Silver Leaf Whale Chapter 76

Extra 1. Blue Danube

Extra 1·Blue Danube

“‘Chinese Ink Color’ has always been committed to promoting the youthful development of Chinese painting. The participating artists this time focus on young artists under the age of 40, and the gold medal winner is the best among them…”

At the Haicheng Cultural Center, the LED screens around the venue took turns to display the award-winning works. A dignified female host in a simple Chinese dress stood on the main stage to introduce the award-winning contestants. The audience in the audience talked in low voices and looked at the paintings on the screen from time to time.

“This contestant is not only strong, but he also shared his creative process and technical analysis in the form of short videos, attracting a large number of young audiences and injecting new vitality into the integration of traditional art and contemporary culture. Next, let us applaud the winner of this gold medal – Mr. Qi Zhixuan!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Zhixuan’s introduction and pictures of his works appeared on the big screen. He calmly buttoned up his suit in the audience, welcomed the applause, and walked step by step to the front of the stage to accept the award and give a speech.

“Thank you all for your support and love for my work.” Qi Zhixuan smiled politely, “Although the appearance of “Peony in Rain” was damaged by the wind and rain, the flower branches are still standing upright, and they are not afraid of difficulties, and their character still remains…”

Thousands of kilometers away in Budapest, Pang Whale was lying on the hotel bed watching the live broadcast.He just arrived yesterday. After submitting the entry materials, he had no other arrangements. He was watching the screen early in the morning, for fear of missing the moment when his boyfriend received the award.

Qi Zhixuan on the screen was wearing a casual suit today. His hair had not been cut because he said it looked good last time. It was tied back in a small ponytail. His expression was calm, his eyes were calm, and there was a touch of culture in his gestures.

“It’s so beautiful.” Pang Jing sighed in his heart, she was worthy of being his match.

“I dare not describe myself as peony, but I am in a similar situation to it. Fortunately, I met a noble person in the wind and rain, and I was able to straighten the branches and leaves and continue to grow.” Qi Zhixuan paused, and his voice became gentler, “It is inevitable that there will be dissatisfaction in life. I hope that we can all go through the wind and rain and remain innocent.”

After speaking, he bowed slightly and walked off the stage holding the trophy.

“Noble… Hehe…” Pang Jing was lying on the hotel bed, watching and laughing. Qi Zhixuan did not dare to compare to Peony, but he claimed the noble in one second, and felt very happy.

“What are you looking at, brother, why are you so happy?” Pang Jing and his teammate Peng Xiaobei were in the same room. Athletes had to wake up early and go to bed early, so no one could sleep in. He was also playing with his mobile phone, and from time to time he saw Pang Jing smiling gently at the phone.

“Look at my partner.” Pang Jing held the phone and turned it over to continue reading.

“Oh…” Peng Xiaobei is a little younger than Pang Jing, and he joined the team later. I usually see that this brother has good grades and trains hard, but he doesn’t like to talk much. He thought he was a very cold person, but he didn’t expect that he can be so infatuated when it comes to love.

“Brother, we are sending messages in the group to gather together. Let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

It was already past three o’clock in the afternoon in Haicheng, and the award ceremony on the screen was slowly coming to an end. Pang Jing had to reluctantly turn off his mobile phone and pack his equipment with Peng Xiaobei.

“Senior brother, congratulations to you, you are really amazing.” Qi Zhixuan had just finished taking a group photo on the stage and said a few words to Teacher Gu Feng before packing up and leaving. Jiang Nan came out of nowhere and congratulated him.

“Thank you.” Qi Zhixuan replied politely. Gu Feng on the side said that he had to leave first because he had something to do, and the people in the front row slowly left. Only he and Jiang Nan were left.

“By the way, senior brother, the photos we took at the comic show last time have been repaired. They are very good. Let me show you.” Jiang Nan said as he took out his mobile phone, but Qi Zhixuan raised his hand to stop him.

“Jiang Nan, just send it to my email.”

“Senior brother…” Jiang Nan was a little surprised by his rejection.

“I have something to do now. I have to go home and pack my luggage to find my boyfriend. I don’t have time to watch it right now. I’m sorry.” Qi Zhixuan slightly curved the corners of his mouth, still smiling that gentle smile.

“Oh…” Jiang Nan watched him put on his coat and prepare to leave, and suddenly mustered up the courage to stop him, “Senior brother!”

“Huh?” Qi Zhixuan paused while adjusting his clothes.

Jiang Nan pursed her lips, as if she had made a huge determination: “If…I mean if, you break up with him, can you consider me? I really like you.”

Of course he saw the status of the whale account and guessed that the tall boy who was intimate with Qi Zhixuan last time was his boyfriend.But he couldn’t control his heartbeat. Recently, Qi Zhixuan always left after class. He didn’t even have a chance to get close. Today, after finally meeting him, he couldn’t help but say what was on his mind.

“I’m leaving, Jiang Nan.” Qi Zhixuan didn’t answer, just said goodbye gently and turned to leave.

Some questions didn’t need answers. There was never an “if” between him and Pang Whale.

When he got home, he quickly packed up his things. There was no direct flight from Haicheng to Budapest, so he had to go back to Beijing to hand over the cat before flying there. It was snowing in Budapest recently, and there was a possibility of flight cancellation at any time. He had to rush there earlier than originally planned to feel at ease.

Unfortunately, before Qi Zhixuan finished packing his things, he received a flight cancellation notification on his phone.

“Alas…” Qi Zhixuan checked the flights in the past few days and found that they were all canceled close to the time.

After thinking for a long time, Qi Zhixuan made two plans for himself. The first one is to wait and buy a flight to Budapest with the nearest date. If the flight is restored earlier, he will change to an earlier one. However, this is very risky. If the flight is not restored or canceled, it is very easy to miss the game.

Another one… Qi Zhixuan took out his mobile phone and searched. He could only fly to Istanbul first and then find a way to transfer there…

“Alas…your master has left you behind just to fall in love.” Zhu Mingyue lamented Qi Zhixuan’s madness while holding her swimming goggles. She remembered that he hurriedly sent the cat over yesterday and said he was worried that the pet store would not keep it well, so he asked her to help take care of it. As a result, she had to go to watch her boyfriend’s game even though she didn’t have a flight.

“Meow~” Swimming Goggles didn’t understand, so he raised his little cat’s head, blinked his big eyes, stretched out his paw and licked it.

It actually thinks it’s good to follow Zhu Mingyue, unlike its owner who always calls it fat and stingy and gives it half a can every time. There is unlimited supply here, and it is very happy.

The stingy owner Qi Zhixuan was already on the plane at this time. He chose the second option. Although there were no planes for transit in other countries, there were other means of transportation. Instead of sitting at home and waiting for an uncertain result, it was better to give it a try. After all, he was getting closer to Pang Whale.

It was already noon the next day when we landed in Istanbul. According to the time difference, it was 10 a.m. in Pang Jing’s place, while it was still early in the morning in Haicheng. He didn’t know if he could arrive before the game. Qi Zhixuan only said that he was waiting for the tickets and did not tell Pang Jing that he had already set off. As soon as he got off the plane, he received a good morning greeting from the other party.

: “Good morning. The technical meeting was very late yesterday. I almost didn’t get up today. I missed you.”

Little Painter: “I miss you too, train hard and come on.”

Little painter: “Come on.jpg”

After hastily replying the message, Qi Zhixuan dragged his luggage onto the shuttle bus. The sky in Istanbul was gray and rainy. Although the temperature was higher than that in Haicheng, the damp and cold air pressed against the skin, making it feel a bit colder than Haicheng. The raindrops slapped on the car window, creating winding water marks. He looked out the window, planning to go to a nearby hotel to sleep first.

After more than ten hours of flying, Qi Zhixuan was a little tired. He took off his coat at the hotel and wanted to lie down for a while. Unexpectedly, he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already evening. He ordered a meal hungry, and there was still an unanswered call from Pang Whale on his phone.

He didn’t call back, just replied a few messages, and then started checking flights. There were many flights to Budapest from Istanbul, and it only took two hours to fly there. However, there was a heavy snowstorm in Budapest these two days, and many flights were at a standstill.

Fortunately, there were still a few days before the game. Qi Zhixuan ate the steak and salad that had been delivered and began to search for other possible transportation methods.

Before I had taken a few bites, a call came on my cell phone.

“Hello, Mom.” Qi Zhixuan wiped his mouth and answered the phone. Meihua’s loud voice came from over there.

“Hey, Xiaoqi, I heard from Xiaoyu that your plane to Hungary can’t fly?”

“Well, that’s it for the time being, but I’m also thinking of a way.”

“If you really can’t go, come back early and watch the TV broadcast with your parents at home. The same thing. Don’t listen to it alone in Beijing.”

Qi Zhixuan agreed with a smile, and Meihua shared that a new hardware store opened opposite his family’s store, but it was defeated by the huge hardware store’s superior quality. It had only been open for a few months and was recently being transferred.

“Oh, then he is too bold, and he dares to compete with our hardware queen for business.” Qi Zhixuan made Meihua giggle, and she was happy to talk to her new son, who was more interesting than the other two fathers and sons.

“Okay, I won’t tell you anymore. It’s almost eleven o’clock. Go to bed early, kid. When you get back, I’ll tell you in advance that I’ll pick you up then.”

“Okay, good night, mom.”

The call ended with a smile, and Qi Zhixuan’s eyes fell out of the window. It was still evening in Istanbul, and it had not rained anymore. However, the sky was still covered by clouds, and there was no trace of the sunset. He looked away. The steak on the table was almost cold, but he was not affected by this at all. Instead, he felt a warm and comfortable feeling in his heart.

Qi Zhixuan worked hard for two days in Istanbul. With the tickets he finally bought, everyone arrived at the airport and was about to take off. However, they were canceled at short notice. Some planes even made an emergency landing or returned after departure. The weather was so bad that it seemed that flying was a hopeless mode of transportation.

There are only a few days left before the competition, and Qi Zhixuan can’t wait any longer.

He has been going out a lot in the past few years, but he has always been most afraid of trouble. He wants the most convenient transportation and the most comfortable journey. His itinerary is rarely planned. As long as it is warm and does not bother him, he can go anywhere.

But the purpose was so clear, and it was so troublesome and cold, and it was a journey that stood out in every corner of his mind. However, he was more determined than ever and insisted on reaching the end.

By the time Qi Zhixuan arrived in Budapest, it was already two days later. The bus was transferred to a train, and the train was transferred to another train. The journey was dusty. When the majestic Széchenyi Chain Bridge appeared in his eyes, he almost burst into tears. This was no different from the bald Qiang who went through all kinds of hardships to return to Gou Xiong Ling.

“What?” Pang Jing was finishing his shower when he received Qi Zhixuan’s call, and the towel in his hand almost fell to the ground.

“It’s snowing everywhere. How did you come here? Are you alone? When did you set off? Where do you live…” Pang Jing couldn’t care about anything else. He threw the towel on the shelf and sat down on the bed and started asking questions.

“I first took a plane and then transferred by train and bus. I am a person who has been setting off for several days and lives near the Capitol.” Qi Zhixuan answered one by one in a good-tempered manner, “I miss you very much and want to watch you play, so I came.” Before Pang Whale could answer, he preemptively blocked his mouth.

“Why don’t you just watch the broadcast if you can’t come? It’s very dangerous for you to come here in such a snowy day…and you didn’t tell me in advance.” Pang Jing couldn’t hold it back in the end. Although he felt soft in his heart, he still muttered in a low voice.

“Yeah, yeah, I understand. I’m not afraid that you might worry about affecting your training.”

No wonder he never answered the video and took a long time to reply to the message. Pang Jing finally knew why.

But it was a lie to say that he didn’t want Qi Zhixuan. Although he didn’t know what the outcome would be, if he could win the award and have his lover witness it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t even dare to think how happy it would be.

The two chatted with each other for a while. Tomorrow was the 100-meter freestyle competition. If he could qualify, Pang Jing would have to compete from the morning preliminaries to the evening finals. Qi Zhixuan was afraid of disturbing his rest, so he asked him to go to bed first.

“I want to talk to you for a while.”

“Not now. There is a game tomorrow. Go and do your work and go to bed early.”

“Then will you come to the preliminaries tomorrow?”

“Come on, I’ll come too.”

“Well… I’ll give it up then…” Pang Jing felt a little better thinking that Qi Zhixuan would be here early tomorrow morning.

“Eh——”

“What’s wrong?”

Qi Zhixuan suddenly stopped Pang Jing. Fortunately, he was used to waiting for the other party to hang up first.

“Xiaoyu, don’t be nervous. Even if you don’t win the prize, you’re still very good, you know.”

Pang Whale’s throat tightened when he heard these familiar words, “Okay.”

“Then I’ll hang up. Good night.”

“Good night.”

This sentence reminded him of that day, when they were lying on his bed together, the room had just been cleaned, dust was floating in the air, and Qi Zhixuan touched his hair.

So gentle.

During the finals, he still recalled this scene in his mind. There were too many people in the arena and he couldn’t see where Qi Zhixuan was, but he knew that his eyes must be on him.

Pang Wei and his wife were also nervously watching their son’s game in front of the TV. “It’s out. It’s out!” Meihua moved a small bench and moved in front of the TV excitedly.

Player information appeared on the big screen, and a huge photo of Pang Whale appeared on the big screen in the arena. He walked out of the preparation room, waved, and walked quickly to the swimming pool.

In order to maintain the temperature of his muscles, he wore a black down jacket. When he arrived at his swimming lane, he took off his jacket neatly. His toned muscles were displayed in front of everyone, attracting admiration from the surrounding audience. He moved his body on his own, wearing the pair of swimming goggles that Qi Zhixuan bought for him.

When all the athletes are ready, as the buzzer sounds, everyone jumps up.

The commentator analyzed the situation impassionedly, “In the fourth lane, the player with the best preliminaries results, my country’s young athlete Pang Jing, you can see him bouncing like a surfer…”

Qi Zhixuan stared nervously at the swimming pool in the stands, clenching his fists with his hands and staring intently.

“There are two Chinese athletes in the competition today, Peng Xiaobei in lane 2 and Pang Jing in lane 4. Pang Jing is worthy of being the first in the preliminaries. He also maintained the lead in the first 50 meters.”

“Oh, the first one is our son!” Meihua clapped her hands excitedly while listening to the explanation.

“You can see that the Australian swimmer in the next lane is trying to catch up with him, but Pang Whale still maintains the lead!”

“Come on…” The temperature of the venue was suitable, but Qi Zhixuan kept sweating on his forehead. Seeing the players next to him chasing each other fiercely, he clasped his hands tightly and listened to the cheers from various countries next to him. He also cheered for Pang Jing in a low voice.

“Turn around! Okay! We’re half a body ahead. Let’s see if he can hold on in the end!”

At this time, everything around Pang Whale became blurry. Only the black marking line in the swimming lane and the feeling of Qi Zhixuan’s gentle caressing him were clearly around him.

Hold still.

He thought silently in his mind.

“The last 25 meters! He is very stable and has a good rhythm! He is very physical!” The voices of the two commentators became more and more excited.

It’s great even if you don’t win the prize, but I can win it!

Pang Whale maintained his speed and exploded in the last few meters, throwing away the people around him and hitting the wall instantly!

“First!! We are first!!” the commentator screamed sharply.

Qi Zhixuan stood up suddenly, and Meihua and Pang Wei also jumped up and hugged each other in front of the TV.

“The Pang Whale player defeated the Australian player who was chasing after him by 0.19 seconds. His body stability is very high, which is of great help in swimming…”

The commentator was analyzing after the game, and Meihua had already received a call from his eldest brother and started to share his joy.

Qi Zhixuan stood up suddenly, his eyes burning instantly.He clearly saw the huge whale waving its arms excitedly in the water and punching the water with a fist. Huge water splashed loudly, like crystal diamonds scattered in the air, and his whale was shining brightly in it.

Pang Whale’s schedule was very full, including not only individual events, but also team relay races. After completing the competition, there were also a series of official activities. On the sixth day of his stay in Budapest, Qi Zhixuan received a message from Pang Whale, saying that he would come to him later.

Budapest is really beautiful, there is some sunshine today, Qi Zhixuan walked aimlessly on the streets, the retro buildings and the aroma from the bakery made him relaxed and happy.

The coffee near Buda Castle was also good. The coffee base seemed to contain alcohol. Qi Zhixuan was a little drunk. He leaned against the wooden window and looked out. He could see the Danube River. He was holding a plate of cakes and waited from sunset to the blues hour.

“Xiao Xuan.” In the middle of the blues, Pang Whale finally came. He followed Qi Zhixuan’s position and found him. The man was leaning in front of the window and bobbing his head to the sound of the violin under the castle, with some cake crumbs on his mouth.

“Coffee can also make you drunk.” Pang Whale wiped the corners of his mouth clean, smiled and hugged the man back to his seat, smelling the faint smell of alcohol on his body.

“Xiaoyu…you’re here.” Qi Zhixuan leaned against him, his cheeks flushed and his eyes slightly drunk.

“If you don’t come back, no one will know you were kidnapped, drunkard!” Pang Whale pinched his red face.

“Humph… no way, I just drank a cup of coffee.” Qi Zhixuan raised his finger to make a sign, picked up his small backpack, wanted to prove that he was not drunk, and walked out.

He walked fairly steadily, but he staggered a little when going down the stairs. He was helped by Pang Whale before he took two steps, “You can get drunk after drinking two glasses of beer. This coffee is full of strong liquor.”

“No wonder it tastes so bad…” Qi Zhixuan muttered, and the two of them walked up to the street artist playing the violin. This man was wearing a suit and had an exploding head on his head. Many people gathered around to admire it. There was a blue sky in the distance, so the afro also played “Blue Danube” to suit the occasion.

Pang Jing opened his down jacket and stuffed Qi Zhixuan inside, leaving only his head hanging out and listening quietly.

“Xiaoyu, I haven’t said anything yet, congratulations.” Qi Zhixuan suddenly hugged Pang Jing tightly in his clothes.

“Yeah.” Pang Jing didn’t say anything. After digging in his pocket for a while, Qi Zhixuan felt his neck sink.

He looked down and saw two medals, one gold and one silver, hanging on his chest.

“Huh?” Qi Zhixuan raised his head in confusion, thinking that he might be really drunk.

“Give it to you.” Pang Jing smiled and hugged him a little tighter.

Qi Zhixuan said softly, “Ah”, as if he just realized, “How can that be done?” and started to pick it off from his neck.

Pang Jing held his hand, lowered his head, and said into his ear, “My life is with you, and my honor is also shared with you.”

His voice was very soft, but it exploded in Qi Zhixuan’s mind, and memories of the past rushed out. He taught him trust in the water, brought him to rebirth in the fire, shared happiness in the snow, and cared for him every day under the sun.

Qi Zhixuan’s eyes suddenly turned red.

“Don’t cry, idiot.” Pang Jing looked at his tearful eyes, held his face, and kissed him gently. Qi Zhixuan sniffed a little embarrassedly when he remembered that he was still outside.

“It’s so bitter. What kind of coffee is this?” Pang Jing just tasted the taste on Qi Zhixuan’s lips, and he frowned because of the bitterness.

“It’s not coffee, it’s that cake, orange peel chocolate.” After the performance, the two of them put their change into the piano case in front of Afro, hugged each other and walked forward.

“It’s so bitter, how can it be delicious?”

“Actually, it’s not very delicious. I still like the sticky bean buns made by grandma.”

“Well, let’s go back in a few days…”

The two of them cuddled together and talked in small words as they walked. The blue Danube River echoed softly and long beside them.