Chapter 25 The Western Region Dancer's Kiss [Romance]
After traversing the vibrant and diverse landscape of Xinjiang, the three embarked on their long-awaited Northwest China loop journey, setting foot on the vast and historically significant land of Gansu Province.
Our first stop is Dunhuang, the most dazzling pearl on the Silk Road.
Xu Nianyi's knowledge of Dunhuang mostly comes from the mysterious Mogao Grottoes in her elementary school textbooks, the cultural treasure of the flying apsaras murals, and the Yumen Pass, which has been recited countless times in ancient poems and carries the desolation of the frontier and the sorrow of parting.
But this time, having come in person, she did more thorough research and discovered that the wonders of Dunhuang go far beyond what she had seen.
Here lies the boundless Singing Sand Dunes, in the middle of which lies the Crescent Lake, a crescent-shaped spring that never runs dry.
There is the Devil City Yardang Geological Park, which was naturally formed by wind erosion and is as magnificent as a devil's castle.
A Silk Road heritage city that features modern construction yet recreates the grandeur of the Silk Road and the history of Dunhuang;
There is also the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, which echoes the Mogao Caves and also carries Buddhist art;
There is also the solitary and awe-inspiring giant sculpture on the Gobi Desert—the Son of the Earth.
Compared to history and Buddhist art, which require deep humanistic knowledge to understand, Xu Nianyi, a poor student, is clearly more interested in natural scenery and taking beautiful photos.
So, on the first day of their trip, they went straight to the Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Lake scenic area.
Having had a pleasant experience shooting a Uyghur princess photoshoot in Kashgar, Xu Nianyi didn't hesitate to choose to have her look as a princess from the Western Regions among the dazzling array of makeup and styling shops outside the Mingsha Mountain scenic area.
She lingered among the various gorgeous outfits for a long time before finally choosing a purple exotic dress.
This outfit is more mysterious and charming than the previous traditional Xinjiang costumes. The short top cleverly reveals a slender waist and abdomen, and the tassels and beads under the top add just the right amount of sexiness.
The long purple veil hung down to her waist, fluttering gently in the wind, and could be pulled in front of her to cover her face when she felt shy.
The most exquisite touch was the makeup artist's placement of a delicate gold armband on her left upper arm, adorned with several small bells that jingled melodiously with the slightest movement.
Xu Nian felt that compared to the princess of the Western Regions, she was more like a seductive dancer from an enemy country, alluring and charming, who was leading a great general in battle.
Fang Qihang looked at the wall full of costumes and spent a long time choosing. Finally, he picked out a black ancient costume and held a prop sword. He dressed himself up as a wandering knight and even posed for a few sword-wielding poses.
However, the two of them simply couldn't find any suitable clothes for Tan Chen.
Seeing their somewhat disappointed expressions, Tan Chen remained calm.
His gaze swept over the stalls opposite the cosmetics shop, and he walked straight over to pick up a brown cowboy hat with ethnic embroidery and slightly rolled-up brims. He put it on, then turned back to look at them, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Western cowboy, how about it?"
He didn't even need to change into any special clothes. Just wearing his simple dark-colored thin jacket and work pants, along with this hat, his wild and unruly feeling immediately came through!
"Amazing!" Xu Nianyi and Fang Qihang exclaimed in unison.
The three people who successfully disguised themselves bought tickets to enter the scenic area, where the entrance fee was also 110 yuan, and they could enter and exit freely within three days.
Xu Nianyi was still wondering to herself: Is this scenic area even bigger than Limu Lake? It really takes three days to see it all?
She only realized what was going on after she went inside.
Looking out, apart from the famous Crescent Lake oasis, the rest is a vast, undulating sea of golden sand.
The ticket is valid for three days, not because the area is huge, but because there are too many attractions that require additional payment for visitors!
Camel riding, sandboarding, desert go-karting, hot air ballooning, off-road motorcycle driving, and even helicopters and gliders are available.
In addition to these unique paid experiences, Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform) says that during peak tourist season, a free "10,000-person starry sky concert" is held here on nights. Imagine how unique it would be to party and dance under the desert stars!
To take great photos, the three first tried the classic camel riding experience.
At 130 yuan for half an hour, the price-performance ratio is not high compared to my previous horseback riding experience in Hemu.
The camels lined up obediently, slowly walking across the sand dunes under the guidance of their leaders. The sound of camel bells seemed to instantly transport people back to the ancient Silk Road.
Interestingly, there are even traffic lights in the scenic area specifically designed for camels. The lights are shaped like cartoon camels, which is quite amusing.
Next, they tried sandboarding.
The 40 yuan fee allowed unlimited attempts, but after swiping twice, Xu Nianyi gave up.
The reason is simple: while it's thrilling to slide down a high sand dune on a simple grass mat, you have to climb back up, one step at a time, after each slide.
On the soft sand, every step you take is followed by a half-step backward, which is incredibly exhausting.
The two boys had been itching to try out the desert motorcycles circling nearby.
There are two routes available: a trial route for 150 yuan and a deep off-road route for 340 yuan.
They chose the 340 yuan route and confirmed with the shopkeeper that they would be allowed to drive themselves for a short distance after reaching the less crowded sand dunes.
In the desert valley, Fang Qihang was the first to get on. He excitedly gripped the handlebars, stepped on the gas, and the car shot forward, drawing a crooked S-curve on the relatively flat sand. The car swayed precariously, as if afraid it might suddenly tip over.
Tan Chen, on the other hand, was much calmer. He adjusted his posture and controlled the throttle. Although his movements were a little clumsy, the car moved forward steadily, demonstrating good control.
In no time, he mastered the driving skills, and could even climb hills, sprint, and drift, stirring up clouds of yellow sand.
Xu Nianyi excitedly asked him to show her around. Rather than sitting in the back seat of a strange instructor, she only wanted to sit in the back seat of her future boyfriend.
She wrapped her bare arms tightly around Tan Chenjin's slender waist, as if she were pressed against him, and then called out, "I'm all set, let's go!"
So Tan Chen drove her across the desert. With Xu Nianyi in the back seat, he drove more steadily and, unlike Fang Qihang, he didn't deliberately rush towards dangerous high slopes. Instead, he chose some relatively gentle slopes.
The coach led the three to a sandy area, pointed to the top of the sand dune to the right, and said that they could see the sunset from there. They would wait there for half an hour for them to take pictures and play.
The reason they have such a long time is because it's March now, the winter vacation is over, and it's the off-season for tourism. This allows them to enjoy such a relaxed time for taking photos. If it were the peak summer season, the instructor wouldn't even mention it and would just return the way they came.
The sunset in the desert lacks the complex light effects reflected by the white snow and ice, so it lacks the dreamy pink, blue, and purple tones.
It is pure gold.
With an unobstructed horizon, a huge, oily, salted egg yolk-like sun slowly sinks in the west, the light becoming soft and layered, the curves of the dunes perfectly outlined in the interplay of light and shadow.
"Holy crap! That's invincible!" Fang Qihang's exaggerated exclamation suddenly broke the golden tranquility from behind.
"What's wrong?" Xu Nianyi and Tan Chen looked at him curiously.
Fang Qihang proudly raised his phone to show them a silhouette of Tan Chen that he had just casually snapped.
In the photo, Tan Chen stands facing the setting sun, the outline of his cowboy hat, his upright posture, and the lines of his profile all gilded with a dazzling golden edge.
He was completely backlit, almost entirely black, yet exuding a beauty that was both incredibly lonely and powerful, blending perfectly with the backdrop of the vast desert.
"Come on, let me be invincible too!" Xu Nian smiled and shoved her phone into Fang Qihang's hand. Then, lifting her skirt and barefoot, she ran to Tan Chen's side like a fluttering purple butterfly, naturally reaching out to hug his arm and posing for a photo.
"Nianyi, sit down sideways, yes, bend your legs naturally, it makes them look longer! Tan-ge, stand facing Nianyi, lean forward slightly, come on, hold each other's right hands, yes! Imagine you're helping up a princess from the Western Regions who has accidentally fallen! Yes, yes, yes! That's the feeling! Eyes! Tan-ge, make your eyes gentler! Good! Perfect!" Fang Qihang instantly switched into photographer Fang mode, half-squatting, giving instructions while his fingers kept pressing the shutter.
The golden sun shone precisely between their clasped hands.
One is a princess from the ancient Western Regions, and the other is a cowboy from the modern West. These two completely different styles collide under the setting sun, creating a sense of destiny that seems to transcend time and place.
"I love this one where your foreheads touch, the atmosphere is amazing! By the way, why don't you two just kiss? That would be even more unbeatable!" Fang Qihang flipped through the finished photos, not forgetting to tease with a mischievous smile.
Xu Nianyi ignored his nonsense, grabbed his phone, directed him to stand in that invincible shooting position, and took a set of photos of him with the atmosphere of a dashing swordsman wandering the world.
Fang Qihang cooperated well, brandishing his longsword and fluttering his clothes, displaying a rather chivalrous demeanor.
After having a great time, Xu Nianyi was preparing to go back and take a motorcycle down the mountain when she remembered that she had casually asked Fang Qihang to keep her phone safe so she could take pictures.
She reached out to him to ask for it.
A look of panic flashed across Fang Qihang's face. He began frantically searching his body, his expression growing increasingly terrified.
"Oh no! It's lost! I guess it fell into the sand when I was crouching down to find the right angle!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Nian's heart skipped a beat. She immediately ran to the spot where Fang Qihang had just stood, and without saying a word, she lay down on the ground and began digging in the sand with her bare hands. She said anxiously, "You two, don't just stand there like idiots! Help me look! If it gets buried deep in the sand, we really won't be able to find it once it gets dark!"
Tan Chen remained calm. He took out his phone and asked, "Let me try making a call. You didn't put it on silent this time, did you?"
"You've told me so many times, I've already broken this habit!" Xu Nian didn't even look up, continuing to dig in the sand with all her might, like an anxious little groundhog.
The familiar default Apple ringtone suddenly and clearly came from Fang Qihang's stomach.
The scene fell silent instantly.
Fang Qihang's terrified expression instantly turned into a mischievous grin of triumph. He slowly pulled Xu Nianyi's phone out from under his ancient costume, the screen still flashing Tan Chen's caller ID.
"Fang! Qi! Hang!" Xu Nianyi immediately sprang up from the ground, angrily chasing after him to hit him.
But on the soft sand, she couldn't keep up with the agile Fang Qihang.
Tan Chen, who was standing to the side, took a few steps forward and swiftly grabbed Fang Qihang, who was trying to escape.
Even after being restrained, Fang Qihang was still yelling, "Brother Tan! Brother Tan! You can't forget your brothers just because you have a wife! You're putting your girlfriend before your friends!"
Xu Nian chased after Tan Chen angrily and said, "Tan Chen, come on, help me bury him alive with sand! Let him disappear into the vast desert and his remains be found!"
The three of them burst into laughter and play on the sand dune, the dust they kicked up dancing in the afterglow of the setting sun, creating a joyful atmosphere.
After playing around, they rode motorcycles back down the mountain.
It wasn't completely dark yet. The three of them climbed with difficulty up a platform overlooking the entire Crescent Lake, using steps made of hemp ropes and wooden blocks buried in the sand.
As night falls, the lights around Crescent Lake illuminate the area, casting a soft blue glow that outlines the magical spring water like a crescent moon fallen to earth. Surrounded by dark sand dunes, the scene is tranquil and dreamlike.
Without the interference of urban pollution, the sky was filled with countless stars peeking out one after another, gradually forming a dazzling Milky Way.
The two sat side by side on the sand, quietly gazing up at the starry desert sky, feeling the wonder and magnificence of nature.
Fang Qihang transformed into the most dedicated CP leader at this moment, sitting alone in the back, secretly using his phone to capture the soon-to-be couple in front of him, bathed in starlight and surrounded by pink bubbles.
Xu Nianyi quietly moved closer to Tan Chen, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of coquetry and probing, she whispered, "Tan Chen, do you know? In dramas, in scenes like this, the male lead always kisses the female lead..."
"..." Tan Chen's body stiffened, and he did not respond.
Xu Nian waited a moment, and seeing that he didn't move, she mustered up her courage and asked in a different way, "Okay, I know you're shy... then, can I kiss you?"
"..." Her response was still silence.
But under the starlight, she seemed to see his Adam's apple bob slightly.
It was at this moment, where ambiguity and silence intertwined.
"Whoosh—Bang!"
A huge, dazzling firework suddenly pierced the night sky and exploded against the deep sky, like a seven-colored auspicious cloud, instantly illuminating the entire desert!
Immediately afterwards, more fireworks followed, colorful and dazzling, firmly attracting everyone's attention.
Right here in this dazzling, unnoticed corner.
The princess from the Western Regions, draped in a purple veil, bravely and gently kissed her cowboy.
Fireworks burst above their heads, starlight twinkled behind them, and Crescent Lake flowed at their feet.
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