So-called attraction
Shen Tinghe first met Chen Rancheng on a train to the South of France. He was wearing a khaki trench coat and looked so sophisticated that he didn't seem like a traveler on his way.
Encountering a familiar Asian face in a foreign land made Shen Tinghe feel incredibly warm and fuzzy. She couldn't help but glance at him a few more times; the handsome man even had a perfect back of his head.
The train's final destination is the countryside in southern France, where the scenery is said to be beautiful. Shen Tinghe plans to take a trip there before the holiday ends.
They arrived around dusk, the setting sun painting the sky with its palette of colors. Shen Tinghe followed the map to the hotel she had booked in advance. The hotel was on a street corner, and the entrance was covered with small, unidentified pink flowers of varying shades.
Shen Tinghe was very satisfied with the hotel she had booked. It was a French-style loft with a view of the setting sun from the window, and there was also a coffee shop next door.
The next day, Chen Tinghe had brunch at that coffee shop. After a simple meal, she strolled along the street with her half-finished coffee. Free from all worries, without having to think about deadlines or reply to her supervisor's emails, she walked the street with a completely empty mind.
The sun was shining brightly, the atmosphere was warm and romantic, and the air smelled of freedom.
Under a red and white parasol, a French man in a suit slowly flipped through a book, while the old man next to him wore sunglasses and casually tucked a cigarette behind his ear.
The shop owner's child saw Shen Tinghe warmly give her a flower and gestured in broken Chinese, "Pretty sister."
Shen Tinghe wore a pink and rose-colored halter-neck dress that accentuated her slender figure and fair complexion. A woven rattan hat with a bow dangling from its side adorned her head. She bent slightly to accept the flowers, saying, "Thank you, you're beautiful too."
The little girl skipped into the house, covering her mouth. Shen Tinghe picked up the flower and took a picture in the sunlight. As soon as she put down her phone, she felt a small force tugging at her skirt.
The soft fabric bore the marks of a child's scratches.
She turned around following the force of the movement and saw another child; she had fallen into a child's den today. The child had big, watery eyes and eyelashes long enough to swing on a swing, and timidly pointed to the ice cream on her table, saying, "It's melted."
He speaks Chinese in a childlike voice and is of mixed race.
The matcha, chocolate, and strawberry ice cream scoops were almost melting together. Shen Tinghe looked at the child who was drooling and said, "I can't give you any. If Mom and Dad were here, I could give you some."
The child pouted and nodded, "My dad also said that I shouldn't eat food from strangers."
"Yes." Shen Tinghe patted the child's hair. "Where are your mom and dad?"
"It can't be found."
Shen Tinghe was startled. She looked around but couldn't find anyone who looked like her parents. "Do you know your parents' phone number? I'll call them for you."
The child took the phone and dialed a number, but there was a busy signal. "Sister will take you to buy a new one. You can choose one yourself, okay? We'll call you again after you've chosen."
Watching the child sitting on the chair holding an ice cream, his chubby little legs swaying back and forth, I said, "You can't eat food from strangers next time."
The phone rang; it was an unknown number, probably the child's parents. Shen Tinghe answered, told them her location, and then ended the call.
"Stay here for a while, Dad will come to pick you up soon."
The two sat side by side by the window eating ice cream. A gentle, cool breeze rustled the wildflowers by the window. Shen Tinghe took a tissue and wiped the ice cream that was about to drip onto the child's clothes.
The long, bright spots of light stretched out the time.
This is the scene Chen Rancheng saw when he turned the corner. The cinematic lighting shone on the two of them, creating a harmonious scene.
I was lounging in my chair with my hot-tempered little devil, leisurely eating ice cream, making a mess everywhere.
The little devil spotted Chen Rancheng immediately, jumped off the chair, stretched out his arms, and ran towards him, calling out, "Dad!"
Shen Tinghe looked in the direction of the sound and saw it was the person from the train. No wonder she had taken a second look at him; he was a fellow countryman.
The man wore a casual shirt, with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his wheat-colored skin. "Wheat-colored" wouldn't be quite accurate; it was more like a pale shade.
Chen Rancheng picked up Dou Le, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and carried him toward Shen Tinghe.
"I'm sorry to have troubled you. I'll pay for this order and thank you for taking care of him for me."
"No need, it's nothing, he's very considerate. It's fate to meet a fellow countryman here."
Shen Tinghe was very easygoing, so Chen Rancheng didn't insist. He said thank you and left with Dou Le in his arms.
Dou Le wrapped her arms around Chen Rancheng's neck and leaned on his shoulder, waving her chubby little hands to say goodbye.
"Clouds yearn for her garments, flowers for her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, heavy with dew." This was Chen Rancheng's first impression of Shen Tinghe when he saw her from afar. Her beauty was effortless.
You can feel her simplicity and sincerity in your conversation, which makes you feel very comfortable. No wonder this little devil is sticking with her.
After walking a short distance, Dou Le attempted to jump down from Chen Rancheng's arms. "Trying to sneak away again?"
"I don't want to go home." I know Dad will make me stand in the corner as punishment if I go back.
Chen Rancheng saw through his little scheme. "Your father is too busy to deal with you right now, otherwise would he have sent me to find you?"
"Really? Can I not do my homework when I get home?"
"No, because you just called me dad."
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