Sitting on the table next to Song Qingchun and Su Zhinian was a couple of their age. From the snippets of their conversation, Song Qingchun found out they had been a couple for six years. This was their tenth visit to Hai Nan, and it was to have their wedding pictures taken. They were planning to get married on 14th March, the white Valentine.
They looked to be perfectly in love. The man held an iPad to talk about the future they had imagined for themselves when they were university sweethearts. "We will get a house; it doesn't need to be too big as long as it can shield us from the rain and wind."
The woman sitting across from the man nodded with a smile, adding, "We accomplished that last month, so we can cross that off the list."
The man listened to the woman's order and tapped several times on the iPad. Then he continued, "We will get a car; it doesn't need to be too expensive as long as it can take us to places."
"We accomplished that last year, so we can also take that off the list…"The man continued to read, and most of the things they had imagined for their future had been accomplished. Only a few of them remained.
"Get a pet Labrador."
"Have a baby."
"Travel around the world."
…
The future they had imagined for themselves was simple and common; it was the dream for most couples in the world. However, these simple dreams that could be accomplished by anyone with enough hard work were, for Song Qingchun, an impossible goal.
Actually, Song Qingchun really did not intend to eavesdrop on the couple. She really wanted to enjoy this late moment of the date with Su Zhinian happily and joyously, but the volume of the couple was a bit high. In the end, her words with Su Zhinian in conversation started to quiver, and the smile that she forced upwards started to deflate.Su Zhinian sighed deeply under his breath as he reached out to grab her hand. He stood up, pulling her up with him. He waved the waiter over to pay the bill and brought her away from the restaurant.
Su Zhinian's villa was at the north side of the restaurant but he pointed the south side and asked, "How about a walk?"
Su Zhinian and Song Qingchun had already strolled along the beach that afternoon, but when she heard his suggestion, she still nodded with a smile and agreed easily. "Sure."
Su Zhinian gripped her hand tightly and pulled her along as they walked along the sea. Every ten meters, Song Qingchun could see couples sitting on the beach or hugging each other or kissing.
This romantic atmosphere caused even the sea breeze to carry a hint of sweetness.
Perhaps influenced by the environment, Song Qingchun leaned closer toward Su Zhinian's arm. Both of them walked slowly on the beach. Suddenly, the conservation Song Qingchun overheard from the couple at the barbeque restaurant drifted into her mind. She knew she was building sand castles in the air, but she still turned toward Su Zhinian to ask, "Su Zhinian, if one day we get married, where shall we take our wedding pictures?"
Su Zhinian's hand that held Song Qingchun trembled slightly. Through reading her mind, he knew she was day-dreaming, so he played along. "Where do you want to go? Rome? Paris? Aegean Sea?"
