Chapter 77 Group Photo "I'm different, I love you."...
After a long struggle with Yang Yuanyue and Xixi's grandmother, Tang Yi and Zhang Minglang finally managed to hold Xixi's hand and lead her into the car.
Fang Zhen had already heard about everything that happened after she left, so after getting into the car, she would turn around and chat with Xixi from time to time. Although it was difficult to get any verbal response, Xixi's occasional nods were enough for her to praise her to the skies, saying "Xixi is so great."
Having experienced too much in one day, Xixi's small body quickly became exhausted. She hugged herself, leaned against the car window, and closed her eyes. Seeing this, Tang Yi silently reached out and tentatively supported her head, pulling her into her arms.
Tang Yi felt her body tremble slightly and saw her eyelashes flutter. But Xi Xi was just trembling; she didn't open her eyes or try to escape her embrace.
Tang Yi silently raised one elbow and nudged Zhang Minglang beside her, smiling as she gestured to this adorable little boy whose words and actions contradicted each other.
Zhang Minglang quietly leaned over for a glance and immediately understood what she meant. He chuckled softly and mouthed the same words to her.
Because Xixi needed to rest, the back lights weren't on. Tang Yi couldn't see what he said. She squinted, moved closer to him, and whispered, "What?"
Zhang Minglang raised his eyebrows and obediently brought his lips close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against Tang Yi's left ear: "I said, she likes you a lot."
Tang Yi tried to ignore the touch on her ear, moved away from him, and nodded.
The two continued to look straight ahead. Tang Yi gazed out the window; the wide headlights illuminated a distant darkness with remarkable clarity. The car wound its way along the steep mountain road, making Tang Yi feel drowsy.
She closed her eyes, and the temporary loss of sight made all sensory perception give way to hearing. She could clearly hear the faint sound of sweaters rubbing together beside her.
The familiar warmth returned to her earlobe. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, just like Xixi's had just done, but she wouldn't open her eyes.
She heard Zhang Minglang whisper, "I'm different. I love you."
A warm feeling crept into Tang Yi's heart. The fingertips resting on Xi Xi's shoulder seemed to suddenly jump, causing her entire finger to twitch.
However, Tang Yi was a composed person. Apart from the rapidly beating heart in her chest, which only she knew could prove her current mood, she looked like she was just asleep from the outside.
In a hazy state, the words "I love you" echoed in my ears, and my feigned sleep turned into a real sleep.
When Tang Yiyou woke up, the car had already stopped, and it was as empty as a house after an afternoon nap; everything was quiet. Her heart sank, and a huge sense of loss welled up inside her.
She looked down and saw that Xixi in her arms was still sleeping soundly with even breathing. She looked up again and finally noticed that Zhang Minglang, who was sitting next to her, was holding the car door with one hand, watching her busy with a smile in his eyes. She didn't know how long he had been staring at her.
Tang Yi's anxious heart finally calmed down a little. She glanced ahead and saw that Fang Zhen and the driver had disappeared. Besides Xixi, there were only the two of them in the car.
He was still looking at her, and lowered his hand that had been supporting his chin. Tang Yi asked softly, "You didn't even call me when we arrived. What are you standing here staring at like an idiot for?"
Zhang Minglang laughed: "I admire Tang Yichao's beautiful sleeping posture."
Tang Yi frowned and muttered, "What kind of nonsense is this Superman?" Then she asked Fang Zhen and the driver where they had gone.
“I sent them back. It’s just the two of us who need to play with Xixi.”
Before Tang Yi could say anything, Xixi, nestled in her arms, whimpered and woke up. She asked softly, "Awake? Are you hungry? Shall we go out and get something to eat?"
The two opened the car door and got out, Tang Yi holding Xixi's hand. There was a shopping mall right outside, and she was debating what to take her to eat.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglang patted his chest and said he would take care of it.
Tang Yi followed him without worry, and they finally stopped in front of a KFC on the first floor of the mall. She said somewhat disapprovingly, "It's a rare opportunity to come here, how can you take her to eat this?"
Zhang Minglang simply squatted down to be at eye level with Xixi and asked her if she wanted to eat it. Xixi's eyes lit up, and she glanced at the dazzling shop, pointing to a spot in the glass, her voice still very soft: "I want this."
Tang Yi followed her gaze and saw it was an ice cream cone.
Zhang Minglang gestured with his chin towards Tang Yiyang, stood up, walked behind her, and pushed her inside, giving her no chance to refuse. As they walked, he muttered, "Kids all love this. I wanted to eat it when I was little, but my parents absolutely forbade it. What's wrong with eating it once in a while? It won't affect your health..."
Tang Yi was still not entirely in favor, but when she saw Xi Xi happily wolfing down the fried chicken and fries spread out on the table, her thoughts naturally disappeared.
Tang rested his chin on his hand, smiling as he watched Xixi happily eat.
Oh well, it really doesn't matter if it happens only once in a while.
If you take her to a fancy restaurant, Xixi might not necessarily eat her fill or enjoy her meal.
After filling their stomachs, Tang Yi and Xi Xi, guided by professional gamer Zhang Minglang, entered the huge arcade.
Tang Yi looked at Zhang Minglang, who was eagerly exchanging game tokens at the machine, and wondered, "You just want to play, don't you, Zhang Minglang?"
Having his thoughts exposed, Zhang Minglang simply stopped pretending. He weighed the heavy box of game coins in his hand, rubbing his hands together, ready to get started.
Xixi's eyes darted around, looking at the various game consoles that glowed with pink and blue light, as if she had entered a place that could only be entered in a dream.
Zhang Minglang bent down and taught Xixi how to insert coins, how to operate the machine, and how to grab plush toys. Then he put two coins in her hand and said, "Try it yourself."
Xixi opened her palm to look at the game tokens, then lowered her head and copied the game tokens into the machine, her eyes focused and her hands operating the handle.
Tang Yi stepped aside, standing on one side with Zhang Minglang, pointing at the transparent machine casing and chattering about which way to go—left or right. Of course, they missed.
Xi Xi looked up at Tang Yi, then at Zhang Minglang, her eyes sparkling.
Tang Yi thought she was feeling guilty because she was sensitive, so she quickly squatted down, touched her hair, and said it was okay, there were plenty of game coins, and she could play many times.
However, Xixi was silent for a while, as if she was very embarrassed: "I can't tell left from right."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglang, who had been watching with concern, remained silent for a moment before suddenly bursting into laughter.
Tang Yi looked up and glared at him: "Don't undermine her confidence. Our Xixi is still in elementary school. It's normal that she can't tell the difference."
Zhang Minglang also squatted down and patiently taught her that the hand she uses to eat and write is her right hand. As a result, Xixi not only enjoyed a carefree and relaxing night, but also learned how to distinguish between left and right.
They played wildly in the spacious arcade, laughing and joking as they won several plush toys with Xixi, and then took her to play on the dance machine. Tang Yi held up her phone to record videos of Xixi and Zhang Minglang dancing and gesturing wildly, and even though the video was shaky and unclear, no one cared.
They played pinball and motorcycle games. Tang Yi placed Xi Xi in front of her, and the motorcycle beneath them shook violently with the game screen, almost throwing both of them off.
They were playing indoor go-karting. As the car drifted at high speed around the corners and the wind hit their faces, Tang Yi heard Xi Xi scream out of excitement for the first time.
After speed-tracking almost all the rides, they took her into a cake shop and let her choose a small cake herself.
The three of them sat by the window. Tang Yi helped tear open the plastic packaging of the disposable fork, while Zhang Minglang opened the cake box, lifting the small box from above while being careful not to touch the cream decorations on the cake.
Xixi took the fork, but just as she was about to put it down, she quickly pulled it back and turned to Tang Yi, asking, "Aren't you going to eat, Superwoman sister?"
"I'm not eating," Tang Yi said with a smile, shaking her head. She looked up at Zhang Minglang, glancing over Xixi's head. "What were you two talking about behind my back? Why are you both shouting nonsense?"
“I won’t tell you, this is a secret between me and Xiaoxi,” Zhang Minglang raised his head, then lowered his head to ask Xixi, “Xixi, don’t you think so? We made a pinky promise.”
Xixi looked at him, then turned to look at Tang Yi, her little face furrowing in confusion.
Tang Yi smiled, took a tissue and wiped the cream from the corner of her mouth, and said, "It's okay. You two keep your little secret. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too."
Only then did Xixi feel relieved and start eating.
Tang Yi looked up and glanced at the smug Zhang Minglang, saying, "What methods did you use to make them surrender in just one afternoon?"
Zhang Minglang stretched out his palm and waved it: "Pinky promise, never to change for a hundred years, it works best on kids."
Tang Yi scoffed and turned her head, calling him childish.
In the instant she turned her head, she keenly saw a face flash by somewhere outside the glass before disappearing into the darkness.
Tang Yi's heart sank. She looked closely, but saw nothing. She looked down and saw Zhang Minglang and Xixi whispering to each other. Tang Yi tried to calm her agitated heart.
It might just be a hallucination, a vague guess or a fleeting glimpse. It's best not to say it out loud and spoil this warm atmosphere.
Tang Yi lowered her eyelashes, just about to turn her head to say something, when Xi Xi, who was crouching, suddenly sprang up, flicked her finger in front of her eyes, and a small drop of cream was flicked onto the tip of her nose.
Tang Yi's eyes widened slightly as she looked at her with a bewildered expression.
Xixi was laughing so hard she couldn't stand up straight and kept trying to crawl under the table. Zhang Minglang was even more so, propping his chin up and staring at Tang Yi's nose, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Seeing the state of the two, Tang Yi could hardly understand anything.
She laughed twice, reached up to roll up her sleeves, and muttered, "You're all doomed," before reaching for the cream and flicking it onto their noses.
After a struggle and pulling, the fight finally ended when all three noses were evenly covered with a small piece of cream.
They had just quieted down for a moment when Tang Yi was suddenly patted gently on the back.
She turned her head and saw a pretty girl with big eyes holding a Polaroid camera and a regular camera, smiling sweetly and waving at her: "Hello, sister, I've noticed you two for a long time. You and your husband are such a perfect match, and the little girl is so cute too."
Tang Yi quickly waved her hand: "We are not... husband and wife yet, this is... a relative's child."
The girl quickly apologized. Zhang Minglang, who was secretly pleased, coughed twice, reached out and grabbed Tang Yi's hand, intertwined their fingers, and deliberately held it up for the girl to see, saying, "We are boyfriend and girlfriend."
"I knew you two were a couple! You two are such a perfect match!" The girl breathed a sigh of relief and held her phone up to show them. "Hey, I'm a restaurant review blogger, my name is Zou Jinyue. This is my account, my username is 'Ever-Changing Xiaoyue'. You two seem to be getting along really well, so I wanted to take some photos of you two together, is that okay? I won't use them for anything else, I can send them to your phones after I'm done, and then I'll delete them right now!"
Tang Yi paused for a moment, then turned to Zhang Minglang for his opinion. He thought about it seriously and said, "Taking photos is fine, but you must promise to delete them without leaving any trace, because it's not very convenient for us."
Zou Jinyue readily agreed.
The three of them even forgot to wipe the cream off their noses, and looked at the camera with slightly comical expressions. Xixi, who was sitting in the middle, was not used to taking pictures and was a little nervous and uncomfortable.
With a click of the camera, a rare group photo was taken. To help them capture this moment, Zou Jinyue also gave them a Polaroid camera. After thanking each other, Zou Jinyue immediately exported the photo from the camera and sent it to Tang Yi via WeChat.
The tiny Polaroid camera framed the three of them, turning this beautiful moment into a tangible object. When Tang Yi took the photo from Zhang Minglang, who was bursting with laughter, she realized that they had forgotten to wipe the cream off their noses.
Tang Yi was amused and handed him and Xixi a few tissues to wipe it off.
It was getting late, so Tang Yi contacted a driver to take them back to Ju County. The car stopped in front of Xi Xi's house, where Xi Xi's grandmother had been waiting for a long time. Hearing the noise, she quickly came closer.
She pulled Xixi over and urged her to thank her older brother and sister.
Tang Yi squatted down and waved to her, smiling gently: "Xixi, come and hug me, okay?"
Almost without hesitation, Xixi let go of her grandmother's hand and ran over to hug her. Tang Yi reached out and stroked her hair, then gently patted her back. She whispered, "You must study hard and get into a good university, okay? When your sister comes to see you again next time, Xixi must be a brave little girl, okay?"
Xixi didn't speak, she just nodded vigorously.
Tang Yi let go of her, only then realizing that she hadn't given her a gift. She stood up and patted herself down, but found nothing.
Zhang Minglang didn't need her to speak; it was as if he had the ability to read her mind. He took a step forward and pulled out the Polaroid photo from the side pocket of Tang Yi's handbag.
He bent down and handed a small Polaroid photo to Xixi, saying gently, "Xixi, please keep this group photo safe for your older brother and sister, okay?"
Xixi stretched out her hands, carefully took it, looked at it again and again, and touched it again and again.
Zhang Minglang held up his little finger again, waved it in front of her, and said with a smile, "After Yiyi and I leave, you have to eat well, sleep well, study hard, become a great big brother, and keep this photo safe. We'll come back to check it next time we're here. If you promise, let's pinky swear?"
This time, Xixi didn't hesitate. She pursed her small lips and earnestly reached out to make a pinky promise with him.
Tang Yi's hands hung loosely in front of her. She forced a smile, but then saw Grandma Xixi trembling as she reached out to wipe away her tears.
The night was bright and clear, and all was quiet.
Tang Yi and Zhang Minglang snuggled together on her master bedroom bed, recounting everything that had happened that day, laughing from time to time, their hands clasped tightly under the covers, warm to the touch.
On the small bed in Orange County, Xixi curled up in a ball with her back to her grandmother. Moonlight streamed in through the window, and she quietly took out the group photo from under her pillow, held it in her palm, and finally fell into a peaceful sleep.
Inside the cake shop, Zou Jinyue sat at a table tasting cakes, occasionally sharing her impressions on her phone camera. Suddenly, a waiter brought over a tiramisu.
She looked up blankly: "I didn't order this. Did you send the wrong thing?"
The waiter smiled and said, "We didn't send the wrong item. A couple with a little girl just came to the cashier and paid for your table. They also bought this tiramisu and asked me to make sure it was served to you."
Zou Jinyue took the receipt from her in a daze. After understanding what was going on, she pouted and sighed at the phone camera, "Waaah, there are still so many good people in the world! I'm so touched..."
Under the cover of night, all the panic, contradictions, and rifts of the day were quietly mended by the moonlight on the horizon.
Author's Note: Our little Zou is making a cameo appearance now! [shy]
Pre-order for this column: "Dating Someone Like Me"
You can take a look if you're interested.
The official synopsis for "Breaking the Snow Bell" has also been released; it's a story of two bittersweet characters finding warmth and healing in each other.
The outline for "Snail Shell" is still in the conceptual stage.
So conflicted [heartbroken] Which should I start as the next book, "Falling in Love" or "Snow Bell"? [melted]
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