Chapter 39 – Camping
Bai Jinyan’s breath paused, his thoughts swirling in his eyes, his gaze fixed on Qiao Huaiyao and couldn’t be separated by even half an inch.
His lips slightly pursed, and the hand that hung by his side clenched at his fingertips.
Qiao Huaiyao, in his drowsy state, looked unusually obedient.
Bai Jinyan found it incredibly soft-hearted and couldn’t come up with any words to refuse him.
Qiao Huaiyao pinched his brow, pushed aside the blanket, and got out of bed. “Brother, wait for me for a moment, I’ll be ready quickly.”
Seeing Qiao Huaiyao’s unsteady form, Bai Jinyan reached out and supported him. “Take your time, no rush.”
The clothes were already prepared.
The early morning temperature was already low, and with the rain outside, it was clear that it would be cold without even checking the weather forecast.
The difference between the room’s air conditioning temperature and the outside was significant, and stepping out suddenly could easily lead to catching a cold.
After Qiao Huaiyao put on his clothes, Bai Jinyan felt that he was a bit underdressed and pulled out a thick coat from the wardrobe for him.
Qiao Huaiyao thought he was dressed quite warmly, but since the clothes were already out, he put on the coat as well.
He could always take it off if he got too warm later.
After he was dressed, Bai Jinyan didn’t open the door. Instead, he said, “Hat.”
Qiao Huaiyao unfastened the umbrella’s clasp and glanced along his gaze. “Don’t need to wear a hat, right?”
The hat’s edges were a bit fuzzy, and it felt thick and warm.
Bai Jinyan raised his hand and motioned him to come closer.
As Qiao Huaiyao approached, Bai Jinyan picked up the hat from the coat and placed it on his head.
He also fastened the buttons underneath to make sure it stayed secure in the wind.
Qiao Huaiyao blinked; the fuzzy fur on the hat partially obstructed his vision.
After putting on the coat, Qiao Huaiyao already felt warm after standing in the room for a while.
Bai Jinyan helped him straighten his appearance, and when Bai Jinyan felt it was satisfactory, he finally opened the door, and the cold air rushed in.
Qiao Huaiyao still thought it wouldn’t be too cold outside, but as soon as he stepped out, the cold wind dispelled that notion.
He huddled into his clothes and gripped the umbrella tightly.
Breakfast at four in the morning was attended by only a few due to the received text messages.
Not to mention those who would wake up early for it.
Qiao Huaiyao held an umbrella, traversing the dark path to the breakfast location.
There was no need to rush, and there was no need to compete.
You could take the food whenever you wanted.
When he arrived at the second floor of a small building, Qiao Huaiyao noticed that all the guests had already gathered except for the staff, which wasn’t unexpected.
“Hey? Brother, why did you bring Huaiyao out?” Zhao Jiamo guessed that Bai Jinyan might come, but seeing Qiao Huaiyao enter with him was a bit surprising. He thought Bai Jinyan would let Qiao Huaiyao rest in the room given the cold weather.
Zhao Jiamo laughed upon seeing how Qiao Huaiyao was bundled up. “Can’t you just let him sleep inside? You’re worried about him getting cold, yet you still take him out. What’s the point? Just let him sleep in the room and get his own breakfast.”
Qiao Huaiyao, with half his face hidden in the hat, managed to see outside with his eyes. Without waiting for Bai Jinyan to speak, he mumbled, “I’ll accompany my brother.”
Zhao Jiamo raised an eyebrow in amusement; these two… They weren’t biological siblings, but their bond was even better than that.
Bai Jinyan wiped off the raindrops that had fallen on his shoulder and didn’t engage in much conversation with the director. He simply said, “Breakfast.”
Zhao Jiamo nodded and gestured to the row of tables beside him. “You’re the first ones here. You can choose whatever you like.”
“We’ll take ours later.” Apart from dim sum and congee, there were also soy milk and deep-fried dough sticks, along with a row of boxed lunches on the left.
Looking at the labels, there was a variety of dishes.
It seemed this could be considered more than just breakfast.
Qiao Huaiyao thought the director’s intention might be to remind them that if they took more than they could eat, they could put the excess in the refrigerator for lunch.
Perhaps it could even last longer.
No wonder they were advised to arrive early.
It was for this reason.
Bai Jinyan took the thermal container and asked, “What do you want to eat?”
Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment and said, “Soy milk buns.”
The fillings were labeled on top of the buns.
Bai Jinyan put two boxes of buns and a bottle of soy milk into the thermal container.
The milk provided for breakfast wasn’t the usual type Qiao Huaiyao drank, so Bai Jinyan didn’t take it.
He also left the ones meant for lunch untouched.
After making their choices and sealing the thermal container, Zhao Jiamo couldn’t believe it. “You guys were the first ones here, and you’re only taking this little?”
Taking breakfast early was all about managing what was left.
Convenience store prices were high, and many guests didn’t have enough money to last the whole day.
So those who arrived early would naturally take more and store some in the refrigerator for the next day.
This leftover money would then be used for the day’s activities.
Zhao Jiamo’s initial portion wasn’t excessive, to begin with.
He imagined that by the time they finished, there might be only one or two groups of guests left, and they would either get very little or nothing at all.
Bai Jinyan’s choices disrupted the pace of the game.
Zhao Jiamo tested, “Not taking more? The boxed lunches over there are from a restaurant. They include meat and seafood. The boxes are microwave-safe, making it convenient to reheat them when you want to eat.”
Bai Jinyan declined, “No need.”
He might have chosen if they were raw, but cooked food was another matter.
Zhao Jiamo sighed, “Alright, the box is sealed. It’ll stay warm until noon, so you can open it whenever you’re ready to eat.”
On the way back, the rain had stopped.
Although it was still pitch black, there was no rain to obstruct their view.
Qiao Huaiyao extended his hand from the slightly longer sleeve.
“Brother, I…” He had meant to help Bai Jinyan carry the thermal container or maybe even put away the unused umbrella.
Bai Jinyan looked back and, holding the umbrella and thermal container in his left hand, he took Qiao Huaiyao’s hand in his right, cautioning, “Watch out for puddles.”
Qiao Huaiyao blinked and curled his fingertips, holding his hand in return, murmuring, “Okay.”
After making a round trip in the early morning, they returned to the room before five o’clock. “Are you hungry?” Bai Jinyan casually placed the thermal container on the table.
Looking at Qiao Huaiyao’s lack of energy, it was probably due to waking up too early. After the lights went out last night, he didn’t feel particularly tired.
He held his phone to watch videos of professional courses, which made him more awake.
He even thought of taking notes. He was only discovered by his brother, who then forced him to put down the phone and rest.
All in all, he might have slept for less than an hour.
Qiao Huaiyao shook his head. “Not really hungry.”
He hung up his coat and still felt somewhat tired. He said, “Brother, I’ll take a nap.”
“Alright.” Bai Jinyan responded when he heard that, without opening the thermal container.
Before entering the bedroom, Qiao Huaiyao remembered his brother’s habit of morning runs and turned his head. “The ground outside is wet. Brother, how about you skip the morning run today?”
The water wasn’t the main issue; it was the muddy path that couldn’t be walked on due to missing stones or uneven surfaces.
It was alright under normal circumstances, but after the rain, it turned into puddles.
It was easy to trip if you didn’t pay close attention.
Bai Jinyan agreed, “Okay.”