Chapter 78 (End of Main Text) They are from each other's planets...
The next morning, Xing Lan was woken up early by the sound of children setting off firecrackers outside.
He was so tired last night, with a sore back and weak legs, that he selectively ignored the deafening sound of firecrackers and lay on the bed with his eyes closed to rest.
During this time, he felt Li Baidong, who had been sleeping next to him and holding him, lean down and carefully kiss his eyelashes. Then he got out of bed, changed his clothes amidst a rustling sound, and walked out of the room in his slippers.
Shanghai has many New Year customs, and Li Baidong has had to get up early these past few days to prepare things and help cook with his family. Xing Lan, as a guest, naturally doesn't have to do anything and can sleep in.
Around noon, Li Baidong pushed the door open and came in again.
"Baby, wake up." His tone was very gentle. He lifted Xing Lan's slightly long hair with his fingertips and gently kissed his forehead. "Little kitty, if you don't get up, you'll miss lunch."
Xing Lan's long eyelashes fluttered, and she took a deep breath almost imperceptibly.
Although his body ached as if it were about to fall apart, he didn't hesitate any longer and forced himself to sit up from the bed, thinking that Li Baidong's family might be waiting for him to get up and have breakfast.
"Good boy." Li Baidong praised him, leaned over and kissed his lips, and then massaged his waist.
As soon as Xing Lan got up, her gaze wandered around the messy bed.
When he first woke up, his hair was messy, his dark pupils were round, and he didn't look like his usual calm and composed self. Instead, he looked like a clueless kitten, which was especially cute.
Li Baidong looked at him, her heart softening instantly. She asked gently, "What are you looking for, baby?"
Xing Lan frowned: "Where are my pants? I folded them and put them on the bed last night."
The two of them had been so rough last night that Xing Lan's clothes were now disheveled. Her perfectly good pajamas were almost torn to shreds, and the soft fabric had slipped loosely off her shoulders, revealing large areas of her fair skin underneath.
As for the pants he had carefully folded and placed on the corner of the bed for tomorrow, they had been kicked out of the bed by someone and disappeared without a trace.
"No need to look anymore," Li Baidong said with a grin. "If I can't find it, I won't wear it. It's quite convenient to go naked."
Xing Lan glared at him coldly.
He searched for a long time but couldn't find his pants. Li Baidong then joined him in the search. The two of them worked together with one heart and one mind, and after a lot of effort, they had almost turned the whole room upside down, but in the end they still couldn't find them.
"It might have accidentally fallen into some crevice," Li Baidong guessed as he straightened up from behind the wooden cabinet.
"never mind."
After a while, Xing Lan stopped searching, sighed softly, and leaned lazily against the back of the beechwood bed.
His voice was a little hoarse, and without even lifting his eyelids, he casually instructed Li Baidong, "Go to the suitcase and get me a new one."
"Yes, baby."
Upon hearing this, Li Baidong obediently went and returned with a new pair of pants for him.
Xing Lan glanced down and realized something was wrong: "Aren't these your pants?"
"Really?" Li Baidong touched his nose and said vaguely, "It's okay, you can wear them, bro."
Time was of the essence, so Xing Lan didn't dwell on it too much. After putting on her pants, she was about to change her shirt when she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the doorway.
His body was covered in red and purple marks of varying shades, making him completely unsightly. Hearing the noise at the door, he quickly clutched his clothes, bent down, and hid behind Li Baidong like a frightened rabbit.
Li Baidong reacted quickly, turning to the side and using his broad, tall figure to completely block Xing Lan from view.
The people who came in were Li Baidong's parents.
His father looked around the room and asked Li Baidong, "Why are you all alone? Has Lanlan gotten up yet?"
“He’s up, he was just changing his clothes.” Li Baidong paused, then frowned and complained to his parents, “You two are really something, just barging in without knocking. Do you think I’m still a child?”
Mr. Li was taken aback, and explained, "We originally intended to knock, but seeing that your door was open, your mother and I assumed you were already up, so we came in."
Xing Lan felt ashamed, both in her heart and on her face, when she thought about how Li Baidong's parents had slept next door to them the night before.
I wonder if they heard anything...
Li Baidong appeared quite natural in front of his parents, speaking with an air of self-righteousness: "Oh, I forgot to close the door. What's wrong? Is there something you need?"
He glanced around and immediately saw his mother holding two thick, simple cotton-padded coats.
“What else could it be? It’s New Year’s, your mother came to bring you new clothes,” said Mr. Li.
As if he had just thought of something, he reached out and rubbed his face with his large hand, casually complaining, "What were you two watching TV for so late last night? ... You kept me and your mother awake, and we have to stay up all night tonight."
Xing Lan immediately felt guilty, lowered her head slightly, and blushed.
Fortunately, Li's mother, who was following behind him, spoke up quickly, breaking the awkward silence in the room.
"Oh dear, isn't it cold now? I was thinking of sewing you and Yangyang a couple of cotton-padded jackets." After saying that, Li's mother lowered her head and patted off the excess fluff and loose threads on the cotton-padded jackets.
Li Baidong's temperament, complexion, and even his lean, sharp facial features are remarkably similar to his father's. Only his eyes resemble his mother's; they are long and narrow with slightly upturned corners, giving them a languid, cunning quality.
However, Li's mother's eyes, weathered by the years, possessed a gentler quality often found in older women than his.
"I finished making yours and Yangyang's a while ago. I've been rushing to finish them these past few days. I also sewed one for Lanlan, and I was thinking of bringing them over to you both today." Li's mother placed the two handmade cotton-padded jackets of different colors on the chair in the room and said with a smile, "New year, new look, of course you need to wear clothes."
"Alright, since it's inconvenient, your dad and I will be leaving now. I'll leave this cotton-padded coat here; remember to wear it."
Before leaving, she turned back and reminded them, "Dinner's almost ready, you two hurry up and get ready to eat."
Li Baidong smiled and said in a clear voice, "I understand, thank you, Mom."
Xing Lan whispered behind him, "Thank you, Auntie."
After his parents left, Li Baidong naturally turned around and reached out to stroke his fair face: "Why are you still calling me 'Auntie' and not 'Mom'?"
Xing Lan glared at him and slapped him lightly, annoyed: "If I yelled, wouldn't I scare your mother to death?"
Li Baidong smiled, gently touching his chin, which was slightly red from being slapped, but he didn't feel any pain at all.
-
In order not to disappoint Li Baidong's mother's good intentions, even though the cotton-padded jacket was garish in color and overly down-to-earth in style, the two of them still obediently wore the new clothes given to them by their elders when they went to have New Year's Eve dinner together.
Although this coat is warm and sturdy, it makes people look quite bulky. Two people who are originally so thin and tall instantly become two bloated and clumsy round balls after wearing it. They look very festive sitting at the dining table, like dolls from a New Year's painting who have grown up.
Li Baidong's mother was very satisfied with her exquisite tailoring skills. As soon as she saw them in the foyer, she couldn't stop smiling and kept praising them.
"Oh my, what two handsome young men!"
"Those two young men are so handsome!!"
"What beautiful young men they are!!!"
Xing Lan: "..."
While it's inappropriate to criticize elders, this wording is far too repetitive.
He silently turned his head and looked at himself in the mirror. His thin eyelids twitched instantly, and he felt like he was eight months pregnant. Li Baidong's already broad body was now even more like Schwarzenegger, as if he could suddenly crash into a wall while walking.
It's such a waste that Li's mother has such a skill and isn't being recruited to make bulletproof vests. Wearing this big coat, she could withstand any hail of bullets.
Li Baidong's family ate their New Year's Eve dinner very early, starting at noon and continuing until evening.
The chicken legs on the table were originally meant for the younger generation in the family, but Li Baidong felt that these little brats who hadn't yet developed their intelligence could just eat more spicy snacks and lollipops during the New Year, and the chicken legs should naturally be reserved for his most beloved baby.
So, as soon as the chicken leg was served, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Baidong immediately and quickly placed a large, glistening chicken leg into Xing Lan's bowl, then whispered in his ear, "How is it?"
The small bowl in front of Xing Lan was piled high with various delicious treats by Li Baidong. He put down his chopsticks and glanced at him briefly: "What do you mean, 'how'? Praising you for being quick with your food?"
Li Baidong stared straight at him, casually straightened his collar, and said with a light laugh, "Wearing clothes made by my mother, you're now part of my family, and that will never change."
Xing Lan paused, pursed her lips, and said softly in a voice only the two of them could hear, "I didn't say I wanted to change it."
In fact, this cotton-padded coat not only warmed Xing Lan's body, but also made him feel very warm inside.
Xing Lan used to think that the New Year was a very meaningless thing. All he faced all day long were utilitarian dinner parties, hypocritical greetings, and a gloomy atmosphere, all of which he found extremely disgusting.
Until he came to Li Baidong's home this year.
Here you'll find warm food, genuine care, and lighthearted laughter.
This was the first time Xing Lan had experienced such a wonderful Chinese New Year atmosphere. The whole family gathered together, eating and chatting, allowing Xing Lan to feel the long-lost happiness that family brings.
After having their New Year's Eve dinner, they watched the Spring Festival Gala together.
The relatives chatted and ate sunflower seeds, speaking in Haishi dialect, which Xing Lan couldn't quite understand.
He suddenly had a sudden idea and asked Li Baidong, "Can you teach me a few words of your language?"
“Sure.” Li Baidong casually placed his hand on top of his own, looking into his eyes. “What do you want to learn?”
“Anything is fine,” Xing Lan said.
Li Baidong thought for a moment, then gradually clenched his fists and said something to him very seriously.
Xing Lan repeated the sentence he had heard in a serious tone, then looked up at Li Baidong and asked, "What does that sentence mean?"
Li Baidong blinked and said softly, "I love you."
Although Xing Lan didn't know why he suddenly confessed to her again, she subconsciously replied, "I love you too."
"—So what exactly did you mean by that last sentence?"
Li Baidong smiled, his eyes crinkling: "That sentence means, I love you."
Xing Lan realized that she had misunderstood him, and her face turned slightly red.
It's all Li Baidong's fault. He's always pestering him with lovey-dovey talk, which makes this his first thought.
Xing Lan, a beginner in Haishi dialect and the first student in Li Baidong's impromptu language class, commented on his casual teaching with a serious expression: "It's not practical at all. Can't you teach me something I can actually say to people in everyday life?"
Who teaches someone a new language without teaching them "hello" or "goodbye," and immediately jumps in with "I love you"? That's incredibly careless.
While the surrounding relatives were all engrossed in playing cards and using their phones, and no one had time to look at them, Li Baidong quietly pulled Xing Lan into his arms, placed his palm on Xing Lan's waist, and kissed his brow with his lowered eyes.
"Why bother learning those useless things? You only chat with me anyway, and this is the only thing I want to hear."
The two people were standing very close together, their heads touching, their posture looking incredibly intimate.
Xing Lan turned her head and suddenly noticed that Li Baidong's light golden hair had faded from washing, and the roots of his hair were faintly showing his original black color.
That's true, it's Chinese New Year recently, and barbershops haven't opened yet. Li Baidong hasn't dyed his hair in a long time, and his black hair has slowly grown back.
Dyeing hair is a very troublesome and time-consuming thing. Li Baidong used to complain to him that the chairs in the barbershop were uncomfortable to sit in. He would sit there for most of the day, and he would be hungry and tired, and his body would become stiff.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask Li Baidong curiously, "Why do you always dye your hair this color? Isn't dyeing your hair harmful to your health?"
Li Baidong pursed his lips and suddenly lowered his eyes.
“Because—” he looked at Xing Lan and suddenly said, “because you like it.”
"I like it?" Xing Lan's expression seemed somewhat incredulous.
What's going on? He himself doesn't even know he likes guys with dyed blonde hair.
"When did I start liking it?"
Li Baidong continued staring at him and said, "Back then, I asked you what kind of person you liked, and you said you liked blondies, people with blond hair."
Li Baidong spoke with such certainty and vivid memory about anything related to Xing Lan, while Xing Lan remained completely clueless.
It took him quite a while to finally remember.
When he was in high school, he and a child once rescued a stray dog with an injured leg at school.
Xing Lan was squatting down to feed water to a puppy suffering from heatstroke when the child beside him stared at him silently and suddenly spoke up.
He nervously fidgeted with the hem of his clothes, his eyes darting around, and asked Xing Lan anxiously.
"elder brother."
"If in the future... in the future..."
"What kind of person would you like...?"
What kind of person will Xing, who is so outstanding and handsome, like in the future...?
The child's voice was very soft and unclear, and with the surrounding noise being too loud, Xing Lan didn't hear him clearly and thought he was asking her what kind of dog she liked.
Thinking of the IKEA Golden Retriever that had always slept with her when she was a child, Xing Lan naturally said, "Golden Retriever, I guess."
Upon hearing the word, the child seemed a little confused and asked again and again to confirm, "Golden Retriever? You mean the kind with golden hair?"
Xing Lan was busy feeding the puppy and didn't think much of it, so she nodded: "Yes, the golden kind."
The child breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that this request would be quite easy to fulfill when he grew up.
But he couldn't help but ask Xing Lan, "Why?"
Does that mean Xing Lan could fall for any random guy with dyed hair who walks down the street?
"It's nothing," Xing Lan replied casually. "I just think it's quite cute."
The child secretly remembered it.
It turns out Xing Lan likes blonde hair.
So after he became an adult, while others were out drinking and partying with their newly acquired ID cards, the first thing Li Baidong did was go to the hair salon and dye his hair a striking blonde.
I remember the first time he came home for Chinese New Year with a head of golden hair, it scared his elderly grandmother so much that she almost asked someone to send him away as a ghost.
"..."
Unexpectedly, Li Baidong was asking about people at that time.
Unexpectedly, Li Baidong dyed his hair blonde for so many years because of a casual remark he made.
He was a little amused and exasperated, looking at Li Baidong with a strange feeling in his heart: "So that's why you dye your hair so often? Not because it looks good, but just because you want me to like you?"
Li Baidong stared at him intently and nodded.
"The golden retriever I was talking about isn't—" He thought for a moment, then abruptly stopped, not telling Li Baidong the absurd truth that he had misheard.
He gently patted Li Baidong's fluffy head and said softly, "You should dye your hair black from now on. I like black hair now; it looks cute."
Li Baidong raised an eyebrow: "Really?"
"Really." Xing Lan's tone was very serious. She lowered her eyes and gently rubbed his palm with her fingertips.
"You like obedient girls now?"
"Um."
"Am I a good boy or not?" Li Baidong leaned closer to him, his bright black eyes staring at him intently.
"Be good." Xing Lan said without hesitation, her tone gentle.
You are the best little dog in the world. He thought, you are my little dog.
-
Around midnight, many children ran out of the house and covered their ears to watch the adults set off fireworks.
There are no fireworks regulations in Shanghai, so a relative of Li Baidong bought a lot of fireworks of all kinds and lit them precisely at midnight on New Year's Eve.
"Whoosh—smack!!"
After a sharp roar, beautiful fireworks burst forth in the night, creating a dazzling and radiant scene.
The children below looked up, their faces reddened by the cold wind and their eyes sparkling in the light, marveling at the magical changes of the fireworks in the sky.
Everyone was outside excitedly watching the fireworks, while the brightly lit house had unknowingly become empty and silent.
As the fireworks went off, Xing Lan subconsciously turned her head to look, but the next second Li Baidong grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her into his arms.
The man's embrace was broad and warm, carrying a familiar and pleasant scent, which made Xing Lan relax without realizing it.
Li Baidong lowered his head slightly, lifted the chin of the person in his arms with his fingertips, and the two shared a soft and lingering kiss amidst the noisy fireworks outside the window.
The two looked into each other's eyes, their gazes filled with tenderness and deep affection.
The youths' clear pupils were like the smallest planets in the universe, and they were the only inhabitants of each other's planets.
“I love you,” Li Baidong said, staring at him.
“I love you too,” Xing Lan replied, using the Haishi dialect he had just learned.
Fireworks are just a fleeting moment of romance and splendor, but their lives afterward are long, long.
For the past twenty years, Xing Lan has always felt that love is a lie, an illusion, and a constraint.
Until he met Li Baidong, a person who had loved him steadfastly for so many years without his knowledge.
He then realized that love is the hardest secret to hide in the world, the softest silk in life, and the filling of a lonely heart with another passionate one.
From then on, the long river of time, which was originally full of unknowns and loneliness, became a lovely little river where one could frolic freely on the banks because of the presence of their lover.
—The End—
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Author's Note: The main story is finished! owo I'll start updating the side stories tomorrow or the day after! [heart emoji]
It's been almost three months since I started writing this, and I'm so grateful to all of you for following along and being there for me. Thank you so much for reading Xiaolan and Xiaodong's story! Thank you so much!
I hope you enjoy reading this! [Kiss][Kiss] Welcome to check out my upcoming novel, "The Pretty Little Stutterer's Crossdressing Livestream Reveals Her Identity." It's a story about a powerful, self-conquering, and secretly charming CEO (gong) and an introverted, obedient, and honest stutterer (shou). The gong pretends to be cold and aloof, but secretly he's madly fighting with his own younger brother for Xiangxiang's wife. Lianzhou is also incredibly cute o3o Interested readers, go check it out! (Repeatedly hypnotizing...) [Starry eyes][Starry eyes]
Finally, let's set off a fireworks display for everyone, just like Xiaolan and Xiaodong did.
Fireworks][Fire ...]
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