Chapter 28: Celebration

For a couple of seconds, the surrounding cheers and noise seemed to fade away, leaving only the low, panting breath near his ears.

His breathing became slightly rapid, making his heart beat faster.

When Jian Mingzhou finally reacted, he heard a distant and explosive horn, accompanied by the coach’s loud shout:

“Xie Jing, go for a slow walk! Stretch!”

He snapped back to reality and patted Xie Jing. “Xiaojing, the coach wants you to stretch.”

The head buried in his shoulder moved away and then rubbed against it again. Afterward, it lifted, and a few drops of sweat fell from his hair.

Jian Mingzhou turned his head, only to see the sharpness in Xie Jing’s eyes still lingering. His face was flushed, and he was full of vitality.

“…Uncle, sorry for wetting your collar.”

“What?” Jian Mingzhou was momentarily stunned and reached for his collar.

A breeze swept by, carrying a hint of moisture. Jian Mingzhou looked into Xie Jing’s eyes, now soaked in moisture, and fell silent for a moment. He said softly,

“It’s okay, the sun is strong; it’ll dry in a moment.”

“…”

Xie Jing lowered his eyes, and his lips seemed to move.

“Xie Jing!” A shout interrupted them.

Jian Mingzhou turned and saw He Yi and others coming over. He Yu’s whistle was stopped by a lady next to her, who was muttering between her fingers:

“Mom… why are you covering my mouth? Do you think girls shouldn’t shout like this?”

“No, Mom can’t stand it.”

“…Oh, it’s the mother of the two siblings.”

Zhou Xuyang hung an arm over Xie Jing’s shoulder and said, “Xie Jing! You’re amazing, really fierce!”

Xie Jing remained calm. “Hmm.”

“Oh, what’s with the calmness? Be happy!”

“Xiaojing, congratulations!” the lady holding a camera said with a smile. “Aunt Juan recorded your running posture; I’ll send a copy to your mom later, hehehe~”

“Thank you, Aunt Juan.” Xie Jing paused and added, “Send me a copy too.”

After their conversation, Yu Zijuan noticed Jian Mingzhou and asked, “Who’s this?”

Xie Jing replied, “I’m currently staying at Uncle’s house.”

Jian Mingzhou said, “Hello, I’m Mingzhou.”

Yu Zijuan exclaimed, “Mr. Ming! Such talent!”

“…” Jianming Zhou widened his eyes.

Such a distinct family style! Does everyone in the He family like to dissect his name?

…

After a few words, the coach urged Xie Jing to go for a slow walk.

Outside the arena was a park, and Jian Mingzhou accompanied him out, strolling through the shaded paths.

The trees formed a canopy, and the sunlight dotted the ground.

“He Yi’s mom is quite friendly to you.”

“We’re acquainted; my mom and his mom are best friends.”

In Jian Mingzhou’s mind, an image of Xie Jing’s mom took shape: …It’s a bit hard to imagine the style of this best friend’s photo.

As they walked, Xie Jing took out his phone and said, “Aunt Juan sent me the video.”

He put on his headphones and said, “Want to appreciate my own posture?”

“No.” Xie Jing calmly watched. When it neared the end, he increased the volume a bit and then turned it off, satisfied. “Like listening to celestial music, it’s temporarily clear.”

Jian Mingzhou turned his head. “?”

Is the cheering from the scene so melodious?

Xie Jing saved the video and put away his phone.

Jian Mingzhou didn’t dwell on it; he chatted with people as they walked, feeling a bit thirsty after a while.

“Xiaojing, I want to drink some water.”

Xie Jing took out a water bottle and asked, “Half a cup left; do you want it?”

Sports water bottles usually had a spout.

Jian Mingzhou glanced to the side and took half a step back. “No need, I’ll find water myself…”

Before he finished speaking, he stepped on the water pipe!

Originally, the soft hose that was quietly leaking water squeezed, “Chi—”, and a waterfall-like curtain of water burst out.

Damn it…! Jian Mingzhou closed his eyes, and in that moment of pouring rain, he seemed to see Xie Jing stopping in shock, holding the cup lid…

Then his long arm stretched out and pulled him away.

Splash… The water fell, and the world fell silent.

A towel quickly arrived, and Jian Mingzhou took it to wipe the water off his face. His T-shirt was almost soaked.

In the bewildered thoughts that couldn’t catch up with what happened, a strong sense of familiarity surged. Then he heard Xie Jing’s soft voice:

“…Uncle, you’re still so good at finding water to drink.”

“…”

Jianming Zhou suddenly looked up.

In the eye contact, memories of the swimming pool simultaneously surfaced in both of their minds.

After a moment, Xie Jing changed his perspective and said, “You are favored by this world,” saying whatever came to his mind.

Jian Mingzhou corrected him gently, “It’s being overly indulged.” Too much has been given.

—

When the two returned, everyone was shocked.

He Yi exclaimed, “Brother Mingzhou, are you participating in the triathlon?”

Jian Mingzhou didn’t want to say much about “contributing to urban development.”

Yu Zijuan was playing with the camera, turned, and praised, “Looking crystal clear, truly lively!”

…More than lively, he was drenched.

“Mingzhou brother, this won’t do.”

“Hurry up and change clothes; don’t catch a cold.”

Jian Mingzhou stretched, “It’s fine; there’s wind and sun; it’ll dry soon.”

Just as things were getting out of hand, Xie Jing suddenly spoke, “Wear mine.”

He looked over and said, “There’s a changing room over there; change into my jacket.”

Jian Mingzhou’s heart suddenly paused, looking at him. Before he could say anything, Heyi enthusiastically said,

“Yours is too big; mine is smaller—Ah!”

Zhou Xuyang interrupted him, “Definitely wear Xie Jing’s; wear it and wash it when you get back.”

Jianming Zhou always felt something subtle; his heart slightly warmed. It seemed like there was something, yet there seemed to be nothing.

Seeing that Xiaoyu was about to blow the whistle again, he quickly spoke before the atmosphere got even worse: “Let’s go.”

…

The changing room was on the other side of the arena.

Athletes’ clothes were basically changed in advance, and at this moment, not many people were using them.

Xie Jing accompanied him.

The empty changing room was lit by sunlight through the lattice windows on one side, illuminating rows of lockers and lounge chairs with faint dust particles floating in the air.

A very manga-like scene.

Jian Mingzhou’s heart inexplicably tightened a bit. He placed his jacket on the chair and turned around, lifting his hand to pick up his T-shirt. The wet fabric peeled off his skin, bringing a cool dampness.

Just as he was lifting his hand to take it off, he suddenly heard Xie Jing’s voice in the quiet air.

“It looks like something from a manga…”

Jian Mingzhou’s arm was twisted! I was almost caught in the clothes. In his mind, the book Xie Jing brought back that day suddenly flashed:

“Forbidden Sports Room”…

He covered his face with the clothes, steaming up.

Then, with forced composure, he took off his T-shirt. Facing away, he asked, “What manga?”

A casual “Hmm?” came from behind, seemingly indifferent. “Athletics Youth.”

“…”

You even bought youth manga!

Jian Mingzhou gave a sidelong glance.

Turning his gaze, he noticed that Xie Jing had turned and was looking through the translucent lattice windows, not looking in his direction.

His slightly tense heart calmed down.

Turning back, he put on Xie Jing’s jacket and zipped it up.

The jacket was really big and loose.

The fabric barely clung to his body, heated by the sun, making his back feel warm.

Jian Mingzhou had never worn someone else’s clothes, especially not this close-fitting.

But probably because it carried the same scent of detergent, it didn’t feel as awkward.

“Xiaojing, I’m done changing; thank you.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Jing turned around, his gaze falling.

It was quiet around, and Jian Mingzhou took his phone and was about to say, “Let’s go.” Group messages buzzed.

He stopped and lowered his head to look at his phone.

The department group was asking if he had finished and whether he was coming for the team-building badminton game in the afternoon.

Xia Ye was still affected, pretending to be crazy, and asked: Is it choosing the BL manga department or your ‘he’?

Then the group started sharing songs like “Love Me or Him.”

“…”

[Mingzhou]: TMD

He extinguished the phone with a press, only to realize that Xie Jing hadn’t spoken since just now and was now looking at him with lowered eyes.

“Sorry, Xiaojing, I replied to a message.”

He bent down to pick up the T-shirt on the lounge chair. “Let’s go, we…” Just as he stood up, a hand suddenly reached over and pulled the zipper on the collar to the top.

Jian Mingzhou was suddenly covered by half of his face.

Did he just get sealed off???

Xie Jing let go of his hand, casually turning his head. “It’s a bit too big.”

Jian Mingzhou pulled down the collar and took a breath. “Yes, especially in that moment when I could barely see this world, it felt even more obvious.”

“…”

Xie Jing turned back, pulled it down a bit, and said, “Sorry.”

—

He returned to the sidelines, and everyone’s attention was suddenly drawn.

He Yi laughed. “You see, it’s really big, like an adult who stole…,” he paused, “like an adult stealing a child’s clothes!”

Zhou Xuyang sneered, “Usually, it won’t fit.”

He Yu’s eyes began to shine again, covering his mouth and whispering, “Mom, can I make a loud noise?”

“Darling, no.”

“…”

Seeing that they were having fun by themselves, Jian Mingzhou turned to ask Xie Jing,

“How long will it take here, approximately?”

Xie Jing asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The department arranged a badminton game for this afternoon; they just asked me how long it would take to get there.”

“After receiving the award, you can leave.”

Jian Mingzhou nodded. “Okay, then will you go to the celebration banquet?”

“Not today.” Xie Jing paused for a second. “I should celebrate with my family first.”

Jian Mingzhou was stunned for a moment and blurted out, “Then do you want to play badminton with me? Uncle will celebrate for you in the evening.”

Xie Jing turned around and smiled. “Sure, good.”

Not even ten minutes later, the coach called, “Gather! Get ready to go over there for the awards ceremony.”

Xie Jing and his group followed.

In the department group, Jian Mingzhou posted a message: “It’s almost over; Xiao Jing and I are coming over.”

The group was still filled with crazy messages like, “Love me or him…”

As soon as his message went through, there was a collective shock: It’s the whole package!

…

After the awards ceremony, Xie Jing came back with the first prize.

After greeting He Yi and a few others, they took a taxi to the team-building sports arena.

In the car, Jian Mingzhou pondered and spoke: “Xiao Jing, did you tell your family about winning the first prize?”

“I sent a message but haven’t received a reply yet.” Xie Jing looked ahead. “Maybe they’re busy.” His profile, reflecting the receding street scenes, carried a hint of indifference amid the hurried background.

Jian Mingzhou pursed his lips and said, “Perhaps they’re busy celebrating for you.”

Xie Jing laughed. “Uncle, no need to console so earnestly.”

Softening his voice, he added, “I’m already happy enough today.”

Half an hour later, they arrived at the team-building sports arena.

Xia Ye came out to greet them, “Mingzhou…”

When he saw the coat on Jian Mingzhou, his voice suddenly halted, and his glasses reflected a glint.

Jian Mingzhou, alert, stared at his mouth and said, “Take me to the changing room first.”

The T-shirt was already dry by now.

He dared not think about what baptism he would face entering the fierce editorial department.

Xia Ye looked at Xie Jing and said, “Alright.”

After changing back into their clothes in the changing room, Jian Mingzhou and Xie Jing walked into the arena, where a warm welcome awaited them.

“Oh, the deputy editor is finally here!”

“Welcome, welcome, welcome to our handsome deputy editor… What’s his name?”

Xie Jing politely said, “Xie Jing.”

Qian Qian said, “Oh, come, come, Xiao Jing! Don’t be polite; treat the editorial department as your own home.”

Jian Mingzhou intervened in time and said, “Xiao Jing, no need.”

Treating everything like your own home will only harm you!

Xie Jing laughed. “Uncle, there is no need to comfort people so carefully.”

Lowering his voice, he added, “I’m already happy enough today.”

After a while, Xie Jing took the field.

Sweat beads adorned his forehead. The arena lights descended, and the dark brows and eyes were moist, releasing a carefree atmosphere.

“Uncle, aren’t you going?”

“Not for now…” Jian Mingzhou adjusted his emotions. “Your uncle just messaged me and asked me to tell you…”

“Your dad, your mom, and your uncle all love you.”

They all messaged Xie Jing?

Jian Mingzhou’s heart moved, warming a bit: Yes.

…

Twenty minutes later, Xie Jing left the field.

Sweat dripped from his forehead. The arena lights descended, and the dark brows and eyes were moist, releasing a wild atmosphere.

“Uncle, aren’t you going?”

“Not for now…” Jian Mingzhou adjusted his emotions. “Your uncle just messaged me and asked me to tell you…”

“Your dad, your mom, and your uncle all love you.”

Xie Jing seemed to be stunned for a moment.

Jian Mingzhou gently urged, “Look at your phone; they sent you messages.”

“…Okay.” Xie Jing bent down and picked up his phone.

After a while, he stood there quietly.

Jian Mingzhou originally didn’t intend to read the messages, but seeing Xie Jing lowering his eyes as if frozen, he couldn’t help but tentatively lean in, “…Xiao Jing?”

The phone was placed in front of him, showing no intention to avoid it. Jian Mingzhou looked at the screen.

On the picture: two tables of celebration feast, three screensavers.

His parents were presumably together, and Xie Chi was alone.

The sumptuous banquet table was filled with delicacies and fine wines. All kinds of rare delicacies were present: matsutake mushrooms, sea cucumbers, bamboo fungus, horseshoe crabs, etc.

In short, except for the protagonist, everything was there.

Xie Jing’s screensaver was placed on a horseshoe crab.

The three of them, from different places, raised their glasses to his photo, and there was a sentence in the chat box: Wishing from afar.

“…”

Jian Mingzhou looked at the table full of delicacies in shock!

Then he looked at the hungry protagonist of the celebration in front of him.

In Xie Jing’s eyes, a deep storm was brewing.

Jian Mingzhou was astonished: …How can he not mind this!!!