As Liu Nanfeng picked up the clothes from the chair, he noticed something strange about the garment.
"What is this, a Taoist robe?" Liu Nanfeng asked, a bit puzzled. But why would they tailor a Taoist robe for him? Did they want him to become a Taoist priest? It wasn't impossible to be a priest, but not one from the Quanzhen sect, as they were forbidden to marry.
"This is a zhishēn," Su Jinxiu replied, rolling her eyes at him before preparing to help him put it on.
"Hey, Sister, why did you tailor a zhishēn for Brother-in-law? Who wears clothes like this nowadays?" Su Huamei also asked curiously.
"What's wrong with that? Isn't 'Guofeng' popular now? This is also Hanfu," Su Jinxiu retorted. It was a valid point. In the past, wearing such clothes would have drawn strange looks, but in recent years, people had become accustomed to traditional attire, often casting envious glances. Some traditional cultures indeed should not be lost. After all, the extinction of a species or a nation never only extinguishes people; it extinguishes spirit, it extinguishes culture.
With Su Jinxiu's help, Liu Nanfeng changed into the long robe.
"Wow, Brother-in-law, you look really handsome in this!"
Liu Nanfeng's tall frame easily filled out the robe, the wide sleeves and flowing fabric adding a touch of grace.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Liu Nanfeng felt the fabric was rather peculiar. It was as thin as a cicada's wing, as light as nothing, and wearing it made him feel exceptionally energetic. Upon closer inspection, he saw faint dragon patterns flowing on the dark red fabric.
"Sister..." Su Huamei also noticed the anomaly and looked at Su Jinxiu with surprise.
"This garment has strong defensive properties. It can help you resist external damage, and it's warm in winter and cool in summer, impervious to water and fire," Su Jinxiu explained patiently while carefully buttoning it for him.
"It's that amazing?" Liu Nanfeng was also a little surprised.
"Of course, this is a true dragon robe," Su Jinxiu said with a smile.
"Dragon robe?"
Su Huamei also stepped forward curiously to touch it, but Su Jinxiu slapped her hand away. Touching the fabric was fine, but touching it inappropriately was another matter, bordering on rudeness.
"How is this a dragon robe?" Liu Nanfeng looked down at it doubtfully. He had seen plenty of dragon robes from various dynasties in historical dramas, and none looked like this. If this were a dragon robe, it was too plain.
"It's just a name," Su Jinxiu offered no further explanation.
Liu Nanfeng remained somewhat perplexed. Why call it a dragon robe? Perhaps it was due to the subtle dragon patterns woven into it. If so, calling it a dragon robe might make sense.
"But I can't wear this one outfit all the time, can I?"
Liu Nanfeng spread his arms and waved them a couple of times. His sleeves billowed, giving him a scholarly air.
"This outfit can be put away," Su Jinxiu said with a smile.
"Put away? How do you put it away?" Liu Nanfeng asked, confused.
No sooner had he spoken than he felt a chill. Looking down, he saw he was no longer wearing any clothes. He was standing in the middle of the living room bare-chested. Luckily, he hadn't taken off his pants while trying on the robe, or he would have been exposed. Well, perhaps being exposed in front of these two women wasn't a huge deal.
"Where are my clothes?" Liu Nanfeng looked around his body curiously.
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the clothes reappeared on him as if they had never vanished.
"An invisibility cloak?" Liu Nanfeng exclaimed, surprised. But he quickly realized something was wrong. If it were truly invisible, he wouldn't feel absolutely nothing.
Su Huamei, resting her chin on her hand, stared intently at the tips of Liu Nanfeng's hair, deep in thought. A few strands of red hair, subtly mixed with his black hair, had appeared on his head. They would be hard to notice if one wasn't looking closely.
"It's not an invisibility cloak. It's transformed into a few strands of hair and hidden in your hair."
Su Jinxiu pulled him towards the full-length mirror and helped him arrange his hair. Liu Nanfeng then noticed the few red strands on his scalp. They didn't look bad; in fact, they added a touch of individuality.
Liu Nanfeng stroked his hair and said narcissistically, "I've never dyed my hair before. Come to think of it, this looks pretty good."
"Sister..." Su Huamei called out to Su Jinxiu, as if remembering something. Su Jinxiu gently shook her head at her.
"But who made this outfit for you? It's incredibly powerful. This isn't just making clothes; it's like forging a magic artifact," Liu Nanfeng asked curiously.
"A demon friend," Su Jinxiu replied casually.
Liu Nanfeng didn't press further upon hearing this. With his arms bare, he decided to take another bath. Despite the air conditioning in the shop, he was still sweaty after eating hot pot.
"Meow..."
Just then, Mo Yu, the cat, appeared from somewhere and started circling Liu Nanfeng's feet, almost tripping him.
"Mo Yu, want to join me for a bath?"
Liu Nanfeng bent down, picked up the cat, and headed towards the bathroom.
Seeing Liu Nanfeng enter the bathroom, Su Huamei looked at Su Jinxiu again, her mouth open as if to ask something. She was incredibly curious now. But clearly, Su Jinxiu had no intention of telling her.
...
"Don't hurt my boyfriend. I'll go with you." Lan Feifeng looked at the blonde man in front of her, her expression very calm.
"Xiao Feng, what are you afraid of him for? Call the police. This is a society governed by law now." Mao Zhizhong stood in front of Lan Feifeng. He was slightly plump with a simple, honest face, the picture of a decent person.
"Another decent person. How many boyfriends have you had?" the blonde man on the other side chuckled. Behind him stood several other men, standing rigidly around, as if waiting for orders, completely still.
Mao Zhizhong glanced back at his girlfriend. She was tall and her hair was dyed in various colors, but even so, it couldn't hide her exceptional beauty. A woman like her would surely have no shortage of admirers. Mao Zhizhong was honest, but not stupid. His looks were average, his financial status was average, and while he had some talent, it wasn't outstanding. Mao Zhizhong felt incredibly lucky to have attracted Lan Feifeng's attention. Therefore, he treated Lan Feifeng exceptionally well, and Lan Feifeng, in turn, did not take his affection for granted, showing him equal care. Thus, even though Mao Zhizhong suspected Lan Feifeng might have a less-than-perfect past, he was prepared to marry her and spend his life with her.
Seeing Mao Zhizhong look back at her, Lan Feifeng didn't explain. She simply flashed him a radiant smile.
"Is he your ex-boyfriend?" Mao Zhizhong asked. Lan Feifeng paused for a moment, then shook her head. She hadn't expected Mao Zhizhong to ask that. The reason Mao Zhizhong asked was that the man standing before them, despite his roguish demeanor, possessed a certain charm. If he were to claim to be Lan Feifeng's boyfriend, everyone would likely believe him, as they seemed like a well-matched couple.
"Good, if not, call the police." With that, he threw a punch and charged forward. His large physique gave him a certain imposing presence; most people would indeed be intimidated by him. But the person standing in front of him was no ordinary human. It was Hu Yulin, acting on Hu Siniang's orders, who sought clues about Bai Xinghe from Lan Feifeng. Although Mao Zhizhong exuded presence, his movements were clumsy, and he couldn't hit anyone. Hu Yulin simply dodged slightly, and suddenly appeared behind Mao Zhizhong. He then reached out and gently pushed Mao Zhizhong's back, applying force. Mao Zhizhong, who was charging forward, couldn't stop himself and lunged forward. Just as he was about to fall, his body hit something soft, steadying him. Mao Zhizhong looked down and saw that Lan Feifeng had stepped in front of him. Mao Zhizhong didn't immediately concern himself with why Lan Feifeng was in front of him. Instead, he anxiously asked, "Did you get hurt? Are you feeling alright?" Lan Feifeng smiled faintly, shook her head, took out a handkerchief from her bag, and wiped the sweat from his forehead that had appeared due to his anxiety. Then she said, "Don't worry, he's my friend. I'll go with them and be right back. You go home and wait for me."
Mao Zhizhong was stunned. He looked back at Hu Yulin. Hu Yulin flashed him a smile, his slender eyes filled with mockery. Mao Zhizhong clenched his fists, his face etched with reluctance. He looked at Lan Feifeng, his lips moving, but he couldn't say anything. Lan Feifeng didn't look at him again. She brushed past him and walked towards Hu Yulin, her expression cool as she said, "Let's go." Since Lan Feifeng was willingly accompanying him, Hu Yulin didn't want to cause trouble. He waved his hand, and a car emerged from the darkness, driving towards them. "Miss Lan, please..." Seeing the car drive away, Mao Zhizhong seemed to snap back to reality and strode forward in pursuit.
Lan Feifeng and Hu Yulin, sitting in the car, saw the scene. Hu Yulin mockingly remarked, "A decent person, truly infatuated." Lan Feifeng didn't reply. She simply gazed out the window with a cool expression, lost in her thoughts. Hu Yulin didn't want to anger Lan Feifeng, so he closed his mouth in boredom. However, people couldn't outrun cars. Soon, Mao Zhizhong disappeared from sight, exhausted and breathless, and sat down by the roadside. "Sweat" rolled down his cheeks, his face a mask of sadness and regret. He wiped the "sweat" from his face and stared blankly at a fallen leaf on the ground, lost in thought. After a while, a voice asked him, "Want some?" A skewer of grilled meat was offered to him. Mao Zhizhong looked up in surprise, thinking, "Can't you see I'm grieving? How could I possibly be in the mood for grilled skewers?" Looking up, he saw a figure even larger than himself standing before him. Mao Zhizhong was merely plump, but this person was truly fat, both tall and wide, like a wall. As he sat on the ground, looking up, he felt an almost suffocating pressure. "Want some?" the other person asked, shaking the meat skewer in his hand, releasing a fragrant aroma. "Thank you." Mao Zhizhong didn't know why, but he said thank you and took the skewer.
"Do you love her very much?" the fatty asked. Mao Zhizhong was surprised by the question and then realized, turning to stand up, "Did you see that just now?" The fatty nodded. Standing up, Mao Zhizhong realized he was actually half a head shorter than the other person. And this person wasn't just fat; he could be described as robust. His broad, short-sleeved arms revealed bulging muscles, giving an impression of immense strength. "Of course, I love her. Otherwise, why would I be so sad? Sigh..." Mao Zhizhong sighed deeply, his heart aching as if struggling. He felt sad for losing his girlfriend, and also sad for his own helplessness and powerlessness.
"Don't worry too much. Your girlfriend should be fine. If she loves you, she'll be back soon," the fatty said by way of comfort. He then picked up a meat skewer and popped one into his mouth. Mao Zhizhong then noticed that the other person was carrying a bag filled with grilled skewers, at least seventy or eighty of them. "Thank you." Mao Zhizhong thought the person was just trying to comfort him and thanked him again. Seeing his dejected state, the fatty hesitated for a moment and added, "She's willing to go with them for your own good."
Upon hearing this, Mao Zhizhong immediately reacted and quickly asked, "Do you know something? You know them, don't you?" His expression was agitated, and he reached out to grab the other person's hand. The other person glared at him, and Mao Zhizhong suddenly felt as if he couldn't move, a sense of fear spreading from the depths of his heart. But this feeling came and went quickly, as if it were all his imagination. However, he no longer dared to reach out. He quietly withdrew his hand, his face pleading, "Please, tell me. I can pay you, give you money."
"Those people are from Hu's Beauty Salon. You can't handle them alone," the fatty said.
"Then I'll call the police and have them come with me. This is a society governed by law," Mao Zhizhong said indignantly. A beauty salon. The thought alone suggested it wasn't a good place. If his girlfriend was taken to such a place, it would be disastrous!
"You should call the police, but ordinary police officers can't do much about them. I'll give you a number. You call this number and say your girlfriend was kidnapped by people from Hu's Beauty Salon. Make sure to mention Hu's Beauty Salon."
"Okay, okay, thank you." Mao Zhizhong, completely unsure of what to do, quickly took out his phone. After the fatty gave him a number, he turned to leave.
"May I ask your name? I don't know how to thank you." Seeing him leave, Mao Zhizhong also came to his senses and hurried to ask.
"Just think of me as a kind passerby."
"But why are you helping me?" Everyone was an adult. There weren't so many selfless acts in the world.
"I already told you, I'm a kind person. I see how deeply you care for your girlfriend, so I lent a hand."
"Is that so?"
"Of course. You can also think of me as someone who has a grudge against Hu's Beauty Salon and wants to see them unhappy." The fatty walked away as he spoke. Mao Zhizhong, who had been chasing after him, realized he couldn't keep up with the other person's pace. Soon, the fatty disappeared from sight, leaving Mao Zhizhong standing there, dumbfounded.
"Aren't you going to make the call? Why are you spacing out?" Just then, the fatty's voice echoed in his ear. He finally snapped back to reality and quickly dialed the number the fatty had given him.
*Ring, ring...*
The call was quickly answered.
"This is Jiangcheng Special Division Nine..." a voice said on the other end.
"I want to report a crime," Mao Zhizhong said urgently before the other person could finish.
"Report a crime?" The other person seemed a little surprised.
"Yes, I want to report a crime. My girlfriend has been taken."
"Please dial 110 for the police..." Hearing the other person about to hang up, Mao Zhizhong suddenly remembered that the fatty had emphasized mentioning Hu's Beauty Salon. So he quickly said, "It's Hu's Beauty Salon. People from Hu's Beauty Salon kidnapped my girlfriend."
"Okay, where are you located now? Our officers will be at the scene immediately. Please leave your contact information..." Hearing the immediate change in the attitude on the other end of the phone, Mao Zhizhong somehow felt a sense of relief.
PS: There's another chapter tonight. Please vote for the monthly ticket.