Yu Bai returned home with the cake, Father Yu and Mother Yu along with his older brother and the sister-in-law were playing mahjong in the living room. When his little niece saw him come back, she crawled down from her father's leg and ran to Yu Bai's side to grab the box in his hand.
Yu Bai squatted down to reveal the cake in the box to the little niece. The little girl had loved to eat sweets since she was a child, shouting she wanted to eat cake.
"You can't even remember your own birthday, yet you actually celebrate other people's birthday," Older Brother Yu teased his little brother while picking up a mahjong tile, "Is the thousand-year-old tree finally blooming?"
Yu Bai had come out with his family a long time ago. His family had nothing against his sexual orientation nor they had any requirements for his partner, yet he had not even had any boyfriend for so many years. His family started to get worried that this ninja turtle would suffocate himself to death.
Yu Bai ignored the words spoken by his older brother and took the cake away from his little niece's nose, "I'll cut the cake."
The little niece watched the cake getting farther and farther away from her, the scent of the cream gradually disappeared, and she couldn't help but start sniffling her nose. The tears began to pool in her eyes, and the big tear drop fell down.
Yu Bai just stood up and saw his crying little niece pulling his trousers, he helplessly bent down to pick up the little niece with one hand then walked toward the kitchen with a cake in another.
He put the little niece on the baby stool, and the little niece opened her big round eyes to look at him taking the cake out of the box. She looked like she could not wait to plunge herself into the cream, completely forgetting that she was still in tears.
Yu Bai turned her away from the cake, forbidding her to approach the cake. The little niece sat obediently waiting for her treat. A pair of big eyes stared at Yu Bai, trying to activate her cuteness to make her uncle give her a big portion.
It was a pity that her uncle was not a straight man, he had been bent, a kind of bent that was similar to the mosquito coil, so he had no interest in her little beauty trick. The chibi drawing on the cake was more attractive to him.
Looking at the chibi version of Sheng Xing Ze, Yu Bai held the knife still in his hand, unable to cut the cake.
He was reluctant to cut the chibi Sheng Xing Ze into two pieces, even if it was a fake one.
He was now regretting why he wanted to have the chibi image of him on the cake. Was that it would be completely eaten anyway?
"Uncle."
The child's crisp voice pulled Yu Bai back from his thoughts, and the little niece saw Yu Bai holding the knife in midair, not cutting the cake. She did not know that there were so many things running through Yu Bai's mind, she just thought that Yu Bai wanted to keep the cake for himself and not share it with others, so she could not help but urge him.
"Wait a moment," Yu Bai touched the little niece's head and cut the cake along the outline of the chibi pattern. Everyone was having a big piece, leaving a complete chibi drawing in the middle of the cake box.
Yu Bai looked at his masterpiece with satisfaction, put the little niece off the baby stool, and handed her piece by piece of cake.
The little niece stepped on her little slippers and ran out to distribute the cake, and got several kisses along the way.
The four elders outside in the living room all had a large piece of their own, and the little niece stared at Yu Bai waiting for her own piece.
Yu Bai was told by his sister-in-law that he could not give the little niece too much sweets, so her piece was the smallest one. Yu Bai handed her the cut piece, and the little niece saw that her piece was smaller than the others and felt dejected, she was close to tears.
Yu Bai tapped the tip of her nose with cream, and the cool touch made the little niece jump a bit. The sweet smell of cream spread on the tip of the nose. She moved her eyes to look to the tip of her nose and saw a creamy tip, giggling and running to her mom and dad to show off her new play thing.
Yu Bai leaned on the kitchen counter and took out his phone to ask if Sheng Xing Ze likes the birthday gift. Right then, the other called him.
Before he could ask if Sheng Xing Ze likes his gift, Sheng Xing Ze burst out into a string of laughter and words:
"Film Emperor Yu, did you give me the wrong gift for some girl? I didn't know you like this play of keeping a mistress in a golden house, but I didn't find any traces of women around you, how is your progress with her?"
When Sheng Xing Ze finally stopped talking, Yu Bai spoke in an angry tone, "there is no woman, it is for you."
When he was going with Mother Yu to buy the New Year's goods at the mall, Yu Bai took a fancy to the dress at first glance. He was very determined that Sheng Xing Ze would love it, he even had image after image of Sheng Xing Ze putting it on. He bought it under the stare of Mother Yu's playful eyes, and he also specifically checked Sheng Xing Ze's birthday so he could give this dress to the other.
Sheng Xing Ze was standing on the balcony. When he heard these words, he looked back at the clothes on the bed with inexplicable eyes, "Do you know what's inside?"
"A dress, of course I know that." Yu Bai's voice was calm, it sounded sincere and assured.
"You...also have this kind of hobby?" Sheng Xing Ze asked with much difficulty.
Good brothers always want to share good things with each other. If Yu Bai really likes these kinds of stuff, as a good brother, he would try to sacrifice himself for it.
With that thought, Sheng Xing Ze "had" to do psychological preparation for himself, waiting to hear Yu Bai speak out his request to ask him to put it on.
If Yu Bai could hear Sheng Xing Ze's inner thoughts at this moment, he would definitely refute something like "best brother of the century my ass", but at this moment, Yu Bai was in a daze after being asked by Sheng Xing Ze.
When he accompanied Sheng Xing Ze to go shopping before, the other bought several new skirts and dresses. He also deliberately asked whether Sheng Xing Ze is buying them for his girlfriend. At that time, Sheng Xing Ze's reply was negative. Sheng Xing Ze only had a woman by his side, his own mother. However, with Mother Sheng's age, it was unlikely that she would wear the floral short skirts that Sheng Xing Ze bought, so...the only possibility left was that Sheng Xing Ze likes to wear them, right?
"Isn't that you like it?" He asked strangely, thinking that Sheng Xing Ze was afraid that his secret little hobby would cause others to be disgusted. Yu Bai also specifically used a circumspect tone to show his attitude, "Like to wear a dress is not an unseen hobby. I picked this one especially for you."
Sheng Xing Ze almost had a black out when he heard this answer, "Who told you that a grown man myself likes this?"
"When we went shopping, didn't you buy some clothes just to wear for yourself?"
"They're for my mother," Sheng Xing Ze almost snarled out.
Yu Bai was quiet, he had not made such a huge misunderstanding since childhood.
There had never been a moment in which he wished to go back in time, preferring to give Sheng Xing Ze a not so special gift, instead of handing this dress to the man and said, "you will love it."
I'm so stupid, really.
I only know that young people like flowery designs, but I didn't know that Mother Sheng also has the heart of a young girl at her age.
"Auntie, she's such a lively personality," Yu Bai said dryly after a long silence.
Sheng Xing Ze was amused by the inexorable tone in his voice, and a wanton laughter came from the phone, and it was quite different from the sound of silver bell laugh. It was not a fake and pretentious laughter, it was actually coming from the heart. As a listener, Yu Bai was afraid that the other would choke on his own laughter.
Let him laugh, as long as he is happy.
Yu Bai felt like facepalmed himself, and unconsciously his mouth curved into a smile at Sheng Xing Ze's laughter, until he hung up the phone, the smile on his lips still had not disappeared.
He took the picture of the cut out chibi version on the cake and sent it to Sheng Xing Ze.
Yu Bai: [ picture ]
Sheng Xing Ze: Don't kill it, I'll do it tomorrow.
Yu Bai was amused by the other's choice of words, and his fingers quickly typed on the keyboard.
"Chatting with Xing Xing?" Mother Yu had stood behind Yu Bai for quite some time. Yu Bai put away the phone and nodded happily.
It was a rare sight to see her son with this expression, Mother Yu raised her hand to touch her son's face.
"Come with me, let's talk."
Yu Bai honestly followed Mother Yu into the bedroom.
Their family has always been like this, Father Yu will deal with rational matters and Mother Yu is responsible for the emotional matters.
When they were children, to solve a problem, they went to their dad, and when it came to love, they would look for their mom.
When they grew up, when it came to work, looking for father; when it came to having a talk, looking for mother.
Mother Yu was like the exclusive tree hole for the sons, accepting all the bitter water that the sons spit at her, using her unique tenderness to contain and comfort.
It had been a long time since Yu Bai had a talk with his mother.
Mother Yu sat down with him on the chairs, Mother Yu held his hand and said softly:
"Da Bai, do you like Xing Xing?"
**
Sheng Xing Ze was still laughing to his heart's content after hanging up the call with Yu Bai. He fell on the bed and looked at the dress next to him. He had images of a thrilling scene where Yu Bai went shopping to buy a skirt and was caught by the fans. He laughed and rolled around in his bed.
At this time, Tao Yi Ning's call came through.
"You're going to be popular. Just now I received a call from Mr. Liang Qing. He specifically asked you to be the regular guest on his new variety show. How do you know Mr. Liang?"
Liang Qing was the father of domestic variety shows. He single handedly created several different types of variety shows, each of which was successful, unique and creative; and each time it would bring new content to the audience. Many people had tried to imitate his variety show, but none could surpass him. No one could have reached his level.
For this very reason, countless newcomers and veteran celebrities would fight to death to get a chance to participate in Liang Qing's variety show. Even if it was just for one season, the popularity would be increased in a short time period. With participation on his variety show, there would be new advertisement contracts knocking on their door. As for promoting the new movie on his show, it would be a box office guaranteed.
Sheng Xing Ze was sure that he had never met with Liang Qing in person, and he did not know about this father of variety shows at all. His father's connection was not as wide as Yu Bai's company. To say that the only person he knows could persuade Liang Qing to let him be on the show using the shortcut--only Yu Bai.
"I don't know Mr. Liang at all, was there a mistake, maybe Mr. Liang was asking for Brother Yu?"
"Mr. Liang said himself that he wants you, not Yu Bai. The shooting for the variety show is at the end of February. You can still spend the Spring Festival at home. I will pick you up when the time comes."
Sheng Xing Ze still could not figure out how or why he got a seat as a regular guest on the variety show. He closed his eyes in confusion and forced himself to sleep.
To conclude this, on the first day of being twenty, he was very happy.