After a morning of intense battling, Malaya and Li Haojun had fought their way from packs of wolves to lions and black bears. By the later stages, Li Haojun could only play a supporting role, holding enemies at bay.
经过一上午的鏖战,玛莱雅带领着李皓珺已经从对付群狼到雄狮和黑熊了,到了后期李皓珺就只能打辅助牵制敌人了.
Malaya truly showed her mettle. Sitting across from him at the lunch table, her hair was damp with sweat, clinging to her forehead and temples. The clearly defined wet strands, combined with the flush rising beneath her skin from capillaries brimming with blood, struck Li Haojun as radiating pure, infectious youthfulness.
玛莱雅倒是着实展示了自己的实力,坐在午餐餐桌对面的她,汗水已经把她的发丝粘在了她的额头鬓角,那丝缕清晰的湿发,加上脸颊皮下毛细血管充盈泛起的红晕,看在李皓珺眼里,给人满满的青春气息的感染.
"What do you want to do this afternoon?" Li Haojun asked casually.
"下午你想去玩什么?"李皓珺闲聊随便一问,
"I want to ride the Ferris wheel," she said.
"我想去坐摩天轮,"
At those words, images leapt into Li Haojun's mind—those towering steel scaffolds swaying in the wind, the web of cables pulled taut at varying tensions, clinking against the metal framework.
听她这么说,李皓珺脑子里马上就想到那些高耸的钢管支架,在风中颤动的情景,还有那些张紧度不同的斜拉钢索,在风里叮叮当当撞击钢管的声响.
Before he could decide how to respond, the corner of Malaya's mouth lifted in a smile.
李皓珺还没想好怎么回答,玛莱雅嘴角一翘就笑了,
"If you like it, I'll go with you. It's just that the Ferris wheel is a bit far. How about we try some other attractions here first, then head over? After the ride, we can just go straight back to the hotel. Okay?"
"你喜欢我就陪你坐,只是摩天轮距离有点远,你看咱们玩点这里的其他项目再过去啊?坐完了摩天轮就顺路回旅馆了,好吗?"
"Alright."
"好,"
Li Haojun looked up the amusement park options.
李皓珺查询了一下游乐项目,
"We could do go-kart racing—you said you liked racing, real or simulated. Or indoor skydiving. Maybe simulated aerial combat? Or… we could try the strength-testing hammer game?"
"可以选赛车,你说过你喜欢赛车,模拟的或者真实的,或者试试通道内跳伞,嗯,或者我们去玩模拟空战,要不,我们去砸大力士锤?"
Malaya ate her lunch while listening to his suggestions, but none seemed to catch her interest.
玛莱雅一边吃午餐,一边听着李皓珺的建议,但是似乎没有什么感兴趣的,
Li Haojun scrolled through the options, changed the search keywords to activities suited for women, and found himself reading aloud:
李皓珺翻阅着可选项,换了关键词,搜索适合女性的项目,不由得念出了声,
"Colorful pottery, mini surfboards, Paris Fashion Week models…"
"七彩陶艺,迷你冲浪板,巴黎时装周佳丽..."
"Fashion Week what?"
"时装周什么?"
"Fashion Week catwalk show." The moment the words left his mouth, Li Haojun felt a pang of guilt. He had bought several outfits for his older sister but never for his younger sister. He silently resolved to make it up to her soon.
"时装周T台秀,"话一出口,李皓珺马上觉得心中有愧,亏待了妹妹.他已经给姐姐买过好几件衣服了却还从来没有给妹妹买过,于是暗自下定决心尽快补偿她.
"Sure, let's do that after lunch. Anyway, we need to walk a bit after eating."
"好啊,一会儿吃完午饭去玩这个游戏,反正饭后也要散步的,"
The Paris Fashion Week Model Catwalk Show was a hybrid experience combining live performance with virtual costumes. There was a real miniature runway. Players put on suitable high heels, selected virtual outfits, and followed prompts for different styles of walking. Their movements were scanned and recorded, then composited into a virtual image of them wearing the chosen garments. Afterwards, there was even a scoring and evaluation segment.
巴黎时装周佳丽T台秀是一个真人加虚拟服装的游戏,有一个真实的迷你T台,玩家穿上适合的高跟鞋,选择虚拟服装,然后会有根据不同服装的走秀提示,真人的动作被扫描记录,合成穿着服装的虚拟景象记录,回来还有打分评比环节.
With the virtual visual goggles on, Li Haojun was her sole audience. The runway lights brightened, and to the sound of light music, Malaya appeared. She walked to the starting point, stood still, turned, and faced forward with a cool, composed expression. After a moment's pause, she began to move.
戴上虚拟视觉眼镜,李皓珺是她的唯一观众.T台灯光亮起,伴随着轻松的音乐,玛莱雅现身,走到起始段,站定转身,只见她面色冷峻,目视前方,静止展示片刻,迈步向前行进.
For her first appearance, she wore a fruit-blue youthful outfit—a pleated mini-skirt underneath, and a white, loose, short-sleeved crop top with a standing collar. The soft blue fabric was embroidered with red motifs: candy shapes, letters, rubber ducks, leaves—playful patterns that carried the whimsy of childhood, while the set itself pulsed with the rhythm of adolescence.
首次出场她穿了一套果蓝色少女装,下身是内工字褶短裙,上身白色立领短袖宽松露脐装,淡蓝的底色上面绣了不同的红色图案,有糖果形状,字母形状,橡皮鸭形状,树叶形状,图案带着小朋友的顽皮,套装又带着青春少女的韵律.
Moving to a brisk tempo, Malaya completed one circuit and returned backstage.
踩着轻快的节奏,玛莱雅走了一圈后返回后台.
Li Haojun thought her hairstyle suited the outfit perfectly—those tiny braids and colorful ribbons were both playful and vibrant. The only imperfection was the high heels; flat black lace-up leather shoes would have been better. In that instant, thoughts of Sienna drifted through his mind—unstoppable, irresistible, yet somehow out of place.
李皓珺觉得她的发型很适合她这套服装,那些细碎的小辫子和五颜六色的发带,既俏皮又有活力.唯独不完美的就是她穿了高跟鞋,要是平底黑色系带小皮鞋就好了.一瞬间,关于西耶娜的思绪又飘过心头,无法拦阻,难以抗拒,却又有些不合时宜.
Ah, for Malaya, it was inappropriate timing. But for Sienna—he had almost forgotten her. Li Haojun also felt secretly guilty toward her. She had simply burst into his life, and left just as abruptly.
唉,对于玛莱雅来说是不合时宜,可是对于西耶娜,都快把她忘记了,李皓珺也暗自觉得对不住她,只是,她就那么闯入自己的生活,又离开的那么突然.
During the intermission, it sounded like Malaya was adjusting settings after reading the game prompts; the soft beeping of buttons came from backstage.
中场间隔,似乎玛莱雅在阅读了游戏提示之后又在调整设置了,后台传来了嘀嘀的设置按键声.
A moment later, gentle background music played, and the runway lights dimmed. Malaya stepped out slowly, turning lightly at the starting point. This time, she wore a deep crimson evening gown—and now the high heels were entirely fitting.
过了一会儿,响起了温婉的背景音乐,T台光线也变暗,只见玛莱雅缓步出场,站在起始点轻轻转身,这一次她身穿一条绛红色晚礼服长裙,这时候她的高跟鞋就很应景了.
Her hair was swept up in an elegant chignon, adorned with a green olive branch and a fine diamond iron cross hairpin. The coiled bun revealed her graceful neck.
相应地,她采用了高盘发,配了一个绿色橄榄枝加细钻铁十字发卡,高挽的发髻露出她优雅的脖颈,
It was a one-shoulder evening gown, the fabric flowing from the shoulder strap down to the waist in a fishtail pattern. The texture gathered at the waist, spiraling downward around her body before spreading into large waves that flowed into the train. From above, the design resembled the spiral of a conch shell.
这是一件右单肩带袖晚礼服,由肩带到腰间拉出同面料鱼尾纹,那些纹理汇聚于腰间围绕身体盘旋下降又逐步扩散成大波浪到裙摆直到后拖尾,换个角度从上方看好像海螺的花纹.
In the muted lighting, to the accompaniment of soft music, Malaya walked forward gracefully. Overhead spotlights shifted intermittently in intensity, like sunlight filtering through forest trees onto the cheeks, shoulders, and neck of a woodland fairy. Along the corridor of light she traversed, the fabric of her gown shimmered with shifting iridescence—faint pink to rich violet—catching the angles of its folds.
暗淡的灯光里,随着轻柔的音乐,身着晚礼服的玛莱雅款款走来.顶部的射灯间歇变换投射强弱,宛如透过树干间隙的阳光照在森林仙子的脸颊肩颈.在她走过的光之走廊里,晚礼服的布料随着褶皱部位的不同角度,闪烁着淡粉到嫣紫的光晕过渡变化.
Her arms swayed subtly, elbows close to her waist. With each measured step, her hips swayed gently to balance her center of gravity, always stepping along the straight line traced by the balls of her feet.
玛莱雅的双臂微微摆动,肘部收在腰间,随着缓和的步伐,她的腰胯轻轻扭动平衡着身体重心,一直行进在前脚掌踏在的那一条直线上.
This time, when she reached the front marker, she paused. Her legs parted slightly beneath the skirt as she shifted her weight. Then, her right arm—clad in the same-colored long sleeve—extended slightly outward. Her fingers gave a small tug to the trailing hem of the gown, the ivory pear-shaped ornament on the back of her hand accenting the rich crimson train.
这一次她走到前端定位点的时候停下了脚步,裙摆下的双腿分立,变换了一下重心,然后有着同色布料长袖的右臂,轻微向外伸展,右手指牵拉了一下拖地尾裙,手背的鹅白色三点梨花装饰,点缀了整个绛红尾裙.
Gone was the earlier coolness. Malaya turned her head slightly, glancing down toward the left—toward where Li Haojun stood. Then, with a sideways step, she gathered the long skirt and turned back. The high heels and the fitted fishtail silhouette delicately outlined the lithe, graceful lines from her thighs to her hips, and even the slender arm lifting the hem was full of soft beauty.
一改之前的冷峻,玛莱雅轻微扭头,望向左下方,李皓珺所在的方向,然后又横向迈步拖起长裙,转身走上返程.高跟鞋和晚礼服的鱼尾裙造型细腻地显出了她大腿到臀部的清秀柔美线条,还有那纤细的,轻挑尾拖裙的手臂,也是那么的柔美.
Li Haojun kept watching her retreating figure. Light flickered across her bare shoulders and back, illuminating her fair skin and swaying form, until she vanished into the deepening shadows of the forest-like darkness.
李皓珺一直望着她的背影,光线忽明忽暗地照在她袒露的肩背,她的冰肌玉骨,她摇曳的身姿,直至消失在光线渐暗的森林深处.
She spent less time backstage this round, quickly finishing the button presses with a series of beeps. The next track was brighter, more cheerful. The lights came up fully, cycling slowly through warm and cool ambient tones, creating a relaxed and lively atmosphere.
这一次她在后台的时间更少了,很快就嘀嘀嘀一通按键设置完毕.这次是比较明快的背景音乐,灯光全开,有氛围光循环缓慢切换着冷暖色调,环境感觉轻松明快,
Malaya emerged, footsteps syncing with the rhythm. At the starting point, she turned and stood in a side lunge—left leg straight, hip thrust out, hand on waist; right leg bent.
玛莱雅出场,脚步踩着音乐的韵律,到达起始点转身侧弓步站立,左腿直立顶跨,左手掐腰,右腿弓步.
This time, she wore brown-yellow heeled leather boots, a Western-style denim miniskirt, and a matching cowboy hat. Her light brown hair fell in big waves over her shoulders. Dark eyeshadow and smoky makeup framed her rose-red lips, and a deep brown fringed shawl draped from her shoulders. Thoroughly Western in style—no wonder her entrance carried that wild, unrestrained energy.
这次的玛莱雅脚蹬棕黄色高跟长筒皮靴,身穿西部牛仔短裙,头戴棕黄色牛仔帽,淡棕色大波浪披肩发,深色眼影烟熏妆,玫瑰红唇,肩披深棕色流苏披肩.妥妥的西部风,怪不得出场就带着狂野奔放的气息.
After a brief pause, Malaya straightened her legs and stepped forward. To the beat of the upbeat music, she strode ahead with clear, powerful steps. Her thighs led the sway of her hips, her whole body moving in rhythm. Her back was straight, even her shoulders and collarbones participating in the motion—only her chin remained slightly tucked, eyes forward, cool and determined.
站定片刻,只见玛莱雅收腿直立,迈步向前.伴着节奏明快的音乐节奏,她大步向前,脚步节奏清晰有力,大腿带动着腰胯摇摆,跟随身体的韵律,走动间,她的腰背挺立,就连肩和锁骨都加入了全身的运动,只有她的下颌微收,目视前方,冷峻坚毅.
When she reached the midpoint of the runway, she stopped and performed a 360-degree turn. As she spun, her hair lifted lightly, the fringe of her shawl flying.
这一次走到T台中点,她还停下来,360度转身展示,转身之间,她的长发轻飘,流苏飞扬,
With each twist of her torso, she shifted her weight between her legs, showing off the contours of her shoulders, waist, and hips from every angle. Watching her performance, Li Haojun couldn't help but rise to his feet and applaud.
身形扭转之间,双腿切换着重心,展示着不同角度的肩腰腿胯的轮廓曲线,李皓珺看着她的表演也不由得起立为她鼓掌,
Malaya's chin dipped slightly, as if nodding, her gaze flickering with something like a smile. She brushed aside a wave of hair with her left hand and continued forward.
只见玛莱雅下颌微收,似点头,眼光流转似微笑,左手撩了一下大波浪长发继续迈步向前,
At the front point, she paused again, then moved sideways. The stiff fabric of the denim skirt amplified the sway of her hips, underscoring that hard-edged wildness.
到达前点,她再次站定,然后横向移动步伐,牛仔裙硬质的布料放大了她臀部的摇摆,也展现了她硬质的狂野,
On the return, her retreating figure once again interpreted the rhythm of the music through her shoulders, waist, and hips. And at the midpoint of the return path, Malaya turned back to look at Li Haojun, her smile wide and genuine—so joyful that she let the centrifugal force of her spin stretch her arms outward.
走上回程,她背影的肩腰腿胯再次演绎了伴乐的韵律节奏,而且在回程的中点,玛莱雅反向转身回望李皓珺,她的笑容很开心,开心到任旋转的离心力伸展自己的双臂,
Li Haojun remained standing, clapping for her.
李皓珺依然是站立观看,为她鼓掌,
When she returned backstage this time, she didn't change the music or adjust any system sounds.
这次走到后台,她没有换音乐,也没有设置系统的按键音,
Li Haojun waited a moment, but nothing happened. Worried something might have happened to her, he rushed backstage.
李皓珺等了片刻不见动静,急忙跑进后台,担心她发生什么意外,
Peering around the corner, he saw Malaya standing there, leaning against the screen, silent.
当李皓珺抻着脖子望向后台,原来玛莱雅正背靠屏幕,站在那里,默不作声.
Seeing the alarm on Li Haojun's face, she smiled quietly, just watching him without speaking.
见到李皓珺跑进来那惊慌的表情,她也笑了,静静地看着李皓珺什么也没说,
"Today," Li Haojun began, then hesitated. He had wanted to say you look beautiful, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he said,
"今天,"李皓珺停顿了一下,他想说你真美,可是没有说出口,只好说,
"You were amazing."
"你真出色,"
"Really?" Malaya asked softly, as if it were merely an acknowledgment.
"是吗?"玛莱雅轻声问,又好像只是回应而已,
Li Haojun walked over to her, unsure how to encourage her.
李皓珺走到她面前,不知道该怎么鼓励她,
Malaya pushed away from the screen and straightened up, taking half a step forward.
玛莱雅这时也不再背靠屏幕,而是站直身体,上前半步,
Though she had grown, traces of her childlike innocence and purity still lingered in her features. Her beauty was so untouched, so good.
虽然长大了许多,玛莱雅那面容依然隐约可见她的稚气与天真,她的美是那样纯洁美好,
Li Haojun leaned forward, wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and gave her a gentle hug, brushing a soft kiss against her cheek.
李皓珺向前躬身,搂住她的肩膀,给了她一个拥抱,轻轻亲吻她的脸颊.
（Translated by Yuanbao）