Chapter 159: The Women's First Group Photo

Fall in love with reading, starting now.

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is the Lantern Festival.

Before it was fully light, Wenjing got up early and quietly got up to wash and dress.

She changed into the pretty clothes Ding Heng had bought for her, turned around in front of the mirror, and thought it looked alright, but then felt something was off.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she took out the lip gloss that Zhao Yanxi had given her from the drawer, applied it, nodded in satisfaction, picked up her bag, and went downstairs.

Ding Heng's Chang'an was already parked downstairs.

Wenjing opened the passenger door and was about to get in when she suddenly noticed someone in the back seat.

"Yan hope? Why are you up so early?"

Zhao Yanxi huddled in the corner of the back seat, wrapped in a long, off-white down jacket, with a scarf wrapped up to her chin, revealing only her eyes.

She seemed half-asleep, and mumbled, "Good morning..."

Wenjing simply sat in the back seat: "When did you get here?"

"Just arrived."

Zhao Yanxi's voice was weak and feeble.

Wenjing looked suspicious.

My best friend is usually the most talkative, and when we meet, she wants to tell me everything that happened in the past 24 hours. Today, she's unusually quiet.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

"No, I slept fine."

Zhao Yanxi shrank her face into her scarf.

Before Wenjing could ask another question, Ding Heng had already stepped on the gas.

The car turned out of the campus and arrived at a long-established breakfast shop.

The shop is small, with steam billowing out of the steamer, and a constant stream of people at the entrance.

The three of them found a table at the back. Wenjing went to order, Ding Heng poured water, and Zhao Yanxi sat in a chair, her posture a little awkward.

She first crossed her left leg over her right, then switched, then put her legs together, and finally stood up, pulled the chair forward, and sat down again.

Wenjing returned with the soy milk and, seeing Zhao Yanxi fidgeting, couldn't help but ask, "Yanxi, is your bottom uncomfortable?"

"No!"

Zhao Yanxi's voice suddenly rose, then quickly fell back down: "It's just... I've been sitting for a long time, and I'm a little stiff."

Without thinking much, Wenjing handed over the soy milk: "What are your plans for the Lantern Festival?"

Zhao Yanxi took the soy milk: "Didn't you say you were going to see the lantern riddles yesterday? You forgot so quickly?"

"That's an evening activity. What about during the day?"

"daytime……"

Zhao Yanxi, biting her straw, thought for a moment: "Wen Shu, Bai Ma, and Hua Yue and Hua Qing, how about we grab a bite together?"

Wenjing turned to look at Ding Heng, obediently waiting for the man to speak.

Ding Heng tore a fried dough stick in half, handed one half to Wen Jing, and kept the other half for himself.

"Later, you guys drive my car to pick up Wenshu, and I'll pick up Baima. Then we'll meet at my old house. Huayue and Huaqing, you two let them know. Whether you come to see them or not is up to you."

After breakfast, Ding Heng handed the car keys to Wen Jing, watched the two girls leave, and then hailed a taxi to go to the villa.

More than half an hour later, Ding Heng pushed open the door and entered the room.

Secretary Huang was settling wages with Sister Jiang when Ding Heng entered. She stood up and nodded, "Mr. Ding, Happy New Year."

"Happy New Year, Secretary Huang."

Ding Heng looked around: "Where's Baima?"

"They're playing games upstairs."

Secretary Huang said helplessly, "Since you weren't here, she hasn't left her bedroom much these past few days."

Ding Heng smiled, went upstairs, and pushed open Bai Ma's door.

Inside the gaming room, Bai Ma wore headphones, her small body curled up on the large gaming chair.

The battle on the screen was in full swing, her fingers were clattering on the keyboard, and she was muttering to herself.

Ding Heng didn't disturb him and sat down quietly to wait.

After finishing the game, Bai Ma took off her headphones and looked at Ding Heng. Her eyes lit up, but she quickly pouted.

"Brother! You still remember to come looking for me?"

She tossed her earphones onto the table, looking utterly aggrieved: "Do you know what kind of life I've been living these past few days? Secretary Huang is watching over prisoners, I have to report when I go out, and I need approval for everything I eat! My mouth is practically boiling with stale air!"

Ding Heng was speechless: "Is it really that exaggerated?"

"That's no exaggeration!"

Bai Ma sighed, "Go look at my diet plan! I'm starting to wonder if Secretary Huang is raising me like a rabbit!"

"Your stomach isn't good, so eating lighter foods won't hurt."

"My stomach is perfectly fine! Ever since you took me out for those meals, I haven't had a single stomachache!"

Baima jumped off the chair and fawned over him, "Brother, will you take me out for a nice meal today? I promise I'll behave and not cause any trouble!"

Ding Heng was both amused and exasperated: "Alright, I'll take you out later. But let me make it clear first, there will be a lot of people today, so don't cause any trouble."

"Don't cause trouble, don't cause trouble!"

Baima waved her hands repeatedly and quickly ran to the dressing room to change her clothes.

Ding Heng went downstairs again to give Secretary Huang some instructions, and then went to the garage with Bai Ma and got into the black Mercedes.

Back in their old neighborhood, Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi were already inside cleaning and dusting, with Wenshu helping them out.

"Sister-in-law!"

Baima rushed into the house and called out sweetly.

Zhao Yanxi and Wen Jing turned their heads at the same time, but because Wen Shu was also there, only Wen Jing dared to respond.

"Bai Ma...this is my sister, Wen Shu. This is your brother-in-law's sister, Bai Ma."

When Wenjing introduced her younger sister, Baima understood immediately and secretly glanced at Ding Heng.

So even I, the older brother, didn't dare to openly juggle multiple relationships...

Soon after, the Hua sisters, Hua Qing and Hua Yue, arrived and pushed a suitcase into the house.

Ding Heng asked curiously, "What is that?"

Hua Qing squatted down and opened it; inside were several folded Hanfu (traditional Han clothing).

Zhao Yanxi was the first to rush over, picked up a light red long coat, and held it up against herself: "Beautiful! It's all thanks to Sister Hua Qing's good taste!"

Pema pressed on, "Where is the lantern festival?"

"It was jointly organized by three universities at the foot of Yuelu Mountain, with the support of the Culture and Tourism Bureau."

Ding Heng explained that Bai Zhiya had approached him yesterday about this matter.

Several girls went into the bedroom one after another to change their clothes, while Ding Heng went to the study, took out his camera, and started adjusting the settings.

Zhao Yanxi was the first to come out.

Her bright red cross-collar long gown, with its delicate lotus scroll pattern embroidered on the collar, made her look radiant and beautiful.

She raised an eyebrow at Ding Heng: "How is it?"

"good……"

Ding Heng raised his camera and snapped a picture.

The second one to come out was Wenjing.

The dress is a pale yellow, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with delicate orchid patterns embroidered on the skirt.

She wasn't tall, but the dress was perfectly fitted at the waist, making her look petite and delicate.

The curves of her chest were wrapped in soft fabric, understated yet captivating.

Ding Heng raised his camera again, and the shutter clicked once more.

The third one to come out was Hua Qing.

A moon-white, high-necked, diagonally-buttoned long shirt paired with a navy blue horse-face skirt, simple and cool.

Baima followed behind her, skipping and hopping. She wore a light pink modified Hanfu, the hem of which just reached her ankles, revealing her small feet wrapped in white socks.

She wore two buns on her head, tied with red ribbons, looking both cute and festive.

Wen Shu and Hua Yue also changed their clothes and came out. The group ate some glutinous rice balls at home, then went downstairs for a stroll until it got dark.

The area at the foot of Yuelu Mountain has become lively.

The Lantern Festival, jointly organized by three universities, stretched from the foot of the mountain all the way to the archway, with strings of red lanterns hanging down, illuminating the entire road in a bright red glow.

Students set up all sorts of stalls along the roadside... guessing riddles, selling candied hawthorns, ring toss, making dough figurines, and the road was crowded with tourists and students.

Ding Heng and Hua Qing each drove a car, and it took them a long time to find two parking spaces.

After getting off the bus, a large group of people walked inside.

Baima was at the front, followed by Huayue and Wenshu, who would occasionally stop to guess a riddle.

Wenjing and Zhao Yanxi stood to the left and right of Ding Heng as usual, while Hua Qing lagged behind by two steps, her gaze occasionally falling on the backs of the people in front of her.

"Brother Ding Heng! There's a really beautiful lantern over there!"

Zhao Yanxi pulled Ding Heng to a jade rabbit lamp.

The little rabbit is chubby and white, and looks very lifelike.

Ding Heng raised his camera: "Stand over there."

Zhao Yanxi stood under the Jade Rabbit Lamp, turned her head to the side, and her water-red long coat shimmered with a soft light.

The shutter kept clicking. She ran back to look at the photos, nodded in satisfaction, then dragged Ding Heng to another lotus lantern, struck several poses, and waved to Wen Jing.

"Little Jingjing! Come quick!"

Wenjing walked over, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet.

Ding Heng held up his camera and patiently instructed: "Raise your head a little... Yes, put your hands on your skirt... Smile."

As they walked and took pictures, the crowd grew denser, and Zhao Yanxi was so lively that the group was eventually scattered.

Ding Heng turned around to look for something, and suddenly heard a familiar voice beside him.

"Ding Heng?"

Bai Zhiya stood under a huge revolving lantern, wearing a gray-white high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), her hair styled in a flying fairy bun and adorned with several pearl flowers.

She had put on makeup, making her features more refined than usual. Holding a small lantern, she looked at him with a smile.

"You're here for the lantern festival too?"

She took two steps forward and, seeing the camera hanging around Ding Heng's neck, excitedly asked, "Are you here to help take photos?"

Just as Ding Heng was about to speak, a hand reached out from the side and took his arm.

"Brother Ding Heng, where did you go? Xiao Jingjing and I have been looking for you for ages."

Zhao Yanxi pressed herself against him, her tone intimate and natural.

Bai Zhiya's gaze followed the direction, and her smile froze for a moment.

The girl had delicate features and a smiling expression in her eyes.

A high-end custom-made Hanfu will cost at least several thousand yuan.

In comparison, the few hundred yuan I had on me were completely cheap stuff.

In addition, the person wearing the clothes is extremely well-suited to the outfit, and just standing there, they are so radiant that it's impossible to look away.

Bai Zhiya recalled the scene of meeting Lin Man at the food stall that day, and the feeling of being completely overshadowed resurfaced in her mind.

"And this is...?"

Zhao Yanxi tilted her head to look at her, her tone polite yet distant.

Ding Heng said calmly, "My classmate, Bai Zhiya."

Bai Zhiya maintained her smile: "Hello, Bai Zhiya from Hubei University."

"Hello, this is Zhao Yanxi from Central South University."

Zhao Yanxi was polite but didn't explain her relationship with Ding Heng, nor did she take Bai Zhiya seriously.

Lin Man, that vixen, might still give her some worry, but Bai Zhiya was on a completely different level...

Zhao Yanxi said sweetly, "Brother Ding Heng, Xiao Jingjing is still waiting for you over there. Shall we go?"

Ding Heng nodded to Bai Zhiya: "Sorry, I have other things to do."

Bai Zhiya stood there, stunned. She looked down at the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) she was wearing, then at the small lantern in her hand. She twitched her lips and turned to walk in another direction.

Wenjing was standing in front of a lantern with the character "福" (fortune) on it, tiptoeing to see the riddle on it.

Ding Heng walked over and asked, "Have you guessed it yet?"

Wenjing shook her head dejectedly: "I can't guess..."

Wenjing was standing in front of a lantern with the character "福" (fortune) on it, tiptoeing to see the riddle on it.

Ding Heng walked over and asked, "Have you guessed it yet?"

Wenjing shook her head dejectedly: "I can't guess..."

Zhao Yanxi succinctly revealed the answer: "A tree grows half a month after the Lantern Festival—guess a Chinese character... Isn't that simple? 'Shed'!"

"Why is it a shed?"

"Half a month after the Lantern Festival comes February. The two months of February together form the character '朋' (péng), which is related to '木' (mù), meaning wood. Put them together and it becomes '棚' (péng)!"

Wenjing suddenly realized: "Yanxi, you're so smart..."

Zhao Yanxi chuckled and pulled out her phone: "Not bad, Doubao taught me."

Wenjing: "..."

"Come on, stand still, I'm going to take a picture of you."

Ding Heng raised his camera and changed the subject at the opportune moment.

Two girls stood side by side in front of the "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) lantern, smiling at the camera.

After walking around for a while, Zhao Yanxi started complaining that her legs were sore.

The soles of Hanfu cloth shoes are a bit hard, and they are indeed uncomfortable to walk in for a long time.

"Why don't you go back to the car and rest for a while?"

Ding Heng handed her the car keys: "I'll look for Bai Ma again; I don't know where that girl has run off to."

Zhao Yanxi took the keys and pulled Wenjing back, saying, "Then hurry up, don't keep us waiting too long."

"Um."

Ding Heng watched the two girls walk away, then turned and squeezed into the crowd.

He activated his True Sight Eyes, passed through several huge palace lanterns, turned into a slightly secluded path, and saw several familiar figures in the distance.

Hua Qing stood under a peacock lantern, her moon-white long robe gleaming with a cool light.

Baima squatted down at her feet to rest, holding a rabbit lantern she didn't know where she got it from, and curiously studying its structure.

Hua Yue and Wen Shu were not there, probably because they were tired and had already gone back to their car to rest.

"Brother!"

Baima ran over carrying a rabbit lantern: "Where have you been? I've been looking for you for ages!"

"Taking pictures with your two sisters-in-law."

Ding Heng gave a brief response, then suddenly noticed another person under the peacock lantern.

Lin Man wore a dark green cross-collar ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with dark patterns of red spider lilies embroidered on the skirt. The neckline was slightly open, revealing a section of her fair neck.

Her long hair was loosely tied up, with a few stray strands falling beside her face, making her already alluring face even more languid.

"What a coincidence."

Lin Man's smile was as alluring as ever.

Baima explained, "I just happened to run into Sister Man, so we decided to go for a walk together."

Ding Heng asked in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm a student too, can't I come?"

Lin Man's tone carried a hint of grievance: "Or do you find me annoying?"

"Happy New Year."

Ding Heng responded calmly, but Lin Man smiled even more sweetly.

"Where are your other girlfriends? Why aren't they with you?"

"I'm going back to the car to rest."

"Oh……"

Lin Man drawled, "So now you're here alone to meet the captain?"

When Hua Qing saw Lin Man flirting with Ding Heng again, her face turned frosty, and she coldly swept her gaze over.

Lin Man turned around and met Hua Qing's gaze, her smile unchanged: "Captain, why are you looking at me like that? I didn't say anything."

Hua Qing didn't speak, but her fingers tightened even more.

Bai Ma's gaze shifted back and forth between the two, and she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips.

It's true what they say, you only get a good show when enemies meet...

Just as Ding Heng was about to say something, he heard footsteps behind him.

"Brother Ding Heng!"

Zhao Yanxi's voice rang out again, and Ding Heng turned his head to see her and Wen Jing walking towards him one after the other.

The two girls were walking much faster than before, showing no signs of being tired and needing to rest.

Upon arriving at Ding Heng's side, Zhao Yanxi immediately pressed herself against him to assert her dominance, giving Lin Man a disapproving look.

She lowered her voice: "Wenjing, look what I told you? Men deliberately create time gaps to find vixens."

Ding Heng was helpless and couldn't explain it...

Wenjing pursed her lips and lowered her head, pretending to adjust her skirt.

Hua Qing took a half step back, as if trying to hide herself in the shadows where the light couldn't reach, but Lin Man keenly noticed her.

She deliberately leaned close to Hua Qing's ear and said, "Why isn't the captain jealous of them? Are you the one who's cheating?"

Hua Qing frowned: "What's it to you?"

"Looks like we're in the same boat, both of us can only do things secretly?"

"you!"

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting increasingly tense, Baima ran to the middle of the group with the rabbit lantern.

"Come on, let's take some pictures!"

She tugged at Lin Man's sleeve and then pulled Hua Qing's hand.

"It's rare to see everyone dressed so nicely, it would be a shame not to take a group photo!"

Hua Qing stumbled forward as Bai Ma pulled her, instinctively trying to pull her hand away, but Bai Ma held on tightly and she couldn't break free.

Lin Man cooperated, standing next to Hua Qing with a smile, and even leaned closer to her.

Baima then pulled Zhao Yanxi and Wenjing, saying, "Sister-in-law! Come quickly!"

Zhao Yanxi looked at Ding Heng, then at Lin Man, and finally sighed before walking over to stand on the other side of Baima.

Wenjing followed behind, standing quietly beside Zhao Yanxi.

Five girls stood in a row.

Zhao Yanxi looked radiant in her bright red long coat.

She looked petite and adorable in her quiet, pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress).

Hua Qingyue's white long gown was as cool and aloof as frost.

Lin Man's dark green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) was alluring and charming.

The improved version of the Bai Ma lotus root pink color is playful and lively.

Five lanterns, red and green, were held in their hands, casting a warm glow on their beautiful faces, each with its own unique charm.

Ding Heng raised his camera and stared at the five faces in the viewfinder, each with a different expression.

Click!