Why did you take my picture without permission? —For a moment, I almost expected those words.
But instead, he looked at me and said softly,
"Can you give me the picture? Do you have WeChat?"
Relieved, I nodded. "Yes, I do."
We exchanged accounts, and I quickly sent him the photo. Feeling embarrassed about the poor quality, I apologized.
"I'm sorry… the picture isn't very clear."
He only smiled. "It doesn't matter. I'm happy to have it."
That was the first time I realized how gentle he was. Curious, he asked,
"Are you a student of the Chinese language class?"
I told him yes, and in return, I asked if he was a teacher. He laughed lightly. "Yes, I'm new here."
We parted with a smile, but something about that small exchange lingered in my heart.
Later, I took a few pictures with my friend, until suddenly, my phone rang. I didn't recognize the number at first, but when I answered, I was surprised—it was my online friend, someone I had known on Facebook since 2022. I didn't expect his call.
"I'm in your city for my cousin's wedding," he said. "Let's meet."
I hesitated, but agreed. When I told my friend, she nodded in approval.
He made me wait more than twenty minutes. When he finally arrived, I couldn't help but scold him.
"How could you make a girl wait this long? If you keep doing this, you'll never get a girlfriend!"
It was strange—I had never met him in person before, yet the words came out as if we'd known each other forever.
We sat at a restaurant, and for the first time, I saw him clearly. He had fair skin, bright eyes, and long eyelashes. I laughed.
"Why are you even fairer than me?"
The conversation flowed easily, and time slipped away without us noticing. Before leaving, he told me he would return to this city after finishing school for university.
"I'll be waiting," I said, meaning it.
After dinner, I saw him off in a taxi. I stayed behind to catch a bus, feeling strangely lighthearted.
But only a few minutes later, I heard hurried footsteps. He came running back, out of breath, as if he had forgotten something important.
And that moment left me wondering—what was he really trying to say?