In the lounge, Yan Ning stared at the black cheongsam in her hand, deeply hesitant.
Putting aside the punishment, she of course knew what symbolic significance wearing a cheongsam bought by a man held.
Besides, she had previously visited Red Sleeve Lan and purchased cheongsams there, but she rarely wore them, only donning them a couple of times during cheongsam night parties organized by her girlfriends.
Moreover, back then, she chose rather conservative styles because she was shy.
The few pieces that Zhang Jingdong chose, Yan Ning could tell at a glance that these were the highest and most seductive silk cheongsams with slits, considered the perfect style for seducing men according to her girlfriends.
At the time, her girlfriends had suggested that she must try it once she had a man, and she spat back: "I will never wear this style of cheongsam in my life, let alone wear it for a man to see!"
Ironically, in less than half a year, she was now being forced by Zhang Jingdong to wear this cheongsam!
And particularly this black one was also the color most recommended by her girlfriend!
Could it be that this guy was sent by heaven to punish me?
Yan Ning sighed deeply, then fiercely cursed someone in her heart for a long while.
At this moment, her phone suddenly rang.
Yan Ning was unusually flustered, mainly because she really was not in the mood to deal with anything else at this time.
She glanced at her phone and, to her surprise, it was Zhang Jingdong calling!
She immediately felt relieved, then angrily answered the call: "What do you want?"
"I thought you might have passed out from anger, hurry up, if you don’t come out soon, I’m coming in!"
As soon as her words fell, there was immediately a knock on the door.
"Yan Ning, student, this isn’t about whether I dare or not, it’s about whether I want to or not!"
"Zhang Jingdong, you are totally outrageous!"
"Alright then, I’m leaving now, you don’t have to undergo this punishment!"
"Just give me five more minutes, I’ll definitely be out..."
"See, wasn’t that easy? I’m waiting for you!"
After hanging up, Zhang Jingdong, with a satisfied expression, returned to Yan Ning’s seat.
Yan Ning hesitated for a moment, then steeled her heart and quickly changed into the cheongsam.
Standing in front of the mirror, her pretty face instantly blushed!
She also felt... very ashamed.
But at the bottom of her heart a faint voice appeared: wearing this cheongsam, I look truly beautiful, like rarely ever before!
No woman does not love beauty, and no woman who discovers her clothes are beautiful wouldn’t want to make herself more beautiful, so Yan Ning quickly found herself in a difficult choice: should she put up her hair or not?
She knew she would look even more beautiful with her hair up, but that would please that guy’s eyes.
But if she didn’t put her hair up, then the makeup she currently had didn’t quite match the cheongsam.
Though Yan Ning didn’t spend as much time on makeup as some wealthy ladies usually do, she still had quite high standards for her own attire.
She hesitated for another half a minute, but seeing that nearly 5 minutes were up, she swiftly put her hair up and even wore a white jade hairpin.
She looked in the mirror again, very satisfied, then got up and walked to the door.
She took a deep breath of relief, casually opened the lounge door, and gracefully stepped out.
Almost at the same time, Zhang Jingdong, who had been admiring the river scenery outside, felt that time was almost up, so he energetically made his chair spin back around.
In that moment, as they looked into each other’s eyes, Zhang Jingdong was instantly mesmerized!
While Yan Ning felt both embarrassed and indignant: "Zhang Jingdong, you dare to sit on my chair, you..."
But Zhang Jingdong was completely unable to hear what Yan Ning was saying; it was like he was hearing an illusion!
Because at that moment, Yan Ning in front of him was too stunning!
Her face was already considered the pinnacle of serene and prosperous beauty, and the cheongsam nearly epitomized the beauty of Eastern women’s attire, so the two paired together were simply a match made in heaven.
Moreover, this was his first time seeing her with her hair put up; if a short haircut is the standard for testing a real handsome man, then putting long hair up is the standard for testing a true beauty.
Because long hair can cover many so-called beauties’ facial features and some flaws in their face shape.
Those truly great beauties, in fact, not only don’t lose points with their hair up, but can even add points with their perfect face shape and features.
And Yan Ning was likewise the pinnacle among them.
Zhang Jingdong even dared to claim whether it was Lin Zhiling, Zhang Ziyi, Chen Shu, Ni Ni, including Zhang Manyu from "In the Mood for Love," if they wore cheongsam and stood in front of Yan Ning at this moment, they’d all look like mere chambermaids!
Yan Ning scolded for a long time, seeing that Zhang Jingdong had no response and was just staring blankly at her as if spellbound, so she felt a bit wrong to scold him further, standing there with a blush, angrily staring at him.
Zhang Jingdong looked for a full three minutes before finally regaining his senses, appreciatively saying: "Dreaming of her dressed in silk, dreaming of her beauty, the spring breeze caresses the railings, the dew is thick. If not for seeing her on the top of Mount Jade, one would meet her by the moonlight on the Jade Terrace."
Although Yan Ning had not heard this poem before, she vaguely felt that Zhang Jingdong was complimenting her beauty.
But she didn’t feel it was right to stop him, because if he retorted with "I wasn’t complimenting you," it would only make her look foolish.
Then she just heard Zhang Jingdong continue: "The Yan family has a girl who has just grown up, kept in deep seclusion unknown to others. Born with such beauty, it cannot be discarded, she was chosen to stand beside the king someday."
"Her glance back brings a smile that bribes the world, even the princesses and concubines pale in comparison. The cold of spring offers a bath at Huaqing Pool, where the warm spring waters gently wash her sleek skin."