No one here but me, it seems, but I'm having a great time.
Asi spent Friday afternoon and evening thinking and planning. Everything she wanted could be had in a town within two hours from Shanghai. He texted her to be ready by 7 am and expect to be home at 11 pm. He wanted as much time with her as possible.
"Bring a swimsuit, play clothes, and something nice for dinner?" Shancai read aloud. "How much is he planning for?
They arrived at the resort town at 9 am, and the driver let them off at an upscale hotel that mixed classic Chinese architecture with a modern flair. The day was soft and unexpectedly warm. Fluffy clouds drifted slowly, and a welcome breeze set the scene for a perfect day.
"Shancai," Asi said with a worried look, "please don't get the wrong idea. I booked a room so you can change in private or rest if you want. You'll have the key, and I will wait downstairs. When I need to change, we can switch. Is that OK?"
Shancai nodded.
"What are we doing first?"
"Since we already ate on the way, I thought that we could head to the beach before the crowds arrive."
"That sounds great." Asi grinned and ushered her in.
Fifteen minutes later, he felt like he had been punched in the gut. Shancai came out in a faded t-shirt and shorts, and the hotel gave them some towels. When they reached the beach, however, she took off the clothes, and Asi felt like all the air had been sucked out of his lungs.
From the first he had known her, Shancai had dressed modestly, hiding any semblance of a figure. Her clothes should be burned. Underneath her frumpy layers was a gorgeously sleek and unexpectedly muscled body. She wore a black swimsuit with a neckline that had Asi swallowing hard. He was not the only one. Some young men his age stopped their volleyball game and let the ball roll to the water while they stared. One let out a wolf whistle before his friend slapped the baseball cap off his head.
"Who is she?" Asi heard another man say. The group beckoned him over. "Is she with you? Who is she?"
When Asi reluctantly said that they were from Mingde University, the men elbowed each other.
"Put us in for a transfer!"
Oblivious to those watching, Shancai squeezed out sunscreen and rubbed her arms and legs. Frowning when she could not reach her back, she sat on her knees and beckoned Asi over.
"Would it be too awkward?" Asi shook his head and steeled himself with a deep breath. A group of girls watched Asi apply the sunscreen and cooed loudly.
"This looks like a commercial," one said.
"Where is he from?" asked another. "He's so handsome. She's so lucky."
When Shancai lifted her hair off her neck, Asi saw an ugly, pink scar emerging from her nape. Without thinking he touched it, and she yelped and clasped her hands around the back of her neck.
"I didn't mean to hurt you," he said. "Are you OK? What is that from?"
Shancai pulled her hair down on her neck and shook her head.
"I don't want to think about that now," she said. "I want to have fun today." He nodded and followed her to the water but tucked the information away.
Laughing, Shancai ran to the water and waded hip deep.
"Yes!" she cried as she flung her hands in the air. She jumped up and down in the water and held her arms on its surface. Leaning back, she tried to float, but the waves crashed hard on the shore, and a particularly big swell knocked her off her feet.
"Shancai!" Asi grabbed her waist, and spun her around, holding her close to his chest. Facing each other, Shancai looked wide-eyed at Asi who grinned.
"A guy lives for moments like this," he said. "Can you swim?"
She shook her head, embarrassed. "Not well. Thank you."
Asi led her back toward shore with one arm around her waist and the other hand holding her elbow. "Over here is better. Take it slow."
Shancai's face grew hot at their closeness and his protective air. She looked askance and wondered at his happy and carefree expression.
Three hours of laughing, splashing, swimming, and collecting shells left Asi and Shancai tired and hungry but thoroughly satisfied with the morning and each other.
"Would you like to refresh yourself and change for lunch, Shancai?"
"That would be great. Thanks."
"Are you having a good time?"
"I'm having a very good time."
Pleased, Asi took her towel and led her back to the hotel. Once there, she saw gymnastic equipment set up in the courtyard.
"Oh Asi! Do you mind?" and she took off toward the display. He followed behind thrilled with the day so far and loving what he was learning about her. She was quick-witted with a sense of humor that kept him laughing with delight. While he dreamed about the rest of their time and where it could lead, Shancai ran her hands on the balance beam. A nearby placard advertised a children's gymnastics event as a courtesy activity.
"Do you mind?" she asked the organizer.
"Do you know what you're doing?" he asked. "I don't want any injuries."
"Just a couple of moves if I can."
"Feel free, but we'll be starting in a few minutes."
Judging the balance beam safely anchored, Shancai mounted and began a series of complicated turns. Asi was shocked to see her flying through the air with her head back and arms flung in the sky like she was trying to fly.
"Shancai?"
She grinned at him and twirled in place with her back and leg arched and her arms reaching up to make lovely, twisting patterns in the air. Those who trickled in for the event stopped and gaped at her performance. The sound drew others who looked on with awe and rapidly developing agitation. The murmurs grew louder, and Shancai stopped.
"Let's go." Hiding herself against him, she hurried him to their room and changed while he waited outside. Once done, Asi stared at her fashionable blue halter top and white shorts ensemble.
"I'll be just a minute," he said and came out in record time wearing a handsome sports outfit.
"You look wonderful," he said.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she countered. "What are you in the mood for?"
Asi swallowed the inappropriate reply on the tip of his tongue and pushed the elevator button.
"I hear there's a great seafood restaurant a couple of blocks away."
"Oo, I would love that."
The elevator door opened to reveal a clutch of excited teenagers. Asi and Shancai stepped in, and he tried to make room for her in the crowd. While jockeying for space, he couldn't help but hear their conversation.
"Did anyone see it?"
"Do you think it was her?"
"I dunno. It's been so long, but she must be our age now, right?."
"How can we find out for sure?"
"Maybe someone downstairs will know."
"Let's find out."
Shancai kept her head down and turned away from the crowd. Once on the ground floor, the elevator opened to a raucous crowd demanding information. The pitch grew shrill while hotel workers tried to shout above the din. Asi was confused and tried to make sense of what he was hearing but could not.
"I need some tissues," Shancai said, and she hurried to the nearby bathroom. Inside were two sisters. The younger one was crying.
"What's wrong?" Shancai asked. "Where's your mother?"
"I'm 11 years old," the older one said, "and my sister is 9." Shancai noted her red-rimmed eyes. "I can take us to the bathroom by myself."
Shancai nodded and grabbed tissues from a box.
"We thought it was her outside just now," the girl said sniffling. "She promised that we could come see her at her next competition. That was five years ago, but then she disappeared, and no one knows what happened."
"She broke her promise!" the younger one said. "She promised! I had my teddy bear with me that day. I dropped it, and it fell all the way down the steps to the floor. She picked it up and gave it back to me. She walked all the way up the stairs and gave it back to me!"
Shancai bit her lip and turned away. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and turned back with a smile.
"Can you girls keep a secret?" They nodded. "I mean it now. It's very important. Pinky promise?" They nodded and held out their pinky's. "Ok, step back and make sure no one comes in."
Shancai gathered herself and did a graceful pirouette ending in the arched back and leg spin. The girls watched enraptured with their hands cupped over their noses and mouths. When she was done, they threw themselves into her arms crying.
"I knew you were still alive," the older one said sobbing. "Where did you go?" The younger sister hugged her and would not let go.
"I remember you," Shancai said. "Lu Lu, is it? And your sister? I remember you both." She lifted her bangs. The pink scar that ended at the nape started at her forehead. The girls stared horrified.
"I had a terrible accident," Shancai said, "and it's taken me years to recover. I couldn't let anyone know. I'm so sorry, but now I'll keep my promise." She pulled out her phone.
"Chang? It's Shan. Can I have four tickets left at the box office? Yes? Great. Put them under the name of Lu Lu. I'll explain later." Shancai turned around and smiled at their shining faces. "I don't know where you live, but if your parents can take you to Mingde University for the last round, I'll have tickets waiting for you. How about that?" She wrote down a number. "If your parents need confirmation, have them call this number. He'll say that you met a gymnast, but he won't say who. OK? The box office can also confirm the tickets, but I don't know the number."
The girls squealed and jumped up and down. Shancai hugged them both and handed them tissues.
"It's been so long, and I don't know how well I'll do, but you girls can be my good luck charms. Now, can you help me get out of here?"
The girls nodded and took Shancai's hands.
"We'll pretend we're family," the younger one said. "You can be our big sister." They led her out, and Asi stared at the trio.
"Are you her boyfriend?" the older girl said. She turned to Shancai. "He's very handsome and so tall." Shancai turned red while Asi grinned and bent down to face them.
"She's a very special lady."
"We already know that, silly," the younger girl said, and they scampered away.
"What was that about?" Asi asked. Shancai waved off his question, and they headed out the door. Asi was surprised to see people walking quickly to the hotel.
"I had no idea that a children's competition would be so popular," he said. Shancai smiled but said nothing.
After a satisfying lunch, Asi and Shancai strolled down the street away from the hotel. A sweet scent of perfume drew them to a vintage clothing and costume shop. Shancai clapped her hands and ran inside. Asi followed with an indulgent grin.
"What a handsome young man and pretty young lady," the proprietor said. "I have some costumes that would suit you both if you'd like to take some pictures. Only fifteen dollars per pose. I'll do the make up for an extra five dollars per pose." Shancai rummaged through the costumes with the women's help.
Shancai came out looking like Trinity from The Matrix, and Asi nearly choked. The owner handed him Neo's sunglasses and costume and set them up in a Matrix backdrop.
The pair tried to strike a heroic pose but collapsed in laughter instead. Asi waved off another pose and waited in a chair while Shancai tried on her next outfit.
"I'm afraid that I don't have a fan for this one," the owner said, "but I do have a hairdryer."
"For what?" Asi asked. A moment later, Shancai came out in a replica of Marilyn Monroe's famous white dress, and he coughed so hard that the shop proprietor pounded his back.
"Do you need to put your head between your knees, young man?" She laughed and waved a finger at Shancai. "I think you've taken his breath away, young lady." Shancai turned red and ran back to the dressing room.
"I don't want this young man dying on me," teased the older woman. "Let me get out some tamer costumes."
After posing together in a variety of traditional Chinese ensembles, which gave Asi much to dream about in his spare time, they left with a package of photos of various sizes. He could not have been more content. Shancai yawned.
"Would you like to rest, Shancai?" Her yawn sparked one of his own, and she laughed.
"I think I've had too much sun. I feel so sleepy." Asi yawned again.
"You had to get up early as well. Let's go back to our room. I mean, you go back to the room. I'll wait in the lobby."
"Dao Ming Si, your eyelids are drooping. I guess I won't have to worry about you for something as simple as a nap."
He brightened and urged them along. Once they reached the room, she rolled a spare blanket and laid in in the middle of the bed.
"OK, you're China, and I'm Taiwan."
"Hmm, too much tension," he said. "You're Beijing, and I'm Shanghai."
"Fair enough."
Asi woke first and watched her sleeping. He could not believe that they were on a bed together and struggled not to reach over the divide and take her in his arms.
"Shancai," he whispered, leaning over the border. "I wouldn't care about anything else if I could have you with me always." He closed his eyes and prayed. "God, I'm not someone who prays, but I'll do anything if we could be together. I've never been so happy. Never in my life."
Thirty minutes later, Shancai stretched like a cat and yawned. Opening her eyes, she laughed at Asi's enraptured expression.
"Oh, come on. You look like you've never seen a girl before."
"I haven't," he said seriously. "Not one like you."
They spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through shops and strolling along the beach and boardwalk. He bought them ice cream, and she bought peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies. Asi wanted desperately to hold her hand but did not dare. As the sun began to set, he led them to a rock to sit on, and they watched the colors turn from bright yellow to deep pink.
"How beautiful," she said.
"Yes," he replied looking at her. He roused himself and smiled. "Do you want dinner?"
"No," she said. "I've eaten enough for one day. Maybe something for the ride back, but that's it."
Shancai had to admit that she was having a wonderful time. Asi was funny, playful, and charming. She could not believe that she felt so relaxed around him, but he surprised her with his gallantry.
She hopped off the rock they had been sitting on and turned to face him.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
She didn't answer but moved in front of him several paces away. His expression changed from wary to soft and open. Shancai smiled inwardly at his vulnerability. He had answered mortifying questions without hesitation and had been so different during their day together. He deserved to know where he stood, but she wasn't sure what to say or do.
"Will you let me try something?" she asked. "You've gone to such lengths to apologize, and I don't want to lead you on, to let you think that …." She winced, only then thinking that her words were thoughtless and even cruel. She bit her lip and ignored his pained expression. "I said that what I want most is connection, a special connection. There's no use in your liking me if there's no connection."
"What kind?" he asked quietly, his eyes trained on hers.
"The connection where two people have a private world all their own. I want to look out at the sunrise with someone who loves it as much as I do, and when we have different tastes, we enjoy them together. Adventure. Exploring life together hand in hand. Lots of laughter, love, and freedom to be ourselves. Building something together that we can be proud of. That's what I want most."
Asi nearly fell off the rock to hear her say what he, himself, wanted so desperately, but he was afraid that he had only this moment to give her what she was looking for. He breathed deep and sat up, parsing out what she had said. His despair lifted as he rethought her words.
"You want to find out if you can have that with me?" He stilled a wild urge to kiss her. "How will you know in only a moment?
"I read about something like this," she said. "I'm not sure it works, but I want to try. Can we?"
He nodded. As it was, he gloried that she felt comfortable enough, but he schooled his expression to match her serious attitude and swallowed his apprehension.
"What do you want me to do?"
She shrugged. "Whatever feels right, I guess. I don't know, but I'll start." She stepped forward, almost between his knees, and he opened his legs for her. Carefully, she reached out her hand and placed it on his chest. His hand rose to cover hers and press it against his pounding heart. Without thinking, he placed his hand on her chest and felt her steady rhythm. Her hand covered his. His heart swelled at the intimacy of it. She moved closer and stared into his eyes. He did not look away. After a moment, her eyes opened wide in wonder, and she moved close enough for him to feel her breath on his face.
Shancai could not believe how much had changed in one day. Asi was unlike anyone she had ever met, and she shocked to find that she was attracted to him—strongly attracted. He was like a strong cup of black coffee. Most hated it, but others would not drink anything else.
"Asi," she said softly. Simultaneously, they moved closer until their foreheads and noses met. His eyes filled with tears. They breathed in unison.
"I'm in love with you," he whispered. "I know I am now. Completely. Please believe me. I need you to believe me."
"I believe you."