Chapter 344 - 337: The Idol Drama Trope

The sky was clear for miles, another rare, beautiful day.

Having just won the FIFA U-20 World Cup yesterday, Yang Yang was in high spirits. The commotion from the outside world couldn’t dampen his excellent mood.

After getting up in the morning, he headed out for a run, juggling a soccer ball as he went.

He left Oudekerk Town and ran eastward, eventually reaching the Southeast New District of Amsterdam. There, in front of a hotel just east of the A2 ring road, he saw Su Ye waiting for him from afar.

She was wearing a light gray athletic t-shirt, red sports shorts, and a pair of running shoes. Her graceful posture perfectly highlighted her lovely figure. With her hair tied back in a ponytail and her head lowered, she idly kicked at the ground, making it hard to see her face.

When Yang Yang was in Beijing, he had run with her around Yihe Garden every day, but he had rarely paid attention to what she wore.

But today, watching her from a distance across the wide road, he felt his heart skip a beat.

’Is this what first love feels like?’

A wave of blissful contentment washed over Yang Yang. He quickened his pace, crossing the street from the sidewalk to stand before Su Ye.

"Su Ye."

Su Ye let out a small cry and jerked her head up. Seeing Yang Yang, she was both surprised and shy.

She still hadn’t quite adjusted to their new relationship.

"Have you been waiting long?" Yang Yang asked with concern.

Su Ye shook her head. "No, I just came down."

Yang Yang smiled and held out his left hand. "Shall we go then?"

A blush crept up Su Ye’s cheeks, her expression full of bashfulness. Still, she reached out her right hand and gently took hold of Yang Yang’s broad palm, feeling the warmth radiating from his skin and the strength in his grip as he squeezed her hand.

Suddenly, she felt so weak in the knees she thought she might not be able to run.

Back when they were in China, Yang Yang had once mentioned Oude Kerk Lake, where he did his morning training every day in the Netherlands.

Although it didn’t have exceptionally beautiful scenery, its appeal lay in its natural, open expanse.

At the time, Su Ye had said she wanted to see it if she ever got the chance.

Now that this rare opportunity had arrived, they had made plans last night to run together in the morning.

Su Ye had kept up the habit of running over the years. Whether it was for ballet or stage acting, she needed excellent stamina. A single lap around Yihe Garden was about ten kilometers for her, so a run around Oude Kerk Lake would be no problem.

Hand in hand, the two of them ran at a brisk pace along the Oudekerk Lakefront.

The sun had not yet risen, and the air was still cool. The Dutch rarely woke up so early, so the entire lakefront was deserted, with only the sounds of the two of them running.

Every few steps, Yang Yang would turn his head to look at Su Ye, finding her more and more beautiful each time.

Even just the sight of her profile made him feel like she was the world’s most perfect work of art, a masterpiece of nature.

Whenever she felt Yang Yang’s burning gaze, Su Ye would blush, her heart a mix of shyness and joy. She would lower her head, not daring to meet his eyes, but her grip on his hand would tighten unconsciously.

They ran a full lap around the lake, arriving at the northeastern side of Oude Kerk Lake.

In the middle of Oude Kerk Lake was a man-made island shaped like two overlapping diamonds. A small wooden bridge, wide enough for only one person, crossed over the island to connect the two shores.

The bridge was originally built by the beach resort and water sports club on the north shore to demarcate the water area. People could go there to rent small boats and paddle around the northeastern part of Oude Kerk Lake.

However, because the wooden bridge offered a faster way to cross and was relatively sturdy, local residents often used it to get back and forth. Many couples even enjoyed the thrill of crossing it to get to the man-made island, where they could enjoy some undisturbed peace and quiet.

Yang Yang had mentioned this place to Su Ye before, and she had been quite taken with the idea of it.

But as she stood on the lakefront, looking at the narrow, seemingly unsafe bridge, she couldn’t help but feel a little scared. Yet, gazing at the man-made island a few hundred meters away, with its dense green trees and lush grass, she felt a strong sense of longing.

Yang Yang knew what she was thinking. He flicked the ball up and caught it with his right hand, then lifted his left hand, which was holding hers tightly. "Don’t be afraid," he encouraged. "I’m here, aren’t I? I’ll take you across."

With those words from Yang Yang, Su Ye’s hesitation vanished completely. After taking a deep breath, she slowly followed him onto the wooden bridge.

From a distance, it looked perilous—long, narrow, and with no safety rails. But once they were actually on it, they found that as long as you didn’t miss a step, it was nearly impossible to fall off.

"It’s okay. If you’re scared, just look at me. You won’t be scared then," Yang Yang said with a smile, turning back to her.

Su Ye snorted and rolled her eyes at him. "If I’m looking at you, how am I supposed to walk? I’ll miss a step and fall right in."

"I wouldn’t be afraid of that either. If you fall, I’ll save you, and we’ll just swim the rest of the way," Yang Yang said confidently.

He had been swimming a lot lately, and his skills were actually quite good.

The journey was a little scary, but they made it without incident.

When they finally reached the island, Su Ye patted her chest, the belated fear setting in. "That nearly scared me to death."

Yang Yang pulled her over to a grassy area on the south side of the island and lay down.

The lawn was soft and fluffy, carrying the scent of earth and green grass.

Yang Yang felt completely relaxed. He took a deep breath and laughed loudly. "This feels amazing!"

Su Ye gently lay down beside him, scooting closer. She turned onto her side, pressing up against him. With her head resting on his shoulder and both hands wrapped tightly around his left arm, she watched him in silence.

She suddenly felt so happy. She wished time could just stop, allowing her to stay by his side like this forever.

But she knew that wasn’t possible.

Yang Yang was chasing his dream, and she had to chase her own.

"You know? Just yesterday, I finally figured out exactly what I’m going to do next," Yang Yang said, full of confidence as he gazed at the blue sky and white clouds, feeling completely refreshed.

"What is it?"

"I want to become the best soccer player in the world!"

Su Ye wasn’t surprised at all. She knew this was the Yang Yang she loved.

"I want to make you proud of me!" Yang Yang said with a sincere expression.

Su Ye was touched and snuggled even closer to him.

After a long moment, she finally asked, "Do you know what my dream is?"

Yang Yang nodded. "You want to become an amazing actress."

"Mhm," Su Ye nodded. She knew that Yang Yang definitely understood her.

"I’ve always wondered, wasn’t your father strongly against it? How did he suddenly agree to let you apply to the Central Academy of Drama?" Yang Yang asked a question that had been bothering him for a long time.

Su Ye laughed, hugging Yang Yang’s arm even tighter and pressing herself against him, as if whispering in his ear. "Because I made a pact with him, with three conditions."

"A pact with three conditions?"

"The reason my dad didn’t want me to apply to the Central Academy of Drama was that he’s worried the entertainment industry is too messy. He’s a very traditional person, so of course he wouldn’t like it. That’s why he was so dead set against it."

Yang Yang nodded. That was indeed the case.

"After you talked to me last time, I had a few conversations with him, and I promised him three things."

"Tell me about them."

"First, no kissing scenes, intimate scenes, or bed scenes."

"Of course." Yang Yang wholeheartedly agreed. He turned over and reached out, gently caressing Su Ye’s flawless, jade-like face. "You’re mine," he said tenderly. "No one else is allowed to touch you."

Su Ye reached out, hugged him tightly, and leaned in to kiss him.

After a long while, they finally pulled apart, looking at each other, still wanting more.

"What’s the second one?" Yang Yang asked, their foreheads touching. They were so close they could feel each other’s breath.

"I can’t go down the wrong path. My behavior and clothes have to be respectable, and I can’t act in any of those trashy movies or TV shows."

Yang Yang nodded. "Your father is right. I support that."

"The third thing is I’m not allowed to get involved in manufactured hype or scandals, especially romance rumors. In the future, I have to be careful about who I date, and I need his approval."

Yang Yang was nodding along at first, but when he heard the part about boyfriends, he started to get a headache.

"You need his approval to have a boyfriend? Should I go have a talk with him? Lay my cards on the table personally?" Yang Yang asked with a laugh.

How could Su Ye not realize he was deliberately teasing her? Her face flushed red as she reached out and gave his arm a gentle pinch. "You dare?"

Those two words sounded like she was angry, but anyone could hear the immense sweetness behind them.

"Don’t you worry. When the time is right, I’ll tell them myself," Su Ye said, hugging Yang Yang tightly again.

But Yang Yang pretended to be confused. "Tell them what?"

"About us."

"What about us?"

"Just... us... You’re the worst!" Su Ye swatted him again, but held on to him for dear life.

She suddenly realized that being in love was such a blissful and wonderful thing. Even just lying quietly on the grass together, watching the blue sky and white clouds while whispering secrets to each other, was incredibly sweet.

"Tonight, Maxwell is having a get-together at his place. He asked me to invite you. Do you want to go?" Yang Yang asked with a smile.

Su Ye arched an eyebrow and asked with a light laugh, "Do you want me to go?"

"Of course," Yang Yang replied without hesitation.

"Why?"

Yang Yang hummed in thought for a few seconds. "I don’t know. But I really have this urge to let the whole world know you’re my girlfriend."

Su Ye couldn’t help but let out a delicate laugh. "Then I’ll go."

"I’ll come pick you up then."

"Mhm," Su Ye nodded.

The two lay on the lawn in silence again, nestled closely together, quietly watching the sky and feeling the cool breeze.

Before they knew it, the sun was rising in the east.

The golden sunlight gently fell upon them, coating their happy, smiling faces as if with a layer of honey.

After returning from the man-made island, Yang Yang took Su Ye to the breakfast shop on the street corner.

The breakfast shop owner was an old acquaintance of Yang Yang’s, but this time his attention was fixed entirely on Su Ye.

It wasn’t just because the girl was stunningly beautiful, but also because she was holding Yang Yang’s hand the whole time.

"Stop staring. She’s my girlfriend!" Yang Yang said proudly with a laugh.

Su Ye blushed and stood beside him, her heart filled with a shy sweetness.

The breakfast shop owner slammed his hand on the counter and brought out the breakfast Yang Yang had ordered. "Let me say this first: breakfast is on me today. If you refuse, we’re not friends anymore."

"Thanks, then," Yang Yang said, taking Su Ye’s hand and turning to leave.

"Yang, you have to treat her well! You have to be happy, you hear?" the breakfast shop owner called out after him.

"I know!" Yang Yang replied with a wave of his hand.

’The guy is over forty, and he’s still using lines from idol dramas. Seriously...’

But Yang Yang himself felt as if he had drunk honey; he couldn’t hold back his happiness and couldn’t stop himself from smiling.