Chapter 180, Poetic and Picturesque (The Finale)
When I was in school, I read about ancient people boating on lakes and hearing them say that the myriad flowers were dazzling to the eye. I always thought it was too exaggerated. But after seeing it up close, I realized that the ancients were the ones who truly understood the beauty of nature.
"The lotus leaves stretch to the sky, an endless expanse of green; the lotus blossoms, bathed in sunlight, are a vibrant red!" Zhang Youyou exclaimed as he stood by the roadside, gazing at the lotus flowers in the lake.
Lee Dong-ho stood beside her with a smile.
"So that's why the teacher made us memorize ancient poems!" Zhang Youyou said with a smile. Actually, she didn't know why, but she suddenly blurted out such a sentence. Maybe at this moment, she had a connection with the state of mind of the ancients.
"Perhaps it's to let you understand a bigger world!" Li Donghao remarked. He hadn't expected Zhang Youyou to recite such poetry so readily.
"Is this world big?" The two chatted as they strolled along, occasionally taking out their phones to take pictures of nice scenery.
They originally came out to find food, and after eating, they went for a walk nearby. They ended up here, surrounded by lush green grass and tender red lotus flowers. Zhang Youyou liked the scenery here.
"Isn't it big?" Li Donghao retorted. "It takes us almost three hours to drive here from home. In ancient times, people didn't have cars, high-speed trains, or airplanes. They relied entirely on walking or riding horses or carriages. How long do you think it would have taken them to get here from F City?"
Zhang Youyou thought about it seriously for a while, then shook her head. She really couldn't imagine walking for three hours; she would explode—except when shopping.
“But there is one advantage, which is that life can slow down,” Li Donghao said, as if he could see a middle-aged man, covered in dust, carrying a bag, finding a shady spot to sit down, holding dry food wrapped in oil paper in one hand and a gourd of wine in the other, eating and breathing comfortably.
Zhang Youyou thought about it seriously for a long time but still couldn't figure it out. But slowing down was indeed nice. There was no need to worry about weekly, monthly, or final exams, or about failing grades and repeating a grade. Thinking about it this way, life in ancient times didn't seem so bad.
Li Donghao was oblivious to Zhang Youyou's little scheme and continued to be absorbed in his own thoughts until Zhang Youyou shouted, "I want to take a picture," at which point he stopped.
It was a small yellow flower blooming in the lawn, standing out conspicuously among the green grass. Zhang Youyou was squatting on the ground, holding his phone and adjusting the angle.
Seeing her serious expression, Lee Dong-ho couldn't help but secretly take out his phone and snap a picture.
Zhang Youyou loves taking photos, but she only likes to photograph scenery and not herself. However, Li Donghao has taken many photos of her taking serious photos, from childhood to adulthood, and they are all stored on a hard drive, which is his secret.
"Is it pretty?" Zhang Youyou proudly showed him the picture of the little yellow flower, and Li Donghao nodded in satisfaction.
He stroked her head and realized that her short hair had been tied into a long ponytail, which swayed with youthful energy.
"Zhang Youyou!" Li Donghao suddenly spoke up. Zhang Youyou was still immersed in the art of taking photos, but his mouth responded honestly.
"ah?"
Li Donghao suddenly bent down, his thin lips close to her ear, and whispered, "When your hair reaches your waist, will you marry me?"
Zhang Youyou's body suddenly stiffened, and her heartbeat seemed to stop. She just stood there, as if she hadn't heard the words clearly.
Li Donghao wasn't in a hurry; he simply turned his head to look at her and waited patiently.
Time seemed to stand still.
A gentle breeze blew by, and a boy rode by on a bicycle, laughing and joking. His cheerful laughter ruffled the hair of the two boys.
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