Another workweek was drawing to a close. Li Haojun noticed that the progress in his relationship with Sienna had sparked gossip among their colleagues, but he didn't care.
After their work lunch, Li Haojun invited Sienna again.
“Come on, want to go for a walk?”
“Sure,” Sienna always agreed readily. She seemed to have grown attached to Li Haojun, enjoying his company immensely—asking about his personal experiences, discussing their views on various issues.
But this time, instead of strolling near the office, Li Haojun drove Sienna to a spot upstream of the reservoir where they could get closer to the water. Here, the shoreline offered a gently sloping sandy beach.
Li Haojun took her hand and led her to the reservoir's edge, letting the cool breeze skimming the water's surface caress their faces and scatter Siena's long hair.
Afternoon sunlight danced across the rippling lake surface, reflecting dazzling, slightly golden white light. Li Haojun suddenly realized that if he shot against the light through a camera lens, it would create a fairy-tale-like effect of sparkling ripples. But he hadn't brought his camera. So he said to Xie'na,
“I have a surprise for you. Want to see?”
“What?” Siena turned her head, her eyes seeming to sparkle as she looked at Li Haojun. It made him ache for the monotony of her amateur life.
“Come on, get in the car.”
As Sienna turned toward the car, Li Haojun quietly followed behind her, having secretly booked a photography service.
Reaching the car, Li Haojun opened the door and pointed to a box in the backseat.
“Would you like to open it?”
Sienna looked into Li Haojun's eyes, hesitating for a moment, as if asking, Is this for me? She seemed very cautious.
She pulled the ribbon, lifted the lid, and found a garment inside. Siena turned back, meeting Li Haojun's gaze again, as if asking, Should I touch it?
“Take it out and see,” Li Haojun said with a smile.
Sienna gripped the garment by its shoulders and lifted it out—a white puff-sleeve, pleated, puffed-skirt dress. The white fabric featured delicate red decorative stripes. It had a one-shoulder design, puff sleeves, and a tie at the back to cinch the bodice.
Delighted, she held the skirt up against her frame, then spread it out before her for Li Haojun to see.
“Want me to try it on?”
“Sure,” she replied, sitting on the car's side seat to begin changing. The bodice was snug, requiring Li Haojun's help to pull it on, but it flattered her figure beautifully. Her slender waist contrasted with the full skirt at her hips, while her ample bust and narrow shoulders were perfectly balanced by the puff sleeves on either side.
“See what else is in the box,” Li Haojun prompted once she was mostly dressed.
Sienna peered inside. It was white too. At first she thought it was packing material, but pulling it out revealed a pair of white knee-high socks. Knitted with an intricate diamond lace pattern, they featured interlocking diamond cutouts.
“Oh my, they're gorgeous!” Sienna held them up excitedly for Li Haojun to see.
“Why not try them on?”
“Sure.”
Before she could finish changing, Li Haojun pulled another pair of shoes from the box—red leather flats with rounded toes and laces. A strap crossed over the instep, fastened to the side with a buckle. They looked adorably cute, like they belonged to a little princess.
Li Haojun knelt on one knee before Xie Na, his mind drifting to the serene expression on her face when she slept at home. Was this compensation for the part of her life she had lost?
After Xie Na finished putting on the stockings, Li Haojun helped her into the shoes. Looking up, he saw her gazing down at him.
“How do they look? Do you like them?”
“Mm,”
Sienna replied. Li Haojun then produced a mirror.
“Here,” he said, handing it to her.
Realizing this was all part of his plan for her, Sienna held the mirror, smiling as she waited for the next scene to unfold.
Li Haojun then produced two red bow hair ties, looping them around his own wrists. He settled into the backseat and began combing Xiyena's hair.
He parted it down the middle, leaving a fringe at the front, then awkwardly braided two three-strand plaits. Finally, he secured them with the red bow ties.
Sienna held a mirror aloft, observing her changing hairstyle while occasionally glancing into Li Haojun's eyes. He didn't notice, his full attention fixed on braiding. Even so, he barely managed to complete the task—the braids were loose and frayed with flyaways, though the overall look was passable.
Once finished, Li Haojun pulled Xie Na up from her seat by the hand. Her slender waist and full hips perfectly accentuated the puffed skirt. The white hem, adorned with red thread, sat above her knees. The internal support within the pleats held the skirt aloft, suspended above her thighs. With each step, the skirt didn't brush against her legs but swayed gracefully with the movement of her hips.
Sienna was delighted, stopping and starting as she admired the skirt's dynamic movement with her steps. Suddenly remembering something, she tugged at Li Haojun's hand and said,
“Ethan, thank you. How can I ever repay you?”
“No need for thanks. Just be happy,” Li Haojun replied, pulling her hand gently.
“Wear it for a stroll by the water.”
Looking up, the sun had dipped further west. The sunlight glinting off the water's surface no longer shone as brightly as at noon, but instead carried a warmer, golden glow, like something out of a fairy tale.
Amidst the gentle lapping of waves, a faint hissing sound seemed to pierce the air. Li Haojun turned to see several drones approaching them, quickly encircling the pair and circling overhead.
At first, Sienna felt a flicker of fear, instinctively tightening her grip on Li Haojun's hand. That was until the drones broadcast a voice:
“Holographic photography service. Order: Calispeir, April 7, 2095. Mr. Ethan for Sienna Swain.”
Sienna's mouth fell open in astonishment, her eyes wide. After a moment, she turned to face Li Haojun, her gaze seeking confirmation that this was indeed a gesture he had arranged for her. Overwhelmed with excitement, she leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
Li Haojun hadn't expected the usually demure Sienna to be so wildly enthusiastic today. He caught her weight with both hands on her skirt, spinning her around several times on the spot as they shared a moment of unrestrained joy. Then he said,
“Come down, I can't hold you much longer. Let's show off your dress.”
“Mm,”
Sienna slid down from Li Haojun and skipped ahead on her own. The drone swarm hummed with high-pitched whirring as it circled around her, following her lead.
Seeing these little things interact with her, Sienna playfully began darting in different directions, chasing and teasing them. As she ran, her light brown braids, adorned with red bows, swayed in the breeze, dancing against the backdrop of sparkling waves and dark green pine needles.
After running and jumping, Siena circled back, seemingly a bit out of breath. Her usually fair cheeks flushed crimson, yet she appeared far from tired. Rushing to Li Haojun, she grabbed his hand breathlessly and said,
“Ethan, come with me!” Then she turned, grabbed his hand, and started running. Dragged along by her enthusiasm, he followed behind, watching her twin braids with red bows flutter up and down before him. Her red leather shoes stamped out a youthful rhythm on the emerald grass. The hem of her white dress billowed in the breeze, propelled by her strong, pale thighs, as if they were running through a light-hearted fairy tale world. Every fluttering movement seemed to slow to a cinematic crawl before Li Haojun.
As they neared the water's edge, Sienna tugged Li Haojun's hand, turning while running until they spun hand-in-hand in place. Her braids and skirt whipped diagonally backward with increasing centrifugal force, revealing her alluring curves against the wind.
At that moment, Li Haojun noticed a large drone hovering over the water, monitoring them. This was no filming service—its markings and flashing lights suggested a police drone.
What a buzzkill. Why was it spying on their private moment in this realm of freedom? A deep-seated disgust welled up within him.
While Li Haojun remained focused on the sky, he failed to notice Siena's enthusiasm gradually fading. She stopped abruptly.
“The water's dangerous. Let's leave,” she said coldly, releasing his hand and striding along the shore toward the company entrance.
Li Haojun hurried after her, calling from behind,
“What's wrong? Are you upset?” Li Haojun couldn't fathom why her interest had suddenly waned.
But Sienna offered no reply, merely continuing forward on her own. Li Haojun caught up beside her, studying her expression to understand her sudden disinterest. Yet her face remained impassive.
and Li Haojun's mind raced with confusion. As he studied her face, he noticed the police surveillance drone still hovering in the sky behind them. Suddenly, it dawned on him what was happening. His eyes widened as he glared at the drone, cursing under his breath.
He glanced back at Sienna, whose earlier exuberance had vanished. The vibrant bloom of youth had been drained from her, leaving her as lifeless as a walking corpse, controlled by an external force. This sight stirred both pity and sympathy for Sienna within Li Haojun, alongside a deep-seated disgust and resentment toward the town's oppressive control.
“Sienna, you don't have to obey him. You haven't done anything wrong,” Li Haojun whispered into her ear, but she showed no reaction.
“Sienna!” he raised his voice, yet she remained as if deaf.
“Sienna!” he called her name again, reaching out to grab her arm. Only when he pulled her body to face him at a ninety-degree angle did she halt.
“Ah!” Sienna seemed to snap out of a trance, halting before Li Haojun with a face frozen in cold terror.
“What's wrong? I called you, but you couldn't hear me. You just kept walking forward,” Li Haojun stared into her eyes, searching her expression for clues as he asked.
“Ah, I... I don't know,” Sienna replied, still dazed, her hands raised and trembling. It looked like she was waving them away, or perhaps trying to free herself from Li Haojun's grip on her arm.
Li Haojun gently cupped her frightened cheeks and whispered softly,
“Don't be afraid. It's over now. It's okay. It's okay.”
“Oh,” she murmured in response. Though terror still lingered in her eyes, her trembling hand gently brushed against Li Haojun's chest, a gesture that tugged at the heartstrings.
Li Haojun gently pulled the frightened Sienna into his embrace, his left arm around her waist and back, his right arm cradling her shoulder and the back of her head.
The swarm of filming drones still circled around them, their whirring hum echoing the unease and terror within Sienna. Li Haojun held her tightly, whispering softly into her ear,
"What scared you just now? Nothing happened. It's okay now. Nothing will ever hurt you. Don't worry. I'm always here with you. Nothing happened just now. You don't need to be afraid."
The sound of waves lapping at the reservoir's edge echoed like Li Haojun's quiet lament, each wave gently caressing the shore, soothing Siena's once-terrified heart.
Her red leather shoes with side buckles stood amidst the green grass, symbolizing her fiery yet youthful, inexperienced anxiety and uncertainty. Fortunately, a pair of sturdy men's black leather shoes stood steadfast beside her.
The setting sun cast deeper gold upon the rippling water, its brilliance gilding the edges of the green grass and red shoes.
Against this shimmering backdrop, the white skirt—a reincarnation of crimson thread—hugged Siena's graceful thigh curves, blending with Li Haojun's steady form. The rippling water framed their embracing figures, with only the faintest glimmer of diffused golden light filtering through the slight gap between their necks and cheekbones,
Holding her head against his chest for a long while, it seemed only then that Sienna's emotions finally settled. She lifted her gaze to meet Li Haojun's eyes, as if asking what had just happened.
How could he explain? Tell her her mind was remotely controlled by a chip? Too cruel.
But how could he comfort her when her eyes were so pitifully vulnerable?
Li Haojun gently kissed her lips, and she didn't refuse. He tentatively explored uncharted territory, pulling her closer once more for a deep, lingering kiss.
Li Haojun sought to offer her solace and comfort, while Sienna craved affection and attachment. Two hearts drawing closer bridged the final gap between them. No light could penetrate their union anymore. Amidst the golden, sparkling waves by the water in the afternoon sun, two figures merged into one.
127Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEBt8zfiHO
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