Chapter 110 – Meeting the Parents
Li Cangyu treated his feelings as seriously as playing the game. Since he had made up his mind, he was going to take the initiative because he really didn"t want to give Ling Xuefeng to anyone else.
Ling Xuefeng was his. Others might want to hug or kiss him but they couldn"t.
If Ling Xuefeng was a woman, he would"ve confessed a long time ago. However, the other person was a man… a man who was serious and indifferent. A hasty confession wasn"t too good.
Li Cangyu wanted to visit Ling Xuefeng"s house as a friend. In addition to wanting to know more about Ling Xuefeng, he wanted to see what Ling Xuefeng"s parents were like. Could they accept it if their son was with a man?
Before their relationship began, he wanted to lay the foundations first. Then he wouldn"t be disturbed by the elders in the future.
Li Cangyu sat on the sofa and thought about it. Meanwhile, Ling Xuefeng quickly prepared the food and set the table. He looked into the living room and stated, "Come and eat."
Li Cangyu smelt fish and immediately rushed over. He picked up his chopsticks and quickly tasted a mouthful, praising, "It is so delicious!"
Ling Xuefeng looked at this greedy appearance and couldn"t help smiling slightly, his eyes full of affection.
It was just that Li Cangyu"s head was buried in eating the fish and didn"t see it.
***
Once the two of them had eaten, Ling Xuefeng went to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Li Cangyu borrowed his shower.
The shampoo and shower gel were those used by Ling Xuefeng. Li Cangyu hadn"t come here with shower gel, forcing him to borrow Ling Xuefeng"s.
After the shower, he found that his body had a faint mint scent. It was the exact same scent as Ling Xuefeng"s body. LI Cangyu was very satisfied with this and the feeling made him excited.
He went out in his pyjamas and found that Ling Xuefeng had finished the washing and was watching TV in the living room. Li Cangyu went up to him and sat down, discovering that a basketball game was being broadcasted on TV. It was a big NBA matchup.
Li Cangyu himself played basketball and watched the games when he was free. There were many stars on the screen that he knew and he found that Ling Xuefeng was watching the screen seriously. Li Cangyu couldn"t help saying, "The number 8 is very handsome. His shooting rate is high."
Ling Xuefeng echoed him, "Yeah."
Li Cangyu suddenly asked, "Do you think I am handsome when playing basketball?"
Ling Xuefeng looked over at Li Cangyu and found that the other person was quite serious when asking this question. Ling Xuefeng endured the impulse to directly pounce on him and pretended to be calm. "You are very handsome."
Li Cangyu was ecstatic in his heart and there was a bright smile on his face. Being praised by the person he liked really made his mood fly up. The feeling of being appreciated was indescribably good.
The thing that Ling Xuefeng didn"t tell Li Cangyu was that he actually started to pay attention to basketball because of Li Cangyu.
A few years ago, after a pre-match meeting of the Miracle Professional League, Li Cangyu was bored and went to the open air court behind the hotel with Su Guangmo. It was the first time that Ling Xuefeng had seen him playing on the court. The fast-running teenager with a bright smile in the sunlight, his strong figure when jumping and shooting was a visual shock inscribed in Ling Xuefeng"s heart.
It was also that day that Ling Xuefeng discovered Li Cangyu"s favourite outdoor sport was basketball. He had a favourite team and often took time to watch the games.
The sport that his beloved person liked, he needed to know more so that they had a common language in the future.
With that in mind, Ling Xuefeng started to pay attention to NBA games.
Over the years, he gradually fell in love with this intense sport because… it reminded him of the beautiful teenager in his memory who dribbled the basketball with a smile. This scene was as pure and beautiful as a watercolor.
Today was the first time that the two people sat together to watch the game. LI Cangyu commented while Ling Xuefeng echoed a few words. It was simple communication but Li Cangyu felt particularly comfortable. Ling Xuefeng really understood him. They even had similar hobbies!
He never thought that these so-called "similar hobbies" was actually because a person had been silently waiting.
***
By the time the game finished, it was almost time for bed. Ling Xuefeng had bought a two-bedroom apartment in Shanghai, turning it into one bedroom and one study. There was no bed in the study but the sofa in the living room was enough to fit an adult male.
Ling Xuefeng originally wanted to give Li Cangyu the bed and sleep on the sofa. Then Li Cangyu offered, "Your bed is big enough. If you don"t mind, we can sleep together."
Ling Xuefeng, "…"
This person was really unstoppable when he took the initiative.
Ling Xuefeng saw the pure gaze and smiled. "Fine."
The two men brushed their teeth and entered Ling Xuefeng"s bedroom to sleep.
The size of this bed was really big. Li Cangyu had slept here last time and he remembered that the bed was soft and comfortable. He slept particularly well.
Only, this time it was impossible for him to sleep.
The person he liked was lying next to him, how could he sleep?
He lay in bed with Ling Xuefeng and the two people had the same shower gel scent, like it was wrapped around their bodies. Li Cangyu felt his heart going "thump, thump" like a runaway drumbeat. He desperately breathed to restrain himself from the urge to turn around and hold Ling Xuefeng.
Compared to Li Cangyu"s taut body, Ling Xuefeng was calmly lying down next to him.
The man"s expression was calm, his eyes were closed and it didn"t take long for him to breathe evenly. He seemed to be sleeping very well?
Li Cangyu heard the uniform breathing sound beside his ears and couldn"t help whispering, "Xuefeng, are you asleep?"
There was no answer.
Li Cangyu boldly turned around.
This was the first time he could observe Ling Xuefeng so closely. The tall nose was really carved by the creator. The eyebrows were slightly raised, revealing a hint of indifference. With the eyes closed, the side of his face appeared a bit gentle. His lips were the best. The shape was beautiful and people couldn"t help wanting to kiss them.
This appearance was worthy of being the top three in the Miracle League.
Of course, there were no fixed standards for netizens in the Miracle League. Everyone had their own preferences. Su Guangmo"s heartiness and Tan s.h.i.tian"s warmth made them a lot of fans. Therefore, no player dared say they were the first.
But in Li Cangyu"s heart, Ling Xuefeng"s was the handsomest man in the league! Su Guangmo and Tan s.h.i.tian were on the sidelines. How could they be more handsome than his Xuefeng?
He was so good-looking that the way he fell asleep was nothing short of a crime…
Maybe it was in the eyes of the beholder but why didn"t Li Cangyu realize he was so handsome before?
Li Closed thought for a while and saw that the other person"s eyes were still closed. He finally raised his courage and gently touched this good-looking nose. Then his fingertips touched the lips.
His fingers poked the lips. The soft lips were a contrast to the indifferent appearance.
Li Cangyu"s heart suddenly beat fiercely and breathing was a bit difficult. His mind was blank as Li Cangyu moved like a ghost, slowly approaching and then… gently planting a kiss on Ling Xuefeng"s lips.
Once his spirit came back, Li Cangyu realized what he had done and immediately moved back.
…Had his brain short-circuited?
He wasn"t even sure of Ling Xuefeng"s s.e.xuality yet he stole a kiss. This was simply immoral behavior!
It was too much, the sin was unforgivable!
Li Cangyu was yelling at himself in his heart but the warm touch on his lips made his mood particularly pleasant.
It was his first kiss. What about Ling Xuefeng? In any case, it was better than he imagined.
It was a pity that Li Cangyu was so afraid to wake Ling Xuefeng up that he could only kiss the lips gently.
He was worried that there wouldn"t be a good end. Li Cangyu immediately turned around and wrapped the quilt around himself to sleep. Still, the kiss left an endless aftertaste in his heart.
He was completely unaware that the Ling Xuefeng behind him suddenly opened his eyes.
The always cold and tough man"s eyes were full of turmoil. Complex colours filled his eyes before he finally gave a gentle smile.
***
Li Cangyu woke up the next morning and found that the bed beside him was empty. He guessed that Ling Xuefeng was making breakfast and didn"t care about him. Li Cangyu first went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Then he headed to the dining room.
The prepared breakfast was already on the table.
Ling Xuefeng saw Li Cangyu coming over and asked, "Did you wake up?"
"Yes." Li Cangyu looked into this deep eyes and then his eyes moved to Ling Xuefeng"s lips. He remembered his daring kiss last night and couldn"t help blushing.
"Eat something first. We will head to my parent"s house in the afternoon." Ling Xuefeng sat down opposite him and handed hot milk to Li Cangyu.
The two of them ate breakfast and Li Cangyu suggested, "We are free in the morning. Let"s go visit the mall so I can buy Auntie and Uncle a small gift."
Ling Xuefeng said, "There is no need to be polite. My parents aren"t lacking anything."
Li Cangyu protested. "How can I do that? It is the first time visiting your home. I can"t come empty-handed!"
He insisted on buying gifts. The helpless Ling Xuefeng had to take him to a nearby shopping mall.
Li Cangyu opened the buying mode of a local tyrant and bought a super expensive ma.s.sage foot bath for Ling Xuefeng"s father and a valuable jewelry for his mother…
Such valuable gifts, who would believe the person was an ordinary friend?
Ling Xuefeng followed to help him carry things. Once he saw Li Cangyu buying presents for his parents, his eyes filled with tenderness.
After last night where "Li Cangyu stole a kiss", Ling Xuefeng was able to be sure that this person had made up his mind. That"s why Li Cangyu cared for him and took the initiative to come over to hug, sleep and gain his parent"s approval.
Cat G.o.d was really enthusiastic, just like the straightforward youth from his memories.
The two people hadn"t officially entered a relationship but Ling Xuefeng knew how happy it was to have his beloved finally like him back! At this warm time, he wanted to turn one second into ten seconds to slowly relish it.
Li Cangyu bought two more bottles of red wine and was satisfied. He looked at the big bag of gifts Ling Xuefeng was holding and asked worriedly, "What if Uncle and Auntie don"t like what I bought?"
Ling Xuefeng smiled. "Don"t worry. They are already very happy that you are coming home with me for the new year."
This morning, Ling Xuefeng had sent a text message to his mother: [This year, I will bring back an important person for the new year.]
Ling Xuefeng"s mother was ecstatic and immediately went to buy a lot of food.
Thus, Li Cangyu arrived at dinner time carrying a large pile of gifts and was unexpectedly warmly welcomed by Ling Xuefeng"s mother.
The well-maintained woman had a gentle and generous temperament. Her face was full of laughter as she said, "You must be Xiao Li. Xuefeng often mentioned you. Come in, come in and sit. This young man, you are really tall and handsome! I made a table of delicious dishes. There is the braised fish that you love to eat. Come and eat!"
Li Cangyu, "…"
Auntie, wasn"t this wrong? You are too… too enthusiastic!
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Chapter 111 – Spring Festival
Mother Ling was so warm that Li Cangyu felt flattered.
After all, Ling Xuefeng"s nature was cold and severe. Before coming to the Ling home, Li Cangyu always thought that Ling Xuefeng"s parents would also be very serious and difficult to please. He hadn"t expected Mother Ling to be so enthusiastic before even receiving the gifts. He was pulled into the house.
Li Cangyu recovered his spirit and immediately handed the gifts to Mother Ling. He smiled politely and said, "Auntie, I brought you and Uncle some small gifts. Happy holidays."
Mother Ling took it with a smile. "Why are you so polite? You should treat my house like your own house. Bringing gifts is too much. You aren"t allowed to bring them in the future."
"Cough." Ling Xuefeng coughed and said, "Mom, let"s eat first."
“Yes, eat first. Xiao Li, come in and sit down. I"ll serve you!" Mother Ling placed Li Cangyu"s gifts to the side and brought out plates from the kitchen. It was a full table of gourmet dishes.
Such a sumptuous table of food was definitely the standard for entertaining guests.
Li Cangyu was puzzled and couldn"t help asking Ling Xuefeng, "You told your mother I was coming over?"
"Yes." Ling Xuefeng calmly nodded.
"Auntie is too enthusiastic. She made so many delicious dishes." Li Cangyu smiled at Mother Ling who was busy in the kitchen. Then he looked at Ling Xuefeng"s expressionless face and couldn"t help laughing. "It seems like your personality is more like your father"s?"
He just said this when somebody opened the door and entered. Li Cangyu looked up and saw a middle-aged man with deep eyes. This man was 70% similar to Ling Xuefeng. He was tall and looked more stable than Ling Xuefeng. His expression was cold and serious. He looked very difficult to handle.
This should be Father Ling right?
Li Cangyu immediately took the initiative to stand up and politely greeted him. "Uncle is well."
"Yes." Ling Boyan replied softly. He looked carefully at Li Cangyu and saw that this man"s smile was straightforward and bright, making people feel that he was very sincere. He didn"t look like an impetuous young person. Rather, he gave off a decent first impression.
Ling Boyan changed into slippers and saw that his wife was busy in the kitchen. He sat down at the table and asked Li Cangyu, "Are you Xiao Li?"
Li Cangyu nodded. "Yes, Uncle. My name is Li Cangyu. You can call me Xiao Li."
"How long have you known Xuefeng?"
"More than six years. We met when we were 17 and 18."
"Oh." Ling Boyan nodded. "Xuefeng has never brought a friend home for dinner. You are the first."
Li Cangyu glanced at Ling Xuefeng and smiled. "Is that so? The two of us have a good relationship, like brothers."
Ling Xuefeng, "…"
This guy really had first-cla.s.s acting. The person who secretly kissed him last night was now acting like "good brothers" in front of the family?
Li Cangyu thought he had covered it up very well. He continued to chat with Uncle Ling in order to build up a good relationship.
“What do your parents do?" Ling Boyan asked.
“My parents are doctors. They are a Western doctor and Chinese doctor. My sister is also a doctor." Li Cangyy answered seriously.
“Then how did you run to play e-sports?" Ling Boyan"s face was filled with doubts.
"It is because I"m not very interested in studying medicine. I feel that playing the game is more suitable for me." Li Cangyu said with a smile.
"Dad, is this checking an account?" Ling Xuefeng interrupted the strange conversation with a displeased expression.
Ling Boyan stated gravely, "I am just understanding your friend"s basic situation. What"s wrong with it?"
Li Cangyu agreed. "Yes, Uncle is right. He just wants to understand your friends. This is him caring about you."
Ling Boyan suddenly felt that the young man in front of him was very interesting and polite to his elders. Ling Boyan stared at Li Cangyu and saw his bright smile. Ling Boyan stopped asking questions. He believed in the look in this person"s eyes. The person brought back by his son should be a good person.
Ling Xuefeng"s mother, Yuan Xin, quickly brought out the last dish, which was fragrant braised fish.
She placed the fish next to Li Cangyu and smiled. "I heard from Xuefeng that you love fish. I made braised fish for you. Come and try it."
"Thank you Auntie." Li Cangyu stood up and pulled the chair next to him out in a gentlemanly manner. "Auntie, come and sit down. We have to eat together or the food will become cold."
Yuan Xin, who had her chair pulled out for her, laughed and sat down. "Xiao Li is sensible."
Ling Xuefeng watched this scene and couldn"t help the raising the corners of his mouth slightly.
It seemed that his parents were very satisfied with Li Cangyu?
***
The meal was delicious. Li Cangyu was straightforward and his desire to curry favour with Ling Xuefeng"s parents had him politely giving the two elders dishes at dinner. Yuan Xin was full of smiles.
After dinner, Li Cangyu got up and took the initiative to help clean up the dishes but was blocked by Yuan Xin. "You are a guest. How can I let you clean up? I will clean up! Xuefeng, you accompany Xiao Li to eat fruit."
Ling Xuefeng agreed and took Li Cangyu to the living room. He brought over a plate of fruit and asked, "Do you want to eat?"
"I won"t eat, I"m full." Li Cangyu just ate a lot of food and more than half the fish. He touched his belly and sat on the sofa to accompany Uncle Ling in watching TV.
Ling Boyan was watching a basketball game. Li Cangyu actively brought up the topic. "Uncle, do you like to watch basketball games?"
"Yes."
"Which team do you like?"
"I don"t have a favourite. I just watch casually when I have time."
Li Cangyu smiled. "I am the same. I haven"t been closely following this season"s NBA games. I always miss the live matches and will sometimes watch the replays. I particularly like to play basketball." Ling Boyan looked at him. "You can play? How about playing a match one day?"
"Is there a basketball at home?"
"Of course."
"Why don"t we play tomorrow?"
"Yes."
Li Cangyu"s cheerful and straightforward personality was easy to please the elders. He and Father Ling talked happily, the always serious Father Ling showing a rare smile.
Ling Xuefeng sat next to them but was more like a guest of this family.
***
In fact, Ling Xuefeng"s parents knew about Li Cangyu"s existence a long time ago.
It was the year that Li Cangyu led his team to leave Miracle. In order to persuade him to stay, Ling Xuefeng bought an expensive ticket and went all the way to New York. At that time, Ling Boyan and Yuan Xin had come to Shanghai to visit him at the club. They found it empty and learnt that their son had flown to New York to find someone. The two of them returned home in a confused manner.
Ling Xuefeng hated lying. After returning home, he simply confessed to his parents that he liked this person.
His parents naturally couldn"t accept it and Ling Boyan almost beat him up.
Ling Xuefeng talked to his parents for a long time before they realized that liking the same s.e.x wasn"t a disease and many countries had actually pa.s.sed the same-s.e.x marriage law.
As long as two people loved each other, they could grow old together, even if they were the same gender. On the other hand, the marriages without love between a man and woman could end up in divorce despite being together for many years and having children.
Ling Xuefeng"s father, Ling Boyan was a businessman. He travelled a lot and was well-informed in the last few years. He was sad about his son"s love of men but Ling Xuefeng was determined from an early age. As long as he made up his mind, he wouldn"t regret it, even if his head ended up bleeding.
Ling Boyan knew that his son wouldn"t change. He could only hope that his son would calm down as time pa.s.sed. But after so many years, Ling Xuefeng still stubbornly liked that person.
Ling Boyan helplessly adopted the "Do whatever you want. I am too lazy to care about you" att.i.tude.
Yuan Xin was a gentle housewife but she felt distressed for her son. She saw that Ling Xuefeng liked this person so much and gradually accepted it, hoping her son could be sincere. He should chase after the person called Li Cangyu and take him home to show them one day.
As a result, this day really arrived.
Yuan Xin received a text message from her son this morning, stating that he was bringing someone home. She was so excited that she shed tears and immediately went to the nearby supermarket to buy many ingredients. She wanted to cook a table full of delicious food because she was afraid to be rude to Li Cangyu.
She treated Li Cangyu as a VIP.
As a mother, she hoped that the person her son liked could be good for her son. The male or female aspect was no longer so important. It was fine since her son liked this person.
Ling Boyan wasn"t as excited as Yuan Xin and he looked at the person his son brought with questioning eyes. However, Li Cangyu gave a good first impression, not the feminine type that Ling Boyan expected. He was very sunny, handsome and was as good as their son.
The last layer of concern in their hearts were dispelled and Ling Boyan"s att.i.tude towards Li Cangyu was a lot softer.
***
Li Cangyu originally came to Ling Xuefeng"s house to please his future parents-in-laws. The result was that Father Ling and Mother Ling already knew about his existence and had a look of "watching the daughter-in-law". They evaluated him and were very satisfied. He already got the elders" approval without knowing.
That evening, the unwitting Li Cangyu took the initiative to set up the ma.s.sage foot bath that he bought, explaining to Ling Boyan, "Uncle, this ma.s.sage basin is very easy to use. It automatically heats the water and the intensity of the ma.s.sage can be adjusted. The disinfection function also means that two people can use it with no problems. You and auntie should use this to wash and ma.s.sage your feet before going to sleep. It will make your sleep better!"
"Yes, thank you." Ling Boyan received the gift and felt very appreciative of this young man who knew how to be filial to his elders.
Then Li Cangyu gave a set of valuable jewelry to Yuan Xin. Yuan Xin tried it on and Li Cangyu spoke seriously, "Auntie, you are beautiful when wearing this. You look really young!"
Yuan Xin smiled and looked at herself in the mirror while praising Li Cangyu. "Our Xiao Li is sensible. My Xuefeng never bought me things like this. He probably thinks his mother is old."
Ling Xuefeng, "…"
Li Cangyu is your son isn"t he? Did you get bought by the gift?
“By the way, I have something for you." Yuan Xin went to her bedroom and grabbed a box. "This is the first time you came to our house and you brought us so many gifts. Auntie didn"t prepare anything so I"ll just give you this.
She placed the delicate box in Li Cangyu"s hands as she spoke.
Li Cangyu opened it and saw a piece of jade inside. Although he lacked knowledge about jade, the jade was warm and smooth in his hand. It was crystal clear under the light. At first glance, it was a valuable jade attached to a simple red rope, meaning it could be worn as a necklace. It was simple and stylish, making it suitable for both men and women.
Li Cangyu was surprised. "Auntie, this is too expensive…"
Yuan Xin smiled. "It isn"t expensive. It contains a bit of my heart. Accept it."
Li Cangyu wanted to refuse but Ling Xuefeng said calmly, "Since my mother is giving it to you, take it."
He placed the piece of jade into Li Cangyu"s pocket as he spoke. Li Cangyu smiled brightly. "Thank you, Auntie."
Yuan Xin replied happily, "You"re welcome! This is a talisman that can bring good luck. You should wear it often in the future!"
"Then I will wear it."
Li Cangyu placed the jade around his neck, thinking it was just an ordinary jade necklace.
Ling Xuefeng didn"t have time to tell him that this was the jade that his mother bought him when he was born. He wore it for a while when he was a child. Later, he didn"t want to wear it and his mother said, "Then Mother will help you store it. Give it to your wife when you grow up."
She gave the jade to Li Cangyu, showing that she approved of the man her son brought home.
Li Cangyu didn"t know and put on the jade, taking the initiative to wear the mark of the Ling family.
Ling Xuefeng smiled slightly and gently placed an arm around his mother"s shoulders. "Thank you Mom."
Yuan Xin smiled but her eyes were shining with tears. "What thanks? As long as you are happy, Mother is very content!"
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Chapter 112 – Confession
Ling Xuefeng"s hometown was in Suzhou, which was close to Shanghai. His family was obviously rich since his father bought a duplex that was nearly 300 square metres in Suzhou. There were four bedrooms scattered upstairs and downstairs, as well as a separate study and gym. The house was simple, elegant and s.p.a.cious.
His parents were at home and it wasn"t good to sleep together in front of elders. Ling Xuefeng arranged for Li Cangyu to stay in the room opposite his bedroom on the upper floor. Li Cangyu had no opinion on this and quietly went into the room to sleep.
The next morning, Li Cangyu ate breakfast with Ling Xuefeng. Yuan Xin said that she would go to the supermarket to handle the new year"s goods. Li Cangyu took the initiative to say, "Auntie, I will accompany you. I can"t buy food but I can help with the bags."
Yuan Xin agreed with a smile. "Then come with me and act as my hired labourer."
Li Cangyu joked, "Auntie, it is my honour to be your hired labourer!"
The two of them laughed and talked on the way to the supermarket to buy food. Ling Xuefeng stayed at home and helped his father with the couplets. (TL: verses written vertically that are stuck on the doorways on Chinese New Year as a blessing).
Ling Boyan was more traditional and attached great importance to the Spring Festival. Every year, he personally had to put up couplets at the door. The windows also had the character "Fu" hung while two festive lanterns hung from the living room"s balcony.
Of course, after Ling Xuefeng grew up, these activities were done by him.
He was just hanging up the lanterns when he heard his father"s voice behind him, "Are you sure you want to be with this Li Cangyu?"
"Yes." Ling Xuefeng answered decisively. "No one in this world is more suitable for him than me."
Ling Boyan frowned. "The two of you, is your relationship certain right now?"
"Not yet." Ling Xuefeng replied honestly. "However, it is almost the same. I love him and he also likes me. Dad, you can rest a.s.sured that my eyes aren"t wrong."
Ling Boyan was silent for a moment before nodding. "It is your own matter. Handle it yourself."
***
At the supermarket, Li Cangyu pushed the shopping cart and walked behind as a hired labourer. Yuan Xin put things inside while telling Li Cangyu many things about her son when he was a child.
"Our Xuefeng, he hasn"t been talkative since childhood. He looked very cold so many children didn"t like to play with him."
"How did he act when he was a child?"
"He drew or read books at home. But his drawings are really ugly."
“Is that so? Auntie, show me once we go back." Li Cangyu was interested in Ling Xuefeng"s black history.
"Okay. I have collected them and will show you when we get back."
The two people chatted while shopping. They soon bought the food required for the new year and returned home. Yuan Xin went into the kitchen to cook. Before that, she took Li Cangyu to the study to show him Ling Xuefeng"s collection of childhood drawings.
He was really soul drawer! What was this mess?
If this black history was posted to the forums, it was unknown how Captain Ling"s fans would react.
Li Cangyu was looking at them with relish when Ling Xuefeng suddenly pushed open the door and saw Li Cangyu observing his black history. His expression wasn"t embarra.s.sed as he stated calmly, "They were drawn when I was a child."
Li Cangyu asked curiously, "You loved to draw as a child. Then what about how? Have your drawing skills improved?"
"No."
Li Cangyu patted him on the shoulder. "You are so honest."
Ling Xuefeng smiled slightly and said, "My dad told you to go and play basketball."
"Okay, I will go and play with Uncle for a while. You go help Auntie, she is busy in the kitchen."
"Yes."
The two people worked together, one accompanied Father Ling while the other spend a harmonious time with his mother.
Li Cangyu accompanied Ling Boyan to play basketball for a bit on the open-air basketball court. He didn"t expect that Ling Boyan would be so strong and have such a high basketball level despite being in his 40s. Li Cangyu thought he would let Father Ling win but he could barely make it a tie.
Ling Boyan explained, "I used to be the captain of the basketball team when I was in school."
“Is that so? Li Cangyu praised him. "No wonder why you are so amazing!"
Ling Boyan threw the ball at Li Cangyu. He saw the other person catch it and said with satisfaction, "Come again."
***
The duo played for two hours until Ling Xuefeng called them home.
At home, Yuan Xin had already finished making dinner. The thing that surprised Li Cangyu was that there were two more guests. One was a middle-aged uncle and the other was a young man who looked familiar.
Ling Xuefeng took the initiative to introduce them. "This is my uncle and cousin."
Li Cangyu politely greeted them.
The cousin saw Li Cangyu and immediately came over to shake hands. "Xiao Li, long time no see. Don"t you know me?"
Li Cangyu observed the person carefully and finally recognized him. "Ah, Vice-Captain Yuan!"
Ling Xuefeng"s cousin, Yuan Shaozhe was the first vice-captain of the Wind Colour team.
At that time, Yuan Shaozhe and Ling Xuefeng had come to Hangzhou to invite him to the Wind Colour team. Yuan Shaozhe had only been in his early 20s and now he was a mature man of 27.
Yuan Shaozhe retired at the end of the second season and handed over the vice-captain"s position to Yan Ruiwen. Li Cangyu had played against him many times on the field and was impressed with his blood kin summoner.
They unexpectedly met here. Li Cangyu asked doubtfully, "Where did you go after retirement? Why haven"t I heard from you?"
“Oh, once I retired, I went to the Miracle League as a data director. I"m mainly responsible for the balance of data in the online game and the league. I transferred from the stage to behind the scenes. You…" Yuan Shaozhe paused and carefully examined the youth in front of him.
Yuan Shaozhe had definitely heard about what happened to Li Cangyu in the past few years. A few years ago, the 17 year old boy resolutely refused the position of vice-captain of Wind Colour and firmly said, "I want to build a team myself." Yuan Shaozhe had tried to persuade him but the determination in the young man"s eyes made Yuan Shaozhe give up.
After so many years, Li Cangyu was a lot more mature than the memories. However, the confidence and determination in his eyes were exactly the same as that original youth.
He was a tough person who became braver the more frustrations he experienced.
Yuan Shaozhe looked at him with appreciation and couldn"t help smiling, "I heard that you are returning to Miracle?"
Li Cangyu nodded. "Yes, my team has been a.s.sembled and we are preparing to play in the seventh season of the professional league."
“Yes, I am feeling very optimistic." Yuan Shaozhe patted Li Cangyu"s shoulder with approval. Then he asked, "By the way, why did you come to Xuefeng"s place for the new year?"
Li Cangyu thought, "I want to advance our relationship through meeting the family and then take Ling Xuefeng as my wife."
However, Li Cangyu naturally didn"t dare tell the truth to Yuan Shaozhe. He touched his nose and calmly explained, "My parents are abroad and I didn"t have anywhere to spend the holidays. Xuefeng took me home to eat."
Yuan Shaozhe was surprised. "It is like me! My mother isn"t home and my father and I can"t cook. That"s why we came to my aunt"s house for a meal."
Li Cangyu smiled. "It is really a coincidence."
Ling Xuefeng heard him lying so easily and slightly smiled. He calmly interrupted them, "Go to eat."
***
There were many people gathered at the dinner table. They watched TV while eating dinner and this Chinese New Year was incredibly lively.
Once the New Year"s Eve dinner was over, the Yuan Shaoze father and son set up a table of mahjong with Ling Boyan and Yuan Xin. Ling Xuefeng went upstairs to take a bath. Li Cangyu didn"t play mahjong but he sat next to them to watch.
Yuan Xin"s heart warmed when she saw Li Cangyu sitting with them and couldn"t help saying, "Xiao Li, you go to sleep first. You don"t need to accompany us. We will play all night and we greet the dawn like every holidays."
Yuan Shaozhe echoed her words, "Yes, you aren"t playing anyway. Go upstairs and play Miracle with Xuefeng."
Yuan Xin continued, "Or take a shower first and go to sleep early."
Li Cangyu didn"t understand mahjong and had been watching in a confused daze. Once he heard this, he stood up and said, "Then I will go upstairs to take a shower. Uncle, Auntie, Uncle, Cousin, you play well!"
Yuan Xin smiled. "Go!"
This handsome young man was sensible and talked to his elders so smoothly. It was estimated that soon after, his uncle and aunt could be changed into father and mother!
***
Li Cangyu went upstairs and took a shower. It wasn"t midnight yet and he was bored. Thus, he gently knocked on the opposite door that belonged to Ling Xuefeng. "Xuefeng, are you asleep?"
"I"m not sleeping. Come in."
Li Cangyu pushed open the door and saw that Ling Xuefeng was sitting on his bed and drying his hair. The man who just showered had a layer of water vapor on his body. His moist hair hung over his eyes and water kept dripping down. A s.e.xy collarbone was exposed and his neck moved up and down as he spoke.
Li Cangyu gulped, wanting to directly go over and nibble.
Ling Xuefeng looked up and saw that the big cat was standing motionless. He couldn"t help wondering, "What"s the matter?"
Li Cangyu recovered and pretended to be calm. "It"s nothing." He smiled and sat down next to Ling Xuefeng. "I was bored and couldn"t sleep. Let"s greet the new year together."
Ling Xuefeng asked curiously, "Do you still have the habit of greeting it?"
“Yes, before my father and sister went abroad, our family of four would stay up to 1 o"clock to greet the Spring Festival and see the fireworks. I only feel like it is the new year when it is the Spring Festival." Li Cangyu spoke emotionally, "Since my father went abroad, I have never had such a lively Spring Festival."
Ling Xuefeng looked at the man lost in his memories and gentleness filled his eyes. He whispered, "Do you want to set off fireworks? I have some at home."
Li Cangyu"s eyes brightened. "You have fireworks? Why didn"t you say so earlier?"
“My father and I don"t like them. The fireworks that my mother buys every year will eventually be taken by relatives for their children to play with." Ling Xuefeng got up and grabbed a bunch of fireworks from the study. He found a lighter, turned off the lights in the house and then took Li Cangyu with him to the window, pushing open the window.
He had grabbed all the long fireworks that he could hold in his hand. They each took one and lit them with the lighter. Then they tacitly reached out of the window at the same time.
Not long afterwards, they heard whooshing sounds in their ears. Two red and blue cl.u.s.ters of fireworks exploded in the night sky. The decorated sky was extraordinarily beautiful and illuminated the two faces.
The two of them didn"t speak as they continued to light fireworks. The booming sound of the fireworks seemed in line with their heartbeats, producing a warm melody.
It wasn"t until the fireworks in their hands stopped moving that the two men looked at each other and laughed.
Li Cangyu said, "Two big men standing together while setting off fireworks. Haven"t we suddenly become childish?"
Ling Xuefeng replied, "No, there is no stipulation that adults can"t do this."
"Then do you want to do it again?"
Ling Xuefeng agreed. "Okay."
At this time, the clock reached 0 and every household started to set off fireworks to welcome the arrival of the new year. Countless fireworks soared, making the two people"s faces particularly clear.
Li Cangyu looked at Ling Xuefeng"s handsome face set against the fireworks. His heart suddenly moved and he had a strong desire to tell the other person his heart. It was a monstrous wave that swept over his mind in an instant.
"I…" Li Cangyu was just about to talk when he heard Ling Xuefeng"s low and familiar voice in his ears.
"I like you."
The deafening sound of fireworks outside couldn"t cover up Ling Xuefeng"s simple and direct confession.
Li Cangyu thought he had misheard and looked at the man in front of him with shock. "What did you say?"
"I like you." Ling Xuefeng softly repeated. He saw Li Cangyu"s big eyes and couldn"t help laughing. He leaned over and accurately kissed Li Cangyu"s lips.
"…"
Outside the window, fireworks of various colours bloomed in the sky, causing the night sky to be as bright as day.
Li Cangyu felt his mind become blank as he was kissed. It was as if something was wrong but… Ling Xuefeng"s kiss was too gentle. His tongue gently opened Li Cangyu"s mouth, slowly and thoughtfully sweeping through every inch of his mouth. Li Cangyu couldn"t help indulging in this kiss.
This was the best New Year"s gift for him!
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