Chapter 12: A Little Competition
Tang Yue never imagined things would develop like this on the very first day. He didn’t know if it was because Tang Mian hadn’t seen people for a long time and was overly excited, or if Jiang Shulu had changed too much in the past few years, but he was surprisingly cooperative on live stream.
From “Uncle Jiang” to “Dad Shulu,” the guilty Tang Yue felt like he was dying inside.
Yao Lixin, on the other hand, wore an expression of “I’m enjoying the show,” smiling contentedly.
It was dusk; the setting sun outlined the green mountains. The golden reflections on the water created a shimmering light, making Tang Yue subconsciously avert his gaze, casting a hazy glow upon him. He looked breathtakingly beautiful in the camera’s light, like a ripple on the water, making Jiang Shulu afraid that a single touch would cause him to dissipate.
Yao Lixin: “Little one, are you hungry? We can go eat now.”
Seeing Tang Yue still dazed, Yao Lixin nudged him: “Why are you always spacing out? Does becoming a dad make you stupid?”
Tang Mian jumped down from Jiang Shulu’s arms, clinging to Yao Xuan Yu’s hand, not forgetting to tease his own father: “Xiao Yue spaces out at home a lot too.”
Yao Lixin made an “oh” sound, mimicking a five-year-old’s tone: “He used to do that too.”
Tang Mian: “Really? I’ve seen Dad’s old photos, he had light blue hair!”
Yao Lixin thought for a moment: “Your dad has had all kinds of hair colors.”
Tang Mian made a “wow” sound.
The other child showed an indescribable expression, his gaze falling on his uncle’s hair, which was longer than his aunt’s, making him wonder what Tang Yue looked like with long hair.
Yao Lixin added: “We’ve all had colorful hair.”
Tang Mian looked back at Jiang Shulu, who was standing by Tang Yue’s stool, urging him to eat.
Tang Mian: “Did Uncle Jiang dye his hair too?”
Tang Yue was pulled up by Jiang Shulu. Yao Lixin: “Of course, don’t look at his straight hair, he’s actually curlier than anyone.”
“Help…I feel like Yao Lixin is hinting at something!”
“Second Brother is as always adding fuel to the fire.”
“What does ‘curly’ mean!! Curly hair is just curly hair!! It makes me think of other things.”
Jiang Shulu glanced at Yao Lixin without refuting him.
The child exclaimed, “That’s the same as me! My hair is also curly.”
Tang Yue couldn’t help but interject: “It’s wavy.”
Jiang Shulu remained silent; he wanted to take Tang Yue’s hand but retracted it, wondering if Tang Mian’s mother also had curly hair.
The thought easily led to other things.
He remembered past interviews where they were inevitably asked about their ideal type. The company didn’t provide a template, so everyone just said whatever. Except for Jiang Shulu, who said he liked someone younger, the other three said they liked someone older.
Jiang Shulu didn’t know when Liu Xichao got together with Jiang He, but their ideal types made sense.
Twelve years apart, the same zodiac sign; they could double their New Year decorations.
Yao Lixin married his childhood sweetheart, who was three years older than him, and a magazine editor.
At that time, Yao Lixin added that he liked the “alluring” type.
The microphone was handed to Tang Yue; before the reporter could ask, Tang Yue, as if his eyebrows were on fire, repeated the same words.
That year, Tang Yue had just turned eighteen, still looking childish. His youthful body and soft voice were enough to evoke a protective instinct regardless of gender; he was universally appealing.
Yao Lixin chuckled: “Do you know what alluring means?”
The fans below went crazy with laughter. Tang Yue blushed, subconsciously glancing at Jiang Shulu, who had grown his hair out for a new album.
In that direction, Liu Xichao, with his newly dyed hair, winked teasingly at Tang Yue.
Jiang Shulu thought Tang Yue was looking at Liu Xichao, unaware that Tang Yue liked his long hair style, even thinking that Jiang Shulu looked much better than Yao Lixin this way.
The scene below was so intense it made people squirm. Tang Yue pursed his lips, unconsciously adjusting his highlighted bangs. The peach-colored beaded bracelet on his wrist slipped down, stopping at his arm, as pink as his face at that time.
Tang Yue: “I know, a very…charming kind of…handsome.”
Yao Lixin burst into laughter, putting his arm around Tang Yue’s shoulder, feigning affection: “Am I, your Second Brother, not charming?”
The audience below laughed too; Liu Xichao thought it was too cheesy, complaining that he should call himself “Second Senior Brother.”
Only Jiang Shulu remained motionless, inwardly restless, feeling a sadness he couldn’t pinpoint, wondering: Who does Tang Yue like?
He doesn’t go out, who could he have met to say those things?
Unexpectedly, seven years later, Jiang Shulu was still thinking about this.
The dining place was a local restaurant in a small building behind the main house. The table was covered with a blue floral tablecloth; the windows overlooked the village on the opposite bank, lit up as the sun set.
Even the small boats on the river were lit up; birds flew past, their wings rustling.
Tang Mian sat by the window, watching the scenery with his face in his hands.
Tang Yue was searching for the bamboo craft mentioned by the program team.
He was a slow-paced person and was solitary due to his unsociable nature.
He was a social phobe, who once ran away from fans at an airport, even losing his shoes, only for Jiang Shulu to carry him back.
The scene was incredibly awkward, making headlines and exposing Tang Yue’s hilariously ugly chicken-claw socks.
Even Jiang Shulu in the photos had a radiant smile.
Now, Yao Lixin sat opposite Tang Yue, watching as he fiddled with his phone, apparently re-registering his WeChat.
Yao Lixin asked: “How have you been living these years?”
He saw the green turtle watch still on Tang Yue’s wrist, finding it funny: “You’re twenty-five now, my dear, why are you still wearing a children’s watch? Even your son doesn’t like it.”
The watch’s band was faded, looking cheap and a bit tacky.
But Tang Yue was handsome, with a detached air, and he was so quiet that he gave off a sense of distance. Even the tacky watch couldn’t bring him down to earth, giving Jiang Shulu the same feeling as when he first debuted.
“Xiao Mie’s genius watch is much more fashionable.”
“Does he really like it that much?”
“It’s too childish for a child, and for Tang Yue’s age, emm…”
“Is it because Jiang Shulu gave it to him that he kept it? dbq, I’m already shipping them.”
Tang Mian: “Dad really likes this watch! I won’t take it.”
The child spoke seriously, making people laugh and cry.
Tang Yue: “If you like it, you can wear it.”
Tang Mian shook his head: “No, I have a top-of-the-line genius watch now.”
Yao Lixin: “Do you know who bought this?”
Tang Mian: “Dad said it was bought by someone important.”
The child spoke clearly, and he was so adorable that even the waitress couldn’t help but look at him several times.
The table was filled with local specialties, with subtitles providing explanations.
Tang Yue tried to become an ostrich and remain silent, but he was still dragged out.
Yao Lixin made a meaningful “oh” sound: “An important person.”
Tang Mian nodded vigorously: “Yeah, yeah.”
Jiang Shulu didn’t speak; he saw Tang Yue serve Tang Mian rice and skillfully added dishes to his bowl.
He remembered training days, when Tang Yue was picky about his food.
But now, the young man had become a father; he knew not to deprive his child of vegetables.
Yao Lixin: “So I’m not important.”
He muttered to himself. Tang Yue couldn’t bear it anymore: “Second Brother, don’t do that.”
“Hahaha, the little cat is angry.”
“Yao Lixin, why are you being sarcastic all the time.”
“Wasn’t that a birthday vlog? I remember Yao Lixin and Liu Xichao went to the front to play claw machines, leaving only Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu behind.”
“Woo woo woo I remember that video, wasn’t Tang Yue only eighteen that year? He was genuinely curious about even the street stalls, like he’d never seen them before.”
“Don’t say it, the contrast is too strong, I feel even more miserable now.”
Yao Lixin: “I’m just feeling bad, it turns out the captain is the important person, weren’t the things I gave you not important?”
He propped his face up, looking at Tang Yue across the table, determined not to let him off until he explained.
Even little Yao Xuan Yu felt that his uncle was being too mean; he tugged at Yao Lixin’s clothes.
The next second, he heard Jiang Shulu say: “Because you always gave me food.”
He paused: “It’s not special.”
“Subtle jab! What else could it be!”
“What’s wrong with food? Tang Yue loves to eat anything.”
“Jiang Shulu is also competitive hahaha.”
Tang Yue wasn’t good at speaking, his actions speaking louder than words.
Perhaps all his emotions were turned into songs and music, becoming new works, the hit songs of the strange artist name Evening, silently spreading.
It also became the top pick for “secret love” songs and soundtrack for hit dramas, becoming the top-commented song: “This musician understands unrequited love too well.”
Jiang Shulu broke the tension; Tang Yue hurriedly nodded: “Exactly.”
Yao Lixin: “Did I?”
Tang Mian tried to secretly move a radish to the side; Tang Yue caught him, and the radish returned to his bowl.
The child hummed, Tang Yue replied to Yao Lixin: “Second Brother gave me a lot of chocolates; they were all from pretty girls, right?”
Then he said to Tang Mian: “You can’t not eat vegetables, look at Xuan Yu.”
Perhaps the quietest person at the table was Yao Xuan Yu; so young yet with a boss-like demeanor; some netizens unkindly said that he was the only one who resembled Jiang Shulu.
It was truly a parenting variety show, and Yao Lixin was just the MC.
Tang Mian looked at Yao Xuan Yu and then at the vegetables in his bowl, feeling there were still too many.
He blinked, calling out “Dad” in a sweet voice.
Tang Yue’s expression was impassive and cold, showing that he was merciless about this issue.
Tang Mian: “Then I won’t sleep with you tonight.”
Tang Yue: “You can’t do that.”
Tang Mian: “This is punishment.”
Tang Yue: “How is this punishment?”
The big and small one went back and forth, arguing intensely, making the other three watch with interest.
From Yao Lixin’s perspective, it was a perfect family of three.
Especially Jiang Shulu’s gaze; evident indulgence and amusement.
He thought: He’s not even pretending anymore, why didn’t he do this earlier.
“I’m dying of laughter, they’re not even five years old combined.”
“If I had a dad like that, I’d call him by his name too.”
“There’s no kid who likes eating vegetables! Tang Yue was picky when he was in the group!”
Tang Mian’s transaction failed; he looked at Yao Lixin, who nodded slightly, gesturing for him to ask Jiang Shulu.
Tang Yue: “No outside help.”
His voice wasn’t stern at all; it was too pleasant, therefore lacking any authority.
Tang Mian acted boldly; he turned to Jiang Shulu, clasped his hands together, and flattered him: “Dad Shulu!”
“Can you help me eat a piece of radish?!”—
Tang Yue closed his eyes, feeling hopeless.
“Hahaha, a winning hand!!”
“So young, and he already knows how to weigh the pros and cons!”
“Yao Lixin gestured! I saw it!”
“Dad Shulu for important matters, Uncle Jiang for other times.”
The private room in the restaurant was small; the lights were old pear-shaped bulbs; because the windows weren’t closed, there were small insects flying towards the light.
The warm yellow light fell on Jiang Shulu, making him look like he came from an ancient painting.
His gaze towards Tang Mian was clearly one of love and tenderness, as if he wanted to spoil him rotten.
“Okay, but will you still sleep with your dad tonight?”
Tang Mian looked at Tang Yue, who had covered his face.
The child said in a milky voice: “If you help me eat the radish, you’ll sleep with Xiao Yue!”
He seemed very satisfied with his arrangement: “I want to sleep with Brother Xuan Yu, sleeping with Dad is boring; he always falls asleep before finishing the story.”
“Fits the character.”
“A cold-faced person falls asleep while telling a story, don’t make me laugh to death.”
“It’s really his biological son…so dismissive.”
“My god, Jiang Shulu’s generosity, it must be expensive!”
Tang Yue: “No…”
But his son didn’t allow him to refuse; he had already learned to take initiative, putting five pieces of radish from Tang Yue’s bowl into Jiang Shulu’s.
“One piece per night, my Xiao Yue is entrusted to Uncle Jiang!”
For the first time, Tang Yue felt what it meant for a child to grow up and become independent.
Jiang Shulu smiled and looked at him, his gaze filled with a deep affection that Tang Yue didn’t understand yet, as if playing along—
“Xiao Yue, I’ll sleep with you tonight.”…