On Wednesday afternoon Weiwei's relative peace of mind came to an abrupt end.
A message from Qi appeared on her phone: Hope you enjoyed the city tour. I've realized that I completely forgot about the harbor cruise – I apologize. I'd like to correct my mistake this weekend, if possible.
Weiwei sighed.
What is he apologizing for? He's done more than he should have already, as an acquaintance. Even as a friend.
She picked up the phone but couldn't bring herself to reject the offer.
How can I say no after all that he had done for me? That would be impolite. Not just impolite—it would be plain bad.
Weiwei looked out the window and sighed again.
"Thanks for the offer," she typed slowly and pressed Send.
She stared at the harbor some more, fingers ready over the phone keyboard, with the word "But" sitting lonely at the beginning of the Message field.
Oh, I'm not good at this. What should I say? "But" what?
An incoming message interrupted her.
"Great, I'll pick you up on Saturday at 4?"
He beat me to it! What am I supposed to do now?
Weiwei bit her lip in frustration. Not only didn't she come up with an excuse, but she also took way too long. Resigned, she deleted the lonely "But" and typed "Okay, thanks" instead. She put her phone aside and turned her head away from the window, where the shimmering harbor with its happiness and clarity seemed to mock her indecision.
The tour boat rocked gently in the calm waters of the harbor as it made a wide turn, giving passengers the opportunity to admire a great view of the glittering downtown skyline. The reflections in the water were also impressive, even if slightly distorted by the gentle ripples.
With the beautiful side of the city on display and no need to run anywhere or worry about anything, Weiwei felt like a tourist once more. She couldn't resist snapping a photo before Qi returned with two cups of bubble tea.
"The weather is perfect today," he said, handing Weiwei her cup.
"Yes. It's wonderful. And so is the city."
They stood there in silence for a bit, Weiwei felt the wind softly brushing her bangs and wondered whether Qi was watching. Her gut was telling her he was, and she hoped her profile looked alright.
"I meant to ask you," she said at last turning her head. Their eyes met. Weiwei still wasn't sure whether he had been watching her before or just looked over when she started speaking. Either way, his gaze felt friendly and warm. "What do you do at the company?"
To her surprise, Weiwei noticed Qi blush slightly.
Did I say something wrong? What did I say?
She hurried to look away to spare him embarrassment.
What is it? Is he ashamed of his position? Whatever it is, I hope I didn't hurt his feelings.
"I run one of the departments," said Qi with forced nonchalance after clearing his throat.
He runs an entire department? He can't be embarrassed about that!
Weiwei looked back at Qi and saw that he was even more flustered than before.
"It's in a different division, as I probably mentioned," he added quickly.
So we won't run into each other at work. That's what he wanted me to know.
"If you think –" he started.
"I was just curious," Weiwei rushed to clarify and gave him a wide smile. "By the way, I really appreciate your help with everything."
Qi looked relieved. "It's my pleasure. And this trip, by the way, too." He waved his arm, gesturing to the view around them. "I don't know when I'd find a chance to enjoy the city otherwise. Everyone is always so busy – it's nice sometimes to stop and look around."
"The harbor is definitely a magical place," Weiwei nodded, "especially when it's not raining." She stopped abruptly, remembering how they met up on the rock in the rain. Why did I mention that!
She peeked at Qi, who seemed to miss the last part.
"I used to spend more time on the water when I was younger," he said. "Now, not so much, with the work and all."
He chuckled. "It's such a bad excuse, isn't it?"
"I'm not used to lakes and rivers," said Weiwei. "But I like this harbor a lot."
"You don't like the water? You don't swim?"
Weiwei nodded. "I do. But I learned to swim in a pool. It's different. It feels much easier and safer in a pool."
"I have an idea," Qi pointed somewhere toward the shore. "Would you be up for some sailing?"
"Sailing?"
"You know, in a sailboat. There are some very interesting islands just south of here."
In a sailboat? That sounds scary.
Qi seemed to sense Weiwei's hesitation and laughed. "Just an idea. Maybe later."
"How small are the boats?" asked Weiwei.
"There are many different sizes. Some of them aren't that small. Maybe I should take you to see the boats first."
Weiwei nodded.
That would be prudent.
They finished their tea and strolled the deck. An elderly couple asked Weiwei to take their picture, which she gladly did for them.
A little later, Qi returned to the topic of his position.
"I just wanted to tell you—I'm saying this not because I am not good at my job, but simply so you know in case it comes up," Weiwei saw that he was uncomfortable again. "I have a relative in the company's management. Just in case you were wondering."
"I didn't," blurted Weiwei. She was worried that she brought up the topic of Qi's job the wrong way. So she brushed her bangs off her forehead and smiled at Qi as warmly as she could.
He smiled back. "I'm glad."