My Mr.Mermaid

The news agency attached a lot of importance to the tournament this time — other than Yun Duo and Lin Zi, Teacher Sun and another experienced senior reporter, Qian Xu-Dong, were also sent along to cover the event . Lin Zi was pretty much useless and could be ignored — initially, the reporters to be sent out did not include him, because the value of his contributions would not even compare to the price of the two plane tickets to send him there and back . However, Lin Zi had a wilful spirit backed by a fat wallet — that bit of money was not at all a concern for him, so he had funded his own trip here .

Qian Xu-Dong was held in high esteem by Director Liu . Although he was a little overconfident, he was indeed talented . This time, he had come to the Champions Tournament not only to interview those well-known athletes . He had another mission: If Tang Yi-Bai performed well, he was to try to arrange an exclusive interview with Tang Yi-Bai and his coach Wu Yong .

At 7 o"clock sharp that evening, the finals for the men"s 100-metre began . Yun Duo was hanging out near the audience seats right behind the starting blocks of the pool . This position was advantageous because she would be able to capture a frontal shot of the swimmers during their acceleration in the later half of the race, as well as capture their expressions at the very moment when they touched the wall . However, the downside was that the view was not as good as from the side of the pool for observing the overall progress of the race .

In fact, Yun Duo really wanted to watch the race from the side, but the better position naturally had to be reserved for the superiors . . . and so Qian Xu-Dong and Teacher Sun were both there . Only Lin Zi was accompanying her here at the back .

For this Champions Tournament, the reporters had been allowed a wide range of movement, but they could not go near the pool . Even for the post-race interviews after the swimmers have come out of the water, the reporters could only remain outside the raised fence and ask their questions through the fence, like deer being fed by tourists at a zoo .

Amidst the chatter of the crown, the athletes entered the arena . Tang Yi-Bai was fourth in line . He entered with long strides, pulling down the zipper of his sports jacket as he walked . Just these simple movements were enough to draw the excited screams of a small group of girls from somewhere in the audience .

Yun Duo was very close to the girls; she felt as if she had been blasted by a sonic weapon . She rubbed her ears and thought, Tang Yi-Bai really has fans now!

Although still very few . . .

After Tang Yi-Bai had taken everything off except a pair of swimming trunks, he stood beside a starting block . Hs height did not stand out among the swimmers, but he easily drew the most attention . This was because his body proportions were very nice . . . erm, well, that"s not really true . At least, Tang Yi-Bai did not think that he was very well-proportioned — his legs were too long . But it was precisely these slightly longer legs of his which skewed his proportions closer to the golden ratio which aligned best with the aesthetic values of the average person .

He stood up on the starting block .

This was the first time Yun Duo had seen him compete from this angle . She could only see his back .

His shoulders were broad and even, the slight swell of his solid deltoid muscles clearly visible, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with power . Over his broad back, smooth and well-balanced muscles covered his scapulae . There was a slight indent along the column of his spine, like a small mountain valley . The valley trailed downwards through the slender yet tough back muscles, forming an undulating line, tapering into a narrow waist which extended into black swimming trunks .

The flowing lines of his two long straight legs were like mercury pouring down rolling hills — beautiful compact muscles with explosive power contained beneath those fluid lines .

Yun Duo suddenly recalled a phrase she had once heard: "The beauty of the human body is of the ultimate kind . "

Humankind was at the top of the food chain; they were nature"s greatest creation . Every bone, muscle, and joint of the human body had been through thousands of millenniums of refinement — they were all the best combination of strength and beauty, the perfect manifestation of practicality and aesthetics . There were so many shocking and intricate works to be found in the world of nature, but they were only awe-inspiring from the perspective of humans looking outwards . In terms of ultimate beauty, one should only look back at the human body .

A swimmer"s musculature was undeniably the epitome of this ultimate beauty . It was balanced, symmetrical, and coordinated, like an instrument composed of countless parts, precise and efficient . The muscles contained great strength yet did not lose any of their aesthetic value . Such muscles were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with vitality and could never be cultivated from training in a gym .

Yun Duo spent a moment in silent appreciation . Then, she lifted the camera in her hands and snapped several shots of the swimmer"s backs, asking Lin Zi as she did so, "Whose muscles look the best in your opinion?"

"Mine . "

"Scram . . . "

At this moment, that group of loyal female fans behind Yun Duo were sighing with their hands cupping their faces, "Aaaaa, his b.u.t.t is so s.e.xy! I wanna touch!"

Yun Duo blushed and looked down, silently giving those girls behind her a thumbs-up .

On the starting block, Tang Yi-Bai had already finished with his warm-up and was in place, like a cheetah ready to leap . As soon as the gun sounded, practically in the blink of an eye, he had already completed his movements to enter the water . His arms were outstretched, and like an eagle diving sharply down, he pierced through the surface of the water . Among the water splashes, the figure within the water began to kick swiftly, like a white dolphin flipping its tail fins at a dizzying speed .

In the clear blue water, his figure looked agile and lovely, like a mermaid .

Yun Duo suddenly had the feeling that this person was born to be in the water .

She put down her camera and stared at the figure inside the pool . Qi Rui-Feng was not competing today, so Tang Yi-Bai was completely unrivalled . Almost as soon as he hit the water he began to take the lead, and as the race progressed, his lead only continued to grow .

There was no suspense at all who would become champion .

Still, Yun Duo found herself becoming more and more nervous . She stared at him, not blinking at all, even forgetting to breathe . She did not know if her senses were playing tricks on her, but she felt that he was swimming way too fast, way, way, too fast .

Tang Yi-Bai had already turned and had begun to head back towards the starting point . The water churned as he sliced through it, leaving endless ripples in his wake . The coating of his swimming goggles reflected the colour of the lane rope, an intense vibrant red .

Yun Duo could hear the wild drumbeat of her heart — the blood in her veins under her skin was surging and howling, her temples were throbbing, and her mind had already lost all ability to think — all that was left was his powerful progress forwards, completely untouchable . She stared at him and suddenly shouted, "Tang Yi-Bai, go, go, go!"

A roar so loud it made the people around her jump in fright . Reporters typically adhered to an objective stance, very rarely cheering for any one athlete .

Lin Zi tugged at Yun Duo . "Don"t make a scene . You must stay professional . "

Yun Duo did not care . She shoved the camera into Lin Zi"s arms and put both her hands by her mouth to form a makeshift trumpet . Hopping excitedly, she continued to shout, "Tang Yi-Bai! Go, go! Tang Yi-Bai Go, go!"

Tang Yi-Bai was like a frenzied motor — in the final 25 metres, he once again increased his speed . With a swoosh, he had arrived at the end line in the blink of an eye .

After touching the wall, he pulled off his goggles and immediately turned to look up at the electronic screen .

Right then, the commentator had already helped him to read out the answer: "47 . 88 seconds! 47 . 88 seconds! This has set a new best time for this tournament, and it is also a new personal best for him, surpa.s.sing the Asian record he currently holds! In just three months, he has pushed forwards the Asian record by another 0 . 16 seconds! He has broken through the 48-second barrier— this is a historic moment— Even Asians can achieve a swim time of less than 48 seconds! Tang Yi-Bai— tonight, he is the king of this pool!"

Tang Yi-Bai was very cooperative — in time with the commentator"s words, he clenched his fists . An idle thought popped up — he remembered how he had teased Yun Duo by calling her a "gorilla", and he then raised his fists and shook them at the cameras .

"Aaaaaaaaah! ! !" Yun Duo was screaming along with the group of female fans . "47 . 88 seconds! 47 . 88 seconds!"

Lin Zi hugged the camera close and huddled to one side, pretending not to know her .

When Tang Yi-Bai came ash.o.r.e, he wiped his body dry and tied a dark blue towel around his waist . After a short rest, he walked over to the media waiting area to be interviewed .

As Yun Duo had been too worked up earlier, her face was still bright red and her eyes were shining, still glistening with a layer of moisture .

Tang Yi-Bai felt that she really looked like ripe summer peach as she was right now . He smiled at her and mouthed a silent question at her .  Was I cool?

Tsk, how narcissistic! Yun Duo turned her head away and pretended not to see him .

Teacher Sun and Qian Xu-Dong had also rushed over by this time, but they all had to wait for China Central Television (CCTV) and the local provincial station to finish their interviews first before they could ask their own questions . This was a rule set by the tournament organisers; Tang Yi-Bai could only obey .

After those two stations were done, Qian Xu-Dong slipped in to ask the first question, "Tang Yi-Bai, first off, congratulations on once again breaking the Asian record . May I ask whether this record today was an extraordinary performance on your part or just your regular standard now? Are you able to produce a time like this during your normal training?"

Tang Yi-Bai did not answer, but threw a glance at Yun Duo instead .

At the same time, Qian Xu-Dong noticed that quite a few of the reporters around him were giving him strange looks . Their expressions seemed to say: This person really doesn"t understand how to play by the rules .

This kind of treatment, being viewed as an outsider not fitting in . . . he had only experienced it when he had first joined the industry . Qian Xu-Dong felt a bit wrong-footed, unsure what was wrong .

He looked left and right — he clearly hadn"t done anything wrong, but still, he couldn"t help but feel vaguely guilty under the judging gazes . Puzzled, he asked, "What is it?"

A young female reporter asked Yun Duo, "Yun Duo, don"t you have any questions?"

Yun Duo was so embarra.s.sed . Qian Xu-Dong had placed his ID card in his pocket — he had not covered swimming events in quite a while, so many of the people here did not recognise him, while those who did were not saying anything . And so, this strange situation was the result . . .

Qian Xu-Dong was somewhat annoyed . "Yun Duo, what"s going on?"

"Uh," Yun Duo looked at Tang Yi-Bai, "This is a senior reporter from our agency, Teacher Qian . "

If Tang Yi-Bai were Qi Rui-Feng, he most probably would have recognised Qian Xu-Dong or at least found the other somewhat familiar . Unfortunately, he was Tang Yi-Bai, someone who had not been active in the compet.i.tion circuit for many years — it was normal for him to not know anyone at all .

"Oh, h.e.l.lo . " Tang Yi-Bai nodded at Qian Xu-Dong . "Sorry, I only wanted to know who you were," he said to help cover for Yun Duo . He knew that he could not let Yun Duo offend any of her seniors in the agency, and so he answered Qian Xu-Dong"s question very seriously .

Only then did Qian Xu-Dong feel appeased .

Not long after that, a volunteer came over to inform Tang Yi-Bai that there would be a press conference for the men"s 100-metre free after the awards ceremony and that he was invited to partic.i.p.ate .

Tang Yi-Bai nodded and the interview ended there .

Some of the event-related press conferences were fixed, such as those for Qi Rui-Feng"s events, while others were not . The impromptu ones would typically only be held if some noteworthy situations occurred, such as with Tang Yi-Bai"s race today . The 47 . 88 seconds achieved today had great significance and was well worth a press conference .

The reporters dispersed, but Tang Yi-Bai was in no hurry to go . He called out, "Yun Duo . "

"Hm?"

Many of the other reporters still around looked at them with curious faces eager for gossip .

Yun Duo felt rather awkward . "What"s up?"

Tang Yi-Bai quirked a brow, smiling cheerily as he looked at her . "Not going to congratulate me?"

. . .

The gossipy faces of many of the reporters were rather smug, like they had seen this coming .

Something is not quite right with this atmosphere . . . Yun Duo was rather baffled, but she still said to Tang Yi-Bai, "Congratulations, your time is really amazing . "

He continued to ask with a smile, "Did you cheer for me?"

"Nope," she denied very thoroughly .

However ——

"She did . I heard it!"

"I heard it too . Pshaw, she even threw aside her camera!"

"Yes, yes, I also heard it . It scared me!"

Truly reporters — their quest for truth was too firmly established . Now, hearing Yun Duo lie blatantly, they all did not hesitate to step up and expose her .

Yun Duo felt like crying . Life is already hard enough for everyone, why are reporters making life more difficult for another reporter?!

Tang Yi-Bai huffed a soft laugh, and after sweeping a slow gaze over Yun Duo, he drifted breezily away .

Watching Tang Yi-Bai walk away, Qian Xu-Dong"s expression was troubled . "Yun Duo, what is your relationship with Tang Yi-Bai?"

Yun Duo rushed to explain, "We"re just normal friends . He just likes to joke around . " She could not let the superiors misunderstand her relationship with Tang Yi-Bai!

Whether or not Qian Xu-Dong believed her, he was very quiet after that .

After Tang Yi-Bai"s press conference was over, Qian Xu-Dong did not return to the venue for an interview . He went looking for the leader of the national swimming team . The reason why Director Liu had sent Qian Xu-Dong here this time was that he was rather close with the leader of the team . To obtain an exclusive interview with Tang Yi-Bai, contacting the team leader had a higher chance of success .

However, the leader"s reply left Qian Xu-Dong feeling a little disappointed . "Quite a number of media agencies have already contacted me . To be honest, I haven"t helped anyone . Why don"t you go look for Coach Wu? He understands Tang Yi-Bai better . They will make their own decisions on this matter . "

Qian Xu-Dong could only go and seek out Wu Yong . In the end, Wu Yong was much more direct than the leader . "I"m sorry, but I have already set up an exclusive interview . "

Qian Xu-Dong could only slink away sulkily . When he returned to see Yun Duo joking around with Teacher Sun without a care, he was so angry he did not know what to do with himself . This rage was very unreasonable — he had hit a wall with Tang Yi-Bai, and since Tang Yi-Bai gave Yun Duo special treatment, he just found the sight of Yun Duo irritating .

Yun Duo did not sense Qian Xu-Dong"s displeasure, even naively asking whether he had managed to obtain an exclusive interview .

She just had to bring this up now?! Qian Xu-Dong ignored her .

Meanwhile, Wu Yong"s "I"ve already set up" was only just a preliminary confirmation . He had contacted two television stations and still had not decided which one to choose yet . In line with the spirit of democracy, he went to ask Tang Yi-Bai"s opinion .

Frankly, the main reason was that he had problems making decisions at times and just really did not know which would be a better choice .

In the end, when he asked Tang Yi-Bai, Tang Yi-Bai shook his head . "Can I not choose either of those?"

Wu Yong glared at him and asked threateningly, "Then what will you choose?"

"Sports Weekly . "

"No way, a television station will provide much better publicity than a newspaper . "

Tang Yi-Bai stared at him with wide eyes and pleaded, "Coach Wu, I"ve always listened to you . Can you listen to me this time?"

Wu Yong eyed him suspiciously . "Tell me first why you must choose Sports Weekly?"

"I want to give my first exclusive interview to Yun Duo from "Sports Weekly" . A special one . "

. . .

Wu Yong"s expression turned sly and he asked him suggestively, "Tell me the truth . What exactly is your relationship with that little miss Yun Duo?"

"She helped me pa.s.s my level 4 English exam . "

Wu Yong glared at him . "Not a girlfriend? You"re such a disappointment!"