By linking my account to the check-in system, I became a leisurely traveler.

Chapter 120 That place, you can ride a horse [6.3 thousand words]

This time, of course, I won't be driving.

It's quite a long drive from Zhejiang to Inner Mongolia.

If Li Younan were traveling alone, he wouldn't mind taking his time and enjoying the journey, since he has plenty of energy right now.

But since we're going on a mission, it's definitely more convenient to take a plane.

Huang Xiaoyang is a very organized person.

Most of the time, once he has planned out the details of a matter, he will execute it meticulously.

They took an early morning flight and arrived at Hailar Dongshan International Airport at 8 a.m.

One of the great advantages of building a city on flat terrain is that all buildings can be built very large and grand... But when building a city in the mountains, land is expensive, so the buildings have to be smaller.

They walked out of the empty airport and hailed a car at random.

Huang Xiaoyang gave an address and had the driver go there, without asking Li Younan's opinion at all.

Li Younan thought this was fine too.

When he travels alone or with his mother and a few others like last time, he takes the lead in planning the itinerary and decides which sights to see based on his own will.

Of course, there are advantages, but from another perspective, if you don't think too much and just play around, it's also quite interesting, and each has its own kind of enjoyment.

Dandan still looked a little sleepy, her expression somewhat bewildered. She slowly yawned and asked Xiaoyang, "Where do we go next?"

Huang Xiaoyang said, "The planned trip is 5 days. Inner Mongolia is very big, and it's more convenient to have a car in the Hulunbuir area. Now we're going to the car rental shop." After a pause, Huang Xiaoyang said, "To avoid not having a car when we get there, I made an appointment with the owner before I came, and he's holding it for me."

Dandan nodded, stretched, and said, "Okay, if I'm free right now, I'll take a nap."

Li Younan watched this scene with amusement.

It's clear that Dandan isn't the kind of girl without her own thoughts, but most of the time, she doesn't show her opinions.

Once Huang Xiaoyang has an idea or a plan, all Dandan has to do is follow Huang Xiaoyang's plan to achieve it.

About an hour later, Huang Xiaoyang successfully retrieved his car.

The three of them loaded the wedding photoshoot kit into the car together.

To Li Younan's surprise, the car was actually a luxury car worth millions, comparable to the U8.

The car rental company owner said that this is the first Yangwang U8 in the city to be rented out. The car has only been there for a short time and is in brand new condition.

Li Younan glanced at the odometer and saw that it had less than 2000 kilometers on it, which was indeed enough to make it look like a new car.

Huang Xiaoyang really went to great lengths to ensure a comfortable trip.

Of course, renting a luxury car wouldn't be a big expense for this young master.

The two of them didn't bring much, just two large suitcases filled with wedding dresses, which weren't too heavy.

Huang Xiaoyang originally planned to bring only one suit and one wedding dress, but on Li Younan's advice, he brought several more.

Some clothes can be bought or rented locally, but for others, it's better to prepare your own to suit the local occasion.

After putting the items into the trunk, Huang Xiaoyang opened the driver's side door.

Li Younan said thank you and then went inside.

Huang Xiaoyang paused for a moment, then frowned: "What are you doing?"

Li Younan placed his hands on the steering wheel and said, "You're the groom, it's not really appropriate for you to drive, I'll take over."

Huang Xiaoyang shook his head: "That's not what I care about." He paused for a moment, then continued, "Is your technique reliable?"

Li Younan sneered: "Don't you know my nickname? In our Anchuan, there's a place called Qinghe Thirteen Bends, and everyone calls me the Thirteen Bends Car God."

Huang Xiaoyang hesitated for a moment, then thought that although Li Younan hadn't been driving for long, he had indeed driven from Shanghai to his hometown and then made a long trip to western Sichuan. In any case, his driving skills should have improved by now. So he nodded and sat in the back seat with Dandan.

This was Li Younan's first time driving such a new energy luxury car.

To be fair, both costing around 100 million, this car exudes a level of luxury that is several notches above the Land Cruiser.

It has a large body, very powerful engine, and is easy to handle without any lag, just like driving a small car.

What's even more surprising is that the car's chassis and suspension are of very good quality, supposedly due to some kind of cloud-carriage technology, making for a great driving and riding experience.

A few minutes later, Li Younan had a general idea of ​​the car's performance and became even more adept at driving it.

As the car turned around, Li Younan asked, "Where are we headed?"

Huang Xiaoyang took out his phone, glanced at the plan he had made earlier, and said, "Morgele River."

……

In October, the grasslands of Hulunbuir have lost their green color, turning into vast expanses of withered yellow.

The air was crisp and cold, the car windows were closed, and you could feel the distinct chill outside.

Once you leave Hailar city, there are few vehicles and the roads are flat and wide.

The U8's power response is very direct, and driving on such an open road feels effortless; its large size does not make it feel cumbersome.

As we ventured deeper into the grasslands, the asphalt road gradually transformed into a dirt road and gravel road rutted by vehicles. The road conditions became more complex, with more potholes and undulations.

Li Younan drove comfortably, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.

In the rearview mirror, Huang Xiaoyang still had an engrossed expression, leaning against the car window looking at the scenery outside.

Dandan wasn't asleep this time. She leaned on Huang Xiaoyang's shoulder, tilting her head to look outside. But most of the time, her gaze would still fall on Huang Xiaoyang's chin and face.

The scenery outside the car window became monotonous and vast, consisting of endless, withered yellow grass slopes and the occasional herd of livestock.

The sky was high and vast, appearing very open.

Arrive at the banks of the Morigele River.

The river has a small flow and meanders through the vast river valley meadows, with the exposed part of the riverbed wider than the water flow.

As soon as I got off the bus, the wind rushed into my collar, cold and smelling of grass clippings.

Looking down from a high vantage point, the winding lines of the river are clearly visible on the withered yellow grass, stretching all the way to the horizon.

The meadows along the riverbank were somewhat muddy and slippery.

It was extremely quiet all around, with only the sound of the wind and the occasional birdsong.

Facing this vast, quiet, and somewhat desolate autumn valley, the first feeling is the immensity of nature and one's own insignificance.

This place is actually a great spot for taking photos. Li Younan remembered that Dandan brought a red dress, so they could take some solo photos of her.

Li Younan shared her thoughts with the two of them, and Huang Xiaoyang nodded, indicating that there were no problems.

Dandan said, "Then wait for me outside the car for a moment, I'll change my clothes inside the car."

Not long after, when Dandan got out of the car again, she was already wearing that beautiful red dress.

A gentle breeze caused her skirt to flutter.

Li Younan noticed that Huang Xiaoyang's expression froze for a moment.

Without saying a word, Li Younan picked up his camera and directed Dandan to walk forward.

At the same time, his body was constantly adjusting its posture, trying to find the best angle.

As a gust of wind blew by, the red dress and the ribbon at the neckline fluttered in the wind, and the horizon, the desolate grassland, and the long river were captured in Li Younan's camera.

After the filming was completed, Huang Xiaoyang immediately came over.

When I saw the original footage, a hint of surprise flashed in my eyes, followed by a long, lingering gaze.

After a while, he nodded slightly.

Compared to Huang Xiaoyang's restraint, Dandan expressed her emotions much more directly: "This photo is really beautiful, it has such a great feel to it!"

Li Younan smiled and said, "If you like it, that's fine. But this scene isn't really suitable for filming Huang Xiaoyang, and he doesn't have any nice clothes."

Huang Xiaoyang didn't seem to care. He squinted at the distance and after a moment said casually, "There are still several days left, let's take our time filming."

I mainly took photos of Dandan in the morning.

We had lunch at the visitor center, which was a bit of a surprise to Li Younan. They even offered a whole roasted lamb, which was quite delicious.

After finishing our meal, we weren't in a hurry to head to the next location.

Huang Xiaoyang glanced at his watch and said, "According to my plan, the morning's itinerary is a bit faster than I expected. We can take a short break before we officially set off."

He sets off precisely on time, but if he finishes his business ahead of schedule, he won't rush to the next destination immediately.

Li Younan asked him with some curiosity, "What if there isn't enough time?"

Huang Xiaoyang glanced at Li Younan indifferently and said, "Let's end it early."

Li Younan understood; it meant that within the plan, the previous action could be ended early, but the next action should never be started prematurely.

Judging from this, this photo shoot trip will be quite relaxing.

Taking wedding photos is indeed a time-consuming and energy-intensive process.

Couples are often excited when preparing to take wedding photos, but this excitement quickly turns into boredom once the shoot actually begins.

They moved from scene to scene, and in the end, all they could do was pray for the filming to be finished quickly, forgetting all the plans they had made before filming.

But that's the experience of hiring a wedding photography company to take wedding photos. In this respect, Huang Xiaoyang was clearly much smarter.

The entire 5-day trip was a leisurely journey, checking off tourist spots and taking photos along the way. The only extra part was changing into a few nice outfits. This kind of experience is definitely not tiring.

After a long rest, everyone's energy has been restored.

Dandan was still wearing that red tulle dress, which was perfect for taking photos on the grassland in mid-October.

From a professional perspective, the contrasting colors of yellow and red can easily highlight the subject, and the combination of these two colors can create a very impactful image.

When Li Younan was taking photos of Dandan, he couldn't help but think of the scene in Zhang Yimou's movie "Hero" from years ago, where Zhang Ziyi and Maggie Cheung faced off amidst falling leaves. Once back in the car, Huang Xiaoyang said, "When we stop for a rest later, change your clothes into the denim outfit I bought you before. I'll change too."

Li Younan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "What are the plans for this afternoon?"

Huang Xiaoyang looked into the distance and said, "Let's go to the Tianxia Grassland Scenic Area this afternoon."

“That place…you can ride horses,” Huang Xiaoyang said.

Li Younan blinked, silently shifted gears, and set off.

……

Although both are grasslands, the grasslands of Hulunbuir are significantly different from the grasslands of western Sichuan that Li Younan had visited before.

Although the grasslands in western Sichuan are also located on a plateau, they feature rolling hills.

Looking out over both sides of the road, you don't see endless flat grasslands, but rather undulating, continuous hillside grasslands.

Riding a horse on those grasslands is different from riding in Inner Mongolia.

This is why the experience of riding a horse on foot is much better than riding at full gallop on the grasslands of western Sichuan. The main reason is that there are very few flat areas for horses to run on, not to mention that the grasslands of western Sichuan are full of marshes and wetlands.

On the Hulunbuir Grassland, there is truly a sense of boundless vastness.

As Li Younan drove, he couldn't help but imagine himself riding a horse on it.

I tried horseback riding in western Sichuan before, and I felt like I hadn't had enough. I didn't expect to be able to do it again so soon.

While driving, Huang Xiaoyang, who was sitting in the back seat, explained the essentials of horseback riding to Dandan.

Huang Xiaoyang solemnly told Dandan that she needed to overcome her fear, and that she should know how to exert force when mounting the horse and sit up straight after mounting.

Li Younan listened while driving, his expression becoming somewhat strange.

It's not that Huang Xiaoyang's theory is wrong; in fact, you could say that the general trick is indeed like that... but he also knows how to do it?
Li Younan turned his head and asked, "Can you ride a horse?"

Huang Xiaoyang calmly replied, "No."

Li Younan blinked.

Dandan, who had been listening intently just moments before, was also momentarily stunned.

Huang Xiaoyang touched his nose: "There are a lot of guides and tutorials online. Do your homework beforehand."

Then, in a serious tone, he said to Li Younan, "You should experience it too. I learn these things very quickly. The itinerary for the next few days includes horseback riding not only today, so you should practice hard too."

Li Younan remained silent for a moment.

Huang Xiaoyang then said to Dandan, "You too, we don't necessarily have to take finished photos today. We do need to have wedding photos on horseback, but it's best if we can control the horse freely. That way, the photos will turn out better."

Dandan smiled sweetly: "I understand."

……

Traveling in Inner Mongolia for too many days isn't necessarily a good thing.

This is similar to traveling to the seaside. People who have never seen grasslands before will exclaim "Wow, the vast grasslands!" when they first arrive in Hulunbuir, if they add elements such as a long river and a sunset.

On the second day, you were still exclaiming, "Wow, the vast grassland!"

But by the third day, it will most likely turn into, "Oh, it's grassland again..."

People can experience aesthetic fatigue.

However, today is only the first day, so I haven't felt tired yet.

After driving for a while, the car arrived at the Tianxia Grassland Scenic Area.

At the edge of the field of vision, the horizon of the grassland and the sky are clearly distinct.

A few wispy clouds drifted in the sky, giving the impression of something high and far away.

Li Younan went to park the car, while Dandan and Huang Xiaoyang had already changed into outfits that looked like cowboys.

The cowhide hat, the distressed jeans, the leather jacket, and the riding boots all looked very high-quality.

Looking at Huang Xiaoyang, Dandan couldn't help but laugh and said, "I've never seen you dressed like this before, you look quite handsome."

Huang Xiaoyang nodded. He always accepted compliments like "You're handsome" or "You're good-looking" without feeling embarrassed or having any other emotional fluctuations.

For Huang Xiaoyang, the compliment "You are handsome" is no different from "You are a man"—it's just a simple statement.

The two watched as the car drove towards the parking lot. Dandan glanced at it, lost in thought.

Along the way, Li Younan drove, took photos, helped pick up the wedding dresses, and so on—everything happened naturally.

Huang Xiaoyang calmly accepted Li Younan's help.

Because Dandan understands Huang Xiaoyang, she knows that this is not easy. Huang Xiaoyang has a strong sense of boundaries with most people, or to put it another way, she knows very well that Huang Xiaoyang is easygoing on the surface and very polite to many people, but in fact he is an extremely arrogant person, and most ordinary people cannot catch his eye.

Dandan asked curiously, "What kind of person is your friend Li Younan?"

Huang Xiaoyang paused for a moment, then said, "Someone who can bring me peace of mind."

Dandan chuckled, "What kind of comment is this?"

Huang Xiaoyang thought for a moment and said, "In my criteria for making friends, I am quite strict with same-sex friends. In many things, I naturally want to do my best, which, to be honest, is a bit obsessive."

"After entering society, many people approached me with various motives, trying to befriend me, and I could sense these. Some of them had impure motives, while others simply didn't share my values. In short, they were not within my circle of friends."

“Li Younan is different.”

"The first time I met him was on the basketball court. His physical abilities were a bit exaggerated. He blocked my shots three times, in three rounds. I competed with him for the whole game, and I think I came out on top in the end."

"Afterwards, I felt that he was probably also trying to compete with me, but he didn't take the initiative to talk to me."

Dandan laughed: "Given your personality, you definitely wouldn't take the initiative to talk to him, right?"

Huang Xiaoyang nodded, not bothering to hide his feelings, and said, "I just found it interesting; that guy was pretty arrogant. But then, about a week later, when we were playing basketball again and were on the same team, I received a pass from him and made a really long three-pointer. That was the first time he officially spoke to me, and what he said was..."

Dandan opened her eyes wide.

Huang Xiaoyang sighed and said, "He said, 'Dude, your three-pointers are pretty accurate!'"

Dandan asked in confusion, "Is there a problem with this?"

Huang Xiaoyang narrowed his eyes: "When he said that, he sounded surprised, like he had never seen it before and found it very strange."

“However, in that game just a week ago, I made eight or nine three-pointers against him.” After a pause, Huang Xiaoyang sneered, “In other words, I thought we were competing against each other, but he didn’t actually remember me at all.”

Dandan's expression froze for a moment, then she looked thoughtfully at the car overlooking the sky. Li Younan jumped down and started walking towards them. Dandan couldn't help but laugh: "Is this what it feels like when the young master considers someone a rival, but he doesn't even take you seriously?"

Huang Xiaoyang smiled slightly: "Hehe. He's a good person. You'll understand once you get to know him better."

Huang Xiaoyang turned around and looked at the scenic area in front of him.

The main focus of this scenic area is the activities, such as horseback riding, archery, and milking. Importantly, the scenery is truly stunning, featuring elements like yurts and ovoos (sacred cairns), as well as horses, making it easy to take great photos.

Then Huang Xiaoyang remembered something and solemnly reminded Dandan, "There's one more thing. Just now... you heard my conversation with him too."

Dandan blinked: "Hmm?"

Huang Xiaoyang said, "Don't tell him about my past experience of riding horses."

Dandan paused for a moment, then realized what she meant, smiled slyly, and said with amusement in her eyes, "Oh, I understand."

Huang Xiaoyang seemed to realize that his behavior was somewhat dishonest, and coughed lightly to cover up his embarrassment.

Dandan, however, looked thoughtfully at Li Younan who was walking over, and said with a smile, "Xiaoyang, I've never seen you like this before..." She turned to look at Huang Xiaoyang and said, "You're quite cute."

Then Huang Xiaoyang tapped him on the head: "I'm a guy, so I can't say you're cute."

Dandan pouted, looking aggrieved.

……

Li Younan carried a camera and took several nice sets of wedding photos of Huang Xiaoyang and Dandan against the backdrop of the grassland scenery.

This time, the two of them were wearing denim outfits, and they really did have a kind of domestic denim couple vibe.

Since the two people's clothes were not particularly bright, Li Younan changed his strategy. Instead of emphasizing the contrast between the environment and the people, or the visual impact of the color clash, he shifted his approach and used more detailed lighting and shadow control to restore the texture of the clothing.

These photos all highlight the subjects themselves, and the overall atmosphere is one of freedom and wildness.

After taking these photos, Huang Xiaoyang and Dandan didn't change their clothes.

As Li Younan was putting away his camera, Huang Xiaoyang walked over and said expressionlessly, "Let's take another set of photos of him riding a horse."

Li Younan nodded and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. It would be a waste if you didn't take a set of photos of yourself in these clothes on horseback."

Huang Xiaoyang quickly went over and settled the fee with the horse riding project, and the instructor brought over two horses.

Out of professional courtesy, the instructor first politely asked, "Has anyone here ridden a horse before?"

Huang Xiaoyang calmly replied, "I've never ridden one."

Dandan's expression was a little strange, but thankfully she managed not to laugh.

Li Younan, however, laughed and said, "I rode it once in western Sichuan."

The coach chuckled, "I know, you mean those places where the herdsmen bring their horses over and let you ride on their backs for a few photos, right? Hahahaha." The coach smiled seriously, "That kind of thing... doesn't count as riding a horse here."

Li Younan blinked and said "Oh".

The instructor said, "So, I'll treat everyone as beginners who have never ridden a horse before, and I'll briefly explain some basic riding techniques. But don't worry, we'll be leading the horses, and once you've gradually mastered the skills, you'll be allowed to try riding on your own. If you feel nervous, let us know immediately."

Huang Xiaoyang nodded, and then the instructor began to demonstrate the correct procedure for riding a horse.

Li Younan seemed a little distracted. Huang Xiaoyang gave him a serious look and said, "Watch carefully, learn carefully, and we'll see who learns faster later."

Li Younan sighed softly, "Well... alright then."

(End of this chapter)