Si Weimin suddenly froze on his spot as he gazed at Xu Jia Li's beaten expression. He didn't know what to do. At first, a part of him felt an unspeakable joy when he heard Xu Jia Li opened up to him. On the other hand, he couldn't help but feel sad about her life.
It was known to him that her mother died before she entered Cui Ruzhou, but he didn't know her deepest desire and longing. His heart ached for her, knowing that she had to go through so much suffering.
However, the words he heard from her was enough to make his heart melt. He was emotional. When he gazed at her soulful eyes, he could see so much love. When Xu Jia Li kissed him, it was as if his whole being was pulled into the deepest abyss of rainbows and beautiful sky.
His body responded to her slight touch. He wanted more… all of her… The old proverb was indeed true that kissing was like drinking salted water, you drank, and your thirst increased. That was exactly what he felt right at that moment.
When the kiss ended, they both stared at each other. Not letting the moment passed. It was like they allowed each other to be part of each other's lives.
He loved her so much and it broke him seeing her remembering things that made her sad. He promised to himself that he would never let anything that made her sad. He would do everything for her because she was his solitude.
He hugged her tight as he whispered in her ear, "I will always be here. I will never leave you even if you beg me to."
The silent agreement between their two hearts was enough to understand what they really felt inside.
****
After a few more minutes of enjoying the panoramic view of the entire place, they decided to head back to Gubei Water Town where they would have their dinner at a fancy restaurant arranged by Si Weimin. He specifically chose that place because it offered local foods.
"We still have to walk more. Let me carry you," Si Weimin said as he bent his knees.
"It's okay. I can still walk," Xu Jia Li smiled sweetly as she assured Si Weimin.
"Don't be stubborn. Come now," Si Weimin motioned for her to climb on his back.
Much to Si Weimin's persuasion, Xu Jia Li could only sigh as she slowly climbed on his back. She put her arms around his neck as she gazed at the track ahead.
"You really don't have to carry me," Xu Jia Li said shyly.
"It's not like I could still carry you when we grow old," Si Weimin chuckled.
"Pft! Your bones will be brittle by then. Ha ha ha!"
"I see that Miss Vicious- Tongue Xu is back in the game," Si Weimin teased her.
"Don't talk," she put her hands on his mouth, trying to keep him quiet. She laughed so hard when she felt his tongue licked her hand.
"Stop it!" she slapped him on the shoulder before she said, "Focus on the track. If you keep teasing me, we might end up falling down."
They hiked a few meters down before they reached the cable car. Si Weimin gently placed Xu Jia Li down on her feet.
Once they were inside the cable car, Xu Jia Li leaned her head on Si Weimin's shoulder, "Thank you…"
"As long as you're happy… I'm happy…"
She chuckled as she pinched his waist, "Don't say that. You're making me blush."
They both laughed merrily as they gazed at the lights flashing from the water town. If only they could stay that way forever…
When they arrived back at Gubei Water Town, the golf carts were waiting for them. They immediately boarded since they were all hungry.
They arrived at a fancy restaurant close to the ancient bridge where the locals were gathered.
"What are they doing there?" Xu Jia Li pointed at the locals on the bridge.
It was Wang Guo who answered, "They're getting ready for the Kongming Lantern show, young madam."
"Can we join them?" she pleaded at Si Weimin.
"If you want, then yes," Si Weimin patted her head as he turned his gaze at Wang Guo, "Bring the lanterns. We'll eat after this."
They all headed to the bridge and an old lady immediately approached Xu Jia Li, "Miss, make sure to write your wish on the lantern before letting them up to the sky. It will be heard easily since it came from your heart."
Xu Jia Li nodded gratefully at the old lady before she took the lantern and the pen from Wang Guo. She closed her eyes, reaching the deepest part of her heart, looking for what she wanted to wish for.
Then, her gaze moved to Si Weimin, she smiled before she wrote her wish. Without a doubt, love was the most powerful human emotions that bound people together. So, she wrote in excellent pinyin, "*In the heaven we shall be birds flying side by side, and on the earth we shall be twinned trunks flowering on the same branch."
She had a satisfied look on her face as she handed the pen back to Wang Guo. She gazed at Si Weimin's lantern and saw what he wrote, 'I wish us a long life to share the beauty of this graceful moonlight...'
The chattering noises from the locals woke her up from her trance. She was really touched from what Si Weimin wrote.
"Let the lanterns float!" A loud voice echoed and everyone lifted their lanterns up in the air.
Xu Jia Li gasped when she saw the beauty of hundreds of lanterns flying to the night sky. It took her breath away. It was really mesmerizing. The lanterns gave the dark hues on the sky a different life. Everything around her had transformed into a special atmosphere.
She looked up at the sky with dreamy eyes before she felt Si Weimin's arm over her shoulder. She had never felt so contented in her life. She soaked in the grandeur of it all.
After the Kongming lantern show, they headed back at the restaurant. Once they settled inside, Xu Jia Li's mouth watered from all the delicious local dishes in front of her.
They shared a hearty meal and they gazed at the majestic lights of the entire town and the Simatai Great Wall from a far.