The cypress wood that spread up from the foot of the hill finally ceded its dominance to a multicolored band of perennial chrysanthemums in bloom. Tingting emerged from the forest and took a deep breath. Her eyes followed the beauteous field that extended almost to the hill top before giving way in turn to an ancient volcanic plug. The said plug stood like a goddess’ commemorative bust, proud and defiant against the millennia-old onslaught of inclement time. Its grey granite face, once radiant ebony, presently glimmered in the gold of the setting sun like the last flicker of beauty on the cheeks of a waning beauty queen. 

Yang Kai emerged from behind a pine tree; the only tree in the flower field. He called out to Tingting. She spun a semicircle and sprinted towards him.  Yang Kai too started walking towards her, but he raised his legs as if he was wearing a space suit. Tingting floated through the flower plants towards Yang Kai, almost weightlessly. Then, she suddenly stopped a few meters away from him.

This is the time for him to do what I have always wanted him to do, she said inwardly. Her heart was pounding a thousand erratic beats. Come on. Man swoop me off my feet! She could not tell if she had only thought or uttered the words aloud. Who cares, anyway?

They stood face to face swaying in the strong mountain breeze like a miniature figurine couple on a rare multicolored pearly necklace. She could feel her nipples hardening with the thud of every heartbeat. Her eyes became misty. Come on man, I am all yours. She cocked her head to the left and waited. How I’ve longed for this moment, for this single kiss! She pined inwardly.

Yang Kai took a few steps towards her. He seemed to value his energy so much, she thought. Otherwise why doesn’t he just fly over to me?

“Come on man!” she yelled insistently at him. She seemed to spot one of his cynical grins on his face. She took a few steps forward but it seemed they would never get close enough to relish in the pleasure she had craved for so many years.

 Then suddenly, Yang Kai dove towards her like a soccer goal keeper. She opened wide arms to receive him. But no sooner had their bodies touched than he bore her down to the flowery bed. A wild mountain she-goat hotly pursued by a he-goat on heat raced past where Tingting and Yang Kai had stood. Like a pair of logs tied together Tingting and Yang Kai rolled down the hill slope, arms wrapped round each other. This was no fun anymore. They bumped uncomfortably against stones and small elevations on the hill’s face. At last, the rolling pair hit a tree on the border of the flower field and the cypress forest.