Bogotá wasn’t entirely safe – one could easily lose a phone or bag to thieves on the street. In the old town, shops were secured with iron gates, and violent incidents occurred monthly. Chen Yi’s height and build gave him an advantage as a local guide, but he had one peculiarity – he didn’t work weekends.

He had to accompany his girlfriend.

He took Miao Jing to a countryside farmhouse for vacation. The owner, Pipon, was a friend Chen Yi knew from the pool hall who ran a small shop in the tourist area. He had a slight money-loving habit, but he had to support two ex-wives and six children. Chen Yi occasionally brought customers to support his business, and they had become close friends.

Miao Jing invited Si Nan to join them. Si Nan agreed and brought two friends along. Chen Yi then invited his young admirer Gino and a honeymooning couple from China. Gino brought several friends as well, and so their large group set out from Bogotá.

The highland mountain roads wound about, but the scenery was exceptional – forested mountains against blue skies and white clouds created a picturesque scene. Every breath brought crisp, clean air. The farm sat in a small village atop the mountain, sparsely populated and peaceful, truly secluded from the world.

The farm raised cattle and sheep, with a chicken coop. Pipon’s family received them warmly. Seeing the large group, they set up a barbecue grill and brought out a suckling pig from the pen.

There was no phone signal – it was a pure farm stay experience. It wasn’t clear if they were there for vacation or farmwork: they helped slaughter pigs, collect eggs from the chicken coop, work in the banana plantation, and gather bamboo shoots and vegetables from the mountain. Everyone was enthusiastic – while these activities existed back home, the tropical setting made them fresh and interesting.

Colombia was a nation of barbecue enthusiasts. After eating their fill of grilled meat, everyone set out coffee pots. The women lay in hammocks and on the grass chatting. Gino discovered a waterfall stream outside the village, and in the pleasant afternoon temperature, the men went skinny dipping together.

Later, the women joined them, bringing corn tortillas and grilled sausages. Wearing dresses and sandals, they were led to the waterfall by a dog.

It wasn’t a large waterfall – a thick white line of water cascaded down moss-covered rocks, meandering into a clear stream. The banks were lush with green trees and grass, giving off the vital, humid feeling of a tropical rainforest. A row of men soaked at the waterfall’s base, their shoulders meeting the spray of water.

“My goodness, these foreign boys have such good figures!” The newlywed wife’s Beijing accent was particularly lively and interesting as she stared at Gino and his friends. “These teenagers in their tight swimming trunks, just look at those taut muscles, so fresh and juicy.”

“Honey, don’t think you can say whatever you want just because they don’t understand Chinese,” her husband said with mixed amusement and exasperation. “Show some respect – we’ve barely been married and you’re already ignoring your husband!”

The men all wore swimming trunks, some casual about it and others shy. Chen Yi sat on a rock at the edge, his figure even more eye-catching than Gino and his friends. The women didn’t dare glance his way – he was spoken for, with Miao Jing standing nearby.

“You ladies go play over there, the water’s shallow there, and there are small fish you can feed.”

None of the women had brought swimwear, so they kept their distance. They lifted their skirts to step into the water, which reached their knees. The spring water was ice-cold, but the sun provided warmth. They sat by the water’s edge, pinching corn tortillas to feed the fish. Si Nan, stepping on slippery rocks, suddenly lost her footing and fell in, getting completely soaked.

Everyone was half-wet from the splashing water anyway, so they didn’t mind anymore. They half-sat, half-floated in the water, then chased the men away from under the waterfall to experience the exhilarating sensation on their heads.

Miao Jing stepped out from the waterfall, holding her skirt. She usually wore simple, loose clothing, but her dress was now soaked and clung to her body, revealing her graceful figure. Her curves were alluring, her arms and legs fair as jade with a slight flush. Wet strands of hair clung to her temples and neck, and water droplets rolled down into her collar. Her small face was as delicate as a lotus emerging from the water.

Her beauty could cleanse the mortal world.

Someone whistled.

Chen Yi, wearing athletic shorts, strode over and lifted her straight out of the water. He pulled his T-shirt over her head, wiping the water from her face, revealing her red lips, white teeth, and wet, dreamy countenance.

He kissed her right there in front of everyone.

Someone commented: “They’re in the honeymoon phase – even more passionate than us married folks.”

The group returned to the farm in high spirits, changed into dry clothes, and lit a bonfire. They sat under the vast starry sky eating grilled fish and corn, dancing and chatting in mixed languages.

They discussed their romantic histories, somehow getting to the topic of first loves. Latin Americans were passionate and open-minded – Gino and the Colombian boys had their first girlfriends at thirteen, while it was later for the Chinese, usually sixteen or older.

Thinking back, it was hard to pinpoint exactly when Miao Jing and Chen Yi began to “like” each other.

Miao Jing was certain that she secretly liked him when she couldn’t bear to see other girls around him. The emotional elements before that were complex and unclear – it was hard to describe her feelings in middle school, but she always paid extra attention to him for various reasons.

As for Chen Yi’s feelings toward her, she wasn’t sure.

“Just now you said… I was your first love, was I?” Miao Jing asked him. “I remember that might not be true.”

“How could it not be?”

She sat on his knee, a bit far away. He held her slim waist and pulled her into his embrace, clinging together like conjoined twins.

“You had a girlfriend before, kissed her on the Ferris wheel.”

He smiled roguishly: “Who was that woman? I’ve almost forgotten. We only knew each other for a few days, and got together without much thought.”

Miao Jing frowned, her fingers pinching his back, causing a sharp pain.

“Don’t expect me to be a good man. I’m not a good person, don’t forget I’m a little hoodlum,” he said lazily, leaning back in his chair. “Back then I was really afraid of making you angry, worried about what sharp words might come out of your mouth. When I talked to other girls, I was afraid their perfume would stick to me and you’d make an issue of it when I got home.”

He thought for a moment: “When I was seventeen or eighteen, after watching too many of those videos, I’d have hazy dreams at night. I dreamed of someone lying in my bed, couldn’t see their face, wearing white underwear, looking familiar and beautiful. I was so uncomfortable, grabbing their arm – it was cool and so thin I could wrap my whole hand around it. They curled up in my arms, feeling as good as an electric current. When I tried to kiss them, they disappeared. My body was burning hot, and then suddenly there was cool water at my lips. I took a drink and saw a pair of bright, round eyes holding a water cup… I woke up startled. The next morning, smoking on the balcony, I looked up and saw clothes hanging above… how familiar they looked, white with lace trim… I thought to myself, had I become that desperate? Better find a girlfriend quickly, before who knows what might happen.”

Miao Jing stared at him, slightly stunned.

Chen Yi sighed: “The only thing I can remember from childhood is when I was beaten and lying in bed, you got up in the middle of the night to give me water and steamed egg custard… Every time I remember, my whole body feels strange – sour, painful, and sweet, uncomfortable like being pricked…”

“You remember me taking care of you, yet you still bullied me, stole my living expenses, ate my meatballs.”

“I just wanted to bully you,” he tugged at her hair, smiling playfully. “You were so eye-catching, standing right there in front of me, I really couldn’t help but look at you. Watching you stare at me with those round eyes, timid and confused, mouth half-open not knowing what to say, somehow it made me feel really good inside. But who knew you’d be so silly, going hungry rather than going home to ask for money, just as foolish as when you were little, so easy to bully.”

“Every night when you came out of the bathhouse, your skin was white as a spring onion, hair dripping wet, your whole person like freshly scooped tofu, so soft, smelling of soap and shampoo. Did you know how many boys secretly watched you, and said you were beautiful? Beautiful you were, but still like a child, your body and face hadn’t matured yet. When I heard others talk about you, why did it make me feel so annoyed…”

“Later, when you grew taller and did become more and more beautiful, studied so well too, exactly the type of proud girl that boys would secretly fall for. Well, you weren’t my type anyway. After Chen Libin died, I figured we wouldn’t have much contact anymore. Never expected your mom to be so ruthless, really never coming back. Honestly, with that insurance money, even if I got fifty or a hundred thousand, I would have accepted it and sent you both off properly. It was Chen Libin’s money anyway, I wasn’t that greedy, just wanted enough to live well for a couple of years.”

“Your mom ran off with the money and abandoned you. I was furious. In my whole life, I’d never had anything good happen to me, every misfortune piled on my head. Why didn’t anyone ever care about me? What had I done to deserve this? I decided I didn’t care anymore, and let whatever happened happen. Who knew you wouldn’t leave, practically sticking to me like glue.” He suddenly laughed, his eyes bright as gemstones. “You even knew to try to please me, voluntarily washing my clothes and cooking. How could I easily let a little girl get the better of me? I hardened my heart and ignored it, it wasn’t my responsibility anyway. Just never expected you to be so stubborn, and so stupid too. Going hungry without money, couldn’t you speak up? Find teachers, go to civil affairs, contact TV stations to search for relatives – in this day and age, would they let a child starve to death at home? It was like you were just waiting, waiting to depend on me.”

As Miao Jing listened to him talk about the past, she couldn’t help but tear up, sniffling slightly.

Chen Yi held her neck, bringing her red lips to his. Their lips met, breaths intertwining, containing tenderness and excitement between their lips and teeth, deeply playing with each other’s tongues and saliva. When their breathing became unsteady, they slowly separated, gradually calming their emotions.

He cleared his throat softly and continued: “I wasn’t that kind-hearted. Back then I wanted to tease you – I quite enjoyed seeing you biting your lip, eyes watery but stubbornly holding back tears. Seeing that gave me a gut-wrenching feeling. Following me wouldn’t be so easy, had to scare you a bit first. I had bad intentions too, taking you to steal things, watching your face turn pale but still showing backbone – different from small-time hooligans like us. Those things I taught you later, whether collecting scraps or picking up nearly expired food, I’d never told anyone else about those. When I was young and craved food, playing outside without money in my pocket, I found ways to fill my stomach. Men have their pride too, would’ve been embarrassing if my brothers knew, but I was quite happy sharing those secrets with you. Only ever did those things with you. Anyway, you’d seen me getting beaten at home, losing face – no need to hide anything from our people.”

“See, you became one of our own, but it was still awkward. Having a teenage girl around – not quite a sister, not quite a friend, this unclear, inexplicable situation. Just a pitiful tag-along. I was confused too, but anyway, I was looking after you. If anyone bullied you, that was my business. Bottom line, nobody messes with what’s mine, or I’d take a knife and kill them.”

Remembering those rebellious times, he felt the urge to smoke, his fingers brushing her lips: “We agreed you’d leave after finishing middle school. A fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl should make her own decisions. You studied well, and were pretty too – you’d be welcome anywhere. No need to stay with me, living my aimless life, not knowing where the next meal would come from, not sure I could support you. That time I sent you to the train station, I meant to turn and leave right away, but couldn’t move my feet. What if? What if you didn’t want to leave? What if you wanted to stay? Didn’t expect to wait several hours, and then see you walk out with your backpack. My heart jumped to my throat, but deep down I was really happy. Hey, someone to keep me company, have food waiting at home, someone to wash my clothes, someone to talk to – how nice.”

“Three more years until you went to university. By then we’d both be adults, able to decide our own lives. But raising a child isn’t easy, costs money, time, and energy. First year you were quite obedient, staying in the school dorm quietly causing no trouble, coming home weekends for meals, and just needing some pocket money. When I broke my leg, you busied yourself taking care of me, bringing food, massaging my legs, treating me like royalty.”

“After graduating from vocational school and starting at the nightclub, I had money, life got better. Should have been good, could eat better food, and buy better clothes. Life should have gotten more harmonious, and more promising. But you started rebelling, saying things nice and not-so-nice, being difficult. I started dating again then, and if you hadn’t criticized me that time when I came home, I would’ve wondered if I’d corrupted you. A girl from a key high school, how could she speak so heartlessly? Talking about getting diseases from debauchery, could say such shameless, filthy things. I’d always been so careful, never mentioned anything about the nightclub to you. Your homeroom teacher even called me, and said you were skipping class to go online. That year nearly made me sick with worry, really afraid you’d go astray because of me, throwing away your bright future because of me.”

“You were growing more beautiful too. Every time I went to your school, when you stood at the gate, all the boys’ eyes were on you. I thought then, should I teach you about… you know, whether you understood about kissing, sex, those things. What if someday… just thinking about it made my scalp tingle. I was working nights, rarely home. I’ll never forget that midnight when the intercom said a pretty young girl was crying at the door looking for me. Everyone joked asking if I’d gotten a girl pregnant and run away. I saw you standing there crying in your pajamas, my mind exploded, and my whole body went numb. Your little face was pale white, saying someone was trying to break in to do bad things. My brain froze with the sound of explosions.”

Hearing this part, Miao Jing’s face suddenly lit up brilliantly, trying to hold back a smile, her slender shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter: “Your face was so dark then, eyes gloomy, like you could eat someone. First time I’d seen you so fierce.”

Chen Yi’s face showed no trace of a smile as he pinched her cheek: “That was the first time I held you, taking a taxi home with you in my arms. You trembled the whole way, so pitiful it hurt my heart. Don’t know how you got through that night. If we’d caught someone… “

He ground his teeth hatefully: “I really would have had to find a way to kill them. Thinking back now, we should have called the police, but I was worried because of my nightclub job. Couldn’t go to the police, could only change jobs, come home at night to watch over you, constantly worried you’d been targeted and something would happen.”

Now in Bogotá, with its questionable safety, especially for Asian faces who were more likely to be victimized – daytime was somewhat better, but at night, he didn’t dare leave her side for a moment, afraid someone might target her.

Miao Jing smiled brightly, nestling contentedly in his embrace, nuzzling against him affectionately.

“That last year was both good and bad, things changed flavor,” he stroked her long hair. “Because of the nightclub business, you’d still argue with me every few days. I was irritable and difficult too, but life was also joyful. We were home together every day, accompanying you shopping, picking you up from evening study sessions, attending parent-teacher meetings…” He looked down at her. “Kissing you on rainy nights, lying in bed talking, kissing all over your face… Our relationship seemed to change like paper getting thinner and thinner. I’d just wear shorts at home, you weren’t embarrassed, you’d cook in the kitchen wearing a tank dress, I’d secretly stand in the doorway, my gaze scanning you up and down, looking again and again… Every day holding back, enduring until after your college entrance exam, wondering if I should find a way to have you completely, anyway I’d take responsibility…”

His prominent Adam’s apple rolled heavily, his hands roughly squeezing her.

“Who knew later I’d catch you reporting me for drugs, I harmed you.” Miao Jing sighed, saying coolly, “Were you officially undercover then? Was life very difficult?”

“Not your fault, these things would have happened sooner or later. I originally wanted to do some legitimate business when they were cleaning up, and had ambitions, but once in muddy waters, how could I come out clean? When things went wrong, my mind cleared up. We agreed on three years, you’d leave after high school graduation. After all, we weren’t the same type of people. Following me wouldn’t be as good as following other more successful men. If things went bad again and implicated you, that would ruin two lives.”

“On your eighteenth birthday, I was playing mahjong with people, in that hazy atmosphere, lost over two million, my mind jumping with the excitement. Wanted to call you, didn’t know what to say, might as well not say anything, nothing mattered anymore, gave up.”

Miao Jing still bit her lip resentfully.

“During your college entrance exam, I got in a fight. I was ruthless, the other person was ruthless too. Broke their leg. My mind wandered a bit then, hoping you’d do well on your exam, and not be affected. But then again, what if you didn’t do well? You’re so smart, even at an ordinary university, I believed you’d still make something of yourself.”

“Forgot about that bit. After the exam you still had summer vacation, choosing schools, and waiting for acceptance letters. Brought you home, wanted to spend those last two months well with you, and didn’t want to argue. But you wouldn’t behave, could provoke me with just a casual word or action. When angry I couldn’t control myself, ended up holding you and kissing you again. While kissing, I wondered, what was this? Gone too far, just kissing, you’d eaten my food, used my things for these years, consider it repayment.”

“Didn’t plan to sleep with me?” she asked softly. “You were already pressing against me then.”

“Didn’t plan to sleep with you,” he pinched her chin. “But you rolled onto me yourself, said you wanted to thank me. Can’t blame me for not being polite then. I’m not a good person either. That time was like a dream, releasing twenty years of fire, getting more and more crazy, more crazy and more decadent, blood surging and rolling in my body, almost burning up, lying on the bed covered in sweat, thinking this is how it ends, don’t know if I was content or not.”

He let out a long sigh, reached for his cigarette pack, and tilted his head to light one, smoking in silence until finished.

Finally, lowering his brows, he said softly: “Three years later, seeing you at your university, I was finally content. Felt like in these twenty-some years of life, neither success nor failure, everything settled, it was good enough.”

“Went back to Teng City to waste time eating, drinking, and playing. Didn’t expect three years later, you’d come running back to me… In the blink of an eye, here I am in this isolated village, able to look up at this vast world. Heaven hasn’t treated me badly, able to grow up safely, escape death, and have someone to rely on.”

He held her, looking up at the vast starry sky, letting out a relieved breath.

Miao Jing nestled against his arm, also looking up at the sky, peacefully watching shooting stars cross the horizon.

“Miao Jing,” he suddenly turned his head, eyes deep, staring at her steadily, calmly speaking his final words, “You… you’re my savior.”

She propped up her cheek, smiled radiantly, and ruffled his fluffy head.

“Shall we go inside to sleep? We’ve talked so much… feel like tonight, I need to hold you and have a good sleep, sleep peacefully.” She smiled sweetly. “Tomorrow morning when we wake up, even the sun will feel brand new.”

“Okay.”

They stood up from their chairs. Miao Jing lifted her dress and took a few quick steps forward, then couldn’t help but turn back, her bright eyes looking at him, lips curved in a soft smile.

“After saying so much tonight, I want to say something too…”

“Um… I was always quite obedient and well-behaved… During those two years in high school, the rebellion was deliberate, scolding you was deliberate, arguing with you was deliberate, and making you worry was deliberate. That midnight incident, that bad person we never caught, the broken lock, the smashed window… I made it all up.”

Chen Yi, cigarette in mouth, was stunned for three seconds: “What?”

“Otherwise you’d have gotten involved with women, how would you have time to care about me?” She scratched her cheek. “So… Chen Yi, you don’t need to watch me so closely anymore, can you give me a little bit… of freedom?”

“Miao Jing!!!” He realized what she meant, put his hands on his hips, and roared, “You’ve been deceiving me since you were little?!!!!”

Seeing him angry, she giggled sweetly, lifting her white dress and running away quickly, like a butterfly dancing in the night, like a light bird, swiftly flying back to their room.