Strolling through the mall's corridor, Scarlett continued flipping through the rack of floral shirts, her smile uncontrollably lifting.
In the United States, due to the distinct legal and economic systems of each state, the living conditions vary significantly from one state to another. Each state has its preferred banks, markets, and chain restaurants. In Hawaii, the most prominent chain market was ABC Market. Although labeled as a market, ABC was more like a comprehensive convenience store. Beyond food and beverages, it offered beach supplies, souvenirs, Hawaiian shirts, and various peripheral products. It even provided services such as recharging bus cards and paying utility bills. On Oahu Island, ABC Markets could be found every few hundred meters, representing the ultimate convenience.
There was a dedicated area in the market selling all kinds of beach pants and Hawaiian floral shirts. However, the clothing there lacked any design and were at a basic level of mass production, resembling a sea of clichés. Moreover, the sizes paid no attention to proportion; they were oversized straight-cut designs, catering to the average American's more ample physique.
Scarlett had already browsed through the selection here three times but still couldn't find a satisfactory choice. The longer she looked, the more amusing it became. Just a while ago, she had chosen a traditional-style floral shirt for Renly, claiming, "Every man who comes to Hawaii picks one of these. They're everywhere on the streets. Only this way can you hide your tracks."
Now, imagining Renly wearing that shirt, she couldn't help but chuckle.
Speaking of Renly, why had there been no sound from him after he went in? Could it be that he suffered a severe shock and passed out inside?
"How do you feel?" Scarlett put the large red palm tree patterned shirt she held back on the rack. She walked to the entrance of the dressing room while scanning the surroundings. Was there an exit nearby, or perhaps, did it have a back door? Did Renly feel so embarrassed that he directly made his escape?
The response to Scarlett was silence.
Scarlett stood still, reflecting inwardly: Had she truly gone overboard just now? Were the shirt selections really too exaggerated? But Renly didn't seem like someone who couldn't take a joke!
Just then, a "yiyar" sound came, and the door to the dressing room opened.
Scarlett's gaze lowered and landed on the bare feet that confidently stood on the ground. She couldn't help but shudder at the thought of how dirty the floor here might be and how many germs were present. Nevertheless, it was quite in line with the local Hawaiian style – after all, Waikiki Beach was just across the street, and walking barefoot wasn't unusual.
Following the gaze upwards along the legs, then she saw the khaki-colored canvas shorts, with two large pockets hanging above the knees, disrupting the body's proportions in a rather uncouth manner, giving an illusion of short legs. The peculiar color was truly perplexing—somewhere between a deeper tone resembling the uniforms worn in the desert and a brighter shade akin to natural wood. This khaki color... it was truly hard to digest.
Moving further upward, Scarlett almost couldn't hold back her smile. Hastily, she lifted her hand to cover her mouth, but laughter still managed to seep out through her fingers.
Lake Blue background, complemented by vibrant and fresh pineapple patterns in bright yellow, along with a dazzling array of palm tree motifs, adorned the fabric in extravagant and exaggerated hues, evoking an inexplicable association with "SpongeBob SquarePants." The loose-fitting garment's lines resembled a sack of torn burlap, with long sleeves almost reaching the elbows – looking less like short sleeves and more like an odd in-between length. As a finishing touch, two fully bloomed white frangipani flowers adorned the collar, their massive petals unfurled in a captivating display.
"Chirp chirp." Scarlett knew that this was the effect her prank was supposed to achieve. At this moment, she should maintain a straight face, ideally nodding while praising, "Looks great." This would make the effect more apparent.
Yet, she couldn't hold back.
The upper body was as vibrant as a color palette, while the lower half was an indescribable khaki, and he was barefoot. What was even more absurd was how the loose shirt completely concealed the lines of his shoulders, chest, and waist. He looked like a cylindrical trunk, utterly lacking in any angles. The untidy hem of the shirt and the awkward length of the shorts crudely segmented his proportions into an "six-to-four" ratio – the upper body was the "six", creating a… truly astonishing effect.
Even Karl Lagerfeld couldn't salvage this ensemble.
The smile uncontrollably spread from her eyes to her lips; her shoulders started shaking vigorously. She tried to compose herself to speak sensibly, but it wasn't an easy task.
Amid the mirth, an unintended tinge of remorse surfaced in Scarlett. She shouldn't have treated Renly this way. After all, he had helped her a lot today, hadn't he?
Raising her head, Scarlett locked eyes with Renly, whose face bore a smile – a composed and unruffled expression, gazing calmly at her.
His noble brows resembled unsheathed swords, etching a rugged masculinity. The deep eyes were perpetually veiled in a light mist, enigmatic and elusive, defying comprehension. The fleeting brilliance that occasionally shone between his brows was akin to a shooting star streaking across the pitch-black night sky – dazzling yet transient, leaving a stunning impression etched deep in the mind.
She thought Renly would be angry, embarrassed, or even at a loss. But he wasn't.
He stood there calmly and confidently, fully embracing his role as a model. The serene and carefree nonchalance, along with the ease that hung on his lips, carried a subtle tinge of mockery and jest. It was as if everything was entirely normal, and the one losing face wasn't him but rather her.
In the interplay of their eyes and brows, it was Scarlett who began feeling a bit flustered.
"Are you alright, you two?" The voice of the shop attendant reached them. Scarlett took a swift step forward, pushing Renly straight into the dressing room. She was afraid someone might see him like this, then in a flurry, she assured, "We're fine, everything's fine."
The shop attendant's voice gradually receded, and as Scarlett looked up, she met Renly's smiling gaze. Her cheeks instantly flushed. She hadn't expected her prank to be harmless to Renly; instead, the one who ended up in disarray was herself.
Scarlett quickly took two steps back, coughed lightly twice, and lifted her chin, asking, "Do you like it?"
"I don't mind," Renly replied with a smile. That serene and clear expression on his face made Scarlett involuntarily avert her gaze.
Scarlett gritted her teeth inwardly, giving herself a harsh scolding deep in her heart. When did she become so spineless? She was acting like a timid little woman, retracting her steps.
Lifting her head once more, Scarlett gazed at Renly head-on. The visual impact of the outfit had been so intense that she hadn't taken a proper look at the overall effect.
The clothes were still the same, still a repugnant sight. Yet, with Renly wearing them, his composed and unruffled demeanor gave this ridiculous combination an odd sense of rationality.
Especially with the contradiction in Renly's temperament – tranquil yet surging, reserved yet assertive, mature yet youthful – everything fell neatly into place. Amidst the chaos and mess, a glimpse of a shallow smile remained, as if the sparse sunlight filtering through layers of treetops in a forest, illuminating the entire world.
Scarlett unexpectedly felt... that it looked kind of nice.
Why was that? The effect she had anticipated wasn't supposed to be like this. She looked at Renly once more; his face still carried that unchanged expression. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at her, as if enjoying the spectacle.
But Scarlett couldn't think about that right now. Regardless of whether it was true or not, she couldn't possibly let Renly go out wearing this outfit, especially with that bright yellow color attracting all the attention.
Scarlett pushed Renly into the dressing room, her authority evident as she left him with an authoritative "wait." Then she hurriedly stepped out, leaving Renly standing alone in the room. The corner of her mouth gently curled upwards, and a surge of amusement gleamed in her eyes. As he looked down at his attire, he felt like a palm tree adorned with seaweed and egg flower soup, ostentatious and... too ludicrous to bear.
Twenty minutes later, Renly and Scarlett finally left the ABC store and reappeared on the street, both donning new outfits.
Renly wore a pink shirt adorned with frangipani patterns, the large white frangipani flowers blooming proudly. It was simple and graceful, bringing out the rich Hawaiian flair. He paired it with navy blue shorts and canvas shoes, exuding ease and comfort yet still brimming with youthfulness.
Scarlett, on the other hand, donned a black shirt adorned with bird-of-paradise motifs. The vibrant petals embellished the black fabric splendidly, maintaining a low-key elegance amid the flamboyance. Her combination of jeans and sandals perfectly captured a vacation style – a combination of handsome charm and an underlying air of heroism.
Clearly, they had intentionally switched colors, donning matching outfits to blend in with the countless newlywed couples on their honeymoon in Hawaii. They both picked up cheap plastic sunglasses, put them on, lifted their chins, and started striding down the wide streets of Waikiki Beach.