Chapter 85.5

As for the second bedroom that was suddenly vacated, Tan Yiming's and Xiang Cai’s ideas for its transformation completely opposed each other.

Xiang Cai wanted to transform it into an office furnished with a computer, microphone, and headphones, so that if Tan Yiming worked overtime, he could do that at home rather than staying late at the company.

However, Tan Yiming insisted on transforming it into a practice room. The lighting there was very good and the afternoon sun would shine in through the bay window, warming it completely. He would install movable bars and a large mirror by the wall so that Xiang Cai could do his practice at home. Moreover, the ground was heated, so it was especially warm when he stepped on it. Whether he wore dancing shoes or was barefoot, he wouldn’t have to worry about cold feet.

Both fought for the sake of the other, and neither wanted the other to settle for something less because of themselves.

The argument battle started out as a ‘verbal conflict’ but quickly escalated to a ‘fight of weapons’...In a comparison of weaponry, Xiang Cai naturally could not compete. So in the end, the battle concluded with a resounding victory to Tan Yiming. 

Thus, the second bedroom was emptied of all its furniture and was transformed into a practice room. On days when he couldn't go to the rehearsal hall, he would stay in this practice room.

At this moment, the door of the practice room was ajar and the faint sound of chatter floated through the crack in the door.

Tan Yiming opened the door gently, and saw his lover chatting with people on WeChat video while stretching his center split.

Xiang Cai’s legs were fully extended to the left and right, and three yoga blocks were placed under each foot. He sat just like that with toes stretched into stunning arcs.

Even if Tan Yiming had already experienced it firsthand on numerous occasions, every time he saw Xiang Cai practicing the basic skills, he still marveled at the flexibility of his body.

The boy was like a ball of water, as his shoulders, waist, hips, and legs were incredibly malleable, and he could easily contort to any posture.

Tan Yiming leaned against the door frame, and outlined the boy’s figure with obsessive eyes, like a devout believer admiring the existence of a miracle.

Xiang Cai didn't notice Tan Yiming's quiet appearance behind him, as he was attentively video chatting with Fanfan!

Gu Fanfan was on winter vacation and couldn't see his friends in school, so he remembered his big friend Xiang Cai.

"Xiang Cai gege!" Fanfan spoke happily, "Will you come to my house for New Year's Eve? Let's play on the Switch together, I will give you three chances to beat my Mario Kart record!"

Xiang Cai was taken aback, and hurriedly said, "Thank you for inviting your gege. However, New Year's Eve is a day for families to reunite. If your gege goes to your house, it will bother your family."

"It won’t bother them!" Fanfan said anxiously. "You are my friend, and my mother said that good friends go to visit each other's houses as guests."

Xiang Cai was about to say something more, when the camera suddenly flickered, and Gu Liang and Ye Ye appeared behind Fanfan.

Gu Liang was dressed like a virtuous housewife, and wore an apron with flour all over his face and hands. Xiang Cai guessed he was making buns or dumplings.

Gu Liang enthusiastically waved his hand at Xiang Cai and said, "You are welcome to come, Xiao Xiang. Fanfan's intentions are also the intentions of us husband and wife. How boring would it be for you to spend the night alone, come along with the three of us instead."

Ye Ye also added: "Yes, the class master must be going back to his parents' house for dinner on New Year's Eve, so you come to have dinner with us. After dinner, he can come and take you home. Isn’t that great!"

Their words moved Xiang Cai.

Although Tan Yiming didn’t have a good relationship with his parents, of course he had to go home to spend the evening with his parents for such an important New Year's Eve dinner. During the previous celebrations, Xiang Cai had spent this time alone in the school dormitory. Every home was warmly lit but only he was alone, he really had enough of that.

So this year should he cheekily go to someone's home to celebrate?

He was about to agree when Tan Yiming suddenly interrupted after having overheard their conversation from outside the door.

"Wait!" Tan Yiming took off his shoes and quickly walked into the room, squeezing into the view of Xiang Cai’s phone’s camera. "You guys are planning behind my back? Why didn't you ask me about my arrangements?"

Xiang Cai asked blankly: "Your arrangements?"

Tan Yiming helplessly stretched out a hand and knocked on Xiang Cai’s forehead: "Little idiot, who said I wouldn’t accompany you for New Year's Eve?"

He had bought so many new year goods, and even prepared two large boxes of fireworks. How could Xiang Cai foolishly think that he was going to spend the New Year's Eve with someone else?

"Then your parents?..." Xiang Cai asked worriedly.

"I gave them a Spring Festival tour, a 15-day, in-depth tour of the four Nordic countries." Tan Yiming raised his eyebrows, "When it comes to festival times, my relatives know to manipulate my parents when they get together. This time, I've sent the old couple out of the country to see the outside world and not be manipulated by these gossiping narrow-minded relatives."

Recently, Tan Yiming has been reflecting upon the relationship between himself and his parents - at the age of 30, he no longer avoided the conflicts between them blindly as he did when he was younger, but began to think about how to expand his parents' point of views.

His family was an ordinary family. His parents had tried their best to train him in hopes that he could be outstanding. There was nothing wrong with that kind of mentality - of wishing the best for their child, but they only understood one path to success and did not know how to appreciate the many other achievements of their son.

Furthermore, his parents who had retired, always stayed at home. They could only hear the great deeds of ‘such and such’s son who is a boss earning millions a year’ and ‘such and such’s daughter who is a lawyer with her own firm’. These mainstream success stories could only lead them to involuntarily form biased thoughts.

All Tan Yiming could do now was to limit his parents' exposure to such an environment and to experience a wider world. Traveling was only the first step; Tan Yiming also planned to enroll his parents into an elderly college, and suggest they take up calligraphy, piano and or ballroom dancing. If they can experience a more varied lifestyle, they might not judge their son so harshly again.

But this process would take dedication and a long time, such as three years, five years, or even ten years.

But Tan Yiming had the patience to work hard on their outlook - little by little.

After all, if he could not move their hearts to accept his career choice, what chance would he have to move their hearts to accept his sexuality and his beloved Cai Cai in the future?

...

Tan Yiming domineeringly detained Xiang Cai, not allowing him to celebrate at someone else's home on New Year's Eve.

"Xiang Cai gege..." In the video, Fanfan's mouth pouted, "You’re not coming over, so you’re forgetting about me?"

"How could that be?" Xiang Cai coaxed him, "After you obediently finish your winter homework, how about your gege takes you ice skating?"

Tan Yiming interrupted in surprise: "You can skate?"

Xiang Cai: "Yes, dancers have good balance, so we all can basically skate."

When Tan Yiming saw his triumphant little appearance, his heart grew itchy, and he couldn't help but lower his head and kiss the tip of his nose: "How many good points do you have that I haven't seen yet?"

"—Hey!" At the other end of the screen, Gu Liang and Ye Ye covered their son's eyes at the same time: "There is still a child here! Can you two not be so greasy?!."

Fanfan only saw black, and he blankly stretched out his hand and waved it in the air: "What's going on? Why is the room so dark all of the sudden?"

"..." The little swan shyly covered his face with his wings, too embarrassed to look at others.

"Ah..." Tan Yiming knew that he was in the wrong, and hurriedly finishing the call, "Tell you what, we still have something to do here, so let's talk next time."

Gu Liang: "Go, go, hang up already. Our family of three can't stand the poison of you lovers."

Fanfan broke free from his parents, waved his hand at the camera super-enthusiastically, and yelled milkily, "Xiang Cai gege, bye!"

Xiang Cai blushed and raised his head, whispering, "Bye."

The two exchanged several air kisses, and then hung up under the disgusted gazes of the parents on both ends.

Tan Yiming snorted: "You still do air kisses? How old are you, isn’t that too childish?"

Xiang Cai lifted a foot and kicked his thigh, his face full of spoiled arrogance: "What's wrong with being childish? Who told me before that I will always be a kid to him?"

"..." Tan Yiming rubbed his legs, thinking, who spoiled Xiang Cai like this?

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The author has something to say: It's you, Old Tan!

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