A few days ago, Olivia mentioned the Hanfu Festival in the group chat. She laid out all the details—when and where to meet, where to change into the Hanfu, get makeup done, and the schedule for the day.
Thanks to Nange Ancient Fashion, they were able to attend in style. The founder of Nange, hearing they were going, not only sent over several beautiful Hanfu sets but also offered free makeup and styling services.
Olivia set the meet-up time for 10 AM, with everyone gathering at a specific entrance of Central Park. After that, they'd head to Nange's makeup station inside the park to get their traditional looks done before heading into the event area.
**
Aiden Thompson had just arrived in New York when his phone rang. It was Rex Thompson.
Rex asked, "Where are you off to?"
Aiden shrugged and replied casually, "Meeting up with some friends in the city."
Rex frowned a little. "You missed it last year, but don't skip it again this time. Go show grandma some love."
Aiden paused. He honestly didn't remember it was his grandma's birthday. Growing up, since she lived in another city, they didn't meet often, and he didn't have many vivid memories of her. The last time they saw each other was two Christmases ago when the family went to visit her.
Recently, Mabel Thompson had been staying at her mom's place to take care of grandma since she wasn't doing too well, but she'd gotten better now. Even though Aiden wasn't the best about keeping in touch, he realized he should at least show up and wish her well.
Aiden quickly texted Grace Li.
Aiden Thompson:"Grace, it's my grandma's birthday today. I might not make it to the Hanfu Festival."
Grace Li:"No worries! Spending time with your grandma is way more important. The Hanfu Festival is just for fun anyway."
Aiden Thompson:"I'll see how it goes. Might sneak out early if I can."
Grace Li:[Dog emoji] "Sounds good."
**
Grace Li and Olivia and the others met up on time at the designated spot and then headed to Nange's makeup station. When they got there, the founder of Nange was already on-site. They had a bunch of Hanfu models already dressed up, cruising on boats or strolling around the park, showing off the brand and drawing attention from visitors.
By the time they arrived, the models were all set, and the stylists were ready to help Grace Li and the others.
Olivia chose a red traditional dress with a yellow top, and her hair was styled in cute buns with delicate butterfly hairpins. She looked playful and youthful, almost like she'd gained a few years back.
The stylist gave Grace Li a simple but elegant updo, with peacock-blue tassel hairpins that matched her skirt. It gave her a graceful and refined look.
Olivia's eyes lit up when she saw Grace Li's look. "Boss, with that outfit and hairstyle, you're absolutely slaying it! I'm pretty much a fan now. Thompson's totally missing out by not being here today!"
Grace Li smiled and responded, "You look gorgeous too, especially cute today."
"Really?" Olivia glanced at Ryan, pouting like she was offended. "Someone just said I look like I'm trying too hard to look young."
Ryan, dressed in a sleek black outfit and sporting a high ponytail wig, looked every bit like an ancient swordsman. He grinned and teased, "I was just saying you look young and full of energy."
"Ugh! Just stop talking your way out of it!"
Grace Li didn't bother with the couple's playful bickering. She glanced around and asked, "Where's Michael Garcia?"
Ryan replied, "We're going for the swordsman look, so he's grabbing the props."
Olivia sighed. "You guys are so childish."
"It's called atmosphere," Ryan smirked.
A moment later, Michael Garcia came back with two replica swords. He and Ryan each took one, and with their outfits, they actually looked pretty convincing.
After lunch, the group headed into the event area of Central Park. People were wearing Hanfu, and many models and influencer bloggers were walking around, some cruising on boats and others strolling the park. It made for a super unique vibe and an awesome sight.
Michael Garcia was the photographer for the day, mainly snapping pics of the group. Since he needed both hands to handle the DSLR, he had to temporarily set down his sword, which he'd spent quite a bit on.
The afternoon was spent strolling around, sampling some traditional snacks, watching performances of classical instruments, and trying out traditional games like "Toss the Pot."
Tom Wilson had planned to attend, but an emergency at work came up, so he had to head back to the office. It wasn't until dinner time that he managed to finish up and show up.
He wore a light gray scholar's robe and a scholar's hat. Even without a wig, he looked perfectly at ease, exuding a refined, scholarly vibe.
Olivia complimented, "Mr. Wilson, this outfit suits you so well! You look like an ancient scholar straight out of a historical drama."
Tom Wilson looked at Grace Li. "It was Grace Li's idea to go with this outfit."
Grace Li nodded. "It fits you really well. It matches your vibe."
Tom Wilson smiled. "Glad to hear that. I was worried it might not work."
The five of them sat down at an outdoor restaurant inside the park, overlooking the lake. The boats were drifting by, making for a super chill atmosphere.
Tom Wilson asked, "Am I late? Are there any events still happening tonight?"
Olivia enthusiastically explained, "Yeah! There's shadow puppetry, puppet shows, and even some lantern riddles. We haven't done the boat ride yet, so we can do that later."
"Sounds like fun," Tom replied.
After dinner, Olivia led the group to try out the lantern riddles and then headed to the boat dock.
There were a lot of people waiting to get on the boats, so they had to line up. Each boat could hold eight people, and since Grace Li and Tom Wilson were at the front, they ended up sharing a boat with six other guests. They'd wanted to sit together, but the five people behind them were a family, so they agreed to meet up after the ride.
The boat ride lasted about twenty minutes. As they sat in the boat, Grace Li looked around at the beautiful scenery, feeling relaxed, and occasionally snapping some pictures. She didn't notice Tom Wilson stealing glances at her.
At that moment, two young girls sitting across from them waved at Tom Wilson. "Hey, handsome, could you take a few pictures for us?"
Tom Wilson snapped out of his thoughts and quickly nodded.
The girls, dressed in beautiful Hanfu, struck some graceful poses. After the photos, one of the girls checked the shots on her phone. "These turned out awesome! You really captured the vibe!"
Tom Wilson smiled modestly. "It's the view here—it makes everything look great."
The girl looked at Grace Li and said, "You're great at taking pictures! Why not take some of your girlfriend?"
Tom Wilson's ears instantly turned red. It was just a misunderstanding, but his heart skipped a beat.
Grace Li smiled and explained, "We're not a couple. We're just good friends."
"Oh, I see." The girl smiled. "But honestly, you two look like you'd make a great couple. You've got great chemistry."
Grace Li just smiled, not wanting to explain further. She knew that at this age, girls love to gossip, and it was just a casual comment with no harm intended.
The boat soon docked, and as Grace Li stepped off, she nearly tripped on her dress. Tom Wilson, quick on his feet, reached out and grabbed her waist. "Careful."
"I'm fine," Grace Li steadied herself and stepped off the boat.
She texted Olivia to check where they were. Olivia replied that they had just gotten on the boat.
Grace Li turned to Tom Wilson and said, "Olivia and the others are probably still about twenty minutes behind us. We can just hang out here until they get here."
"Sounds good," Tom Wilson nodded, pointing to a bench by the lake. "Let's sit over there and wait."
"Perfect."