Entertainment from Divorce

There were already quite a few tourists on the street, and occasionally you could see a few girls dressed in Hanfu, smiling and nodding to each other.

Tan Yue held Chen Ziyu's hand, her steps becoming lighter: "I checked the travel guide yesterday, and it said that the steps of the ancient gate are the best place to take full-body photos. Let's go there first."

The ancient gate's vermilion doors were wide open, and the stone steps in front of them were worn smooth by the passage of time.

Chen Ziyu found a shady spot to stand and let Tan Yue stand in the middle of the steps first.

"Turn slightly to the side, put your hand on your waist, yes, look up at the city gate tower." She held up her phone, carefully adjusting the angle, "The lighting is just right, don't blink."

With a "click," the photo shows Tan Yue standing under the vermilion city gate, her ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) accentuating her slender figure. Behind her is the city tower with its upturned eaves, and even the moss in the cracks between the bricks is clearly visible.

Tan Yue leaned over to take a look, then playfully punched Chen Ziyu, saying, "You took such a great picture! My legs look so much longer."

"It's because you're good-looking." Chen Ziyu smiled and handed over the phone. "It's your turn to take a picture of me. I want to take a picture of that bronze lion. I heard it's an ancient artifact."

Tan Yue took the phone and had Chen Ziyu stand next to the bronze lion, gently placing her hand on the lion's head. "Smile, don't be so serious," she said to the person on the screen. "Yes, like that, and raise your head a little more."

Sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on Chen Ziyu, making her pink dress glow and the rhinestones on her hair ornaments sparkle.

Tan Yue took several photos in a row, and thought each one was beautiful. Finally, he simply turned on the video mode: "Try walking a couple of steps, and I'll take a short video of you. It would be amazing if it were accompanied by the 'Preface to the Orchid Pavilion'."

Chen Ziyu smiled helplessly, lifted her skirt and walked slowly forward. The pleats of her pleated skirt unfolded with each step, like a blooming pomegranate flower.

Tan Yue followed behind, holding up his phone to take pictures. Their laughter mingled with the noise of tourists, floating in the air above the ancient gate.

After taking enough photos of the ancient gate, the two went to the Dingmen gate.

The ancient city wall of Dingmen looks even more weathered, with green vines climbing on the brick wall. Tan Yue pointed to a stone tablet on the wall: "Look, there are ancient inscriptions on this."

Tan Yue pulled Chen Ziyu to stand next to the stone tablet and asked passing tourists to take photos with them.

In the photo, the two stand side by side, Tan Yue's Hanfu and Chen Ziyu's pink dress leaning against each other, with the mottled ancient city wall behind them, like a painting that has traveled through a thousand years.

After walking all morning, both of them were a little tired.

Chen Ziyu pointed to a teahouse not far away: "Let's go have a cup of tea and take a break, my legs are sore."

The teahouse had an antique feel, with a blue cloth banner hanging at the entrance and several wooden tables inside.

The two chose a window seat and ordered two cups of Luojing's unique peony tea.

As soon as the tea was poured, a faint floral fragrance wafted over.

Tan Yue took a sip and felt her throat moisten: "This tea is so delicious, much more fragrant than the green tea I usually drink."

“I read in a travel guide yesterday that this peony tea is made from white peonies from Luoyang and it’s good for your skin.” Chen Ziyu picked up her phone and flipped through the photos she had just taken. “Look at this one, you’re standing on the city tower of Dingmen, and the wind is blowing the hem of your clothes up. It’s really beautiful.”

Tan Yue leaned closer to look. In the photo, her hair was a little messy from the wind, but it still looked lively.

"Let's go to Limen this afternoon. I heard the food street there is pretty good, and we can also take pictures of the night view." Chen Ziyu said, biting her straw, her eyes sparkling.

After resting enough, the two continued their journey dressed in Hanfu.

The streets of Limen are lined with quaint shops, selling Hanfu accessories, Luojing specialties, dough figurines, and sugar paintings.

Tan Yue was drawn to a stall selling round fans. The stall displayed all kinds of round fans, some embroidered with peonies, and some painted with landscapes. "Look at this one, it matches your dress color perfectly." She picked up a round fan embroidered with pomegranate flowers and handed it to Chen Ziyu.

Chen Ziyu took the round fan, fanned herself gently, and said with a smile, "It really matches well. You should buy one too. Buy the one with embroidered bamboo; it goes well with your clothes."

The two each bought a round fan and continued walking forward, carrying the fan handles.

More and more tourists are coming to the street, and occasionally actors dressed in ancient costumes walk by, attracting tourists to take pictures.

Tan Yue took Chen Ziyu's hand and walked to a shop selling Luojing Water Banquet: "Let's eat this tonight. I heard that Luojing Water Banquet is a specialty."

Chen Ziyu nodded: "Okay, but let's go take pictures of the night view of Limen first, and then come back to eat after dark."

As the sun set, the two stood on the city tower of Limen.

The distant sky was tinged with orange-red, and the shadows of the ancient city walls were stretched long.

Tan Yue held up his phone and took a backlit photo of Chen Ziyu.

In the photo, Chen Tzu-yu's profile is outlined with a golden edge by the setting sun, and her dress looks like a warm fire in the twilight.

"This is so beautiful, I could use it as wallpaper," Tan Yue couldn't help but exclaim.

Chen Ziyu took the phone, looked at herself in the photo, and smiled: "You took such a good picture. I'll organize these photos and post them on my WeChat Moments. I'm sure a lot of people will ask me where I took them."

As dusk fell, the lanterns of Limen Gate lit up one by one, their red glow reflecting off the ancient city walls, creating a unique and charming scene.

The two carried their clothes down from the city wall. The streets were already bustling, and the aroma of food stalls wafted far and wide.

"What should we eat first?" Tan Yue's eyes were dazzled as he looked at the food stall in front of him.

There are vendors selling "Bu Fan Tang" (a type of soup), beef soup, and peony pastries.

Chen Ziyu pointed to a long queue of people at a Bufantang (a type of soup) stall: "Have a bowl of Bufantang first. I heard it's a traditional snack in Luojing."

After queuing for a few minutes, the two finally received two bowls of "Bu Fan Tang" (a type of soup).

The soup bowl was large and contained tofu, vermicelli, seaweed, and a thin sheet of "bu fan" (a type of thin, non-flammable noodle).

Chen Ziyu blew on it, took a sip, and the delicious soup slid down her throat, warming her stomach comfortably: "It's so delicious, even better than I imagined."

Tan Yue nodded, picked up a piece of "Bu Fan" and put it in his mouth. It was soft and had a bean flavor. "Let's buy some peony pastries to eat on the way," he said, pointing to a pastry shop next door.

The peony pastry is pink and shaped like peony petals. It's so flaky that it crumbles when you bite into it, and the red bean paste filling inside is sweet but not greasy.

Tan Yue ate a piece, then picked up another and handed it to Chen Ziyu: "This is also delicious. Let's buy a few more boxes and take them back with us."

The two ate and strolled around, buying grilled gluten and stir-fried mung bean jelly.

Chen Ziyu held one in her hand, ate it, and laughed like a child. Tan Yue saw a sugar painting stall and pulled Chen Ziyu over: "I want a little bunny one."

The sugar painting master held a spoon and quickly drew on the stone slab. In no time, a lifelike little rabbit was finished.

Tan Yue took the sugar painting and handed it to Chen Ziyu.

Chen Ziyu carefully licked it; it was sweet, and it made her feel sweet inside.

Reaching the end of the Shizijie Night Market, the two found a stone bench to sit on, watching the tourists come and go, still holding unfinished snacks in their hands.

Chen Ziyu leaned on Tan Yue's shoulder and said with a smile, "I'm so happy today. Wearing Hanfu and strolling around Luojing, it feels like I've traveled through time."

Tan Yue nodded, looking at the lanterns lit up in the distance at Limen: "Yes, let's come again next time, and wear different Hanfu to take pictures at Baima Temple and the grottoes."

A gentle evening breeze blew by, carrying the aroma of snacks and the lively atmosphere of the ancient city.

Chen Ziyu took out her phone from her bag, opened the photos she had just taken, and showed them to Tan Yue one by one.

In the photo, the two are dressed in Hanfu (traditional Han clothing) and stand under the ancient city wall and in front of the city gate of Luoyang, smiling brightly.

“Look at this photo, our group photo at the ancient gate. The lighting is just right, and the colors are beautiful,” she said, pointing to a photo.

Tan Yue leaned closer to look. In the photo, she and Chen Ziyu were standing side by side, their Hanfu standing out brightly in the sunlight. Behind them were vermilion city gates and upturned eaves of city towers, and even the sky was azure blue.

“That’s wonderful,” he said softly. “When I see these photos in the future, I’ll be able to remember this day.”

Chen Ziyu put her phone away and took Tan Yue's hand: "Let's go take some more night photos, then go back to the guesthouse. My feet hurt from walking all day."

Tan Yue smiled and nodded. The two of them lifted the hems of their clothes and slowly walked towards Limen.

The lantern light shone on Chen Ziyu's skirt, the hem tinged with the night, making the skirt look like a dancing flame.

Their laughter, mingling with the hustle and bustle of the night market, drifted through the night of Luojing Ancient City, becoming the gentlest scenery.

As they reached the foot of the Limen Gate, Tan Yue suddenly stopped and had Chen Ziyu stand under the lantern. "I'll take another picture of you. The lantern light will shine perfectly on your face; it'll definitely look good."

Tan Yue held up his phone, carefully adjusting the angle.

Chen Ziyu stood up with a smile, gently lifting the hem of her skirt, the rhinestones on her hair ornament sparkling under the light.

With a "click," the girl in the photo stands under a red lantern, her pink dress accentuating her smiling eyes, with an ancient city gate behind her, like a poem written in the night of Luoyang.

Tan Yue looked at the photos and smiled with satisfaction: "Perfect, not a single photo today is a dud."

Chen Ziyu walked over and took his arm: "Okay, stop filming, or your leg will break."

The two smiled at each other and slowly walked towards the guesthouse.

In the night of Luoyang Ancient City, red lanterns lit up one after another, illuminating their silhouettes and the vibrant atmosphere of this thousand-year-old city. Tan Yue thought to himself that no matter how much time passed, he would always remember this day spent strolling through Luoyang in Hanfu, the photos he took with Chen Ziyu, the snacks they shared, and the gentleness and beauty this ancient city had given them.

Back at the guesthouse, the two washed up and went to bed early.

……

Just as the rooster crowed for the second time in the courtyard of the guesthouse, Tan Yue was awakened by the morning light filtering through the gap in the curtains.

He picked up his phone and saw it was only 6:30. He turned to look at the bed next to him, where Chen Ziyu was still curled up in the blankets, her eyelashes casting faint shadows in the morning light.

Tan Yue got up quietly, afraid of waking her, but he accidentally knocked over the round fan on the bedside table. With a soft "snap", Chen Ziyu opened her eyes instantly.

"Awake?" Chen Ziyu rubbed her eyes, her voice still a little groggy. "I thought I was going to oversleep; the alarm I set yesterday hasn't gone off yet."

"It's good that you woke up early. Let's get ready sooner and avoid the crowds when we go to the grottoes," Tan Yue said with a smile, picking up the clothes that had been hanging on the hanger yesterday. Today he had changed into a light blue shirt, while Chen Ziyu had chosen a beige cardigan paired with a smoky gray pleated skirt, which was more elegant than yesterday's clothes.

After the two finished washing up, Chen Ziyu simply combed her hair into two buns, only attaching a plain silver hairpin to her temple.

When I went downstairs, the guesthouse owner had already cooked porridge and served two side dishes—pickled radish and pickled cucumber, both local home-style flavors of Luojing.

"Are you going to the grottoes today?" the owner asked with a smile as he served them porridge. "This is the perfect time to go. It's cool in the morning, the light is good, and you'll get great photos of the Buddha statues."

"Thank you, boss. That's what we thought too." Chen Ziyu took the bowl of porridge, took a sip, and let out a comfortable sigh as the warm porridge slid into her stomach. "Your porridge is so delicious, even better than the hotel breakfast."

The two quickly finished breakfast, checked out of the hotel, and stood at the entrance of the guesthouse waiting for their car with their light luggage.

The morning breeze carried a slight chill, causing Tan Yue's light blue skirt to sway gently.

"The ride-hailing car I booked yesterday should be here soon, right?" She glanced down at her phone, and just as she finished speaking, she saw a white car turn into the alley.

When we arrived at the entrance of the grotto scenic area, it was only 7:30 a.m., and there weren't many tourists yet.

The two first went to the service center to store their luggage. When the staff behind the counter saw Chen Ziyu wearing Hanfu, they smiled and said, "Young lady, you have good taste. Wearing Hanfu to visit the grottoes is a perfect match for the atmosphere here."

"Thank you, I also wanted to take some nice photos," Chen Ziyu said with a smile, handing her luggage to the staff, taking the storage tag, and carefully putting it into her pocket.

Upon entering the scenic area, the first thing that catches the eye is a stone-paved path lined with tall willow trees on both sides, their branches drooping over the water and swaying gently in the morning breeze.

Tan Yue held Chen Ziyu's hand and walked slowly along the stone path, breathing in the fresh morning air, her heart filled with anticipation.

"Is that Qianxi Temple up ahead? I read in a travel guide yesterday that Qianxi Temple is the northernmost cave in the grottoes, and the Buddha statues inside are ancient."

Chen Ziyu nodded, took out her phone and opened the camera: "When we get to the cave, let's not rush to take pictures. Let's take a good look at the Buddha statues. I heard that these Buddha statues are over a thousand years old. It's really not easy for them to be preserved to this day."

Upon reaching Qianxi Temple, the two slowed their pace.

The lintel of the cave is carved with exquisite patterns. Although some parts have become blurred after a thousand years of wind and rain erosion, the superb skills of the craftsmen of that time can still be seen.

Upon entering the cave, you are greeted by a tall statue of Amitabha Buddha. The Buddha sits cross-legged with a kind face and a faint smile on his lips.

The Buddha statue's robes have smooth lines, and although the colors have faded, one can still imagine how vibrant they were in their prime.

"Wow, this Buddha statue is absolutely magnificent!" Tan Yue couldn't help but exclaim, speaking softly so as not to disturb the tranquility. "Look at the Buddha's expression; it feels so gentle, as if it can see right through people's hearts." (End of Chapter)