Chapter 56 Cheongsam "You're so beautiful, I feel like I'm not quite worthy of you..."
The two spent a long time being all lovey-dovey in the guesthouse before finally packing their luggage and heading out.
They were all quite tired from the long car ride, so they just grabbed a quick bite at a small shop downstairs before heading back to their rooms to rest.
Tang Yi slept quite well. When she got up, the sky was gradually darkening, and a deep blue with a natural transition appeared on the horizon, reminding her of the lakeside that had captivated her during her business trip to City B.
She changed into a comfortable, warm thin sweater, smoothed her long hair, and pushed open the door to go out.
The living room was dimly lit, while the sky outside on the balcony was an even deeper blue. She slowly walked over and sat down in the bamboo chair, comfortably raising her phone to take pictures.
Zhang Minglang woke up at almost the same time as her, and when he picked up his phone to check, it was already past six or seven in the afternoon.
Tang Yi must be hungry, right?
With that thought in mind, he decisively got up and went outside.
He saw Tang Yi, whom he had been longing for, sitting quietly on the balcony with her back to him. Steam rose from the coffee brewing on the small round table. Her long, straight black hair fell onto the back of the chair, and a deep blue sky stretched out from the window in front of her.
Everything was so peaceful and beautiful that it easily put him and her on the same wavelength, reminding them of that night when they strolled by the lake.
Zhang Minglang raised his phone to record this unforgettable moment.
The woman in the picture seemed to realize something was wrong. The moment he pressed the shutter button, she turned her head and looked directly at his camera.
A gentle breeze, blues hues, the perfect curve of her flowing hair, and her elegant profile.
Zhang Minglang put away his phone, walked over, and put his arm around her from behind.
Tang Yi reached out and touched his arm that was hanging in front of her, and said softly, "The scenery is beautiful."
Zhang Minglang bent down and hugged her even tighter.
The weather was really cool, so they walked out of the guesthouse hand in hand and strolled along the roadside.
There were quite a few tourists, but not many. They walked side by side through the streets, occasionally popping into one or two small shops to take a look.
A gentle breeze was blowing, and the two of them, snuggled together, didn't feel cold at all.
As he walked past a shop window, Zhang Minglang suddenly stopped and refused to move.
Tang Yi realized she couldn't pull the person next to her, and turned to look at him in confusion. Following his gaze, she saw a well-tailored purple cheongsam.
The fabric looked exceptionally textured under the warm yellow overhead light, covered in embroidery with fine threads that seemed to glow, giving it a very luxurious feel.
Zhang Minglang turned his head and asked with a smile, "Want to give it a try?"
Tang Yi hesitated for a moment: "I've never tried on a cheongsam before..."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglang simply took her arm and led her into the store: "Then we should definitely give it a try."
I reluctantly entered the store, and the receptionist greeted me with a smile: "Welcome! Our store specializes in cheongsams designed with intangible cultural heritage embroidery. The fabrics are all of very high quality, and we accept custom orders. You can try them on!"
Tang Yi, arm in arm with Zhang Minglang, nodded and smiled politely at her upon hearing this: "Let's take a look."
The young woman was stunned by Tang Yi's aloof appearance. She looked up at the man beside her; he was not only tall but also had an impeccable appearance.
The young lady stepped forward excitedly: "You two have such great figures and are such a perfect match, you can check out our couple's outfits!"
Zhang Minglang was delighted by her description of them as a "perfect match," and he felt a little lightheaded as he pulled Tang Yi along to follow.
Tang Yi looked up at him and said, "We're all busy with work, where would we find the time to wear a cheongsam?"
Zhang Minglang shook his head: "Junmao doesn't have any dress code requirements."
After saying that, he thought of something, bent down and lowered his voice: "If it really doesn't work, you can wear it only for me to see."
Tang Yier's face flushed slightly from the heat of his breath. She looked up at him.
As if anticipating what she was about to say, Zhang Minglang lowered his voice and whispered a mocking remark: "Indecent!"
Tang Yi was startled and took back the three words she was about to say. She angrily punched him on the shoulder.
Zhang Minglang covered his shoulder and chuckled quietly.
Tang Yi took the purple cheongsam handed to her by the sales assistant, handed her handbag to Zhang Minglang who was sitting on the sofa, and then lifted the curtain to go inside and change her clothes.
Zhang Minglang was still dressed in all black, with thick, black hair. He was crossing his legs and looking down at his phone.
The only thing that clashed with his powerful, unapproachable aura was the white handbag, clearly a woman's, hanging on his wrist.
Female customers who came in to shop saw a handsome guy sitting on the sofa and were getting excited, but when they glanced at the bag in his hand, they naturally gave up some of their ideas.
Zhang Minglang was completely unaware of this. He looked down and scrolled through the photo album, admiring the picture of Tang Yi looking back for a long time before finally setting it as his desktop wallpaper.
A series of rapid "whoosh" sounds came from in front of him as the curtain was parted. Zhang Minglang's ears twitched, he turned off his phone screen, and looked up.
Tang Yi, dressed in purple, slowly emerged from behind the curtain.
Two slender arms emerged from the deep purple sleeves, exposed to the air, almost dazzlingly white. Further down, from her chest and waist to her hips, the fabric clung to her contours, highlighting her graceful figure.
At this moment, Tang Yizheng raised her hand, took out her long black hair that was tucked into her collar, and let it hang down in front of her chest.
Tang Yi raised her arms slightly, stopping in front of Zhang Minglang on the sofa, and asked, "How is it?"
Zhang Minglang was already staring wide-eyed.
The deep purple color should have made her look older. However, Tang Yi's well-maintained figure and fair, smooth skin made the sample garment look like it was tailor-made for her.
Seeing Zhang Minglang standing there speechless, Tang Yi guessed it wasn't very flattering. She turned to go behind the curtain, muttering, "Doesn't the color make me look a bit old? I think it's a bit..."
"It's very beautiful!"
Zhang Minglang was afraid she would change, so he quickly spoke up.
Tang Yi turned to look at him, her tone still somewhat uncertain: "Really? I don't think purple suits me very well."
Zhang Minglang stood up, placed his hands on her waist, and looked at her, saying earnestly, word by word, "It suits you very well."
After saying that, he turned to the sales assistants and told them to pack it up.
Tang Yi quickly grabbed his hand.
"What's the rush? You haven't even asked the price. What if it's not worth it?"
Zhang Minglang laughed: "No need to ask, you don't need to save me money, consider this my travel gift to you."
Tang Yi also smiled and said, "Should I prepare a gift for you too?"
Zhang Minglang moved his hand up to her bare arm, gently stroking it, and whispered, "If you had a good time on this trip, that's my gift to you."
In the end, Tang Yi couldn't persuade him otherwise and had to let him buy the cheongsam.
This shop specializes in making intangible cultural heritage cheongsams, so all the clothes in the store are ready-made garments. After praising Tang Yi's work, the sales assistant suggested to the two of them, "There's a small bridge over there that's very lively at night, with a light show. It's a great place to take photos in this cheongsam!"
She glanced at the man beside her whose eyes were practically glued to Tang Yi, and said with a smile, "This handsome guy could take some nice photos of his girlfriend to commemorate the occasion. You two are such a perfect match."
Tang Yi reached out and tugged at her cheongsam, then looked up and said, "Okay."
The store gave her a plush shawl, and since it was getting a bit chilly at night, Tang Yi took the shawl and put it on.
Zhang Minglang held her hand tightly, glancing at her every now and then with stars in his eyes.
Tang Yi said helplessly, "Watch where you're going."
Zhang Minglang gave a few perfunctory replies and continued to do as he pleased.
Tang Yi stopped in front of a large wall mirror by the roadside and looked at herself.
The woman in the mirror had a curvaceous figure, red lips and white teeth, and her long black hair was casually tied into a low bun with a small rubber band, with a few strands peeking out just right, fluttering in the gentle evening breeze on her chest.
Tang Yi glanced at the man beside her somewhat embarrassedly: "Isn't it a bit strange, like we've traveled back to the Republic of China era?"
However, her worries were unfounded, because many girls of similar age, dressed in flowing Hanfu or cheongsams, chattered past her. Some of them even had their hair styled in buns. Looking around, combined with the already quaint and misty town, it truly felt like stepping back in time.
Zhang Minglang held her hand and sighed softly, "I'm the one who's surprised."
Tang Yi tilted her head to look at him.
He exclaimed, "You're so beautiful, I feel like I'm not good enough for you."
Upon hearing this, Tang Yi burst out laughing.
The two walked hand in hand and soon arrived at the small bridge that the saleswoman had mentioned.
Zhang Minglang rubbed his hands together, took out his phone, and asked Tang Yi to stand over and pose, promising that he would definitely take a "life photo" for her.
Tang Yi smiled, shook her head, and walked over.
She gently placed her fingers on the handrail of the small stone bridge, turned her body to the side, and looked at the camera.
Her small, delicate face glowed like a light bulb in both the darkness and the lamplight. A gentle breeze lifted the hem of her cheongsam and a few strands of hair tucked behind her ears; everything seemed to be yielding to her, perfectly embracing this beauty.
Zhang Minglang's thumb was only focused on pressing down hard, and he didn't even notice how many pictures he had taken.
Tang Yi felt a little embarrassed as many people stared at her. She blinked and walked over to Zhang Minglang, asking, "How is it? Let me see."
Zhang Minglang straightened up and pulled Tang Yi's slender waist into his arms, his nose filled with her delicate fragrance. He confidently handed her his phone: "These photos are amazing, they're all divine."
Tang Yi took the phone with some disbelief and looked down to examine the images one by one.
Zhang Minglang's initial confidence was gradually eroded by Tang Yi's prolonged silence and increasingly flat lips. He felt more and more uncertain, and the hand that was supporting her waist slowly withdrew. He looked up at the sky and down at the ground, but dared not look at her again.
Zhang Minglang saw an old man passing by selling oil-paper umbrellas, and thought it was a good opportunity to make a run for it. He straightened up, turned around, and was about to run away.
"Wait a minute."
Tang Yi parted her red lips slightly, without even raising her head. Her flat tone made Zhang Minglang shudder.
He slowly turned his head, his face full of ingratiating smiles: "What?"
Tang Yi looked up at him, a forced smile on her face, and flipped her phone over, tapping the screen with her finger to produce a crisp "tap-tap" sound: "Amazing picture?"
On the screen, the entire image is crammed together by various elements: dazzling lights in the background, a passing wooden boat, the afterimage of a passerby about to walk by in the corner...
Tang Yi, standing in the middle, was blurred like cream, her face completely obscured.
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