In Love With Your Beautiful Smile

Chapter Twenty

*Notes: Sorry for being so inactive! But I'm back now! I'm also working on three stories! Another thing,I have been making slight mistakes with the ages. Cheng-ge is now 23, Tong Yao is only 19 but turning 20 = they have a 3 yrs age gap.

"That was eventful," Tong Yao sighed heavily before taking a bite of her bread.

Xiao Pang snickers with a nod along with Lao Mao whilst Lao K simply stayed quiet. Tong Yao isn't dumb, she knows Lao K hasn't accepted her to being part of the team. She knows all too well why he is upset, but remembering all the things that Yu Ming has told her about Lao K, Tong Yao is confident enough that through times of spending it together, they'll soon get along just fine.

Furthermore, being accepted by one person in this team is enough for her. She knows she isn't always going to be accepted in a place where it is male dominated, but that doesn't mean she's going to give up. Taking here values and lessons from the time of her prime in ballet, she assures herself that just like Lao K, everyone will soon accept her. But it'll just take a little more time than before. And Tong Yao is willing to patiently wait for that time to come. 

As she continues eating her breakfast, the sudden familiar voice of the team's manager catches their attention. 

"Hey," Xiao Rui calls out to them, mentioning them forward as someone ever so familiar stands behind him.

Lao Mao is the first to notice, putting his fork down as he stands up, the other three curious watch him before looking to where he is looking. A grin spreads over their faces, seeing their former member present once again. Lao K specifically. But Tong Yao eyes' widen at the sight of her cousin. She didn't expect Yu Ming to be present.

"Come here." Xiao Rui calls out to them.

It didn't take long for the others to stand in front of the two, Tong Yao more shyly hidden away from the eyes of her cousin. Yu Ming knows that she's smiling, but Tong Yao isn't sure if Yu Ming knows if she have already moved in, after all he hasn't been around for a few days because of some family emergencies. Though Tong Yao isn't fully aware of the of the family's current problem, her cousins, having created a cousin's only group chat, she manage to check it once in a while and know few information. Yu Ming's family is pressuring him to be in an arrange marriage considering that his profession in E-Sport is official over. 

Arranged marriage is not a stranger in their family. In fact many of their cousins and relatives were arranged married, some were fortunate and others were less fortunate. Tong Yao knows where her cousin, Yu Ming, stands in arranged marriage, he would never willing marry a women that he does not love, nor will he marry a women that is forced to marry him. Yu Ming, though not much people know, is a romantic pereson. He believes in love and thus he believes that he will only marry the person he truly loves... not a woman that is chosen for him.

"Ming, you're back?" Xiao Pang grins widely, looking at his friend. 

Yu Ming simply nodded and hummed.

"What did the doctor say?" Loa K eys flutters to Yu Ming's wrist before looking at the former player for an answer.

Tong Yao, listening ever so carefully looks between Lao K and Yu Ming. Gege lied. Yu Ming didn't visit the hospital. He never did. Tong Yao, knowing from her other cousins, knew that Yu Ming was back home, having a discussion with their grandparents about the arranged marriage between the Qian family daughter. Yu Ming's schedule for the hospital is not until next week. 

Her eyes frowns upon the answer.

"Nothing," Yu Ming smiles to rest the worries of everyone, specifically avoiding the worry in her glance. However, that immediately changed as Yu Ming finally face her, greeting her like they were strangers, for a minute Tong Yao forgot no one knew the truth, "Hello, Tong Yao."