Chapter 65 – Act Like A Spoiled Child
Qiao Huaiyao blinked lightly, wanting to say something, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he was kissed, leaving him unable to speak.
After a few more kisses, Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t help but shrink back and asked, “Is there surveillance here?”
For tourists’ safety, there are usually cameras by the beach.
Even though it’s not the peak season and there are fewer people, it’s still not completely deserted during the day.
If there are cameras, they might be on 24/7.
“I asked, and there’s none here.” Bai Jinyan, naturally having prepared everything in advance, knew where the blind spots were and which areas had no cameras.
The spot they were in now was clearly safe.
You…you asked?
Qiao Huaiyao was momentarily stunned, realizing the implication of Bai Jinyan’s words, and his face grew warm.
Bai Jinyan, hugging him affectionately, still asked, “Really not going to kiss?”
Qiao Huaiyao’s face reddened further, so he simply buried his head in Bai Jinyan’s chest, not trying to break free, allowing himself to be held.
Bai Jinyan lowered his head and lightly kissed Qiao Huaiyao’s reddened earlobe. Despite the sea breeze, which should have made his ears cold, they felt warm against his lips.
Bai Jinyan chuckled silently, and Qiao Huaiyao seemed to sense it but didn’t move, only sneaking a glance at him.
Seeing Bai Jinyan lean in closer again, Qiao Huaiyao quickly hid further into his embrace.
The furry collar obscured Qiao Huaiyao, so Bai Jinyan casually pressed the fur down, shielding him from the sea breeze by facing the ocean with his back.
Childishly holding and kissing him, even with Qiao Huaiyao buried in his chest, Bai Jinyan could sense his increasingly reddening face.
Unable to resist teasing him, Bai Jinyan, full of amusement, began to speak, “Baby…”
Before he could finish, Qiao Huaiyao quickly raised his hand to cover Bai Jinyan’s mouth, no longer hiding as he had before.
Qiao Huaiyao lifted his head, his eyes meeting Bai Jinyan’s.
As their eyes met and he saw the laughter in Bai Jinyan’s eyes, Qiao Huaiyao’s heart pounded, and he averted his gaze. “Don’t… don’t be like this… Ahem, it’s getting dark. Shouldn’t we head back to the hotel?”
It had already been dark when they first came out.
Qiao Huaiyao, unsure of what to say, blurted out the first thing that came to mind, filling the silence.
“Let’s go back to the hotel.” Seeing him like this, Bai Jinyan couldn’t bear to tease him any longer. He hugged him and coaxed, “I asked the kitchen to prepare fruit tea. Let’s go back and see how it tastes.”
Qiao Huaiyao whispered, “Okay, let’s go.”
The amusement park was large. Though Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan hadn’t tried all the rides, they had walked through most of the park.
Additionally, the friction of his clothes against his skin had caused some discomfort.
Even though most of the activities involved sitting, he had still walked a lot.
Exhausted from the day.
After a loop around the beach, Qiao Huaiyao took a shower and changed into pajamas, going to bed early.
Bai Jinyan turned off all the lights in the room and drew the curtains.
The hotel curtains weren’t very thick, matching the overall light blue decor of the hotel. The curtains were also light blue, with a layer of gauze simulating bubbles.
Though they looked nice, they couldn’t block out the light from outside.
At night, with the lights off, the curtains let through the light from outside, and during the day, it was even more noticeable.
Bai Jinyan thought for a moment and then pushed over a nearby movable clothes rack, using the clothes to block the light.
The curtains weren’t floor-length but matched the size of the bay window, only covering that part.
The clothes rack was positioned perfectly.
Early the next morning, Bai Jinyan woke up just as the sky was getting light.
Instinctively, he hugged the person beside him and kissed his forehead. Judging that it was around sunrise time, he whispered, “Baby, it’s time to get up.”
Qiao Huaiyao kept his eyes tightly shut, furrowing his brows, mumbling something indistinct.
Half-awake, half-asleep, Bai Jinyan didn’t catch it clearly but could guess what he meant.
Bai Jinyan hugged him, wanting to wake him but ended up patting him gently, pulling the slipping blanket back up.
Watching Qiao Huaiyao’s peaceful sleeping face, Bai Jinyan lay back down, gently patting him, whispering, “If you don’t get up now, we’ll miss the sunrise.”
During dinner the previous day, Qiao Huaiyao had mentioned never seeing a sunrise over the sea, so Bai Jinyan planned to wake up early to show him.
Now was the perfect time, not too early, just right to see the sunrise.
“Mm…” Qiao Huaiyao murmured, still not opening his eyes, grasping Bai Jinyan’s hand and holding it in front of him. “Bro… Brother…”
Qiao Huaiyao’s thoughts were still a bit unclear, and he didn’t even know what he wanted to say, only murmuring for his brother.
“Hmm?” At this point, Qiao Huaiyao had no strength left, his fingers weakly resting on Bai Jinyan’s hand, which could easily be pulled away.
But Bai Jinyan didn’t pull away, letting him hold it.
Seeing how sleepy Qiao Huaiyao was, Bai Jinyan hesitated and asked, “Then we won’t watch the sunrise?”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded drowsily, “Mm… not watching…”
Perhaps Qiao Huaiyao thought he was nodding, but in Bai Jinyan’s eyes, the tiny movement was barely noticeable without close attention.
Seeing Qiao Huaiyao’s obedient and cute appearance, Bai Jinyan couldn’t help but smile and coaxed, “Okay, sleep then. I won’t bother you.”
Qiao Huaiyao squinted, raising his hand to rest on Bai Jinyan’s shoulder, as if trying to pull him closer.
Bai Jinyan thought he wanted to use his arm as a pillow, so he leaned in accordingly.
Then Qiao Huaiyao tilted his head up and kissed him, before nestling back into his chest, finding a comfortable position, giving a contented sigh, and closing his eyes to sleep.
The motion was smooth and fluid, completed in one go.
Bai Jinyan chuckled and, deciding not to go for his morning run, reached for the ointment on the bedside table. After applying it evenly, he tucked Qiao Huaiyao in.
Qiao Huaiyao slept soundly, showing no sign of waking.
Bai Jinyan, holding the person in his arms, soon fell asleep too.
A nap can feel like a form of time travel.
Wanting to sleep for just ten more minutes without an alarm can easily turn into two hours.
Qiao Huaiyao vaguely remembered waking up once during that time, but when he opened his eyes again, it was already past ten.
He checked his phone and saw a message from Director Zhao Jiamei. The first line read: [I messaged Bai Jinyan, but he didn’t reply, so I had to message you. I did give a heads-up.]
Following that were details about the variety show promotion.
Zhao Jiamei wrote: [The latest episode of the variety show is out! The content for promotion is ready for you to share. Thank you!]
The second episode of the variety show aired on the last day of Qiao Huaiyao’s vacation.
The buzz around Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan hadn’t died down for days, with many CP fans eagerly awaiting the show.
The two main stars only occasionally posted on Weibo and didn’t engage much, leaving fans hungry for any updates, which were mostly from others’ candid photos, albeit not in high definition.
Though this didn’t stop fans from shipping them, it did make it harder to save high-quality pictures for later.
Their popularity overshadowed the other guests to some extent.
Zhao Jiamei wasn’t too concerned about this, as it had both pros and cons. While some attention was diverted, it also brought new interest and viewership.
The most important thing was that the overall popularity of the show had significantly increased.
Moreover, the other guests, despite being overshadowed, were happy to share the show, seeing it as a beneficial exposure.
For other artists, appearing on a hit show was advantageous when negotiating future projects, potentially leading to higher pay.
Higher visibility meant smoother career progress.
Many guests occasionally messaged Bai Jinyan to stay in touch.
But their treatment was similar to Director Zhao Jiamei’s.
Qiao Huaiyao had watched the first episode and, considering Zhao Jiamei’s editing style, hadn’t watched the second.
He didn’t need to ask; he was sure the content he had asked to be deleted was still included.
Initially, he might have felt embarrassed.
But now… though still a bit shy, since he and Bai Jinyan were together, the interactions shown in the variety show were normal.
The quick Q&A from the recording was edited into the second episode.
Qiao Huaiyao discovered this through the comments.
The comment section was full of remarks like: [Is this the tacit understanding between brothers? Highest score in the room, the director was stunned.]
[Qiao Qiao: Aren’t these just easy questions? The director is generous.]
[I missed the live broadcast, but I’ve watched the recording several times. Now the official episode is out, and I declare Bai Jinyan and Qiao Huaiyao are definitely a real couple! The kind that has registered!]
[Everyone here is a VIP member. Bai Jinyan, I’ll call you Brother Bai. We’re all family, so when will you guys go public with your love? I’m ready to enjoy the sweetness.]
[Not getting married would be hard to imagine.]
…
Qiao Huaiyao shared the post about the second episode’s release, along with the promotional poster on Weibo.
The promotional content was prepared by Zhao Jiamei, though they could write it themselves, but promotional texts were naturally crafted to be attractive and aligned with the show’s content.
Afraid that some guests might be too lazy to write their own posts and delegate the task to their studios, leading to unsatisfactory results, Zhao Jiamei decided to write them himself and sent them out individually.
After posting the lengthy promotional message, Qiao Huaiyao thought for a moment and added at the beginning: [After this episode airs, everyone will know I’m a picky eater. (helpless.jpg)]
The next moment, Bai Jinyan directly shared his post.
Bai Jinyan V: [It’s not picky eating, just that some foods don’t suit your taste. (pathead.jpg)]
Seeing Bai Jinyan’s post, Qiao Huaiyao was momentarily stunned. Then he heard the hotel door unlock as Bai Jinyan walked in with breakfast.
Qiao Huaiyao sat up and asked, “Did you go for a morning run again, Brother?”
“No, I just went to get breakfast.” Bai Jinyan had ordered takeout. The delivery staff couldn’t come up to their floor, so he had to go to the stairwell to pick it up.
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to freshen up.
Sitting at the table afterward, Qiao Huaiyao couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, did you post that on Weibo yourself?”
The content seemed like his brother’s words, but Bai Jinyan had been outside getting breakfast, so he shouldn’t have had time to check Weibo… right?
“Yes,” Bai Jinyan replied calmly. “I happened to see Zhao Jiamei’s message and opened Weibo, then saw your post.”
So, none of Zhao Jiamei’s prepared content was used, just a response to Qiao Huaiyao’s post.
Qiao Huaiyao smiled, took a bite of steak, and picked up his phone to check the comments.
Since eating steak one-handed was inconvenient, Bai Jinyan used a knife and fork to cut the steak into bite-sized pieces for him.
Noticing his actions, Qiao Huaiyao picked up a piece with his fork and fed it to him. “Ah—”
Bai Jinyan bit the piece of steak, kissed him, and put down the opened milk with a slight smile.
The comments on Weibo were lively, especially after Bai Jinyan’s repost.
Qiao Huaiyao’s phone screen was still on Bai Jinyan’s Weibo, so he just opened the comment section to read.
The top comment listed all the foods Qiao Huaiyao didn’t like, adding a comment as if from the food: [Ah right, right, it’s all my fault. You’re really something else.]
[Sun Wukong wasn’t this wronged when he was punished for stealing peaches.]
[I get scolded by my brother for being a picky eater. Qiao Huaiyao’s brother pampers him and picks out what he likes. Are we really living in the same world?]
[Who wouldn’t want to trade their brother for Bai Jinyan?]
[Calm down, sisters. Do you think Bai Jinyan is nice to Qiao Qiao because of his personality? No! It’s because he’s Qiao Huaiyao!]
…
This wave of comments shifted focus away from the show’s content.
The second episode included parts of a live broadcast that many had watched, then came to see the edited version, joining in on teasing about the food preferences.
Qiao Huaiyao scrolled through the comments, most of which teased Bai Jinyan.
After thinking for a moment, he posted an emoji in Bai Jinyan’s comment section: [‘catrubbing.jpg’]
He didn’t refresh the comments afterward.
A notification popped up in the chat software, indicating someone in a group chat wanted to start a temporary conversation.
Qiao Huaiyao suspiciously opened it and found that the person messaging him was his academic counselor.
He had the counselor’s contact information but hadn’t added them on social media.
Counselor: [Are you at school right now? When can you come to my office? The sooner, the better.]
This message seemed urgent, suggesting something important.
Qiao Huaiyao: [Okay, teacher. I’m currently out, but I will return as soon as possible.]
Counselor: [Alright, be careful on your way. I’ll be in my office until 3 PM, but the documents need to be forwarded for approval. You should come back as soon as you can. If you make it in time, I’ll stay up tonight to finalize it for you.]
Qiao Huaiyao: [Got it, thank you.]
Putting down his phone, Qiao Huaiyao told Bai Jinyan, “Brother, my Counselor wants me to go back to school.”
Bai Jinyan asked, “What for?”
Qiao Huaiyao shook his head, “The Counselor didn’t specify, but I think it might be related to my lab application.”
Because the materials needed to be submitted for further approval.
At this stage, there was technically no rush since the lab application had been essentially approved. However, Qiao Huaiyao sensed that the counselor wanted to expedite the process to set a record—documenting that the application process, from start to approval, took less than three days.
This rapid approval could be highlighted as a news story on the university forum or website.
The sudden urgency today suggested the counselor had just realized that they could speed things up even more.
It was also a coincidence that the teachers were less busy due to the sports meet, making it possible to quickly push the application through, potentially setting a new record for lab approvals at Qing University.
Bai Jinyan nodded and said, “Finish your breakfast first. I’ll contact the driver.”
At the deserted seaside, there were no taxis or even private cars in sight.
It would take some time for the driver to arrive, giving Qiao Huaiyao enough time to leisurely finish his breakfast.
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, “Okay.”
However, the steak pieces were quite large, and he had only eaten half, leaving a lot on the plate.
Qiao Huaiyao blinked and looked at Bai Jinyan innocently, “Brother…”
Bai Jinyan glanced at the steak and said, “Eat a few more pieces. The driver isn’t here yet, and waiting is just waiting.”
Qiao Huaiyao silently fed him a piece of steak, “Brother.”
Bai Jinyan stared at him, and Qiao Huaiyao smiled obediently, “Brother…”
Bai Jinyan ate the piece, then took the fork from Qiao Huaiyao’s hand, using it to offer him a small piece of steak, “Ah—”
Seeing this, Qiao Huaiyao could only slowly bite the steak, then quickly took back the fork to feed his brother again.
The fork passed back and forth between Qiao Huaiyao and Bai Jinyan.
They didn’t mind the hassle, sharing and finishing the remaining steak on the plate bit by bit.