translator: baumkuchen editors: serefina, glitterypanda
A month and a half later, on the ice rink in Finland, Dong Ge won the gold in one stroke, He Changsheng and Fang Xiaoyan won silver, and Liang Xiao won bronze. Each of them had found success.
Going by the requirements of the competition, in order to thank the audience, the top ten skaters were invited to perform in the exhibition gala.
After the competition, the talkative Canadian skater Lawson came to the lounge to harass Dong Ge as usual.
He smiled brightly. âDong, what are you going to do for the exhibition skate? Iâve already thought up my program!â
Dong Ge pulled up the zip of his jacket. âArenât you going to pay homage to your idol?â
Lawson clapped his hands together. âIâm going to strip on the ice! Thatâs always been my dream!â
Dong Ge, â......Your dream is truly something special.â
Lawson pulled up his shirt. âLook at my abs, theyâre the result of my special training for these past few days. Touch them!â
Dong Ge had a face full of âcanât bear to look directly at itâ, âAiya.â
Lawson put his clothes down, watching Dong Geâs expressions. âDong, you seem to have become a lot more lively lately. ......Could it be that the rumours are true?â
Just as Dong Ge was about to reply, the door opened.
He Changsheng stuck his head in from the outside and looked at Lawson. âWhat are you guys talking about?â
Just as Lawson was about to show off his abs again, Dong Ge immediately stood up and interrupted him, âLawson was saying that Canadaâs butter tarts are delicious.â
Only then did He Changshengâs expression get a little better. â......En. The coach is looking for you, letâs go.â
After saying this, he turned. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Lawson ask Dong Ge from behind him, âWow, is He jealous?â
The He Changsheng facing away from them quivered. The back of his neck was entirely red.
Dong Ge observed him for a moment. âSeems like it.â
He Changsheng hadnât thought that Dong Ge would tear down his stage too. He bore it until even his shoulders started shaking. â......Dong Ge, letâs go.â
Dong Ge, âGoing, going.â
As Lawson watched the two walk off side by side, he scratched his hair and the corners of his mouth couldnât help but tick upwards.
It seemed like he didnât need to ask whether the rumours were true or false.
Dong Ge and He Changsheng walked towards the assembly point.
Dong Ge asked He Changsheng, âDoes qianbei eat sweet things?â
âI donât like them.â After taking a while to calm down, He Changshengâs embarrassment had lessened and his words flowed a lot more smoothly. âBut I can go with you.â
Dong Ge pursed his lips in a light laugh.
He Changsheng, âWhat are you laughing at.â
Dong Ge said, âQianbei.â
He Changsheng, â&#k2026;&#k2026;Youâre not allowed to laugh.â
Dong Ge then stopped laughing. He reached out his hand and hooked it around the otherâs pinky finger.
He Changsheng hadnât forgotten to put on gloves before coming to find Dong Ge, but this action of Dong Geâs seemed to pass through the gloves, hooking right onto his heart and making it itch, tingling slightly.
Five minutes later, Liang Xiao, Fang Xiaoyan, Dong Ge and He Changsheng gathered in the temporary meeting room.
Their expedition this time had garnered great success. Radiant with happiness, the coach asked, âDong Ge, what plans do you have for the exhibition skate?â
Before opening his mouth, the coach had already prepared himself to let Dong Ge do as he wished, even if he wanted to try whatever high-difficulty movement, he would be fine with it.
Unexpectedly, Dong Geâs words still shocked him, âI want to try pair skating.â
The coach, â......Have you practiced pair skating before?â
Dong Ge, âItâs not like there hasnât been any precedent for single skaters changing to pair skating in previous exhibition galas.â
The coach looked at the other three, thinking for a moment, before deciding to give his favourite student a chance.
He focused his gaze on Liang Xiao and Fang Xiaoyan. âWhich of you two wants to try it out with Dong Ge?â
Liang Xiao and Fang Xiaoyan met eyes, nodded slightly, then stepped back together at the same time.
But soon, the two of them realised how unnecessary their actions had been.
......Because He Changsheng had stepped forward.
Seeing this, the coach was thrown into confusion for a good ten something seconds.
Dong Ge looked towards He Changsheng, but He Changsheng didnât look at him, staring at the trees outside the window.
After a lot of effort, the coach finally found his tongue. â......You two?â
He Changsheng reply was unexpectedly smooth, âItâs not like there hasnât been any precedent for two men pair skating together in previous exhibition galas.â
The coach, â......You two discussed this earlier, didnât you?â
Dong Ge and He Changsheng replied simultaneously, âNo.â
The coach, â......â
Dong Ge gave him a reason, âI often train together with qianbei, so weâre both familiar with each other. Qianbei also excels in pair skating, heâll guide me well.â
Then, he turned his head. âQianbei, isnât that right?â
He Changsheng, â......En.â
The coach, â......â Sigh.
He knew Dong Ge too well, at least, he absolutely wouldnât take figure skating as a joke.
Just let him try it out.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
After a day of practice, Dong Ge and He Changsheng stepped onto the ice rink with countless eyes on them.
In the program list that had been released, this pair of malesâ pair skate was the most anticipated. Before the gala, everyone was wondering and debating whether one of them would be wearing a womenâs costume, and if so, whether it would be Dong Ge or He Changsheng.
When the two of them slid out of the passage, the audience exclaimed in unison.
Both of them were wearing menâs costumes, with the same style, each wearing an elegant, beautiful gauze top and black pants.
Dong Geâs gauze top was completely ash purple, his sleeves light and airy, studded with starry crystals. On the other hand, He Changshengâs top was pure white, matching the crystals on it. His collar was a little low, decorated with small feathers. The designs looked different, but when they held hands, one would realise that at the place where their right and left hands intersected, the crystals lined up perfectly.
......Like a connected river of stars.
Sitting right at the front of the stands, the coach could only sigh.
......Sure enough, they had come prepared.
As he was warming up together with Dong Ge by the side of the rink, hand in hand, He Changsheng said, âYou knew early on that we would be able to perform in the exhibition gala.â
The clothes he was wearing had been directly pulled out of Dong Geâs luggage yesterday.
Dong Ge said, âI could do it. I believed qianbei could do it too.â
He Changsheng, âWhen did you peek at my measurements?â
Dong Ge and He Changsheng skated to the centre of the rink together and came to a stop there.
Dong Ge whispered into his ear, âWeâve embraced so many times, I estimated them.â
Then, Dong Ge raised He Changshengâs right hand lightly, opened his mouth, bit down on the tip of the ring finger of his thin glove, and helped him slowly pull it off.
Just like how he pulled off his glove at the end of every one of his competitions.
The warm, moist heat from the tip of his finger made He Changshengâs body tremble slightly. âYou......â
The entire stadium burst into an uproar.
Even their coach straightened his body, staring at the two young men on the rink.
......Was this part of the program?
He Changshengâs ears were buzzing. Blood rushed to his face. âYou......â
Dong Ge patiently stripped off his glove, then pulled off the glove on his own right hand and entwined their fingers together.
He threw those two gloves into the stands beside the rink, causing a small-scale looting.
He Changsheng followed the gloves with his eyes, but then Dong Ge touched his forehead to his.
Dong Geâs breath was scorching hot. âHe Changsheng, donât look at the gloves, look at me.â
He Changshengâs eyes began to burn slightly, but there was nowhere to hide.
Under the excited and surprised cries from the audience, He Changsheng looked at Dong Ge and whispered, âArenât youâââ
Dong Geâs ears flushed red. âIâve gotten used to the feeling of...... holding hands with qianbei.â
He Changsheng didnât know what to say. He could only instinctively tighten his grip on Dong Geâs hand, pressing their burning palms together. âThat, thatâs good.â
Dong Ge said, âLetâs start.â
He Changsheng said, âEn.â
Dong Ge repeated his words, âI said, qianbei, letâs start.â
He Changsheng looked into Dong Geâs eyes. His gaze seemed to hold two stars.
Dong Ge felt as if a century had passed before he finally saw the person before him nod. âEn.â
He smiled, then reached out a hand to the person in charge of the music to signal that he could start.
The song Dong Ge chose wasnât a love song, rather, it was ãSuperheroesã.
Heâd chosen it for himself, and also for He Changsheng.
The two youths stepped onto the ice, hand in hand. Dong Ge flung out his arm, his sleeve rippling like water along with it, as graceful as a swallow.
The author has something to say (moving the relevant part of the A/N over):
I invite everyone to go listen to Superheroes, it really suits Little Dong Ge and Changsheng!
sere: both me and panda ALSKDNFLAJâed when HCS stepped forward.... you know their coordination comes from their UST lmao.
baum: did anyone catch Dong Geâs sneaky confession? (if you didnât)