"It's demanding but wonderful. We go every year, my husband and I," the woman answered, gesturing to a man on her other side.

  Qian Meng looked at this person for the first time when he waved at her with a polite smile, which she returned with one of her own.

  "What other places are you going to?"

  "We're going to the night markets and a few other places before heading to another country. We're on our yearly vacation," she replied with an excited grin.

  "That's wonderful." The conversation made the journey a little easier.

  "I'm Jasmine, by the way. The handsome man over here is Rong Rong," she joked.

  Jasmine was a tall woman of mixed race. She was definitely exotic-looking. Her Rong Rong, on the other hand, was very ordinary looking. He was of average height and build with dark hair and a beard…


  Qian Meng paused for a second, alerting Mo Qingchen that she didn't know what to do. He nudged her without anyone noticing and it was enough sign for her to introduce herself.

  "I am Qian Meng," she said finally. "And that is my husband, Qingchen." She didn't give any surnames lest their identity was revealed. They weren't international celebrities or anything, but a lot of people did know their names.

  Also, it wasn't often that Qian Meng had the opportunity to introduce Mo Qingchen to someone new. It gave her a sense of satisfaction to call him her husband.

  "Hey, there," Rong Rong said, looking around Jasmine and her to greet Mo Qingchen.

  "Hello," Qingchen nodded at him.

  "So, you guys have been here for how long?" Jasmine asked.

  "It's been a few days. We didn't look around much, though," Qian Meng said vaguely.

  "Still. It's awesome. I was just telling Rong Rong that I wanted to stay longer some time. We've only been here as a stop on our vacations. But it's one of our favorites."

  Qian Meng nodded in understanding. "It's our first time together, but it has been good so far."

  "Well, you picked the perfect place to explore," Rong Rong interjected. "You're going to have a blast if you like beaches and good food."

  Qian Meng chatted with the couple for the rest of the way, which ended up being a nice distraction from the trek. They found out that the couple lived in America. First and second-generation immigrants.

  Jasmine was a photographer, whereas Rong Rong owned a business supplying and manufacturing medical devices. Qian Meng was so fascinated by Rong Rong's profession that she kept asking him how he got there.

  To her surprise, Mo Qingchen seemed interested too. At least, he was trying to mingle with people and not push them away not Qian Meng's account. The men struck up their own conversation, while Qian Meng chatted with Jasmine on her own.

  The whole dynamic intrigued Qian Meng. And she couldn't help but wonder what had brought about this great change in Mo Qingchen.

  As miserable as she had been on the hike up, the result was great.

  Once, they had finally made it to their destination, she was blown away. The water was bright and colorful and even more vibrant than the pictures she had seen. The sun was setting as they walked into the beach, creating an ethereal picture unlike any other.

  The tour groups formed lines as Mo Qingchen and she went ahead. They sat down on the sandy beach, just inches away from where the waves licked at their feet.

  "This is incredible," Qian Meng sighed dreamily, looking up and around. "Another beautiful sunset at a beautiful place with you…"

  "I told you it would be worth it!" Jasmine called back to her.

  Qian Meng turned out and saw the couple walking over to them.

  "You were right," she conceded.

  As the water came up a little higher, Mo Qingchen stretched his arm out until it rested on her shoulder. She took hers and held it up to his waist, scooting closer to him.

  This part of the excursion was relaxing. She could hear the bustle of the food stalls nearby and the lapping sound of the water. Waves crashed near them. All the fatigue from earlier was gone.

  Jasmine and Rong Rong chatted in front of them the whole time, but Mo Qingchen and she were quiet. She was content with their silence. She was occupied enough with the scenery in front of them. At one point, she looked over at Mo Qingchen and was surprised to find that he wasn't doing the same. He wasn't looking at the scenery like everyone else was.

  Instead, he was watching her.

  His face was so content, so peaceful, that she couldn't help but smile at him. When she did, he shifted the hand on her shoulder so that the back of his fingers brushed against Qian Meng's cheek. She turned her head down to kiss his knuckles.

  One wonders… Did Mo Qingchen see it on her face in those moments as their eyes remained fixed on each other? The reason that would make her stomach turn and her heart beat faster when she looked at him.

  Qian Meng was in love.

  Finally, she closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. Mo Qingchen leaned forward to play a kiss on her lips, which she couldn't help but return.

  But then she squirmed and started to push him back when he lingered.

  "Stop…" she complained when he began kissing across her jaw and to her neck. "I'm all hot and sweaty."

  "I like you hot and sweaty," he replied quickly. "It reminds me of having sex with you." This was his voice was so quiet that no one else could hear what he was saying.

  Qian Meng laughed as she continued to push at his chest, albeit with much less effort. "We're out in public. No more sex," she scolded.

  "We're taking a break because I overworked you?" he asked.

  "Shut up!" she laughed as he pulled back from her neck to look at her.