At four in the afternoon, the sky had completely darkened, and faint green lights began to appear in the sky. Lan Lan heard someone exclaim in English, "The aurora is here!" She immediately looked up, and was stunned by the sight before her.
She had seen countless pictures of the aurora online, but seeing it with her own eyes was still breathtaking. Lan Lan had heard that phone cameras might not capture the aurora accurately, so she asked Ms. Yu to bring her camera. Ms. Yu, having traveled extensively, possessed excellent photography skills and was already taking pictures.
The aurora grew more prominent, and the sky seemed low, as if within reach. Lan Lan suddenly remembered Liang Yufeng saying he wanted her to share the sight with him. She immediately took out her phone, took a picture, and although it couldn't compare to the camera, she sent it to Liang Yufeng first.
"Saw the aurora, this is a phone pic. I'll send you the camera shots after I get back to the hotel and transfer them to my computer."
Liang Yufeng replied instantly, as always, "Beautiful."
Seeing his comment, Lan Lan took a few more pictures for him.
Later, Liang Yufeng said, "Focus on watching."
Lan Lan put down her phone and concentrated on enjoying the spectacle. Ms. Yu even took a photo of her with the aurora. Back at the hotel, Lan Lan saved the photo and changed her WeChat profile picture to it.
She didn't forget her promise to Liang Yufeng either. She picked out a few photos taken by the camera and sent them to him. Liang Yufeng then asked, "What about the one as your avatar?"
Lan Lan sent it over, "Isn't it pretty?"
Liang Yufeng: "It's alright."
Lan Lan was not surprised by his answer; Liang Yufeng really had no talent for giving compliments.
After viewing the aurora, more than half of their trip was over. The last leg of their journey was England. They would visit several major cities on the island. Apart from natural landscapes, Iceland didn't have much to offer for shopping. If they wanted to buy souvenirs, they would have to go to places like England.
Their first stop was Birmingham, where they coincidentally arrived during the year's Jazz Festival. Lan Zhong was very interested, so the family of three bought tickets to attend.
Transportation within England was much more convenient. Within a week, they traveled to several cities, watched football matches in Manchester and Liverpool, and finally arrived in London, where their main purpose was shopping.
Lan Lan had prepared gifts for Lin Mei, Feng Feng, and Liang Yufeng individually. For her colleagues, she had uniform small souvenirs. Lan Lan was always generous with her friends, and she didn't hesitate when buying bags for Lin Mei and Feng Feng.
While browsing in a department store, Lan Lan spotted a tie. It was navy blue, with a subtle twill weave, and no flashy decorations, but it exuded a refined elegance. Just looking at the tie, it already gave off an air of sophisticated rogue.
The moment she saw it, Lan Lan felt that the tie was meant for Liang Yufeng. The brand was exclusive to London, and it was handcrafted by an elderly designer. In this city, known for its "gentlemen," there were many renowned artisan designers, commonly referred to as tailors.
Despite this common term, their labor costs were often higher than items produced on the assembly lines of major brands.
Lan Lan also found a suit and shirt in the same artisan shop that fit Liang Yufeng perfectly, completing the set with the tie. She bought them. Yu Ran and Lan Zhong, seeing her buy menswear, couldn't help but ask, "Who are they for? Did you get a new boyfriend recently?"
"No," Lan Lan replied. "If I had a new boyfriend, wouldn't I tell you?"
Yu Ran put on a detective-like demeanor, "Then it's strange. You never prepared gifts this carefully when you had boyfriends before."
"Ms. Yu, am I your biological daughter?" Lan Lan laughed, amused. "What you're saying makes it sound like your daughter is a heartless, manipulative player."
Yu Ran and Lan Zhong exchanged glances. Though they didn't speak, their expressions said it all: Aren't you?
Lan Lan had to defend herself, "I'm not a player; I just want to give all handsome guys a home."
Yu Ran and Lan Zhong burst into laughter at her statement, but they didn't "educate" her. Joking aside, they didn't find any fault with Lan Lan's approach to relationships. Love was a matter of mutual consent, and she had never deceived anyone; she just broke up frequently.
They had been open-minded since she was young, hoping she would grow freely, and had never pressured her to marry and have children quickly.
Therefore, the two did not press Lan Lan to reveal who the clothes were for.
Back in London, their days were filled with shopping. After buying gifts, Lan Lan began to treat herself. Using her year-end bonus, she went shopping with Yu Ran and Lan Zhong, buying them many things.
When Yu Ran saw Lan Lan swiping her card, she jokingly said, "It's great to have a daughter who earns money."
"It's also great to have parents who earn money," the family of three praised each other.
The journey, which lasted over a month, concluded. After this shopping spree, Lan Lan had an extra suitcase, for which she paid an additional fee during check-in.
Before takeoff, Lan Lan received a WeChat message from Liang Yufeng, "What time do you arrive?"
Lan Lan sent Liang Yufeng her flight details. He offered to pick her up, but Lan Lan refused, "My parents are traveling with me, and we've arranged a car. Don't come."
Her tone implied he was not to be seen.
Liang Yufeng: "Oh, then I'll have the car sent over to you now."
After a fourteen-hour flight, they finally returned to Nanjiang. They slept through the journey; their family was accustomed to traveling, so adjusting to the time difference was effortless. A good sleep on the plane made everything manageable.
The car had been pre-arranged. Lan Lan took Yu Ran and Lan Zhong back to the apartment. On the way, Yu Ran said she was hungry, so Lan Lan ordered takeout. Shortly after they returned, the food arrived. Yu Ran went to open the door.
Lan Lan hadn't paid much attention to the person outside, but suddenly she heard Yu Ran exclaim, "Xiao Liang? What are you doing here?"
Lan Lan immediately looked up. Sure enough, outside the door, besides the delivery person, stood Liang Yufeng, looking quite dapper.
Facing Yu Ran, he maintained his gentlemanly demeanor and politely said, "Hello, Auntie. I've come to give Lan Lan her keys."
"Come in quickly," Yu Ran said, as she was quite fond of Liang Yufeng, and ushered him inside.
Liang Yufeng placed the car keys on the shoe cabinet and casually said to Lan Lan, "I parked the car for you in the spot downstairs."
Lan Lan replied with a simple "Oh." She suspected Liang Yufeng had deliberately chosen this moment to appear, but she couldn't confront him in front of her parents.
Lan Zhong, curious, asked, "Why is your car with Xiao Liang?"
"His car broke down, and since I was going out with you, I drove him around," Lan Lan quickly took charge, fearing Liang Yufeng might say something unexpected.
Consequently, Liang Yufeng had to play along, "Yes, that's right."
"Xiao Liang, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? We ordered a lot. If you don't mind, please stay and eat with us," Yu Ran invited him.
Liang Yufeng smiled slightly and turned to ask Lan Lan, "Is that okay?"