After their pleasant dinner, thetwo new lovers went for a walk.

They walked slowly down the busy street.

There was a lively atmosphere onthe street.

The neon lights looked even brighter,and the people were smiling even wider. (Zuben: I guess we’re overlooking thehomeless and poor here.  Ah lovu)

And though the evening was overcastand there were no stars to see, nor the moon, it did not affect the feelings ofthe pair. They walked along silently holding hands. They went past a shop,where Yin Ying stopped.

In the window display stood a maleand female mannequin wearing thick jackets lattice wool scarves around their neck.Yin Ting wasn’t looking at the mannequins, she was looking at their reflection.Zhengqing stood tall beside her; her hand in his. He was head and shoulderstaller than she was. His posture was tall, straight and dignified.

Very nice ah. They matched well.Yin Ting thought.

‘What"s the matter?’ He asked, theywere taking a walk.

‘I like the scarf,’ she replied absently.(Zuben: You can’t tell him you were checking him out – checking yourself out –checking both of you out)

Zhengqing looked at the scarf, ‘Itis nice.’

‘Ah,’ Yin Ting said, looking at thescarf properly. It was really nice; it was a style she liked. Zhengqing pulledher on to the store and asked for the two scarves. (Zuben: ¬.¬)

Two. Yin Ting giggled to herself.

He took the scarves from the salesperson and put one of them around Yin Ting’s neck, ‘Warm?’

She nodded.

He put on the other one and askedher, ‘Looks nice?’

Yin Ting grinned and nodded.

Zhengqing went to pay.

Yin Ting was very happy with thecouple scarves. He had asked her if it was warm, it didn’t just make her warm,she was feeling very warm. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, it was areally nice scarf, and it was a pair with Zhengqing. (Zuben: Thirsty!)

Zhengqing returned and took herhand to continue on their walk, ‘Wait a minute,’ she said.

‘Is there anything else you want tobuy?’ he asked.

‘No, but the light is good here,let’s take a picture.’ She said as she took out her mobile phone. She aimed attheir clasped hands. Zhengqing laughed and left her adjust their hands to theangle she wanted and took a picture. When she was satisfied, she nodded andthey were on their way.

As they left the shop, Yin Tingtook back her hand and typed rapidly on her phone. Zhengqing slowed down for her.Once she was done, she took his hand again without prompting. Zhengqing was satisfied,he gave a small smile.

‘What were you doing just now?’ heasked out of curiosity.

‘I told them I am holding my boyfriend’shand, how about that?’ she said proudly.

‘On your blog?’

Yin Ting looked up at and grinned, ‘Yes!’

Zhengqing looked up her blog on hisphone. The shot of their held hands was on the front page, with four words: I amin love!!!! And a smiley face (Zuben: Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselveshere?)

There were several comments below(Zuben: Ain’t got anything better to do?) there were comments wishing her well,congratulations, and someone joking that she faked a picture so she won’t seemlonely on Christmas.

Zhengqing frowned, ‘Delete thatone.’

‘Why?!’ she asked suddenly irate.

‘We’ll do it again.’

‘Eh?’ Yin Ting was surprised, ‘Whatshould I change?’

‘No need to change anything, justdo it again.’

Yin Tin was confused, she wanted toask why, but Zhengqing urged her to hurry,

‘Quickly, delete this one and putit on again. When I am ready I will tell you when to post it.’

Yin Ting was confused but complied.Then he told her, ‘You can post it.’

Yin Ting re-posted.

Just as she posted, there was alreadya message from Zhengqing’s online account,

‘Sofa!!!!!’ (Zuben: I hope to theG.o.ds someone can tell me what this means and why it is funny.) Yin Ting laughed,this man was quite bothersome.

She watched him type on his phoneagain, she looked at her blog to find the comment: So am I.

She looked up at him and laughed,swinging his arms as she did. He looked a bit embarra.s.sed. He put the phoneaway and tried to look calm.

‘Please be more serious, youpretend to be proper.’ She said teasing him.

‘Do I seem very proper?’ he askedas a raindrop hit on the middle of his nose. Zhengqing gasped, it actually wasraining?

Yin Ting smiled and wiped the wateroff his nose, and pulled him on,

‘Come on,’ she said, ‘Heaven isabout to cry, let’s get back to the car before it does.’ (Zuben: Where do thesewriters JP and CN find these cheesy things to say?)

‘You say such silly things,’ hesaid as he ran. He ran faster than she did, but he pulled her along with him, ‘It’sweeping,’

‘Because it is happy for us?’ YinTing said laughing excitedly running lazily behind Zhengqing.

The rain got heavier and heavier,the other pedestrians were running to get out of the rain as well. The pairquickly squeezed under an already crowded eaves of a store.

‘Do you think it will rain a longwhile?’ she asked as she watched the curtain of rain fell around them.

Zhengqing wiped the water dropletsfrom her hair. Fortunately, she was not drenched; else she would not be able tostand the winter cold,

‘Cold?’ he asked her as he lookedinto the shop, it was full of other people who had taken shelter from the rain.The canopy wasn’t too bad, though.

‘I’m not cold,’ she repliedtruthfully. Zhenqing was holding her, the scarf was around her neck and therewere lots of people around them. She felt very warm. Someone pushed past them, b.u.mpingYin Ting closer into Zhengqing. Zhengqing’s hold tightened around her waist,she took the opportunity to snuggle deeper into his arms. In her mind, she secretlywished it would rain just a bit longer.

With Yin Ting holding him so close,Zhengqing’s heart began to beat faster. He looked around self-consciously, andsaw people staring at them but they quickly looked away. He looked down at Yin Ting;she was looking out at the rain seemingly unconcerned about the intimatepicture the two of them made. There were so many people around them, hewondered if some were not comfortable, but he really wanted to hug her eventighter.

Sensing his increasing hold on herYin Ting turned to him and gave him a smile. Her smile turned his brain to mushand made his mouth dry. His head lowered, but he stopped suddenly rememberinghe was in public, with people very much near them.

He raised his head gave a cough,and put her head on his chest. He needed to be calm, and restrain himself.

(Zuben: I am such a contradictoryperson. I am both in the ‘kiss G.o.dd.a.m.n you!’ Party and the ‘this is to G.o.dd.a.m.nsweet stop it!’ Party)

Yin Ting began to laugh; herlaugher shook her body that was held against him. He knew she must be thinking hewas shameless. He coughed and said,

‘I’m back at work tomorrow.’

‘Oh,’ she replied, still smiling.

‘I’ll be very busy because I’vebeen away for a long while,’ he continued.

‘Oh,’ she said, she was unable tostop smiling.

‘But I want to have dinner withyou,’ he said.

She looked up at him, and he couldnot help but look down at her,

‘Do you have free time?’

Yin Ting grinned and said, ‘If I don’thave free time, how would you react?’ but she answered her own question, ‘Anothertime, perhaps?’

(Zuben: The people around them mustbe thinking: Sickening! These two are sickening!)

Zhengqing looked thoughtful, thenasked, ‘Why aren’t you free? If whatever you’re doing tomorrow is not urgentthen there is no reason we can’t have a date tomorrow. If it is very importantthen we can decided the closest convenient date, otherwise, you have to turnthe other party down and accompany me for dinner.’

Yin Ting laughed. Zhengqing heardsomeone laugh next to them. They must have been listening.  He frowned, besides Yin Ting, he did not likewhen others thought that his words were funny. (Zuben: Please be not soserious!)

Yin Ting reached up to ma.s.sagebetween his eyebrows, relaxing his frown lines, ‘I am free. There is no urgentreason not to meet up. I’ll pick you up from work.’

He was very happy. She was comingto pick him up, therefore, he can save some time and do more work. There was alot of backlog to get through.

There was nothing else to say, soYin Ting continued to hold him, with her head against his chest and his armsaround her waist, hoping the rain will fall a little longer. The rain let up alittle and the more impatient people ran into it. There view cleared of people,so Zhengqing put his chin on Yin Ting’s head and watched the rain with her.

Actually so small, this rain isreally not live up to expectations. (Zuben: did not understand what washappening with this line and so I did not change it.)

‘Why do you think it rains? Tell mean answer.’ She said suddenly.

Zhengqing looked out in the rainsilently for a few moments then turned back to her and whispered,

‘Because the rain fell in love withthe earth, the sound of raindrops is its heartbeat.’ (Zuben: Which one, rain orearth?)

Yin Ting looked up into his eyes,

‘Those days I haven’t been able tosee you, my heart was unsettled.  Once itrained so hard, as the rain hit the gla.s.s, I thought of you, and my heartskipped.’

Yin Ting did not speak but justlooked at him. She suddenly stood on her tiptoe and gently kissed him on hischin.

Zhengqing was still, at that momenthis heart was beating faster than the fall of the rain.

Yin Ting was attracted by the lookin his eyes; she rose on her toes again and kissed him lightly on his lips. Therewas a big palm holding her up behind her back, keeping her close as he held thekiss longer.

They lost track of where they wereand the fact that there were people next to them.

He kissed her.

His answer was sweet, though theearth was strong and majestic, it also needed gentle care. It needed the rain.

Zhengqing had never kissed anyonebefore, it was the first time his lips had ever touched another’s. (Zuben: DidI read this right? Never been kissed? I can’t decide if the rando t.i.tle shouldbe never been kissed or world of two)

But she did not refuse him, shefelt very warms and she put her arms around his neck and kissed him harder.

His tongue brushed against herlips, and her face turned red.  He wasalso rather excited and felt very good, he really loved this feeling. He lovedher. (Zuben: He l.u.s.ted after her more like)

Suddenly there was a sound ofapplause. (Zuben: Ew voyeurs!) The people around them were cheering. The rainhad reduced in intensity, so Zhengqing pulled Yin Ting away and off into thedrizzle. They ran splashing into the puddles, getting their shoes and legs wet,but they did not care.

‘You really are shy,’ Yin Ting saidlaughing.

‘I am not,’ he replied mosta.s.suredly.

‘I think you are very shy,’ shesaid as they ran back to the parking lot where they left his car. They got inand Zhengqing pulled out a few new clothes from his emergency case. He switchedon the heater as he dried her off.  

‘You’re not cold, are you?’ heasked.

‘Not cold. And you’re shy.’ She saidlaughing.

‘I am not.’ He replied as he wipedhis hair and looked at her, ‘You looked so delicious when you blush, I did notwant to share that look with other people.’

Yin Ting stopped laughing andblushed, then she pulled him closer to her and kissed him. 

Zuben: I can"t decide whether I should be worried or swept along with this thirsty couple. Enjoy. 

Two more to come. 

The t.i.tle is from a song by Cake called World of Two in their Alb.u.m Comfort Eagle. I always think of it when I see lovers.

 ❀ Chapter 43