noveldepot Chapter 34 Tang Yun's 8th Birthday
Chapter 34 Tang Yun's 8th Birthday
As Li Si'an left the TV station, she glanced down at her watch. 4:20.
On the way back to school, Zhang Ziyi's mouth never stopped chattering, still talking about recording the show:
"The studio lights were way too bright; they were so bright I could barely open my eyes."
"That's to make you look whiter in the photos," Li Si'an casually replied.
"I'm already fair-skinned, okay!"
"That's true. You're much fairer than last year, I'm almost embarrassed to call you 'Happy Zhang' anymore."
Zhang Ziyi turned around and glared at him. Tang Yun, standing to the side, smiled and didn't say anything.
Li Si'an didn't say anything more. He was thinking about something else.
Today is May 10th, Tang Yun's 18th birthday.
He had been waiting for this day for almost a year. Last year, when they were rehearsing "The Butterfly Lovers," the moment he placed his hand on her waist, her body trembled slightly beneath his touch.
At that time, he made up his mind that he would have to "study" Tang Yun properly sooner or later.
This "sooner or later" means we have to wait until she comes of age.
He was a single programmer who had lived to be forty in his previous life, and he endured it all with incredible difficulty. But no matter how difficult it was, he had to endure it.
Now, that day has finally arrived.
"Hey, what are your plans for tonight?" Zhang Ziyi suddenly asked.
"I booked a table with Lao Mo yesterday, for seven o'clock." Li Si'an glanced at Zhang Ziyi, paused deliberately, and then slowly said, "A table for three people."
Zhang Ziyi was stunned for a moment, then immediately laughed: "Wow, Boss Li, did the sun rise in the west today? You've finally been generous for once."
"What are you saying? So, the braised pork I made that whole semester in fourth grade—was I feeding it to a dog?"
"You have the nerve to keep complaining about just a few servings of braised pork from the cafeteria!"
"I'm quite embarrassed. 'Happy Zhang,' you'd better remember this: your current physique is all thanks to me feeding you rice and meat back then. You should be grateful!"
Zhang Ziyi rolled her eyes, too lazy to argue with him anymore. At the school gate, the three parted ways; Zhang Ziyi went back to change her clothes, while Li Si'an and Tang Yun went back to the music store.
At 6:40, Li Si'an changed into a refreshing outfit. She wore a white shirt with dark gray trousers, and casually rolled up the cuffs twice to reveal her wrists.
Tang Yun changed into the apricot-colored suspender dress she had just bought, revealing her shoulders and collarbone.
Her hair wasn't tied up; it was simply held in place by a pearl hair clip near her ear. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, making her snow-white skin appear even more striking.
She is 1.72 meters tall, with a slim waist and long legs, plus the upright posture cultivated by four years of ballet training.
This slip dress perfectly showcases all these advantages. The dress gently cinches the waist, creating a shapely silhouette, and the curves in front are full and symmetrical, making the wearer look beautiful, cool, and dazzling.
Li Si'an stared at her for a while, admiring her, before gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear and whispering, "Let's go."
The old Mo's place is located in the northwest corner of the BJ exhibition hall. It's a Russian-style building with a very high ceiling, a seven-meter-high roof.
The ceiling is decorated with snowflake-shaped plaster patterns, and a large chandelier hangs down from the center with brass chains and a frosted glass shade, casting a warm yellow glow.
The table was covered with a light yellow tablecloth, with a thick glass plate underneath, and the wine glasses and dark red square napkins were neatly arranged.
The entire hall was quiet, with everyone speaking in hushed tones, which made it seem even more spacious.
The three of them chose a semi-circular sofa booth, and after they sat down, the waiter came over and handed them the menu.
Zhang Ziyi flipped open the menu, her eyes scanning it: "I'll have braised beef in a pot and braised baby intestines. You guys order whatever you like."
Li Si'an took the menu without looking at it closely: "Creamy baked fish, borscht, pan-fried foie gras, and a fried pork chop." He handed the menu back, "That'll do for now."
While waiting for the food, Zhang Ziyi asked again, "By the way, when exactly is our show going to air? Have they given us a definite answer yet?"
"The show's name is 'Weekend Arts and Culture,' so it'll definitely air on Saturdays," Li Si'an said, leaning back in her chair. "Producer Sun said it'll be next Saturday night, May 18th."
"Next Saturday? That's only a few days away." Zhang Ziyi counted on her fingers. "I need to hurry up and tell my mom to get the video camera and blank tapes ready."
"What, you're really planning to record a program that's less than ten minutes long?"
"Of course, that's what my acting teacher taught me. He said these are qualifications I'll use in the future!"
Zhang Ziyi spoke excitedly, holding a fork with half a small bread roll stuck on it.
"I'm going to the Central Academy of Drama soon, so I'll definitely have to audition for roles. When directors ask me what my past achievements are, I can just slam the videotape in front of them—that'll be so convincing!"
Li Si'an thought to herself, "For your first movie, Zhang Yimou won't care how well you dance. He wants you to wear a big floral cotton-padded jacket and play a country girl."
However, he couldn't say that, so he could only give Zhang Ziyi a perfunctory "yes, yes, yes."
The dish was served. As soon as the lid of the braised beef was lifted, the aroma wafted out.
Zhang Ziyi forked a piece of food and stuffed it into her mouth, muttering indistinctly, "I'm so exhausted lately, having to rehearse and study at the same time. There are less than two months left until the college entrance exam, and I haven't even finished reviewing the second-year math textbook."
"You still need to study?" Li Si'an asked. "Aren't you going to take the art exam?"
"You need to get points in academic subjects for the art exam too! You need at least 300 points." Zhang Ziyi sighed. "Now I have to study every day after practice, and I'm almost going blind."
Tang Yun ate quietly beside her, occasionally chiming in with a comment. Li Si'an barely touched her chopsticks either, her mind preoccupied with the events of the evening.
After finishing their meal, the three of them left Lao Mo. It was already completely dark, but the streetlights were on, and the May evening breeze felt warm and cozy.
Zhang Ziyi said she wanted to take a taxi, and Li Si'an said, "Then you should be careful."
She flagged down a minivan on the roadside, and before getting in, she turned back and shouted "Happy Birthday" to Tang Yun, then glared at Li Si'an fiercely: "Don't you dare bully her tonight."
Li Si'an didn't reply, but grinned and gave her a pinky finger.
As soon as the car door closed, the taxi merged into the traffic, its two taillights casting two red streaks in the night.
Li Si'an and Tang Yun strolled slowly back along the curb.
Passing by a cake shop, he asked Tang Yun to wait outside while he went in and brought out a small cake—a white cream base with a few pink flowers on top.
"You actually bought a cake?" Tang Yun was a little surprised.
"What kind of birthday celebration is it without a cake?" Li Si'an shook the box in her hand. "What kind of thing is it to just light a bare candle? It's not like the power went out."
Tang Yun raised her hand and slapped his arm, then smiled with her lips pursed.
It was almost nine o'clock when I returned to the audio-visual store.
The roller shutter door was half-drawn down, the lights inside the shop were on, and the sound of a television and noisy voices came from the video rental room in the backyard; the party hadn't ended yet.
Li Si'an pushed the roller shutter door up with a clatter. Chen Dong poked his head out from behind, still clutching a handful of sunflower seeds. He paused for a moment when he saw the cake Tang Yun was carrying, then smiled.
"Oh, is it Tang Yun's birthday today? Happy birthday!"
Tang Yun smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Dong."
Li Si'an gave a casual reply, absentmindedly leading Tang Yun toward the stairwell.
Chen Dong glanced at him, his lips twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything more and pulled his head back.
Then he poked his head out again and shouted at Li Si'an, "Anzi, I'll lock the door after the show, so you can just stay upstairs."