qing was indeed a unique-looking artist, was this really a valid reason for buying it?!
The assistant director reminded him, “But the gift is for the boss’s daughter.”
Yan Qing: QAQ
Darn, he had lost himself in the compliments of being called handsome.
It seemed like returning the item was no longer an option.
