nashuaworldcup Chapter 530 Frankness
Chapter 530 Frankness
February 19th.
"Rong'er." Zhen Huan pointed at the cream cake on the table with a gentle smile in her eyes. "Sister Mei and I have been busy all day making these meals and cakes, but this cake doesn't seem as beautiful as the one you made!"
The buttercream decoration on the top layer of the cake was slightly crooked, and the frosting decoration on the edge was also uneven in thickness.
An Lingren suppressed her smile. They were all people who had never done housework and had never cooked before.
She picked up a piece with a silver spoon and put it into her mouth. The taste was refreshing and rich. She praised it, "Although it doesn't look good, it's the taste I like."
The three of them talked while eating cake.
Shen Meizhuang picked up the wine pot, poured a glass of wine and handed it to her: "Rong'er, this glass is for you. May you be safe and sound every year."
Zhen Huan also raised her glass: "Let us be happy and joyful, and live forever."
An Lingrong looked at the two of them and suddenly felt her chest tighten.
"I wish you..." She raised her glass, paused, and condensed all her emotions into the simplest wish, "all the best."
In the distance, on the shores of Houhu Lake, sky lanterns soared into the sky, forming a brilliant galaxy against the inky sky. The shadows of the lanterns were reflected in the blue waves of Houhu Lake, as if golden-red lotus flowers were blooming in heaven and on earth at the same time.
Words such as "eternal health", "longevity and blessings", "peace and joy" are written on each lantern. They float slowly towards the sky and gradually merge with the sky. It is impossible to tell which are the lights on earth and which are the stars in the sky.
Zhen Huan explained, "It's Jinxi, Caiyue, and Liuzhu who are praying for you."
An Lingrong took in all the starry sky and said, "I like it!"
After watching the Kongming lanterns, An Lingrong moved closer to Shen Meiyu and rested her head on her shoulder.
"Rong'er." Shen Meizhuang suddenly lowered her voice, and her warm breath brushed past her ears.
His fingers gently traced circles on An Lingrong's back, the touch penetrating through her thin spring shirt. "I've already made arrangements. A carriage will be waiting for you at the North Gate tomorrow morning."
An Lingrong's body stiffened and she looked up to meet Shen Meizhuang's watery eyes.
Under the moonlight, she saw reluctance in the other person's eyes.
The night wind suddenly picked up, sweeping across the century-old crabapple tree on the west side of the terrace, stirring up the blossoms. Crimson petals rustled down, a few playfully swirling before landing delicately in An Lingrong's hair, embellishing this special birthday for her.
Seeing this, Shen Meizhuang reached out and took off the petal covered with night dew, and then took the opportunity to tidy up her hair that was messed up by the wind.
This is a habit they developed after years of being together.
"On such a beautiful day, we should dress festively." An Lingrong suddenly stood up, a sly glint in her eyes. "Wait a minute, I'll go change my clothes."
Without waiting for a response from either of them, she quickly walked towards the inner room, lifting her skirt. Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang smiled at each other, thinking she was going to change into something brighter.
After about a cup of tea, the bead curtain rustled softly, and An Lingrong reappeared before the two of them.
She had taken off her bun, and her long black hair cascaded down, with the ends swaying gently at her waist.
She changed into a moon-white off-shoulder dress with a straight-cut neckline that drew an elegant arc along her delicate collarbone, revealing a large area of snow-white skin.
The skirt draped naturally, swaying smoothly with her steps. The length of the skirt stopped at the calf just right, and the silver-woven waistband tied into a bow at the waist cinched her waist into a slender shape.
A pair of plain white leather high heels on her feet made her figure look even taller.
The only ornament on her body was the emerald jade bracelet on her wrist.
An Lingrong walked up to the two of them and turned around.
The hem of her skirt and her hair danced with her movements.
"Sisters, am I beautiful?"
The round fan in Zhen Huan's hand fell to the ground with a "click", and Shen Meizhuang was so shocked that she stood up.
"What kind of clothes is this?"
Zhen Huan came back to her senses and carefully looked at An Lingrong. Her eyes fell on her exposed shoulders, and a look of admiration gradually emerged: "Very bold, but... very beautiful."
An Lingrong smiled mischievously, "I've prepared some for you too, go change quickly."
As he said this, he pushed the two of them into the inner room.
The two of them were no longer surprised by An Lingrong's wild ideas, and now that there were only three sisters around, they had thrown away their shyness.
In a short while, both of them changed into modern dresses.
Shen Meizhuang is tall and has a cold temperament. An Lingrong specially made a dark green silk drapey long skirt for her. The high slit design reveals her slender legs faintly. It is neither overly ostentatious, but also reveals a hint of subtle sexiness, making her look noble and classy.
Zhen Huan, on the other hand, chose a light pink, retro midi dress. Its neatly cut, slightly nipped-in waist accentuated her slender figure. The hem was embroidered with delicate dark patterns, which swayed gently with her steps, creating a look of both elegance and agility.
Then, she loosely tied up her long hair to reveal her fair neckline, adding a touch of gentleness and elegance to her temperament.
One of them is cold and noble, the other is gentle and elegant, and with An Lingrong's liveliness and agility, the three of them complement each other.
An Lingrong stepped back, folded her arms, and carefully looked at the two of them. Then she nodded with satisfaction: "Well, I designed, cut, and sewn this skirt myself. My skills are really getting better and better."
The three of them returned to the terrace.
The night breeze, carrying a faint floral scent, lingered in the skylight. A hexagonal glazed palace lantern swayed gently, its soft yellow glow filtering through the gauze lampshade, casting a warm shadow across the ground.
An Lingrong half-lay between Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang, and said softly, "Ever since I met you, you have many questions about me. Today I will tell you."
Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang didn't say anything and just looked at her quietly.
An Lingrong's gaze gradually blurred, and her voice was vague as if separated by a thin layer of mist: "Sometimes, I can't tell whether what I see before my eyes is reality or a dream. Everything we are experiencing is like an opera excerpt on the stage, and every word and gesture seems to have been written long ago by fate.
But strangely, this script doesn’t seem to be set in stone.”
A tear unexpectedly fell on the hem of her skirt, leaving a dark mark.
An Lingrong raised her tearful eyes, but a strange light flickered in them: "So...so I came."
She suddenly grabbed their hands, and the three pairs of hands intertwined in the moonlight. "Do you think this means that each of us can rewrite our own destiny?"
Shen Meizhuang's tears fell down, her voice choked with sobs: "Rong'er, I knew you were here to help us..."
An Lingrong grabbed Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang's hands and placed them on her face: "Sister, did you touch my face?"
The two nodded while crying.
"But what you touched wasn't me. My body and soul are separate!"
When these words were spoken, both Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang were a little surprised.
"I know this sounds absurd. But ever since I entered the palace, I've often dreamed of a bizarre world. Everything I know about penicillin, smallpox, all sorts of bizarre ideas, and even the skirt I'm wearing today, all came from there."
As she spoke, she seemed a little confused: "I don't even know whether my current life is a dream, or whether the life in my memory is a dream."
Zhen Huan grabbed her hand and said solemnly, "It doesn't matter whether it's a dream or not. Sister Mei and I only know that you are Rong'er, the most important person to us."
Hearing this, An Lingrong smiled brightly: "It's great to meet you!"
On the other side, Shen Meizhuang was crying uncontrollably. An Lingrong helped her wipe away her tears, held her face, and put their foreheads together.
"Sister, I don't want to waste this opportunity, so I want to leave the palace to take a look, but I will come back. I will accompany you and we will grow old together, okay?"
Shen Meizhuang nodded with tears in her eyes.
In the night sky, the bright moon had been half-hidden by thin clouds, and the hazy halo was like a veil. Three pairs of hands were clasped in the candlelight, and their shadows were cast on the gilded screen, blending into a warm silhouette.
The dull sound of a drum came from afar, one, two, three... It was particularly clear in the silent night.
It's already three o'clock in the morning. The night has passed so quickly.
But this day will eventually dawn!
A hint of dawn gradually appeared in the east, and the morning mist covered the back lake of the Old Summer Palace like a veil.
Shen Meizhuang and Zhen Huan supported An Lingrong on both sides as they walked into the inner room. They changed out of their previous clothes and put on the style of ordinary women outside the palace. They wore moon-white dresses with only a few scattered jasmine flowers embroidered on the hem, and no longer had any of the luxurious air of the palace.
Shen Meizhuang tied her hair into a simple bun and secured it with a gold hairpin.
Outside the window, the morning light gradually grew stronger, and the glazed tiles on the palace wall began to emit golden light.
"Let's go!"
The two men took An Lingrong's hands, and the moment their fingertips touched, all three pairs of hands trembled slightly.
An Lingrong suddenly turned around and held them tighter.
"Don't send me off!"
These words were almost squeezed out from between teeth, with a suppressed sob at the end.
An Lingrong knew that if she walked to the gate and saw the tears in Shen Meiyu's eyes or Zhen Huan biting her lower lip, she would definitely collapse.
Those decisions made after tossing and turning late at night, those choices made with all the courage, will all collapse in an instant.
The two of them were silent, their eyes carefully tracing An Lingrong's outline, memorizing every detail firmly in their hearts.
An Lingrong suddenly let go of her hand.
The moment the fingertips left, the three of them felt a sense of emptiness in their hearts.
She never looked back, but just walked forward quickly, letting the morning light stretch her back longer and longer, and fainter and fainter, until finally disappearing in the light and shadow.
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[Today's chapter is nearly 3000 words long. The middle section about the modern attire and confession was added by me on the spur of the moment. I felt it was a bit awkward not to explain things to Zhen Shen before the heroine left. Do you think it's a bit abrupt for the readers?]